392 lines
20 KiB
Plaintext
392 lines
20 KiB
Plaintext
RAndY's RumOR RaG
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April 1992
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WINDOWS NEWS
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Microsoft says they're ready to ship between 1.5 million and
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2 million copies of Windows 3.1 when the shipping date arrives. In
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an unusual arrangement, Microsoft has shipped 1 million copies
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directly to Federal Express for April 6th delivery. When that date
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comes, the equivalent of 15 Boeing 747's will deliver about 200,000
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copies to users who preordered from Microsoft. They also plan to
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ship six foreign language versions at the same time.
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Interestingly, the package now says "operating system", as opposed
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to the previous "graphical environment".
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---------------
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You may have heard about the feud between Microsoft and
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Digital Research. Microsoft is refusing to help DRI make DR-DOS
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compatible with Windows 3.1. The word is that DRI/Novell have
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programmers in England working on a graphical operating system
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(Windows clone). Microsoft is concerned that this clone will come
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to market before they can get Windows NT out. I don't think they
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should be too concerned given the track record for DRI.
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Pundits are wondering why Microsoft shipped the new PowerPoint
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without traditional beta testing like their other recent products.
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The common opinion is that they didn't want any leaks, but some
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suspect that the product may be weak and unimpressive.
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WordPerfect is expected to ship WordPerfect Mail for Windows
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this quarter. The company has also previewed a future Windows-
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based WordPerfect Office. A portion of Office for Windows that is
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already in working order is called Notify, an events applications
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that alerts other users if incoming and outgoing messages as well
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as appointments via audio or visual alarms.
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An announcement date has not yet been set.
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---------------
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Within 30 days of the shipping of Windows 3.1, Hewlett-Packard
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will send out version 4 of NewWave. Look for additions to its
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"agents" feature including a forms-type interface option for agent
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tasks and the ability to link more than one agent task.
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Still waiting for Quattro Pro for Windows, but beta testers
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say it's getting closer. Testers report that it could be a
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powerful opponent to 1-2-3 and Excel with drag-and-drop
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functionality, easy to understand notebook metaphor, and
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compatibility with existing 1-2-3 formats.
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---------------
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Expect to see an enhanced 32-bit video controller soon from
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Western Digital. This is not a board, but a GUI accelerated
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desktop VGA controller, a result of extensive cooperation between
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Western Digital and Microsoft.
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Inset Systems is introducing HiJaak for Windows ($249). This
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utility lets users manipulate graphics and offers conversion
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capabilities. The software uses OLE technology and users can
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easily incorporate its capabilities into other applications.
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Included are vector-to-vector and vector-to-raster conversions for
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15 different vector graphics formats. The Multiple Document
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Interface allows simultaneous viewing of multiple images.
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The announcement should have been made by the time this is
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published and the product is expected to ship late this spring -
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Procomm Plus for Windows. (YES!) The product will have all the
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functionality of the DOS version with enhancements such as more
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powerful keyboard mapping and the ability to view GIFs as you're
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downloading.
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June is the expected shipping date for Microsoft's long-
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awaited Windows database program, Cirrus.
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NEWS IN YER FACE
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Intel's CEO Andrew Grove recently referred to AMD's share of
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the 386 market as "mice *!#@".
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With Apple picking its distribution partners, look for one of
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them to be a major retailer with the motto of "Where America
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Shops."
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During Intel's recent announcement for their clock doubler
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chips, a short film drew audience hisses when Bill Gates appeared
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in the film.
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Borland will soon introduce a $69.95 videotape aimed at mass
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marketers called Learn Programming Today.
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Microsoft is in the process of setting up toll-free hot-line
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support in at least four Latin American countries where it has
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subsidiaries.
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This June, Compaq will be introducing a line of low-end
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systems, but don't expect to see a non-Intel processor. Big boy
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Intel has allegedly given Compaq irresistible pricing to make sure
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they keep this big customer.
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There will be two product lines; desktop PC's that are
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different from their DeskPro line and notebook computers that look
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different than their LTE line. The will not have a modular design
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like the PS/1. They will use 1024x768 VGA adapters from Western
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Digital.
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Both lines will feature preloaded software like Windows 3.1
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and several popular applications.
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Dealers are angry at Microsoft's current DOS 5 promotion.
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Major newspapers have carried advertisements for the DOS 5 package
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at $49.95. With already low profits, dealers are not pleased.
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Some have speculated that the reason for the promotion is that
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Microsoft is clearing out inventory in anticipation of a DOS 5.1
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release. A Microsoft spokesman said "There is no plan to introduce
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DOS 5.1. We're not trying to clear out inventory."
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Since July, 2.7 million users have bought the DOS 5 Upgrade
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package.
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Look for the cost of 3.5 disks to go up. Consumers are buying
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them up at an astonishing rate and manufacturers have been caught
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off-guard. The shortage is expected to last for 4-6 months.
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Ingram Micro (a large software/hardware distributor) has seen a
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200% growth in sales of 3.5 disks from the first quarter of 1991
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through February of 1992.
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Apple plans to enhance their new System 7 operating system to
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allow future migration to RISC hardware platforms. This would put
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Apple in the client/server market and give integrators new options.
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Intel has announced LANProtect, a network anti-virus
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application that stems from a joint effort with Trend Micro
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Devices. The product is a NetWare Loadable Module that resides on
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a server and continuously scans incoming and outgoing files using
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a proprietary prescan protocol stack to detect any virus activity.
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Be careful about mixing the Norton Speed Disk defragmentation
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utility with DR DOS SuperStor. Although DR DOS' documentation
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warns against using third-party optimizers, I've heard reports
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where Speed Disk trashed an entire disk leaving only unmovable
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files and unloadable programs.
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Beta testers for Borland have been wringing their hands
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recently because Borland has been promising Paradox for Windows for
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weeks, and no disks yet. Philippe has promised they'll be out by
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the end of March.
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Silicon Graphics announced an agreement to acquire Mips
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Computer Systems (big RISC maker). This is a $400 million deal
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which increases concerns about Mips' ability to keep its design
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open as well as whether Silicon Graphics will be seen as having an
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unfair advantage in the ACE consortium. ACE members Compaq,
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Digital Equipment, and Microsoft have endorsed the deal.
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This deal gives Silicon Graphics access to Mips' OEMs and
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RISC-based workstations which are defined by ACE specifications.
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This also gives Silicon Graphics a way out of its traditional
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scientific and technical market and into the growing client/server
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market.
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INTEL NEWS
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There's a lot happening with Intel right now. Expect to see
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the introduction of the 25/50 and 33/66 486 doubler chips by the
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time you read this. The official name for these dual speed chips
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is 486DX2. Enhancements through retail channels will be carry the
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Overdrive moniker. As a retail product, Intel plans to provide
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both the chip and a chip puller.
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Sometime this summer, Intel is scheduled to release the P5 or
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586 processor. This chip will have a 64-bit architecture including
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a 64-bit external bus. Initially, the 586 will have a 66mhz clock
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speed and perform at 40 MIPS. It will have two identical
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processing units and two banks of cache memory (kind of like two
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486 chips). (Because of the two processing units, the chip will be
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able to execute two instructions simultaneously.)
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The 586 will be binary compatible and have 5 to 7 times faster
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floating performance, and provide error correction and fault
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tolerance.
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Along with the P5, Intel is getting a dual P5 module ready
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which will be a small add-in board with two P5 chips for multi-
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processing systems. The dual P5 module will be available next
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year.
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Not one to be sitting idle, Intel is already working the P6 or
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686.
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While I'm talking about the 586, Intel is looking for a
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release early next year of a low-end 32-bit version of the 80586
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processor which could plug directly into 486DX sockets. They're
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also launching an aggressive single-chip upgrade program to allow
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486-based systems to be upgraded to a range of performance levels
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in the 5868 family by simply swapping chips.
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This lower cost 586 will allow 486 systems running Windows to
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have the equivalent of two processors running applications
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simultaneously. Performance is estimated at three times that of
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the 486DX-50.
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LOTUS NEWS
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Sometime this spring, Lotus will take on Microsoft in the
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software bundling game with the introduction of SmartSuite. This
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package will contain Freelance Graphics, Ami Pro 2, cc:Mail, and an
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upgraded 1-2-3/W with new audio training materials and merged
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documentation. Suggested price will be $895. The original ship
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date was January, then they delayed it until mid-April, but now
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it's anybody's guess.
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Meanwhile, it looks like Lotus is taking some cues from
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Borland. They are planning a performance upgrade for 1-2-3 for
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Windows this spring, then another release with built-in groupware
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capabilities later in the year.
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LOW-END NETWORK
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Microsoft is once again taking a stab at Novell, this time
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with a low-end peer-to-peer Windows designed to battle NetWare Lite
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and LANtastic.
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This is an alternative Windows known as Sparta. It will
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include electronic mail, group scheduling capabilities, and a real
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time chat feature. Users can designate a directory as sharable and
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other users can access files in that subdirectory. The program
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only requires 10K to 20K of RAM.
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Windows Sparta will work with network adapters that conform to
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the Network Device Interface Specification. Sparta will not
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replace Windows, but users who want to network their PCs would buy
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it instead of Windows 3 or 3.1.
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Microsoft also has asked hardware developers to simplify
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networking under Windows by building Ethernet and Token Ring into
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PC motherboards. Microsoft also discussed the availability of low
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cost hub cards and the redesign of printers, modems, and upgrade
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kits to help make Windows network-ready.
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Availability of Sparta is scheduled for the end of 1992.
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PARADOX 4 COMING SOON
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While we're waiting for the Windows version of Paradox,
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Borland continues work on the DOS product. Paradox 4 has not yet
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gone into beta testing, but will add support for memo fields,
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optimized query performance, and event trapping. It will also read
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more data formats including DBF files. Query performance will be
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boosted by 35%-40% and possibly more in some multiuser situations.
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Beta copies should ship soon and the product is expected to
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ship by late June.
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QUATTRO PRO 4
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This latest version of Borland's Lotus killer is now shipping.
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Gone is the mouse menu on the right side of the screen, and it's
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been replaced with a Speedbar (similar to Excel). My only
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complaint is that you still have to load your mouse driver before
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starting the program. I suggest that Borland and others take a cue
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from WordPerfect's DOS program (among others) that have mouse
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support built in.
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Finally included are auditing tools, a part of Quattro Pro
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that has suffered in the past.
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Particularly impressive are new graphing tools which let you
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change the way your data is analyzed without returning to the
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spreadsheet and manipulating your data. For example, if you have
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a sheet with daily totals entered, you can switch between analyzing
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the numbers on a monthly basis, quarterly, weekly, or whatever
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without going back to your worksheet and messing with the numbers.
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The WYSIWYG tends to extract a price in performance. This was
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first noticed on Version 3 and it's better with Version 4. But,
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the screen just "looks funny" to me for some reason.
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Graphing is good with the addition of something called a
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Bubble graph. Who dreams this stuff up?
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Borland is finally shipping the software on high density
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disks; others please take notice. Of course, Lotus compatibility
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seems well done.
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As I've said in the past, if you have to use a DOS-based
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spreadsheet, go with Quattro Pro.
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PROFESSIONAL TOOLKIT FOR VISUAL BASIC
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As you read this, Microsoft should be shipping a set of add-
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ons to extend interface control and programming options for Visual
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Basic.
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Included are support for OLE, multiple document interfaces,
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and multimedia and pen interfaces. This stand-alone product will
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carry a suggested price of $299, but for a limited time will sell
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for an introductory price of $99. It will also be bundled with
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Visual Basic for $495 (list price).
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Several shrink-wrapped applications developed with Visual
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Basic are also going to be released soon, but Microsoft is tight
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lipped. Microsoft has already used Visual Basic in internal
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development including Project 3.
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NEW AST MULTIPROCESSING BOX
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You remember AST? They're the guys who sell proprietary
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hardware at outrageous prices.
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They've been recently showing off their new MicroFrame, a
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multiple processing computer. According to AST, users will be able
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to swap RISC and Intel processors as the main CPUs.
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They say that this is a machine that will be "support-
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intensive" and some sort of reseller rights are being contemplated.
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The computer will run up to four processors and include error
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correction code, Redundant Arrays of Inexpensive Disks (RAID)
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hardware and redundant power supplies.
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Initially, AST will release the box using Intel 486-50
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processors, and RISC configurations will follow only if the market
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demands them (and if more RISC software becomes available).
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The processor boards tie into a common 64-bit backplane. Said
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a spokesman, "the system is designed around a series of cards.
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There is no motherboard." The machine is designed with an EISA I/O
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bus that ties into the backplane and includes five SCSI channels.
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To permit processor interchangeability, AST is planning to
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implement Extended BIOS. The BIOS will initially support SCO MPX
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and eventually other multiprocessing operating systems. There are
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plans by AST to support Windows NT, since Microsoft is expected to
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include multiprocessing technology in that product.
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The machine is expected to be available in June with an entry-
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level price of about $25,000.
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OS/2 NEWS
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Jeez, now I've got to devote a section to OS/2 - where is the
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world going?
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Anyway, it looks like the shipping version of OS/2 2.0 will be
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on 20 disks!! Just to get 1 million copies out the door is going to
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take 20 million disks!! I hear that you can expect to see an OS/2
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2.1 shortly after the release, hopefully free. The 2.1 release is
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expected to feature more condensed code.
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IBM will begin electronic distribution of OS/2 2 to customers
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and distributors on March 31 with shrink-wrapped retail copies
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shipping in the following two weeks.
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Windows support will only be on machines with VGA, SVGA and
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XGA support will follow later, as will the 32-bit graphics engine
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developed by Micrografx. The later update will also feature
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support for Windows 3.1. The upgrade is expected to be provided by
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IBM this summer in a Corrective Service Diskette (I love these IBM
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monikers).
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At the IBM introduction of OS/2 on April 6th (who picked that
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date?), Lotus will demonstrate 1-2-3 for OS/2 2.0. They will also
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announce their intentions to deliver 32-bit versions of Ami Pro,
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Freelance Graphics, and cc:Mail for OS/2 this year along with a 32-
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bit Notes for OS/2 scheduled for a year end release.
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IBM is also working with Lotus to preload 1-2-3 on PS/2
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computers along with the OS/2 operating system (they must have huge
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hard drives). (DeScribe is negotiating with IBM on a similar deal
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with their 32-bit version of their word processor due out April 1.)
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This version of 1-2-3 will feature SmartIcons, the same Solver
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as 1-2-3/G, Datalens access to OS/2's database manager, and a draw
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layer that lets users annotate and create charts right on the
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spreadsheet.
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One of my suppliers has a service where I can call on the
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modem and order products. I can also check inventory to see if
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something is in stock or get an updated price.
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About a week before the release date for Windows 3.1 and OS/2
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2.0, I called and checked on stock quantities. Windows 3.1 was
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backordered over 14,400 copies and OS/2 was backordered less than
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100. Hmmm...
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Current OS/2 users will get a free upgrade, Windows users will
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pay $49, and DOS upgrades will be $99. Suggested retail price will
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be $195.
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MICROSOFT BUYS FOX
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You've read about it in the papers and seen interviews on TV
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concerning the proposed acquisition by Microsoft of Fox Software.
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The outspoken Mr. Gates of Microsoft said that Fox's FoxPro
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line of xBase development tools were "the most undermarketed
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products in the PC software business".
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After news of the proposed acquisition hit the streets,
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Borland's stock dropped $7.25 while Microsoft's rose. (On the day
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of the announcement, Philippe Kahn said that Borland's new Paradox
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products could ship as late as August.)
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This has got to be egg on the face to Philippe & Co. and when
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asked why Borland didn't buy FoxPro, Dave Fulton (President of Fox)
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said, "Borland didn't approach us".
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The immediate plans are to drop the Fox corporate name, boost
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international sales of FoxPro, and extend the product's presence in
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the Macintosh markets.
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This puts Microsoft in a strong position in the relational
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database market. Users familiar with Fox products say that if
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Microsoft takes advantage of FoxPro's fast technology, it could
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threaten Borland's database market. Insiders wonder about
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Microsoft's coming Windows database product, Cirrus, in light of
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Fox's soon to be released FoxPro for Windows.
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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 SVGA 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, America
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Online, phone, analog mail, or whatever method makes you feel good.
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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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America Online: RumOR RaG |