351 lines
24 KiB
Plaintext
351 lines
24 KiB
Plaintext
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RAndY's RumOR RaG
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February 1992
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MISCELLANEOUS
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I hear that OS/2 2.0 is having trouble running on some of
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IBM's own computers. Apparently, it won't even load on a PS/2
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Model 57. This doesn't look good, folks.
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IBM is also suggesting that vendors install OS/2 2.0 on
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customers' hard drives, apparently figuring that installing 14
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disks is too intimidating. 14 disks??
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---------------
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In related news of operating systems not working right, I also
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hear that Digital Research has shipped an update to DR-DOS 6 but
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that there are problems with that fix also.
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---------------
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Here's some uplifting news: the December volume of the Netware
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Support Encyclopedia carried the Stoned 3 virus on some of the
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disks. This affliction freezes your computer, alerts you that
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your computer is stoned, and recommends the legalization of
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marijuana.
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The Novell people quickly shipped out virus detectors and
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clean disks, but nobody knows how this happened.
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---------------
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Symantec, publisher of the Norton Utilities, is getting into
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the game business. One of their Windows games is a connect-the-dot
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thing but apparently it cheats and won't let you win. I've
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suspected for years that the computer was cheating on some of these
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games.
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---------------
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I'm not normally a fan of magazines put out by companies.
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They promote their product and tell you that theirs is the greatest
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thing around. But the newest issue of Aldus Magazine has an
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excellent article on offset lithography and another great article
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on paper. The article on paper goes into great detail about the
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differences between coated and non-coated stock as well as other
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technicalities which determine how good your output looks. I
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believe that subscriptions are only through the purchase of Aldus
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products.
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Speaking of Aldus, as I write this Aldus stock is taking a
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nosedive. Apparently there is a perception that pageMaker could
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face enormous competition from a new generation of high-end word
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processors.
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---------------
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Look for lower 386 prices just around the corner. Intel will
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be lowering 386 prices by as much as 35% in the second quarter.
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These changes are a result of competitive chip prices and 486 and
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386SL revenue. Intel will lower 386DX-25 chips from $152 to $99
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(quantity 1000) and a 386SX-20 will drop from $82.50 to $59.
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Expect a 10%-15% reduction in end users prices as a result of all
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of this.
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In related news, AMD claimed it had captured 30% of the 386
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market in the fourth quarter of 1991. An AMD spokesman claimed
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that Intel's planned price cuts were not a surprise and would not
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affect their company. Analysts do not feel that the price cuts
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will hurt AMD's market share, but could have an effect on profit
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margins.
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---------------
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Adobe is working on a major upgrade to the Windows version of
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Illustrator which will offer file compatibility with Mac and Next
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computers. New features include the ability to edit images in
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preview mode, extended graphing capabilities, and the ability to
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enter and manipulate text directly within art. There will also be
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a new version of Streamline, which converts bitmap images to
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vector-based.
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---------------
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Borland's stock has been taking a beating amid fears that
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Quattro Pro for Windows and Paradox for Windows would not meet
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anticipated first quarter shipping dates.
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---------------
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Expect something new soon from Approach Software of a Windows
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database that can access Paradox, dBase, and SQL files. It's
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expected to ship in March.
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---------------
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Just downloaded HIMEM.SYS Version 3.03 and EMM386.EXE Version
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4.41 from a BBS and noticed a substantial change in memory
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allocation. I don't know what's going on technically, but I'd
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guess these are in preparation for Windows 3.1. Anyway, when I do
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a MEM/C, my free memory jumped from 317K to 322K. After printing
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out a listing from MEM/C, it looks like the EMM386.EXE program
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takes up 5.1K less than before, and there is now 3.6K additional
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free in my Upper Memory Blocks. I don't know exactly what happened
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or why, but I'll take it.
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---------------
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GOOD NEWS - RAndY's RumOR RaG will soon be carried in its
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entirety in ModemNews. (Up until now, they only printed excerpts.)
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I talked to creator/publisher Jeff Green and he said it was one of
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the most popular features and will be reproduced in full along with
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a similar column for Macintosh people. We need to talk about this
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Mac stuff, Jeff.
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---------------
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According to the WordPerfect Reseller Report, during the first
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30 days, 369,693 copies of WordPerfect for Windows were sold.
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That's just sales, not reseller copies and not the number shipped.
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Still, that's not too bad.
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This product has some problems, though. The display is NOT
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WYSIWYG. I've tried lining up song lyrics with the chord changes
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above each line, and I always have to monkey with putting in spaces
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so everything lines up right. I like WordPerfect for Windows, but
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it makes me mad that if I switch from the Windows printer driver to
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the WordPerfect driver and then back to the Windows driver, the
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default font is something funky - not what I want it to be and not
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what it was set at before. Also, when I switch to landscape or
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actually make any change to the printer drivers, I get the dialog
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box saying it's "updating printer information" and it churns away
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at the hard drive for 30 seconds or so. Please fix this stuff
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soon.
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---------------
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IS ANYBODY THINKING? DEPT. - can someone tell me why they ship
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PC Tools on high density disks, then send the 7.1 bug-fix disks on
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360K?
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---------------
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I've just seen the most incredible VGA demo from the people at
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UltraForce. That's a company in the Netherlands that does superb
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3D demos. I can give you the address if you want, but this demo is
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the best I've seen on a PC. Catch it on a BBS near you.
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---------------
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WINDOWS 3.1 UPDATE
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It looks like we'll be waiting until April for the
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introduction of Windows 3.1. Microsoft shipped the "final beta
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version" of the product at the beginning of January.
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This new beta version includes the final implementation of
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TrueType along with the first working versions of several
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multimedia extensions.
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Sources inside Microsoft say that the product will be released
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on April 6 at the Windows World show in Chicago. Following the
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rollout will be a major advertising campaign, of course.
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Three new audio features are included. Through the Windows
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Control Panel, users can assign sounds to different applications
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and system events. You can select a sound to play when you start
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Windows and other sounds can be application specific. For example,
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an application could play a trumpet sound whenever you encounter a
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warning message. (Don't ask me why, I just report this stuff.)
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To use these features, you'll need a sound card which conforms
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to the Multimedia Personal Computer specifications. If you don't
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have one, you'll just get a beep.
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A second program called the sound recorder will allow users to
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record, play, and edit sound files. The recorder has VCR-like
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control buttons and includes a "wave box" panel that displays a
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graphical oscilloscope-like representation of the sound. New
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sounds can be recorded with a microphone. Editing capabilities
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include blending files, speed adjustments, playing sounds
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backwards, and adding echo.
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The multimedia player program plays multimedia files including
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MIDI song files and audio and video discs. It supports both
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compound and simple multimedia devices.
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Also included in this beta release were 25 TrueType fonts.
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The documentation says in part: "Play with these, have fun, but
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don't count on any of them being in the final Windows 3.1 product.
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In fact, we don't promise to ship any of these fonts ever again."
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Hmmmm.....
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Starting in March, Microsoft will launch an $8 million
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television advertising blitz in preparation for the release of
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Windows 3.1. The whole campaign will be aimed at upping the appeal
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of Windows applications. Look for 15-second commercials touting
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Word for Windows and Excel.
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Meanwhile at NextWorld, Steve Jobs was wisecracking that
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Windows NT was "just a UNIX wannabe". And the show goes on ...
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---------------
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STANDARDS FOR PORTABLES
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Microsoft, Intel, and Phoenix Technologies have launched the
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Portable Computing Initiative, an attempt to increase versatility
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and battery life in portable computers. The objectives of this
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group are to load DOS and Windows into ROM chips, ROM DOS to
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support Advanced Power Management, and to set standards for
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portable computing.
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The initial signs of something happening is the announcement
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of a ROM version of DOS 5 (called DOS 5.0a) which complies with
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power management standards. Later this year, this will be followed
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by a "Lite" version of Windows for ROM, and scaled down versions of
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Excel and Works for Windows.
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In related developments, Chips & Technologies will be
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including its PC/Chip computer-on-a-chip in Phoenix Technologies'
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Palmtop Reference which will include MS-DOS 5 in ROM card form, the
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PC/Chip and LotusWorks in ROM form. This reference set is expected
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to be available to OEM developers sometime in the first quarter.
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---------------
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CHIP WARS
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By the time this is published, Advanced Micro Devices is
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expected to announce a line of 486 processors which will be
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identical to and plug compatible with Intel's. The release of the
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chips will be staggered throughout the year, but speeds will
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include 25 mhz, 33 mhz, and 50 mhz models. Also under development
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are 486SX and 486SL chips.
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Since the introduction of their 386 chip, AMD has captured 30%
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of the market and generated $145 million in sales.
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The 50 mhz chip is expected to ship during the third or fourth
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quarter and prices have not been released but is expected to be
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competitive with Intel's. AMD is also rumored to be considering a
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33 mhz 386SX microprocessor. Sources say that if such a chip were
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marketed, quantities would be immediately available.
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In related news, Cyrix is planning to introduce its 386 and
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486 lines this year including a 40 mhz 386SX, 33 mhz and 50 mhz
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386DX, and a 50 mhz 486 chip. These chips are expected to be
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introduced late in the first quarter.
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---------------
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NEW SOFTWARE?
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Lotus Development is thinking about moving away from its
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traditional 1-2-3 spreadsheet analogy for its next generation
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product. This project has been called Walden and has been in the
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planning stages for some time.
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The idea began about the same time as 1-2-3 for Windows, and
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now there is really some code. Apparently it is being written
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mostly in C++ and the final product will have a customizable
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interface and advanced scripting language. Users will be able to
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edit objects by calling up lists of attributes rather than
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navigating through menus.
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Original plans were for a product launch (for Windows) at the
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end of 1992 with Mac, UNIX, and OS/2 versions closely behind, but
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at this point it is unclear if Lotus will still follow that
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schedule.
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In other Lotus news, look for an upgrade to that awful
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LotusWorks thing. The new Version 3 will have a reworked
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spreadsheet which is more "1-2-3-like". The module is not 100%
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Lotus compatible, but the 27 or so most common keystroke sequences
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will work the same. Also included will be better support for laser
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printers, fonts, and attributes. Some of Lotus' Impress technology
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is responsible for that.
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I hear that Lotus is also working on an upgrade to Symphony,
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but it's unclear if there will be a Windows version. Who cares?
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---------------
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ELECTRONIC PEOPLE
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I came across a product announcement that sounds interesting.
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Mannequin 1.1 software lets you incorporate 3-D, ergonomically-
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correct human forms into CAD and graphics packages. Mannequin
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creates human-likenesses (men, women, children of different sizes,
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shapes and nationalities) that can see, walk, bend, and grasp
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objects. All of this can be integrated into programs like Autodesk
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3D Studio, Animator Pro, Micrografx Designer, Harvard Graphics, and
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AutoCAD. There is support for virtual memory and palette features.
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Don't get excited, I said ergonomically-correct not
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anatomically-correct. But I still think I could have some fun with
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this one. MSRP is $499.
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---------------
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NEW AOL SOFTWARE
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Subscribers to America Online have new communications software
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available. If you haven't upgraded to Version 1.3 yet, just use
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the keyword UPGRADE and get it ordered - it's FREE!
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They've changed several things about the software including
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support for DOS 5. That means you don't have to have SETVER trick
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the program into thinking it's DOS 4. Also, you can now run the
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software from Windows in Enhanced mode with PIF and ICO files
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included. There is improved mouse support with compatibility with
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more different brands.
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One of the better features is the ability to compose mail
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offline. You can write E-Mail messages before signing on and
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there is also an Address Book included for keeping track of friends
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on the service. Before downloading a file, you can check a box
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that will sign you off after the download is complete. Also
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included is a graphic gauge to monitor the status of your download.
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Finally, you can perform simple DOS functions such as Delete, Open,
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Rename, and more without exiting the AOL program.
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---------------
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SOFTWARE CHEATERS
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The Software Publishers Association recently raided Advanced
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Business Microsystems in Irvine, CA finding more than $100,000 of
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unauthorized software. The president of ABM, developer of the
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Platinum Series accounting package denied any wrongdoing. But
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witnesses have alleged that company officials instructed employees
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to make and use illegal copies. The company can now either settle
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with the SPA or go to court.
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---------------
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INTEL NEWS
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Intel Corporation is planning to unleash at least 30 new 386
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and 486 chips on us this year. By the end of the year, the number
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will be over 40 as compared to the present 9 offerings. Many of
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the new chips will be 486 derivatives for portable and notebook
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computers.
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Expect to see low power 486-based versions of the 386SL chip
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which includes built-in peripheral chips and power management
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features. Included in this roundup are a 3.3-volt 386SL, 3.3-volt
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486SX, and a 3.3-volt 486-class version of the SL processors in a
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range of clock speeds. Also under development for release this
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year are 66 mhz, 16 mhz, and 20 mhz versions of the 486DX as well
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as a 33 mhz 486SX. And rumors have been abounding about
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development of "clock doubler" or "speed doubling" chips which will
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operate normally externally, but double the clock speed internally.
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These will be available in two packages - one for computer makers
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building systems and the other for resellers who sell and upgrade
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486SX computers that have an empty CPU upgrade socket. These
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"doubler" chips are pin-compatible with existing Intel 486 chips
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and let owners upgrade their performance by just plugging in a
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chip.
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Many vendors fear that such a wide choice will only spark
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confusion in buyers. People are already confused about the 486SX
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and a wider choice will make things more difficult for people on
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both sides of the counter.
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Most significant to be excluded from this plethora of chips is
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the P5 or 586 which is still expected to ship this year. The
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expectation is that you won't see too many 586 machines until
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around Christmas. (The P5 will contain 3 million transistors and
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offer performance in the area of 100 million instructions per
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second.)
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Mysteriously there was no word on increasing the performance
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of the 386SX or 386DX chips. I wonder why?
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---------------
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FILE EXPRESS 5.1
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Following on the heels of a major overhaul to File Express,
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Expressware has just released File Express 5.1. I haven't gotten
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my hands on it yet, but should be able to do a complete review next
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month. In the meantime, here are some highlights concerning what's
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new and what's changed.
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Pressing CTRL-D when viewing a record will dial through your
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modem using the contents of the field you're on. File locking can
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be turned off in the setup program. (Everyone I know has had
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problems with being locked out of a database and it's frustrating
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to have it happen all the time.)
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You will have more Quick Scan fields (20) and Quick Scan, Find
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Records, and Add Records will be integrated. You can Search for a
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record in Quick Scan, jump to the full screen record display mode,
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and continue searching a d displaying records easily.
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You can define and save up to 9 different Quick Scan layouts
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and Search criteria. There are new printer drivers, faster screen
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displays, selective indexes and smart indexes. Automatic field
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spacing for labels has returned (YEAH!).
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Just looking at the changes, it looks good. I hope the bugs
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have been worked out. Hope to let you know more next month.
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---------------
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DISCLAIMER
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RAndY's RumOR RaG is published on a monthly basis by AINSWORTH
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COMPUTER SERVICES and is available on various BBS's, GEnie, and
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America Online as well as in Modem News.
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In case anyone cares, RAndY's RumOR RaG is produced on a DTK
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386-33 with 16 megs of memory, Cyrix Fasmath co-processor, ATI VGA
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Wonder+ card (1 MB), 105 MB Toshiba IDE hard drive, Teac 1.2 MB,
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360K, and 1.44 MB floppies, Sceptre VGA display, Microsoft mouse,
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WordPerfect for Windows and transmitted through a US Robotics HST
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Dual Standard modem.
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Opinions expressed are those of the author. Comments should
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be addressed to Ainsworth Computer Services on GEnie.
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AINSWORTH COMPUTER SERVICES
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605 W. Wishkah
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Aberdeen, WA 98520-6031
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(206) 533-6647
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GEnie Address: RAG
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Aberdeen - Home of Nirvana (I know they suck, but just had to throw
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it in.)
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