News Archive Index
WinNews (tm) - The Monthly PC/Mac News Archive

Prepared & Distributed by:  Baker Enterprises

Assorted press releases  and news articles are available by subject heading in the topic areas shown below or use SEARCH  to find articles listed by company names.

SOFTWARE:	HARDWARE:

Business & Productivity  	PC Systems

Professional/Engineering  	Expansion Products

Personal & Educational  	Peripherals

Games & Entertainment  	Macintosh Specific

System Software & Utilities  	Miscellaneous Hardware

Macintosh Specific

Miscellaneous Software  	GENERAL INTEREST:

Books & Publications

Miscellaneous News

Ordering WinNews

PC Industry Database


About Press Releases
Full Text Press Releases...

Press Releases are distributed electronically with 100% of the entire text included as supplied by the company. Most material is available via the online news areas on America Online and Delphi within several days of receipt. News archives such as this are created at the end of every month. For additional information concerning any product or service mentioned, please contact the company directly. Check the end of the article for the company's mailing address and/or telephone numbers.

Note that additional Backgrounder reports may be available for downloading from our Information Download Libraries on America Online and Delphi.


About SEARCH Capabilities
Using SEARCH to Find Articles by Company Name...

1)	Click on the SEARCH button to see a list of companies referenced

within the various news articles included in the news archive.

2)	Select the desired company from the list, then click on the Show Topics

button (or double click on the company name) to see a list of relevant

articles for that company.

3)	Select an article of interest and click on the Goto button

(or double click on the article title) to display the article text.


About Baker Enterprises
About Baker Enterprises...

Baker Enterprises electronically distributes PC & Macintosh related news and full text press releases  via our New Product Information Service on America Online (Keyword=New Product) and Delphi (GO NEWS PRODUCTS). Monthly news archives such as this are created at the end of each month and include all news processed during the previous month. Besides this Windows-compatible format, the same information is also available in a PKZIP collection of standard ASCII text files with a simple index, but requires your own text file utilities to read. News archive files are available from a download library on AOL, Delphi, and selected Internet archive sites, or direct via mail from Baker Enterprises.

Baker Enterprises also maintains a reference database listing companies and products from throughout the PC industry. The database appears as an online searchable database via America Online in the PC Vendors Database within our New Product Information area. The same data is also distributed monthly on diskette by EMS Professional Software.

Ordering WinNews

PC Industry Database


Ordering WinNews
Ordering WinNews...

News archives are available in either this WinNews format for Windows users, or optionally in a PKZIP collection of standard ASCII text files with a simple index that requires your own utilities to read. A one year subscription for either format, mailed on 3.5" 720K diskettes, is $60 for first class mail within the USA, $75 elsewhere via AirMail. Single copies are $5 postpaid. NJ orders include 6% sales tax. This material MAY NOT be redistributed for profit without obtaining prior written permission from Baker Enterprises. Contact us direct for more information.

All correspondence, including news submissions for FREE distribution  or orders for the monthly news archives, should be addressed to:

BAKER ENTERPRISES

20 Ferro Drive	(609) 582-9203   Voice

Sewell, NJ 08080 USA	(609) 582-9204   Fax

Electronic Mail (including news submissions) may be addressed to:

RBakerPC@delphi.com	(Internet)

RBakerPC	(AOL/Delphi)


Free Distribution
FREE News Distribution...

Our services are provided at no cost to any companies or shareware authors wishing to have their press releases distributed, or their company and product information included in our database. All submissions should be mailed, faxed or Emailed directly to Baker Enterprises. Press releases are typically processed and available nationwide within one to three days of receipt!


PC Industry Reference Database
PC Industry Reference Database...

Baker Enterprises produces a PC industry reference database that includes information on thousands of companies and authors, plus brief information on their products. More than just a software locator, the database also lists hardware, peripherals, publications, accessories, supplies, shareware and more -- just about anything and everything relating to the PC industry. Company information includes mailing addresses, telephone/fax/BBS numbers, Email addresses and more. The database is available as an online searchable database in our New Product Information area on America Online. The same data is also licensed for monthly worldwide distribution on disk and CD-ROM as the PC Products Database sold by EMS Professional Software. Individual copies on diskette are $25 plus $5 shipping within the USA (contact EMS on foreign orders).

For information on ordering copies of the PC Products Database on disk and CD-ROM, or optional quarterly and monthly subscriptions, please contact:

EMS Professional Software

4505 Buckhurst Cr.	(301) 924-3594   Voice

Olney, MD 20832 USA	(301) 963-2708   Fax


Business & Productivity Software
Business & Productivity Software News:

Microsoft Completes Fox Software Merger

Microsoft Marketing/Support Plans for Fox Prods

MDBS IV Database Engine Novell NLM

DeltaGraph Professional for Windows

Trius Releases DraftChoice Version 2.0

Welcom Software Technology Acquires Texim Inc

SalesLink for Windows V1.2 Agent Pen Computing

WestLake Imager Integrates Pictures into Paradox

Volk Clip Art Intros Electronic Clip Art Service

Medlin Accounting Shareware Industry Award

Morningstar Mutual Funds OnDisc (CD-ROM)

Clientele V2.5 Customer Support Automation Sys.

KnowledgeSEEKER Extended Memory Add-On Available

The Retailer Inventory Control System V4.05

MICR Interface Check Printing Software

Lockbox for Tenant Ledgers & Rent Payments


Professional/Engineering Software
Professional/Engineering Software News:

MathWorkd SIMULINK for MS Windows

PACX Data Acquisition & Control Applic Generator

METALSOFT FabriCAM NC Programming Software

Calculation of Surface Radiation Exchange

NETS Tool for Neural Network Dev. & Evaluation

ELM Rocket Propulsion Calculations

ROCKFILL Robot Weld Calculations

RSM Resupply Scheduling Modeler from NASA


Personal & Educational Software
Personal & Educational Software News:

Betty Crocker's Cookbooks on Disk

Knowledge Adventure Now With 256 Color VGA

Tutor by Association for Early Computer Users


Games & Entertainment Software
Games & Entertainment Software News:

PRODIGY Rebel Space Multiplayer Strategy Game

Prodigy Mystery Party Debuts in July

JRR Tolkien's Lord of Rings Vol II, Two Towers


System Software & Utilities
System Software & Utilities News:

WindowPhone Personal Call Mgmt System Reduced

Windows NT Introduced at Developer Conference

Central Point Ships Anti-Virus 1.3

Sybase & Microsoft Strengthen Alliance

BASIC Programmers Function Call Lib. for NetWare

IMARA Lite Productivity Tool

Artisoft Shipping Foreign Language LANtastic

Artisoft LANual Information Service

C Programmers Function Call Library for NetWare

Full Source Software Shipping UNIX Utility Pckg

TransEra HTBasic DOS 386/486 Numeric Compiler

ARCserve 4.0 - Backup/Restore All Network Files

Speedbase Application Wins Innovation Award

NSA-GRAPH - IBM 3192G Vector Graphics Emulation

Sitka 10NET 5.0 Network Swr in Foreign Languages

GNU C Compiler Support Packages Available

Gupta Client-Server At Work Conference, Aug 2-5

InocuLAN Enterprise-Wide Anti-Virus Software

ARCserve V4.0 Adds Tape Changer/Stacker Support

HyperLogic OWL Neural Network Lib. for Windows


Macintosh Specific Software
Macintosh Specific Software News:

MicroMath MMCalc V1.1 Scientific Calculator

Travel Forecaster from NASA Langley Research

Random House Encyclopedia Bundled with Macintosh

ARCserve 4.0 Backup/Restore Capabilities for Mac

FEAT 3.3e Failure Environment Analysis Tool

MacTOPS 3.1 Ranked The Best by Macrworld Readers


Miscellaneous Software
Miscellaneous Software News:

Raosoft SURVEY for Political Campaigns

US WEST SearchDisc CD-ROM Directory

IHS Acquires Federal Databases Inc

AIDSLINE AIDS Journal Literature Ref Database


System Hardware
System Hardware News:

Group Technologies GT-100 MIL-SPEC Handheld Sys

Atex Fault Tolerant NFS File Server

GRiD 1755/486SLC Notebook Computer

MicroFLEX Upgradeable Computer Systems


Expansion Hardware
Expansion Hardware News:

Chuck Yeager's Air Combat with UltraSound Board

Holmes FAX/Modem Combo for New Compaq Contura

Merisel to Distribute Camintonn/Z-RAM Memory

SmartCache Plus With Drivers, Manual & Cable

Multi-Tech V.32/V.32bis and Fax Internal Modems

VIGA Window Video-in-a-Window Controller

Procomp Intelligent SCSI Controller Boards


Peripheral Hardware
Peripheral Hardware News:

Micro Express Ships First High Res Color Monitor

Microplex Ethernet Printer Adapters 2.0 Firmware

Racal-Datacom ALM Series Network Managed Modems

Facit RISC-based Continuous Feed Laser Printer

Mitsubishi & Sony Technology Sharing Agreement

SyDOS PUMA 44 and 88 Cartridge Disk Drives

IBM 4033 LAN Connection for Network Printing

IBM 4070 IJ Portable Inkjet Printer


Macintosh Specific Hardware
Macintosh Specific Hardware News:

(No entries for this newsgroup)


Miscellaneous Hardware
Miscellaneous Hardware News:

Ensoniq KS-32 Weighted Action MIDI Studio

SGS-THOMSON Bundles Panacea Swr with XGA Chipset

Intecolor Improves Quality Manufacturing

Computer Dynamics SBC-486 Single Board Computer


Books & Publications
Books & Publications:

Writing MS-DOS Device Drivers, Second Edition

Mary Campbell's Guide to Windows 3.1

Video Courseware for Windows 3.1

Adobe Systems & Hayden Establish Adobe Press

Harvard Graphics Design Companion, Windows Ed.

Windows, Word & Excel Office Companion

Word for Windows Books from Ventana Press

How to Get Started With Modems

Microsoft Excel Macros Step by Step, Version 4

Microsoft Windows 3.1 Step by Step Courseware

Windows Interface, An Application Design Guide

Dvorak's Guide to PC Connectivity

Macworld Music & Sound Bible

PC World Excel 4 for Windows Handbook


Miscellaneous News
Miscellaneous News:

Prodigy Brings Baby-Sitters Club Online

UNIX EXPO in New York City, Sept 22-24

PC EXPO New York Surpasses Attendance Records

NEC Announces FREE One Year On-Site Service

Computer Conversions #1 Data Recovery Resource

Surface Mount Key Technology For Future

SPA Supports Relaxed Export of Encryption Swr

Current Status of V.FAST Modem Standard


WindowPhone Personal Call Mgmt System Reduced
AG Communications Systems cuts WindowPhone(TM) from $495 to $295 msrp.

July 1992 -- AG Communications Systems Corporation (Phoenix) announces an immediate, permanent price reduction on its innovative personal call management sytem. WindowPhone(TM) version 1.1 is now available for $295, which is $200 less than its original manufacturer's suggested resale price (msrp). WindowPhone is available directly from AG Communications Systems at (800) 424-8559.

"We're passing on the usual savings that arrive as products mature," says  WindowPhone General Manager Roger Heldt. "We have had strong interest from the market, and this permanent 40% price reduction should help spur even greater sales growth, especially as more people discover the benefits using the PC to manage their telephone environment."

WindowPhone links the PC and telephone using advanced teleconnection features, and provides many unique benefits with or without the availability of Caller ID services. It identifies a caller by name in a pop-up window on the PC screen, providing instant access to detailed caller information. WindowPhone maintains a complete log of all incoming and outgoing call activity - by time and duration - when the PC is on or off.

Even without Caller ID, WindowPhone automatically logs all outgoing calls from any extension on the line; maintains thousands of robust phone book entries, complete with caller notes, photos and auto-dial phone number listings; blocks outgoing calls to selected prefixes or numbers; and much more.

"In addition to its unsurpassed personal call management features, WindowPhone also supports Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) links to other Windows applications," adds Heldt.

WindowPhone is both a software (requires Microsoft(R) Windows(TM)) and hardware (8-bit Industry Standard Architecture card) product, which allows it to provide a unique arsenal of call management features without requiring additional peripherals, such as a modem, or occupying system serial port addresses.

A joint venture of AT&T and GTE, AG Communication Systems provides a wide range of products and services, including hardware and software design, systems engineering and systems integration. The Phoenix-based company has earned more than 3,000 patents, and is a leading manufacturer and developer of advanced telecommunications products.

For additional information contact AG Communication Systems Corporation, 2500 West Utopia Road, POB 52016, Phoenix, AZ 85072-2016; 800-424-8559 or (602) 582-7000; fax: 800-824-9656 or 602-582-7111.


Windows NT Introduced at Developer Conference
Early Version Of Windows NT Introduced At Largest Developers Conference Ever

Mayor Declares Week of July 6 Software Developer Week

     SAN FRANCISCO -- July 6, 1992 -- Today, a capacity audience of more than 4,000 software developers from around the world gathered at the Microsoft Win32 Professional Developers Conference for a first look at the Windows NT operating system. In honor of the event, San Francisco mayor Frank Jordan declared the week of July 6 Software Developer Week.

     Windows NT, the new 32-bit operating system from Microsoft, creates new opportunities for Windows by coupling the ease of use of the Windows 3.1 operating system with the computing power of today's workstation, mini and mainframe systems.  Designed for advanced users with high-end computing needs, Windows NT is expected to be released by the end of this year.

     All conference attendees will receive the Win32 API preliminary Software Developers Kit (SDK) for Windows NT.  It contains all the software tools and documentation that independent software vendors (ISVs) and corporate developers need to design applications to run on the Microsoft advanced Windows NT operating system, and it includes an early release of the Windows NT operating system itself.

     "The Win32 SDK marks a tremendous opportunity for developers, and a major milestone for Microsoft," said Paul Maritz, senior vice president of the systems division at Microsoft. "We expect thousands of developers to make the commitment to 32-bit Windows NT because it is the most powerful, easy-to-use and scalable platform for an enormous range of applications.  Thanks to this kit and other software tools announced at the developer's conference this week, there should be a wide array of advanced software ready when Windows NT is released."

Extending Windows to Broader Capabilities

     The Win32 API preliminary SDK for Windows NT provides application developers with access to the broader capabilities of the Windows 32-bit application programming interface (API). Using the Win32 preliminary SDK, developers can write mission-critical, line-of-business and workgroup software to run on the desktop.  These applications will perform complex tasks such as inventory management, financial trading and modeling, and online transaction processing, which were previously limited to mini and mainframe computing.  The Win32 SDK provides all the advanced features _ such as preemptive multitasking, multi-threading, 32-bit flat memory, interprocess communication, scalability and security _ that developers of these sophisticated applications require.

Scalability/Compatibility

     The Windows NT operating system is designed to run on a wide range of computer systems and networks, including powerful, symmetrical multiprocessing servers.  Applications written to the Win32 API will be source-compatible between 32-bit Intel systems, RISC systems and multiprocessor systems.  This compatibility allows developers to offer a scalable Windows-based solution for the variety of hardware that commonly exists in today's distributed computing environment _ from laptops to the most sophisticated PCs.  Existing applications for Windows and MS-DOS will also run under Windows NT, transparently taking advantage of the increased processing power.

Familiar, Consistent Environment for Development and Use

     Programmers of applications for Windows 3.1 will immediately be familiar with the Win32 API and development environment.  The Win32 API offers a widened, 32-bit implementation of the Windows 3.1 API, and the development environment is based on Microsoft C/C++ 7.0.  Because it is consistent, the development environment makes it simple to transition 16-bit Windows-based applications into 32-bit Windows-based applications.  In addition, in the 32-bit environment, developers create new applications more quickly and easily, helping to increase their productivity.

     Applications written for Windows NT also maintain the familiar interface of the Windows operating system, with its graphical design and ease of use.  Users and developers can continue to take advantage of the thousands of applications and software tools and utilities developed for Windows.  By continuing to use the familiar Windows environment, organizations need not incur the additional costs associated with training for and supporting a new computing environment.

SDK Contents, System Requirements, Availability and Pricing

     The Win32 preliminary SDK for Windows NT includes preliminary versions of the Win32 SDK tools, a C/C++ compiler, and the Windows NT operating system software.  Free updates to the Win32 SDK tools and to the Windows NT operating system will be sent automatically when completed.  The Win32 SDK is available only on CD-ROM.

     Due to the greater computing power needed for designing and testing software, developer system requirements include an 80386 33 MHz CPU (or higher), 12 MB total RAM (16 MB recommended), a CD-ROM drive, and a total of 100 MB available hard disk space for complete installation of the operating system, tools and compilers.

     The Win32 SDK is available today to conference attendees. Developers not attending the conference may order the Win32 SDK, for shipment starting July 15.  The cost of the Win32 SDK with printed documentation is $399; with documentation in electronic form only, the cost is $69.  For U.S. orders, call Microsoft Developer Services at (800) 227-4679.  In Canada, call (800) 563-9048.  In all other countries, contact your local Microsoft representative.

     Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.

--------------------------------------------------------

The Microsoft(R) Windows NT(TM) operating system is designed to support a broad range of hardware.  This is a preliminary list of hardware that we have run Windows NT on to date.  This is a subset of the hardware we expect to support in the final product.

The following hardware has undergone preliminary testing for this release.  We have not tested every machine and/or device in all possible configurations.  Microsoft makes no warranties express or implied in this document.

Intel 80386/80486 Uniprocessor Systems

ACER (R) Power 486/33

ALR (R) BusinessVEISA 386/33

ALR BusinessVEISA 486/33

ALR MPS 486/33

ALR PowerFlex Flyer 386sx/25

ALR PowerPro

AST (R) Power Premium 4/33 Model 213V

AST Premium 386/33T

AST Premium 486/33E

AST Premium II 386/33 Model 213V

AST Premium II 486/33

AST Premium SE 4/33 Model 333

Compaq (R) Deskpro 386/20e

Compaq Deskpro 386/25

Compaq Deskpro 386/25e

Compaq Deskpro 386/33

Compaq Deskpro 386/33L

Compaq Deskpro 386s/20

Compaq Deskpro 486/25

Compaq Deskpro 486/33L

Compaq Deskpro 486/33M

Compaq Deskpro 486/50L

Compaq Portable 486c

Compaq SystemPro 486/33

Compaq SystemPro/LT 486sx/25

CompuAdd (R) 420s

CompuAdd 433

CompuAdd 433E

Dell (R) PowerLine System 433DE

Dell PowerLine System 433SE

Dell PowerLine System 450DE

Dell PowerLine System 450DE/2 DGX

Dell PowerLine System 450SE

Dell PowerLine System 486D/50

Dell System 325

Dell System 433e

Dell System 486D/33

Dell System 486P/33

Digital Equipment Corp. (R) DECpc 425ST  (1)

Digital Equipment Corp. DECpc 433ST

Digital Equipment Corp. DECpc 433T

Digital Equipment Corp. DECpc 450ST (2)

Digital Equipment Corp. DECstation 425c

Epson (R) Equity EISA 486DX/50

Everex (R) Step 486/33 ISA

Everex Tempo 486sx/20

Gateway (R) 2000 386-33

Gateway 2000 386SX-20C

Gateway 2000 486/33C

Gateway 2000 486/33E

Gateway 2000 486DX2/50

Gateway 2000 486DX2/50E

GRiD (R) 486ei-33

HP (R) Vectra 386/25

HP Vectra 486/25T

HP Vectra 486/33T

HP Vectra 486S/20

HP Vectra RS/25C

IBM (R) PS/2 Model 70 386

IBM PS/2 Model 70 486

IBM PS/2 Model 80

IBM PS/2 Model 90 XP

IBM PS/2 Model 95 XP 486

IBM PS/2 Model P75

ICL (R) Alfaskop DS 458 Eisa

ICL CXe486s

Intel (R) 486DX Workstation

Intel LP 486/33E (3)

NCR (R) 3000 Model 3335

NCR 3000 Model 3345

NCR 3000 Model 3445

NCR 3000 Model 3447

NCR StarStation

NEC (R) Powermate 386/25S

NEC Powermate Express 486sx/25e

NEC Powermate Image 486/33

Northgate (R) Elegance 433i

Northgate Elegance SP 433

Olivetti (R) LSX5010

Olivetti M400-40

Olivetti M400-60

Tandy (R) 4820SX/T

Tandy 4833 LX/T

Toshiba (R) T4400SX

Wang (R) Microsystems EC 480/33C

Wang Microsystems PC 350/40C

Zenith (R) Data Systems Z-486/25E

Zenith Data Systems Z-486/33ET

Zenith Data Systems Z-486/SX 20

Zenith Data Systems Z-486/SX 25

Zenith Data Systems Z386/33 (4)

Zenith Data Systems Z386/33E (5)

Zenith Data Systems Z486/33E

ZEOS (R) 386DX-33CDT (6)

ZEOS 486-50CW

ZEOS 486DX-33 ISA

ZEOS 486DX-33CDT

ZEOS 486DX-33EISA

ZEOS 486DX-50

ZEOS 486SX-20DT

Intel 80486 Multiprocessor Systems

ACER (R) AcerFrame 3000 MP

ALR (R) PowerPro DMP

Compaq (R) SystemPro Dual 486/33

NCR (R) 3000 Model 3450

NCR 3000 Model 3550

Wyse (R) 7000i

MIPS ARC/R4000 Systems

ACER (R) ARC1

MIPS (R) ARCSystem 100

MIPS ARCSystem 150

Olivetti (R) M700-10

Olivetti PWS4000

Video Controllers               Video Mode

-----------------               ----------

VGA Class:

100% Reg Compatible w/IBM VGA   640x480x16

Super VGA Class:

Headland Technology / Video 7

VRAM VGA, VRAM II               1024x768x16

800x600x16

Orchid

ProDesigner IIs                 1024x768x16

                                800x600x16

TSENG Labs

ET4000 chipset                  1024x768x16

800x600x16

Others:

IBM XGA                         1024x768x256

DELL DGX                        1280x1024x256

Built-in Video on

 MIPS ARC/R4000 systems from    1280x1024x256

 Acer, MIPS, Olivetti           1024x768x256

Note: Display support will be expanded greatly over time.  Microsoft plans to support 8514, S3, ATI, most SVGAs (including hi-res), and coprocessor display boards in an update to the Win32(TM) SDK.

Disk Controllers

100% Register Compatible with WD1003 - ESDI, IDE, WD1003

Compaq Intelligent Drive Array

SCSI(R)

Adaptec

AHA-1540b

AHA-1542b

AHA-1640

AHA-1740

Future Domain

TMC-845

TMC-850, TMC-850M(ER)

MCS-700 (7)

TMC-1660 (8)

TMC-1680 (9)

TMC-7000EX

IBM

IBM SCSI Host Adapter (10)

Maynard

16 Bit SCSI Adapter (11)

NCR

NCR 53C700

Olivetti

ESC - 1 Adapter

    Built-in SCSI on MIPS ARC/R4000 systems from :

    Acer, MIPS and Olivetti

Network Adapters (12)

3Com(R)

Etherlink II (13)

Etherlink II / TP

Etherlink / MC

Etherlink 16

Etherlink II / 16

DEC(R)

EtherWORKS LC

EtherWORKS Turbo / TP

IBM

Token Ring 16/4 (14)

Token Ring 16/4A

Novell(R)

NE3200

SMC/Western Digital(R) (15)

EtherCard Plus Elite/A  8013EP/A (16)

Built-In Ethernet on MIPS ARC/R4000 systems from

Acer, MIPS and Olivetti

Tape Devices

Archive Python DAT (Maynstream 1300DAT)

Note: The SCSI tape functionality has been successfully tested with the Adaptec 154X/174X, Maynard 16-Bit SCSI adapter and the built-in SCSI adapters in the Acer, MIPS/Silicon Graphics and Olivetti MIPS ARC/R4000.  This is known to fail on other SCSI adapters at this time.

CD-Rom Devices

CD Technology

CD Porta-Drive T-3301

Chinon

CDX-431

Denon(R)

DRD 253

Hitachi(R)

CDR-1750S

NEC

Intersect CDR-73(M)

Intersect CDR-84

Pioneer(R)

DRM-600

Sony(R)

CDU-541

CDU-6211

CDU-7211

Toshiba

XM-3201

TXM-3301

MultiMedia Sound Cards

Creative Labs

SoundBlaster

SoundBlaster Pro

Printers

Every driver that shipped with the Windows(TM) 3.1 retail package. No plotter support included.

Keyboards

100% Compatible with :

101/102 key "enhanced" layout

84 key AT(R) layout

Mice

100% Compatible with Microsoft Mouse

--------------------------------------------------------

(1)  Requires an updated KEYBOARD.SYS driver to run existing

     MS-DOS and Windows applications

(2)  Same as Footnote 1

(3)  Same as Footnote 1

(4)  These machines currently have problems running existing

     MS-DOS and Windows applications.

(5)  Same as Footnote 4

(6)  Same as Footnote 1

(7)  A driver that supports both Setup and File I/O for the

     Future Domain MCS-700, and TMC-16X0 series controllers

     will be posted to CompuServe in the WINNT forum, Lib 2

     "Fixes and Updates".

(8)  Same as Footnote 7

(9)  Same as Footnote 7

(10) Earlier versions of this controller have proven to have

     problems with various CD-Rom drives.  The Chinon

     CDX-431 and NEC Intersect CDR-73 are known to work with

     this version of controller.

(11) The Maynard SCSI Adapter can be used as a general

     purpose SCSI controller for all tasks but graphical

     setup.

(12) Full NDIS 3.0 conformance testing will be available

     this fall through Microsoft Compatibility Labs

(13) These two adapters have been successfully tested in a

     Multi-Processor environment.

(14) The IBM Token Ring 16/4 adapter has been successfully

     tested in the MIPS ARC/R4000 systems

(15) There will be an updated driver for the SMC/WD 8003EP,

     8013WB, 8013EWC net adapters posted on CompuServe in

     the WINNT forum, Lib 2 "Fixes and Updates"

(16) Same as footnote 13


Betty Crocker's Cookbooks on Disk
St. Augustine, FL.--July 1, 1992--What do you get when you marry some of the best loved cookbooks of all time to one of the best loved software products ever created? You get the hottest idea for the kitchen of the 90s, soon to be available at computer software outlets nationwide.

Lifestyle Software Group (LSG), has announced that it will soon release a series of Betty Crocker's Cookbooks on disk, to accompany their Micro Kitchen Companion meal planning and nutrition system for home PC users. These moderately priced electronic editions of some of America's best loved recipes showcase the uniquely American spirit that combines the best of tradition with today's most exciting technologies.

Each cookbook on disk is everything the name "Betty Crocker's" stands for and more. All of the recipes, nutritional information, tips, shortcuts and fascinating food history from Betty Crocker's editors are easily accessed with the PC, using a special piece of software included with each title. As well, these editions will be completely compatible with new releases of Micro Kitchen Companion, providing an expanded set of menu planning and needs--in a microwave cookbook will finally be at hand on the PC. This complete version features 600 quality tested recipes, advice on microwaving at high altitudes, recipes ideal for children to microwave and much more. On disk, the wealth of information in Betty Crocker's Microwave Cookbook is easily accessed, helping cooks to discover easy ways to cook sensational meals and snacks...in almost no time.

Each of these electronic versions, plus Betty Crocker's Old-Fashioned Cookbook, Shortcut Cooking for the Smartcook and Low-Fat and Low-Cholesterol Cookbook will be available at software outlets in early September. In all, the series offers the home PC user over 4,000 selections from Betty Crocker's Kitchens, with digitized color photos to illustrate creative presentation and preparation ideas.

LSG is a publisher and developer of home leisure computing products. Betty Crocker's series will be available from independent retailers as well as Egghead Software, Waldensoftware, CompUSA, Computer City, and Software, Etc. among others.

Lifestyle Software Group (LSG)

63 Orange St, Saint Augustine, FL 32084

904-825-0220


Chuck Yeager's Air Combat with UltraSound Board
Vancouver, Canada--July 7, 1992--Advanced Gravis Computer Technology Ltd. today announced they will be introducing the award winning Chuck Yeager's Air Combat from Electronic Arts with their new soundboard, UltraSound. The Electronic Arts tide will be reworked to take full advantage of the UltraSound's unique technology and will include an all-new stereo sound track and enhanced sound effects.

This special edition version will be included with the UltraSound for a retail price of $219.95. UltraSound will retail for $199.95. This special edition will begin distribution in early Fall '92.

"Electronic Arts looks forward to supporting the new Gravis sound card, which represents breakthrough technology for the MS DOS sound system market," said Larry Probst, president of Electronic Arts.

Chuck Yeager's Air Combat will fully support the UltraSound board, which delivers true CD-quality sound to the PC and is compatible with Ad Lib and Sound Blaster cards. UltraSound's industry standard MIDI support ensures compatibility with a wide variety of software and hardware.

The 16-bit, 44.1 kHz, 32 digital or synthesized voice sound board puts high-quality, low-priced sound on the desktop computer. It delivers crystal clear sound, which adds a jolt of realism to games and multimedia presentations. Gravis UltraSound has expansion options, so the user can easily upgrade to professional quality recording capabilities and direct CD-ROM connection.

"We are excited about Electronic Arts being the first to support this new technology," says Grant Russell, president of Advanced Gravis. 'We see Electronic Arts as the world leader in publishing and distributing consumer entertainment software."

Consumers may order direct or get information on this special offer by calling (604) 431-5020 or stopping by any major retail store.

Electronic Arts is a diversified entertainment company that develops, publishes and distributes software worldwide.

Advanced Gravis Computer Technology Ltd. designs, manufactures and markets high-quality microcomputer input devices, including the Gravis Analog, switch joysticks, GamePads and the optical MouseStick for the Macintosh and IBM PC platforms, as well as UltraSound.


Microsoft Completes Fox Software Merger
REDMOND, Wash. -- June 29, 1992 -- Microsoft Corporation announced today the completion of the merger with Fox Software, Inc. of Perrysburg, Ohio. The merger is considered a pooling of interests and is not expected to have a material, financial effect on Microsoft's June quarter results. Under the terms of the final agreement, Dave Fulton, president of Fox Software, is joining Microsoft as database architect of the database and development tools division. In addition, the Fox development team and a significant number of product support, sales and services employees are joining Microsoft Corporation.

"We are excited to now have the most powerful X-BASE products on the market and the best X-BASE development talent as part of the Microsoft family," said Bill Gates, Microsoft chairman and CEO. "We plan to integrate the individual strengths of Microsoft and Fox's development teams and technologies to provide superior database management system (DBMS) solutions for our customers."

"I am thrilled to have the vast resources of Microsoft at my fingertips,'' said Fulton. "We will now be able to develop and market the Fox products on a global scale and we'll be able to provide superior product support and services. Furthermore, I am very happy to be able to devote all of my time to joint development efforts for our database projects -- I feel like a kid with the biggest train set in the world."

Microsoft will now offer the powerful database management systems, such as FoxBASE+ for MS-DOS, UNIX and Apple Macintosh operating systems and FoxPro for the MS-DOS platform, and will develop new versions of FoxPro for the Windows, MS-DOS, Macintosh, and UNIX platforms. In addition, Microsoft currently has a desktop database product, code named Cirrus, which is in beta testing.

In his capacity as database architect, Dave Fulton will be responsible for the design and architectural aspects of current technology with future development efforts. Fox employees will transition to Microsoft facilities beginning in July.

Commitment to Fox Customers

"Microsoft is committed to supporting and evolving both the Fox product line and the X-BASE language," said Charles Stevens, general manager of the Microsoft database and programmability group. "We realize that the X-BASE language is important and we are dedicated to supporting the more than four million X-BASE customers."

Microsoft recently announced its plans to support an initiative, which is being driven by the ANSI-accredited, X3/SPARC committee and three co-authors, to create an X-BASE language standard aimed at helping to ensure compatibility and interoperability among X-BASE products.

"Microsoft values the importance of the X-BASE language and believes standards are imperative to help ensure that the X-BASE platform has a strong future," said Stevens.

"Over the past three months we have worked with Fox Software at gathering customer feedback from user groups across the country to ensure that we understand the needs of XBASE customers," said Tod Nielsen, group product manager of Fox products. "We are committed to servicing Fox customers by providing a complete family of high-performance database products, offering quality customer support, generous upgrade policies, and a wide variety of developer services.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.

Microsoft Corp, One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052

206-882-8080


Microsoft Marketing/Support Plans for Fox Prods
REDMOND, Wash. -- June 29, 1992 -- Microsoft Corporation announced today plans for significant upgrade offers, as well as product support and services for customers of Fox products. Completion of the merger with Fox Software was announced today as well.

"The Fox installed base of users is one of the most important assets of Fox Software and we are committed to servicing these users to the best of our ability," said Tod Nielsen, Microsoft's group product manager for the Fox product line. "We plan to protect our existing customers' investments through low-cost upgrade offers, make the products widely and easily available to other users with attractive, competitive upgrade pricing, and provide quality service and support."

Significant Upgrade Offers Available to Fox Users

Any current owner of FoxBASE+ database for the MS-DOS operating system or FoxPro database 1.x can now upgrade to FoxPro 2.0 for MS-DOS directly from Microsoft for only $175.

For all customers obtaining any version of FoxPro 2.0 for MS-DOS between June 1 and December 31, 1992, Microsoft is offering a free upgrade to FoxPro 2.5 for either the MS-DOS or Windows operating systems. The free upgrade will be available directly from Microsoft when the products ship. FoxPro 2.5 for Windows is being released this week to a limited number of beta sites.

In addition, customers who acquired any version of FoxPro 2.0 prior to June 1, 1992, will be eligible to upgrade to FoxPro 2.5 for either MS-DOS or Windows operating systems for only $99. This upgrade will be available through authorized resellers or directly from Microsoft. To order upgrades directly from Microsoft, call (800) 992-3675.

Competitive Upgrades Offered

Microsoft also announced today competitive upgrade offers for FoxPro 2.0 for MSDOS and FoxBASE+ for the Macintosh.

Users of dBASE, Paradox, Clipper, DataEase, R:BASE, Superbase, Arago and dBFast are eligible to upgrade to Microsoft FoxPro 2.0 for MS-DOS for the price of $199. Also included in the above competitive offer is a free upgrade to FoxPro 2.5 for either the MS-DOS or Windows operating systems when the products ship.

In addition, users of 4D, Double Helix, Omnis Seven, dBASE for the Macintosh, FileMaker Pro, and Microsoft File are eligible to upgrade to Microsoft FoxBASE+ for the Macintosh for the price of $149. Both competitive upgrade offers above are available through resellers or directly from Microsoft. All of the mentioned upgrade offers will expire on December 31, 1992.'

Product Support and Services Microsoft plans to continue existing product support policies offered by Fox Software. Effective immediately, product support for domestic and Canadian customers is available through a toll phone number (419) 872-0043 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. Electronic support is also available on a CompuServe forum (FOXFORUM). Microsoft Product Support services will respond to support requests on FOXFORUM within 24 hours of receipt, at no extra charge, between 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. Standard CompuServe connect charges apply.

In addition, Microsoft has implemented a dedicated phone line, (800) 432-1FOX, which will provide referrals to sources of information regarding Fox products and services.

To obtain feedback for enhancements to support and service programs, Microsoft has been meeting with users at user groups to define additional support services for Microsoft's database products. New programs will be phased in beginning in September. To successfully launch these new programs, Microsoft plans to dedicate more than one hundred database support personnel by October.

Suggested Retail Pricing and Packaging

Microsoft has no immediate plans to change the suggested retail prices of existing Fox products. The suggested retail price of FoxPro 2.0 for MS-DOS is $795 for the single-user version and $895 for the multiuser six-pack version. FoxBASE+ for Macintosh has a suggested retail price of $495 for the single user version and $595 for the multiuser six-pack version.

Microsoft plans to retain the use of Fox and FoxPro names and logos. The company is repackaging key Fox products under the "Microsoft FoxPro" and "Microsoft FoxBASE+ for the Macintosh" names, as well as identifying all other products as Microsoft by placing special stickers on the packages. Existing Fox products continue to be available from distributors and resellers.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.

Microsoft Corp, One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052

206-882-8080


Central Point Ships Anti-Virus 1.3
BEAVERTON, Ore. -- June 29, 1992 -- Central Point Software, Inc. is now shipping Central Point Anti-Virus 1.3, which now detects and eliminates more than 1,200 viruses. New features include comprehensive protection from viruses generated by the Mutation Engine (also known as the Dark Avenger Mutation Engine), enhanced removal options for infected files, and protection from virus infection during a warm boot. Among the more than 200 additional viruses that the program now finds and eliminates are Terminator, CMOS, and viruses created with the Mutation Engine, including Pogue, Fear, Groove, PLO and Sara.

Protection Against viruses Generated by the Mutation Engine

There has been a recent heightened awareness surrounding the increase in viruses generated by the Mutation Engine. The Mutation Engine is a tool that enables virus programmers to quickly and easily create polymorphic viruses, or self-modifying viruses, from an existing virus. "With the advent of the Mutation Engine, the virus problem is becoming increasingly worse," noted Bob Bales, executive director of the National Computer Security Association. "Because the Mutation Engine creates polymorphic viruses that change with every infection, detection of these viruses becomes especially difficult." Central Point AntiVirus 1.3 provides a necessary solution to both detecting and cleaning these viruses.

Central Point Anti-Virus 1.3 detects Mutation Engine-generated viruses that have been created from both known and unknown viruses. If the source virus is a known virus, Central Point Anti-Virus will be able to identify the virus by name and clean it immediately. If the polymorphic virus was created from an unknown virus, the program will still detect it by identifying it as a Mutation Engine-generated virus.

Removal Options Increase Security

In addition to cleaning infected files, Central Point Anti-Virus 1.3 now includes the option to delete files when a virus is found, increasing security and protecting against further infection. When this option is selected, the program deletes the infected file.

Memory Resident Programs Enhance Protection from Virus Infection

The VSAFE and VWATCH memory-resident programs, which monitor the system for virus infections, now increase protection by checking a diskette in Drive A for viruses before performing a warm boot (Ctrl Alt Del). If the diskette in Drive A is found to be infected with a virus, VSAFE or VWATCH will prevent the warm boot from taking place.

Upgrade Information and Product Availability

Central Point Anti-Virus 1.3 has a suggested retail price of $129 and is available now from major software distributors and resellers in North America. The cost of a single update is $20. An optional subscription plan provides customers four consecutive releases for $59. Customers in the U. S. and Canada can order updates or obtain more information by calling (800) 445-4208. Site licenses are available for sites with 100 or more PCs. For information on corporate licenses, call (800) 445-0432.

Central Point Anti-Virus runs on IBM PC, XT, AT, PS/2 or 100 percent compatibles with MS-DOS 3.1 or higher and 512K of RAM. Central Point Anti-Virus supports Microsoft Mouse drivers version 6.14 or higher, Logitech/Dexxa mouse drivers version 3.4x or higher or 100 percent compatibles.

Central Point Software, Inc., headquartered in Beaverton, is a leading developer of utility software and offers a broad line of utility products for MS-DOS, Windows and Macintosh platforms. Founded in 1981, the company's installed base of registered users now numbers more than one million. Central Point's products are translated into several languages and are available in more than 25 countries.

Central Point Software

15220 N.W. Greenbrier Parkway, #200, Beaverton, OR 97006

503-690-8090 for customer service, 503-690-8080 for Technical support, 503-690-8083 FAX.


Knowledge Adventure Now With 256 Color VGA
LA CRESCENTA, CA, June 25, 1991--Knowledge Adventure, Inc., today began shipping a new, 256-color VGA version of its top-selling educational software product, Knowledge Adventure -- The Most Exciting Journey of All. It is the first and only multimedia educational software product for the PC that lets users access a rich, hyperlinked database of images and text without requiring the added expense of a CD-ROM.

The VGA version of Knowledge Adventure will carry a suggested retail price of $79.95. The product is being distributed to dealers by SoftKat, Ingram, Merisel and Kenfil Distribution and will be available to consumers at Egghead Discount Software, CompUSA, Computer City, CompuAdd, MicroCenter, Babbages, Software Etc. and other major computer software dealers; Bizmart, Sam's Club, Office Depot, Office America, Lechmere, Fred Meyer, Fedco, Best Buys and other mass merchants; and PC Connection, Tiger Software, Dustin Discount Software, CompuClassics, Microwarehouse and other direct marketing and software catalog companies.

"We are very grateful for the tremendous response we've had to date for Knowledge Adventure Interactive Books," said Bill Gross, President and CEO. 'We hear every day from teachers and parents about situations in which kids are engrossed for hours exploring new topics that they had previously ignored. And because the information is equally interesting to adults, parents have found Knowledge Adventure to be one of the first products they can actually enjoy with their children."

Knowledge Adventure is designed to bridge the gap between traditional reference products, with their dry presentation of facts; and games, with their minimal educational content. Designed for ages 5 to 105, the product provides a powerful, interactive vehicle for children and adults to chart their own course of exploration through history.

Knowledge Adventure combines a unique and highly sophisticated compression technology with its own, customized "hyperlink" system that provides the user of an average PC with quick, random access to a quantity of information that was previously not practical without a CD-ROM. The product contains a database of hundreds of high-resolution, photographic-quality 256-color VGA images and associated text and sound files covering significant events in the history of the world. Access to the information is provided by the Knowledge Adventure "engine," which allows the user to explore any aspect of a given slide--such as an element in a picture, or a word in the text--simply by clicking on it. In addition, the geographic location of the image is indicated on a globe, and the time that the event took place is indicated on a time line. Both the globe and the time line provide additional ways to access information; the user can simply rotate the globe and zoom in on a particular spot of interest or drag the time line marker to any year, and Knowledge Adventure will display information on the nearest event. The product covers the worlds of art, science, literature, architecture, music, and nature.

Knowledge Adventure runs on IBM and compatible PCs. A hard disk and a VGA color monitor are required. A mouse is recommended. Popular sound devices, such as SoundBlaster, Thunderboard, Covox Speech Thing, and the Disney Sound Source, are supported, though Science Adventure's sounds will play through the PC's speaker as well.

Knowledge Adventure, Inc., headquartered in La Crescenta, California, is the leading developer of disk-based multimedia educational software for the PC. Products include Knowledge Adventure, Sports Adventure and Isaac Asimov's Science Adventure.

Knowledge Adventure Inc

4502 Dyer St, La Crescenta, CA 91214

818-542-4200   Fax 818-542-4205


MDBS IV Database Engine Novell NLM
NEW YORK, NY - June 24, 1992 - Micro Data Base Systems, Inc. (mdbs) announced today that MDBS IV, the high performance database engine, will be available as a Novell NetWare Loadable Module (NLM). Solomon Software, developer of the Solomon Accounting Series, joined the announcement to discuss the performance enhancements and downsizing opportunities that will be available with their upcoming NLM version.

MDBS IV is a high performance on-line transaction processing DBMS which utilizes entity-relationship modeling and client/server architecture. Mission critical applications with ultra-large databases are ideal candidates for MDBS IV development due to the unmatched modeling capabilities of MDBS IV.

"This is a blue chip development," said Kevin Castleberry, President of Development Tools at Micro Data Base Systems, Inc. (mdbs). "The fastest client/server database on the market is now moving to the most powerful enterprise-wide computing environment. This combination shatters technological barriers to downsizing, making it possible to downsize applications that could not have been considered until now."

Novell NLM

This sentiment is echoed by Robert Shoop, Director of Database Products for Novell. "We are pleased to have Micro Data Base Systems, Inc. join the growing number of software developers who are implementing their database servers as NetWare Loadable Modules (NLMs)," stated Shoop. "Our customers will benefit from having the high performance solution of the MDBS IV database engine and the NetWare platform."

Kevin Castleberry sketched mdbs' direction in terms of its commitment to client/server computing. "mdbs developed the first client/server database," asserted Castleberry," and we continue to be a leader in this growing arena. The MDBS IV NLM symbolizes our commitment to supply client/server technology for all major downsizing computing platforms."

Solomon Software Technical Details

Solomon Software, whose Accounting Series software is considered an industry standard, will be one of the first companies to benefit from the MDBS IV NLM version. "We're pleased to announce Solomon Software's intention to incorporate the mdbs NLM database engine into our high-end network accounting system, Solomon III," said Gary Harpst, President and Chief Executive Officer of Solomon Software. "The NLM should bring significant improvements in performance to our installed base of networked accounting sites, and should bring significant opportunities for businesses who are downsizing to NetWare 386 LANs for their accounting needs. Incorporating this NLM is a significant event in the evolution of Solomon III's client/server architecture, which we pioneered in the micro-accounting software market over six years ago."

Technical Details

The MDBS IV database server will operate on the Novell file server thus eliminating the need for a separate database server machine. Database I/O is done through standard I/O calls, thus taking advantage of Novell's superior disk operating system and caching. The MDBS IV NLM version features a speed improvement of up to 300% over the MDBS IV DOS version. The database server is fully 32-bit compiled, multi-threaded, and will run in as little as 512K RAM.

Sales Information

The MDBS IV NLM version is expected to be available in the fourth quarter Information  of 1992. It is currently in beta testing at several MDBS IV customer sites. The MDBS IV NLM version will be priced at $7,000 and up. MDBS IV and M/4 for Windows are available direct from mdbs. For further information regarding MDBS IV, contact mdbs at (800) 445-MDBS or (317) 447-1122.

Founded in 1979, Micro Data Base Systems, Inc. is a pioneer in data base management software. The mdbs client/server products include MDBS IV, an entity-relationship architecture database management system and Object/1, an object-oriented development environment. Other development tools available include KnowledgeMan, an object-based relational DBMS, and GURU, a comprehensive expert systems environment.

Micro Data Base Systems, Inc.

Two Executive Dr, PO Box 6089, Lafayette, IN 47903-6089

TEL. (317) 447-1122   (800) 445-MDBS   FAX (317) 448-6428


Group Technologies GT-100 MIL-SPEC Handheld Sys
Washington, D.C. - June 23, 1992 - Group Technologies Corp. will introduce its new PC-compatible GT-100 handheld computer designed to military specifications for rugged, high reliability usage in commercial, industrial, military, DoD and Federal/State government markets. The unit will be demonstrated in Booth 2144 at the AFCEA show in Washington D.C., June 23 through 25, 1992.

The GT-100 is designed for remote data collection, distribution and processing where user mobility, near real-time information access and resistance to severe environments is required. This ranges from outdoor, mobile and factory situations to battlefield, shipboard and airborne applications.

"Using Group Technologies' new GT-100 handheld computer is like having the power of a primary computer in the palm of your hand," said Carl McCormick, president of Group Technologies. "This rugged unit eliminates tedious paperwork and increases efficiency and productivity by providing fast feedback, on-site job control and data validation in any environment."

The handheld (6.3-inch by 4.4-inch by 2.0-inch) lightweight (28 oz. with battery) device features DOS compatibility, a 10-line by 26-character Supertwist LCD display, alphanumeric 48-key keypad, and multiple input/output interface capability. The keypad is replaceable and can be customized for user-designed application functions. Unit power is provided by either standard 9 volt alkaline or lithium battery, three 2/3A lithium batteries, and/or a rechargeable NICAD battery pack.

The GT-100 handheld computer is prices at $1795.00 with volume pricing available upon request.

The GT-100 comes with standard 512Kbytes of PSRAM, a ROM version of DOS, 64Kbytes of EEPROM and a 512Kbyte Flash EPROM disk. A wide range of user software storage options include database storage, application program storage and set-up file storage. Additional memory storage is available with memory expansion options up to 4 megabytes.

Customer application software can be developed using any DOS compatible microcomputer and downloaded directly into the GT-100. Data files may be exchanged between I/O compatible devices. This capability allows users to extend PC applications into a rugged field environment.

Designed to operate in the most rugged environments, the GT-100 handheld computer meets both MIL-SPEC and MIL-STD requirements for tactical manpack equipment with a mean time between failure of 20,000 (calculated) hours. The unit also meets the environmental MIL-STD-810D requirements for humidity, rain, immersion, vibration, salt fog fungus, temperature (-20 degrees C to +70 degrees C), sand and dust, solar radiation, explosive atmosphere, bounce loose cargo, 4 foot shock drop open and dosed, chemical resistance, as well as EMI/RFI MIL-STD-461C, and TEMPEST 5100A standard.

Founded in 1989, Group Technologies Corp. is a $100 million supplier of command, control, communications, computers, intelligence and information systems (C4I) applications-specific products and services for armed forces and Department of Defense (DoD) governmental agencies. The company has been a leader in tactical communications products for military and governmental agencies for over 27 years. The company was originally Honeywell's Defense Communications Production Division.

Group Technologies also provides high-rel and military standard electronic contract manufacturing services, specializing in design, test and materials management. The company's contract manufacturing capability extends from systems assembly to surface mount technology (SMT) and through-hole printed circuit board (PCB) assembly, in addition to systems assembly. The company's Total Quality Management System (TQMS) governs all manufacturing.

The company manufactures products to all applicable high reliability standards, military standards, DoD standards and Weapon Systems standards including WS 6536E and MIL-STD-2000 Workmanship Standard. Group Technologies is also a fully-compliant MIL-Q-9858A facility.

Group Technologies Corp. employs 800 persons at its 308,000 square-foot building at 10901 Malcolm McKinley Drive, Tampa, Florida 33612. The company also maintains an office in Crystal City, VA.


Holmes FAX/Modem Combo for New Compaq Contura
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - June 24, 1992 -- Holmes Microsystems, Inc., announced today the immediate availability of a combination 9600bps FAX/2400bps Modem for the just-announced Compaq Contura 3/20 and Contura 3/25 notebook computers. The Holmes CQ96 FAX EM II/C is the newest addition to the Holmes product line for portable computers.

The new Holmes FAX/Modem combination is designed specifically for internal installation in the Compaq Contura, the 6.2-pound notebook from Compaq Computer Corporation. Contura is one of the newest Compaq products targeted to budget conscious consumers and includes a 386SL 20MHz or 25MHz processor, monochrome screen, a variety of hard drive capacities, and a competitive retail price.

The Holmes FAXEM for Contura features a 9600bps Group 3, Class II send and receive-FAX. as well as a 2400bps V.42bis modem. The FAXEM product weighs 2.6-ounces, has received FCC certification, and is available now by calling Holmes Microsystems. Suggested retail price is US$497.

The 9600bps FAX portion of the product meets Group 3 and Class II FAX specifications. Group 3 is the standard for worldwide FAX communications, while compliance with the emerging Class II standard of the Electronics Industry Association allows Holmes users to utilize advanced features found in a wide variety of third-party FAX software. The Holmes FAXEM ships with Bit Software's BitFAX FAX software and Tradewind Software's COMit for modem communications.

The V.42bis protocol in the CQ96 FAX'EM II/C allows modem users to receive and transmit data at 2400bps with an effective throughput of up to 9,600bps. The Holmes product includes a 5-year warranty.

"We are pleased to offer this product at the same time Compaq announced their newest notebook computer." Holmes president G. Clark Johnson said. "We have made a commitment to provide quality data communication products for users of advanced portable systems such as the Compaq Contura. This new Holmes product is Just one example of that commitment, with more on the way."

Holmes is a public company founded in 1986 in Salt Lake City where all Holmes products are designed and manufactured. The Holmes product line includes modems and FAX/modem combination products for portable computers made by Compaq, Commodore, Epson, Everex, Hewlett-Packard, Hyundai, Sharp, Siemens-Nixdorf, Toshiba, Zenith. Zeos and others.

Holmes Microsystems can be reached at: 800-648-7488


Sybase & Microsoft Strengthen Alliance
REDMOND, Wash. -- June 23, 1992 -- Sybase, Inc. and Microsoft Corporation announced today their agreement to extend their cooperative client-server strategy for SQL Server to embrace the Microsoft Windows Open Services Architecture (WOSA). In a related release, also today, the two companies will enable the development of new 32-bit applications for the high-end Windows NT operating system. Specifically, the two companies are announcing:

.  Microsoft SQL Server Software Development Kit for Windows NT, enabling the delivery of advanced SQL Server applications on the new 32-bit Windows NT platform.

.  An agreement to jointly develop optimized driver support for the Microsoft Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) API within the framework of the SYBASE Open Client architecture.

ODBC is the means to provide host independent data access services to Windows client applications within Microsoft's WOSA.

Today' s announcements represent a broadening of the two companies' five-year strategic alliance to deliver superior database technology for client-server computing. SQL Server, available from both Sybase and Microsoft, is the leading client-server relational database management system (RDBMS) for online, enterprise wide applications. Through strong support from the ISV community, SQL Server today supports more Windows operating system-based front-end products than all other database servers combined.

"These announcements are the latest results of the extensive work we've been doing with Sybase on SQL Server," said Bill Gates, chairman and CEO of Microsoft. "As a working partner, Sybase was a major contributor in the very beginning of the ODBC design effort. Both companies will continue to work closely together to provide developers a tightly integrated, scalable platform that offers customers transparent access to enterprise-wide information. "

"ODBC echoes our interoperability strategy and we expect a wide range of desktop applications to take advantage of ODBC access to databases," said Mark Hoffman, president and CEO of Sybase. "Sybase is committed to working with Microsoft to support Windows clients and servers with our advanced client-server architecture. Windows NT will provide SQL Server with a robust, scalable solution to integrate the growing base of Windows-based, business applications into online, enterprise-wide computing."

Microsoft SQL Server SDK for Windows NT

The SQL Server Software Development Kit for Windows NT is targeted at both corporate developers and commercial ISVs who are seeking to migrate their Windows-based, client-server applications to the Windows NT platform. The kit contains native Win32 API-based versions of SQL Server's DB-Libran, client interface and Open Data services API. Open Data services is based on Sybase's Open Server technology. Developers can use the kit with Microsoft SQL Server 4.2 today, or with a native 32-bit release of SQL Server for Windows NT when that product is available in the future.

There are more than 150 Windows-based, SQL Server applications that range from client-server development tools to complete turn-key business solutions being developed for major vertical markets such as banking, financial accounting, payroll, publishing, medical, human resources, manufacturing and insurance.

Microsoft Windows NT is an advanced version of the Windows operating system that supports both high-end desktop applications and Server applications. Windows NT will offer a high-performance architecture that is scalable to multiprocessor hardware and RISC systems, providing an advanced platform for SQL Server applications. The preliminary SQL Server SDK for Windows NT is scheduled to be available in the same timeframe as the Win32 preliminary SDK scheduled for July. Priced at $295, it will be available from Microsoft Systems Software Sales at (800) 227-4679.

ODBC Driver for SQL Server

In related efforts to integrate Windows more tightly into enterprise-wide, client-server computing, the two companies are committing to deliver a SQL Server ODBC driver for the Microsoft Windows operating system. Sybase will also incorporate ODBC into the SYBASE Open Client application programming interface (API) that interfaces to a wide variety of Sybase-supported platforms including UNIX, VAX, VMS, RISC/ULTRIX, NetWare and IBM mainframes. SYBASE Open Client also includes DB-Library, a call-level API for high performance applications.

ODBC is a broadly supported, open, vendor-neutral database connectivity API that provides access to a variety of PCs, minicomputer and mainframe systems in an easy, consistent manner. It allows developers to write one set of code that accesses many types of databases and makes it simple for customers to access data from a wide variety of back-end services within a single application. A major step in implementing Microsoft's vision of Information at your fingertips, ODBC is also a major piece of the Microsoft WOSA.

WOSA provides a single, open-ended interface to enterprise computing environments while hiding the complexities from end users. WOSA also enables applications for Windows to connect to all the services they need across multiple computing environments.

Sybase, Inc. (NASDAQ: SYBS) develops and markets the SYBASE system, a leading client/server-based RDBMS product family for on-line, enterprise-wide applications. The company offers proven technology combined with services and alliances to provide customers with complete desktop to mainframe solutions. Headquartered in Emeryville, Calif., Sybase markets its products worldwide through its direct sales force, distributors, OEMs, VARs and systems integrators.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ "MSFT") has become the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.


Merisel to Distribute Camintonn/Z-RAM Memory
June 18, 1992 -- Irvine, CA -- Camintonn/Z-RAM, leading manufacturer of PC and workstation memory products, announces it has just signed an agreement with Merisel, one of the world's leading distributors of microcomputer hardware and software. Merisel will carry Camintonn/Z-RAM's comprehensive line of 100% compatible PC and laser printer memory including products for Apple, IBM, Compaq, ALR, Toshiba, AST, Dell, Zenith, HP and Okidata Laser Printers. And, since the distributor's UNIX division focuses on Digital Equipment Corporation workstation products, Camintonn/Z-RAM will also make its broad line of workstation memory for DEC, IBM RS/6000, HP, Sun and Silicon Graphics available to Merisel. Camintonn/Z-RAM has over ten years' experience in manufacturing memory.

According to Camintonn/Z-RAM's Director of Marketing, Len Herbstman, "Camintonn/Z-RAM is the first major memory manufacturer to bring minicomputer and workstation reliability to PC memory products. We manufacture our PC memory products at our in-house facility with the same cleaning, testing and burn-in process used for our more expensive workstation boards. And, our PC memory products, which are competitively priced, are guaranteed for life." Herbstman expects Camintonn/Z-RAM's agreement with Merisel will increase sales significantly within the next 6 months.

"Now that Windows applications are more widely used, memory products are in greater demand," said Allan Schroeder, Merisel's Director of Peripheral Products. "Z-RAM's extensive line of memory products greatly enhance the performance of Windows, as well as other applications requiring substantial memory. We are very excited about the opportunity to provide Z-RAM's popular products to our VAR and Retailer customers."

Merisel, Inc., presently stocks products from more than 700 manufacturers for sale to 50,000 resellers worldwide. It currently maintains 20 distribution centers that serve North America, Europe, Latin American and Australia. Merisel sells more than 10,000 products from manufacturers such as ALR, Apple, AST Research, Borland International, Compaq, Digital Equipment Corporation, Hayes Microcomputer Products, IBM, Intel, Lotus Development, Microsoft, NEC Technologies, Novell, Okidata, Software Publishing Corporation, Sun Microsystems, Symantec, WordPerfect and Wyse Technology, and offers a wide range of services to support resellers with the sales of these products.

All Camintonn/Z-RAM memory products are manufactured at the company's world headquarters in Irvine, CA. For more information, contact Z-RAM, 22 Morgan, Irvine, CA 92718, (714) 464-1500


Raosoft SURVEY for Political Campaigns
SEATTLE, June 26, 1992--Raosoft SURVEY for Campaigns is a full featured DOS-based political campaign software package. It is designed with intuitive screens that are easy for computer novices to use. The package contains both advanced polling capacity and database management capability. The package price of $499 is inexpensive so that even low budget local campaigns can afford to have its computer capacity.

The shipping date is June 26, 1992. Price: $499 for the package that consists of (1) Raosoft SURVEY, Version 2.0 (list price $495), (2) Raosoft SURVEY-Tools (list price $99), and (3) Raosoft EZREPORT (list price $149). The three programs purchased separately would cost $743.

The campaign software provides for polling, volunteer and contribution database management, and report writing There are ready to use repots, surveys, and database forms that can also serve as templates for a campaign manager to adapt. Sample mail merge and mailing label templates are included also.

The software is directly compatible with dBASE files, and imports ASCII and WKl-type files. The only limit to the database size the program will work with is the computer system capacity.

No expensive computer equipment needs to be purchased because Raosoft SURVEY for Campaigns will run on single or multiple floppy or hard disk drives and needs only 512K memory, DOS 2.0 or higher. It is networkable and can run under the Windows environment.

The data management tasks needed for campaign management are performed with the Raosoft SURVEY program, with assistance from the utilities of SURVEY-Tools. The Tools program includes the Match & Replace utility for updating files that have been edited on another computer and the Delete Duplicate & Restore utility for merging edited records and removing duplicates of the same records.

The Raosoft SURVEY program supports the complete polling process, from design of the form, through data entry and analysis, to preparation of presentations graphics and reports. Data entry is on forms-based screens, using either mouse support or push button. Comments are typed in. A Hot-key is included for moving between programs in order to fill in a survey form. The statistics are single-stroke and the most common commands sit permanently on the upper tool bar for instant access.

The program EZREPORT is designed for ease of use. It provides for detailed customized reports, and lets data be extracted for use in contributions report generation. It uses an Intuitive Command Structure (ICS) developed by Raosoft that makes it easy to write reports without prior training.

Raosoft, Inc. also offers additional programs for added polling and data entry capacity.

.  The UFILL program is a Run-time version that is inexpensive at $50 each, and lets volunteers enter or edit data on separate terminals. The disks of UFlLL can be used as a library, with each disk storing a database of a given geographic area.

.  The SURVEY-Entry program provides for form writing, data entry and editing, and has the Hot key for program switching. SURVEY-Entry's price is $249. These data entry programs are not included in the basic $499 price but are available as add-ons.

Raosoft, Inc., 6645 NE Windermere Rd, Seattle, Wa. 98115

(206) 525-4025    Fax (206) 525-4947


Writing MS-DOS Device Drivers, Second Edition
Reading, MA--Originally published in 1986, the standard work on device driver programming is now completely updated to cover DOS 5, the new Intel processors, and extended memory.

Writing MS-DOS Device Drivers, Second Edition, by Robert S. Lai and The Waite Group, is a superb introduction to one of the most challenging aspects of programming. It offers an in-depth technical treatment of DOS, the IBM PC, and DOS device drivers. In addition, it provides a collection of device drivers that can be customized for the reader's own use.

After an introduction to basic concepts, Writing MS-DOS Device Drivers proceeds to discuss the anatomy of a simple device driver. From there, it goes on to discuss a number of different drivers, including:

. a console device driver

. a printer device driver that services serial and

  parallel ports

. a real-time driver for a clock/calendar board

. a complete RAM disk device driver that incorporates

  DOS disk file structure

Following chapters offer tips and techniques and an investigation of advanced topics, such as CD-ROM devices and writing device drivers in C.

Robert S. Lai is a consultant specializing in large-scale computer projects. He has written hundreds of device drivers and worked as a systems manager at Tandem Computers and Data General.

Writing MS-DOS Device Drivers, Second Edition, was published in May 1992 at a suggested retail price of $28.95, 576 pages, paperback. It is available wherever computer books are sold.

Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, 1 Jacob Way, Reading, MA 01867

617-944-3700


Micro Express Ships First High Res Color Monitor
Santa Ana, CA..After years of selling other manufacturers monitors with the very popular Micro Express line of personal computers, Micro Express debuts its first high-performance, high-resolution color VGA monitor...the FM-360 14" Super VGA Color Monitor.

"This is the first in a line of high-resolution color monitors that we will not only use with our own PCs, but will also make available to others," says Art Afshar, president of Micro Express. The FM-360 has an excellent dot pitch of 0.28 mm and a resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels (picture elements). The monitor is available now, and sells for $295, direct from Micro Express.

The CRT has a non-glare face and a dark tint for easy viewing under all lighting conditions. A high refresh rate, flicker-free screen and a high bandwidth assure a stable and steady picture. In addition, this monitor is completely compatible with the whole range of VGA, Super VGA and 8514/A standards.

Since the vertical scan rate is automatically adjustable from 50 to 90 Hz, this monitor can be used with all VGA cards, including VESA-standard cards. The horizontal scan rate is automatically adjustable from 30 to 38 kHz. Video bandwidth is 50 MHz.

The FM-360 measures 14.2"[W] x 14.9"[H] x 14.2"[D], and weighs 25.96 pounds. It is supplied with a tilt and swivel base. All of the monitor controls, including the on/off switch, brightness, contrast and picture position are conveniently located on the front panel.

While most monitor manufacturers only offer a l-year warranty, Micro Express provides a full 2-year warranty on parts and labor for this monitor, with shipping for the first 4 months paid both ways by Micro Express, as well as a 30-day moneyback guarantee. In addition, a toll-free number is provided for free unlimited technical support. Technical support is available 24-hours per day and 7-days per week as part of the exclusive Micro Express "Always" customer support program. When technical documents are required, Micro Express offers Automated FAX-back Service. Using this service documents can be requested through voicemail and will be FAXed directly to the customer without human intervention.

Micro Express is an award-winning manufacturer of notebook, laptop, portable and desktop microcomputers that are fully IBM compatible. Micro Express offers extremely high quality and a wide range of additional features at a very competitive price. Micro Express personal computers are regularly rated at the top of comparative reviews in computer trade magazines, having won such honors as PC Magazine Editors' Choice, PC World Best Buy, Computer Buyer's Guide Best Buy, BYTE Magazine One-To-Watch, PC Week Analyst's Choice and many others. The company also offers a selection of high-performance add-in peripheral boards and monitors.

Micro Express, 1801 Carnegie Ave., Santa Ana, CA 92705

(714) 852-1400 or (800) 989-9900.


SmartCache Plus With Drivers, Manual & Cable
June 23, 1992 - Maitland, Florida - Distributed Processing Technology (DPT), the leading supplier of high performance peripheral controllers, is now packaging a complete suite of high-performance software drivers, comprehensive instruction manual and a SCSI cable with all its SmartCache Plus controllers. This will provide users with the tools they need for hassle-free and easy installation of SCSI devices. The price of the controllers will not change.

The device drivers supplied in the bundle include support for DOS, Novell, OS/2 and Unix. DPT's software greatly enhances the performance of these operating systems, especially by allowing 32-bit performance with the EISA version of SmartCache Plus. The comprehensive instruction manual provides a systematic, step-by-step routine for the installation for each operating system, as well as detailed information about the features for the SmartCache controller. The SCSI ribbon cable will provide connections for 2 SCSI devices.

"Because we've combined all of our high-performance drivers with SmartCache Plus, our customers now get the entire DPT performance solution all at once," says DPT sales and marketing director Dave Race. "It's easier for our distributors to handle too, and we're more confident users have everything they need as soon as they open the box."

SmartCache Plus is the only SCSI controller on the market that can be configured as both a non-caching and a caching controller. The entry-level-priced, non-caching configuration is converted to a high-end caching controller by simply adding DPT's unique plug-on caching module and up to 16 megabytes of cache RAM to the base controller. An add-on mirroring module provides support for a software independent array of mirrored drives. This scalable architecture provides manufacturers and integrators a complete range of price/performance options, suitable for systems ranging from standalone workstations and small networks up to multiprocessor-equipped file servers.

Its scalable architecture, price/performance superiority and industry standard compatibility have made SmartCache Plus the SCSI adapter of choice for manufacturers and resellers alike. Computer manufacturers such as AST, NEC, NCR, Intel, Wyse, Wang, Siemens, ICL/Nokia have standardized on SmartCache Plus. It is also available from such leading computer product distributors as Tech Data, Ingram Micro, Merisel and Robec.

DPT will continue to sell its device driver software independently for users of DPT's noncaching EISA SCSI controller, SmartConnex/EISA, and for those needing upgrades from older versions of the software. The domestic and international price for each driver is $80.

U.S. list prices for DPT's SmartCache Plus controllers are $595 for the ISA version and $785 for the EISA version. International list prices start at $710 for the ISA version and $940 for the EISA version.

DPT is a privately held company founded in 1977. Corporate headquarters are near Orlando, Florida with European sales offices located in Milton Keynes (London), England and Penzberg (Munich), Germany. DPT manufactures intelligent, high-performance peripheral controllers for mini- and microcomputer markets. DPT's technology innovations include the first caching disk controller for the PC, the first software-independent RAID solution for the PC and the first cache-convertible controller for the PC. DPT controllers are sold worldwide through a network of major distributors and OEMs.

Distributed Processing Technology

140 Candace Dr, Maitland, FL 32751

407-830-5522


DeltaGraph Professional for Windows
MONTEREY, Calif. (June 30,1992) - DeltaPoint Inc., the award-winning graphics software publisher, today released DeltaGraph Professional for Windows, an innovative new presentation software package designed for both business and technical users. DeltaGraph Professional blends the business charting and slide show management features found in traditional presentation applications with a full complement of data analysis tools and specialized scientific charts.

The release of DeltaGraph Professional for Windows also represents the debut of presentation software's first Chart Advisor, a revolutionary new feature designed to help pick the best chart type for the user's data. The ChartAdvisor is an optional tool available within the application that offers a number of chart suggestions based on information entered by the user on the data and target audience for the chart.

"DeltaGraph Professional is designed to support users at all levels -- whether they work with simple data sets or very complicated information and ideas," said Ray Kingman, president of DeltaPoint. "By balancing its unique data-driven metaphor with formatting flexibility every step of the way, DeltaGraph Professional allows both experienced and novice users to create powerful charts and presentations."

DeltaGraph Professional is targeted at professionals in business, scientific and technical fields who require more extensive charting capabilities than what is currently available in other presentation software products. While DeltaGraph's slide show module plays a key role in organizing the presentation of charts, data analysis and charting are essentially the core functions of the application. This is demonstrated by its gallery of 40 different chart types and 80 sub-types -- standard, specialized and even discipline-specific charts. It also includes comprehensive data handling and chart formatting, scientific and technical features, and extensive libraries of time-saving, pre-formatted chart templates.

The product is designed to accept data from a variety of sources, including Excel 4.0 and Lotus 1-2-3 for Windows. DeltaGraph also supports DDE and OLE links with both data and graphic objects. Users now have the flexibility to create sophisticated charts that can easily be integrated into documents being developed in word processor, page layout or drawing programs.

"DeltaGraph Professional is unlike anything else in the crowded presentation software market today," Kingman said. "It represents a breakthrough in the category and a comprehensive alternative to all the PC products that put charting in the back seat to presentations. We believe there is room in the PC market and strong demand for a product that is a charting tool first, and presentation application second. Our corporate success thus far clearly supports that theory."

DeltaPoint originally released DeltaGraph on the Macintosh platform in November 1989. It has quickly gained installations at more than 400 corporations nationwide, including NASA, E.I. DuPont, Lockheed, U.S. West, and The Wall Street Journal. Today, DeltaGraph Professional has more than 100,000 end-users and Macintosh market share of an estimated 65 percent.

The launch of DeltaGraph Professional in the PC market is strategically timed to meet the groundswell of corporate support for Microsoft Windows. DeltaPoint is also leveraging its existing corporate user base to position the product as a true corporate solution. This is especially critical given the current corporate trend toward streamlining operations and standardizing software. DeltaPoint's corporate users report a typical PC-to-Mac ratio running as high as 5:1, and have expressed a strong desire for a crossplatform presentation software standard. DeltaGraph Professional is uniquely qualified to meet this need as the only product in the category whose Macintosh and Windows files are completely interchangeable.

FEATURES & BENEFITS

DeltaGraph Professional has a unique look and feel that distinguishes it from other presentation software products on the market. Here's an overview of its benefits:

.  Charts. From bar, pie and organizational charts, to spider, bubble, polar, contour, ternary, combination charts, histograms, scatter plots with curve fitting, and many other specialized chart types, DeltaGraph Professional meets users' charting needs at all levels.

.  Chart Advisor. Unlike any other product on the market today, DeltaGraph Professional provides users with expert guidance in selecting charts. Whether the target audience is scientific or business, the data represents a trend or comparison, or the desired level of detail is low, medium or high, DeltaGraph quickly provides several chart suggestions based on the parameters set by the user.

.  Formatting. Unprecedented chart formatting options -- from coloring and backgrounds, to sizing, placement, perspective, depth, and nine different PostScript drawing tools -- give users the flexibility to customize charts to their own unique specifications.

.  Special Features. DeltaGraph Professional is uniquely oriented to the data analysis and visualization needs of scientific and technical users, providing standard and user-defined curve fits, error bars, logarithmic scaling, true 3-D xyz plotting, and 50 mathematical functions.

.  Templates. Custom Libraries provide numerous time-saving, pre-formatted chart templates, and store customized charts as additional new templates to use over and over with other data sets.

.  Output. High resolution output of 1/256th of a point is possible on PostScript output devices. DeltaGraph's presentation module allows users to create on-screen presentations utilizing 32 different transitional effects, and produces run-time versions for play-back without the program.

DISTRIBUTION

As a new entrant in the PC marketplace, DeltaPoint is committing considerable resources to channel marketing and education programs. In May, the company began introducing DeltaGraph Professional for Windows to independent resellers, chain operated stores and value added resellers (VARs) throughout the country, with the start of a three-month TempReps tour. As many as 1,650 stores will be trained on DeltaGraph' s positioning and target audience, as a means of helping dealers sell the product.

At the same time, DeltaPoint is initiating a variety of co-marketing programs with resellers, including co-advertising, catalog listings, trade show participation, and a number of special introductory offers. These include a $98 competitive upgrade offer, a $39 special for reseller employees, and a free copy of DeltaGraph Professional for every proof of purchase of two units through distribution. Resellers carrying the software include Egghead, 800 Software, SoftMart and Software Spectrum. DeltaPoint's three major U.S. distributors -- Ingram, Merisel and Kenfil -- are offering introductory specials as well.

"It's important to us that the channel understands we're in this business for the long haul," said DeltaPoint's vice president of sales, Deborah O'Connell. "We're doing everything possible to build strong channel relationships that foster long-term success for both DeltaPoint and our resellers."

AVAILABILITY

DeltaPoint began shipping the U.S. English version of DeltaGraph Professional for Windows on June 30, 1992, and expects wide-spread retail availability of the product by mid-July. In addition, German, French and Japanese localized versions of the product are under development, and will be available later this year through DeltaPoint's respective local distributors in Germany, Switzerland, France, Belgium and Japan. The company also has distribution partners in Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Finland, the United Kingdom, and Australia.

Founded in 1989, DeltaPoint Inc. is a privately held company with headquarters in Monterey, Calif., and sales offices in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Santa Clara and San Diego.

DeltaPoint Inc, 2 Harris Court, Suite B-1, Monterey, CA 93940

408-648-4000


BASIC Programmers Function Call Lib. for NetWare
June 18, 1992 -- CINCINNATI, OHIO--Automation Software Consultants, Inc. (ASCI) announces the release of he Network BASIC Library for NetWare version 1.1.

The Network BASIC Library is a collection of over 225 functions invaluable for writing utility programs or commercial applications for NetWare that need direct access to NetWare services. The Net BASIC Library provides the programmer with access to NetWare services for accounting, bindery management, connection services, directory and file management, locking, messages, printing, queue management, security and rights, semaphores, transaction tracking and workstation services. Functions are provided for nearly all versions of NetWare including versions 2.X and 3.X.

The Network BASIC Library includes over 300 pages of comprehensive documentation explaining the use of each function and providing general discussions of software development with NetWare. Over 60 sample programs are included in the manual and on disk to illustrate the use of each function.

Version 1.1 enhancements provide nearly 50 new functions including the addition of accounting and queue management services and improved support for file locking.

The Net BASIC Library, for NetWare supports Microsoft Quick BASIC and Microsoft BASIC and is available for $265. Upgrades from version 1.0 are available for $40.

ASCI, 8188 South State Route 48, Maineville, OH 45039

1-800-669-0842 or 513-677-0842


Trius Releases DraftChoice Version 2.0
DraftChoice Version 2.0

TRIUS proudly announces the release of DraftChoice Version 2.0, with significantly increased redrawing speed, support for a math co-processor, and a host of other new features:

New file formats include PCX and Scanned PCX (bit-mapped) images which are automatically converted to vector based drawings - Math Co-processor support speeds up screen re-drawing by 10% to 50%, depending upon the drawing. Note that a math co-processor is NOT required to use DraftChoice - New drawing constraints give you the ability to draw perpendicular, parallel, tangent, and offset lines - New copy commands allow creation of pseudo 3-D line drawings or duplication of entities along a user selected path - New cornering capabilities include Chamfer and Meet - Groups of entities can now be dynamically altered using either the Warp or Control commands - The new Tween command allows unique multi-copy morphing from one shape to another with a single instruction - Up to 8 named Zoom views may be set by the user to permit immediate zooming for detailed work and shortcut screen updates - Up to 5 multi-line macros let you customize your application - User-definable Hatch and Fill Patterns and Line Styles - Up to 256 layers in 16 colors - PostScript Printer support, and much more!

Version 2.0 requires an IBM PC or compatible computer having a minimum of 384K RAM free, DOS 2.11 or later, and a graphics video card. While a hard disk is preferred, the program will run on computers having a single 720K floppy drive or 2-360K floppy drives.

The registration price for DraftChoice Version 2.0 is $75.00 ($69.00, plus $6.00 shipping and handling) .

Trius Inc, 231 Sutton St, Suite 2D-3, PO Box 249

North Andover, MA 01845-1639

508-794-9377,  FAX: 508-688-6312

--------------------------------------------------------

A powerful object-oriented CAD program with EEMS, Virtual Disk Memory and math coprocessor support, scaling capabilities, symbol library management, multiple fonts, and much more! Create amazingly detailed drawings, impressive graphics, or conceptual schematics with ease. Intuitive commands, drop-down menus, and on-line help make it easy to use and a snap to learn.

Features include coordinates, grid, snap-to-points, attach, construction marks, undo, 256 layers, 8 named views, orthogonal and isometric modes, psuedo 3-D line drawings, multiple fonts, popup scientific calculator, 5 multi-line keyboard macros, and shell to DOS. Accepts input from keyboard cursor keys, mouse, digitizing tablet, or typing of X-Y coordinates. Up to 20 user-definable line styles and hatch patterns, and 50 fill patterns to choose from.

Draw commands include line, box, circle, arc, text, polygon, Bezier, complex, spline, and freehand curves. Create complex shapes with parametric function generator.

Edit commands include linear, circular, path, and volume array, break, copy, erase, explode, fillet, fit, mirror, move, rotate, rubber, scale, trim, and extend. Alter commands allow you to change the line style, fill pattern, hatch pattern, units, text, and join, fillet, champher, or meet objects. Warp and Control commands allow entities to be dynamically altered. Tween allows multi-copy morphing from one shape to another with a single instruction.

Measure commands feature manually drawn leaders, semi-automatic dimensioning of length, angle, diameter, radius, and boundaries. Query objects to determine length, angle, area, style, fill, pattern, width, layer, and X-Y coordinates. Determine redraw speed, video mode, memory usage, co-processor support, and more.

Create symbol libraries for those frequently used complex objects. Animate feature allows the recording and playback of symbols. Modify existing text fonts or create your own fonts.

Plot to 9/24 pin dot matrix, PostScript, and HP compatible LaserJet printers, and HPGL compatible pen plotters. Supports HGA, CGA, EGA, VGA, and AT&T graphics modes.

Save drawings as DCH (DraftChoice drawing format) or SYM (DraftChoice symbol format). Export to PIC (spreadsheet graphic format), binary byte image, PCX, WPG, HPGL or printer formatted files. Imports ASCII text, ASCII value (X-Y coordinate pairs), PIC, PCX, SPCX, WPG, and HPGL files.

Registration includes a 185-page bound user's manual and newsletter. TRIUS, Inc., ASP Member


Atex Fault Tolerant NFS File Server
Atex Inc., a Kodak subsidiary, a supplier of high availability publishing systems has developed a fault tolerant NFS file server.  The product allows NFS client processes to continue computing, in the event of any single point of failure of the server or its network enviroment, even if the failure occured mid-transaction.  This is accomplished without any modification to client software.

The fault tolerant system is comprised of two 486 servers, one acting as a primary server and the other as a secondary server.  Each server runs Unix V.3.  A proprietary high speed interface connects the two servers. The dual servers eliminate all single points of failure.

Continuous diagnostic monitoring of all system interfaces, including the required un-interuptable powersupply, enables the secondary server to detect when to take over client processes from a failed primary server.

A change journal of all data blocks modified since the primary server went down is used to quickly bring the primary back into data synchronization when it is returned to service.

A modified UNIX file system copies all file system data updates from the primary server to the secondary server.  The dual data copies obviate the need to commit file system data to disk.  The use of a large buffer cache allows the file server to operate out of memory with little or no disk reads or writes.  The result is large improvement in UNIX file system and data base  performance.  The secondary server can be used in a read only mode for further performance gains.

Atex is looking for a strategic partner to market the FTFS product and will port the product to the operating system and hardware of the selected vendor.

For further product information contact:

 Atex Inc.

 805 Middlesex Tpk.

 Billerica Ma., 01821

 U.S.A.

Tel: (508)670-3133


IMARA Lite Productivity Tool
Chicago, April 6, 1992 -- IMARA Research Corporation today announced IMARA Lite, a new productivity tool for the standalone PC. IMARA Lite integrates fax processing, image capabilities, and document management, for a price under $300.

Users can store and manage a wealth of information in a personalized filing system in the form of scanned paper documents, incoming faxes, and documents generated from a wide range of PC software applications. Sales reports created in your favorite spreadsheet program, such as Microsoft Excel or Lotus 1-2-3, can be stored along with documents, scanned-in articles, and faxed memos in a single IMARA Lite file folder.

"By taking advantage of hand-held scanning, low-cost fax integration, and remote site operations, independent business people and mobile professionals will find IMARA Lite to be an ideal solution to information management," said Storm. "With IMARA Lite you get all the power of our full-scale network system in a product that performs as well on your desktop as it does on your laptop."

The suggested retail price for IMARA Lite, due to ship in May, is $295. IMARA Lite runs under Microsoft Windows on a standard PC, and requires no network operating system or database server. Optional peripherals include an optical disk, laser printer, Kofax image board, fax modem, and scanner.

"Managing information and expanding communications outside the office is a key component in providing a competitive edge to business managers today. Information can be routed to others using IMARA Lite's integrated fax utility software. This provides users with a tremendous communications tool and helps to keep work flowing," said Jim Storm, President and CEO of IMARA Research Corporation.

Documents created in Microsoft Word, WordPerfect for Windows, or Ami Pro can be assigned keywords and dates which help to track revisions or due dates. IMARA Lite solves the problems associated with complex PC directory trees and eight-character DOS naming conventions. For easy identification, users can name documents with descriptions of up to 32 characters in length, four times greater than the typical title.

IMARA Lite runs under the familiar graphical user interface of Microsoft Windows. Users open a desktop file cabinet which stores information from all your programs as well as scanned paper documents and fazes. Since all related information can be stored in one convenient folder, there is no need to switch back and forth between applications to accomplish a task. Simply clicking on a document name opens the file and the appropriate software application.

IMARA Research Corporation, now in its third year of operation, is a venture-backed company with headquarters in Toronto, Canada. Sales offices are located in Toronto, Washington, D.C., Dallas, TX, Newport Beach, CA, and Westport, CT. IMARA's international sales operation now extends to over 15 major cities in Europe, the Pacific Rim, and the Middle East. For more information, please contact IMARA Research at 416/581-1740.

--------------------------------------------------------

Product Fact Sheet

Faxing and Filing with IMARA Lite

     Product Fact Sheet

What is IMARA Lite?

IMARA Lite is a versatile new productivity tool for the standalone PC. By integrating fax processing, imaging capabilities, and document handling facilities, IMARA Lite turns a desktop or portable computer into the perfect paperless information manager.

Unique Business Features

The powerful features of IMARA Lite make it uniquely suited to a wide variety of business activities.

Working with the resident fax board and modem, incoming faxes are received directly and conveniently stored as image files on the PC. Users can also scan in all paper materials using IMARA Lite, so critical records will always be kept safely within easy reach. Just as simply, basic documents or complex presentations can be prepared in minutes and fazed out to clients.

From within IMARA Lite, users can launch favorite PC software applications. A click of the mouse launches a document in its application, where users can work at maximum efficiency in a familiar environment. IMARA Lite can support virtually any application that can be executed from the command line.

Flexible, Customized Environment

IMARA Lite documents are stored in a central filing system customized to meet the user's needs. For easy access, a single folder can store related documents of all types ... scanned images, spreadsheet data, and multimedia files.

Gone are the problems associated with using eight-character DOS file names, like "APRBGTEX.DOC". IMARA Lite allows for meaningful document names up to 32 characters in length. So, instead, the accounting files could have names such as "April Budget Report To Executive".

Special built-in search facilities help locate documents quickly. So no matter how big the filing system gets, users will always be ready in seconds to fax, view and edit, or send documents to a laser printer.

Portable Office System

IMARA Lite is the ideal information management solution for business people on the go. Running on a laptop computer, IMARA Lite is a complete electronic office system for mobile professionals. With the fax capabilities, clients and head office are just a phone call away. Users can bring along scanned-in material to cut down on briefcase overload. Records and correspondence files can be updated on the fly.

Produce Results Right Away

The intuitive graphical user interface (GUT) -- which features seamless movement between applications and simple drag-and-drop file management techniques -- is adaptable to any business scenario. And since it is compatible with existing software packages, there is no big learning curve.

IMARA Lite runs under Windows on a standard PC, and works with popular fax hardware and low-cost scanners. It requires no network operating system or proprietary hardware.

Built On IMARA Excellence

IMARA Research Corporation has made its name providing high-performance network document imaging systems to major corporations. IMARA Lite now provides the same powerful features in an affordable product for the standalone PC.

Product Specifications

Minimum Requirements - 386-based PC or portable with a

                       40 MB hard drive and 4 megabytes of

                       memory, running Windows 3.0 or later

Fax Capabilities (one of the following) - DCA/Intel CAS compatible (eg., Intel SatisFAXtion) - Hayes JT Fax 9600B - Class 2 compatible fax modem

Scanning and Printing - HP ScanJet or ScanJet Plus/II/IIc - HP LaserJet compatible printer

Note: Available on 3.5" disk only.


Microplex Ethernet Printer Adapters 2.0 Firmware
Microplex Systems Ltd., Vancouver, BC, announces the release of Version 2.0 firmware for their M200/M201 Ethernet Printer Adapters featuring full TCP/IP, Telnetd, LPD, routing tables, and subnet masking to simplify network printing in Unix environments.

Version 2.0 permits any computer system including DOS PCs, proprietary minis and mainframes using TCP/IP and the LPD printing protocol to configure and send print files directly to the M200/M201 without the need for special host software.  Print files do not have to be spooled to a designated Unix host or workstation which reduces CPU overhead, network traffic, and printing time.

Telnetd has been added to permit any system to telnet the M200/M201 and configure parameters, or obtain status of ports and attached printers.  A routing table is now available in the M200/M201 to provide WAN access to printers, and the addition of subnet masking makes these units suitable for use in multiple subnets.  LPD access lists and password protection at the root and user levels have been included to prevent unauthorized access or use of the print servers.

The parallel port data rate has been increased from 50,000 to 75,000+ characters per second, and the M200/M201's dual 38,400 bps serial ports are now bi-directional for improved PostScript printer status monitoring.  The M200 has Thick and Thin-wire and the M201 has Thick and 10Base-T UTP Ethernet Connections.

Other features offered by 2.0 are log reports of jobs printed through LPD, LPD queue manipulation, LPD queue information (such as user ID and percentage of print job already processed), PostScript page count for accounting, and LPD configuration.

Each unit comes packaged with easy to use npwrite host software which provides compatibility with Unix System V versions that do not support LPD.  Direct printing without spooling in System V environments is also possible through a command line interface.

npd software also supplied with each unit supports the pseudo tty daemon to enable bi-directional communications between the user and the serial ports on the M200/M201.  This permits PostScript printers running Adobe's Transcript or SMCC's NeWSprint, to report printer status information back to the user.

Version 2.0 is backward compatible with earlier versions of the M200/M201.  Existing units can be upgraded for a cost of $150.00 US. M200/M201s with 2.0 are currently shipping.

Microplex Systems Ltd

265 East 1st Ave, Vancouver, BC V5T 1A7, Canada

604 875-1461   Fax: 604 875-9029


MathWorkd SIMULINK for MS Windows
NATICK, Mass., June 29, 1992 - The MathWorks, Inc. today announced shipment of the Microsoft Window (MS-Windows) version of SIMULINK, a highly interactive and intuitive computer-aided engineering tool for the simulation of nonlinear dynamic systems. Previously known as SIMULAB, SIMULINK was recently renamed to reflect The MathWorks' intent to build upon the SIMULINK/MATLAB open architecture and offer expanded solutions that leverage the simulation, modeling, analysis, and design capabilities in the current product line. SIMULINK's ability to be easily "linked" or integrated with other products forms the foundation for a wide range of tailored and integrated simulation solutions.

SIMULINK is targeted at electrical, mechanical, chemical, aerospace, and automotive engineering applications and is appropriate for anyone modeling real-world, time-varying systems. By using industry-standard graphical user interfaces and windowing systems such as Windows, OSF/Motif, X Windows and Macintosh, SIMULINK eliminates the need to program in traditional simulation languages or learn proprietary windowing systems.

Available immediately on Macintosh, 386- and 486-based PCs running MS-DOS and MS-Windows, Sun SPARCstation, Apollo, DEC VAX/VMX, DEC RISC, and HP9000/300 and 400 systems, SIMULINK gives users a way to build and test systems in minutes rather than days.

SIMULINK is a 32-bit program that comes bundled with the MathWorks' popular MATLAB numeric computation and data analysis software. It takes advantage of extended and virtual memory, thereby eliminating restrictions on model size and enabling the modeling and simulation of large or complex models. Consequently, SIMULINK users on PC platforms will have the power and flexibility in the system design and analysis process previously offered only on workstations.

SIMULINK includes a complete set of tools for modeling and analyzing dynamic systems, including linear, nonlinear, continuous-time, discrete-time, hybrid, and multirate models. It enables the transfer and exchange of models between computer platforms. SIMULINK also provides a flexible environment in which systems can be described graphically in block diagram form or mathematically by differential and difference equations.

Users can easily define, analyze, and communicate complex model behavior in SIMULINK through hierarchical model structures. In addition, on-screen simulation capabilities enable users to modify system parameters and solver methods interactively during a simulation and see results immediately .

A built-in-block library in SIMULINK provides a comprehensive set of functions and enables users to create new blocks and include existing models using C, Fortran, or MATLAB code.

SIMULINK for Windows is priced at $3,995 in the U.S. and educational discounts are available.

The MathWorks, Inc., based in Natick, Mass., develops and markets high-performance interactive engineering and scientific software for numeric computation, visualization, and system simulation. The MathWorks' products are distributed worldwide.

The MathWorks Inc

Cochituate Place, 24 Prime Park Way, Natick, MA 01760

508-653-1415


Artisoft Shipping Foreign Language LANtastic
(TUCSON, Ariz.--June 30, 1992)--Artisoft announced today that it has started shipping French, German and Spanish versions of its award-winning LANtastic Local Area Network, including LANtastic Starter Kits, software, adapters and upgrades.

"By providing these localized versions, we are fulfilling a very great need for our international dealers and endusers," said Dave Hallmen, Artisoft's Vice President of Sales & Marketing. "And we're making the power of the LANtastic Local Area Network more accessible than ever to PC users all over the world."

The products which will be available in localized versions include certain LANtastic Starter Kits, Artisoft network adapters, LANtastic Software Kits, the LANtastic/AI network software which runs on selected adapters from other manufacturers, and upgrades to LANtastic V4.1 for users with LANtastic V4.0. The Starter Kits include two adapters, the 300-user version of the LANtastic NOS, cable, terminators, and both hardware and software documentation. The adapters come with hardware documentation. The Software Kits include the 300-user version of the LANtastic Network Operating System as well as cable, terminators and software documentation. The LANtastic/AI network software is licensed in either single-node or unlimited (up to 300 users) versions.

For the French market, Artisoft has begun shipping localized versions of the LANtastic AE-2 and A2Mbps Starter Kits, the Artisoft AE-2 and A2Mbps adapters, LANtastic Ethernet and A2Mbps Software Kits, and the single node version of the LANtastic/AI network. Later this summer, Artisoft plans to start shipping the LANtastic AE-3 Starter Kit, the Artisoft AE-3 adapter, the unlimited version of the LANtastic/AI network, and upgrades.

For the Spanish market, Artisoft has begun shipping localized versions of the LANtastic AE-2 Starter Kit, the Artisoft AE-2 adapter and the LANtastic Ethernet and A2Mbps Software Kits. Later this summer, Artisoft plans to start shipping the LANtastic AE-3 and A2Mbps Starter Kits, the Artisoft AE-3 and A2Mbps adapters, the single-node and unlimited versions of the LANtastic/AI network, and upgrades.

For the German market, Artisoft has begun shipping localized versions of the LANtastic AE-2 Starter Kit and the Artisoft AE-2 adapter, the LANtastic Ethernet and A2Mbps Software Kits and the single node version of the LANtastic/AI network. Later this summer, Artisoft plans to start shipping the LANtastic AE-3 and A2Mbps Starter Kits, the Artisoft AE-3 and A2Mbps adapters, the unlimited version of the LANtastic/AI network, and upgrades.

Artisoft develops and manufactures a full line of hardware and software for local area networks including the LANtastic Local Area Network. The LANtastic network is recognized as the leader in the DOS-based peer-to-peer network market and has won numerous industry awards for its cost-effective features, performance and ease of use. It allows up to 300 users of IBM-compatible computers to connect and share information and peripheral devices such as printers, hard drives and CD-ROMs. The LANtastic network and Artisoft's other connectivity products are distributed in over 70 countries worldwide.

Artisoft, 691 E. River Road, Tucson, AZ 85704

Sales 800-TINYRAM. Corporate 602/293-6363. Fax 602/293-8065.


Artisoft LANual Information Service
(TUCSON, Ariz.--June 30, 1992)--Artisoft announced today the release of its LANual Information Service, a collection of ArtisoftTM Manuals, SpecDisk Information Diskettes, LANtastic Compatibility Guides and Technical Bulletins compiled into diskette format. These Infobase files allow dealers and users to search for indexed words and phrases to instantly retrieve information about their LANtastic network.

The LANual Information Service is updated quarterly and can be purchased either by a one-year subscription (four quarters) for $249 or one quarter for $75. It is available on 5.25" and 3.5" diskettes and is licensed for use on an unlimited number of servers/nodes in a single network installation.

"LANual allows users to access updated information in a convenient and timely manner," said Dave Hallmen, Artisoft's Vice President of Sales & Marketing. "It is ideal for anyone who deals with the LANtastic network on a regular basis--from the technician who must look up answers to technical questions, to the sales representative who needs product information, to the MIS manager who must keep the network running and fine-tune the system for its best performance."

All data in the LANual Information Service is categorized for access through a detailed menu system. Using the Query Window, users can search for and print out specific technical or user information on a desired product by selecting the appropriate Artisoft manual from the menu. By utilizing the Problem Report selection, users can quickly receive on-screen solutions to technical problems. The LANtastic Compatibility Guide defines third-party hardware/software products that are Artisoft Certified Compatible. LANual Information Service's SpecDisk section includes information about Artisoft's history, special dealer programs, product information and pricing.

Artisoft develops and manufactures a full line of hardware and software for local area networks including the LANtastic Local Area Network. The LANtastic network is recognized as the leader in the DOS-based peer-to-peer network market and has won numerous industry awards for its cost-effective features, performance and ease of use. It allows up to 300 users of IBM-compatible computers to connect and share information and peripheral devices such as printers, hard drives and CD-ROMs. The LANtastic network and Artisoft's other connectivity products are distributed in over 70 countries worldwide.

Artisoft, 691 E. River Road, Tucson, AZ 85704

Sales 800-TINYRAM. Corporate 602/293-6363. Fax 602/293-8065.


C Programmers Function Call Library for NetWare
June 18, 1992 -- CINCINNATI, OHIO--Automation Software Consultants, Inc. (ASCI) announces the release of The Network C Library for NetWare. version 2.0.

The Network C Library is a collection of nearly 400 functions useful for writing utility programs or commercial applications that need direct access to NetWare services and statistics. The Network C Library provides the C programmer with access to NetWare accounting services, bindery management, connection services, console services, directory and file management, file server statistics, locking services, message and IPX communication services, printing and queue management services, security and rights, semaphores, transaction tracking and workstation services. Functions are provided for all versions of NetWare including versions 2.2 and 3.11.

Version 2.0 enhancements include the addition of over 40 functions providing support of NetWare 386 specific features such as file trustee assignments, 386 file attributes, encoded passwords, inherited rights masks, file purging and salvaging and user and directory space limits. Functions are also provided that give transparent support for both 286 and 386 versions of NetWare where possible. These functions determine the current version of NetWare running and then map to the appropriate service. New functions are also provided to simplify attaching to new file servers from inside an application.

The network C library includes over 500 pages of documentation explaining the use of each function and providing general discussions of software development with NetWare.

Over 100 sample programs, including source code for most NetWare command line utilities such as the map, user list, nprint and capture utilities, help illustrate the use of each function. Other sample programs include a network wide file find utility, utilities for bindery management such listing, adding or removing users and two peer to peer chat programs. Sample programs are included in the manual and on disk.

The Network C Library for NetWare now supports Microsoft C, Quick C, Turbo C and Borland C++ and is available for $295. Source code is available for an additional $375. Upgrades from version 1.0 and version 1.1 are available for $70.

ASCI, 8188 South State Route 48, Maineville, OH 45039

1-800-669-0842 or 513-677-0842


MicroMath MMCalc V1.1 Scientific Calculator
July 6, 1992--Salt Lake City --  MicroMath Scientific Software began shipping the MMCalc 1.1 package today.  This package includes an enhanced version of MMCalc, an RPN/Algebraic scientific calculator, as well as a new Worksheet application which allows writing scientific documents while performing scientific calculations via MMCalc in the same document.  This magic is made possible through System 7s AppleEvent mechanism.

  MMCalc 1.1 offers over 100 scientific, financial, statistical, and hex functions.  It is unique in its unit arithmetic and unit factoring of over 400 different built-in units.  It features full complex, interval, and gaussian arithmetic on its many built-in functions.

  The MMCalc package includes several different versions of the program that are optimized for System 6, System 7, desk accessory, MPW tool, or application use.  A comprehensive User Handbook is also included.

  MMCalc 1.1 is shipping immediately and is available directly from MicroMath Scientific Software for a retail price of $99.95.  Wholesale and dealer inquiries are welcomed.

MicroMath Scientific Software

PO Box 21550, Salt Lake City, UT  84121

(801) 943-0290 Fax: (801) 943-0299 AppleLink: MICROMATH


Full Source Software Shipping UNIX Utility Pckg
LOS ALTOS, CA, July 5, 1992 --- Full Source Software Corp. began shipping advanced versions of their powerful utility software packages today.  All of the packages, which were developed exclusively for the UNIX community, include complete source code.  The advanced packages have enhanced functionality over Full Source Software's standard packages.  The product offerings are grouped in functional packages that cover a wide range of user's and developer's needs, with each package offering over 40 programs.

"Our goal is to provide high quality, useful software at the affordable price of $149. This aggressive pricing is unheard of in the workstation and PC UNIX marketplace," said Ben Dubin, Chief Technologist.  Dubin also indicates that Rhaving source code allows our customers to customize a program, if needed."

Advanced packages offered include system administration tools, programming tools, and financial tools, as well as desktop accessories. The software is shipped with full source code and documentation, allowing the programs to be used on all UNIX machines.  The packages sell for $149 each and are available immediately. Site licenses and floating licenses are available, as are ready-to-run binary versions. All packages are available on 1/4" cartridge, 1/2" magnetic tape, 3.5" diskettes and 8 mm tape.

Headquartered in Los Altos, California, Full Source Software Corp. has been the leader of affordable UNIX utility software since 1990.  As the most experienced developer of low-cost UNIX utility software, the company has over 500 customers.  Full Source Software markets its products both directly and through selected value added resellers including UNIX Central, Qualix Group and DUX Software.

Full Source Software Corporation

(415) 949-4567 (corporate office)

(800) 999-UNIX (sales office)


Welcom Software Technology Acquires Texim Inc
HOUSTON, JUNE 23 -- Welcom Software Technology, a Houston-based project management software company, has acquired Texim Inc. of St. Paul, Minn.

Merging these project management software companies will integrate a high and low-end user network broaden Welcom's range of applicable consumers, and introduce sophisticated new Windows-based project management products.

"This is our first acquisition because it's the first one that made sense," said Welcom President Tony Welsh.

In 1990, Thomasen and design specialist Dr. Leslie Butterfield created Texim Inc. in St. Paul from the original company. The new company has continued to develop, manufacture and market graphically based project management software for scheduling resource management and cost control.

The company's product, Texim Project 1.0, was announced one year ago and has helped shape a reputation for delivering high-end function at a low-end price. November's release of Texim Project 1.1 strengthened that reputation. The upgrade incorporates enhanced options and flexibility, especially for multi-project management.

One magazine reviewer describes Texim Project as a "refreshingly rich application." Another wrote, "Texim Project breaks new ground by modeling capabilities for projects of any size with an easy-to-use interface."

Texim's consumers are in the aerospace, construction, banking/finance, data processing, engineering, government, insurance, manufacturing, pharmaceutical, research/development and transportation industries.

With more than 400 installations around the world, Texim's customers include BASF, BMW, Daimler Benz, Eaton, Knoll Pharmaceuticals, NASA, Offshore Technologies, Siemens and the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Army.

Texim distributes worldwide through independent value-added resellers, project management consultants, trainers and distributors.

Welcom Software Technology

15995 North Barkers Landing, Suite 275

Houston, TX 77079

713-558-0514

--------------------------------------------------------

ST. PAUL, Minn. JUNE 23 -- In five years, electrical engineer Ole Thomasen's ideas have journeyed from Copenhagen to today's acquisition of his company by project management software leader Welcom Software Technology.

Thomasen started Texim International of Denmark in 1987, two years before the company released its first product, ASSURE ProjectManager. The product was readily accepted by a European market that demanded project management software for non-mainframe computers.

"Most project management software is at either the high or low end, and that's where the user stays. This acquisition will give users the first natural upgrade path that is free from compatibility concerns. We plan to offer exciting new products in the months ahead, once we can assure their compatibility."

"Texim's major benefit from this acquisition will be the marketing power that helped Welcom products earn their worldwide reputation for excellence," said Texim President Ole Thomasen.

"This acquisition also benefits Welcom significantly. A forthcoming product will offer high-end functionality in a Windows environment. This will fill a gap in Welcom's existing product line."

Texim's staff will relocate from St. Paul to Welcom's Houston headquarters.

Welcom's OPEN PLAN and related software products provide advanced planning and control tools to more than 10,000 users, including project managers and schedulers worldwide. OPEN PLAN's comprehensive capabilities provide manufacturers, engineers, builders, scientists and many other users with total project management solutions.

Texim's product, Texim Project, is a mid-range project management software package with a specialized graphical user interface. The product is far more powerful than similarly priced low-end products, yet equally easy to use.

Officials at Welcom and Texim anticipate the first innovative Windows-based product of their collaboration to appear later this year.

--------------------------------------------------------

HOUSTON, JUNE 23 -- Welcom Software Technology (WST) customers comprise a who's who of service, industry, science and government -- Amoco. Arthur Andersen & Co. Conoco. Dow Chemical. DuPont. Eastman Kodak. General Electric. McDonnell Douglas. Merck. NASA. Owens-Corning. Pfizer. Proctor & Gamble. TRW. Shell Oil. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

These and many other organizations utilize WST's project management software and rely on the company's technical support, training and consulting.

Incorporated in 1984, WST was founded by President Tony Welsh and Vice President Stephen Cook. Both men realized years ago that although PCs had penetrated nearly all business areas, project management remained a mainframe computing tool. So they formed WST and filled the market void with OPEN PLAN, a flexible multi-platform project management software product.

Subsequently, WST has been named one of Inc's fastest-growing privately held companies in America for the past three years. Furthermore, OPEN PLAN was voted first in a magazine poll of corporate satisfaction by nearly 400 corporate PC buyers.

WST has upgraded OPEN PLAN many times and expanded its product line to include related project management software:

OPEN PLAN

OPEN PLAN brings project management to PC, LAN, Macintosh, UNIX and DEC VAX/VMS environments with a common user interface across these platforms. Data is stored in Xbase files with the user interface flexible for easy customization. OPEN PLAN's planning and control features include time analysis, progress tracking, comprehensive resource scheduling, multi-project scheduling, on-line help, and a built-in screen editor.

The latest version, OPEN PLAN 4.0, is a major upgrade that includes Project Executive, a graphical user interface which allows users interactive data entry and switching between three views -- a barchart and resource histogram, logic network and work breakdown structure (WBS).

COBRA

COBRA is a cost control/performance measurement package that provides cost scheduling control for program cost managers.

OPERA

An extension to OPEN PLAN, OPERA is designed for project managers who need realistic assessments of project risk.

OPTIC

Integrated with OPEN PLAN, OPTIC is an information manager designed to track and manage supplementary information about a project.

Headquartered in Houston, WST operates offices in Vienna, Va., and Irvine, Calif. Welcom Software Technology International Ltd., a wholly owned, London-based WST subsidiary, directs sales and support outside North and South America.


US WEST SearchDisc CD-ROM Directory
July 6, 1992 -- Aurora, Colorado -- Colorado-based U S WEST Market Information Products and ProCD, Inc. of Marblehead, Mass., today introduced U S WEST SearchDisc Directory, a comprehensive business and consumer CD-ROM directory containing nearly eight million listings for the western United States. It is the most accurate, up-to-date CD-ROM product available for the region. CD-ROMs (Compact Disc, Read-Only Memory) are accessible via a CD-ROM drive linked to a personal computer.

"CD-ROM directory users now have at their fingertips the fastest, most accurate and compact business and residential data base available for the western United States," said David S. Downes, Vice President and General Manager of U S WEST Market Information Products. "The SearchDisc Directory meets the data search needs of the growing number of users who recognize the increased efficiency compact disc directories offer."

Downes said U S WEST and ProCD each bring critical strengths to the alliance that resulted in the SearchDisc Directory. "ProCD is an innovative, high-quality company whose strong technological capabilities and extensive market experience provide a solid foundation for this new search source," said Downes. "U S WEST is building on ProCD's expertise in the emerging field of CD-ROM technology. Together, we have created the delivery medium of choice in the information services marketplace."

The SearchDisc Directory, which provides updates monthly, quarterly, semiannually and annually, allows users to search for listings by last name, address, telephone number or ZIP Code. Emergency dispatchers, libraries, genealogists, frequent directory assistance users, collection agencies, and law enforcement agencies can access information through the directory's multiple search capabilities.

Scheduled for release August 1, the SearchDisc Directory will be available on one CD-ROM disc. It will also be available in various subregions and individual states within U S WEST's 14-state territory. U S WEST Market Information Products will market the SearchDisc Directory within its territory and ProCD will market the product outside U S WEST territory. ProCD will produce and provide customer and technical support for the product.

Downes said U S WEST and ProCD are eager to make the SearchDisc Directory available to information users throughout the country. "We know there is a tremendous demand for information that is accurate and timely," said Downes. "We anticipate a considerable reception for this new resource because of its accuracy and recency. What is even more exciting is the fact that this product is just the beginning. We look forward to continuing to find new and even more efficient ways to assist information users with their daily needs."

Subscription information about the SearchDisc Directory is available by calling toll-free 1-800-431-6600. Annual subscription pricing is based on the number of states or regions selected and the number of updates scheduled to be delivered during the year. Quantity discounts are available.

ProCD, Inc. is a leader in providing quality CD-ROM telephone directories. U S WEST Market Information Products is a division of U S WEST Marketing Resources Group, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of U S WEST, Inc. U S WEST Marketing Resources packages marketing information through directories, direct marketing tools and software to help businesses successfully identify, attract and retain customers. U S WEST, Inc., is a diversified telecommunications company that owns businesses involved in regional, national and international markets.

US West Marketing Resources Group Inc

198 Inverness Drive West, Englewood, CO 80112

303-784-2900


PACX Data Acquisition & Control Applic Generator
Provo, Utah - June 15, 1992 - Automated Control Systems Inc. unveiled today a new software system for control and data acquisition that runs on any PC compatible computer and is dedicated to DGH IO Modules. DGH Modules are sold by Cyber Research as the TeleDAS system, by Metrabyte as M1000-M4000 modules, by Omega as Omegabus modules, and by WestCon as W1000 - W4000 series.

"PACX-DGH" (Process Acquisition and Control eXpert) features a rule based, table fillout application generator which eliminates traditional programming and software maintenance headaches. Tables of rules are built, using the menu driven system builder, to describe the control and acquisition algorithms needed. Multiple tasks may be described allowing easy decomposition of complex control applications. "PACX-DGH" is a dedicated version of the general "PACX' Control and Data Acquisition software which allows multiple vendor hardware drivers to be attached.

Drivers for all the DGH modules (1000, 2000, 3000, 4000) are linked into to the run time system allowing the user to develop "right away" his application without writing programs. A complete application based on DGH IO Modules can be developed by using the English language used in PACX and a basic understanding of the application that has to be developed. A complete set of mathematical operators is available for both digital and analog calculations. Inputs are checked against a mathematical expression for true conditions to drive the rule base to new rules. Outputs may also use full mathematical expressions which utilize any of the other I/O for calculating their settings.

A full set of timing operations is also available including, relative timers, wall clock time, minimum and maximum time for each rule. These allow the application developer a high degree of flexibility for timing operations.

During run time full screen control is available to the application developer. Text based Menus, Data Entries, and Messages may all be built and controlled using the System Builder. This gives full control to the developer for interactive type applications.

Stephen Renshaw, President, explains that "The rule base allows selective next rule scanning which greatly improves the performance of the generated system by only scanning the I/Os that pertain to these rules. The rule base also allows the use of some automatic error detection for minimum and maximum times for each rule."

Since "PACX-DGH" generated systems are described in english they are self documenting, eliminating the confusion that arises with conventional systems when the control "programmer" quits.

"PACX-DGH" is available immediately and priced at only $299.00 for a complete system. General "PACX" is also available if multiple vendor hardware needs to be used in the same application and is priced at only $985.00 for a complete system.

Automated Control Systems Inc., headquartered in Provo, Utah, specializes in Software, Hardware, and Systems Integration for the areas of automated testing, factory automation, process monitoring and control, and laboratory automation. Automated Control Systems Inc, offers personal computer based solutions for most automation needs. For more information on the new "PACX-DGH" system, please contact Automated Control Systems Inc., P.O. Box 49, 290 N. University Ave., Suite 205, Provo, UT 84603-0049, (801) 373-0678.


Ensoniq KS-32 Weighted Action MIDI Studio
June 15, 1992 -- Malvern, PA--ENSONIQ Corp has introduced a new 76-key weighted action synthesizer, the KS-32. Designed with the performing pianist, church musician and educator in mind, the KS-32 features a newly designed weighted action keyboard with velocity and channel pressure response. The feel of this new keyboard is sure to appeal to anyone looking for a true piano action in a workstation or MIDI controller keyboard.

The KS-32 is 32 note polyphonic, with up to three oscillators per Sound. There are 3 Megabytes of mostly 16-bit wave memory, comprising 168 different multi-sampled waveforms. The 180 onboard sounds cover a wide assortment of acoustic and electric pianos, jazz, rock and classical organs, clavinet, harpsichord, orchestral and pop instruments. There are 20 dedicated drum kits in the KS-32 as well, with support for both the ENSONIQ and General MIDI methods of drum mapping. With an external RAM or ROM card the KS-32 can access 340 sounds, and it is compatible with cards developed for any of the ENSONIQ SQ keyboards.

An onboard 24-bit dynamic effects processor provides 13 different effects algorithms, including reverbs, chorusing, phasing, flanging, roto-speaker simulation, distortion and combination effects. Up to 16 internal and external sounds can be combined in split and layered setups to create a Performance Preset, with control over volume, panning, transposition, key range, effects bussing and other parameters for each sound. For MIDI control, any track can be used to control both internal and external sounds, or be set to transmit over MIDI exclusively. A special "Make Default Preset" button makes working with external MIDI gear easy for any user. With one button push the user can go from playing a single internal sound to having an instant Performance Preset, with sound layering and split points already defined. The KS-32 holds up to 100 Performance Presets in internal memory.

The KS-32 also features a 16-track sequencer with 96 PPQ resolution, with 8,500 note memory standard, expandable to 58,000 with the optional SQX-70. Real-time and step-entry recording is supported, and extensive editing control is provided with the ability to audition every important edit to hear the results before deciding which to save. The KS-32 can hold up to 70 sequences and 30 songs, and sequences can be saved to RAM cards or via MIDI System Exclusive.

With its slim design and light weight (49 lbs.) the KS-32 is a very portable solution to the keyboardist who needs a weighted action keyboard workstation. The suggested retail price of the KS-32 Weighted Action MIDI Studio is $2195.00 (US). For more information contact: ENSONIQ Corp, 155 Great Valley Parkway, Malvern, PA 19355 (215) 647-3930.

Headquartered outside of Philadelphia, PA, ENSONIQ Corp is one of the leading innovators in the field of sound technology. Using advanced custom microchip design in sound producing devices, ENSONIQ provides the consumer with genuine breakthrough technology at affordable prices.


Prodigy Brings Baby-Sitters Club Online
WHITE PLAINS, NY, July 8--When Scholastic Inc. first published The Baby-sitters Club in 1986, it sparked a nationwide phenomenon. Now, children have a whole new way to make The Baby-sitters Club adventure come alive, with a personal computer connected to the PRODIGY service.

The Baby-sitters Club for PRODIGY is the latest Custom Choice feature to be added to the popular online network, which now has more than one and a half million members nationwide. The Baby-sitters Club for PRODIGY creates an engaging, interactive online environment filled with games and activities based on the wholesome themes and loveable characters from the book series. In its licensing agreement with Scholastic, the PRODIGY service has the exclusive right to use the characters and themes from The Baby-sitters Club online.

"The whole idea for The Baby-sitters Club for PRODIGY came from the kids themselves," said Henry Heilbrunn, Prodigy's senior vice president, media. "We saw them using our bulletin boards to share their enthusiasm for The Baby-sitters Club. We wanted to offer The Baby-sitters Club for PRODIGY to give them an even richer set of activities to explore."

Using The Baby-sitters Club for PRODIGY, fans and members of real-life baby-sitting clubs nationwide can communicate electronically, because their home computers are all linked through telephone lines connected to the PRODIGY service. They can exchange ideas, play games based on the stories, and send questions to Ann M. Martin, author of the book series. "The Baby-sitters Club for PRODIGY gives children the opportunity to follow the adventures of their favorite characters, while developing their computer and communication skills," said Heilbrunn.

"We are delighted that The Baby-sitters Club has evolved so naturally into the online environment," said Deborah Forte, vice president, Scholastic Inc. "From the very beginning, The Baby-sitters Club phenomenon has been sparked by the irrepressible interest of children. The Baby-sitters Club for PRODIGY is an ideal way for kids to express their enthusiasm and to make friends with thousands of other Baby-sitters Club fans across the country."

The Baby-sitters Club for PRODIGY has the following features:

. An Interactive Story appears online each month, with three possible endings. Children vote for their favorite endings and tell PRODIGY what they'd do in the same situation.

. The Baby-sitters Club Who's Who gives kids the latest news on each character in The Baby-sitters Club series, along with a club history.

. Ask Ann is a special area where Ann M. Martin, author of The Baby-sitters Club, answers selected questions from members.

. Date Reminder helps members keep track of baby-sitting jobs and other activities, like piano lessons and homework.

. The Baby-sitters Club Tips & Tactics has nearly 200 articles with helpful hints and fun facts for baby-sitters.

. Special Features will be introduced each month, including member polls, trivia games, and other activities.

The Baby-sitters Club for PRODIGY, including all these features, costs just $5.95 a month, in addition to a PRODIGY service membership.

From now through July 31, PRODIGY service members can participate in The Babysitters Club online sweepstakes to win autographed copies of the first Baby-sitters Club book and Baby-sitters Club for PRODIGY T-shirts.

A portion of the proceeds from sales of all Baby-sitters Club licensed merchandise is donated to the Ann M. Martin Foundation, which is exclusively dedicated to benefiting children, education and literacy programs, and the homeless.

Scholastic Inc. is one of the nation's leading publishers and distributors of children's books, classroom and professional magazines, and other educational materials. The company also produces family-oriented video and television programming. Scholastic operates in the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand.

The PRODIGY service is America's most-used online network, with more than one and a half million members. It links families with personal computers to a broad range of information and services, including shopping, bill paying, banking brokerage, and travel ticketing; sending personal messages; searching an electronic encyclopedia; using hundreds of other educational and entertainment features; and selecting such information as news, weather, sports and stock quotes. Each household connects to this network through its regular telephone line attached to a home computer with a modem.

PRODIGY service Start-up Kits are available in more than 15,000 stores around the country. Prodigy maintains a special toll-free number to locate dealers: 1-800-PRODIGY.


Multi-Tech V.32/V.32bis and Fax Internal Modems
MOUNDS VIEW, MINNESOTA--June 8,1992 -- Multi-Tech Systems Inc., a leading manufacturer of data communications equipment headquartered in Mounds View, Minnesota, announces the new Internal MultiModems (models MT932BC, MT1432BC, and MT1432ES) for IBM PC and PS/2 compatible computers. The MT932BC provides V32 datacomm operation with V.42 error correction, V.42bis data compression, and Group 3 fax hardware. It is designed for the PC-ISA bus architecture, and sells for $899. The MT1432xx models provide the same features as the MT932BC, with the addition of V.32bis support for 14.4K bps data transmissions. Model MT1432BC is for PC-ISA bus computers; the MT1432ES, for the MCA-bus architecture. Both V.32bis modems sell for $999. All models are bundled with MultiExpress datacomm software and MultiExpressFax facsimile software. The MT932BC will ship July 20,1992, the MT1432BC will ship June 17,1992, and the MT1432ES will ship August 15, 1992.

"Internal modems provide the simple, clean, and unseen approach to adding data communications to a PC. Simple because everything you need is included in one box. Clean because you don't need messy extras such as a serial interface card, modem cable and power cable, and unseen because everything is inside your computer. But, our new internal modems also provide some compelling technological reasons for choosing them over external modems," claims Multi-Tech President, Raghu Sharma. "First of all, we've equipped these newly announced internal modems with 16550A UARTs that include a builtin data buffer (16 bytes long). The 16550A UART removes much of the risk for data loss that can happen when the serial port of a PC can't keep up with the data flow."

"We've also equipped the new internal MultiModems with the option of expanded addressing (100 to 3F8 hex) and interrupt (vectors 2, 3, 4, S, and 7) allocation. With external modems you are limited to COM1, 2, 3 or 4, which have standard addressing and shared interrupt values. If your PC has a number of serial devices or add-on cards, such as a printer, mouse, or expansion card, you can experience conflicts. With our new internal MultiModems, you can avoid potential conflicts with your other serial devices by selecting unique I/O address and interrupt values."

"We've also equipped these modems with Group 3, Class 2 fax hardware and our new MultiExpressFax facsimile software. With the increasing popularity of fax communications in business, the ability to fax directly from PC applications is adding another dimension to personal productivity."

The MT1432xx modems provide V.32bis asynchronous operation over dial-up networks. They are also downward compatible with other modems that operate at 9600 (V32), 2400 (V.22bis), 1200 (V.22/Bell 212A), and 300 bps (V.21/Bell 103). The MT932BC is the same, excluding V.32bis operation. They all provide V.42 error correction for 100% error-free transmissions and V.42bis data compression, yielding "4-to-1 " compression for throughputs up to 57.6K bps with V.32bis modulation and 38.4K bps with V.32 modulation (depending on file content). UUCP spoofing using Multi-Tech's own adaptive protocol enhancing speeds up batch file transfers within UNIX environments using the g protocol. Fax transmissions are at 9600/4800 bps and allow the internal MultiModems to send or receive faxes with any Group 3 or Group 2 fax machine, fax card or fax/data modem in the world. The internal MultiModems use industry standard "AT" commands for modem configuration and dialing and have a built-in dialing directory for storing up to 10 phone numbers. They have two RJ11 modular phone jacks for connection to the phone line and support for a telephone set.

Multi-Tech Systems was founded in 1970 to manufacture data communications equipment and systems for a global market of network products users. The Minnesota-based company is a well-known leader in dial-up modem technology. The family of Multi-Tech products includes a complete line of 1200, 2400, 4800 9600, and 14.4K bps modems, statistical multiplexers, DSU/CSUs, 5250, 3780 and 3270 emulation systems, X.25 PADs, computer fax equipment, communications software, UNIX multiport serial boards, and LAN products. These products are sold in over 50 countries, through a worldwide network of distributors, manufacturer's representatives, system integrators, value-added resellers (VARs) and retailers. Multi-Tech Systems Inc. can be contacted at its headquarters: 2205 Woodale Drive, Mounds View, Minnesota 55112. Voice (612) 785-3500 or (800) 328-9717, FAX (612) 785-9874, International FAX (612) 331-3180


TransEra HTBasic DOS 386/486 Numeric Compiler
July 1, 1992 -- Long Beach, CA - TransEra Corp. (Provo, UT) announces the release of the latest addition to their High Tech Basic product line: the HTBasic DOS 386/486 Numeric Compiler.

Focusing on the subroutines which most often require the greatest amount of time to execute, the DOS 386/486 Numeric Compiler helps any HTBasic programmer produce faster running numeric intensive subprograms without requiring any additional programming skills.

The Numeric Compiler produces code that runs in the fast 386/486 processor 32-bit protected mode. It also produces in-line math code to fully utilize the 387/486 math processor. The improved performance of Intel-based PC's, combined with the significant increase in execution speed obtained from the TransEra Numeric Compiler, allows much of your PC-based Rocky Mountain BASIC code to run at speeds comparable with even the fastest HP BASIC workstations. In addition, the Numeric Compiler can also generate EXE files which require only the HTBasic DOS 386/486 Runtime Version to execute. This allows program developers and users to share their programs without the added cost of the HTBasic development environment.

High Tech Basic

HTBasic is a PC-based engineering BASIC that provides a lower cost alternative to the traditional workstation environment. HTBasic, compatible with HP 9000 Series 200/300 HP BASIC, offers features such as easy to use HP-style IEEE-488.2 commands, data acquisition and RS-232 instrument control statements, COMPLEX arithmetic, complete HP-style screen, plotter, and printer graphics, SCPI compatibility, and HPGL plotter support. HTBasic also allows the user to transfer data between their current HP BASIC workstation and their favorite DOS software. Earlier HTBasic product additions include software drivers for data acquisition boards from National Instruments and Data Translation. In addition to the new data acquisition drivers and the Numeric Compiler, HTBasic also supports a variety of IEEE-488 GPIB cards, including TransEra's own GPIB-900 card.

Price and Availability

The TransEra HTBasic DOS 386/486 Numeric Compiler, including the complete DOS 386/486 Development and Runtime Versions, is now available for $1,325.00 in the U.S. For current HTBasic users, the Numeric Compiler is available as an upgrade from their current DOS 386/486 Version for $450.00 in the U.S. The Numeric Compiler requires Release 3.3 of the DOS 386/486 Version of HTBasic. HTBasic and the Numeric Compiler are available direct, or through qualified TransEra resellers and international distributors.

TransEra, 3707 North Canyon Rd, Provo, UT 84604

(801) 224-6550 Fax:    (801) 224-0355


SGS-THOMSON Bundles Panacea Swr with XGA Chipset
LONDONDERRY, NH -- July 6, 1992 -- Panacea Inc. announced today that it has signed a licensing agreement with SGS-THOMSON Microelectronics, an exclusive provider of XGA video chipsets. Under the terms of the non-exclusive agreement, SGS-THOMSON will bundle Panacea's DLD-XGA AutoCAD accelerator software with its XGA chipsets. In addition, SGS-THOMSON will cite Panacea as a preferred provider of display list processors to its OEM customers, and assist in marketing other Panacea products to its customer base.

SGS-THOMSON is a sole licensee of IBM's current XGA technology. Its XGA chipsets, available in Micro Channel and ISA bus architectures, are sold to a variety of graphics card manufacturers for use in their products, and are the first commercially available XGA chipsets. According to Paul Strzelecki, Director, Graphics Business Unit at SGS-THOMSON, "The XGA arena is really starting to heat up, as more users are realizing that VGA simply doesn't provide the capabilities they need in a graphically demanding Windows and AutoCAD world. Panacea's solution for speeding up AutoCAD and other Autodesk applications is recognized throughout the CAD arena. We are happy to be adding their value to our customers, and look forward to working with them in establishing XGA as the pre-eminent graphics standard."

Jake Richter, Chief Technologist at Panacea, added, "We are committed to increasing XGA's strong foothold among PC graphics platforms. Enabling XGA users to realize the same performance gains under AutoCAD that users on other graphics platforms are already enjoying, while also letting them benefit from the superior graphics displays and speeds that XGA brings, is a major step in the right direction."

Panacea's DLD-XGA enables users of AutoCAD Releases 10, 11 and 12 to realize up to a 17X speed improvement in redrawing, panning and zooming, the most commonly used operations. The DLD-XGA also works with Autodesk AutoShade Version 1.X and Autosketch Versions 1, 2 and 3, enabling the rendering and display of images in higher resolutions (up to 1024 x 768).

The DLD-XGA includes standard Panacea features such as full backward compatibility with earlier versions of AutoCAD, an easy-to-use install utility with context-sensitive help, the CustomColors color configuration utility, full support for multiple viewports and full compatibility with all third party AutoCAD add-on applications.

SGS-THOMSON's XGA chipsets are marketed to a variety of hardware OEMs worldwide, and are currently being used in products by Genoa Systems, Ahead Systems, AGT and Infotronic.

The Panacea DLD-XGA, sold via retail, is priced at $149. Versions of the DLD for VGA/SuperVGA and 8514/A display adapters are available at prices ranging from $99 to $249.

SGS-THOMSON Microelectronics designs and manufactures a wide range of semiconductor components, including discretes, linear and dedicated analog/digital IC's, semicustom, microprocessor, memory and graphics devices. Phone: 01-44-454-616616.

Panacea Inc. is the world's leading provider of commercial and OEM display drivers and software-only applications accelerators for graphics-intensive applications. Panacea specializes in PC-based software for graphics processors and graphics boards that support VGA/SuperVGA, 8514/A, TIGA, S3 and XGA graphics platforms. Corporate headquarters are located at 24 Orchard View Drive, Londonderry, NH 03053. Phone: 603-437-5022.


UNIX EXPO in New York City, Sept 22-24
(Fort Lee, NJ, June 23) -- James A. Cannavino. vice president and general manager of Personal Systems for IBM Corporation will explore, "The Expanding Universe of UNIX," when he delivers the UNIX EXPO keynote address on Tuesday, September 22, at 1 p.m. UNIX EXPO will take place September 22-24, at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York.

Mr. Cannavino will outline the importance of the UNIX environment in offering users new hardware products, and more robust, easier-to-use software, and the increasing role of UNIX in mission-critical applications.

Two plenary sessions will also affirm the show's position as the industry's premier forum for UNIX and Open Systems technology. John Black, system architect of U.S. West's NewVector Group (USWNVG), will describe his telecommunications company's experience with "Integrating UNIX Into the Glass House," in the plenary address on Wednesday, September 23, at l 1 a.m.

The Thursday plenary will explore new cooperative efforts between the two houses of UNIX, at 11 a.m. Roel Pieper, president of UNIX Systems Laboratories (USL) and David Tory, president and CEO of the Open Software Foundation (OSF), will meet the press as Mike Azzara, editor of Oven Systems Today and David Flack, editor-in-chief of UnixWorld, explore the significance of this cooperative effort for the UNIX and Open Systems user.

Don Berey, show manager for UNIX EXPO said the cumulative goal of these special programs, is to provide UNIX EXPO attendees with a conference program that will deliver an unprecedented level of information and insight.

"The high caliber of these speakers, and their influence in the computer industry is beyond debate," said Mr. Berey. "Their ideas and information will provide a real-world view of the current state of UNIX and Open Systems for both corporate users and trade resellers."

Mr. Cannavino has worldwide responsibility for IBM's desktop systems and their operating systems software.

assuming his current post in 1989, Mr. Cannavino was president of the Entry Systems Division and has held various staff and management positions since joining IBM in 1963.

Mr. Black has more than 25 years of experience in the computer industry, and his position at the USWNVG provides exposure to the largest Oracle Client/Server site in the world, which is pioneering co-existence of MVS mainframes with UNIX.

Mr. Piper joined USL, a subsidiary of AT&T in 1990 as executive vice president, sales and marketing, and was promoted to president and CEO in 1991, overseeing the development, marketing and licensing of UNIX System V operating system and related products.

Mr. Tory joined OSF in 1988, after holding senior management positions with Computer Associates, Inc. He has..30. years of experience in software development, technical support and marketing with previous positions in the U.S., U.K., Europe and Japan.

UNIX EXPO is produced by Bruno Blenheim Inc., a part of Blenheim Group PLC, a worldwide producer of conferences and exhibitions. The firm also produces the NetWorld shows in Boston, Dallas and Europe, and the PC EXPO shows in New York and Chicago.


Mary Campbell's Guide to Windows 3.1
WHY IS THIS WINDOWS 3.1 BOOK DIFFERENT FROM ALL OTHERS?

Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Reading, MA--Because it focuses squarely on issues of business productivity, and because it's written by Mary Campbell, the bestselling author who's taught more than half a million people the ins and outs of today's top applications.

In Mary Campbell's Guide To Windows 3.1, Mary tackles the fundamentals and the features that make Windows 3.1 the choice for business PC users who prefer a Graphic User Interface. The book deals, in Mary's words with "the main features," new to Windows 3.1 and "how they can be put to work to make your job easier."

With in-depth treatment of the totally revised File Manager and Program Manager plus coverage of the top selling windows versions of word processing and spreadsheet applications like Excel, WordPerfect for Windows, Word for Windows, and Lotus 1-2-3 for Windows, this book offers one-source mastery of the latest release of Windows.

Mary Campbell's Guide To Windows 3.1, simplifies the hundreds of system options available to Windows 3.1 users. It offers suggestions, tips, and warnings that save countless hours of trial and error. Key features include:

. Customizing windows with the control panel

. Using the file manager and the program manager

. Optimizing the system's use of memory

. Transferring data between applications

. Writing Windows macros

Campbell also explores the intricacies of working with non-Windows applications in Windows.

Mary Campbell is one of the best-known and bestselling computer book authors writing today. Some of her books include 1-2-3 Made Easy and Quicken Made Easy. Mary Campbell's Guide To Windows 3.1 was published in June 1992, $24.95, 528 pages, paperback. It is available wherever computer books are sold.

Addison-Wesley Publishing Company

1 Jacob Way, Reading, MA 01867

617-944-3700


SalesLink for Windows V1.2 Agent Pen Computing
Evanston, IL, July 1, 1992 - SalesLink Systems today announced version 1.2 of its SalesLink for Windows sales force automation software, incorporating an enhanced personal information management (PIM) module that includes "agent" capability to automate various tasks, and compliance with Microsoft Windows for Pen Computing to recognize stylus data-entry including printing and stylus gestures.

SalesLink for Windows automatically enables users to create customized sales process reports through Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) links to sales call information stored in the PIM module. The system also facilitates the easy flow of information between field users and their managers, who can aggregate and analyze field users' call reports, sales forecasts and Competitive Action Analysis reports through a customized companion product, SalesLink for Windows/Manager's Edition.

"Agent and pen-computing technologies are state-of-the-art capabilities that deliver important ease-of-use and productivity benefits to SalesLink for Windows users," said SalesLink Systems President William N. Holmes.

Using the agent capability requires defining event triggers and actions. Once defined, the agent can sound an alarm, display a message, launch another application, hunch a DDE macro or print a report. For example, an agent can be defined to print a report of all appointments at a specified time every day. Or when the user opens a prospect detail screen, an agent can launch a word processor and display a list of letters to the prospect. Or, an agent can alert the user a week before any scheduled presentation to allow sufficient preparation time. The applications are almost limitless.

SalesLink for Windows provides the agent and pen-computing capabilities by including a customized version of Commence, a full-featured, Windows-based PIM introduced recently by Jensen-Jones, Red Bank, NJ.

SalesLink for Windows is priced at $895 per user, plus customizing fees that vary depending on user requirements. Volume discounts and site license pricing are available.

SalesLink Systems is a unit of The Strategic Marketing Group (SMG), founded in 1988 to provide information systems and consulting services that increase sales force productivity. SMG formed SalesLink Systems in 1990 to develop and market customized sales force automation solutions for companies engaged in business-to-business selling of products or services characterized by a complex, information-intensive selling process.

The SalesLink Solution, installed at several major companies, consists of the "front-end" SalesLink for Windows data-collection and sales reporting system running on portable notebook computers, and the "back-end" SalesLink for Windows/Manager's Edition data-aggregation and analysis system running on powerful standalone personal computers.

The SalesLink Solution uniquely and conveniently captures the outcome of every competitive selling opportunity and the reasons for those outcomes, and facilitates the graphical analysis of the aggregated information, a process SalesLink Systems describes as "deriving knowledge from information."

SalesLink Systems

Business and Technology Center, 1840 Oak Ave, Evanston, IL 60201

708-866-0400


Video Courseware for Windows 3.1
San Jose, CA, July 2, 1992 -- Anderson Soft-Teach announces it will ship a complete video training course for Windows 3.1. First shipments of the three volume training package will go out on July 31,1992.

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

The new Windows 3.1 training courseware combines three videotapes, three personal training guides, three practice disks, three self-tests and three disk licenses. Anderson Soft-Teach will also send a certificate of completion to each person who successfully completes the self-test.

"We have completely redesigned this course and expanded it from two to three volumes to cover the extensive features of Windows 3.1," says Warren E. Anderson, President.

Dave Ferguson, Vice President of Product Development, states, "Customers purchase Anderson Soft-Teach training courses because one buying decision solves ALL of their training challenges: self-study, classroom training, field office training, and refresher training."

The complete Windows 3.1 training course will be sold for $995. Topics covered in Volume One include Exploring and Communicating with Windows and Working with Multiple Windows and Applications. Volume Two provides instruction on the File Manager, including Managing Files, Directories and Diskettes. Finally, in Volume Three you will learn how to use Object Linking and Embedding, Desktop Accessories, and Program Groups. Detailed course outlines can be obtained directly from Anderson Soft-Teach.

The company offers a unique "version insurance" program for users who are upgrading from Anderson Soft Teach's Windows 3.0 courseware to Windows 3.1 courseware.

STAGGERING TRAINING DEMAND DUE TO FREQUENT UPGRADES

In the 1992 Survey of Personal Computing in Corporate America conducted by Anderson Soft-Teach, over 56% of training professionals surveyed indicated that they do not have enough resources to meet their organization's demand for training. One of the biggest obstacles given was the large number of software topics to support.

More and more corporate classroom trainers are turning to Anderson Soft-Teach courseware to meet their needs for timely, cost-effective, high quality classes. A major benefit cited is the ease of use of the Anderson SoftTeach training package. The videos, which can either stand-alone or supplement class lectures, save trainers hours of lecture prep and delivery time. The Student Workbooks serve as the complete course curriculum, freeing trainers from the time-sensitive pressures of writing their own courses and doing constant rewrites due to new versions.

Anderson Soft-Teach courseware is also becoming a cost-effective alternative to outsourcing PC training, resulting in significant savings. Customers have gained efficiencies by keeping training in-house, making their own decisions on course topics, and dictating their own training schedules. They find implementation easy because Anderson Soft-Teach provides everything from the lecture to the post-test. For classroom use, the only thing the customer needs to supply is an instructor or facilitator to oversee the class.

Bill Firing, Project Coordinator at Swissair says, "We are getting better classroom training for less money than if we were to go outside."

Hewlett Packard Learning Products Developer Dorothy Reinke states, "The quality of your classroom material is excellent."

A simple chart describing how to use Anderson Soft-Teach courseware in the classroom is available directly from the company. Simply call and request one.

CUSTOMER DEMAND CATALYZES NEW FEATURE

To meet growing customer demand, Anderson Soft-Teach also announces an enhancement to its Personal Training Guides. In the Windows 3.1 course, students are provided with extra exercises at the end of each lesson to increase learning effectiveness. The extra exercises reinforce skill development and result in increased retention.

ABOUT ANDERSON SOFT-TEACH

Anderson Soft-Teach is currently celebrating its 10-year anniversary as the producer of the largest library of video courseware in the industry for personal computer software. Its products are sold both domestically and internationally. Anderson Soft-Teach's current line of courseware topics includes Windows 3.1 and 3.0, Word for Windows, Excel for Windows, Word Perfect for Windows, MS/PC DOS, Lotus 1-2-3, Word Perfect, and others. The company also offers computer literacy courseware.

For detailed course outlines, classroom implementation guide, product catalog, or a summary of the 1992 Survey of Personal Computing in Corporate America, contact:

Anderson Soft-Teach, 983 University Ave, Los Gatos, CA 95030

Sales: (800) 338-4336 FAX: (408) 399-0500

  Corporate/International: (408) 399-0100


WestLake Imager Integrates Pictures into Paradox
Beaverton, Oregon -- July 10, 1992 -- WestLake Software today announced that it will ship the WestLake Imager for Paradox in August 1992. The WestLake Imager allows the incorporation of PIC, TIFF, PCX and CGM graphics into any Paradox database. Paradox is the best selling PC database produced by Borland International.

"Paradox users wanting to include pictures and charts in their database will find the WestLake add-in product a very easy-to-use solution. I was up and running in only a few minutes," remarks Elmar Wefers, Chairman of the Portland Paradox User's Group.

No programming is needed. Users simply add a field containing the file name of an associated graphic to each record in their database. The WestLake Imager then enables Paradox to display the record with the associated graphic. Pictures can be scaled to any size and positioned anywhere on the screen. Paging up and down will automatically display new records with associated pictures. Text and graphics are displayed together on the screen. Up to 256 colors are supported as is multiple graphics per screen and on-demand zoom. Both dot matrix printers and laser printers are supported for printing.

"Personnel, products, real estate, inventory, and law enforcement databases all have the need to include pictures," asserts WestLake's Tom Gifford. "A picture REALLY is worth a thousand words in these applications."

The WestLake Imager is priced at $329. Network version and developers version (with no royalty) are priced at $499. Paradox version 3.5 or 4.0 is required. Supported monitors are SVGA, VGA, EGA and Hercules. For more information call WestLake Software in Beaverton, Oregon at 503-520-9118


Travel Forecaster from NASA Langley Research
Business travel planning within an organization is often a time-consuming task. Travel Forecaster from NASA Langley Research Center is a menu-driven, easy-to-use program which plans, forecasts cost, and tracks actual vs. planned cost for business-related travel of a division or branch of an organization and compiles this information into a database to aid the travel planner. The program's ability to handle multiple trip entries makes it a valuable time-saving device.

Travel Forecaster 1.1, inventory number LAR-14826, is a database program for use with Fourth Dimension Runtime 2.1.1. It requires a Macintosh Plus running System 6.0.3 or later, 2Mb of RAM and a hard disk. The standard distribution medium for this package is one 3.5 inch 800K Macintosh format diskette. Program $200; documentation $13.

COSMIC, The University of Georgia

382 East Broad St, Athens, GA 30602-4272

706-542-3265


Intecolor Improves Quality Manufacturing
ATLANTA (July 15, 1992) -- Intecolor Corporation, a leading manufacturer of industrial displays and workstations, announced today it has increased productivity levels and manufacturing yields by more than 15 percent, while reducing its in-process product discrepancies and defects by 10 percent. The company accomplished these improvements through quality assurance programs based on process improvement as part of its program to achieve ISO (International Standards Organization) 9000 registration.

Implemented in October 1991, the new quality assurance programs are called Total Quality Management (TQM). The effort employs process and quality improvement techniques based on Statistical Process Control (SPC). SPC analyzes and tracks process capabilities by examining the external factors that impact final product quality. These factors could include using the wrong materials, material shortages and using incorrect tools.

Intecolor's management and manufacturing staff were the first employees to be trained in TQM. The company is currently in Phase III of the training, which focuses on its engineering and administrative departments.

As a result of the SPC training, Intecolor now uses a four-step process that stimulates employee initiative and involvement. The process includes the following activities:

.  establishing "Quality Productivity Improvement" teams

   that provide first-hand input for improvement.

.  preparing control charts that measure each process and

   its outcome.

.  identifying and segregating problems using the Quality

   Productivity Improvement teams.

.  analyzing and resolving individual quality problems.

According to David Deans, president of Intecolor, the company has implemented the process improvement programs as part of its ongoing effort to achieve ISO 9000 registration. "Not only will ISO 9000 enhance our existing quality system, it also will allow Intecolor to remain competitive in the world market while reducing operating costs," said Deans. "And in today's international marketplace, ISO ratings are clearly a competitive edge." The company expects to receive ISO 9002 registration in April 1993 and ISO 9001 registration later that year.

ISO 9000 is widely embraced in Europe where it grew out of a European Economics Community '92 effort to provide a common set of quality standards. ISO 9000 registration is expected to become a "de facto" prerequisite for doing business in Europe. Other parts of the world, including the U.S., also are rapidly accepting ISO 9000 as a quality standard.

Founded in 1973, Intecolor is a leading manufacturer of human-machine interface systems for the industrial control industry. Its complete line of industrial workstations, monitors and terminals is available in a wide range of enclosures and resolutions.

Intecolor, 2150 Boggs Road, Duluth, GA 30136

(404) 623-9145   Fax: (404) 623-9163


ARCserve 4.0 - Backup/Restore All Network Files
ROSLYN, NEW YORK, June 8, 1992 - - - Cheyenne Software, Inc. (AMEX:CYE), creators of ARCserve, announced today that the company is the first to develop and market a single NctWare storage management application that incorporates the benefits of SMS (Storage Management Services) while maintaining Cheyenne's existing approach to comprehensive storage management and backup. Cheyenne is the only vendor currendy offering one application to provide backup and restore services for: NetWare 2.x, 3.x, and Portable NetWare servers; DOS, Windows, Macintosh, Unix, and OS/2 clients; all name space support provided with NetWare 3.11 including Macintosh, DOS, NFS, OS/2, and FTAM.

Recently named a Novell Co-Devdoper, Cheyenne also reported that an optional software module for ARCserve v4.0, that complics with Novell's SMS specifications, is now available to ARCserve 4.0 users. SMS defines a standard method for backup products to interact with NetWare. This software module will insulate ARCserve users from changes made by Novell in future releases of the NetWare file system. In addition, Cheyenne announced that ARCserve v4.0 has received certification and has been tested and approved NetWare compatible as a Backup System with NetWare v2.2 and v3. 11.

SMS was developed by Novell to provide an opn, standardized architecture that can be employed by third party software developers, such as Cheyenne, that will easily facilitate the process of updating backup applications when Novell releases new versions of NetWare 3.x.

In making the announcement Jim McNiel, Vice President of Business Development for Cheyenne, stated, "SMS has provided Cheyenne with the final element needed to solidify ARCserve's ability to provide complete backup and restore services in a heterogeneous networking environment. Using ARCseNe, a NetWare administrator needs to purchase only one backup software product and one tape, jukebox or optical drive, to obtain automated backup and restore services for virtually all computers connected to the NetWare LAN."

Robert Young, Director of Marketing, NetWare Systems Group, noted, "We are very pleased to continue our working relationship with Cheyenne. Novell's goal with SMS is to simplify the network environment for end-users, especially in the area of backup and restoration of information. Active participation by leading software developrs, such as Cheyenne, is welcome and vital to the success of SMS on an industry-wide basis."

Cheyenne is shipping the optional SMS compliant software module directly to registered users, at a U.S. Iist cost of $ 100.00. In addition to ARCserve's inherent ability to backup DOS and Macintosh name spaces on a 3.11 file server, this software option will enable ARCserve users to backup and restore HPFS, FTAM and NFS name spaces.

Cheyenne recently expanded the capabilities of ARCserve for NetWare 3.1x to include backup and restoration of SCO UNIX System V/386 Release 3.2 and Macintosh workstations on the network. The company now offers Agent Options for Unix and Macintosh workstations to ARCserve users, rounding out ARCserve's support for all major operating systems -available in the PC marketplace. These Agents are available as separate optional packages at a U.S. list cost of $495.00 each per server. ARCserve also currently includes support for DOS, OS/2 and Windows client workstations.

Cheyenne Software, Inc. is a leading developer of sophisticated LAN and business management software products. Cheyenne's Network Products Group develops and markets Monitrix, a complete NetWare management and monitoring solution; ARCserve, the first totally automated backup and restore solution for NetWare networks; ARCserve/Solo, a DOS based backup and restore solution; InocuLAN, a comprehensive enterprise-wide anti-virus program; FAXserve, a high performance, server-based solution for network facsimile services; and Cheyenne Utilities for NetWare (including NetBack), a set of integrated network administration utilities.

Cheyenne Software, 55 Bryant Ave, Roslyn, NY 11576

516-484-5110


Racal-Datacom ALM Series Network Managed Modems
(July 8, 1992) -- Racal-Datacom ALM Series is announced, a new generation of top performing, small sized, fully featured and network managed modems conforming to international standards. The series will include units compatible with the new V.FAST standard being developed by CCITT.

The slim line ALM 3223 modem is a full-featured point-to-point two-wire dial or four-wire leased-line modem conforming to CCITT standards V.21, V.21bis, V.23, V.32, V.32bis, V.33 and Bell 212A/208/ 103, with transmission speeds of up to 14.4 thousand bits per second (Kbps).

The modem will support all modulation schemes. as well as V.42 error correction and V.42bis, MNP-5 Class data compression rates of up to 57.6 Kbps DTE speeds for asynchronous applications. This eliminates performance bottlenecks that frequently occur when running complex applications with slower modems.

Other characteristics of the ALM 3223 include two-wire dial back-up (V.32bis), more powerful processor, LCD display, and up to 50 telephone numbers storage. The ALM 3223 offers both automatic and manual modes of password security to prevent unauthorized user access, Communications Management Series (CMS) network management and a full set of CCITT V.54 diagnostics. The Communications Management Series (CMS) is an integrated group of software applications that provide network management for Racal-Datacom products."

Dimensions are 1 1/4-inch high, 5 3/4-inch wide and 10 inches long.

Unit list price is $1,145 with shipments beginning in July.

V.FAST ALM 3239 AND ALM 3268

The ALM 3239 standalone and ALM 3268 dual density central site card operates in transmission speeds up to 19.2 Kbps in point-to-point two/four wire leased line or dial applications. Designed for high-density central site applications, the ALM 3268 combines two modems on a single card, allowing the user to install up to 32 modems in one RMD 1690 chassis. Each ALM 3268 modem can be controlled independently from the chassis' easy-to-use menu-driven front panel or from the Racal-Datacom CMS network management system.

Both the ALM 3239 and the ALM 3268 will be compatible, if not compliant, with the new CCITT V.FAST standard now being developed with issuance expected next year.

These units have the complete feature set of the ALM 3223 described above plus additional standard features such as Down Line Loading (DLL) capabilities and real-time clock applications. With DLL capabilities, enhancements and upgrades to the unit can be made by software, rather than requiring hardware (firmware) changes. That means fast, worry-free, convenient upgrade and services responses, even at remote sites by means of the RS-232 port of the modem with a disk or file transfer using a telephone line or by the CMS network management system.

Some of the real-time clock applications include allowing the user to disable call-out capabilities during specific times, enabling the modem to provide network management trouble-ticket reports in the event of power failures, and the ability to set the modem in "sleep" mode between specific hours in order to prevent unauthorized use and to conserve power consumption.

List price for the fully featured ALM 3239 is $1,795 with product availability in November. The central site ALM 3268 will list for $3,295 and be available in January.

The ALM Series joins Racal's full line of leased line and dial analog and digital access products.

Racal-Datacom is one of the world's leading independent providers of data communications products, systems and services, with a direct presence or representation in more than 80 nations. The firm offers business solutions for the implementation, management and support of enterprise networks from the desktop through local area networks (LANs) and wide area networks (WANs).

Racal-Datacom reported worldwide fiscal year 1992 revenues of more than $606 million. Parent company Racal Electronics, Plc., is a multinational organization of more than 100 principal companies worldwide with fiscal 1992 sales of more than $2.7 billion.

Racal-Datacom Inc, PO Box 407044, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33340-7044

305-846-3935


Speedbase Application Wins Innovation Award
July 1, 1992 - London, England - Advanced PC Products, Ltd. of Hampshire, England has won the "Most Innovative Application" award given by Comdef, a European VAR organization. The judges chose APCP's Thamesport system designed specifically for Maritime Transport Services in a hotly contested category. Thamesport is the United Kingdom's newest seaport, located on the Thames river outside of London and handles thousands of freight movement transactions per day.

The Thamesport system was written entirely in Speedbase, a fourth generation programming language, while also including direct integration with the Global 3000 line of accounting software (also written in Speedbase). The system controls the entire container handling process, from reception of trucks at the gates, through to loading of the containers onto shipping vessels. Ten 386 and 486 computers are networked via Arcnet, and these computers drive over 200 fixed terminals, numerous swipe card readers, radio data transmitters, port-side data capture units, modems for communications links, remote cameras, printers, and possibly the largest PC peripherals yet seen - eighteen 250-ton robot cranes for stacking and unstacking containers.

The Thamesport system also features comprehensive external communications links, including telex and fax messaging, EDI links to customer's computer systems, plus on-line links to various governmental agencies such as Customs and Excise and the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries. In addition, the system provides links to other overseas ports, banks and insurance companies.

APCP' Managing Director Phil Chapman expressed his delight at receiving the award which was announced at the Comdef '92 Reseller Forum. "The Thamesport project was a real challenge, and I'm pleased that the achievements in the VAR channel are being recognized. I'm also delighted that we chose the Speedbase/Global 3000 route over the other fourth generation languages we considered. Like any other VAR, we need to develop applications rapidly, and we also want to address a variety of platforms. I don't think there's a toolset on the market to beat Speedbase in the reseller environment."

Speedbase 4GL and the Global 3000 line of accounting software products are available in the U.S. from BOS National, Inc. of Dallas, Texas. A special offer is available for Speedbase and the source code versions of the Global accounting products. These are available as a single-user DOS-based development package for $995. A free, full-function demo diskette is available upon request, along with a $99 "Test Drive" version. For more information, contact BOS National, Inc. at 2607 Walnut Hill Lane, Dallas, TX 75229; (214) 956-7722.


Facit RISC-based Continuous Feed Laser Printer
MANCHESTER, N.H., July 13, 1992 -- Facit, Inc. today introduced a new continuous feed laser printer incorporating a straight paper path designed for feeding tractor fed paper and pressure sensitive labels. The new D7160 is ideal for a variety of industrial-grade applications including shipping, warehousing, material handling and packaging. It is one of the few printers on the market that combines the continuous feed paper handling capabilities of impact printers with high quality laser output.

The Facit D7160 features a high-performance 32-bit RISC-based graphics controller, providing fast processing speed to continuously configure and print information "on the fly" at 1,200 lines per minute without slowing down. It delivers 16 pages per minute on continuous, tractor-fed media, independent of text size, bar codes, graphics and variables.

In Image Mode, the QMS Magnum Code V emulation can be used to replace Printronix IGP 11 and 21 line printers. In compressed mode, the unit can handle high volume line printer applications where it is necessary to print documents exceeding the standard 8.5 by 11 inch boundaries by printing one-, two- or four-up pages in a compressed mode. This allows the D7160 to provide exceptional speed at 4,800 lines per minute. Standard IBM ProPrinter Model II emulation is also incorporated.

The Facit D7160 is shipped with Facit Magic Mode for Microsoft Windows software. This powerful Windows-based software can be used to create, print and store a variety of bar code labels. It offers What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) convenience, enabling the operator to view the label on the computer screen exactly as it will be printed. Because the program runs under Microsoft Windows (version 3.0 and higher), it is especially easy to learn and use.

The D7160 can store and print company logos and up to 40 different types of bar codes including Code 39, UPC, Code 128, Codabar, EAN, 2-of-5, Postnet and others. Bar codes and fonts can be rotated in four orientations. Machine readable OCR-A and OCR-B fonts are also available. The D7160 also has automatic incrementing and decrementing number fields.

The straight paper path and tractor feed capabilities provide smooth label feeding, and media from 4.5 inches to 10 inches wide can easily be fed into the printer. Maximum print width is eight inches wide while print length is unlimited.

The D7160 also offers automatic loading, making it simple to set top-of-form. Other features include industry standard command set compatibility, compact design and unlimited forms length.

The Facit D7160 is available in 30 days and is offered at $5,999 suggested list price.

Facit, Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of Facit AB, Sweden, is located in Manchester, N.H. The privately held company manufactures a variety of computer peripheral products including dot matrix, thermal, bar code and laser printers, ruggedized portable PCs and video display terminals; as well as a family of tape punches, readers and magnetic storage devices for the numerical control industry.

FACIT, 400 Commercial St, Manchester, NH 03101-1107

603-647-2700 Fax: 603-647-2724


IHS Acquires Federal Databases Inc
ENGLEWOOD, CO -- July 7, 1992, Michael J. Timbers, President and CEO of IHS Group Inc., today announced the acquisition of Federal Databases Inc., (FD Inc.), a two-year-old company based in Washington, D.C.

The company provides a line of CD-ROM products for the food and drug and health care industries. Products include FDA-On CD-ROM, Medical Devices-On CDROM, and HCFA-On CD-ROM, which consolidate the laws, regulations, manuals, handbooks, policies and procedures relevant to food and drug processing, medical device manufacturing, and Medicare reimbursement.

"This acquisition complements our existing product lines. It not only broadens our offerings to our current customers but also facilitates our entry into new markets,"

Timbers noted. "Specifically, the acquisition of FD Inc. allows IHS to offer a number of new products containing regulatory databases for markets regulated by the Food and Drug Administration and the Health Care Financing Administration."

The new company will become part of the IHS Publications and Regulatory Products Group, headed by J. Edward McEntire, President, and will report to IHS Regulatory Products, headed by Michael McCrory, Vice President. "There is a tremendous amount of regulatory activity in these markets." McCrory stated. "Proposed food labeling laws, pharmaceutical regulation, increased scrutiny of medical devices, and decreases in Medicare reimbursement levels are just some of the compliance issues that must be addressed. We will be taking advantage of IHS's increased product development and distribution capabilities to develop additional products in these areas."

With the inclusion of FD Inc., IHS Group, a worldwide leader in information publishing, now comprises nine information companies which provide a broad spectrum of information and information management services to such diverse markets as banking, engineering, hospitals, library management, health care, pharmaceuticals, and government. In addition to Federal Databases Inc., the IHS Group companies include Information Handling Services, IHS Regulatory Products, CLSI, Global Engineering Documents, D.A.T.A. Business Publishing, IHS Publishing, Continental Healthcare Systems, and, in the United Kingdom, Technical Indexes Ltd.

Information Handling Services Group

Inverness Business Park, 15 Inverness Way East

Englewood, CO 80112

303-790-0600


METALSOFT FabriCAM NC Programming Software
SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA--METALSOFT introduces its all new version of FabriCAM, NC programming software for the 90's. FabriCAM has been completely rewritten because advancements in software technology have rendered programming language of just a few years ago obsolete. With all the new improvements, FabriCAM exemplifies the latest in technological development.

The new features make FabriCAM easier to use and much more time-efficient. State-of-the-art, object-oriented technology was used in conjunction with C++ programming language which provides many benefits. These benefits include faster updates, fewer bugs, easy maintainability and easier transfer of code to operating systems such as Windows, OS/2 and UNIX. Part development and sheet layout are now combined to eliminate unnecessary switching back and forth to edit parts with changes. When one part on the sheet is changed, all identical parts on the same sheet are also changed. Users can also place patterns anywhere on sheets before or after parts are placed on the same sheets.

Dimensioning can now be accomplished in sheet layout whereas it was only possible in part development in prior versions. Sheet layout also provides for part rotation at any angle compared to the standard rectangular rotation of 90 degrees in the past--a feature that's especially useful for laser cutting applications.

Now that the 64OK memory barrier has been overcome, memory limitations are almost non-existent. The number of patterns that can exist on a part or sheet are virtually unlimited. The foundation is also laid for future enhancements as well.

The new FabriCAM is, without a doubt, one of the most important additions to METALSOFT's growing list of products developed to efficiently computerize the sheet metal fabrication shop. METALSOFT has written NC programs for over 200 different punching and cutting machines and will continue to write programs for all new machines to be developed in the future.

Metalsoft Inc, 2130 South Yale St, Santa Ana, CA 92704

714-549-0112


NSA-GRAPH - IBM 3192G Vector Graphics Emulation
LAGUNA HILLS, CA, July 10, 1992 -- Network Software Associates, Inc. (NSA) today announced version 3 .1 of their NSA-GRAPH software package, an IBM 3192G vector graphics emulator for IBM compatible PCs running DOS. NSA-GRAPH runs in conjunction with NSA's 3270/ElitePlus terminal emulator, transforming the PC into a powerful 3270-based workstation for both text and graphical host applications in an IBM Systems Network Architecture (SNA) PC-to-host connectivity environment.

"NSA-GRAPH 3.1 is tightly integrated with our SNA engine," said Russ Hertzberg, NSA's director of product marketing. "As an add-on option for our 3270/ElitePlus emulator, NSAGRAPH 3.1 can support up to two 3192G host graphics sessions."

NSA-GRAPH 3.1 meets the needs of customers who use the host-based Graphical Data Display Manager (GDDM), an IBM program product providing graphical subroutines for mainframe applications. The PC user can retrieve and store host-based graphics screens in the Picture Interchange Format (PIF), which provides for local editing of the host graphics screens on the PC. The graphic images can also be printed locally on a variety of output devices, including laser printers, color printers and plotters.

The enhanced graphics emulator supports both 25 by 80 mode screens (IBM 3278 model 2 emulation) as well as 33 by 80 mode screens (IBM 3278 model 3 emulation).

NSA-GRAPH 3.1 runs on the PC together with NSA's 3270/ElitePlus terminal emulator. 3270/ElitePlus is a low-memory IBM 3278 DFT emulator supporting DSC and SCS printers, five concurrent SNA Logical Units (LUs), multiple APIs (EHLLAPI, EEHLLAPI, PS/API, plus HLLAPI concurrency), DOS hot-key, print-to-disk, keyboard remapping, and automatic video adapter detection.

NSA-GRAPH 3.1 uses 370K memory for one session with graphics. Memory usage is only 114K when running with graphics enabled but unloaded.

Running together, NSA-GRAPH 3.1 and 3270/ElitePlus can communicate with the host over a wide range of standalone and LAN connections, including coax/DFT, SDLC, AutoSync, async, X.25, NetBIOS, NetWare IPX/SPX, and IEEE 802.2.

3270/ElitePlus is priced at $395, or $1,295 for a LAN network license. The NSA-GRAPH version 3 .1 option is priced at $295 for individual PCs, or $ 1,195 for a LAN network license. Corporate-wide licenses are also available.

Network Software Associates, founded in 1980, develops, markets and supports a wide range of PC software and hardware connectivity products for IBM networking environments. The company is headquartered at 39 Argonaut, Laguna Hills, CA 92656. Phone: (714) 7684013 or (800) 352- 3270. NSA's Federal Systems Division can be reached at: (703) 875-0444. # # #


Volk Clip Art Intros Electronic Clip Art Service
Washington, IL, The first subscription electronic clip art service to be organized in a simple but effective manual filing system will be introduced to Macintosh and PC users this September by Volk Clip Art.

Volk Clip Art EF (Electronic Format), retains the organizational advantages of the traditional Volk Clip Art product and its self-indexing system, while adding the versatility of having the same art on disks. Illustrations are packaged and stored under alphabetized subject titles in a compact file box. Users can look at printed pictorial index cards, quickly access the appropriate disk and have top quality art ready to use electronically.

A revolutionary advantage of the Volk Clip Art filing system is that with a combination subscription both electronic and hard copy versions of the same art can be filed together right on a work surface next to a computer, using the one-foot square Artfile box, which is provided to every subscriber. In addition, the user has the advantage of being able to view, in detail, many illustrations at once on the clearly-printed pictorial index cards, rather than viewing them one at a time in rough bitmap form as with current electronic indexing systems.

Volk's unique modular art library concept has resulted in the most efficient and cost-effective high quality clip art product available. Contemporary illustrations and designs in a variety of popular styles and techniques are cataloged under more than 50 subject categories. The compact, easy-to-use format has made Volk Clip Art a popular and important illustration resource for over 40 years.

Buyers may purchase the electronic, the traditional or a combination of both services. Users of the combination hard copy and electronic Volk Clip Art service will be able to use electronic images; clip, copy or shoot hard cow images; or use electronic images for position only and substitute their own high quality camera prints before going to press.

Volk Clip Art EF will also include monthly issues of Office Board, an information and idea magazine. The magazine will be expanded to 16 pages from the current 12, in September of 1992. This will accommodate the informational needs of designers working in both traditional and electronic formats.

Subscribers to Volk Clip Art EF will receive complete and easy-to-understand documentation, decompression software and the Volk Artfile with their first shipment. Each monthly issue of Volk Clip Art EF will contain an average of over 70 illustrations on approximately 10 disks, divided into four subject category sets. The disks are packed in pocket sleeves for alphabetical filing with the corresponding 8 by 5 inch printed pictorial index cards. Disks will be available in 800K for Macintosh users and in 3.5 inch or 5.25 inch high-density disks for PC users. Some art files are TIFF images and some files are EPS images. All files are compressed for compact storage.

The new electronic service sells for $44.50 alone or for $54.40 in combination with the traditional Volk Clip Art service. Both prices include shipping Volk Clip Art EF is available by phoning 1800-227-7048, faxing 309-688-5873 or writing to Volk Clip Art, P.O. Box 347, Washington, IL 61571-0347


PC EXPO New York Surpasses Attendance Records
(Fort Lee, NJ, July 9) -- The Tenth Annual PC EXPO in New York, the computer industry's premier show for corporate volume buyers and resellers, celebrated a decade of excellence by setting records for number of exhibitors and attendees.

PC EXPO in New York, which was held June 23-25 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, boasted 735 exhibitors of computer hardware, software and services and 81,464 attendees.

PC EXPO in New York affirmed its reputation as the premier forum for new technology. The PC EXPO product spotlight focused on smaller portables, pen-based PCs, multimedia, desktop publishing, graphical systems providing ease-of-use, and sharp price cuts in a competitive PC marketplace.

Companies making product announcements at PC EXPO included: Acer, Adobe, Aldus, Apple, Borland, Compaq, Core International, Digital Equipment Corporation, Everex, Epson, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Intel, Logitech, Lotus, Micrografx, Microsoft, NCR, Sharp, Sony, SunSoft, Symantec, Toshiba, WordPerfect, Zenith Data Systems, and hundreds of other companies.

For the first time, PC EXPO attendees accessed an official show network, ShowNet, designed, installed and maintained by Lante Corporation, a Chicago-based systems integration firm.

In a unique Presidential election poll, more than 1,500 PC EXPO attendees cast their votes electronically on ShowNet, with 42 percent selecting Ross Perot, 28 percent favoring Bill Clinton, 17 percent favoring President George Bush, and 19 percent selecting "other." Attendees also obtained on-line information on PC EXPO exhibitors, products and special events, plus sent E-mail messages to other attendees and around the world .

PC EXPO opened Tuesday with a keynote address by Gilbert P. Williamson, chairman and CEO of NCR Corporation, describing his vision of, "The Revolution in Information Technology; Its Implications for Business in the 90s"

The first PC EXPO plenary addresses were delivered by Leland Reiswig of IBM Corporation presenting, "OS/2 Strategy Briefing -- OS/2 Live," on June 24, followed by Fernand Sarrat of IBM exploring "OS/2 -- The Next Dimension." Microsoft Corporation also presented daily Windows Technical Workshops.

This year, PC EXPO featured the largest conference program ever, with 70 seminar sessions, including an expanded Windows conference track with nine sessions. Six PC EXPO Tutorials -- intensive, all-day sessions, were held on Monday, June 22.

In 1993, PC EXPO in New York will take place June 29, 30 - July 1, again returning to the Javits Center.

PC EXPO in New York is produced by Bruno Blenheim Inc., a part of Blenheim Group PLC, the worldwide producer of conferences and exhibitions with 250 events. The firm also produces PC EXPO in Chicago, NetWorld Dallas, NetWorld Boston, NetWorld Europe (in Frankfurt, Germany) and UNIX EXPO.


NEC Announces FREE One Year On-Site Service
Boxborough, Mass., July 6, 1992-- Further demonstrating its commitment to quality and service in desktop computers, NEC Technologies, Inc. has announced a one-year on-site limited warranty on all NEC PowerMate Image, Express, and C Series of desktop computers purchased after June 1, 1992.

"NEC's free on-site limited warranty gives our customers the high level of service and value they have come to expect from our products," commented Basil Bennett, vice president of NEC Customer Service and Support. "By providing free one-year on-site service, we have added even greater value to our already impressive line of desktop computers."

NEC's limited on-site warranty is valid in the United States and Canada and covers all internal NEC-manufactured components purchased at the same time as an NEC desktop. NEC MultiSync 4D, 5D, and FG Series of monitors purchased with an NEC base unit will also be covered under the warranty.

To receive on-site repair service, customers must contact one of NEC's 200+ TotalService Preferred Dealers or an NEC authorized third-party maintenance company. The warranty is valid within 50 miles of any NECTECH TotalService Preferred Site. For customers far removed from a service site, there is a one-time upcharge of $59 for customers between 51- 75 miles away, and $69 for customers between 76 -100 miles from an NEC TotalService Center.

To place a service call and find the location of the nearest TotalService Site, customers can call NEC's National Service Response Center at 1-800-388-8888. The Center's operating hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday (excluding local and national holidays).

NEC Technologies, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of computers and peripherals for the North American market. Product lines include award-winning ProSpeed laptop computers, UltraLite notebook computers, MultiSync monitors, Silentwriter and Colormate printers, PowerMate Image and Express systems products, and InterSect CD-ROM hardware. NEC Technologies, Inc. is a subsidiary of NEC Corporation.


Sitka 10NET 5.0 Network Swr in Foreign Languages
Alameda, Calif., July 13, 1992 -- Sitka Corporation announced today availability of its 10NET 5.0 network software in French, Italian, German, and Spanish language versions. 10NET 5.0, the leading peer-to-peer network operating system for DOS and Windows environments, and other Sitka products are now available from over thirty distributors throughout Europe.

"Because Sitka's 10NET is compatible with most industry network standards and can be used in five local languages, our European customers now have more flexibility and choice when they configure their networks." said Mark Lettin, Sitka's European sales manger. "Sitka's 10NET also offers our customers an affordable, mature and easy-to-use network solution that has the most advanced security features of any DOS and Windows peer-to-peer network."

Sitka, which built a strong international presence by providing its SitkaTOPS line of cross-platform networking products in seven languages, plans to introduce a Japanese language version of 10NET in the third quarter of 1992.

Sitka's European customers and the combined 10NET and SitkaTOPS installed base of over 1,300,000 nodes will have an easy migration path to the next generation of Sitka's networking technology, OpenTOPS. OpenTOPS combines the DOS and Windows capabilities of 10NET with the cross-platform features of MacTOPS, DosTOPS, SunTOPS and PenTOPS products, providing the ease-of-use and low-cost of peer networking plus operating system, platform and protocol independence.

Pricing and Availability

English, French, Italian, German and Spanish language versions of 10NET 5.0 are immediately available through Sitka and its distributors. For pricing and other information, contact Sitka Corporation headquarters at 1 (800) 445-8677 or the Sitka European office at +44 (0) 276-51440.

Sitka Corporation, a Sun Microsystems, Inc.-owned business, was founded in 1984 and pioneered the market for cross-platform, peer-to-peer networking products. The company markets 10NET, MacTOPS, DosTOPS, SunTOPS, PenCentral and PenTOPS software to connect different hardware platforms and operating systems into a single network. Headquartered in Alameda, Calif., Sitka products are available in 7 languages and 42 countries worldwide.

Sitka, 950 Marina Village Parkway, Alameda, CA 94501

510-769-9669


GNU C Compiler Support Packages Available
HUNDRED ACRE CONSULTING ANNOUNCES AVAILABILITY OF GNU C COMPILER SUPPORT PACKAGES

July 10, 1992 -- Hundred Acre Consulting announces the availability of the GNU C compiler, provided in a ready to run, easy to install package, and including telephone and Email support. The package includes the following items:

.  The language dialects GNU CC, GNU C++ and GNU

   Objective C. The GNU debugger, GDB, is also included

   with the native configurations.

.  Two configurations - native and cross code generation.

.  Complete ANSI C library, suitable for use in embedded

   systems, with hooks for supplying the OS functions the

   library requires.

.  Complete source code.

.  A printed copy of the documentation. The package also

   includes the documentation in Postscript form.

The support package provides one year of Email and telephone support, including patches to fix bugs. Also available is access to new releases of the package electronically via UUCP, or on magnetic media for a duplication fee.

The compiler package is available on a number of host platforms, in both native and cross compiler configurations. Here is a list of the platforms currently supported:

Hardware      Operating System

---------     ----------------------

386 PC/AT     MSDOS 3.3

386 PC/AT     OS/2 2.0

386 PC/AT     Interactive UNIX v2.2

Sun 3         SunOS 4.1

Sun 4         SunOS 4.1.1

MicroVAX      Ultrix 4.1

DG Aviion     DG/UX 4.32

Cross compiler configurations for the following processors are currently supported:

   All Motorola 680x0 processors, including 68340.

   Motorola 88000.

   Intel 386/486, i860 and i960.

   VAX.

   Sparc.

Packages for several additional targets are currently under development; call for details.

The GNU C support package is priced at $495 on all host platforms.

Hundred Acre Consulting honors the terms of the GNU General Public License, Version. Selling support packages in the manner of traditional commercial software is the method we use to charge fees for our support services. Redistribution of the contents of the media we provide is allowed. Five percent of the support fee is donated to the Free Software Foundation for all UNIX hosted packages, and to DJ Delorie for all MS-DOS hosted packages.

Hundred Acre Consulting, 1280 Terminal Way, Suite 26, Reno, NV 89502-3243

702-329-9333


Computer Conversions #1 Data Recovery Resource
(July 14, 1992) -- Three of the industry's largest producers of tape backup systems - Emerald Systems, Everex Tape Products and Mountain Networks - have agreed separately to refer their customers who suffer catastrophic damage to their backup tapes to one company: Computer Conversions, Inc. of San Diego, California.

"It's a real honor to be selected by these three manufacturers," says Lee Tydlaska, president of Computer Conversions, "because it's only through their willingness to reveal the technical 'secrets' of their backup systems that we're able to provide this service."

Lee T. (as he is known throughout the industry) has spent many years rescuing data from damaged backups on nearly every type of machine and operating system. He has written numerous articles on the subject, and is in demand as a speaker and a consultant to companies and professional organizations nationwide. Over the years, some of the industry's most accomplished data recovery experts have joined Lee T.'s staff at Computer Conversions.

"Sooner or later, everyone experiences a data loss," Lee T. says. "It's no big deal, unless you discover that your backups are corrupted. That's when companies start getting desperate. Fortunately, even badly corrupted backups don't necessarily mean catastrophic data loss. You still have some options."

Computer Conversions' reputation for saving companies in this predicament brought it to the attention of the major tape backup manufacturers. When companies discover a corrupted backup, the first call they make is often to the manufacturer. And while all manufacturers offer some level of technical support, they usually don't handle the complex, delicate on-site work necessary to rescue corrupted data. Thus, Computer Conversions is an ideal resource when such situations arise.

Computer Conversions' data recovery expertise extends far beyond the products made by Emerald, Everex and Mountain Networks. Lee T. is available both as a technical expert for recovering damaged data, and as a resource for information or interviews on the subject.

Computer Conversions

9580 Black Mountain Rd, Suite J, San Diego, CA, 92126

619-693-1697


VIGA Window Video-in-a-Window Controller
July 1992 -- Visionetics International Corporation (Visionetics) introduces VIGA Window, a realtime, true color image capture and display card designed for the IBM PC and compatible. This video-in-a-window controller is ideal for use in the creation of multimedia presentations, CDROM based animations, and corporate broadcasting system, etc.

VIGA Window is fully Microsoft Windows 3.x compatible, and is an add-on card designed to allow a PC to have video capture and display capabilities. It captures images from analog sources such as video-cassette recorders, laser disc players, and camcorders in real-time, at one thirtieth of a second per frame. Users can manipulate, edit, store and retrieve the captured images. VIGA Window combines the VGA graphics display with the full color video-in-a-window, and output to a VGA or multisync monitor, at resolutions up to 1024 x 512 pixels. Users can use the color key approach to perform the overlay.

The key feature of the VIGA Window board is its ability to accept three independent video sources, including NTSC, PAL, Composite or S-Video. Users can utilize the same board in countries with different broadcasting formats by selecting any of the three input jacks. This cost saving feature enables Visionetics to price its VIGA Window board very competitively.

The ability to perform scalable and multiple live video windows makes VIGA Window a very unique board. The video-in-a-window display is fully scalable from full screen to an icon in the display's comer. You can also move the window to different positions on the screen. In addition, users can also open another window within the window to capture another live image. This creates a picture within a picture effect. You can open up to three live video windows at one time. Users can either use the software to control the capturing of three live video images, or, installing three VIGA Window cards in a system.

Visionetics will ship VIGA Window in July 1992, at a list price of $695.00. Each VIGA Window board comes with a full one year warranty. Interested parties please contact Visionetics at (310) 316-7940 or fax to (310) 316-7457.

Visionetics International Corporation was formed in 1983. It is the first manufacturer of microcomputer-based imaging products in Taiwan. It's mission is to design products that will link the worlds of video and digital computer.

Visionetics International

21311 Hawthorne Blvd, Suite 235, Torrance, CA 90503

310-316-7940


PRODIGY Rebel Space Multiplayer Strategy Game
WHITE PLAINS, NY, June 29, 1992--The PRODIGY service extends into another galaxy with Rebel Space, a new Custom Choice available beginning today. Rebel Space turns players into intergalactic explorers in the future whose mission is to open up new regions of the galaxy for an all-powerful Empire. A multiplayer strategy game with dramatic graphics, Rebel Space allows players to compete against up to 49 other players connected through the PRODIGY service.

Rebel Space is a challenging, yet easy-to-learn game for science fiction fans of all ages, and is based on themes of exploration, conquest, colonization and combat. At the start of the game, all players are in the service of the Empire--a tottering, but still powerful entity that has just opened up a new region of space for colonization. After a few turns, it becomes apparent that the Empire is breaking apart and players must make important decisions to secure an advantage over competitors and gain control of an interstellar empire.

Players have four ships at their command and choose from a combination of modules to enhance each ship's capabilities. Modules include engines, scanners, lasers, shields and environmods, which increase the rate at which the environment on a planet advances. On each turn, players make fleet navigation, shipbuilding and diplomacy decisions. Players move their ships by entering simple compass directions or by using special Jump points to travel great distances. They also have the option of joining alliances with other players (Environmentalist, Militarist or Scientist), or "going rogue." Players receive points for colonizing planets, improving them environmentally or socially, establishing trade routes between three or more adjacent planets and building starbases.

Rebel Space is a Custom Choice for the PRODIGY service and is priced at $24.95 for a 25-turn game, with each player having the option of taking two, three or five turns a week. A turn consists of a player making moves through the PRODIGY service and receiving results via standard PRODIGY electronic mail. After each turn, players receive a complete status report and narrative describing the environmental and societal advances of the players' planets since the past turn.

To sign up for the game, PRODIGY service members [JUMP]: rebel space. Players have the option of playing a game with their friends, or letting Prodigy place them in the next available game. Players can visit the Stargate Cafe, a bulletin board for members to meet, form games, share strategies and stories. Also when they sign up, players receive an instruction book, and can earn promotions in rank within the game as they play more games. Beyond Software, an entertainment software developer based in San Rafael, California, created Rebel Space and offers a customer service/help center online.

PRODIGY Service Start-up Kits are available in more than 15,000 stores around the country. Prodigy maintains a special toll-free number to locate dealers: 1-800PRODIGY.

The PRODIGY service is America's most-used online network with more than one and a half million members. It enables families with personal computers to select a broad range of information, education and entertainment; to save time and money on bill paying, securities trading, travel ticketing and shopping; to send letters to Congress; and to exchange personal messages from homes and offices. Each household connects to this network through its regular telephone line attached to a home computer with a modem.


Adobe Systems & Hayden Establish Adobe Press
June 8, 1992 -- Mountain View, California -- Adobe Systems Incorporated today announced that it has signed an agreement with Hayden, an imprint of Prentice Hall Computer Publishing, to create Adobe Press, a joint book-publishing venture. Adobe and Hayden will work together to develop and distribute high-quality books in both traditional paper format and electronic format.

Topics for the books include graphic arts, Adobe computer applications, and advanced technologies. The books will also encompass the role, function, and art of typography, as well as how best to use Adobe's technology in the graphic arts and printing industry.

"We believe combining Adobe's knowledge of computer science, computer graphics, and typography with Hayden's knowledge of book production, marketing, and distribution will create 8 very successful book publishing venture," said Clinton Nagy, Adobe's vice president, Communications Products Division. "We look forward to working with Hayden on producing quality books and exploring new formats in publishing."

"The goal of Adobe Press is to publish books that contain practical information and whose design, typography, and materials make them a pleasure to own," said Mike Britton, publisher of Hayden and of Adobe Press. "We are excited about this venture and believe that Adobe Press will offer books that will appeal to a wide variety of computer users."

Hayden and Adobe will collaborate on Adobe Press books with technical guidance from Adobe engineers, designers, art directors, and typographers. They will be published and distributed by Hayden.

Adobe Press will begin publishing books in the summer of 1992. Design Essentials, with Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop, the first title in the Professional Studio Techniques series, is expected to be the first book available.

Books from Adobe Press will be available through Prentice Hall Computer Publishing's distribution channels, including bookstores throughout the country, as well as through direct mail. Foreign language translations will be available in select markets in Europe and the Pacific Rim. All books will be published simultaneously in the United States and Canada.

Hayden, who published books for computer users of all experience levels, is an imprint of Prentice Hall Computer Publishing and is headquartered in Cannel, Indiana Prentice Hall Computer Publishing is a division of Simon and Schuster, which is a division of Paramount Communications.

Adobe Systems Incorporated, founded in 1982, is headquartered in Mountain View, California Adobe develops, markets, and supports computer software products and technologies that enable users to create, display, print, and communicate electronic documents. The company licenses its technology to major computer and publishing suppliers, and markets a line of type and application software products. Revenue for 1991 exceeded $229 million.

Simon & Schuster Business and Professional Group

11711 North College Ave, Carmel, IN 46032-5634

317-573-2500


Medlin Accounting Shareware Industry Award
July 15, 1992 -- Jerry Medlin, of Medlin Accounting Shareware, has been awarded the Best Business and Finance Software award for 1992, by the Shareware Industry Association.

The Shareware Industry Association was created to honor the finest shareware programs and their authors. Awards were presented in 13 categories at an awards banquet in Indianapolis, Indiana in June. The banquet was held in conjunction with the Summer Shareware Seminar.

Jerry is the author of five accounting programs designed for small to medium size businesses. His programs are recommended in Dr. File Finder's Guide to Shareware, and are used in Microcomputer Applications in Accounting, a college text for teaching computer accounting. The programs have received rave reviews in many magazines and professional publications including The Quantum PC Report for CPA's, Shareware Magazine, and Computer Shopper. Over 20,000 copies of Medlin Accounting Shareware have been sold worldwide.

Jerry is an active member of the Association of Shareware Professionals, and has been involved in the shareware industry since 1984. All of Jerry's programs operate on the principle that an accounting program should avoid computer terminology, needless restrictions on the user, and glacial operating speeds. With his programs, simplicity is the key.

Medlin Accounting Shareware, 1461 SPROUL AVE, NAPA, CA 94559

707-255-4475    FAX 707-255-9266


Random House Encyclopedia Bundled with Macintosh
PITTSFORD, NY, July 15, 1992 - Microlytics, Inc. announced today that Apple Computer will be bundling The Random House Encyclopedia, Microlytics' best-selling electronic encyclopedia, on Macintosh computers shipped to the higher education market through campus resellers during the back-to-school season.

The Random House Encyclopedia is the only electronic encyclopedia on the market which does not require a CD-ROM device. Apple will be electronically transferring the Encyclopedia directly to the hard disk, prior to shipment. The Encyclopedia allows users to look up information on virtually any subject, without having to know which entry to look in. It greatly improves the utility of information over print, and can be used by students to enhance the use of printed encyclopedias. For example, if a student cannot remember the name of the philosopher of ancient Athens who carried a lantern around at midday, searching for an honest man, they can search for "honest" and "man," or "philosopher" and "lantern," etc., and find "Diogenes" in seconds.

If you can't remember who said "Eureka," enter it, and you are instantly informed that it was Archimedes, sitting in his bathtub, who first discerned the principles of water displacement, and rose from the tub and ran through the street, yelling "Eureka!" having forgotten to dress, and earning his place in history. The entry for the town in Kansas is also revealed. Entering "baseball" finds not only baseball, but 67 entries relating to baseball, including "Hank Aaron," "Grover Cleveland," and even "amyotrophic lateral sclerosis," better known as "Lou Gehrig's disease."

By having this tremendous power, students and teachers have access to information at their fingertips, while they are composing papers, tests, or just browsing. The indexes of large printed encyclopedias do not allow this degree of cross reference and look up assistance. The Random House Electronic Encyclopedia can help students master the art of cross referencing and help tackle multi-volume printed encyclopedias found in homes and libraries.

"Research done at Bell Laboratories in the 1980's demonstrated that a printed index would have to be as large, or larger, than the printed information being indexed, in order to provide the powerful cross reference and concordance capability offered automatically and seamlessly in an electronic index. This is impractical in printed form, and would be both daunting and expensive," explained Mike Weiner, president of Microlytics.

The powerful cross referencing and indexing capability used in the Microlytics software program was originally developed at the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center, which developed a search utility called "Word Nerd" to provide automatic electronic information retrieval like that found in The Random House Encyclopedia. Microlytics holds the exclusive license to this powerful technology, and uses it in both its own products, and in products it develops for software publishers and information providers, on an OEM basis.

Microlytics has sold over 140,000 copies of The Random House Encyclopedia, making it by far the best-selling electronic Encyclopedia on the market, and one of the best-selling electronic books ever published. "With the potentially large market commanded by Apple, there should be many more licensed Random House Encyclopedia users before year end," Weiner predicted.

The Company also publishes the Word Finder thesaurus, Strunk and White's Elements of Style, The Berlitz Interpreter and GOfer, a text retrieval utility.

Microlytics has an ongoing development relationship with Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC), and has developed several proprietary technologies, including high compression text software, working with the renowned research facility. Microlytics is a subsidiary of SelecTronics which is 38%-owned by Xerox Corporation.

Microlytics, Two Tobey Village Office Park, Pittsford, NY 14534

716-248-9150


Computer Dynamics SBC-486 Single Board Computer
July 13, 1992 -- Greer. SC . . . Computer Dynamics announces the introduction of the SBC-486. a compact, 100% PC-compatible single board computer which offers 486-class performance. flash memory capability. and an advanced video controller. The board's 25 MHz Cx486SLC processor executes the 486SX instruction set and all operating systems designed for it. including DOS and Windows. The processor incorporates an on-chip one kbyte cache. which helps it perform more than twice as fast as a 386SX at the same clock frequency. This high-performance computing is required by processor and graphics intensive applications.

In addition to the full complement of standard PC functions. the SBC-486 provides up to 768k of flash ROM. Flash memory gives you the ability to erase and reprogram without removing the device from the board. making program changes for embedded applications very simple. Alternatively. the SBC-486 has up to 1.5M of on-board ROM/RAM disk for fixed program storage. This semiconductor disk ensures quick boot up and reliable operation in the most demanding environments. The board also includes up to 16M of DRAM.

The SBC-486's on-board video controller directly drives CRTs and flat panel displays. It will drive 256 simultaneous colors on active matrix TFT or passive matrix color LCDs. It can also drive both 640x480 and 640x400 El displays. and provides 16 distinct gray levels on monochrome LCDs.

Other board features include its small size (5.75" x 7.75"). low 7W power consumption, hard and floppy disk controllers, a battery-backed real-time clock, and SBX interface, and a math co-processor socket.

The SBC-486's software support makes it especially easy to use in embedded applications. Computer Dynamics proprietary ROMing software easily takes your application code from your DOS development environment to semiconductor disk, allowing you to eliminate disk drives.

The SBC-486 is priced from $936 in OEM quantities. Delivery is stock to 30 days. For more information contact Computer Dynamics, 107 S. Main St., Greer, SC 29650. Phone 803-877-8700, FAX 803-879-2030.


Surface Mount Key Technology For Future
San Jose, CA - July 20, 1992 - The Surface Mount International Conference and Exhibition, which will take place here August 31-September 3, is focused solely on surface mount technology (SMT). Martin Barton, conference director, calls SMT "The glue that binds the entire electronics industry. Its significance reaches every household and business in America, and most every one in the world."

Barton pointed out that the show is the only one in the world dedicated only to SMT, focusing on technical, professional and managerial growth. "We've structured the show to keep electronics manufacturers abreast of issues, technologies and provide real tools to help them survive, improve and grow in these economically troubled times," he said.

"The show is unique in that most of the issue-oriented keynote, forums and sessions are free, in addition to a full technical and educational program for paying attendees. "The show is highly technical, but its implications will affect our lives through the end of the century, They impact producers and consumers both, in ways that are broad, diverse and profound."

SMT is the methodology that takes ever-smaller integrated circuits and puts them into tiny packages for mounting on the surface of a printed circuit board, rather than on leads that extend through the board, called through-hole technology.

"SMT allows components to be much, much smaller, which means that printed circuit boards can be much smaller, which makes the final product much smaller. We are already awed by what kind of functions can be contained in tiny packages. Well, I'm telling you that 'you ain't seen nothing yet!' As SMT also demands automation of electronic assemblies, the combination of size reduction and enormous volumes means lower prices, which means more and more electronics are within reach of the most modest pocket book.

"From a business standpoint, SMT makes for a level playing ground. Everyone must buy the same equipment, and since SMT is ideal for automation, the added labor content is very small, which keeps costs low."

Barton addressed the increasing consumer awareness and sophistication regarding quality. "Automation, when combined with high quality at the Baldrige Award level, or six sigma, means more of what we have come to expect when we buy TVs, cameras, VCRs, cellular phones, not to speak of personal computers and all their peripherals: smaller and smaller products at lower prices with higher and higher quality. This is the perfect product --and it's only possible due to SMT!"

APPLICATIONS - HOMES, BUSINESSES AND EVERYTHING ELSE

Between now and the end of the decade, SMT will penetrate virtually every aspect of electronics. This will range from computers whose user-friendliness will only become possible through greater integration and smaller sized components, including the greater usage of software on silicon, as the more user friendly, the more software required.

Automobiles will be greatly affected, with more reliance on self-diagnostic and self-repair capability using redundant circuits, made possible only through SMT. Monitoring devices will check tire pressure, tire balance and vehicle temperatures. Navigation and communication devices will be built into vehicles, including faxes, cellular phones, and databases reflecting the car and owner needs preferences.

Telecommunications is the world's largest industry and the largest user of electronics. The enormous potential for SMT will be fully realized when newer switching circuitry will utilize SMT with regard to cost and reliability, not to speak of functionality. Videophones, now bulky and very expensive, will be part of business and home usage by the end of the 90's. These national and international communication networks, linked via satellites (themselves with vastly increased functionality and reliability), will revolutionize global communications.

The home will perhaps benefit the most from this revolution. Consumers, already dazzled by modern VCRs, cameras, phones and audio systems, will have greater choices in the future with respect to type, size and functionality. SMT will allow the home to be truly "electronic," from the interconnection of all systems - video, audio, security, appliances, telephones, lighting and environment - into small, easy to use inexpensive packages.

PROJECTED GROWTH OF SMT USAGE

The Institute for Interconnecting and Packaging Electronic Circuits (IPC), says that based on a recent survey of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), that almost 50% of the product dollar value was based on SMT. It points the way to the future when surface mount could be the only interconnect technology, and its impact upon size and product cost will be even greater. Already, IPC says, 61% of the dollar value of all printed wiring boards (PWBs) produced by independent manufactures were for surface mount applications.

The history of growth in surface mount applications shows that in 198617% of all PWBs had SMT applications compared to 70% in 1992. Independent assembly companies also reflect the dramatic increase in SMT assembly: with nearly 60% of their production devoted to SMT in 1991.

The economic impact cannot be underestimated, as this affects all existing and future electronics products. All consumer, computer, equipment, avionics, telecommunication, audio and video products are impacted. Undreamed of products, now nascent, such as Apple's Newton personal organizer, cannot exist without SMT.

For new products, the greater the integration of function onto smaller and smaller chips, means a greater number of leads to connect to the PWB. These high lead count devices can only be built using surface mount techniques, which is where the semiconductor industry is leading. For example, a paper on a 1024-lead device (!) will be delivered at the Surface Mount International Conference.

The rule for greater device size reductions is that the more integrated the device in terms of function, the lower the cost. For example, Intel has announced its next generation of microprocessors - again, greater functionality at decreasing cost. The result is more than a 100:1 change in the size of the early 286 device.

Intel microprocessor integration

   Device   No. of transistors   Year

   ------   ------------------   ----

     286      130,000            1988

     386      500,000            1990

     486      1.2 million        1991

     586      3   million        1993

     686      7   million        1994

     786      20  million        1996

This implosive size decrease will be reflected in SMT devices, traditionally half the size of conventional components. This is expected to fuel developments of new applications now only dreamed of, from mainframe-sized computers in credit card-sized packages to integrated home and business electronic centers in packages the size of a deck of cards.

SURFACE MOUNT INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION

The Surface Mount International Conference and Exhibition is the largest event in the world dedicated solely to surface mount and related technologies. The show is focused on being the primary contact for engineers and engineering managers for education, technical data, new products and information relating to surface mount and associated advanced interconnect technologies.

The theme of the second annual show is "Your Passport to Excellence," which points to the twin motifs of quality and competition. The two are inextricably linked to excellence, not only by the demands of the world economy, but also proven in practice by this year's three winners of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, all members of the electronics industry (Marlow Industries, Solectron Corp,, and Zytec Corp.).

Surface Mount International has the only technical conference jointly developed by the industry's leading trade associations, all non-profit organizations. These are the Electronic Industries Association (EIA), Institute for Interconnecting and Packaging Electronic Circuits (IPC), and the Surface Mount Technology Association (SMTA), along with the trade show division of Miller Freeman, Inc. This partnership ensures an unparalleled conference program dedicated to education, training and information on every aspect of SMT, from basic- to cutting-edge technology.

Surface Mount International takes place yearly in San Jose, California, the nation's "Silicon Valley," the nation's most vital high technology area. The area's pre-eminence is based on the number of seminal markets, key people, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and thriving companies, most of them involved with, employing or deriving benefits from surface mount technology as users or manufacturers.

The first Surface Mount International took place last year in San Jose to positive reviews, attracting over 5,500 people from 30 countries. At the show, over 412 booths displayed SMT products and equipment, and over 1050 professionals attended the technical conference. This year the show is much larger, with 550 exhibits, and expected attendance of 8,000, with 1500 attending the technical conference.


Mitsubishi & Sony Technology Sharing Agreement
CYPRESS, Calif, July 13, 1992 -- Mitsubishi Electronics America, Inc. today announced that its parent company, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (Tokyo), will begin manufacturing Aperture-Grille cathode-ray tubes (CRT) incorporating Trinitron technology acquired in an agreement with Sony Corporation.

With the agreement, Mitsubishi Electric will become the first company to acquire Sony's patents for the Trinitron design and manufacture CRTs based on this technology. Mitsubishi Electric will incorporate the CRTs into its own brand-name display monitors and original equipment manufacturer (OEM) display monitors. The company also may sell the CRTs as component parts.

Mitsubishi Electric currently is one of the world's leading suppliers of Shadow-Mask CRTs, a technology used by all other CRT manufacturers. The company will continue to manufacture Shadow-Mask CRTs in addition to the Aperture-Grille format. The new Mitsubishi CRTs will blend technology from the Aperture-Grille design with technological innovations developed for Mitsubishi's Shadow-Mask CRTs.

"Combining the best CRT technologies will enable Mitsubishi Electric to create a truly unique and superior product," said Yoshihiko Shimonaga, executive vice president for Mitsubishi Electronics America Inc.'s Information Systems Division. "By offering the two most popular CRT formats to our customers we will continue to maintain our leadership position," he added.

To accommodate production of the CRTs, Mitsubishi Electric will invest $11.5 million in its Kyoto Works manufacturing facility in Japan. Production is scheduled to begin later this year and will reach a projected capacity of 500,000 units annually by 1994 or 1995.

Mitsubishi Electronics America, Inc. (MELA) markets an extensive line of consumer, commercial and industrial electronics products for a wide variety of applications. With 1,300 employees in 30 locations nationwide, MELA is the largest subsidiary of holding company Mitsubishi Electric America, Inc., whose member companies are committed to enhancing people's lives through the manufacturing and marketing of advanced high-quality products and services.

Mitsubishi Electronics America Inc

Information Systems Division

5665 Plaza Dr, PO Box 6007

Cypress, CA 90630-0007

714-220-2500


Gupta Client-Server At Work Conference, Aug 2-5
Menlo Park, Calif., July 9, 1992 -- "Client-Server At Work" is the theme of Gupta Technologies' Third International Developer's Conference, to be held August 2-5, 1992 in San Francisco. The Conference will emphasize real-world client-server applications in use by Gupta customers, such as CB Commercial, Mazda, A.C. Nielsen and others.

"For Gupta customers, client-server is a solution for today, not a technology for future," said Gene Shklar, Vice President of Marketing for Gupta Technologies. "At our conference, you can see how our customers have applied our client-server graphical tools, database servers and connectivity software to solve their real-world business problems. Anyone interested not just in the theory but also in the practice of client-server should come to this conference and find out how it's done from the people who have done it."

The Conference will feature keynote presentations by Umang Gupta, President and CEO of Gupta Technologies, and Colin White, President of Database Associates, as well as by executives from Novell, Inc. John Edwards, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Desktop Systems Group), Microsoft, and IBM Corporation John Soyring, Director, Software Development Programs). Four tracks of technical sessions, workshops and panels will cover beginning and advanced topics and case studies:

o  Introductory Sessions: Getting Started With Client-Server

o  Advanced Front-End Sessions: Building Sophisticated

   Graphical Applications

o  Advanced Back-End and Connectivity Sessions: Leveraging

   Your Client-Server Architecture

o  Client-Server At Work: Real-World Applications and

   Real-World Users

Attendees will have an opportunity to work with Gupta's tools and server products in the Hands-On Lab. Gupta's key hardware and software partners will demonstrate their products in the Product Showcase. In addition, attendees will be able to meet with Gupta's engineers, technical support staff and management to discuss their concerns and share tips and suggestions.

Gupta's "Client-Server At Work" Conference starts Sunday, August 2 at the San Francisco Hilton Hotel with a product showcase and reception. The registration fee is $995.00. For more information call 1-800-672-2700.

Gupta Technologies, Inc., founded in 1984, is the leading vendor of client-server database software for PC networks.

Gupta's products include SQLBase Server, a high performance database server optimized for graphical applications and PC networks, application development and end-user tools (SQLWindows and Quest) for Microsoft Windows, and SQLNetwork, a family of software products (SQLGateway and SQLRouter) for connecting Gupta tools and servers to other server data sources such as DB2, Database Manager, Oracle and SQL Server.

Gupta Technologies, Inc.

1060 Marsh Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025

415 321 9500  FAX: 415 321 5471


Procomp Intelligent SCSI Controller Boards
PROCOMP USA is now shipping a long-awaited 32-bit EISA-bus version of its high-throughput SCSI Host Adapter Board and with enough stock on the shelf to meet your Purchase Order requests. At $799 List there's little wonder that advance orders sold out the 1st quarter's planned production (since increased) in just 2 weeks.

This "High Performance", NOVELL CERTIFIED intelligent Host Adapter has been designed for the EISA bus and communicates in both synchronous and asynchronous modes, significantly adding to your flexibility in applications and drive choices, while increasing performance. It is architecturally optimized for NetWare mirroring and duplexing support. It maintains 100% register level compatibility with the M-DCB, F-DCB, F-DCB/2, S-DCB & Novell DCB. We now offer DUPLEXING KITS which are priced to fit your budget.

PROCOMP also serves other network platforms with S-DCB/32E. Working with Microsoft, PROCOMP has the unique status of being the only OS/2 SCSI controller manufacturer supporting many large SCSI drives and HPFS in this operating environment. The S-DCB/32E offers OS/2 LAN MANAGER users the greatest capability available in the marketplace to add many, large drives. The S-DCB/32E also supports most CD-ROM & TAPE drives as well as JUKE BOX.

Like all PROCOMP SCSI controller products, this "High Performance, High Quality" S-DCB/32E is manufactured in the United States, in our Cleveland, Ohio facility. PROCOMP products are the easiest to install, most reliable and has continued to secure its place among the top disk controller manufacturers serving the networking market place.

Procomp USA, 6777 Engle Rd, Cleveland, OH 44130

216-234-6387


Prodigy Mystery Party Debuts in July
WHITE PLAINS, NY, July 15, 1992--It's been a pleasant cruise for most, but some of the passengers seem to have their own agenda. Why does Oscar have a look of doom on his face? What is Jerry doing snooping all over the ship? These are some of the questions that will be asked and answered by members as they play the PRODIGY Mystery Party.

The PRODIGY Mystery Party, an online multiplayer mystery game, is a new Custom Choice for the PRODIGY service. Based on PRODIGY's popular mystery series, Abel Adventures, about the exploits of travel agent/amateur detective Tom Abel, it allows players to take on the role of a character in a multiplayer mystery game. The story, illustrated with distinctive graphics, progresses in real time and evolves in response to how members vote and by their comments posted on the bulletin boards.

To play PRODIGY Mystery Party, members join teams representing each of the eight characters. Once members choose the characters they want to play, the team learns its character's secret goal. For example, if the character is an escaped convict on the run from police, it will be the team's goal to see that the convict successfully gets away.

"We believe that the PRODIGY Mystery Party will appeal to people who may never have thought of using their computer recreationally," said Robert Gehorsam, manager of entertainment services for Prodigy. "One usually thinks of a game where people either win or lose. PRODIGY Mystery Party is more than a game, it's an event. This allows members to role play and take an active part in the ongoing story, as well as share the experience with other people."

PRODIGY Mystery Party will be offered several times a year with a different story. The first story takes place on a cruise ship in the Orient. Sometime during the course of the cruise, a murder is committed, and each player discovers that he has at least two out of three classic elements to arouse a suspicion of guilt: means, motive and an opportunity. One goal, of course, is to discover exactly whodunnit, another is to achieve each character's own hidden agenda.

Each day, players have access to the "public" story--the facts that everyone knows-- and to their own character's private story. Each character's actions are based on decisions that the team makes as a group, such as "Who should we sit with at dinner tonight?" and "Should we investigate that unlocked storeroom while everyone else is on deck?"

Each day the enrolled member will have access to:

.  An update of the character's private story.

.  Current status and condition of the other characters.

.  The ship's newspaper, which details the publicly known

   activities of the characters.

.  Public bulletin boards where members talk to players on

   other teams.

.  Private team bulletin boards to discuss the clues, plan

   strategies and learn details. The private board also lets

   members talk to the game's writer about suggestions for

   future plot developments or character actions.

.  Choice of one visit to a location for dues.

.  Twice each week, the team will vote on what action the

   character should take next. Voting options will appear

   Wednesdays and weekends with the results revealed Fridays

   and Tuesdays. Saturdays and Sundays are considered one

   day (the same story information is available both days)

   for the purpose of the game and voting. The bulletin

   boards are always open for discussion.

The results of the PRODIGY Mystery Party are presented at The Costume Ball during the final two days of play. Each character wears a costume, voted on by team players. All of the clues and secrets will come out in this conclusion.

The PRODIGY Mystery Party is written on an ongoing basis by Hy Conrad, author of the Eureka project and the popular Abel Adventures. The Custom Choice is priced at $14.95 per member, in addition to the monthly PRODIGY service membership fee. The game is available seven days a week and each game lasts one month. To sign up for the PRODIGY Mystery Party, PRODIGY service members [JUMP]: mystery party.

Prodigy recently launched another interactive game Custom Choice, entitled Rebel Space. A multiplayer strategy game with intergalactic themes and dramatic graphics, Rebel Space allows players to compete against up to 49 other players connected through the PRODIGY service.

PRODIGY service Start-up Kits are available in more than 15,000 stores around the country. Prodigy maintains a special toll-free number to locate dealers: 1-800-PRODIGY.

The PRODIGY service is America's most-used online network with more than one and a half million members. It enables families with personal computers to select a broad range of information, education and entertainment; to save time and money on bill paying, securities trading, travel ticketing and shopping; to send letters to Congress; and to exchange personal messages from homes and offices. Each household connects to this network through its regular telephone line attached to a home computer with a modem.


Morningstar Mutual Funds OnDisc (CD-ROM)
Chicago - Morningstar, a Chicago-based financial publisher, has released Morningstar Mutual Funds OnDisc -- a CD-ROM-based software/database/graphics package that lets you quickly compare, analyze, and track over 2,300 mutual funds and produce customized reports and graphs. Business recently called Morningstar Mutual Funds OnDisc, "the Cadillac of mutual fund software" .

Amid a rapidly changing and growing mutual-fund industry, financial professionals and individual investors alike have found that OnDisc allows them to make the most educated investment decisions. For example, OnDisc's software features include the ability to:

.  Search and sort for the funds which match one's needs

   (For example, all the no-load funds with an investment

   objective of growth-income, a P/E ratio of less than

   17, and 15% or more of its holdings in the utilities

   industry).

.  Identify the funds that hold a specific stock.

.  Generate detailed line, bar, and pie graphs to present

   your findings.

.  Compare total returns for a single fund or for a group

   of funds over any time period. continued

.  Evaluate results -- numerically or graphically against

   any of 24 benchmarks such as the S&P 500, Wilshire 4500,

   Russell 2000, 3-month CD, and Lehman Brothers Govt/Corp

   Bond Index.

.  Build customized portfolios (equally weighted).

.  Print directly to a printer or export the data, reports,

   or graphs into other software programs.

OnDisc is the most comprehensive mutual-fund database available -- it would take over 500 floppy diskettes to hold the information contained on its single CD-ROM. This database includes:

.  Over 2,300 mutual funds -- both load and no-load, equity

   and fixed income.

.  Over 160 fields of information on each fund, including

   the complete portfolio holdings of each fund, operations

   information, credit analysis, manager profiles, and more.

.  66 fields of information on which to screen and rank,

   including: risk, returns, fees, composition, and more.

.  Over 16 years of historical data going back to 1976

   (depending on the fund's commencement date).

.  24 benchmarks: S&P 500; S&P 400; Wilshire 5000 and 4500;

   Russell 1000, 2000, and 3000; Lehman Brothers'

   Government/Corporate, Government (long-term and

   intermediate), Corporate (long-term and intermediate),

   Mortgage-backed, and Municipal; MSCI EAFE, Europe, World

   and Pacific; 3-month T-bill; 3- and 6-month CD; and

   inflation.

Subscriptions to Morningstar Mutual Funds OnDisc are available with monthly, quarterly, or annual updates. Network licenses are also available. For more information and a free demonstration diskette, call 1-800-876-5005.

Morningstar, 53 West Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60604

312-427-1985


GRiD 1755/486SLC Notebook Computer
Fremont, CA. July 14, 1992 - - GRiD Systems Corporation today introduced the GRiD 1755/486SLC, a powerful 486 based computer featuring desktop performance in a competitively priced notebook package.

The lightweight 6.25 pound GRiD 1755/486SLC is the fourth in the popular GRiD 1700 series of notebook computers. The new 1755/486SLC offers 2MB of RAM (expandable to 8MB), an 80MB hard drive, a security password system, and an optional fax and data modem capable of transferring files at up to 9600bps. Additional features include a full 84-key keyboard, MS-DOS 5.0 and a suspend/resume feature which offers instant-on capability.

GRiD President D. Bruce Walter said, "The 1755/486SLC is a lightweight powerhouse that allows the user to speed through the most demanding application. With this new notebook, customers get 486 power in a computer weighing only six and a quarter pounds. It provides the most punch per pound without sacrificing portability."

The rugged casework and special plastic polymer design assure a combination of light weight and durability for the 1755/486SLC. The thick plastics used enhance the ruggedness of the system, while a matte black finish gives the 1755/486SLC a distinctive high-tech look.

The 1755/486SLC has a 8.5 inch brightly lit VGA screen, with 16 gray scales (64 in mode 13). The 1755/486SLC's triple supertwist display also provides excellent readability from multiple viewing angles. The system's half-pound battery pack provides two and one-half hours of battery life, which can be extended by the many power-management modes available. The battery is rapidly charged in just one and one-half hours. Additionally, an optional external battery charger allows notebook users the luxury of an almost uninterrupted power source when on the road.

The 1755/486SLC also assures reliable and efficient information transmission with the industry's first 2400bps modem with MNP 5, Hayes autosync, V.42, and V.42bis support. The modem also doubles as a Group 3, Class 1 9600bps fax modem.

The 1755/486SLC offers an 84 key keyboard, with standard desktop keyboard layout, spacing, and size, as well as 3.5mm of key travel. Michael Gibbons, GRiD's Manager of Laptop Marketing said, "The GRiD 1755/486SLC's keyboard feels more like a desktop keyboard than those found on most notebook computers. Therefore, 1755/486SLC users who are entering large amounts of data, will not suffer from the stiff fingers and the uncomfortable 'touch' common to users of other notebooks with less than 3mm of key travel."

Gibbons added, "With 486 computing power, the 1755/486SLC is another example of GRiD's commitment to building systems that provide the most advanced and durable notebook computer the mobile user's everyday business applications. GRiD's customers have been requesting 486 performance for some time, and we are now able to fill that need with a notebook product at a very competitive price."

The GRiD 1755/486 SLC comes standard with a Cyrix Cx486SLC microprocessor, 2MB of RAM, an 80MB hard drive, 3.5 inch floppy disk drive, a system diagnostics disk, MSDOS 5.0 power management utilities and a removable rechargeable battery pack. Options include up to 8MB RAM and an internal math coprocessor. The GRiD 1755/486SLC, available immediately, is priced at $2,795 in standard configuration or $3,195 with an internal modern.

GRiD designs, manufactures, markets and services laptop, pen-based, desktop and multimedia computers, pen-based software development tools, electronic mail and networking systems. GRiD, with an extensive direct sales and support organization, demonstrates products at 45 GRiD Systems Centers and sells products through value-added resellers (VARs) and federal systems integrators. GRiD is located at 47211 Lakeview Blvd., Fremont, CA 94538. GRiD also has offices in the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Spain, Sweden, France, Belgium and Denmark.

GRiD is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tandy Corporation, Fort Worth, TX. Tandy is a leading manufacturer and distributor of consumer electronics and computers. A New York Stock Exchange company, Tandy has sales in excess of $4.5 billion annually.


MicroFLEX Upgradeable Computer Systems
Santa Ana, CA..At a time when personal computer users are asking whether they should buy now, or wait for future, more advanced, technology later, Micro Express announces the computer that you can buy now and easily change later...the MicroFLEX. MicroFLEX is not just a computer, but rather a new marketing concept for PCs. A single basic motherboard provides a very high level of performance at speeds of from 25 MHz all the way up to 66 MHz. This board is packaged with a 200-W power supply, case, both 1.2-MB 5-1/4" and 1.44-MB 3-1/2" floppy disk drives and a selection of optional keyboards. To the basic board you can add your cpu (central processing unit or microprocessor) of choice...from a 386DX33 all the way up to a 486DX2-66. If you want RAM caching, you select either 64K or 256K of direct-mapped cache. The cache controller is already on the board. In other words, pick your cpu and your cache and MicroFLEX becomes the "HAVE IT YOUR WAY" PC.

If you want to change the cpu or the amount of RAM cache in the future, you simply call Micro Express, tell them which cpu you want to switch to and Micro Express will trade you the new one for the old one, charging you only the difference in the fair market value of the two cpu's on the day you make the trade. The same policy holds for upgrading RAM cache. Even cpu brand names are optional. If you want your cpu from Intel, Advanced Micro Devices or Cyrix, they all work in the MicroFLEX. You install the cpu in a socket, plug in a new clock crystal if required, and start to operate your new PC.

Naturally, you can also select the graphics card, monitor, hard disk drive capacity, and a host of other options so that your computer is a no-compromise selection.

Finally, MicroFLEX is very affordable. For example, a typical system might have a 33-MHz 386DX cpu, 4-MB of RAM, a 120-MB hard disk, super VGA color graphics card and monitor, 64K of RAM cache, a mouse, DOS 5.0 and Windows 3.1. This popular system configuration costs only $1459.

At the high end, a system with the new 66-MHz 486DX2, 8-MB of RAM, a 1.2-GB hard disk drive, super VGA color graphics card and monitor, 256K of RAM cache, a mouse, DOS 5.0 and Windows 3.1 still costs only $5495.

Designed For Performance And Flexibility

Everything about the MicroFLEX is designed for performance...from the highest quality components to the zero wait-state, page-mode memory architecture. Most of the electronics are housed in a VLSI custom chip set. Memory is fast and expandable, from 4-MB up to 32MB on the motherboard.

For flexibility and expansion, the MicroFLEX offers 8 full 16-bit expansion slots, and 5 diskdrive bays. The BIOS is by AMI, offering password protection and selectable shadowing of both the system and video BIOS. A CMOS clock-calendar is included, as are built-in diagnostics.

MicroFLEX features the new Micro Express FM-360 14" Super VGA Color Monitor. With its 0.28-mm dot pitch and 1024 x 768 pixel resolution, this monitor provides a picture clarity rarely seen on PCs.

MicroFLEX is packaged in a compact desktop case, measuring 6.5"[H] x 14.5"[W] x 16.5"[D]. If desired, MicroFLEX can be provided in a super tower case, with room for up to 8 disk drives and a 375-W power supply. A standard 101-type enhanced keyboard with or without audible feedback is offered...or a programmable keyboard can be substituted for just $75.

The Finest Available Customer Support

A full 2-year warranty is included on parts and labor for this PC, with shipping for the first 4 months paid both ways by Micro Express, as well as a 30-day moneyback guarantee. Optional on-site service, through GE, is also available. If a part fails, Micro Express offers 24-hour express board replacement service. As with all other Micro Express computers, this machine is burned in for 72 hours before shipping to eliminate early failures. In addition, a toll-free number is provided for free unlimited technical support. Technical support is available 24-hours per day and 7-days per week as part of the exclusive Micro Express "Always" customer support program. When technical documents are required, Micro Express offers Automated FAX-back service. Using this service documents can be requested through voice-mail and will be FAXed directly to the customer without human intervention.

The MicroFLEX is available now, direct from Micro Express.

Micro Express is an award-winning manufacturer of notebook, laptop, portable and desktop microcomputers that are fully IBM compatible. Micro Express offers extremely high quality and a wide range of additional features at a very competitive price. Micro Express personal computers are regularly rated at the top of comparative reviews in computer trade magazines, having won such honors as PC Magazine Editors' Choice, PC World Best Buy, Computer Buyer's Guide Best Buy, BYTE Magazine One-To-Watch, PC Week Analyst's Choice and many others. The company also offers a selection of high-performance add-in peripheral boards and monitors.

For further sales information, contact Micro Express at 1801 Carnegie Ave., Santa Ana, CA 92705. Phone: (714) 852-1400 or (800) 989-9900.


Clientele V2.5 Customer Support Automation Sys.
Cupertino, CA -- July 20, 1992 -- AnswerSet Corporation announced the release of Version 2.5 of Clientele, the company's top-selling support automation system designed specifically for managing customer support departments and internal help desks. This new version includes over forty (40) enhancements focused on simplifying the data entry process and providing rapid access to customer data. Besides the ability to define custom search fields, default values, and synonyms, a powerful new macro function enables users to perform repetitive tasks with a single keystroke. Prioritizing calls and audit functions have also been expanded.

In addition to tracking call data, Clientele includes a powerful, integrated AnswerBook that stores solutions to commonly occurring problems. This function expedites problem resolution by making critical information available to all support personnel. Customers are guaranteed quick, consistent, and accurate responses. Support managers realize improved departmental performance.

Clientele is a multi-user application that runs on PC's connected to a LAN. It uses the latest database technology to maintain and track customer information, call records, product data, service agreements, shipments, and RMA's. Managers can customize Clientele's screens and field names to meet their department's specific needs. Common customer data can be shared with other departments, such as sales and marketing.

Clientele's installed base includes companies that provide a high level of support to customers and employees. The product is used with equal success in Fortune 500 firms and young, emerging companies. Major customers include EDS (a division of General Motors), cc:Mail (a division of Lotus); ExperVision; Interlinq; MECA Software; and Walt Disney Imagineering.

Captures customer feedback

ExperVision, a leading developer of optical character recognition software, uses Clientele in their Technical Support and Sales Departments. Bob Gibson, Manager of Technical Support, states: "Most of the support products we evaluated had cluttered user interfaces. However, Clientele has a very clean user interface. This allows our support representatives to get into and out of the database very efficiently. They spend less time handling the data entry and more time handling additional customers.

Customer opinion is very important to us. Using Clientele, our support staff captures technical questions and critical feedback from our customers. This feedback communicates actual customer commentary to development, marketing, and sales and gives us the input required for further strategic direction of our company. Without Clientele, we could not respond as quickly to the competitive marketplace we serve."

Powerful reporting capability

Interlinq Software, a developer of mortgage banking software, uses Clientele to support its national customer base. Sue Ellingson, Vice President of Major Accounts, states "I decided to buy Clientele primarily because of its statistical reporting. Using customized fields and the Report Writer, I can easily generate statistics on reported problems with different versions of our software. In addition, Clientele was painless for our 20 support people to learn."

Availability and support

Clientele's price is based on the number of concurrent users, beginning at $795. Pricing includes maintenance for the first year that guarantees receipt of future product enhancements and priority telephone support.

Company background

AnswerSet is a leading developer and marketer of high-performance, LAN-based departmental automation systems. The company's management has extensive experience in software support, development, marketing and sales. AnswerSet is located at 21771 Stevens Creek Boulevard, Cupertino, CA 95014. Phone 408-996-8683 Fax 408-996-1852


SyDOS PUMA 44 and 88 Cartridge Disk Drives
BOCA RATON, FL (July 6, 1992) - SyDOS, a division of SyQuest Technology, today announced two new removable cartridge disk drives at record low prices - never before obtained in this industry - for the PC and compatibles market . The drives utilize Winchester hard disk technology offering the same performance levels as fixed hard drives with comparable price tags. Called the SyDOS PUMA 44 and PUMA 88, these drives are designed for easy installation and use, each with their own self-contained power supply and dedicated parallel port adapter. The unmatched suggested list prices and the user-friendly design of PUMA drives open new doors to removable mass storage for the PC market.

"With PC applications consistently growing in capacity requirements," states Linda Haury, vice president of marketing for SyDOS, "PC users are outgrowing their hard disk drives. Buying another fixed hard drive is a temporary solution and is limited to the capacity of the drive. SyDOS has made removable cartridge disk drives available to all PC users with the introduction of PUMA drives. With a suggested list price of $638, it is likely that PUMA 44 drives will be sold for under $400 while the PUMA 88 (suggested list price of $799) will be sold for under $500 to the end user -unheard of prices in this industry."

Haury added, "The cost and the ease of installation and use, make the PUMA drive ideal for a much larger segment of the PC market. Small business and home office users can now afford a removable cartridge hard disk drive. Larger business users now have an inexpensive solution for expandable removable storage instead of buying another fixed hard drive when their systems reach capacity limits. Plus the added benefits of removability allow users to transport data, lock it up, back up, and get an unlimited capacity hard disk drive. PUMA drives are targeted at virtually any PC user with additional storage requirements."

The SyDOS PUMA 44 and PUMA 88 (44MB and 88MB's respectively) are external subsystems that will plug into the parallel port of virtually any DOS- or Windows-based desktop, laptop or notebook PC. With its own power supply included, PUMA eliminates the need to draw power from a PC, a benefit that can enhance a PC system's reliability. Additionally, PUMA drives come complete with drive, cartridge, dedicated parallel port, power supply, and installation software - a combination that guarantees quick, easy installation and convenient day-to-day use.

SyDOS PUMA drives are based on SyQuest technology which utilizes Winchester hard disk technology in a removable cartridge product. SyDOS offers the best warranty in the industry with a two year warranty on the drive and a five year warranty on the SyQuest cartridge.

SyDOS offers a full line of removable cartridge disk drives and Host Bus Adapter Kits. Drive subsystems are available in 44MB and 88MB capacities, in internal, external and dual configurations. Drives can be purchased separately from Host Bus Adapters or as a complete "one box" solution called a "Value Pack". Host Bus Adapter Kits include a Micro Channel Kit, Parallel Port Kit, High Performance and Enhanced Performance 16-bit Kit, and a Standard 8-bit Kit.

SyDOS is headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida, and is a division of SyQuest Technology, headquartered in Fremont, California. SyDOS was formed to distribute removable cartridge disk drives to the PC and compatibles marketplace. SyQuest has shipped over 750,000 disk drives and over 3 million data cartridges since its incorporation in 1982. The company commands over 90 percent of the removable hard-cartridge disk drive marketplace. SyQuest is a public company (NASDAQ symbol: SYQT).

SyDOS, 6501 Park of Commerce Blvd, Suite 110, Boca Raton, FL 33487

407-998-5400


Harvard Graphics Design Companion, Windows Ed.
Chapel Hill, NC -- Full front vs profile; balance and symmetry vs motion and tension; which is more compelling? The Harvard Graphics Design Companion--Windows Edition, just published by Ventana Press, demonstrates the difference between traditional, "white bread" Harvard Graphics materials and professional-quality graphics with style, punch and pizazz.

"Harvard Graphics' new Windows edition offers unprecedented ease and flexibility. But its great features demand new knowledge and understanding," point out authors Margaret Rabb and Chris Potter. "Design skills are essential to achieve real communication with an audience." Harvard Graphics Design Companion--Windows Edition shows how to shatter the built-in limitations of Harvard Graphics and teaches users of all levels the power of dynamic design.

In a step-by-step, fun-to-read format that features real world applications, the authors not only prove the capacity of Harvard Graphics' sophisticated automatic graphic features, but stress good design and easy ways to make great presentations.

The book's narrative style quickly and painlessly guides readers through procedures for designing and creating tables, two- and three-dimensional charts and graphs, and scatter plots. Importing data, HyperShow, and video projector presentations receive detailed treatment, and a "makeovers" section illustrates before-and-after design examples. The authors provide a detailed checklist for getting the message across, from discussing the merits of slide shows and HyperShows to recommending what type of microphone to wear.

Dozens of sharp, original color and black-and-white illustrations accompany the tips in the text, which includes a glossary and index for quick reference. With the reader cast in the role of "team captain," Potter and Rabb have created a framework in which beginners and advanced Harvard Graphic users can leave audiences everywhere saying, "How did you do that? It looked great!"

Harvard Graphics Design Companion--Windows Edition is softcover, 7 3/8" X 9 1/4", 266 pages. ISBN: 0-940087-94-4. Suggested retail price: $23.95.

Ventana Press publishes books and other materials that help professionals become more productive, including the best-selling Looking Good in Print; DOS WordPerfect & Lotus Office Companion; The Presentation Design Book (also edited by Margaret Rabb); Desktop Publishing With Word for Windows; and The Gray Book.

All titles are available in fine bookstores and wholesalers, and through Ventana Press, P.O. Box 2468, Chapel Hill, NC 27515. Phone: 919/942-0220; FAX: 919/942-1140.


Windows, Word & Excel Office Companion
CHAPEL HILL, NC--PC developers are excitedly touting the Windows revolution, but what do all these changes--the mouse, icons, graphical user interface--mean to the novice PC user? And where does it leave office workers who have spent years perfecting their DOS skills? Enter the Windows, Word & Excel Office Companion, a handy three-in-one reference that guides PC users through the new Windows environment.

With 648 pages of tips, tutorials and illustrations, the Windows, Word & Excel Office Companion reveals the most effective paths to the freedom that Windows offers. Author Patrick Burns introduces the basic commands and features that quickly and painlessly help users become productive with their word processing and spreadsheet programs. He further demonstrates how to exchange spreadsheet data and word processing text within the Windows environment. For DOS veterans, Burns provides a transition from keyboard pressing to mouse clicking and acknowledges, on a task-by-task basis, when one method is more efficient than another.

Ventana Press's newest title in the Office Companion series. Windows. Word & Excel Office Companion helps novice PC users and seasoned DOS users make the transition to Windows.

The book offers an extensive introduction to Windows, covering both 3.0 and 3.1, with separate sections providing quick references for the best-selling Word 2.0 and Excel 4 software programs. Readers learn to:

. Determine when and how to use the Program Manager.

. Run several applications at once.

. Work with File Manager.

. Activate Print Manager.

. Format Word for Windows documents.

. Manage and Automate Word for Windows operations.

. Quick Start Excel.

. Build a data base.

. Customize the Excel Word environment.

. Automate spreadsheet operations, and more.

Written for beginning-to-intermediate users, Windows, Word & Excel Office Companion will appeal to a vast audience. Since its 1990 release, Windows has sold more than thirteen million copies and is approaching a 10 percent market share among PC users.

Windows, Word & Excel Office Companion is softcover, 7 3/8" X 9 1/4", 648 pages. ISBN: 0-940087-99-5. Suggested retail price: $21.95.

Ventana Press publishes books and other materials that help desktop publishers and business professionals become more productive, including the best-selling DOS, WordPerfect & Lotus Office Companion, Second Edition; Desktop Publishing With Word for Window, Word for Windows Design Companion; Looking Good in Print; and Voodoo WordPerfect for Windows.

All titles are available in fine bookstores and wholesalers, and through Ventana Press, P.O. Box 2468, Chapel Hill, NC 27515. Phone: 919/942-0220; FAX: 919/942-1140.


Word for Windows Books from Ventana Press
CHAPEL HILL, N.C.--Microsoft Word for Windows is synonymous with "ease of use."

It's well known that in designing WFW 2.0, Microsoft spent a lot of time identifying the tasks performed most often in Word and then made them easier to use. But that's not the whole story--not by a long shot.

Word for Windows also means graphics power. Two new books by Ventana Press, Desktop Publishing With Word for Windows by Tom Lichty and Word For Windows Design Companion by Katherine Shelly Pfeiffer, are the only available guides for turning this graphics potential into winning documents.

"Everybody knows you can't use a word processor for page layout," says Lichty, an author and lecturer. "Microsoft never bought into this conventional wisdom. They've given Word for Windows all the word processing authority you'd expect. But they've also loaded it with more desktop publishing accessories than a 1973 Coupe de Ville."

In 322 pages and 150 illustrations, Lichty's Desktop Publishing With Word for Windows explains all the software word processing basics. But he doesn't stop there. He urges readers on into graphics territory, where such new tools as Draw, WordArt, Graph and Equation Editor have transformed Word for Windows into a versatile design engine. Typography, styles, graphics and printing are covered in a thorough examination, and scattered throughout the text are design and operating tips that can't be found anywhere else.

Software basics mastered, Pfeiffer's book can really get the user's creative juices flowing. In 504 pages and over 200 illustrations, she demonstrates how to make Word for Windows pay off in appealing correspondence, forms, ads, flyers, brochures, newsletters, books, manuals, catalogs and more.

Pfeiffer teaches by example. An assortment of 100 annotated sample documents provides readers with a wealth of inspiration and design guidance. Combined, these books give readers both the technical know-how and the design savvy to push Word for Windows 2.0 to its greatest potential.

Desktop Publishing With Word for Windows is softcover, 7 3/8" X 9 1/4", 352 pages. ISBN: 0940087-96-0. Word for Windows Design Companion is softcover, 7 3/8" X 9 1/4", 504 pages. ISBN: 0940087-77-4. Suggested retail price for each book: $21.95 U.S.

All titles are available in fine bookstores and wholesalers, and through Ventana Press, P.O. Box 2468, Chapel Hill, NC 27515. Phone: 919/942-0220; FAX: 919/942-1140.


InocuLAN Enterprise-Wide Anti-Virus Software
ROSLYN, NEW YORK, June 24,. 1992 - - - Cheyenne Software, Inc. (AMEX:CYE) announced today it has begun shipping InocuLAN, an enterprise-wide anti-virus software solution, featuring Real-Time Trap. The Real-Time Trap inspects all files entering or exiting a NetWare 3.11 server for a virus. If an infected file is detected, InocuLAN provides for the file to be removed, relocated to a supervisor-controlled directory, or renamed, thereby preventing user access to the infected file.

InocuLAN is the only anti-virus software product on the market today providing centralized virus protection and prevention for the NetWare file server as well as connected DOS workstations and non-networked PCs. The server-based module (VAP or NLM) scans the file servers while terminate and stay resident programs (TSRs) protect networked and stand-alone PCs from known and unknown viruses.

File servers provide access to applications and store vital data for all users on the network. One infected file on a server can easily spread over the entire network. InocuLAN, operating in the background as an NLM or VAP, scans all files at user defined intervals for infection. In addition, InocuLAN has been designed to operate in concert with ARCserve, Cheyenne's server-based data management software solution. Working together, ARCserve and InocuLAN can stop a virus from being backed up and/or restored to the network.

In making the announcement, ReiJane Huai, Vice President of Engineering for Cheyenne stated, "Protection against computer viruses cannot be a part-time effort. Today's networks consist of multiple tiers and each contains the same high level of susceptibility to a virus attack. Using an anti-virus product that protects only one component of a network is like locking the front door and leaving the windows open. Cheyenne's unique approach to combating viruses considers all potential virus vehicles and provides preventative measures as well as protection capabilities."

In addressing the workstation element of a network, InocuLAN's scanner checks local hard disk, and floppy drives while TSRs search for known and unknown viral behavior. Access to the network can also be denied to workstations not protected by InocuLAN.

Notification of a detected virus can be sent via pocket pager, MHS E-Mail or network broadcast. Removal of an infected file, or even curing the file, is often possible. Updates of software and virus signature files can be distributed automatically from the file server, eliminating the need for time consuming manual updates to each workstation.

In addition, Cheyenne has stratified InocuLAN's pricing structure to provide comprehensive anti-virus protection and prevention for networks of all sizes. U.S. retail pricing is as follows:

VAP (works with NetWare 2.1x or greater)       $395.00

NLM (works with NetWare 3.11)

    NetWare 3.11-5,10 or 20 user versions      $495.00

    NetWare 3.11-5,10,20,50,100,

                     or 250 user versions      $995.00 InocuLAN/PC (supporting 5 workstations)        $245.00

Cheyenne Software, Inc. is a leading developer of sophisticated LAN software products. Cheyenne develops and markets ARCserve, the first totally automated backup and restore solution for NetWare networks; ARCserve/Solo, a DOS based backup and restore solution; Monitrix, a complete NetWare management and monitoring solution; InocuLAN, a comprehensive enterprise-wide anti-virus program; FAXserve, a high performance, server-based solution for network facsimile services; and Cheyenne Utilities for NetWare (including NetBack), a set of integrated network administration utilities.

Cheyenne Software, 55 Bryant Ave, Roslyn, NY 11576

516-484-5110


ARCserve V4.0 Adds Tape Changer/Stacker Support
ROSLYN, NEW YORK, April 8, 1992 - - - Cheyenne Software, Inc. (AMEX:CYE) announced today that optional Changer and Stacker software modules, for ARCserve v4.0. a fully automated data management solution, will be available in April 1992 at a retail cost of $1,195.00 and $695.00, respectively.

ARCserve's optional changer and stacker tape driver modules will support many of the industry's leading changer and stacker devices, and coupled with these devices, will provide fully automated, high capacity NetWare data storage management.

CHANGER TECHNOLOGY

A tape changer is a device containing multiple tape cassettes (media), a tape drive and a mechanism for automatically loading or unloading any tape in the drive. The random nature of the device makes any tape accessible at any time through software alone. The benefits associated with ARCserve's ability to support a changer includes an increase in tape data storage capacity, as well as a substantial reduction in tape handling for the operator. For example, when restoring, ARCserve will select the proper tape in the magazine, put it into the tape drive and start the operation automatically.

STACKER TECHNOLOGY

A tape stacker is a device capable of housing multiple tape cassettes. It can access them sequentially, allowing automatic spanning from one tap to the next without operator intervention. When the first tap is full, the next in line can be loaded continuing the tap operation. Used in conjunction with Cheyenne's optional stacker tap drive module for ARCserve v4.0, a stacker device minimizes tap handling. It is no longer necessary for an operator to be present if a backup operation requires a second tape to complete a job. The stacker will automatically remove the tape currently in the drive and insert the next sequentially available tap in the magazine.

ARCserve's backup and restore operations are seamless to the user when using a changer or stacker device. Given the proper taps in the magazine, ARCserve will locate the next available tap for backup operations or the appropriate tape for file restoration.

Cheyenne Software, Inc. is a leading developer of sophisticated LAN and business management software products. Cheyenne's Network Products Group develops and markets Monitrix. A complete NetWare management and monitoring solution; ARCserve, the first totally automated backup and restore solution for NetWare networks; ARCserve/Solo, a DOS based backup and restore solution; InocuLAN, a comprehensive network anti-virus program; FAXserver, a high performance, server-based solution for network facsimile services; and Cheyenne Utilities for NetWare (including NetBack), a set of integrated network administration utilities.

Cheyenne Software, 55 Bryant Ave, Roslyn, NY 11576

516-484-5110


ARCserve 4.0 Backup/Restore Capabilities for Mac
ROSLYN, NEW YORK, April 8, 1992 - - - Cheyenne Software, Inc. (AMEX:CYE) announced today that ARCserve for NetWare 3.1x has expanded its capabilities to include backup and restoration of SCO UNIX System V/386 Release 3.2 and Macintosh workstations on the network.

As of April 30, 1992, Cheyenne will offer Agent Options for Unix and Macintosh workstations to ARCserve users, rounding out ARCserve's support for all major operating systems available in the PC marketplace. ARCserve also currently supports DOS, OS/2 and Windows client workstations.

In making the announcement, ReiJane Huai, Vice President, Engineering stated, "The increasing attach rate of UNIX and Macintosh workstations to Novell networks has prompted Cheyenne to offer backup and restore services to those environments, from a centralized location, the file server. Using the optional Agents for Unix and Macintosh workstations with ARCserve enables a LAN administrator to perform backup and restore in a heterogeneous environment."

Cheyenne announced that the ARCserve AGENTs will be available as separate optional packages at a U.S. list cost of $495.00 each per server.

Cheyenne Software, Inc. is a leading developer of sophisticated LAN software products. Cheyenne's Network Products Group develops and markets Monitrix, a complete NetWare management and monitoring solution; ARCserve, the first totally automated backup and restore solution for NetWare networks; ARCserve/Solo, a DOS based backup and restore solution; InocuLAN, a comprehensive network anti-virus program; FAXserver, a high performance, server-based solution for network facsimile services; and Cheyenne Utilities for NetWare (including NetBack), a set of integrated network administration utilities.

Cheyenne Software, 55 Bryant Ave, Roslyn, NY 11576

516-484-5110


Calculation of Surface Radiation Exchange
The calculation of the radiation exchange between two gray, diffuse surfaces by the usual engineering method presents difficulties since it requires a full and precise description of both surfaces. Often the major difficulty in calculating the heat transfer rests with the accurate determination of the surface conditions. For multi-surface enclosure problems, or for radiation between surfaces whose mutual views are obstructed, the evaluation of the view factor is a major effort. For many situations, as in spacecraft or space structures, solar receivers, or industrial furnaces, estimates using graphical and numerical techniques are not adequate. Furthermore, in structures for which the changing position of the sun leads to different surfaces becoming radiantly important at different times, accurate determination of the viewfactor for all surfaces is particularly important. The family of computer codes, VIEW, written for NASA Langley Research Center, has been created to accomplish this task. VIEW is an interactive program that determines the viewfactors, graphically displays surfaces, and evaluates the solar irradiation of an assemblage of surfaces.

The VIEW programs, inventory number LAR-14217, are written in FORTRAN 77, C-language and Assembly language for the IBM PC and compatibles. The graphic routines assume the use of an EGA or VGA card. The memory requirement for the program is 412K. The standard distribution medium for VIEW VERSION 5.6.9 is a set of eleven 360K MS-DOS format diskettes. Program $3,000; documentation $56.

COSMIC, The University of Georgia

382 East Broad St, Athens, GA 30602-4272

706-542-3265


NETS Tool for Neural Network Dev. & Evaluation
NETS, A Tool for the Development and Evaluation of Neural Networks from NASA Johnson Space Center, provides a simulation of Neural Network algorithms plus an environment for developing such algorithms. NETS uses the back propagation learning method for all of the networks which it creates. NETS 3.0 also provides features for saving the weight values of a network during the learning process, which allows for more precise control over the learning process.

NETS 3.0, MSC-21588, is written in ANSI standard C language to be machine independent. It has been successfully implemented on an IBM PC series compatible running MS-DOS, a DEC VAX running VMS, a Sun/PC running SunOS, and a CRAY Y-MP running UNICOS. Two executables for the IBM PC are included on the distribution media, one compiled for floating point operations and one for integer arithmetic. The program is available on a set of three 5.25 inch 360K MS-DOS format diskettes (standard distribution medium) or on a .25 inch streaming magnetic tape cartridge in UNIX tar format. Program $150; documentation $20.

COSMIC, The University of Georgia

382 East Broad St, Athens, GA 30602-4272

706-542-3265


ELM Rocket Propulsion Calculations
ELM, from NASA Lewis Research Center, is a simple computational tool for modeling the steady-state thermal-hydraulics of propellant flow through fuel element coolant channels in nuclear thermal rockets. Written for the nuclear propulsion project of the Space Exploration Initiative, ELM evaluates the various heat transfer coefficient and friction factor correlations available for turbulent pipe flow with heat addition.

ELM, LEW-15423, is a machine independent program written in FORTRAN 77. It has been successfully compiled on an IBM PC compatible running MS-DOS using Lahey FORTRAN 77, a DEC VAX series computer running VMS, and a Sun4 series computer running SunOS UNIX. ELM requires 565K of RAM under SunOS 4.1, 360K of RAM under VM and 406K of RAM under MS-DOS. No executable is provided on the distribution media. The standard distribution medium for ELM is one 5.25 inch 360K MS-DOS format diskette. Program $480; documentation $16.

COSMIC, The University of Georgia

382 East Broad St, Athens, GA 30602-4272

706-542-3265


ROCKFILL Robot Weld Calculations
ROCKFILL, written for NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, is a software package that calculates key robot weld information. Its easy to use menu system allows the robot operator to better estimate the number of passes, amount of wire, estimated arc time and the estimated amount of heat that will be put into the particular weld. The software is designed to operate on the robot's work cell PC and requires no documentation or training. ROCKFILL is intended for use as a shop aid in the Rocketdyne robotic welding effort, and is not a tool for design. The program assumes that the welding process is the Gas Tungsten (pulsed/nonpulsed) Arc Welding (GTAW), commonly referred to as Tig welding.

ROCKFILL, MFS-29716, is written in C Language for IBM PC and compatible computers running MS-DOS. The source code will only compile properly with the Aztec C v3.2 compiler; however, an executable is provided on the distribution disk. The standard distribution medium for this program is one 5.25 inch 360K MS-DOS format diskette. Some documentation is available, showing the basic menu screens, but ROCKFILL is intended as a stand alone program. Program $150; documentation $12.

COSMIC, The University of Georgia

382 East Broad St, Athens, GA 30602-4272

706-542-3265


RSM Resupply Scheduling Modeler from NASA
RSM, Resupply Scheduling Modeler from NASA Lewis Research Center, is a fully menu-driven program that uses integer programming techniques to determine an optimum schedule for replacing components on or before the end of a fixed replacement period. Although written to analyze the electrical power system on the Space Station Freedom, RSM is quite general and can be used to model the resupply of almost any system subject to user-defined resource constraints. RSM is based on a specific form of the general linear programming problem in which all variables in the objective function and all variables in the constraints are integers. While more computationally intensive, integer programming was required for accuracy when modeling systems with small quantities of components. RSM includes user-defined constraints such as transportation mass and volume limits, as well as component life, available repair crew time and assembly sequences. A weighting factor allows the program to minimize factors such as cost. The program then performs an iterative analysis, which is displayed during the processing.

RSM, LEW-15309, is written in APL2 for IBM PC series computers and compatibles. A stand-alone executable version of RSM is provided; however, this is a "packed" version of RSM which can only utilize the memory within the 640K DOS limit. This executable requires at least 640K of memory and DOS 3 .1 or higher . Source code for an APL2/PC workspace version is also provided. This version of RSM can make full use of any installed extended memory but must be run with the APL2 interpreter; and it requires an 80486 based microcomputer or an 80386 based microcomputer with an 80387 math coprocessor, at least 2Mb of extended memory, and DOS 3.3 or higher. The standard distribution medium for this package is one 5.25 inch 360K MS-DOS format diskette. Program $200; documentation $16.

COSMIC, The University of Georgia

382 East Broad St, Athens, GA 30602-4272

706-542-3265


FEAT 3.3e Failure Environment Analysis Tool
FEAT, the Failure Environment Analysis Tool, was written for NASA Johnson Space Center to enable people to see and better understand the effects of failures in a system. Failures can be user-selected from either engineering schematic or digraph model graphics, and the effects or potential causes of the failures will be color highlighted on the same schematic or model graphic. FEAT uses digraph models to answer two questions: 1) What will happen to a system if a set of failure events occurs, and 2) What are the possible causes of a set of selected failures?

In FEAT 3.3e, inventory number MSC-21873, creation of digraphs is facilitated by the Digraph Editor. For very large integrated systems, FEAT 3.3e can be a real cost saver in terms of design evaluation, training, and knowledge capture. New features allow multiple digraphs and schematics to be loaded into FEAT 3.3e. These enhancements make it easier to identify single and double point failures that may have to cross several system boundaries and multiple engineering disciplines before creating a hazardous condition. Even people who are unfamiliar with digraphs can use FEAT to better understand failures of a modeled system. Schematics may be produced using MacDraw II version 1.1 or MacDraw Pro.

The Failure Environment Analysis Tool is written using Macintosh Programmers Workshop C v3.2. The program requires 32 Bit QuickDraw, and at least a Macintosh II series computer running 6.0.6 or later. Under System 7, 32 Bit QuickDraw is not required. A minimum of 3-5Mb of memory is highly recommended.

A color monitor is necessary (or 256 gray scales). If a math coprocessor is not present, a coprocessor emulator will be necessary. The standard distribution medium for FEAT is a set of four 3.5 inch Macintosh format diskettes. An electronic copy of the documentation is included on the program media along with example digraph files. Program $700; documentation $33.

COSMIC, The University of Georgia

382 East Broad St, Athens, GA 30602-4272

706-542-3265


How to Get Started With Modems
June 30, 1992 -- SAN DIEGO--Most people don't know they can: Get fantastic discounts on travel, shop for groceries, purchase a new car, catch up on their soaps, get the latest sports information, find out what movies are hot and which ones to rent, read up on restaurant reviews, do their banking, and shop the personals, all without leaving their home. You can do all of this and more with a modem. Jim Kimble's book How to Get Started With Modems helps guide you through all aspects of modeming--from purchase to installation and use.

In the last three years the number of computer users using modems has increased ten fold. But this still leaves 90% of computer users who don't know or who don't understand the capabilities available through the modem.

As modem prices decrease--and their speed and endurance increase even more computer users will be using on-line services and bulletin board systems for everything from joining a political debate to reading their horoscope.

In How to Get Started With Modems, Jim Kimble gets you started in the world of modems, and shows you how to: Buy the best model of modem for you, install and set up a modem on your computer, understand those confusing modem terms, save money while on-line, get communications software for free, start your own bulletin board system, access your work computer from home and learn about the international telecommunications standards.

Basically the concept is simple and rewarding. As Kimble states, "Modems are nifty little devices that allow your computer to communicate with other computers over ordinary phone lines . . . You can now exchange messages with people in other cities, states and countries for the price of a phone call."

How to Get Staffed With Modems is one in a line of 18 easy-to-read books about computers published by Computer Publishing Enterprises (CPE) of San Diego, California. For more information about How to Get Staffed With Modems--or any CPE title call 1-800-544-5541 inside the United States and Canada, or write to P.O. Box 23478, San Diego, CA 92193. Review copies are available upon request.


AIDSLINE AIDS Journal Literature Ref Database
Andover Massachusetts - July 23 1992. -- Aries Systems Corporation today announced the immediate availability of the AIDSLINE AIDS journal literature reference database on CD-ROM.

AIDSLINE includes all citations and abstracts on the AIDS literature published to-date by the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Sources include journal articles references selected from various National Library of Medicine databases, meeting abstracts, monographic references and audiovisual materials. The database focuses on the biomedical, epidemiologic, social and behavioral sciences literature.

AIDSLINE on CD-ROM is accessed using Aries Systems' innovative Knowledge Finder retrieval software (available for both IBM PC/compatible and Apple Macintosh computers).

Knowledge Finder uses probabilistic retrieval (also known as fuzzy logic) techniques. This lets users create English-style search queries, and presents search results in order of their likely relevance to the query. Designed for use by novice and experienced searchers, Knowledge Finder's powerful retrieval techniques simplify the searching process, and often finds materials that traditional Boolean searching misses.

The AIDSLINE CD-ROM is presently updated on a quarterly basis. Ongoing annual subscriptions are available at $245 for an individual, and $395 for an institution.

As a special courtesy to attendees of the VIII International Conference on AIDS held recently in Amsterdam, Aries Systems is offering the first issue of the CD-ROM at no charge (one per individual through the end of 1992). Attendees need only contact Aries, and the CD-ROM and the search software will be sent to them (anywhere in the world).

Lyndon Holmes, president of Aries Systems, noted, 'We're making this offer to help facilitate access to the literature as a research and treatment tool. History has shown that the rate of scientific progress and discovery can be accelerated, and human welfare enhanced, if key pieces of knowledge are available where and when needed. With improved access to the latest literature, researchers, clinicians and caregivers may be better able to carry out the critical fight against AIDS."

Aries Systems Corporation was founded in 1986, to develop innovative information retrieval and dissemination products, with special emphases in the fields of biomedicine and science. Aries Systems works cooperatively with other organizations in the information and health care industries, to identify and deliver improved knowledge access and delivery tools.

Aries Systems Corp, One Dundee Park, Andover, MA 01810

508-475-7200


SPA Supports Relaxed Export of Encryption Swr
July 20, 1992 (Washington, DC) -- The word processing program you bought for your home computer may actually have been treated as munitions under the Arms Export Control Act if it contained even a simple data encryption feature to keep your personal correspondence private.

At the urging of the Software Publishers Association (SPA), the Bush administration recently relaxed export controls which had impeded the American software industry. The SPA estimates that the streamlined new export review procedures will help prevent US losses to foreign suppliers.

"The US Government has taken a significant first step in addressing the global commercial needs of US software publishers," says SPA Executive Director Ken Wasch. "Allowing companies to include significantly stronger encryption capabilities in mass-market programs will help ensure the continued vitality of one of the nation's star export industries."

Under the old regulations, any commercial software with even basic data encryption capabilities had to be reviewed and approved by the US State Department's Office of Defense Trade Controls before it could be exported. The category included word processing, spreadsheet and other programs widely available at discount stores and through mail order catalogues and toll-free telephone lines. Each software program was reviewed by the super secret National Security Agency. The laborious review and export licensing process often cost US publishers valuable time in lucrative overseas markets. Software developers also could not be certain that their programs would be granted the necessary export approvals.

Publishers continued to face growing market demand both at home and abroad for software with built-in protection against unauthorized access, alteration or appropriation of data and were prevented from filling that demand. Indeed, the SPA predicts that within 5 years a substantial majority of all mass-market software will include text, data and file encryption capabilities, as well as simpler password and access control features.

The new rules, as set forth in a letter to key members of Congress from National Security Advisor General Brent Scowcroft, substantially streamline the export review process. Under the new system the government will grant export approval within 7 days of request for software using two of RSA Data Security Inc.'s algorithms, RC2 and RC4. Most major US software firms already have already licensed these algorithms. The company's new fee schedule puts RC2 and RC4 within the reach of all companies. .

Other proprietary algorithms now will be reviewed on a streamlined case-by-case basis. However, despite SPA efforts, the Administration refused to change the current restrictions on the export of programs using the Data Encryption Standard (DES).

"This victory for the software industry is due in large part to the efforts of several members of Congress," stated Karen Casser, SPA Director of Public Policy & Legal Affairs. "In particular, Congressman Mel Levine (D-CA) as well as Representatives Sam Gejdenson (D-CT), John Miller (R-WA), Bill Orton (D-UT), and Wayne Owens (D-UT) were instrumental in passing the House bill. Also, Senator Jake Garn (R-UT) was able to gain the attention of General Scowcroft. These efforts acted as a catalyst to focus Administration attention on the issue."

The Administration also has agreed to hold semi-annual meetings with the industry, the first of which will be hosted by General Scowcroft in early September, 1992. These meetings will address the continued suitability of the technical criteria, and advances in computing power and speed. The meetings will also address whether or not foreign availability of mass-market software with encryption places US companies at a competitive disadvantage.

The Software Publishers Association is the principal trade association of the personal computer software industry. Its over 900 members represent the leading publishers in the business, consumer, and education software markets. The SPA has offices in Washington, DC, and Paris, France.

Software Publishers Association

1730 M St Northwest, Suite 700, Washington, D.C. 20036

202-452-1600


Current Status of V.FAST Modem Standard
July 15, 1992 -- CURRENT STATUS OF THE V.FAST MODEM STANDARD

An interview with Donald O'Connor. Chairman of TIA TR 30.1, the American committee of approximately 35 persons representing about 25 companies developing U.S.A. positions on core modem data pump issues for CCITT Study Group XVII.

CCITT (Consultative Committee International for Telegraphy and Telephony) is the Geneva-based advisory committee established by the United Nations to recommend worldwide transmission standards within the International Telecommunications Union. CCITT Study Group XVII consists of about 50-60 scientific and industrial organizations (such as manufacturers) and user groups such as national telephone administrations. Study Group XVII is developing the "V.Fast" Recommendation for two-wire duplex modems with data rates above 14,400 bits per second (bps). O'Connor is Fellow of Engineering, Racal-Datacom, Central Engineering Division.

QUESTION: There is growing interest in what has been nicknamed the "V.Fast" standard for modem speeds to reach and surpass 19,200 bits per second. How close are we to obtaining the "V.Fast" standard during the Summer of 1992?

O'CONNOR: It's more than a year in the future. "V.Fast" is just a nickname. There is no standard V.Fast modem.

When the CCITT adopts a V series standard, a number is assigned, such as the V.32 standard for modems with a data rate of 9,600 bits per second or V.32bis for modems capable of operating as fast as 14,400 bits per second. Since we are still using the nickname of "V.Fast" for the standard now being studied, you can tell it is still in the discussion stage.

In fact, very little has been decided about the V.Fast standard. What has been accomplished so far is that the new standard will use single carrier modulation for data rates between 9,600 to 24,000 bps in 2,400 bps increments. There may be data rates of 26,400 and 28,800 bps, but performance at these speeds need to be substantiated. Data rates below 9,600 bps are also possible.

V.Fast is the most complicated of the V standards to date. Issues still to be decided include the modulation scheme, how to achieve fractional bits per symbol, the channel probing strategy, the startup handshake sequence, automode capability with the installed base of modems, issues such as transmit power control, constellation pre-warping, transmit shaping and many other technical issues. Almost all of the technical issues are still to be decided. Even symbol rates and carrier frequencies are not yet decided.

QUESTION: How are these issues decided?

O'CONNOR: Manufacturing companies have positions on each of these issues and they prepare engineering papers advocating their positions. Then the Rapporteur Group (a study group which is assigned to a specific issue such as V.Fast) comprised of persons from a number of manufacturers and administrations (national PTTs) come together to evaluate these positions. The competitors thrash out conflicting opinions to reach recommendations that will best serve the needs of customers. Then we make our recommendations to Study Group XVII. When the Study Group tackles the issue, there are further discussions that involve additional users (PTTs). When there is consensus by all those concerned, then a standard can be issued.

QUESTION: When can we expect to have the V.Fast standard?

O'CONNOR: There's a Rapporteur's meeting scheduled for September 1992, possibly another one in late 1992, a Study Group XVII meeting in January 1993 and another Rapporteur's meeting in the Spring. Then there will be a Study Group XVII meeting in September 1993. The earliest that V.Fast can be approved is at this September 1993 meeting. But considering the significant number of open issues, the first quarter of 1994 is much more likely.

QUESTION: Some companies. such as Racal-Datacom, have already announced plans to ship V.Fast modems this year. Will we have to wait until sometime in 1994 to obtain CCITT standard V.Fast modems?

O'CONNOR: Yes. There are no standard V.Fast modems today. There can't be a true standard V.Fast modem until agreement is reached in CCITT which may take place in early 1994. Any announced V.Fast modem today is really a proprietary two-wire duplex unit with data rates greater than the V.32bis standard.

Most of the details and alternatives for the eventual V.Fast standard are already on the discussion table. The menu is there with major choices before us. I don't expect any new significant technical details will be added to the discussion. Although there are many characteristics before us, the menu has been presented for our selecting. The Study Group has to sort out the best technology. There may also be testing of existing proposals. Meanwhile vendors may produce new modems with speeds greater than V.32bis and the user should consider whether these proprietary modems are flexible enough to meet the eventual V.Fast standard. Since there are still so many outstanding issues, users need to protect their investment via the modem's flexibility to meet the standard.

In conclusion, V.Fast today is only a nickname and there are no standard V.Fast modems. Most of the technical details are on the discussion table in CCITT, but it will be a long time before a standard is finalized (September 1993 best case, Spring 1994 more realistic). With regard to proprietary "pre-standard" V.Fast modems, the user, in order to protect his investment, should consider the "pre-standard" modem's flexibility to meet the ultimate standard.


Tutor by Association for Early Computer Users
NEW IDEA FOR INTRODUCING THE COMPUTER TO FIRST TIME USERS OF IBM AND COMPATIBLE COMPUTERS (or for those who've never ventured out into DOSland)

Tutor by Association by Don Pierce is the first computer tutor that helps the beginning user become familiar with the computer without being overwhelmed. Written with humorous graphics and brilliant color, it is impossible for the user to become bored while learning the basics of DOS. The program first explains the hardware and functions of the computer. Second it shows many different ways in which the computer can be used. Finally it covers files, disks, DOS commands and much more. The program even shows step by step how to install a new program onto the hard drive.

This fantastic DOS tutor would make an excellent tutor for children as well as adults. Professionals who need to start using a computer in their business, but do not have the time for in depth training, will find Tutor by Association to be a great program to give them the basic overview and reference needed to be confident operators.

The program shows the two basic types of screens that may appear when the computer is first started; a friendly menu or the glaring DOS prompt. It explains the keys and functions of the computer keyboard. The program describes different types of programs and the many ways that they can make a computer useful; it shows what programs and files are; types of floppies and disk drives; how to set up directories and copy new programs into them; the program also gives explanations and usage of the most used DOS commands and lists the most common DOS error messages with their possible causes.

The program uses a format that relates DOS functions and computer hardware to things that people are familiar with. The visual effects make learning fun and easy. Everything to get a new user, or someone new to using DOS, started is included in Tutor by Association.

System Requirements: any IBM or compatible computer with 256K RAM and a color monitor, DOS 2.11 or later and a 5-1/4" disk drive. (3-1/2" disks may be ordered for $1.00 extra).

Tutor by Association is available for $19.95 plus $3 P&H within the U.S. and Canada, $5 P&H for foreign (All payments in U.S. currency). Michigan residents must add 4% sales tax. Visa/MC is available for U.S. orders. From: AJOY Software - P.O. Box 764 - Marshall, MI 49068 (616)-781-3764.


JRR Tolkien's Lord of Rings Vol II, Two Towers
Santa Ana, CA - July 15, 1992 - Following the success of its acclaimed J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of The Rings program, Interplay Productions announced today the introduction of its next Tolkien release, J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord Of The Rings, Volume II: The Two Towers.

As-with its predecessor, The Two Towers sequel brings famed author J.R.R. Tolkien's epic land of hobbits, elves and ghosts to the computer screen. In this title, the second in the Tolkien trilogy, this fantastic role-playing adventure continues where The Lord Of The Rings left off.

"We're proud to once again bring the work of this legendary author to the computer game-playing audience," said Interplay President, Brian Fargo. "It's both, an honor and a challenge to mix Tolkien's classic world with today's advanced technologies. "

The Two Towers story allows players to control a party of benevolent characters in role-playing adventure as they battle orcs, trolls and oliphaunts and ultimately come face to face with the mysterious Two Towers. The Two Towers Clue Book is being released simultaneously with the game and for a limited time, available free with the purchase of the game. Designed to stand alone or play as a sequel, the imagery of Tolkien's Middle Earth comes to life in The Two Towers through colorful animation, 256 color VGA graphics, and a full musical score.

The game is currently available for MS-DOS and will be released for Amiga this Fall. The Two Towers is available through most major software retailers or direct from Interplay by calling 1-800-969-GAME.

INTERPLAY PRODUCTIONS, 3710 S. SUSAN, #100, SANTA ANA, CA 92704

(714) 545-9001  --  FAX (714) 549-5075


KnowledgeSEEKER Extended Memory Add-On Available
May 15, 1992 -- Ottawa, Canada. FirstMark Technologies Ltd. will be shipping a new extended memory add-on to its KnowledgeSEEKER desktop data analysis product in June. The new add-on brings the power of extended memory to market researchers and data analysts who need to analyze survey, questionnaire and customer data. It enables the analysis of large data sets such as catalogue sales tracking data and customer databases.

KnowledgeSEEKER is a menu-driven, PC-product that automates the analysis process and which produces multi-dimensional results in graphic, decision-tree form. Unlike traditional data analysis software products, KnowledgeSEEKER is easy to learn and easy to use and does not require an extensive background in statistics.

KnowledgeSEEKER was first released in the summer of 1990. Since then it has been adopted by top marketing organizations around the world such as Procter and Gamble, Reader's Digest and Volkswagen. It is also used in research laboratories, universities and colleges.

Product Features

KnowledgeSEEKER brings to the desktop the kind of analysis power that was formerly reserved for research analysts with a background in statistics and a knowledge of statistical software. Beneath the user-friendly display the software contains advanced statistical and artificial intelligence algorithms that quickly and automatically scan survey data sets in order to pull out key market segments and other research findings. The result is software that is easy to use and- which can produce advanced statistical reports in minutes or hours, rather than days or weeks. Survey data sets can be an opinion poll, employee surveys, health surveys, customer satisfaction data, even quality control data.

The software addresses a growing requirement for PC users from all backgrounds to effectively analyze customer and other data that they have collected through surveys or other database tracking software. It fills a gap in personal, desktop-based computing solutions by offering high-level statistical functionality in a user friendly fashion.

One of the more appealing features of the software is its decision tree display, shown below (analysis of customer "quality" assessments). For more information contact FirstMark's toll free number (1-800-387-7335).


The Retailer Inventory Control System V4.05
"The Retailer" inventory control system was recently released by Software Engineer Gary A. McNutt. "The Retailer" is an inventory control system developed specifically for the IBM PC and compatible computers. Commands can be selected from pulldown menus, and context sensitive, on-line help is available. "The Retailer" has a variety of features which will appeal to merchants and professional buyers.

Anyone responsible for generating purchase orders will appreciate the ability to monitor up to five locations selling similar products. This product was not designed to be a Point-of-Sale system, but rather it is a "backroom" system for a central-buying office or merchant. A review of "The Retailer" contained the following quote: 'We're not small-business people, but when we sat down recently with a respected member of the local Chamber of Commerce, we couldn't find a feature that a small or medium businessperson would lack in this program. " San Jose Mercury News

Min/Max stock levels may be recalculated automatically based on current sales trends and stock conditions. Multiple vendors may used, each with up to 10,000 stock keeping units. Sales are inputted from the store's sales tickets or from a physical inventory taken on a generated counting form. ABC sales analysis identifies best sellers. Purchase orders can be computer generated or manually created.

Advanced features include a five-year monthly sales history by item for each store as well as for the whole group. Bar charts of sales performance may be viewed on a video monitor, and scattergrams of each item's sales with a trend line can be plotted. Printer redirection is included for sending reports to disk files for viewing or printing later. Receiving room personnel will be thankful for the computer generated price tags that are taken directly from purchase orders.

"The Retailer" v4.05 requires 384K of RAM and 515K of available hard disk space for programs. "The Retailer" is available from most major Shareware disk distributors, User Groups, and Bulletin Board Services -- Including the America Online libraries. Author Registration is $49, which includes a printed manual and the most recent release of the software.

RetailWare, 2107 West Britton Rd, Oklahoma City, OK 73120-1577

405-749-1763


IBM 4033 LAN Connection for Network Printing
LEXINGTON, Ky., July 23, 1992 . . . A new IBM printer connectivity product for Novell network operating systems, enabling faster network printing, was announced today by Lexmark International Inc.

Lexmark, a former division of IBM, develops and manufactures IBM personal printers under license from IBM.

Introduced today were three new NetWare-compatible models of the IBM 4033 LAN Connection -- an external printer adapter that allows the IBM 4029 LaserPrinter and other PC-printers and/or plotters to operate in a personal computer local area network (LAN).

Additionally, Lexmark announced that existing 4033 models compatible with OS/2 and AIX network operating systems were enhanced to include OS/2 LAN Server and Microsoft LAN Manager compatibility.

All 4033 models support Token Ring or Ethernet protocols -- the standard connections between networked personal computers.

Network Printing Made Faster

The IBM LAN Connection features built-in LAN data transfer capabilities to pull off print data from the network and send them to a printer at relatively faster speeds than conventional network printing. The network printing process results in even faster throughput when the IBM LAN Connection is used with the IBM 4029 LaserPrinter's high speed, Fastbytes parallel interface which can transfer data at up to 150 kilobytes per second.

"Lexmark recognizes the growing significance of connectivity in the printer marketplace and the demand for a fast, flexible network printing solution," said Dr. Paul J. Curlander, Lexmark's general manager responsible for worldwide development of printer and peripheral products.

"With the new Novell versions of the 4033, along with our OS/2 LAN Server and LAN Man upgrades to existing models, we are now able to deliver a total network printing solution that is compatible with an even greater majority of current and future PC networks than ever before in the IBM computer environment," Dr. Curlander added.

Since the IBM LAN Connection is a relatively small external box, it has the flexibility to be freely located on the network which can result in significant customer savings by eliminating the need for a dedicated PC as a print server. Also, the 4033's graphical user interface, or GUI, software utility can help save time by allowing network administrators to more easily configure and maintain one or more printer adapters on the network.

Price and Availability

The IBM LAN Connection, ranging in list prices from $695 to $945, is available now through the Lexmark and IBM authorized dealer network nationwide, and through IBM and Lexmark direct.

Lexmark International Inc., created in 1991, is an independent worldwide company that develops, manufactures and markets IBM personal printers, IBM typewriters, related supplies and keyboards.

Lexmark International, 740 New Circle Rd NW, Lexington, KY 40511


IBM 4070 IJ Portable Inkjet Printer
LEXINGTON, Ky., July 23, 1992 . . . The IBM Portable Printer -- a very small and lightweight battery powered printer offering laser-like print quality for the business traveler -- was announced today by Lexmark International Inc.

Lexmark also announced the IBM 4070 IJ personal printer, a space-saving inkjet designed for home office and small business users who require high resolution print quality.

Lexmark, a former division of IBM, develops and markets IBM personal printers under license from IBM.

Both products offer a one year express service warranty as a standard feature. Under the program, customers needing assistance call a toll number to reach a Lexmark service specialist and, if necessary, Lexmark will provide a replacement printer within two business days.

The IBM Portable Printer, available in raven black or pearl white, uses thermal transfer print technology on plain paper and is designed for use with IBM-compatible notebook personal computers. Ideal for business travelers who prepare correspondence or presentations on the road, the IBM Portable Printer weighs only two and one-half pounds yet offers high resolution 360 x 360 dots-per-inch (dpi) print quality. The IBM Portable Printer is small enough to fit into a briefcase along with the portable PC.

The IBM 4070 IJ is an inkjet personal printer designed for use with IBM-compatible desktop PCs in a home office or small business where high resolution printing of text and graphics is a requirement. The 4070 is available in two models, one with a sheet feeder standard. It features 360 x 360 dpi print quality, a small working space, quiet operating levels, and battery pack and carrying case options for users who want transportable desktop printing.

Price and Availability

The IBM Portable Printer, priced at a suggested $549, and the IBM 4070 IJ, priced at a suggested $599 for the Model 1 with 50-sheet feeder and $499 for the Model 2 without sheet feeder, and all their features and options, are available now through Lexmark and IBM authorized resellers, and Lexmark direct.

Lexmark International Inc., created in 1991, is an independent worldwide company that develops, manufactures and markets IBM personal printers, IBM typewriters, related supplies and keyboards.

Lexmark International, 740 New Circle Rd NW, Lexington, KY 40511


HyperLogic OWL Neural Network Lib. for Windows
HYPERLOGIC RELEASES OWL VERSION 2.1 WITH WINDOWS DLL SUPPORT

Escondido, California -- July 17, 1992 -- HyperLogic Corporation, based in Escondido, California, today announced the addition of a Microsoft Windows DLL version of the OWL Neural Network Library in its new Version 2.1 release. The Dynamic Link Library allows Windows-based applications to transparently access all of the available memory in a user's system. Windows applications avoid the limitations of running under DOS, making it easier to create large networks on the PC. They also allow OWL network applications to utilize Windows interprocess communication facilities, making it possible to apply neural networks to data in spreadsheets and databases.

"Windows has become an important target for applications development," remarked Fred Watkins, President of HyperLogic Corporation. "The tools now available make it far easier than ever before to program under Windows. Packaging the OWL as a DLL makes it accessible to a much larger user base. "

The OWL is a popular C-language neural network programming library containing over 20 fundamental paradigms. A graphical DOS-based user interface library, Owlgraphics, and sample DOS- and Windows-based program applications are featured in Version 2.1 for the PC. Multiple programs can be created and as many as 128 networks can be used simultaneously in a single Windows session. Only the amount of available memory limits the size of the networks.

The library is designed to support engineering applications as well as academic research efforts. Created in 1988 by Olmstead & Watkins, the OWL was acquired by HyperLogic in 1991. It is used at hundreds of sites worldwide.

OWL networks are known for their flexibility. The OWL's powerful BKP algorithm emulates many "radial basis networks" as well as the classical "Backpropagation" procedure. OWL networks support concatenation, which allows the user to use many more network configurations than the ones supplied. This usually eliminates the need to write new network algorithms. For example, the "Counterpropagation" network is built by concatenating two of the networks found in the OWL baseline package.

HyperLogic Corporation is devoted to supporting the use of advanced software technology in intelligent computing systems, especially the use of neural networks and fuzzy logic. HyperLogic Corporation also markets the popular CubiCalc series of products designed for the development and deployment of fuzzy systems. CubiCalc family products are currently in use at advanced technology centers around the world.

HyperLogic Corp

1855 East Valley Parkway, Suite 210, Escondido, CA 92027

619-746-2765


Microsoft Excel Macros Step by Step, Version 4

For Microsoft Excel for Windows and the Apple Macintosh

The Official Microsoft Courseware

The Microsoft Excel macro language is a potent productivity tool. Users can create utilities to increase general productivity, automate time-consuming tasks, or build complete custom applications. Yet many everyday users think spreadsheet macros are a part of the "power user's" domain. With MICROSOFT EXCEL MACROS STEP BY STEP--the new book-and-software learning system-- anyone can tap the full power of Microsoft Excel.

This timesaving, all-in-one package from Microsoft Press is ideal for casual users who want to extend Microsoft Excel's basic functionality and for professional and corporate developers creating mission-critical, cross-platform applications. Lotus 1-2-3 converts are shown how to take full advantage of the Microsoft Excel macro facility.

It's also a cost effective training solution--perfect for both self-paced and classroom learning. Each of the seven lessons is generously illustrated with examples and fully integrated with practice files on the accompanying disk. With this confidence-building system, readers can check their results and track their progress for each lesson. Those who work through all the lessons will be able to build sophisticated applications using Microsoft Excel.

For example, Lessons 1 through 3 focus on building simple but useful utilities that will help in the day-to-day use of Microsoft Excel. These include utilities for building custom tools and toolbars, creating custom commands and menus, and creating and controlling custom dialog boxes. Lesson 4 covers replacing the built-in Sort utility with an enhanced, friendlier version. Lesson 5 introduces the reader to the use of Microsoft Excel in building a custom client tracking system. The client tracking application manages client lists, generates invoices, and tracks them all using several reports generated with the Microsoft Excel Crosstab utility. Lessons 6 and 7 take the reader step-by-step through building the client tracking application.

Each lesson includes clear objectives, step-by-step instructions, real-world examples, and summaries. The basics of Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) are covered in the book's appendix. A comprehensive index helps users quickly find information on any Microsoft Excel macros topic in the book.

MICROSOFT EXCEL MACROS STEP BY STEP requires Microsoft Excel version 4 for Windows or for the Apple Macintosh. The package contains one 720-KB 3.5-inch disk formatted for the PC and one 800 KB 3.5-inch disk formatted for the Apple Macintosh. The book also includes information for using a 1.2-MB 5.25-inch disk formatted for the PC.

MICROSOFT EXCEL MACROS STEP BY STEP is the newest in the Step by Step series of books from Microsoft Press. Microsoft Excel Step by Step--the first official Microsoft courseware from Microsoft Press won the 1991 "Best Introductory How-to Book" award from the prestigious Computer Press Association. Other book-and-software packages in the Microsoft Press Step by Step series include Microsoft Excel for Windows Step by Step, Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh Step by Step, Microsoft Word for Windows Step by Step, Microsoft Word for the Macintosh Step by Step, and the forthcoming Microsoft PowerPoint for Windows Step by Step and Microsoft Project Step by Step.

Steve Wexler is the president and founder and Julianne Sharer is the Director of Application Development for WexTech Systems, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in Windows applications training.

Microsoft Press is the book division of Microsoft Corporation and the leading publisher of quality computer books on Microsoft products. More than 10 million users of all skill levels rely on a complete line of Microsoft Press books for training, reference, and on-the-job software support titles ranging from streamlined tutorials for first-time computer users to technical references for professional programmers are distributed to book and software retailers worldwide. Consumers in the United States can also order directly from the publisher at 1-800 MSPRESS.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.

Microsoft Press, One Microsoft Way  Redmond, WA 98052-6399

206-882-8080


Microsoft Windows 3.1 Step by Step Courseware
Microsoft Windows 3.1 Step by Step

The Official Microsoft Courseware

Software learning just got easier with MICROSOFT WINDOWS 3.1 STEP BY STEP -- The all-in-one book-and-software learning system modeled after the award-winning Microsoft Excel Step by Step.

This timesaving, cost-effective, professional training package from Microsoft Press and Catapult, Inc. is ideal for classroom use or as a convenient, self-paced learning tool. The book's modular approach is especially valuable for readers already familiar with previous versions of the software. They can turn directly to the information they need in lessons that explore the new features in Microsoft Windows operating system version 3.1. Newcomers to the Microsoft Windows operating system are encouraged to start right at the beginning.

MICROSOFT WINDOWS 3.1 STEP BY STEP contains 14 lessons, each of which takes 30-45 minutes to complete. Each lesson is generously illustrated with real-world examples and fully integrated with the practice files on disk. For example, in Lesson 1, readers learn to use the mouse and on-screen pointer to control window elements, open a window from an icon, move and resize a window, scroll window contents, and manage multiple windows in the display area. They can compare their results and track their progress for each lesson with the confidence-building practice files on the accompanying disk.

And that's only the beginning. Readers will learn a long list of other skills such as:

* Working with the Paintbrush and Write accessories to cut

  and paste graphics into word processing documents

* Using the Program Manager to customize the organization of

  groups and icons to fit individual work needs

* Using the MS-DOS operating system-based applications with

  the Windows system

* Customizing the Windows environment by changing screen colors

  and backgrounds

* Using special characters and a variety of fonts--including the

  new scalable TrueType2 fonts

* Setting up and configuring printers

* Using the File Manager to organize and manage files and

  directories

Each lesson includes clear objectives, step-by-step instructions, helpful screenshots, summaries, and exercises called "One Step Further." Appendixes cover installing version 3.1 and using Object Linking and Embedding (OLE). A glossary makes looking up terms easy, and the comprehensive index helps students and instructors quickly find information on any topic in the book.

Microsoft Windows operating system version 3.1 is required. The book includes ordering information for a 1.2-MB 5.25-inch disk. (A 720-KB 3.5-inch disk is supplied.)

MICROSOFT WINDOWS 3.1 STEP BY STEP joins the growing family of self-paced training products available from Microsoft Press. Microsoft Excel Step by Step--the first official Microsoft courseware product from Microsoft Press won the 1991 "Best Introductory How-to Book" award from the prestigious Computer Press Association. Other book-and-software packages in the Step by Step series include Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh Step by Step, Microsoft Word for Windows Step by Step, Microsoft Word for the Macintosh Step by Step, Microsoft Excel Macros Step by Step, and the forthcoming Microsoft PowerPoint for Windows Step by Step and Microsoft Project Step by Step.

Based in Bellevue, Washington, Catapult, Inc. is a national software training company dedicated to providing the highest quality application software training. Catapult's contribution to the Step by Step series from Microsoft Press is based on their proprietary Performance-Based Training program for adult learning.

Microsoft Press is the book division of Microsoft Corporation and the leading publisher of quality computer books on Microsoft products. More than 10 million users of all skill levels rely on a complete line of Microsoft Press books for training, reference, and on-the-job software support. Titles ranging from streamlined tutorials for first-time computer users to technical references for professional programmers are distributed to book and software retailers worldwide. Consumers in the United States can also order directly from the publisher at 1-800 MSPRESS.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.

Microsoft Press, One Microsoft Way  Redmond, WA 98052-6399

206-882-8080


Windows Interface, An Application Design Guide
Microsoft Programming Series

The Windows Interface: An Application Design Guide

Microsoft Corporation has taken the lead in championing uniformity within and among Windows-based applications worldwide. Now these user interface design guidelines are outlined in a new book called THE WINDOWS INTERFACE: AN APPLICATION DESIGN GUIDE, from Microsoft Press.

"This guide will help developers create user interfaces that are consistent with the Microsoft Windows interface definition," said Sherry Richardson, User Interface Marketing Manager at Microsoft. "These recommendations and guidelines will put a familiar, intuitive face on applications regardless of functionality. Programmers at all levels using a host of development tools will turn to this valuable reference to develop successful applications."

The book begins with a description of interface design basics user control, directness, consistency, clarity, aesthetics, feedback--before moving on to a detailed discussion of recommended standards. These standards cover mouse and keyboard input elements and the major elements of the Windows user interface such as windows, menus, and dialog boxes. Design guidelines for the pen interface, object linking and embedding (OLE), the help system, and customizable interfaces are also covered A comprehensive index helps readers quickly locate information on any topic in the book.

This valuable reference is part of the family of Microsoft products designed to help developers create user interfaces that are consistent with the Windows interface definition. The other products are:

* A set of companion disks that offers example applications,

  artistic guidelines for user interfaces, and a library of

  icons and cursors that can be incorporated directly into

   applications

* A Microsoft University course on user interface design

* A terminology reference that provides user interface terms

  in 13 languages

THE WINDOWS INTERFACE: AN APPLICATION DESIGN GUIDE is the latest book in the growing Microsoft Programming Series from Microsoft Press. Tides include Microsoft Windows 3 Developer's Workshop, by Richard Wilton; The Microsoft Visual Basic Workshop, by John Clark Craig; The Essential Guide to MS-DOS 5 Programming, by Peter G. Aitken; Power Programming with Microsoft Macro Assembler, by Ray Duncan; Microsoft's 80386/80486 Programming Guide, 2nd ed., by Ross P. Nelson; and the Microsoft Guide to C++ Programming, by Kaare Christian.

Microsoft Press is the book division of Microsoft Corporation and the leading publisher of quality books on Microsoft products. More than 10 million computer users of all skill levels rely on a complete line of Microsoft Press books for training, reference, and on-the-job software support titles ranging from streamlined tutorials for first-time computer users to technical references for professional programmers are distributed to book and software retailers worldwide. Consumers in the United States can also order directly from the publisher at 1-800-MSPRESS.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.

Microsoft Press, One Microsoft Way  Redmond, WA 98052-6399

206-882-8080


Dvorak's Guide to PC Connectivity
New York, N.Y., July 1, 1992--Bantam Computer Books announces the release of Dvorak's Guide to PC Connectivity by John Dvorak, Nick Anis and Werner Feibel (992 pages/three 5 1/4.. disks/$49.95/lSBN 0-553-35335-7), including on disk the software-only version of Artisoft's renowned LANtastic network operating system. Over fifty-five million computer users need the solid information and tools necessary for PC connectivity. This book/disk package brings order to the chaos of divergent platforms, protocols, and tools with providing clear, concise information and explanations that help machines "talk" to one another.

Co-written by internationally-known columnist and author John C. Dvorak, Dvorak's Guide to PC Connectivity covers everything from simple file transfers, cabling, and PC-to-PC connections, to high-powered network operating systems, protocols, gateways, memory management, and application software.

"Connectivity means more than just networking," says John C. Dvorak. "It means having the power and know-how to mix and match applications, data, and peripherals across different machines and operating systems--essential in today's office environment. With this book/software combination, we provide all the tools you need to get it done."

The book covers:

.  Connections between PCs, laptops, Macs, and other non-Intel

   architectures, minis and mainframes.

.  Mixing and matching essential display, storage, and output

   devices.

.  Connecting mice, scanners, OCR devices, CD-ROM, digitizers,

   and other devices, making sure they work together before you

   spend the money.

.  Converting and translating among text and graphics formats:

   ASCII, .PCX, .EPS, PostScript, and more.

.  Compression and storage formats and software.

.  Applications software: which programs work best in a

   multi-platform environment and tips and traps you need to know

   about.

.  Network operating systems (including Novell, 3Com, and LAN

   Manager, as well as peer-to-peer systems like LANtastic),

   protocols, and administration.

The software programs on the included disks are worth the price of the book. These powerful applications include:

.  LANtastic ZIM (Artisoft): The incredible, adapter-less version

   of the LANtastic network for connecting two PC's. With

   LANtastic Z, any computer can be a server, a workstation, or

   both. Artisoft's powerful network manager provides full manual

   control of all the network's extensive options.

.  WORD FOR WORD (Mastersoft): The leading document conversion

   program that converts files among 20 popular word processing

   formats, including WordPerfect, WordStar, Microsoft Word, and

   others.

.  HiJaak Filters (Inset Systems): A selection of the HiJaak

   filters that provide conversion for the principal graphic file

   formats of today's personal computers, including PC,

   Macintosh, and Amiga. Converts to or from .PCX, .MAC, .IFF

   (Amiga), and .GIF formats for transferring nearly any file

   from one machine to another.

.  CompuShow (Canyon State Systems): Allows instant viewing of

   graphics files on screen, including .GIF, .RLE, MacPaint,

   .PCX, .PIC, Dr. Halo, Rix, TARGA, Deluxe Paint, Windows BMP

   and .TIF.

.  OTHER SUPER UTILITIES: GMENU, a programmable menu system;

   MV, a powerful utility that moves files and renames

   subdirectories, even on different disks; Dr. Text, a powerful

   program for reformatting ASCII files with a dozen options,

   SSTAT, which summarizes memory and disk drive installation;

   NETINFO, which provides essential network configuration

   analysis; the incredible DIGITAL LAVA LAMP screen saver;

   and many others.

About the Authors

John C. Dvorak is an internationally-known columnist, industry commentator, and bestselling author. In addition to producing his own publication, Confidential Inside Track, he is also a contributing columnist for PC Magazine, PC/Computing, MacUser, MicroTimes, DEC Professional, The San Francisco Examiner, and the Vancouver Sun. His columns are read by over 7,000,000 readers in this country and throughout the world.

Nick Anis is a best-selling author, lecturer, and commercial software developer with over 14 years of experience. Anis has been a contributing editor for magazines such as SoftTalk, A-Plus, InfoWorld, Computer Shopper, Board Watch, and Shareware Magazine. He has written or co-authored over a dozen computer books on topics such as spreadsheets, operating systems, telecommunications, shareware, and hard disk management.

Werner Feibel is an author and expert in cross-operation systems who has also authored several technical manuals for an assortment of leading software products.

Mastersoft Inc.

Mastersoft Inc., headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, is a developer. publisher and marketer of conversion technology software. The company was founded in 1986, with a charter to produce and deliver software solutions that connect market share leaders together for the benefit of the end user. Mastersoft provides conversion software across platforms that addresses compatibility issues at the system and application levels.

Inset Systems Inc.

For five years, Inset Systems Inc. has been an industry leader in graphics conversion technology, with the HiJaak product line providing graphics connectivity across 60+ formats from hundreds of applications, and several platforms. HiJaak, version 2.1, is the conversion and capture utility most familiar to desktop publishers in the DOS environment. HiJaak for Windows, the company's newest release, supports Microsoft OLE (Object Linking and Embedding) technology, as well as DDE (Dynamic Data Exchange). HiJaak PS adds PostScript language import capability to the functions of HiJaak 2.1. HiJaak ColorSep 2.1 gives PC users the power to create process color separations of images and desktop published documents. The HiJaak family of graphics tools is essential in the connectivity matrix of any serious graphics user.

Artisoft Inc.

Artisoft Inc., founded in 1982, designs and manufactures a full product line of low-cost, award-winning software, hardware and systems for local area networking. Artisoft's LANtastic Local Area Network is the leading DOS-based peer-to-peer LAN because it addresses the needs of small to medium-sized businesses wanting to network anywhere from 2 to 300 computers. The LANtastic network provides a flexible system in which all PC's can share every peripheral and every resource on the network. It not only offers a powerful, full featured, easy-to-use networking solution at an affordable price, it also saves cost conscious businesses the expenses associated with other network operating systems. Artisoft continues to broaden its product line, developing hardware and software connectivity solutions and new capabilities that also work with other networks.

Bantam Electronic Publishing

Bantam Computer Books are published by Bantam Electronic Publishing, a division of Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group Inc. Founded in November 1983, Bantam Electronic Publishing is one of the fastest growing computer book publishers to emerge in recent years. Bantam Electronic Publishing is committed to the introduction of timely, authoritative computer books written by industry experts in cooperation with leading hardware and software companies. When appropriate, the books include software packages related to the content of the book. Bantam Computer Books are available through major book and software chains, independent book stores, and software distributors. Books may also be ordered by calling 1-800-223-6834, Extension 9479 or (212) 492-9479 (in New York).


MICR Interface Check Printing Software
BEAVERTON, Ore., July 27, 1992 -- Timberline Software Corp. has released MICR Interface, a software product that helps property managers cut expenses by using blank check stock for their payables rather than different preprinted checks for each account.

MICR Interface allows property managers to print checks from multiple checking accounts in one check run, eliminating the need for trust accounting reconciliation. Security also is improved because only blank check stock is kept on the premise.

With the interface, check information is sent from Timberline's Property Management Gold software into MICR-PRO from Westcorp Software Systems Inc. The checks are then printed on blank check stock using the correct checking account, unique check information and MICR line.

MICR Interface runs on any IBM or IBM compatible computer, OS/2 manufacturer's supported version. Suggested retail price is $990 single user and $1,490 multi-user. For more information, readers can call Timberline Software at 1-800-628-6583.

Timberline Software Corp. is a leading international supplier of estimating and accounting based business software for the property management, construction, architecture and engineering industries. Founded in 1971, the company has installed more than 15,000 systems worldwide.

Timberline Software Corp., P.O. Box 728  Beaverton, Oregon 97075

(503) 644-8155


Lockbox for Tenant Ledgers & Rent Payments
BEAVERTON, Ore., July 27, 1992 -- Timberline Software Corp. has released Lockbox, a software product that updates tenant ledgers with rent payments received into a property's account at the bank or clearing house.

After deposit to the lockbox, tenant payments are received through electronic transfer or on diskette. Because Lockbox imports rent receipt information directly to Timberline's Property Management Gold tenant ledgers, computer operators no longer have to spend several days each month posting rent receipts. As with any lockbox service, rent receipts begin earning interest sooner than is possible when using traditional methods of collecting rent.

Lockbox is an add-on to Timberline's Property Management Gold software, an accounting and business management product for managers of commercial, residential, retail and mixed-use properties. The software runs on IBM or IBM-compatible computers, OS/2 manufacturers' supported version. Suggested retail price is based on the number of residential units or commercial tenants. Pricing begins at $990 for up to 1,000 units or tenants.

Timberline Software Corp. is a leading international supplier of accounting and estimating business software for the property management, construction, architecture and engineering industries. Founded in 1971, the company has installed more than 15,000 systems worldwide.

Timberline Software Corp., P.O. Box 728  Beaverton, Oregon 97075

(503) 644-8155


MacTOPS 3.1 Ranked The Best by Macrworld Readers
Alameda, Calif., July 27, 1992 -- For the second time, readers of the leading computer industry publication, Macworld, have awarded Sitka Corporation's MacTOPS with a "World Class" award for the best networking software, Sitka announced today. The award was determined by a selected group of Macworld subscribers who were asked to pick their favorite Macintosh products from a field of nearly 2,000 hardware and software choices.

"The SitkaTOPS line of peer-to-peer networking products has enjoyed remarkable success because of its ability to provide affordable and easy to use networking solutions across Macintosh, IBM PC and compatible, and Sun platforms," said Lucia Hicks-Williams, director of product marketing for Sitka Corporation. "To be recognized again for excellence by members of Macworld's half a million subscribers underscores the ongoing need for cross-platform networking solutions."

Macworld will present the "World Class" award to Sitka at Macworld Expo, Boston, on August 4, 1992.

SitkaTOPS leads the market for affordable and easy to use networking software that allows Macintosh, PC and Sun users to integrate multiple platforms into a single network. Over 705,000 copies of SitkaTOPS networking software have been sold. Sitka also offers Sitka 10NET 5.0, the leading peer-to-peer network operating system for DOS and Windows environments.

The SitkaTOPS and 10NET 5.0 installed base will have an easy migration path to the next generation of Sitka products based on the OpenTOPS architecture. OpenTOPS will combine the DOS and Windows capabilities of 10NET 5.0 with the cross-platform features of MacTOPS, DosTOPS, SunTOPS and PenTOPS. OpenTOPS will provide the ease-of-use and low cost of peer networking plus operating system, platform and protocol independence .

Sitka Corporation, a Sun Microsystems, Inc.-owned business, was founded in 1984 and pioneered the market for cross-platform, peer-to-peer networking products. The company markets 10NET, MacTOPS, DosTOPS, SunTOPS, PenCentral and PenTOPS software to connect different hardware platforms and operating systems into a single network. Headquartered in Alameda, Calif., Sitka products are available in 7 languages and 42 countries worldwide

Sitka, 950 Marina Village Parkway, Alameda, CA 94501

510-769-9669


Macworld Music & Sound Bible
IDG BOOKS SHIPS MACWORLD MUSIC & SOUND BIBLE

The Definitive Guide to Music, Sound, and Multimedia on the Mac

San Mateo, CA--July 24, 1992--IDG Books Worldwide today announced the publication of Macworld Music & Sound Bible, a complete reference to the latest hardware, software, and techniques in music and sound. Written by Christopher Yavelow, a composer, multimedia producer, and renowned Macintosh music expert, it's an ideal reference for electronic musicians of all levels who need expert advice on setting up and using a Macintosh-based music studio.

"The Macworld Music & Sound Bible is invaluable for anyone interested in music and sound on the Mac," said Alan Kay, computer visionary and Apple Fellow. "Christopher has it all covered in this book," said recording artist Herbie Hancock.

This definitive applications-oriented handbook covers over 800 Macintosh hardware and software options for music, MIDI, and digital audio, including their applications in composition, performance, film, video, multimedia, and education. The book, which contains over 1300 pages with more than 500 illustrations, features 22 Macintosh studio setups, complete with cabling diagrams and suggested equipment configurations.

The book features a foreword by Herbie Hancock and includes chapter forewords by industry leaders such as Craig Anderton, Curtis Roads, Dominic Frontiere, Marc Canter, and David Mash, and interviews with eminent Mac musicians such as Patrick Moraz, Morton Subotnick, and Mark Lacas.

Yavelow has organized the Macworld Music & Sound Bible to mirror the way users work, beginning with setup and moving to input, editing, and output. Key highlights include computer-assisted composition; detailed analysis of 14 notation programs with sample output; and tips, techniques, scripts, and syntax guides for digital audio and multimedia.

Other topics include patch and sample editing, the Mac in live performance, MIDI sequencing, direct-to-hard-disk recording systems, and synchronization to film and video. Computer-aided music instruction, interactive CD-ROMS, and the Macintosh as music teacher are also covered. The book also features a complete list of Mac music manufacturers, bibliography, and a guide to music bulletin boards and on-line systems.

Christopher Yavelow is a composer, multimedia producer, and consultant with graduate degrees in music composition from Boston University and Harvard. His works have been honored with over 3 dozen international awards, grants, and fellowships. His articles appear regularly in Electronic Musician, Macworld, New Media, and Verbum.

The Macworld Music & Sound Bible is the newest addition to IDG Books' Macworld Series of books, which includes the national bestseller Macworld Guide to System 7, the bestselling Macworld Guide to Word 5, Macworld Networking Handbook, and Macworld Complete Mac Handbook. Macworld Books are authorized by Macworld, which was recently recognized as the Best Computer Magazine (with circulation of 50,000 or more) for the second year in a row by the Computer Press Association.

IDG Books publishes high quality computer books that bring extra value and skill-building instruction to the reader. The company applies the technical, market, and editorial knowledge of IDG, the leading publisher of technology periodicals, to provide timely and useful computer books that meet the needs of computer users of all levels.

Headquartered in Boston, MA, International Data Group is the world's largest publisher of computer-related information and the leading global provider of information services on information technology. International Data Group publishes over 178 computer publications in more than 55 countries, including such titles as PC World, InfoWorld, Macworld, LOTUS & Computerworld. Thirty million people read one or more IDG publications each month.

Macworld Music & Sound Bible by Christopher Yavelow

Price: $37.95 USA, $47.95 Canada,

ISBN: 1-878058-18-5       Pub.Date:June'92

Specs: 1456 pages, 7 3/8" x 9 1/4"

IDG Books are available wherever computer books are sold, or direct from the publisher at (800) 762-2974, 7a.m.-5p.m. PST. For reseller discounts and information, contact IDG Books at (415) 312-0650.


PC World Excel 4 for Windows Handbook
IDG BOOKS SHIPS PC WORLD EXCEL 4 FOR WINDOWS HANDBOOK

Features a Handy Quick Reference Booklet of Worksheet Functions

San Mateo, CA--July 24, 1992--IDG Books Worldwide today announced the publication of PC World Excel 4 for Windows Handbook, a complete reference and tutorial to Excel 4 with hundreds of tips, shortcuts, and real-world examples, and in-depth coverage of all Excel commands, functions, and macros. Written by spreadsheet experts John Walkenbach and David Maguiness, it's an ideal resource for both beginning and advanced users who need to learn the basics and then move on to more sophisticated features of this popular spreadsheet program.

John Walkenbach, a contributing editor to InfoWorld and PC World magazines, recently led the InfoWorld Test Center review team for InfoWorld magazine's benchmark review of Excel 4 for Windows, in which he rated the product "the best spreadsheet available." He brings his spreadsheet expertise and in-depth knowledge of Excel 4 to this book.

PC World Excel 4 for Windows Handbook covers basic spreadsheet operations as well as in-depth coverage of charts and presentation graphics. The book shows users how to create custom macros, menus, and toolbar icons to help them automate their work. Easy-to-understand explanations of advanced features such as goal-seeking, Solver, the Analysis ToolPak add-in, and other add-in tools are also covered.

The authors explain how to use Solver in the business world, such as for optimizing investment portfolios, analyzing profit margins, and scheduling staff resources. Techniques for exchanging data with other applications, including Lotus 1-2-3, are also featured.

As an added value, the book includes a free 32-page Quick Reference Booklet, which provides users with handy access to the most common Excel 4 worksheet functions.

John Walkenbach, a leading spreadsheet expert, is a contributing editor for PC World and InfoWorld magazines. He is the co-author of IDG Books' PC World 1-2-3 for Windows Complete Handbook. David Maguiness is a frequent contributor to several computer periodicals and has written over 7 computer books. He is writing the Macworld Guide To Microsoft Excel, to be published by IDG Books this fall.

The PC World Excel 4 for Windows Handbook is the newest addition to IDG Books' PC World Handbook series of books, which are complete tutorials and references for beginning and more advanced users. Other titles in the series include the national bestseller PC World DOS 5 Complete Handbook and the upcoming PC World Word for Windows Handbook. PC World Books are authorized by PC World, the leading monthly magazine of DOS and Windows desktop computing.

IDG Books publishes high quality computer books that bring extra value and skill-building instruction to the reader. The company applies the technical, market, and editorial knowledge of IDG, the leading publisher of technology periodicals, to provide timely and useful computer books that meet the needs of computer users of all levels.

Headquartered in Boston, MA, International Data Group is the world's largest publisher of computer-related information and the leading global provider of information services on information technology. International Data Group publishes over 178 computer publications in more than 55 countries, including such titles as PC World, InfoWorld, Macworld, LOTUS & Computerworld. Thirty million people read one or more IDG publications each month.

PC World Excel 4 for Windows Handbook

by John Walkenbach and David Maguiness

Price: $29.95 USA, $39.95 Canada

ISBN: 1-878058-46-0       Pub.Date:June'92

Specs: 1456 pages, 7 3/8" x 9 1/4", includes Quick Reference Booklet

IDG Books are available wherever computer books are sold or direct from the publisher at (800) 762-2974, 7a.m.-5p.m. PST. For reseller discounts and information, contact IDG Books at (415) 312-0650.