350 lines
18 KiB
Plaintext
350 lines
18 KiB
Plaintext
RAndY's RumOR RaG
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October 1994
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NEWS IN YER FACE
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By the time you read this, HP will have introduced a couple
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of "monochrome killers" which will sell in the $350 range for
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color inkjet printing. The DeskJet 540C will print at 300 dpi in
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color and 600x300 for black-and-white printing.
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The OfficeJet (at $799) will let users print, copy, and fax
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documents with one machine. They will also introduce the Color
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LaserJet with an anticipated street price in the $6,300-$6,500
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range. The printer will be based on an AMD 20mhz 29030 processor
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with 300 dpi resolution (Resolution Enhancement Technology gives
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it a perceived resolution of 600 dpi).
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Another new printer called the LaserJet 4V, a Canon LBP-BX
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II based unit which prints on 11x17 paper at 600 dpi at speeds of
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16 ppm for letter-size paper and 9 ppm for tabloid-size paper.
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It has dual trays including a 250-sheet input tray and a 100-
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sheet multi-purpose tray. The street price will be in the $2,800-
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$2,900 range.
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Microsoft is continuing it's hardware line with the
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introduction of the Natural Keyboard. There are three new keys,
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two of which are for accessing the Task Manager and the third is
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an apps key. These keys will automatically map to the START
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button of Chicago (when and if it's ever released). If you
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thought their At Home Mouse was ugly, wait until you see this
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thing. Imagine what your keyboard would look like if you left it
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on top of the stove - the Natural Keyboard is a squiggly looking
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thing with the primary keys split down the middle.
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Creative Labs is getting into the software business with
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five edutainment titles for the holiday selling season - marketed
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under the moniker of BlasterWare. They're also getting into the
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musical keyboard market with a product called BlasterKeys.
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Hayes president Dennis Hayes recently stressed self-
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censorship in the BBS sector. Hayes said that if the industry
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doesn't police itself, the government "will go after everyone in
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the guise of protecting your children from violence and nudity."
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IBM recently urged employees to strongly oppose the two
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health care bills now in Congress. It's about time a major
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corporation took a stand against socialism.
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New York City recently bought some electronic voting
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machines. No big deal, except the machines use the long-obsolete
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Z-80 processor - and cost $6,000 each! Some wonder if the city
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will tabulate ballot results with VisiCalc.
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Earlier this year, Carl Sagan got mad at Apple when he found
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out they had a product code-named in his honor. Apple changed
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the name of the product but Sagan sued for defamation when he
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learned that the new name BHA stood for "Butt-Head Astronomer."
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Officially IBM says they will only build Chicago support
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into OS/2 if users demand it, but insiders say that OS/2 will be
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able to run 32-bit Chicago apps sometime in 1995.
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Cyberspace has a new job coming for notary publics. The
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American Bar Association is working on guidelines for the
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position of cybernotary. They describe the position as an
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"international computer-based transaction specialist."
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Look for Quarterdeck to enter the Internet business with
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products which make it easier for users to access Internet as
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well as authoring tools for Word and WordPerfect.
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The authoring tools convert text into Hyper Text Markup
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Language without awkward coding. (HTML lets viewers see
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information as the author intended regardless of the software or
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computer they're using.)
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Symantec has discovered a problem with their Norton
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Utilities Speed Disk for the Mac which can result in a loss of
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data. They've suspended shipments of the product and will fix
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the problem and update the product within the next three weeks.
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The product has only been out for a month.
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That's what you get for not using a REAL computer <snicker>.
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Problems continue with the PCI bus, but the original
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problems have been corrected. Some users are having problems
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with video and audio cards. Intel claims that the problems are
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with third-party vendors who don't fully understand the
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technology, and that the problems are not Pentium related.
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The PCI specification is only two years old, but it seems
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that it is emerging as the de facto standard for Pentium-class
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machines.
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Intel claims to have corrected problems with PCI SCSI cards
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which they blamed on incorrect BIOS settings. They've issued a
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BIOS update to vendors who have experienced problems.
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CHICAGO NEWS
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While the industry press continues its masturbatory frenzy
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over the next version of Windows, here's what's really happening.
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WHAT!!!??? Another delay??? Now they're saying that
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Chicago won't ship until the second quarter of 1995 and even then
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only as an upgrade. "We're no longer racing for an end-of-1994
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delivery" said one Microsoft spokeswoman. Microsoft is telling
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retailers that the Beta 2 will go out by about December.
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Microsoft hasn't decided to whether to let retailers sell full
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versions of Chicago designed to be installed on "naked"
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computers.
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Security is being beefed up. To have access rights to a
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shared folder or printer, you'll need not just a password, but a
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valid user name and password. This will eliminate the need to
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log in multiple passwords depending upon which service a user is
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accessing. Windows NT will continue to offer maximum security,
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though.
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Surely you've heard about the Microsoft decision to rename
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the commercial product from Chicago to Windows95. I think this
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is a mistake and will only cause more confusion with end users.
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Who wants to buy a 1995 product in 1996? The present system of
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version numbers is much more accurate and less confusing. What
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happens with interim releases?
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Jesse Berst, editor of Windows Watcher, said that they
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should have called it Windows 95.5 since it won't ship until at
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least next May.
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Meanwhile, Microsoft is toughening their certification
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process for hardware vendors to use the new "Windows-compatible"
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logo. Hardware vendors will have until the middle of next year
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to meet the requirements for Windows95, including support for its
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pre-emptive multitasking architecture, plug-and-play
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compatibility, support for SCSI peripherals, and fax support.
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Computer manufacturers are not required to display the
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certification logo on their systems, but meeting the requirements
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will still be necessary because only compliant systems can
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preload Windows95.
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Microsoft is expected to spend more than $100 million to
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promote Windows95 by the time it hits the shelves.
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Rumor has it that Microsoft may put out DOS 7 in time for
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Christmas delivery. They've already said that DOS 7 would be a
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part of Windows95 for compatibility reasons, but releasing it at
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the end of the year would make them look a little better for
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delaying Windows95. Novell has already conceded the DOS market
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to Microsoft by halting development of DR-DOS. Microsoft has
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denied the upgrade rumors but Brad Chase, general manager of
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their personal operating systems group, said at the recent
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Windows World trade show in Dallas, "There are no plans today
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(for an MS-DOS upgrade), but it would be foolish to close the
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door to any possibilities."
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OS/2 NEWS
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IBM is close to signing a deal to bundle a Footprint
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applications suite with the next version of OS/2 which will
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include fax/communications, PIM-based scheduling, and spreadsheet
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applets. Footprint would retain development responsibility while
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IBM would acquire rights to market the product.
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Also included with the next OS/2 release will be a new OS/2
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version of the CompuServe Information Manager. It's in the Warp
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Beta 2 release, but since I don't subscribe to CompuServe, I
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can't try it out. Some people have criticized IBM for not
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including Golden ComPass instead of the CIS-developed software.
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The CIS software lets users get to know the service interactively
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which is more difficult with Golden ComPass.
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Athena Design's Mesa 2 spreadsheet should be shipping by the
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time you read this. The price for the first three months of
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release will be just $99. Considering that it is a full 32-bit
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multi-threaded application with a wealth of features, this is a
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sweet deal.
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IBM has dedicated "tens of millions of dollars" to launching
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the next version of OS/2 with an additional $500 million for
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worldwide support. Lotus and IBM are negotiating to bundle Warp
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with SmartSuite for OS/2. I have been using the Warp Beta II and
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it's definitely faster. You still don't want to run it on a 4MB
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machine even though you can. It uses your existing Windows and
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for once, it doesn't feel jumpy.
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OS/2 is finally pretty. The new feature that I like is the
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LaunchPad, a moveable toolbar on which you can place your
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favorite applications for faster launching of programs. One of
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the things that I don't like about object-oriented operating
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systems is that you end up with open windows and folders all over
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the place. The LaunchPad makes keeping a clean desktop much
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easier.
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When you open a folder, the folder opens visually and is
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helpful for keeping track of where you are. Windows open and
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close with considerably more speed. The BonusPak includes
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slightly crippled faxing software along with other add-ins
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mentioned previously.
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With Microsoft's continuing delay in releasing Windows 95
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(still doesn't feel right to type that), IBM has a golden
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opportunity to cash in. The key will be having third-party
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vendors writing native OS/2 applications in significant numbers.
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OS/2 for the PowerPC won't be completed until at least mid-
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1995 and applications for it won't arrive until late 1995. Later
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this year IBM will unveil their first PowerPC computers which are
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jointly designed by IBM, Apple, and Motorola. Until their
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operating system is ready, they'll run IBM's version of UNIX,
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called AIX as well as Windows NT, which IBM is porting to the
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PowerPC chip.
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MORE NEWS IN YER FACE
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Corel has delayed the release of Ventura Publisher 5 until
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October. Said one Corel executive, "The worst thing a company
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can do is not acknowledge the fact that it has problems. As long
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as you take the time to help the customer resolve the problem, he
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or she will be quite satisfied."
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America Online is changing their interface. A new opening
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screen will give you a list of 14 subsections. Upgrade kits for
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their access software will be sent to members with Macintosh
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getting the first upgrade. America Online calls it a MultiMedia
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User Interface because it will give access to sounds and
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photographs. So do we call this a MUI?
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The developers of the popular Myst game are working on a
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sequel but say it won't be ready anytime soon.
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In case you aren't aware, many celebrities are now on-line
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through CompuServe, America Online, Delphi, and Prah-duh-gee.
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Fans can question them and get answers, often in real time,
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download GIFs, and more. You can find everyone from Mick Jagger
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to ex-Governor Jerry Brown online.
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Incoming students at Humboldt State, Sonoma State, and Cal
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Poly San Luis Obispo could be required to own a PC before being
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accepted for admission. Some educators are concerned about the
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affordability aspect, especially for low-income students.
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Industry pundits are predicting soft sales of Pentiums for
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the fourth quarter due partially to the delay of Windows95.
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There are rumors of a Taligent-like joint venture between
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IBM and Lotus. The scenario is that Lotus would develop much-
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needed apps for OS/2 and IBM would provide the bucks. Both sides
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deny it.
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dBase for Windows has not exactly been flying off the
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shelves, despite the presumption of a pent-up demand for the
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product. While the product has been selling fairly well,
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customers seem to be adopting a wait-and-see attitude.
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The Interface Group, which produces COMDEX, has added to
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their contract a provision which prohibits the display of nudity
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and sexually explicit materials from their shows. November's Las
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Vegas COMDEX is already covered by the new ruling and offenders
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will get one warning before having their display closed. This is
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in response to complaints from exhibitors and show attendees.
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A couple of interesting things - AT&T, in promoting their E-
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mail services, produced some bumper stickers with the slogan "E-
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Mail Saves Trees" - printed on paper bumper stickers.
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Microsoft gave cabbies customized receipts at the recent
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Networks Expo which displayed the Windows logo prominently along
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with the slogan "We Take You Where You Want To Go!" Uh-huh. . .
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A recent demonstration of Personal OS/2 and Windows95 at the
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Vancouver PC Users Society saw OS/2 run flawlessly and Windows95
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crash. Hmmmmm . . .
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Intel recently donated $1 million of unsold Pentium chips to
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a Sunnyvale, CA charity named Arkenstone, creating a tax
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deduction from what would have been a writeoff.
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Police in Santa Ana found some marijuana plants growing at a
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Hewlett-Packard factory compound. Far out, man.
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A NEW OFFICE
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Look for a new Office bundle in the near future. A CD-ROM
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version will include Bookshelf and the Microsoft Office
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Assistant, a set of 54 templates for small business and also sold
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separately. A program called CapScreen is a multimedia feature
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for recording and playing back all actions performed on the
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computer as well as online documentation and a search engine for
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the reference books.
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Microsoft is considering a mix-and-match approach with some
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of the applications requiring an unlock code.
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The Notes F/X version of Office includes import and import
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filters for Excel.
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QUATTRO PRO 6
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Novell will soon release version 6 of Quattro Pro for
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Windows (probably by the time you read this).
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This new version is designed for corporate users. It
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supports OLE 2 in-place editing and drag and drop, has a new
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interface, and is of course integrated with NetWare. There are
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improved DDE links with Paradox as well as its graph library.
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There is a set of pre-made graphs and backgrounds which users can
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transfer to slides for presentations as well as advice on
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creating effective presentations.
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The Formula Composer "does for formula editing what word
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processing did for text creation" according to product manager
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Marshall Moseley. The composer breaks down formulas into
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hierarchical outlines that reflect changes as they are edited.
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Novell will be selling the spreadsheet for $99 through the
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rest of the year, when the MSRP will jump to $395.
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WINDOWS TUNE-UP
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There are a variety of products out there that claim to tune
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up your Windows installation. Most of them are miserable in
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terms of giving you accurate information.
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The people at Central Point have released a product called
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Speed Tools which contains a program called System Consultant.
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Like others of its kind, it gives you suggestions on how to fine
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tune your installation of Windows for maximum performance.
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Actually, it doesn't do a bad job although some of the
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information is pretty generic. For example, it told me that I
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had a video card with 256K or more of RAM - well duh!!! It told
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me I was running Windows 3.10 when I'm actually using Windows
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for Workgroups 3.11.
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But I've seen worse. The only advice the program gave me
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was to put a TEMP environment variable in my AUTOEXEC.BAT. I've
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had some of these kinds of programs tell me all kinds of inane
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things.
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Also part of the package is a disk optimizer. Yeah, I know
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we really need another one. But this one will let you set it up
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to continuously optimize your hard drive whenever there is free
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CPU time. I think that would be an annoyance. You can also set
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up drive optimizations for regular intervals, like daily, every
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hour, every Tuesday, whatever.
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This isn't a bad package, but a knowledgeable Windows user
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could do the same thing with common sense and a study of INI
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settings.
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NEXT MONTH
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Well, if Microsoft ever starts cranking out those goofy
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looking keyboards, I'll have one here to play with. And if IBM
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stays on track I'll be doing a review of Personal OS/2. In the
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maybe category is Mad Dog McCree II and who knows what else.
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Looks like a lot of "ifs" to me.
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=================================
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DISCLAIMER
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RAndY's RumOR RaG is published on a monthly basis by
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AINSWORTH COMPUTER SERVICES and is available on various local
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BBS's, GEnie, and in Modem News.
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In case anyone cares, RAndY's RumOR RaG is produced on a 486-
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50 with 8 megs of memory, 420 MB Connor IDE hard drive, 105 MB
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Toshiba IDE hard drive, TEAC 1.2 MB and 1.44 MB floppies, Pro
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Audio Spectrum 16 running a Hitachi 3750 CD ROM drive, Trident
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VLB video card, Sceptre SVGA display, Microsoft mouse, Word for
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Windows and transmitted through a US Robotics HST Dual Standard
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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, via phone,
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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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