ST Report: 19-Jan-96 #1203

From: Bruce D. Nelson (aa789@cleveland.Freenet.Edu)
Date: 01/22/96-12:20:57 AM Z


From: aa789@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Bruce D. Nelson)
Subject: ST Report: 19-Jan-96 #1203
Date: Mon Jan 22 00:20:57 1996



                                      
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                             Feds Drop PGP Case
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>From the Editor's Desk...

     Its editorial time. and as I've had plenty to say elsewhere in this
issue,  I'll keep this short.  Intel has finally made better arrangements
relative to the distribution of the Triton Bus Mastering Drivers.
Thankfully, somebody is listening.  Now, if only a fire can be lit under
Canon's posterior.  The 32 bit scanner drivers are pitifully late.  (more
than six months with lame excuses)   It obvious they have many of their
valued customers thoroughly alienated.
     
     Apple is seemingly on the "hard and bumpy road" to stay.  Some of you
may remember it being noted here well over a year ago.. that if.. Apple
didn't wake up they too, would join the Amiga and the Atari in as little as
five years.  They have yet to wake up in Cupertino.  One can only wonder how
strong ego is or, how long it can last over hunger.  Apple has deeper
pockets but they're blowing it big time.  Watch the headlines over the next
few weeks . "you ain't seen nuthin' yet!"
     
     Oh well, keep warm my northern friends.. Its been a rough winter so
far.  On the southern end of the west coast they have summer like weather
and here we are seeing an early spring.  It must be the work of those gray
skinned, big eyed guys out at Groome Lake.   Talk at y'all later.
     
                                             Ralph..
     
     
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                      LATE BREAKING INDUSTRY-WIDE NEWS

                   Weekly Happenings in the Computer World

                        Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson


                        Feds Drop Zimmermann PGP Case
     Federal  prosecutors  have dropped a 28-month investigation  reportedly
into  the possibility of prosecuting famed programmer Philip Zimmermann  for
allowing distribution of his "Pretty Good Privacy" cryptography software  on
the  Internet.  In San Francisco, U.S. Attorney Michael Yamaguchi said in  a
statement  his office declined to prosecute any individuals for posting  the
PGP program on the Net, but did not identify any individuals targeted in the
probe.   However,   attorney  Phil  Dubois,  representing  the   41-year-old
Zimmermann,  has  the  investigation had targeted  his  client.  Authorities
originally were concerned the program violated U.S. export laws.
     
     Writing  in  The Wall Street Journal this morning, reporter William  M.
Bulkeley notes Zimmermann developed PGP in 1990 because he believed computer
users  needed protection from government monitoring in order to  communicate
freely. "After someone placed it on the Internet it was quickly disseminated
around  the  world,"  Bulkeley says. "Mr. Zimmermann, of Boulder,  Colorado,
became  a folk hero to electronic-freedom advocates, protest groups and  so-
called  cypher-phreaks."   However, export  of  high-quality  encryption  is
illegal,  "presumably  because of government fears  that  it  would  prevent
monitoring  of data communications," says the Journal. "The U.S.  attorney's
office  in  San Jose, California, notified Mr. Zimmermann in September  1993
that he was a target of a grand jury investigation."
     
     Late  yesterday, William Keane, assistant U.S. attorney  in  San  Jose,
declined  to comment on reasons the government decided against pursuing  the
case,  telling  the  Journal,  "This decision shouldn't  be  interpreted  as
meaning  anything. I caution people against concluding the Internet  is  now
free  for  export."  Meanwhile, Zimmermann recently developed PGP  Phone,  a
software  program  that turns a computer equipped with a microphone  into  a
secure voice telephone.  Zimmermann's situation aroused widespread interest,
with  the PGP software becoming a prime example for critics of U.S. software
export  policies.  "Many experts on cryptography argued that the  world-wide
availability of PGP rendered absurd the government restrictions  on  sending
encryption overseas," the Journal comments.
     
     Attorney  Shari Steele of the Electronic Frontier Foundation  told  the
paper,  "We are so excited that the Justice Department has finally  realized
they don't have any facts to pursue this witch hunt."  And Curtis Karnow,  a
San  Francisco  intellectual-property lawyer who  worked  with  Zimmermann's
legal  team,  says,  "It's very difficult to know what  the  government  was
thinking,"  when it dropped the case. He says the prosecutor may  have  been
"affected  by  Phil Zimmermann's folk-hero status. Thousands of  people  see
Phil  as  a  voice of conscience and someone who has dedicated his  life  to
protecting people's rights."
     
     PGP  enables computer users to encrypt their electronic mail to  assure
that  only the recipient is able to read it. It uses a method called public-
key  encryption,  in  which someone wanting to receive encrypted  electronic
mail  puts a "public key" on the Internet. Anyone wanting to send a  message
to  that  person  can use the public key to convert it into  code.  But  the
recipient has to have another key -- a "private key" -- to decode it.   "I'm
just really pleased that the sword of Damocles is not over me anymore and  I
wonder  why  it  took  so  long," Zimmermann told  Associated  Press  writer
Elizabeth Weise in a phone interview from his home in Boulder. "This is  not
just  for  spies  anymore. It's for the rest of us. The information  age  is
here. The rest of us need cryptography to conduct our business."
     
     Simson  Garfinkel,  who  wrote  a book  about  the  program,  comments,
"Zimmermann never exported Pretty Good Privacy, so the U.S. Attorney  seemed
to  be missing the point. Unfortunately there still is no clear ruling  from
our  government  as  to  whether or not making  software  available  on  the
Internet counts as exporting it."  Marc Rotenberg of the Electronic  Privacy
Information  Center  in  Washington told AP,  "The  case  was  part  of  the
government  effort to crack down on good technologies for privacy.  We  hope
the  government's decision signals a rethinking of federal  policy  in  this
very  important  area."   For  more on PGP, visit  the  Electronic  Frontier
Foundation  Forum  (GO  EFFSIG). Pretty Good Privacy  is  available  on  the
Internet's       World       Wide       Web       at       Web       address
http://www.epic.org/privacy/tools.html.
     
                           Sony Denies Apple Rumor
     Sony  Corp.  says a message circulating on the Internet concerning  the
company's  purported offer to acquire Apple Computer Inc. isn't true.   Sony
reports  that  the message, allegedly from Sony President Nobuyuki  Idei  to
Apple  CEO Michael Spindler, is a hoax. The Tokyo-based consumer electronics
giant says it is investigating the situation and would consider legal action
against those responsible.  Sony notes that its policy is not to comment  on
any  rumored or possible acquisition transactions.  Apple, which  is  losing
both  money and key executives, has been the rumored acquisition  target  of
Sony and several other companies for many months.

                        Apple Dropping Low-Cost Macs?
     Rumors  are  circulating in California that,  as  part  of  its  widely
anticipated  restructuring, Apple Computer Inc. is considering  a  departure
from the low-cost Macintosh business.  Reporting from San Francisco, Therese
Poletti  of the Reuter News Service quotes industry sources as saying  Apple
is expected to announce this week that it will stop producing low-cost Macs.
"Analysts are widely expecting Apple to announce its layoffs and a yet-to-be
determined  restructuring charge Wednesday, after  the  close  of  the  U.S.
stocks markets. Estimates for the layoffs are from 1,300 to up to 3,000."
     
     Actually,  the MacWeek trade publication is reporting Apple  will  hand
pink  slips  to 3,700 of its 14,000 employees, "but some said they  believed
that  number  may be too high," says Poletti, adding, "Apple executives  are
believed  to  be  huddled in their offices working on the final  details  of
their  plans."   Said one industry analyst who asked not to  be  identified,
"They  are going to have to focus on computers that have at least 20  points
in  margin. What is under consideration is, do we want to be all  things  to
everybody?  Or  do we let some of the clone guys do it." The  analyst  added
this decision will involve all Macs that cost less than $1,500.
     
     Reuters notes that currently the low-cost Macs make up about 15 percent
to  20  percent of Apple's total revenues, which were $11 billion in  fiscal
1995.   "If  Apple  embarks on this move," says the wire service,  "it  will
likely  have  to  encourage more low-cost computer  makers  to  license  the
Macintosh   operating  system  and  therefore,  become  Mac  clone   makers.
Currently, there are only two Macintosh clone makers, Power Computing  Corp.
of Austin, Texas, and UMAX of Taiwan."
     
     Adds Poletti, "There are still many buyers of premium Macintosh systems
costing  over  $1,500,  with the heftier profit margins  of  20  percent  of
revenues and above. And Apple would still get revenues, of approximately $40
per  unit  sold,  from  its licensing of the much-loved Macintosh  operating
system."   The unidentified analyst also comment, "The sense we are  getting
is  Apple  will  finally  admit we can't be everything,  we  can't  put  out
machines  that don't make money, and they will focus on the things  they  do
best."

                          Spindler May Leave Apple
     A California newspaper reports Apple Computer Inc. CEO Michael Spindler
may  be  among  the  thousands of employees to  leave  the  company  when  a
restructuring is announced this week.  Quoting sources close to the company,
The  Los Angeles Times reports the 53-year-old Spindler may decide to  leave
partly  because  of  health problems. The sources told  the  paper  Spindler
suffers from high blood pressure and has often been under doctors' orders to
stay  away  from  the  office.   Also Apple watchers say  Spindler's  health
problems could provide the board of directors with a simple way to ease  him
out.
     
     As  reported  earlier, analysts are widely expecting Apple to  announce
layoffs,  with estimates of affected employees ranging from 1,300 to  up  to
3,000.  (Apple  currently employs 13,000 workers). Also  there  are  renewed
reports  that  Apple may soon be sold.  United Press International  comments
this  morning,  "Some  analysts have been hesitant to  blame  Spindler,  who
succeeded John Sculley two years ago, for all of Apple's problems since  the
decisions that led to its current status were made long before he arrived --
specifically,  the  failure  to  license the Mac  operating  system  enabled
Microsoft Corp. to set the standard on how PCs run."
     
                       Dorfman Says Apple May Be Sold
     Financial correspondent Dan Dorfman of TV's CNBC says he has learned  a
director at Apple Computer Inc. recently told a large shareholder it may  be
time  to  sell the computer maker.  According to the Dow Jones news service,
Dorfman  said the director told the shareholder, a money manager with  large
holdings,  that  Apple  actively should solicit bona  fide  offers.   It  is
unclear, Dorfman said, whether such an offer has been discussed formally  or
informally  among  the  directors, but that possible  suitors  include  IBM,
Oracle  Corp. and Sun Microsystems Inc.  Dorfman says observers  estimate  a
buyout  at $50 a share or more than $6 billion.  As reported earlier,  since
the  middle of last year Apple has been the subject of a number of  takeover
rumors,   possible,  says  Dow  Jones,  because  some  consider  the   stock
inexpensive. "Despite its declining share of the computer market," the  wire
service  adds,  "it  still  has some attractive  businesses,  including  its
computer software operations."

                     IBM, Sears Looking to Sell Prodigy?
     After  investing  more than $1 billion over the past  decade,  IBM  and
Sears, Roebuck & Co. reportedly are looking at whether to bail out of  their
joint  ownership of the Prodigy online service.  Writing in The Wall  Street
Journal this morning, reporters Bart Ziegler and Jared Sandberg, noting both
IBM and Sears are commenting, quote industry executives as saying:
     
z    Sears has retained investment bankers to explore selling its 50 percent
  stake in Prodigy, seeking as much as $500 million, and is looking at whether
  to sell the stake in a public offering.
z    IBM has hired an investment banking firm of its own to study what to do
  with its half ownership.
     
     The  paper  says its sources say AT&T last month approached  IBM  about
possibly buying Prodigy in its entirety with the cooperation of Sears,  "but
IBM is believed to be leaning against an AT&T deal, in part because it views
the phone company as a competitor."  "Moreover," adds the Journal, "AT&T may
be  less interested now, having just decided to phase out its own commercial
online service in favor of an Internet-based service."
     
     The  12-year-old  Prodigy  "has only flirted with  profitability,"  the
Journal  comments,  "hampered  by  years  of  stodgy  marketing,  cartoonish
graphics  and, more recently, infighting between its parents."  Ziegler  and
Sandberg  say,  "For IBM, Prodigy's plight poses a dilemma: Should  it  pour
more  money  into Prodigy to redouble its turnaround efforts? Or should  IBM
cut  its  losses  and sell out to focus on the Internet -- at  the  risk  of
seeing  a  competitor snap up the service and build it  into  a  powerhouse?
Sticking  with  the  service could be expensive. By some  estimates  Prodigy
needs $100 million a year to revamp in the next  few years."
     
     The  paper notes Sears for several months has had Goldman, Sachs &  Co.
trying  to  round  up potential buyers, "but apparently sought  too  high  a
price. It also has been hindered by concern among potential buyers that  IBM
wanted  to run the show."  Under the terms of the Prodigy alliance, IBM  can
reject  any  potential purchaser of Sears's stake, and "IBM executives  have
said  privately  they  want  the upper hand in managing  the  company,"  the
Journal says.)

                          CompuAdd Lays Off Workers
     Financially  troubled CompuAdd Corp., once one of the nation's  largest
personal computer makers, has laid off most of its 225 employees.  Reporting
from  Austin, Texas, the Associated Press says managers told workers  Monday
the company would be turned over to its bankers.  The wire service notes the
action came a few days after a creditor lawsuit became public. 1st Tech,  an
Austin-based maker of computer memory modules, sued CompuAdd for $93,000  in
unpaid  debts.   Also, CompuAdd said last week it had fired a  "high-ranking
company  officer" after an audit last fall raised questions about  financial
practices. The company didn't identify the officer.
     
     Founded  in  1982  by entrepreneur Bill Hayden, CompuAdd's  growth  for
years  matched  that of crosstown rival Dell Computer Corp.,  reaching  $500
million in sales in 1992.  "But," notes AP, "its focus on retail sales began
to  unravel in 1993.  The company's decision to close 110 stores  that  year
prompted  a  Chapter  11 bankruptcy restructuring to settle  the  claims  of
landlords.  CompuAdd has since focused on built-to-order PCs  for  companies
and government agencies. The privately-held company also produced customized
computers that serve as cash registers."

                       Software Giants Settle BBS Case
     Microsoft Corp. and Novell Inc. say they have settled a major  computer
bulletin  board system (BBS) piracy case.  The software giants  report  they
have  reached a settlement with Scott W. Morris, who was doing  business  as
the  Assassins' Guild Bulletin Board Service, in what is believed to be  the
largest  settlement ever with the operator of a pirate electronic BBS.   The
settlement  concludes litigation filed by Microsoft and Novell in  the  U.S.
District  Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky. According to Microsoft
and  Novell,  the  agreement calls for Morris to pay  $70,300  in  cash  and
forfeit  computer  hardware valued at more than $40,000.   Morris  has  also
agreed   to   assist   Microsoft  and  Novell  in   their   continuing   BBS
investigations, say the firms.
     
     The  Assassin's  Guild billed itself as the worldwide headquarters  for
two large pirate groups, Pirates with an Attitude (PWA) and Razor 1911. U.S.
Marshals  raided  Morris' residence last April. The BBS  had  been  offering
access  to  hundreds of pirated software products, including those published
by  Microsoft and Novell, to users throughout the United States  and  around
the world over its state-of-the-art system. Marshals seized 13 computers, 11
modems,  a satellite dish, 9GB of online data and more than 40GB of  offline
data storage dating back to 1992.
     
     "This  case  sets an important precedent for this industry,"  says  Bob
Kruger, enforcement director for the Business Software Alliance. "It sends a
clear message to operators of bulletin boards who are illegally distributing
copyright-protected  software that they will be investigated  and  sued,  or
criminally  prosecuted. It also sends a message to our industry that,  large
or  small,  no  software  publisher is immune from bulletin  board  piracy."
While  software  publishers  have  scored  several  successes  against   the
operators of pirate BBSes, the companies have had far less success  catching
individuals  who  distribute  bootleg  products  via  the  Internet,   where
identities can be easily hidden.

                         Exec-PC BBS Removes Erotica
     One of the nation's largest computer bulletin board systems has removed
all  its  erotica  files.  Operators of  Exec-PC  of  suburban  New  Berlin,
Michigan,  near Milwaukee indicate they feared a government crackdown.   The
BBS  notified subscribers last week it had eliminated about 50,000 files  of
adult  material,  including pictures of porno stars  and  nude  photos.  The
system  has  700,000 electronic files offering everything  from  spreadsheet
programs to X-rated graphics.
     
     Speaking with the Associated Press, founder Bob Mahoney said of the  X-
rated  material,  "Since it is only 7 percent of our service  and  it  could
result  in the 100 percent loss of our business, the risk is not worth  it."
AP  comments, "The move comes as authorities are cracking down on the use of
computer  networks  to  transmit  child pornography  and  arrange  sex  with
children,  and  as  Congress  considers  legislation  to  ban  online  porn.
Possession  or  transmission  of pictures of  children  engaging  in  sexual
activity is a federal offense."
     
     Mahoney  told  the  wire  service he feared that  keeping  the  X-rated
materials  could result in his equipment being seized, even  if  no  charges
were  filed.   However,  attorney Mike Godwin  of  the  Electronic  Frontier
Foundation  cyber-rights group observed, "He has a perfect right  to  choose
what  to carry, but it's a shame that he feels he has to exercise the  right
out  of fear of what government might do. That's what constitutional lawyers
call a chilling effect."

                         Sculley Heads Software Firm
     Former Apple Computer Inc. chief John Sculley has taken an equity stake
in  a  small  California photo software firm called  Live  Picture  Inc.  of
Soquel, where he also is serving as a "part-time" CEO.   Reporting from  San
Francisco,  the Reuter News Service quotes Sculley as saying he  joined  the
firm  in early 1995 and had bought a piece of the company, although he would
not  detail  his  holding. He says he continues to have  a  venture  capital
business in New York.
     
     The  wire service notes Sculley was introduced by Live executives at  a
low-key press party earlier this week during the MacWorld Expo.  The company
was  unveiling its 2.5 photo and imaging software that permits photographers
and  graphic artists to manipulate photos and other images -- through shape,
color, shade, and resolution -- and allows them to be completed more quickly
for clients, such as advertising agencies.
     
     Sculley  told  the  wire service he believes the company's  technology,
which  had  been licensed by Eastman Kodak Co., could spread to the  broader
consumer  market.  He adds that a consumer could use the  technology  for  a
variety of "fun" ways to manipulate photographs, especially on the Internet.
He  says, too, the technology's wider use could come by next Christmas, when
he  expects  such  consumer products as digital cameras and  low-cost  color
printers  could  hit the retail market and be used in conjunction  with  the
Internet.   Reuters says Kodak also owns a stake in Live, but  that  Sculley
declined to elaborate or to detail the private firm's financial results.

                         Kofax Finalizes Acquisition
     Kofax  Image Products of Irvine, California, says it has finalized  its
acquisition  of Tyngsboro, Massachusetts-based LaserData.  The  acquisition,
which  was  originally announced late last year, includes all of LaserData's
assets,  which  will  now  bear the Kofax name.  The  deal's  terms  weren't
disclosed.  LaserData's flagship product line is OS/N, a high-volume storage
management  solution  for Windows NT and Novell NetWare  environments.  OS/N
will be incorporated into Kofax's Ascent family of imaging applications.
     
     "In  purchasing LaserData, we have acquired some excellent  engineering
and  sales  resources to help propel our Ascent line of production  document
imaging components into the next phase of the company's growth," says  David
Silver,  Kofax's president. "Our primary focus is to ensure that  our  three
document  imaging components -- capture, viewing and storage --  are  always
the  best  of breed and are compatible with as many other imaging components
as   possible,   using   existing  programming   standards."     LaserData's
engineering team will remain based in Tyngsboro, Mass. Former LaserData  CEO
Paul J. Rusconi will serve as a consultant during the transition.

                        Amquest Unveils Faster Modem
     Amquest  Corp.  says  it  has developed an  internal  V.34  modem  that
delivers  compressed data speeds of up to 230.4K bps --  twice  the  maximum
compressed  speed of conventional 28.8K bps modems.  The company,  based  in
Lancaster,  Pennsylvania, notes that its HyperModem is the  first  modem  to
offer  enhanced  throughput  using Rockwell International's  controller/data
pump chipset.
     
     According  to  Amquest,  the  $199  HyperModem  is  capable   of   data
throughputs of up to 230.4K bps when linked to a remote HyperModem and up to
115K bps with ordinary 28.8K bps modems.  The HyperModem supports V34/V.Fast
Class  28.8K bps data transmission, plus slower standards such as 14.4K  bps
Group  3  send/receive fax. The modem is compatible with Windows 95, Windows
3.1   and  most  leading  Windows  and  DOS  communications  packages.   The
HyperModem, which is scheduled to become available later this month, will be
bundled with data/fax software from Cheyenne Communications.

                      Multimedia Norton Utilities Ships
     Symantec Corp. has released the first multimedia version of its  Norton
Utilities  software.   Norton  Utilities  for  Windows  95  on  CD-ROM  adds
multimedia  resources, such as video, animations and sound, to its  software
for  protecting and improving Windows 95 computers.  New to the product  are
three  companion  programs:  Disk Companion, Memory  Companion,  and  Norton
Utilities  Companion.  The  Disk Companion is  a  multimedia  tutorial  that
explains how the Windows 95 file system works. The Memory Companion explains
how  Windows  95 manages memory. The Norton Utilities Companion shows  users
how   to   get   the  most  out  of  Norton  Utilities  through   multimedia
demonstrations and interviews with the developers.
     
     "Symantec  was the first company to offer utilities to enhance  Windows
95,  and this release of Norton Utilities on CD-ROM takes the program a step
further  by making our expertise available to the average user," says  Karen
Black,  vice  president of advanced utilities for the Cupertino, California-
based  company.  "The Companions make it easy for anyone to become  a  power
user  of  Windows 95."  Norton Utilities for Windows 95 on CD-ROM sells  for
$129.  Users of previous Norton Utilities versions, or PCTools, can  upgrade
for $69.95.

                     Intuit Ships Business Tax Software
     Intuit  Inc. has released the final 1995 tax year versions of  TurboTax
for  Business  and  MacInTax for Business, its annually updated  income  tax
return  preparation programs.  The San Diego-based software publisher  notes
that  the programs are designed for use by all types of companies. Links  to
the Internet's World Wide Web are built into the products.  The software  is
available  on  a  $69.95 CD-ROM and in Sole Proprietorship, Corporation,  S-
Corporation  and Partnership versions on floppy disk.  The products  provide
business  tax  advice and tax planning suggestions.  Also  included  is  the
full  text  of Tax Savvy for Small Business, a year-round tax guide  by  tax
attorney Fred Daily, as well as complete IRS instructions and support  text.
"Small  business owners say the single biggest problem they face is  taxes,"
says  Scott Cook, Intuit's chairman. "The 1995 TurboTax for Business program
is a great way for small- business people to handle their taxes."

                        Toy Favorites to Go High-Tech
     Mr.  Potato Head, Tonka and Play-Doh are set to go high-tech as  Hasbro
Interactive  gets  ready  to  announce  later  this  month  a  new  line  of
edutainment  CD-ROM  titles  based on the  Playskool  product  line.   Trade
journal Computer Retail Week reports that the Hasbro division is expected to
ship  four titles in February -- Mr. Potato Head Saves Veggie Valley,  Tonka
Construction, Candy Land Adventure and Play-Doh Creations --  each  with  an
expected  retail  price of $39.95. Two more titles based on other  Playskool
toys  are  expected  to  be  released later  this  year,  according  to  Tom
Dusenberry, vice president of Hasbro Interactive.
     
     "Next   year,  Hasbro  Interactive  will  begin  to  develop   original
edutainment  titles for the retail market," Dusenberry told Computer  Retail
Week.  Among  the options being considered for these titles  are  characters
based  on  other  entertainment licenses.  Hasbro launched  its  interactive
division  last October. Most recently, the division released an interactive,
3-D  version  of  Monopoly that can also be played over the  Internet.  This
year,  Hasbro  will  release more interactive board games,  including  Risk,
Battleship,  Scrabble  and  a  version  of  Clue  with  live  action  video,
Dusenberry told Computer Retail Week.

                         Amiga OS Headed to TV Land
     The  Amiga  operating system will live again, but not inside a  desktop
computer.   Viscorp., an interactive TV developer headquartered in  Chicago,
and  Escom  AG, a computer manufacturer headquartered in Bersheim,  Germany,
have  finalized a licensing agreement to add the Amiga operating  system  to
Viscorp's  new set-top TV appliance -- Electronic Device (ED).   The  deal's
terms  weren't disclosed. In 1995, Escom AG acquired all Commodore and Amiga
licenses, patents and trademarks.
     
     Viscorp  says that adding the Amiga operating system to ED  will  allow
users  to  access any online service, local bulletin board service  and  any
address  on  the  Internet  at  speeds thousands  of  times  faster  than  a
conventional  telephone modem. Access will be allowed through  a  TV  remote
control, a computer keyboard, a touch-sensitive pen or the microphone that's
into ED.   "By utilizing our unique set-top appliance and incorporating  the
Amiga  technology, Viscorp is able to provide ... the ability to access  the
Internet  through a standard TV set with pricing that makes  sense  for  the
average TV viewer," says Jerome Greenberg, Viscorp's chairman.

                     Ohio University Eyes Virtual Campus
     A "virtual university" to help cut costs and increase access to college-
level  courses is being proposed by Ohio University President Robert Glidden
to  the board of regents, and the presidents of 12 other state universities.
Reporting  from  Athens,  Ohio,  United  Press  International  says  Glidden
envisions  a service that would not replace residential campuses or  compete
with  them,  but would be a collaborative effort led by OU and  include  the
best teaching that other Ohio universities can offer.
     
     And,  says  Glidden, it would offer a college education to  people  who
otherwise  would not get one because they can't afford the time  or  tuition
for classes at a residential campus.  Says UPI, "It's an advanced version of
what  OU has been doing for years through its correspondence course that  is
being  taken  by  about 1,100 students this year ... But OU couldn't  handle
500,000  students, Glidden said, which is how many could  participate  in  a
full-scale 'virtual university.' That's why he hopes other universities will
get involved."
     
     A  master plan for higher education in the years ahead will address how
to  develop  such  "virtual universities," among   other  proposals.  It  is
expected  to be completed this year.  Poll: 4 Percent of U.S. on the  Net  A
new  survey suggests about  4 percent of the U.S. population now  surfs  the
Internet,  that half of them got started just last year, and most  spend  an
average of 6.6 hours a week on the Net.  Thomas E. Miller, who directed  The
American  Internet User Survey, told business writer Karen Schwartz  of  the
Associated Press the research found 9.5 million Americans, or 3.6 percent of
the  population, use the Internet, including 1.1 million children  under  18
and that 51 percent said they first tapped in last year.
     
     AP  says  the  Emerging Technologies Research Group  randomly  surveyed
1,000  U.S.  adult  Internet users by phone in November and  December.  Only
people age 18 and older were interviewed, but those with children were asked
about their youngsters' habits.  The survey was sponsored by 30 corporations
with  interests  in the Internet and has a margin of error of  3  percentage
points.

Among the findings are:
z    The average Internet user is 36 years old, and use of the Internet
  closely follows college education. The average household income of an
  Internet user is $62,000. (Some 31 percent of Internet users were under age
  30; 27 percent were age 30 to 39, 26 percent were 40 to 49, and 13 percent
  were 50 or older.)
z    Thirty-five percent of all Internet users are women, and women online
  are more likely than men to use it at work and academic locations. Also
  women are twice as likely as men to use Internet exclusively for business.
z    Nearly a third of Internet users said they spent less time watching TV,
  while a fourth said they spent less time on long-distance phone calls.
  Fifteen percent said they spent less time watching videos and 10 percent
  said they spent less time listening to the radio.
z    Twelve percent and 13 percent said they decreased the time they spent
reading newspapers and magazines respectively, "but," says AP, "a similar
number, 9 percent and 11 percent, said they increased the time they spent
reading, primarily because they were trying to learn more about the
Internet."
z    Nearly two-thirds of the respondents visited fewer than 50 Web sites in
any depth. Only 23 percent had visited more than 100 Web sites in any depth.
"In addition," writes Schwartz, "the interviewers found that Web users often
had little recall about the sites they had seen, remembering a truck, for
instance, rather than a brand name."
z    Personal use of the World Wide Web far outpaced business use, with 52
  percent of all Web sites visited for personal reasons, 35 percent for
  business and 13 percent for academic reasons.

     When asked what information they were retrieving from the Internet, the
respondents  said:  news and general information, 80  percent;  hobbies  and
leisure,  67  percent;  special  interest groups,  66  percent;  downloading
software,  61  percent;  education  and  training,  60  percent;  music  and
entertainment, 57 percent; and product information, 47 percent.
     
     When asked what the Internet allows them to do that they could not have
done  before, the most common response was "communicate with people  that  I
never  would  have met."  Only 16 percent of the people surveyed  said  they
were  very  satisfied with the ability to find information on the  Internet,
and 26 percent said they were very satisfied in their ability to return to a
site.
     
     Meanwhile,  the Reuter News Service notes the survey's finding  of  9.5
million  Americans using the Net differs "sharply from a study  released  in
October  by  CommerceNet  and Nielsen Media Research,  which  said  that  24
million people in the United States and Canada use the Internet."
     
     "We stick by our numbers," said a spokesman for Nielsen Media, which is
unit  of  Dun  &  Bradstreet Corp. "If you do different surveys,  they  will
produce  different results," said Jack Loftus of Nielsen Media.  As reported
earlier,  the  Nielsen  Media study was based on more than  4,200  telephone
interviews of randomly selected households in the United States and Canada.
     


Symantec/Delrina NewsBits STR Infofile

                                      
                   Symantec Announces Operation Snow Storm

Symantec's  Delrina  Group  Provides Relief to  Companies  Affected  by  the
Blizzard  of  the Century; Donates Copies of  Remote Computing Software  for
Windows

LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK -- January 15, 1996 -- Symantec's Delrina Group, world
leader in PC communications  software, today announced Operation Snow Storm,
a  relief  effort that will make 500 copies of its award-winning  pcANYWHERE
for  Windows  Remote  computing software available to corporations  free  of
charge  to  assist  workers  unable to reach their  offices.   With  over  2
million active users, pcANYWHERE is the best-selling remote control and file
transfer software and normally retails for $129-$149.

The  pcANYWHERE for Windows Remote Control product allows users to work from
home,  using  their  home PC to  access the office.   Required  to  run  the
software is a PC equipped with either Microsoft's Windows 3.1 or Windows 95.
With  the  excessive  amounts of snow we have experienced,  it  is  becoming
increasingly difficult to get to the office.  This  product enables  workers
to  stay  at  home  and work as if they were sitting at  their  desk,"  said
Christopher Calisi, general  manager of the Communications Business Unit.

The  pcANYWHERE family of award winning remote computing software  solutions
are  developed  on  Long  Island.  "The  Long Island branch  of  Symantec's,
Delrina Group has a commitment to the community," said Calisi.  "We are very
concerned with the risks individuals are facing this winter, in light of the
hazards of travel under such extreme conditions."

This  software  will  allow employees to dial into their  office  PC.   Once
connected, the user can log into the network,  access documents and remotely
operate  both  DOS and Windows-based applications.  In addition,  pcANYWHERE
further  increases productivity by enabling users to remotely access devices
on  their PCs and networks, such as printers, CD ROMs.  "This enables people
to  remain productive from the comfort and safety of their own home,"  added
Calisi.

To  take  advantage of this offer, companies simply need to contact Symantec
directly at 1-800-511-4994.  A small charge  for shipping/handling  will  be
applied and the product will be shipped via Federal Express 2nd Day Service.
Limit five copies per company.

Symantec  Corporation  develops, markets and supports  a  complete  line  of
application and system software products  designed to enhance individual and
workgroup  productivity as well as manage networked computing  environments.
Platforms  supported include IBM personal computers and  compatibles,  Apple
Macintosh  computers and all major  network operating systems.   Founded  in
1982, the company has offices in the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan
and  throughout Europe.  Information on the company and its products can  be
obtained  by calling 1-800-441-7234 toll free  or (541) 334-6054 or  through
the Internet at www.symantec.com.

Brands  and  products  referenced herein are  the  trademark  or  registered
trademark of their respective holders.

Press Contacts:
        Josef Zankowicz, Symantec Corp., Delrina Group (416) 441-4658
         Shelly Sofer, Symantec Corp., Delrina Group (416) 441-4702




Luminous Announced STR Infofile


 Former Adobe Product Group Spins Out With Focus On Print Production Market
           New Luminous Corporation With Equity Interest By Adobe

Seattle,  Wash.,  (Jan. 11, 1996) - Capitalizing on the commercial  printing
industry's  dramatic shift toward digital print production, a  new  Seattle-
based  company  called  Luminous Corporation today  announced  that  it  has
finalized  its  arrangements  as  a  spin-out  company  of  Adobe   Systems,
Incorporated  (Nasdaq:ADBE)  of Mountain View,  Calif.  Formerly  the  Adobe
prepress group, Luminous is now a privately held company with James Betlyon,
previously vice president of the Production Imaging Products Group at Adobe,
as president and chief executive officer.

Under  the  agreement, Luminous acquired or licensed worldwide  development,
marketing  and  distribution rights to the industry leading  Adobe  prepress
software  solutions  for  high-end  print  production  professionals.  These
products  include  TrapWise,  the  advanced  color  trapping  software;  the
PressWise  electronic  page imposition program; Color Central  image  server
software;  the  OPEN  production  environment;  the  Adobe  Virtual  Network
telecommunications application for the printing industry; the  PrePrint  Pro
production  preview,  or "preflighting," program; and  Print  Central  print
server  software.  Luminous will also handle customer and technical  support
for these products.

Luminous  also has certain rights to the Open Prepress Interface  (OPI)  and
imposition  technologies  along with full ownership  of  the  OPEN  workflow
technology. Luminous plans to use these technologies and others acquired  to
enhance  its current product suite and to incorporate into future offerings.
Although Luminous is formed as an independent company, Adobe has obtained an
equity  interest  in  the  new  venture. Further,  Adobe  has  licensed  its
Configurable  PostScript  Interpreter  (CPSI)  technology  to  Luminous  for
expansion  into the high-end printing market. Other financial and  licensing
terms were not disclosed.

"The  entire printing industry is migrating to new, standards-based  digital
printing and transmission systems and away from the traditional, proprietary
systems  at an astonishing pace," said Betlyon. "As part of Adobe,  we  were
able to bring innovative products to market by identifying the needs of this
rapidly   changing   color  publishing  marketplace.  By  leveraging   these
technologies,  Luminous will be able to meet the needs of customers  in  the
larger  scale  print  production business. With Adobe  as  one  of  our  key
technology  partners,  Luminous will satisfy these  special  industry  needs
while breaking new ground in comprehensive print production systems."

In  addition  to furthering the product cycles of the acquired  or  licensed
Adobe  prepress products, Luminous will shape its product portfolio  into  a
complete,  modular, and integrated system suitable for use in  client/server
architectures and distributed network publishing. Its primary customers will
be  in the electronic prepress, print production, printing and graphic  arts
segments.

"Adobe  will  continue to enhance the core technologies on which  the  award
winning  prepress products are based," said Fred Schwedner, vice  president,
Adobe  Printing  and Systems Division. "As a result, OEMs such  as  Luminous
will  be  able  to  focus  on  delivering leading prepress  applications  to
professional, on-demand high-end printing customers."

The  prepress  stage is the final phase of the print production  process  in
which   color   separation  and  publication  assembly  take  place.   These
traditionally  manual  methods continue to migrate  to  electronic  computer
platforms  much like manual page layout did in 1985 with Aldus Corporation's
creation of desktop publishing.

By  making  the  prepress processes digital, short-run, high  quality  color
printing is now possible. BIS Strategic Decisions of Norwell, Mass.  reports
that in 1993, the short-run commercial printing market for electronic black-
and-white, or monochrome, and color documents shorter than 5,000  pages  was
$31 billion. They project that by 1998, on-demand  short-run color jobs will
account for 49 percent of that figure, or roughly $15 billion.

Luminous   Corporation  is  staffed  primarily  by  former  Adobe   prepress
personnel,  most  of whom joined Adobe Systems after its merger  with  Aldus
Corporation  in  Sept.,  1994.  The  current  Luminous  products,  with  the
exception  of the Adobe Virtual Network, were previously the core  offerings
of  the  Aldus Prepress Division prior to the merger with Adobe.   Luminous'
engineering,  operations, product marketing, customer and technical  support
are   based  in  Seattle.  The  company  has  regional  sales  offices   and
distribution channels in the United States and Europe. For more  information
on Luminous Corporation, interested customers should call (800) 685-6736.

Adobe  Systems Incorporated, founded in 1982, is headquartered  in  Mountain
View,  California.  Adobe develops, markets and supports  computer  software
products  and technologies that enable users to create, display,  print  and
communicate  electronic documents. The company licenses  its  technology  to
major  computer, printing and publishing suppliers, and  markets a  line  of
applications  software  and  type  products  for  authoring  visually   rich
documents.

Additionally,  the  company markets a line of powerful,  but  easy  to  use,
products for home and small business users. Adobe has subsidiaries in Europe
and   the   Pacific  Rim  serving  a   worldwide  network  of  dealers   and
distributors. Adobe's 1995 revenue was approximately $762 million.

TrapWise,  PressWise, Color Central, OPEN, Print Central  and  PrePrint  are
trademarks of Luminous Corporation. Adobe, the Adobe logo and PostScript are
trademarks  of Adobe Systems, Incorporated and may be registered in  certain
jurisdictions.



MS & WANG Imager STR Infofile



     Wang, Microsoft Announce Imaging Software For Microsoft Windows 95
                                      
         Provides Built-in Support for Document-Imaging Applications
                                      
             Software Available Now Without Charge Over Internet


BILLERICA,  Mass.  and REDMOND, Wash. - Jan. 16, 1996 - Wang  and  Microsoft
Corp. today announced the release of imaging software developed by Wang  for
the Windows 95r operating system. The software provides built-in support for
new document-imaging applications by enabling users of Microsoftr Windows 95
to  scan, view, annotate, manage, store and share faxes, paper documents and
electronic images. The software is available now over the Internet and major
online  services. It will also be incorporated into future versions  of  the
Windowsr operating system.

With  the  new  Windows 95-based imaging software, a user can transform  any
paper  or fax-based information into an electronic image that can be stored,
filed,  retrieved,  edited,  annotated,  printed,  faxed  and  shared.  This
eliminates  the need to manage and store paper documents such as handwritten
meeting  notes,  memoranda and business correspondence.  The  software  also
includes  powerful  32-bit OLE interfaces that allow  developers  to  create
image-enabled applications easily.

"Users  of  Windows  95 will now have easy-to-use, high-performance  imaging
software  that  can  change the way they work and  communicate,"  said  Brad
Silverberg,  senior  vice  president of the  personal  systems  division  at
Microsoft.  "Wang's  commitment  to providing  cost-effective  and  reliable
imaging software is a true benefit to customers."

"The  Wangr  imaging  software for Windows 95 makes an important  technology
immediately  available to millions of people worldwide,"  said  Bob  Weiler,
president,  Wang  Software. "Working with Microsoft, Wang has  made  desktop
document imaging a pervasive and inexpensive mainstream application. It will
accelerate  the  broad  deployment  of  imaging  and  workflow  as  business
productivity tools."

Users, Developers Gain Unprecedented Imaging Access
The imaging software for Windows 95 provides an open, standard way to handle
image  documents  and  to view faxes through Microsoft Exchange  Inbox.  For
example,  in  an  office environment, the easy-to-use,  intuitive  interface
enables  users to transform paper and faxes into useful electronic documents
as  bit-mapped or rasterized images in black and white, grayscale or  color.
The  software  supports  Windows  95  Explorer,  standard  Windows  95-based
printers  and fax products, as well as popular electronic mail systems  such
as Microsoft Exchange Server and Microsoft Mail.

The  imaging  software  provides developers and  integrators  with  standard
interfaces  and components for creating image-enabled applications  and  for
customizing or controlling Windows 95 capabilities. These interfaces include
the following:

z    OLE component technology to add image documents to Windows-based
  personal productivity and database-driven applications
z    OLE Automation for integrating imaging into existing line-of-business
  applications
z    OLE Controls for building new applications using a broad range of
popular developer tools

Commitment to Back-End Server Integration
In  the  first  half of 1996, Wang will provide connections  between  client
imaging software available for Microsoft Windows 95 and Wang's other imaging
software  products. The connections will enable users to access and retrieve
images  stored  on  any  Wang  image server.  In  addition,  Wang  plans  to
incorporate  the  new  OLE interfaces into its entire workflow  and  imaging
product  line, offering further integration capabilities between the desktop
and back-end server software products.

A Significant Result of the Wang and Microsoft Alliance
The  imaging software is a significant result of the broad alliance  between
Wang  and  Microsoft announced last April. This alliance will bring improved
document-imaging and work-management capabilities to all users of Windows 95
and  the  Windows  NTT operating system. As part of the alliance,  Wang  was
designated Microsoft's preferred workflow and imaging vendor and is  working
closely  with  Microsoft to define the MAPI Workflow Framework for  enabling
interoperability   between  production  workflow   systems   and   messaging
environments such as Microsoft Exchange.

Easy, Convenient Access Over the Internet
The  new  imaging software for Windows 95 is available immediately worldwide
through the Internet (http://www.microsoft.com and http://www.wang.com)  and
will be available through other Microsoft online services.

The software is available immediately in seven languages. This includes U.S.
English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish. The software
will also be available on the April Microsoft Developer Network CD.

Wang  Laboratories, Inc. (NASDAQ:WANG) is a recognized worldwide  leader  in
workflow,  integrated  imaging,  document  management  and  network  storage
management for client/server open systems and a major worldwide provider  of
integration and support services for office software and networks.

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

Microsoft, Windows and Windows NT are registered trademarks or trademarks of
Microsoft  Corp.  in  the United States and/or other countries.  Wang  is  a
registered trademark of Wang Laboratories, Inc.


McAfee 229 STR Spotlight


                What's New in VirusScan Version 2.2.9 (9601)
                    Copyright 1994, 1995 by McAfee, Inc.
                            All Rights Reserved.



These release notes cover what is new in VirusScan 2.2.9 and the December
DAT replacement (9601) of VirusScan for DOS, VirusScan for Windows,
VirusScan for OS/2, VirusScan for Windows 95, VirusScan for NT and VShield.


Why this emergency release:

   The versions released as 2.2.8 was discovered to have a couple of false
ids:

     SHZ on some COM files used in association with CPTOOLS.
     PROBABLE UNKNOWN BOOT SECTOR VIRUS on Disk Manager MBRs.

This release of 2.2.9 (9601) fixes those issues.



Vshield 2.2.9

   You will need VShield 2.2.8 or 2.2.9 in order to use these DAT files
with VShield for DOS.


New features for VirusScan 2.2.9 and OS/2 Scan 2.2.9:

/CLEAN /FORCE
When confronted with a boot sector virus, /CLEAN /FORCE tells VirusScan to
forcibly remove the virus using its  generic remover  capabilities.  For MBR
infecting viruses, this is similar to the use of FDISK /MBR.

/CONTACTFILE <filename>
Display contents of <filename> when a virus is found.  Previously it worked
only for viruses found during disk scan.   Now, it also applies to viruses
found during memory scan.

/FREQUENCY DAILY
Will scan once each day based on the date and not by hours.

/NODOC
In 2.2.7, we introduced .DOT and .DOC into the default list of files checked
when you run Scan.  /NODOC forces DOT  and DOC files not to be checked.
Some of our users requested this flexibility.


OS2SCAN 2.2.9

The OS/2 code has been changed to fix a disk corruption problem. It's
implementation has created a change in the way Scan works. When OS/2 Scan
finds that the system has loaded IBM LAN drivers, it will not Scan the MBR
of the s system, however, if you are using those particular Requesters, you
need to boot the OS/2 box from the two Diskettes  provided by IBM and then
Scan your System. Booting this way will not load the drivers and OS/2 Scan
will Scan your  MBR. It has been our experience that most Boot Sector
Viruses will not let your  OS/2 machine boot and you would need  to boot
from the Diskettes anyway to find the machine's problem.

   Creating a Clean Boot Disk:
   When creating a clean OS/2 boot disk, it is necessary to copy the file
NLS.DLL to the disk as well as OS2SCAN.EXE
   and *.DAT.

   The file NLS.DLL is part of standard OS/2.  The path where it can be
found is: \OS2\DLL\NLS.DLL



About Macro viruses...

Included in this ZIP file is a self-extracting archive, MVTOOL10.EXE, being
distributed by Microsoft.  It is a way to protect yourself against the
Concept virus, as well as to warn you against document files that contain
macros without your knowledge.

To make use of it, execute the program:

     MVTOOL10.EXE    40732  bytes

It will create these files:

     README.DOC      36864  10-02-95  1:08p
     SCANPROT.DOT    49152  10-02-95  3:44p

Enter Word and read the README.DOC to see if the package is suitable for
your environment.  Removal of macro viruses directly from within VirusScan
will soon be made available.  If you wish to help us test the beta, please
check our beta area on our Web Site (www.mcafee.com) in the download area.


Detectors added or updated in the 9601 DAT file from 9511 (105):
AC.1400                                 HLLO.7227
ACIDWARP                                HLLO.41714
AEP.2518                                HOME SWEAP.658
AMZ.1100                                HYDRA.1657
ANARCHIST.478                           IMI.1536.G
ANARKEY.1179                            ITTI.161
ANTI PASCAL.400.A                       IVP.939
ANTI PASCAL.400.B                       IVP.FLIPPER.872
ANTI PASCAL.407                         KOHNTARK.KOMPANION.268
ANTI PASCAL.440.A/B                     LEPROSO.1221
ANTI PASCAL.480.A/B                     MAGIC DOLLAR
ANTITB                                  MIREA_II.4157
AUSTRALIAN PARASITE.306.A               MNEMONIX.NEUROPATH.928
AUSTRALIAN PARASITE.482.A               MOSQUITO.768
BEDA.1530                               MRTINY.155
BROTHER                                 MZBOOT.B
CIVILWAR.RATBOY.303                     PC FLU.763
COITO.644                               PS-MPC.670
COP-COM.286                             REKLAMA.2723
COP-COM.287                             RTL
CREATIVE.877                            SCRATCH.554
DAEMAEN.2041.B                          SEMTEX.686
DARK_AVENGER.OLIVER                     SEPULTURA.2136
DEI.1526                                SHARK.1027
DSME.DEMO                               SHARK.B
EAF.656                                 SHIFTER.983
EMF                                     SILLYRC.414
END-OF.788                              SIRIUS.640
ERRORINC.465                            SISTER
EVOLUTION.2770                          SMALL COMPANION.160
EVOLVE.2770                             SMALL.65
EXEHEADER.FUNKED.425.C                  SMASH
EXEHEADER.PURE.DE'BUGER.427             SPM.A
FAIRZ.2340                              STONED.IVT
FOGGY.91                                STONED.PC-AT
FOGGY.129                               TRIVIAL.123
FOGGY.149                               VACSINA.VACSINA-LOADER.A
FOGGY.188                               VCL.DIAL.600
FOGGY.220                               VIENNA.BYTEWARRIOR
FOGGY.228                               VIENNA.M1.B
FOGGY.256.A                             VME_1.DEMO
FOGGY.256.B                             VRD
FOGGY.292                               WEREWOLF.658
FOGGY.300
FOGGY.382
FOGGY.420
FOGGY.444
GIRL.2273
HIPERION.249
HLL.4075
HLL.4629
HLL.6167
HLL.8902
HLL.12304
HLL.BIRTHDAY.5824
HLL.KASIENKA
HLL.MERCURY
HLL.SAURON
HLL.VOVA.8896
HLL.VOVA.9904
HLLC.4768.B
HLLO.4032.B
Removers added or updated in the 9601 DAT file from 9511 (37):
ANTI PASCAL.400.A
ANTI PASCAL.400.B
ANTI PASCAL.407
ANTI PASCAL.440.A/B
ANTI PASCAL.480.A/B
DARK_AVENGER.OLIVER
DVD.455
FOGGY.91
FOGGY.129
FOGGY.149
FOGGY.188
FOGGY.220
FOGGY.228
FOGGY.256.A
FOGGY.256.B
FOGGY.292
FOGGY.300
FOGGY.382
FOGGY.420
FOGGY.444
FREDDY_2.1
HI.802
HOME SWEAP.658
HYDRA.1657
MRTINY.155
OVER1644
PS-MPC.670
QUICKSILVER.1376 (Needs 2.2.8
Executable)
SAYAWATP
SHEHAS
SMALL COMPANION.160
STONED.ZAPPA
SVC.2936.C
SVC.2936.D
TRIVIAL.123
VIENNA.648.LISBON
WEREWOLF.658


False Alarms fixed:
HLL.4984
KILROY
NOKERNEL (BOOT)
OVER1644
PS-MPC.ARCV.3
THIEF


Significant virus name change:
Breasts -> SheHas
Yale -> Alameda


Top active viruses other than those presented above:

AntiCmos (alias: Lixi)
Byway.A (*)
Byway.B (*)
Concept
Da'Boys (**)
Junkie
MonkeyA
MonkeyB
Natas
NYB (alias: B1)
Ripper
Sampo

(*) To remove Byway, boot up with the virus in memory.  Copy all executable
files to floppy, with a non-executable extension.  Copy all the data files
off.  Format harddisk.  Replace files.

(**) To remove Da'Boys from a hard disk infection, one needs to boot from a
clean corresponding DOS version and  execute the command "SYS C:".




MS Acquires Vermeer STR Focus



                Microsoft Acquires Vermeer Technologies Inc.


        Critically Acclaimed Visual Client-Server Web Publishing Tool
                      to Complement Internet Offerings
                From Microsoft Desktop Applications Division


REDMOND,  Wash.  -  Jan.  16,  1996 - Microsoft Corp.  today  announced  the
acquisition  of  Vermeer Technologies Inc., a pioneer of visual,  standards-
based  Web  publishing  tools based in Cambridge, Mass.  Vermeer's  flagship
software  application,  FrontPage(TM), is a critically  acclaimed  tool  for
easily  creating  and  managing  rich  Web  documents  without  programming.
FrontPage  will become a key component of Microsoft's strategy to provide  a
full  range  of  tools that put the power of Web publishing,  for  both  the
Internet  and  intranets,  in the hands of the broadest  range  of  computer
users.

"Millions  of  productivity-applications  users  want  an  easier   way   to
participate  in the excitement and enhanced productivity of the  Web,"  said
Bill  Gates, chairman and CEO of Microsoft. "Vermeer's FrontPage  fills  the
wide  gap  between  simple HTML page editors and high-end, professional  Web
publishing systems available today."

"Access to Microsoft's resources and channel partnerships will allow  us  to
realize  our  vision of 'Webtop publishing' on a broader scale,"  said  John
Mandile, Vermeer's president and chief executive officer. Vermeer coined the
phrase "Webtop publishing" to define the process of creating Web sites using
its innovative visual tools.

High-Quality Web Publishing
FrontPage  provides users with the fastest and easiest way  to  develop  and
maintain  high-quality  Web  sites without programming.  Designed  for  both
individual  users  and collaborative work environments, FrontPage's  client-
server  architecture  supports authoring, scripting and Web-site  management
from  a  user's  desktop, across a corporate LAN, or over the Internet.  The
client  portion of the software, which is currently available  for  Windowsr
operating  system-based platforms and will be available for  the  Macintoshr
later this year, includes the following features:

z    FrontPage Editor for creating and editing HTML pages, with WYSIWYG
  support for many of the latest HTML formatting extensions
z    FrontPage Explorer for graphically visualizing and managing a complex
Web site composed of many documents and images
z    WebBots that implement the most common Web server functionality, such
as text searches, feedback forms, and threaded discussion forums, without
any programming or complex setup
z    Wizards and templates for easily creating personal and business Web
  pages in a task-oriented manner
z    To Do List for tracking the status of authoring and management tasks to
  be completed on the site, a critical task for a collaborative Web document

The  server  portion  of  the  product,  known  as  Server  Extensions,   is
implemented using the open industry standard Common Gateway Interface  (CGI)
and  can  run on the Windowsr 95 or Windows NT&trade; operating systems  and
popular versions of UNIXr. These extensions support Internet server products
such  as  NetSite from Netscape Communications Corp. and Microsoft  Internet
Information Server, which is currently in beta and is scheduled to  ship  in
the  first  quarter of 1996. To allow users to get their Web  sites  up  and
running  right out of the box, FrontPage includes an easy-to-set-up Personal
Web Server.

"Web Documents" Strategy
Allowing  users to create and edit Web documents easily is a key  aspect  of
Microsoft's  desktop applications strategy. Word processing and  spreadsheet
documents  are  the most common daily business communication  formats  among
users  today;  Microsoft  believes this same broad category  of  users  will
author  Web  documents for corporate intranets or the Internet in  the  near
future.

FrontPage  is Microsoft's key offering in this burgeoning market.  FrontPage
extends  the  concept of document creation to include a variety of  document
types  such  as HTML or those created with Microsoft Word, Microsoft  Excel,
and  the  Microsoft PowerPointr presentation graphics program, connected  by
hyperlinks  on both corporate LANs or the Internet. FrontPage  was  designed
for the end user and business professional, with a user interface consistent
with Microsoft Office.

With this announcement, Microsoft now provides a complete range of tools for
users creating Web documents:

z    In December, Microsoft Office announced a line of Office Internet
  Assistants that make it easy for users to author standalone HTML pages using
  their familiar Office applications such as Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel
  and Microsoft PowerPoint.
z    FrontPage builds on this technology by providing the easiest way for
end users, business professionals and Web-site managers to publish and
manage high-quality Web sites without programming. Documents created with
Microsoft Office and Office Internet Assistants can be incorporated easily
into a FrontPage Web document.
z    For professional publishers designing high-end solutions, Internet
  Studio provides a sophisticated publishing system to create, publish and
  manage Web sites that can include integrated programming and interactive
  multimedia.

Desktop Applications Division Creates New Product Unit
Over  the  next  few  months, the FrontPage development team  will  move  to
Microsoft  headquarters in Redmond, Wash., and become the core of the  newly
established  Web  authoring  product unit within  the  desktop  applications
division.  This  new group will be managed by Chris Peters,  currently  vice
president  of the Office product unit overseeing the design and  development
of  Microsoft  Office. A 14-year veteran at Microsoft, Peters  was  formerly
general  manager  of  the  Word business unit and  led  the  development  of
Microsoft Excel for five years. "We are incredibly impressed with the talent
at  Vermeer,"  Peters  said. "They're smart people  with  great  development
talent  and  a  deep understanding of what it takes to create  high-quality,
easy-to-use Web software. We're also excited about how well FrontPage  works
with our Office applications today and about the possibilities for even more
integration  in  the future." FrontPage will continue to be available  as  a
standalone  product directly from Vermeer during the transition period,  and
through Microsoft's channel partners in the future.

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

Microsoft,   Windows,  Windows  NT  and  PowerPoint  are  either  registered
trademarks  or  trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the  United  States  and/or
other countries. FrontPage is a trademark, in the United States and/or other
countries,  of  Vermeer  Technologies Inc., a  wholly  owned  subsidiary  of
Microsoft  Corp. Macintosh is a registered trademark of Apple Computer  Inc.
UNIX  is a registered trademark in the United States and/or other countries,
licensed exclusively through X/Open Company Ltd.

If  you  are  interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft  and
FrontPage,  please visit the Microsoft home page at http://www.microsoft.com
or e-mail frontpg@microsoft.com, or call Microsoft customer service at (800)
426-9400.


            A T T E N T I O N-A T T E N T I O N-A T T E N T I O N

                  FARGO PRIMERA PRO COLOR PRINTERS - 600DPI

For a limited time only; If you wish to have a FREE sample printout sent  to
you that demonstrates FARGO Primera & Primera Pro SUPERIOR QUALITY 600dpi 24
bit  Photo  Realistic  Color Output, please send a  Self  Addressed  Stamped
Envelope [SASE] (business sized envelope please) to:

                       STReport's Fargo Printout Offer
                                P.O. Box 6672
                      Jacksonville, Florida 32205-6155
                                      
Folks,  the FARGO Primera Pro has GOT to be the best yet.  Its far  superior
to  the newest of Color Laser Printers selling for more than three times  as
much.   Its said that ONE Picture is worth a thousand words.  Send for  this
sample  now.  Guaranteed you will be amazed at the superb quality.  (please,
allow at least a one week turn-around)

            A T T E N T I O N-A T T E N T I O N-A T T E N T I O N



Apple/Mac Section
John Deegan, Editor



EDUPAGE STR Focus    Keeping the users informed




                                   Edupage
Contents


Case Closed On Zimmermann
Investigation
Pretty Good Phone Privacy, Too
New Survey Lowers Internet User
Estimates
Apple Workforce Cuts Ahead
BBS Purges Porn
Microcash
Battle Continues In Canadian Phone
Rate Hike
Sculley Buys Stake In Photo
Software Company
Telecom Barricades
Swiss Workers Fired Over Cyberporn
On The Job
Web Syntax, Explained For All
Are IBM And Sears Abandoning
Prodigy?
Software Piracy Case Settled
Windows 95 Sales Raise Concerns
Academic Networking Assessment
Cal Tech Benefits From Intel
Largesse
France Telecom Gears Up For
Internet Access
Internet Domain Policy
Credit Card Software For Internet
Cisco Buys Cable Modem Maker
IBM Is Number One Patent Winner
Microsoft To Acquire Vermeer
Technologies
Spy Agency Warns Of Corporate Spies
Asian TV Network From NBC
Pirate Chips
Supreme Court Deadlocks 4-4 On
Copyright Issue
Brokers Say Net Threatens Telecoms
Exodus From Commercial Services?
One Is Enough
Apple To Eliminate 1,300 Jobs
IBM To Provide Government With
Encryption Keys For Notes
The Power Of Small Teams
Teacherless Classrooms Considered
Wang's Imaging Software For Win 95
Spider Eases Life On The Web
Eastman Kodak Supports Digital
Library Program
Cross-Border Culture War Looms
Internet Domain Policy



                   CASE CLOSED ON ZIMMERMANN INVESTIGATION
Federal  officials have told cryptographer Philip Zimmermann that their  28-
month grand jury investigation regarding international dissemination of  his
encryption software is now closed.  The software, called PGP for Pretty Good
Privacy,   was  developed in 1990 because Zimmermann thought computer  users
needed  a  tool  to  protect their e-mail messages from  government  prying.
After someone put it on the Internet, it was quickly distributed around  the
world.   "This  decision  shouldn't be interpreted as meaning  anything.   I
caution  people  against concluding the Internet is now  free  for  export,"
says  the  assistant U.S. attorney in San Jose where the action  originated.
(Wall Street Journal 12 Jan 96 B2)

                       PRETTY GOOD PHONE PRIVACY, TOO
Now  from  the  creator of PGP encryption software comes a new  product  for
making your phone calls more private.   Philip Zimmermann's PGPfone software
scrambles  phone  calls  made  through a  computer  modem  using  a  complex
algorithm  called  Blowfish, which rearranges the digital  version  of  your
voice conversation and then decodes it at the  other end.  The result is  an
intelligible  --  though not high-quality -- totally  private  conversation.
The  URL is: < http://web.mit.edu/network/pgpfone/ >.  (Popular Science  Jan
96 p43)

                  NEW SURVEY LOWERS INTERNET USER ESTIMATES
A  new  survey  by New York-based Find/SVP pegs the number of U.S.  Internet
users  at  9.5 million, far below the  findings of a disputed Nielsen  Media
Research survey a couple of months ago, which had reported 24 million  North
American  users.  The Find/SVP study also estimated the number of  U.S.  Web
users  was  about  7.5  million.   (Wall Street    Journal  12  Jan  96  B2)
Meanwhile,  a  survey conducted by the Emerging Technologies Research  Group
shows  Internet  users spending an average of 6.6 hours a week on  the  Net,
time  previously spent watching TV, listening to the radio or   making long-
distance phone calls.  The average session was 68 minutes.  Women are  twice
as  likely  as men to use the   Internet exclusively for business.    (Tampa
Tribune Jan 12 96 B&F1)

                         APPLE WORKFORCE CUTS AHEAD
Analysts  are predicting that Apple Computer will be cutting up to a  fourth
of its workforce in an effort to recover from  its recently posted losses of
$68  million for the last quarter.  "It's very clear they can't continue  in
the  same  vein because  they are not making any money," says one  investor.
"They  need to organize the business so that they can make a profit."    The
restructuring is widely viewed as CEO Michael Spindler's last chance to turn
things around.  (Investor's Business  Daily 12 Jan 96 A5)

                               BBS PURGES PORN
A  Wisconsin-based  BBS that bills itself as the nation's  largest  computer
bulletin board has eliminated about 50,000 files  containing adult material,
including  photos  of porn stars and other nude scenes.   Exec-PC's  founder
says,  "Since it is  only 7% of our service and it could result in the  100%
loss of our business, the risk is not worth it."  The move comes  on top  of
CompuServe's efforts to restrict access to adult material on its service  as
U.S.  legislators ponder new laws to  prosecute electronic  transmission  of
"indecent"  content.   An  attorney for the Electronic  Frontier  Foundation
says,  "He   has a perfect right to choose what to carry, but it's  a  shame
that  he  feels he has to exercise the right out of fear of what  government
might  do.   That's  what constitutional lawyers call  a  chilling  effect."
(Tampa Tribune 12 Jan 96 B&F5)

                                  MICROCASH
Digital  Equipment  filed a patent last August for a payment  system  called
Millicent, which enables Web-site operators to  charge as little as a  tenth
of  a  cent  for  each customer "hit."  The system relies on  middle-men  --
credit  card companies or  digital banks -- to handle the transactions,  but
its  novelty  lies  in  its  cost-effective design  geared  toward  tracking
minuscule  amounts  of cash.  To keep disk storage at  a  minimum,  security
measures  providing privacy and a trail of  signed receipts are not included
in  the  system,  but proponents point out that would-be cyberthieves  would
have  to crack a   lot of transactions -- 10,000 at 0.1 cent each -- to make
just  $10.   "There  are  easier ways to make 10  bucks,"  says  Millicent's
inventor.  (Business Week 15 Jan 96 p90)

                BATTLE CONTINUES IN CANADIAN PHONE RATE HIKE
A  coalition of Canadian business and consumer groups urged Cabinet to order
phone  companies  to  give  back the extra  money  they  will  receive  from
increases   in  local  phone  rates,  otherwise  they  will  pay   for   new
infrastructure on the backs  of local consumers.  The coalition  also  wants
some  of  the money to be used to set up "lifeline" programs that  subsidize
low-income  customers.   Bell  Canada maintained  the  coalition's  proposal
should  not  be taken seriously and its petition to  Cabinet is "frivolous."
(Toronto Star 12 Jan 96 E2)

                SCULLEY BUYS STAKE IN PHOTO SOFTWARE COMPANY
Former  Apple  CEO John Sculley has taken an equity stake  in  Live  Picture
Inc.,   a   small   California  company  producing  software   that   allows
photographers and graphic artists to manipulate images through shape, color,
shade and resolution.   (New York Times 12 Jan 96 C16)

                             TELECOM BARRICADES
Cable  giant  Rogers Communications president Ted Rogers, courting  American
money  through  new  stock issues on the New York Stock Exchange,  maintains
Canadian media companies must work together to protect their vulnerable turf
by  building a "virtual fortress" around Canada.  Rogers added the  industry
cannot  rely solely on the federal government to protect Canadian  interests
against American incursions. (Toronto Globe & Mail 12 Jan 96 B2)

                SWISS WORKERS FIRED OVER CYBERPORN ON THE JOB
Roche,  the  health  products group based in Switzerland,  has  fired  three
workers  after  ignoring a verbal warning to stop  using  company  time  and
computers  to  retrieve and copy allegedly pornographic materials  from  the
World  Wide Web.   Swiss law permits summary dismissal of workers only there
are   "serious  grounds"  for  doing  so.   The  workers  plan  to   appeal.
(Financial Times 12 Jan 96 p1)

                        WEB SYNTAX, EXPLAINED FOR ALL
Syndicated  columnist Dave Barry says that "those weird  string  of  letters
that   have   started   showing  up  everywhere   in    newspaper   stories,
advertisements,    TV    shows,   etc.,   the   ones    that    look    like
http//www/clamsucker.doo.wah"  are "code  instructions to  Dan  Rather  from
his home planet."

                    ARE IBM AND SEARS ABANDONING PRODIGY?
Corporate  spokespersons have declined comment on reports that IBM  and  the
Sears, Roebuck Co. are talking with investment bankers in order to devise  a
way  to  extricate  themselves from their ownership of Prodigy,  the  third-
largest   consumer  online  service after  AOL  and  CompuServe.   Prodigy's
marketplace  value may have increased in recent months  as a result  of  its
aggressiveness  in  positioning itself as an Internet access  provider  with
some ownership of content.  (New York Times 16 Jan 96 C2)

                        SOFTWARE PIRACY CASE SETTLED
Microsoft and Novell have reached a settlement with the computer hacker  who
ran  the  Assassins'  Guild BBS, which  served as the headquarters  for  two
groups  that  distributed illegal copies of commercial  software.   The  BBS
operator  will  pay $70,300 and forfeit $40,000 worth of computer  equipment
in the settlement.  (Investor's Business Daily 15 Jan 96 A7)

                       WINDOWS 95 SALES RAISE CONCERNS
Software companies that bet on phenomenal sales of Microsoft Windows 95  are
reporting  disappointing  financial results.   The  problem  is  that  fewer
companies  are switching over to the new operating system than  anticipated,
instead waiting  until they buy newer, more powerful computers better suited
to  the  Windows 95 environment.  "It is still the largest  software product
done   in  the  industry  to  this  point,"  says  an  analyst  at  Computer
Intelligence Infocorp.  "We're  estimating that they've got something on the
order  of 17-million units out there already, and that's not chicken  feed."
But  "it's  not  becoming the corporate desktop, and that  has  some  people
worried."  (St. Petersburg Times 15 Jan 96 p8)

                       ACADEMIC NETWORKING ASSESSMENT
Syracuse  University is conducting a 15-month study, financed  by  the  U.S.
Dept.  of  Education, to determine how  computer networking  contributes  to
teaching  and learning.  The main product of the $143,000 effort,  a  manual
entitled    "Assessing the Academic Networked Environment:   Strategies  and
Options,"  is almost finished, and provides a summary  of networking  issues
that  colleges  and  universities should address, along  with  an  extensive
questionnaire  to  elicit   information,  with  the  goal  of  intelligently
assessing  the  cost/benefit  issues  of  networking  in  higher  ed.    The
assessments   are  key in planning for future technology:  "There  are  more
bells  and  whistles out there than we could ever afford to  buy,   and  the
university  has to make some really tough decisions about which applications
to use, what kinds of systems to  support, and so on," says chief researcher
Charles McClure.  (Chronicle of Higher Education 19 Jan 96)

                    CAL TECH BENEFITS FROM INTEL LARGESSE
The California Institute of Technology will receive a gift of about $700,000
worth of computer gear from Intel Corp.   The new lab, which will house  Cal
Tech's  electrical  engineering  department,  the  Center  for  Neuromorphic
Systems  Engineering, and an NSF engineering research center, will be  named
in  honor of Intel co-founder Gordon Moore and his  wife Betty.  Moore is an
alumnus  of  Cal  Tech, as are several other Intel executives.   (Investor's
Business Daily 15 Jan 96 A6)

                 FRANCE TELECOM GEARS UP FOR INTERNET ACCESS
France  Telecom is beefing up its network infrastructure in preparation  for
offering  its  customers  local Internet  access.    The  move  is  seen  as
significant,  because  in order to bring its population  up  to  speed,  the
utility  will  be  forced to  undermine its $1.33-billion Minitel  business.
France Telecom has signed an agreement to distribute Netscape software to
its  users,  and  is developing Wanadoo, a search engine and  classification
system  for  information on the Web.  The  company  also  plans  "France  En
Ligne," a closed service similar to America Online.  (Wall Street Journal 15
Jan 96 A7B)

                           INTERNET DOMAIN POLICY
Network  Solutions Inc. (NSI), which issues Internet domain  names  to  U.S.
companies  and  organizations,  has a new  domain-name  registration  policy
which  will  "protect  the ability of companies to  extend  their  corporate
identity  into  the  Internet."  The policy requires applicants  to  warrant
that the requested name will not infringe any intellectual property of   any
third   party   and   will  not  be  used  for  any   lawful   purpose.    <
http://www.shsl.com >

                      CREDIT CARD SOFTWARE FOR INTERNET
Portland Software has come up with a solution for would-be Internet shoppers
who  aren't comfortable sending their credit  card information over the Net.
The  software allows the customer's PC to dial the credit card  network  for
transaction    approval,  and  supplies  a  code  needed  to   receive   the
merchandise.  "Customers are much more willing to use this than  to   use  a
standard  Web  server,"  says  one  satisfied  Portland  Software  customer.
Today's servers "may be secure, but the  perception is, they're not."  (Wall
Street Journal 15 Jan 96 B3)

                        CISCO BUYS CABLE MODEM MAKER
Cisco  Systems,  known for its computer network equipment, has  acquired  an
equity  stake  in Terayon Corp., a  manufacturer of cable modems.   The  two
companies  will  collaborate on developing technology to capitalize  on  the
transmission speed possible through cable-linked networks, which can operate
hundreds  of  times  faster  than  those  that   rely  on  telephone  lines.
(Investor's Business Daily 16 Jan 96 A9)

                       IBM IS NUMBER ONE PATENT WINNER
IBM  has topped the list of U.S. patent winners for the third straight year,
with  1,383  patents  awarded  for 1995.   The   patents  will  be  used  in
developing new IBM products, generating license fee income, and helping  IBM
barter  for  cross- licensing arrangements.  Other big patent  winners  were
Canon,  Motorola,  Eastman  Kodak, Mitsubishi Electric,  Toshiba,   Hitachi,
Matsushita  Electric  Industrial  Co., and  General  Electric.   (Investor's
Business Daily 15 Jan 96 A6)

                  MICROSOFT TO ACQUIRE VERMEER TECHNOLOGIES
Microsoft   is   planning  to  buy  small  Cambridge,  Mass.-based   Vermeer
Technologies  Inc. and to incorporate into the  "Microsoft Office"  software
suite Vermeer's "Front Page" program, which helps people without complicated
programming skills to develop pages for the World Wide Web.  (New York Times
16 Jan 96 C9)

                     SPY AGENCY WARNS OF CORPORATE SPIES
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service warns that companies eager to  do
business  in  competitive  global markets must  be  vigilant  about  foreign
companies  trying  to  acquire  information through  less-than-legal  means,
particularly  when  it  becomes  economic  espionage  sponsored  by  foreign
governments.  Since 1992, CSIS has investigated security concerns at   about
500  companies  and  found economic espionage in about  70%  of  the  cases.
(Toronto Star 15 Jan 96 E2)

                          ASIAN TV NETWORK FROM NBC
The  National Broadcasting Company has begun offering from Hong Kong  a  24-
hour  English-language  cable  service   providing  global  and  Asian  news
intended  for  a target audience of Asian business professionals  and  their
families,  expatriates and travelers.  (Atlanta Journal-Constitution 16  Jan
96 E3)

                                PIRATE CHIPS
One  of Canada's top computer "crackers" and video pirates claims he's  made
$20,000  tax-free over the past five weeks  by selling the green cards  that
decode  programming from DirecTV's popular satellite system.   According  to
the  cracker,   more  than 5,000 cards have been sold on  the  black  market
(about 80% in Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, with the  rest smuggled into
the  U.S.).  Canadian federal regulators have banned Canadian consumers from
watching  U.S. signals.   There is also "no moral issue at stake" (according
to  crackers), because a ruling by a Winnipeg judge determined that   what's
beamed into your backyard is your own business.  (Toronto Star 16 Jan 96 D1)

               SUPREME COURT DEADLOCKS 4-4 ON COPYRIGHT ISSUE
A  U.S.  Supreme  Court  4-4 tied vote on a Lotus/Borland copyright  dispute
leaves  in  place  an appellate court ruling which  said  Lotus  Development
Corporation  was  not  entitled to copyright  protection  for  a  system  of
commands  and menus which  it had developed for the Lotus 1-2-3  spreadsheet
program  and  which were copied by Borland for that company's  Quattro   Pro
program.  The appellate court ruling said that a command structure was not a
"form of expression" (i.e., something  that is copyrightable), but rather  a
"method of operation" (i.e., something outside the scope of copyright  law).
(New York Times 17 Jan 96 C2)

                     BROKERS SAY NET THREATENS TELECOMS
The  London  stock  brokerage firm Durlacher says in a report  that  telecom
companies  underestimate the threat posed to their business by the Internet:
"Their  greatest difficulty is that telecom operators run business based  on
charging for the  cost per unit of time used.  The long-term marginal  costs
associated with a local call are now, however, heading toward  zero.  In the
future,  charges will be made for content that is accessed rather  than  the
cost  of  moving  the material from the  host machine to  the  users."   The
report warns that technical developments could leave telecom operators "with
an obsolete system, of no obvious value, other than the recycle value of the
copper in the cables."  (Financial Times 15 Jan 96 p6)

                      EXODUS FROM COMMERCIAL SERVICES?
Commercial online services are having a difficult time keeping customers and
differentiating  themselves, as more savvy  computer users  switch  over  to
small  Internet  access providers.  "Most everything I find  on  the  online
services, I can find  using an Internet service provider," says one customer
who's made the switch.  "For me, the need for an online service is
diminishing."  "AOL is like the Internet on training wheels," says  another,
who  feels  he's "graduated."  In tandem with  subscriber defection  is  the
problem of content providers who increasingly are setting up their own shops
on  the  Web,  bypassing the commercial services altogether.  The popularity
of  the  Web "turns the model of the online services industry  upside down,"
says  Scott Kurnit, the former No. 2 executive at Prodigy, who's now running
an  Internet service for MCI  and News Corp.  While the number of commercial
service  subscribers has grown to about 12.5 million over the  past   decade
(doubling  in  the past year), the number of World Wide Web users  increased
eight-fold,  to  eight-million,  in  just   the  past  year,  according   to
International Data Corp.  (Wall Street Journal 18 Jan 96 A6)

                                ONE IS ENOUGH
The number of people subscribing to more than one online service has dropped
significantly  since  1991  when  almost a third  of  online  users  carried
multiple subscriptions.  Now, 97% report they can do everything they need to
using a single service.  (Business Week 22 Jan 96 p8)

                        APPLE TO ELIMINATE 1,300 JOBS
Apple  Computer says it will be forced to lay off 1,300 employees, or 8%  of
its  staff,  as  a first step in restructuring its  business.   The  company
plans  to  simplify its product line, focusing on high-end  machines,  while
allowing  Mac  clones  to  dominate the low-end market.   In  addition,  CEO
Michael  Spindler says Apple will fundamentally change its business   model,
concentrating  on its key products in education, business and home  markets,
while pursuing expanded business  alliances.  (Investor's Business Daily  18
Jan 96 A9)

                       IBM TO PROVIDE GOVERNMENT WITH
                          ENCRYPTION KEY FOR NOTES
IBM  has agreed to provide the U.S. government with a special key that would
enable  government  agents to more easily  decode  electronic  messages,  in
exchange for permission to export a version of Lotus Notes that includes 64-
bit security.   The arrangement provides government officials with a key  to
the  first 24 bits of security code, meaning that they only  have  to  crack
the  remaining  40 bits to decrypt a message.  U.S. Notes customers  already
use a 64-bit system.  "We were  desperate enough to try to negotiate a short-
term,  pragmatic solution," says Notes developer Ray Ozzie.  "But we do  not
believe  this  is the right long-term solution...  Our customers  have  been
telling  us that, unless we did something about the  security, we  could  no
longer call it a secure system."  (Wall Street Journal 18 Jan 96 B7)

                          THE POWER OF SMALL TEAMS
Sun  Microsystems chief technology officer Eric Schmidt favors  small  teams
and a focused approach to technical  problems:  "The proper arrangement at a
company  is  a very large number of very small businesses.  The best  things
were  done by very small engineering teams, because a small engineering team
is  forced  to  make  tradeoffs  to do  only  one  thing.    They  are  very
committed...  But small teams go against human nature.  Human nature  is  to
build  bigger  and bigger  enterprises."  He cites examples to  bolster  his
argument:  "Unix was developed by two people.  Java was done by a  team   of
less than five, Mosaic was done by two to four people and the Mac system was
done  by  about  12 people.  Even DOS  was actually developed  by  only  two
people."  (Investor's Business Daily 17 Jan 96 A1)

                      TEACHERLESS CLASSROOMS CONSIDERED
Ontario's  Community colleges, hunting for $120-million in savings  for  the
next  academic  year, are de-emphasizing the  role of  the  teacher  in  the
learning  process.  A study prepared for the Colleges' Council of Presidents
titled  "Learning  Centred Education" says educational institutions can  cut
teaching  costs by using CD-ROM courses and computer tutorials   to  deliver
education  using  support staff rather than teachers  to  monitor  students'
progress. (Ottawa Citizen 17 Jan 96 A4)

                     WANG'S IMAGING SOFTWARE FOR WIN 95
Wang Laboratories has developed software that allows PCs to file, forward or
annotate  faxed  and  scanned images in a  standardized  way.   The  product
development stems from a patent lawsuit settlement reached last spring  with
Microsoft,  under which Microsoft acquired a 10% stake in Wang.  The  image-
handling  capability will be incorporated into future  versions  of  Windows
95.  (Wall Street Journal 17 Jan 96 B5)

                        SPIDER EASES LIFE ON THE WEB
Toronto-based software developer Incontext says it "Spider" software  allows
Net newbies to create Web pages without  mastering HTML.  The package, which
retails  for  $129, includes a browser, spell checker and several  Web  page
templates to make it easier for beginners.  (Ottawa Citizen 18 Jan 96 D2)

               EASTMAN KODAK SUPPORTS DIGITAL LIBRARY PROGRAM
Eastman  Kodak  Co. has committed to spending $1 million on the  Library  of
Congress's National Digital Library  Program.  The program hopes to  receive
$45  million  in  private donations by the year 2000, and has  requested  an
extra   $15 million in government funding to reach its overall goal  of  $60
million.  (Information Today Jan 96 p14)

                       CROSS-BORDER CULTURE WAR LOOMS
Canada's  federal regulator is in Washington trying to persuade a  skeptical
U.S. government that Canadian efforts to black  out American TV signals that
contravene  standards  on violence and nudity do not  violate  NAFTA.   U.S.
Trade   Representative Mickey Kantor has warned Canadian Trade Minister  Roy
MacLaren that the U.S. government, while  supporting the development of a V-
chip  to  allow  parental  control, will react negatively  if  Ottawa  takes
wholesale  action   to block American programming from distribution  through
Canadian  cable systems.  (Toronto Financial Post 18 Jan 96  p5)  Meanwhile,
Power DirecTV says the explosive growth of satellite TV piracy and the flood
of  American direct-to- home dishes into Canada is threatening to  wipe  out
Canadian broadcasting.  The company urged the Canadian  government to create
rules  that aid new Canadian DTH companies and to enforce laws that prohibit
the import of American dishes into Canada. (Toronto Star 17 Jan 96 B3)

                           INTERNET DOMAIN POLICY
We  made a typo in the NSI Internet domain policy summarized in Edupage   of
16  Jan 96.  Corrected, the sentence reads:  "The policy requires applicants
to  warrant  that  the  requested name will not  infringe  any  intellectual
property of any third  party and will not be used for any unlawful purpose."
The full text of the policy will be available in a few days at:
<http://www.shsl.com/>, but if you wish a copy sent by e-mail prior to  that
time, send mail to:  kinsella@shsl.com.


     Edupage is written by John Gehl (gehl@educom.edu) & Suzanne Douglas
                            (douglas@educom.edu).
                  Voice:  404-371-1853, Fax: 404-371-8057.

   Technical support is provided by the Office of Information Technology,
                        University of North Carolina.

EDUPAGE is what you've just finished reading.  To subscribe to Edupage: send
a  message to: listproc@educom.unc.edu and in the body of the message  type:
subscribe edupage Marvin Minsky  (assuming that your name is Marvin  Minsky;
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EDUCOM  REVIEW  is our bimonthly print magazine on learning, communications,
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like the one on the counter at the dry cleaners with the sign "Ring bell for
service"; or a small hand bell; or a cathedral bell;  or a door bell;  or  a
chime;  or a glockenspiel.  Your choice.  But ring it!

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE The CAUSE organization's annual conference
on  information technology in higher education is scheduled for the  end  of
this   month   in   New  Orleans.   The  conference  will   bring   together
administrators,  academicians and other managers of  information  resources.
For  full conference information check out <http://cause-www.colorado.edu  >
or send e-mail to conf@cause.colorado.edu.

ARCHIVES  &  TRANSLATIONS. For archive copies of Edupage or Update,  ftp  or
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       Educom -- Transforming Education Through Information Technology


ISDN NewsNotes STR Focus


IN 1996, SAYS BELL ATLANTIC:

                     "LOOK FOR COMMUNICATIONS BOUNDARIES
                       TO TUMBLE, INNOVATION TO SOAR"


Arlington, VA --  If there is one word to characterize Bell Atlantic's view
of 1996, "Wow!" would fit the bill.

Advances in technology will move society ever closer to the day when your
computer will speak, your TV will listen,  your telephone will show you
pictures and your fax machine will zip you coupons, maps, rock concert
tickets and lottery  receipts.

The boundaries between once-separate businesses will continue to be swept
away by new technologies.  Increasingly, legal and regulatory distinctions
between "cable" and "telephone," "long distance" and "local exchange"
companies will  be recognized as unnecessary barriers to market forces.
Competition in all phases of the telecommunications industry  will mean more
innovation and more new services.

As you read this, a House-Senate conference committee pushes toward enacting
sweeping legislation that will, for the  first time in 60 years, open the
nation's telecommunications markets to competition.  This bipartisan bill,
if passed by  both Houses and signed into law by President Clinton, could
enable you to do one-stop shopping for your local and long- distance phone
service, cable service and Internet access service.  Or you may select
services from many providers.  Either way, competition authorized by this
legislation will create thousands of new jobs and lower the prices you pay
for telecommunications services.

In 1996, look for Bell Atlantic to find more ways to meet the needs of
customers who say they want not just "plain old telephone service,"  but
information at their fingertips, video on demand and an on-line connection
to their bank, their  youngster's school, their doctor and their office.

The key advantage is Bell Atlantic's superlative communications
infrastructure:  miles of fiber-optic cable, digital switching, software-
drive "intelligent" network features and high-speed data transport
capabilities.

And advanced services.  A good example is Bell Atlantic's ISDN (Integrated
Services Digital Network) feature, introduced late last year.  With ISDN,
you can dial into the Internet or on-line services from home instantly.
Files and  graphics can be transmitted or downloaded quickly and reliably.
And people who work at home can tap into databases or  work face-to-face
with colleagues at the office -- right from their personal home computers.

ISDN is just part of Bell Atlantic's commitment to making technology
available to customers in urban, suburban and rural communities.

While the company concentrates on the new, some things will not change, such
as Bell Atlantic's pledge to be there when  needed, through winter storms
and summer heat, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

So watch for Bell Atlantic to redefine the communications business for
everyone.  It just might be the year your youngster asks for his own home
page on the World Wide Web; and the year you print your e-mail address on
your business card.

In short, in 1996 get ready to move ever closer to the wondrous promise of
the information age.  And look to Bell Atlantic to take you there.

Bell  Atlantic  Corporation  (NYSE: BEL) is at  the  forefront  of  the  new
communications,  entertainment  and  information   industry.   In  the  mid-
Atlantic   region,   the   company  is  the  premier   provider   of   local
telecommunications  and advanced  services.  Globally,  it  is  one  of  the
largest  investors  in  the high-growth wireless communication  marketplace.
Bell Atlantic also owns a substantial interest in Telecom Corporation of New
Zealand  and  is actively developing high-growth  national and international
business opportunities in all phases of the industry.




Kids Computing Corner
Frank Sereno, Editor

                                      
                         The Kid's Computing Corner
                               by Frank Sereno
     
     I have to apologize that no reviews are ready for this week.  Research
is being compiled on several titles and, hopefully, two or more will make it
into print next week.  Among the titles are Thinkin' Things Collection 3
from Edmark, The Magic Bus Explores the Ocean from Microsoft and The SAT
Score Builder from The Learning Company.
     
     Now I'd like to remind everyone about our software giveaway.  There is
little or no cost to enter and your odds of winning are quite good.  Just
remember you have better odds of being struck by lightning, TWICE, before
you will win a state lottery.  Granted, the prizes do not have the same
monetary value, but what is the value of excellent learning opportunities
for you children?  Don't delay, enter today!
                                      
                                      
                                FREE SOFTWARE
                                      
     I have two software packages, and I will give away one each to two
lucky readers.  The packages are Muppet Reading & Phonics and Muppet Reading
& Phonics II.  Both programs require on IBM compatibles: a minimum 386 CPU,
Windows 3.1 or greater, 4 MB RAM and a CD-ROM drive; for Macintosh: 256
colors, System 7, 4MB RAM and a CD-ROM drive.  Each sells for around $25.

Here are the rules:

1.   Send an e-mail to me at this address - fsereno@matrix.uti.com
2.   In the body of the letter, simply write Muppet Contest Entry and
  include your real name.  I will send an e-mail to acknowledge all received
  entries.
3.   If you do not have access to Internet e-mail, entries can be mailed to
  Frank Sereno, 528 West Ave., Morris, IL 60450  Entries via U.S. Mail will
  NOT receive an acknowledgment due to Postal efficiency and my poor bank
  account.
4.   All entries must be dated by 11:59 p.m. on January 31, 1996
5.   Only one entry per household, please
6.   Employees or staff of STR Publishing, American Education Publishing and
Tebay Communications are not eligible
7.   The first name chosen will receive his choice of the programs and
second name will get the remaining program
8.   Taxes, if any, will be the responsibility of the winners.  Shipping
  will be paid by STR Publishing (ME!)
9.   Winners will be notified by e-mail or regular mail and will also be
  announced in this column

     I would like to thank American Education Publishing, Brighter Child
Software and Tebay Communications for providing the software for this
contest.  Both programs were reviewed in 1995 and received good marks.  The
software is very easy for younger children to run and very entertaining.
Children of all ages love the Muppets!
     
     P.S.  I have been told that the e-mail at my ISP is not reliable.  To
ensure that everyone who wants to enter can do so, entries can also be e-
mailed to my alternate e-mail address:  frank.sereno@bbs.uti.com
     
     Entries can also be faxed to 815-942-4469.  Please remember to include
a voice number or e-mail address with your  fax entry so you can be notified
if you are a winner.

Thank you for reading and good luck in the Muppet software contest!







Taking a Closer, more serious Look STR Spotlight An Editorial Overview & Opinion



                     What's up with the 64 BIT Jaguar??


by Ralph F. Mariano


     Much water has passed beneath the "proverbial bridge" as far Atari
Corp. and this reporter is concerned.  Most of which was and is extremely
fond memories.  Memories of watching my family mature while using all types
of Atari high tech hardware.  From the membrane keyboard of the Atari 400 to
the IBM Selectric Typewriter look-a-like Atari 800 to ultimately the TT030
with 26mb of memory, a 540mb hd and a 24" Monochrome Monitor.  Of course,
all the Atari peripherals were there too.  Including both flavors of Laser
SLM Printers.  In light of all this.. it wasn't very difficult to make up my
mind, after almost four years,  to invest in another enticing and innovative
Atari product.  The 64 bit Atari Jaguar Game Console and of course, the CD
ROM Player, the memory card and a bunch of games both Cartridge and CD.  I
felt I had "The Cat's Meow".  Until.
     
     A strange thing occurred.  I was in SEARS of Orange Park and a
commotion in the electronics toy department caught my attention.  Upon
further investigation, I found a slew of youngsters and their parents very
busy "trying out" the "NEW" Sony Playstation Game Console (PSX).  After
watching the kids. ages 8 or 9 to young adult (and older) carry on over the
PSX, I spent some time at the controls myself.  When we decided to leave
Sears and go home, a complete PSX ensemble went with us.  To this day, I am
not, in the least bit, dissatisfied with the PSX and its software.
     
     Anyway, on the way home.. I was thinking to myself about how the 32 bit
PSX would stack up to the 64 bit Jaguar.  It didn't take very long to see
the differences.  With the two machines side by side the comparison was easy
to make.  The Jaguar, has its own strengths and is now mostly used for its
superb light show.  The 32 bit Sony Playstation literally, BLEW the 64 bit
Jaguar's doors off!  This I believe is due to shabby early on programming by
inexperienced developers for the Jaguar.
     
     At first, I actually paid little or no mind to this finding.  After
all, the "NEW" of the 32 bit PSX at our house had to wear off.  But then,
after I kept seeing this constant harping online about how great the 64 bit
Jaguar was and how the greatest games in the world .AvP, etc.,  were on the
64 bit Jaguar and nowhere else I started digging.  Sure, I read these things
in the Jaguar areas, but one would expect even the most avid fan to be
truthful in an obvious situation like  comparing the output of both machines
.. side by side.  After all, it could be done anywhere by most anyone.  This
wasn't happening at all.  Instead, I found the vast majority yapping about
how superior the 64 bit Jaguar was.  After all, the Jaguar was 64 bits and
the PSX was ONLY 32 bits.  This turned out to be the sorriest joke of all
being perped on both Atari and the unsuspecting masses.  If only Atari had
been publicly told the truth "way back when" instead of being lulled into a
false sense of having a leading edge.  This I blame the "mindless online
cheerleading" for.   Here's how I discovered this "minor factoid".
     
     There I was.. sitting at home comparing the two machines, the mighty 64
bit Jaguar and the new kid on the block, the 32 bit Sony Playstation.  Lo
and Behold.. I began having some serious doubts about the Atari Jaguar's
claim to fame.. this "ever elusive but much touted" 64 bit performance!
Where?  When?
     
     Out of a sense of fairness, I kept giving the Jag the benefit of the
doubt because I had yet to obtain the "top banana games" with amazing
graphics and super, superior playability everyone was hollering and jumping
up and down about.  I kept wondering if, in fact, once I had one of these
games running if it would be the mesmerizing, stupefying, hypnotizing,
spellbinding thrill most everyone in the Atari areas was yapping about.
     
     Well Dearies,  I finally got a few of the so-called super hot titles.
Alien Vs Predator, Baldies, Atari Karts, Highlander, Battlemorph, Power
Drive Rally, Ultra Vortek, Cybermorph, and the Tempest Soundtrack.  Finally,
NOW, I was ready for the big showdown!!  I asked two of my sons who were
experienced in the use of the PSX and the Jaguar to conduct the comparisons.
After all, the players are the key to the truth ..not the observers or
commentators.

Let the Games Begin!

     Try as they might.. None of the Atari Jaguar "super" titles came close
to overcoming the quality of the PSX.  Some easily matched the PSX, but none
outdid it.  Now then, this is where the questions become somewhat serious.
Did Atari's brass know of this obvious short coming of the Jag?  Were they
aware of the fact that a 32 bit machine was easily matching and in many
cases running circles around their omnipotent 64 bit machine?  Or, did they
only recently discover the fact their 64 bit machine was being dogged by the
PSX in every way imaginable.  Like perhaps at the recent CES show where they
had a suite of rooms and a semi-private thing going on?   If. they had known
about the Jaguar's programming shortfall for any length of time then they
certainly didn't correct the shortfall quickly or did they try and found
their programmer corps lacked the necessary skills?  (It could be a given
that they had more than ample opportunity to view the output of the 32 bit
Sony at Last Year's CES and E3 shows.)   Now, with the most recent price cut
for the "64 bit Advanced Technology, US Made Atari Jaguar Game Console".
More people are buying the Jaguar than ever before.  Are they too to be
disappointed by the poor programming of many of the titles?  I firmly
believe there is light at the end of the tunnel.  Buying the Jaguar at
$99.00 is a real value.  The consumer is, in effect, getting in on the
ground floor.  With all the tumult of the last two months, its certain the
quality of programming for the Jaguar will improve dramatically.  In the
meantime, there are a number of excellent titles available that are bound to
entertain.
     
     The bottom line is simple for me.  While I know and think highly of
many of the folks who work or, have worked at Atari,  I must be up front
with my readers.  My informed opinion is; "while the claims of 64 bit power
for the Jaguar were being made far, wide, and handsome. the truth is. it
never performed like a 64 bit machine should have."  Especially, after the
manner in which the Jaguar is promoted by Atari..  "The only 64 bit
machine".. "made in the USA" etc., all of this should lead to a machine that
was an absolute powerhouse with stunning graphics and equally superb
gameplay.  It did not, does not and unless serious changes in the
programming for the Jaguar are accomplished .never will.
     
     Which leads to the thought. "perhaps the Jaguar's claim to 64 bit power
is nothing more than, "a wish upon a star."  While I have nothing to prove
anything as such, it has been implied many times in the past year or so in
just about every gaming magazine and recent hardware/software review
published.  If anything, I'd say; "The presence of the Jaguar's 64 bit power
and performance was and still is a Myth."  While  we've been witness to most
everyone's opinions that the 32 bit Sony Playstation can blow the 64 bit
Jaguar away time in and time out. its time to either make the necessary
changes to properly compete or, give up the ghost.  That's exactly what
Atari is doing in my humble opinion.  Seemingly, "the curtain has fallen to
the floor and exposed the "Wizards" to be far better at Vaudevillian
Performances than sheer, honest to goodness, Wizardry."   (Wizards meaning
programmers). The time for serious change is now at hand.  What will
actually be accomplished by the changes is yet to be seen.
     
     Looking at this from a consumer's viewpoint I must, once again, say the
Jaguar is a genuine gaming value at $99.00 and even has some very good games
for all ages.  Games that exhibited indications it was a "high performance
64 bit machine".  Mind you, it looks good and sounds good as long as the
right software is loaded.  But the much expected continued flow of 64 bit
power "just ain't there".  This I believe is the fault of the current crop
developers.  Not Atari or the Jaguar itself as it has been hinted at by
some.  Personally speaking, all of the games on the Jaguar were better
looking than those I'd seen and grown accustomed to playing on our three
"outdated" Atari 2600's and two Mattel Intellivision consoles.
     
     In all fairness to the Jag, I'd go so far as to say the majority of the
games I saw for the Jag were of up to date quality but are, at the same
time, aimed a younger age bracket.  Baldies resembles the old fashioned
overhead view games.  The "movie" in Baldies, (if you want to call it that)
was strangely reminiscent of "Clay Animation".  "Oooh Nooo .Mr. Bill!!"
Atari Karts  . is real cute, guaranteed to appeal to the pre-teen and very
early teens, has excellent graphics and very smooth scrolling but its still
no match for any of the "more mature" contemporary racing games available on
the PSX.  AvP was in so many words, when compared to DOOM on the PSX .SAD.
Good in game play for a youngster or new player, sad in sound, slow action
and mediocre graphics.  Doom is good.  Rayman is good.  Blue Lightning is
very good and BattleMorph has its great moments.  NBA Jam is excellent.
Primal Rage is very entertaining and looks just as good on the Jaguar as it
does on any other machine.  Highlander is again, very good looking and
should be quite appealing to the younger set.  Atari and it's developers
need to address the matter of their overall target audience and theme of
programming.
     
      I'm afraid the Jaguar was destined to marketing problems from the day
it hit the market.  If for no other reason than it simply did not have a
chance to live up to all the hype poured forth about it.  In stark reality,
it never had a "snowball's" chance.  First, the Tramiels put it on the
market far too early.  Second, they bundled garbage software with it instead
of using a "free game of your choice" certificate and thirdly, they were far
too proud of the Jaguar..  They seemingly lost sight of the competition's
potential and got nailed and nailed hard by, incredibly.. a 32 bit machine.
"The Jaguar will always be remembered as "the soldier sent into war without
a weapon or ammo."   Now, at least with the newer titles beginning to hit
there appears to be some hard evidence of the 64 bit power showing up.
     
     Which, by the way, lends credence to the impression of "64 bit Power
for Only $99.00.  Hey!  Power without the Price!  Now, there's an old,
familiar friend.
     
     For as long as "Forever and a Day" lasts, the Jaguar shall be
remembered as the only "White Elephant" Atari, from Bushnell `till present,
ever foisted upon the savvy technological marketplace.  For this and this
alone, forget the dead computers etc., the Tramiels will long be remembered
as having "blown it .big time!"
     
     The pitiful little old, Jaguar is bearing the brunt of this onslaught
because of a number of early on blunders.  One in particular ..the hardware
and software developers for the Jaguar were not "whipped into shape" by
Atari.  The delays coming from this area of supply have been simply
horrific!!  The developers need to be producing quality goods on or, ahead
of time!  NOT consistently LATE!...  So far, the results of their efforts
are very self evident.



Atari Interactive - software/Jaguar/Computer Section
Dana Jacobson, Editor



>From the Atari Editor's Desk              "Saying it like it is!"

     Under the circumstances - the recent news of layoffs and resignations
at Atari - I'm left speechless for this week's Atari computing section.
     
     All that I can do is let the following articles speak for themselves
while I ponder the situation at Atari.  I foresee a degree of "normalcy"
with next week's issue. <g>

                    Until next time...


                              Anodyne Software

announces:
ExtenDOS Pro v2.3: CD-ROM with audio copy

ExtenDOS Pro version 2.3 is the latest version of Anodyne Software's CD-ROM
drivers for Atari systems.  Like previous versions, it provides access to CD-
ROMs and audio CDs on most popular CD-ROM drives, but v2.3 offers many new
features including:

          . direct audioCD-to-disk recording (requires compliant hardware)
          . MIDI_COM support: CD-ROM drives installed by ExtenDOS Pro are
now accessible across a              MIDI_COM connection
          . improved automatic support for photoCD and audio CD on drives
unknown to ExtenDOS Pro
          . support for single-session photoCD on the popular NEC25 drive.

It continues to offer:
          . easy installation and reconfiguration via a GEM-based
installation program
          . support for a wide range of CD-ROM drives, including changer
mechanisms
          . an extremely stable and well-tested environment.

With ExtenDOS Pro, you can play audio CDs as easily as you can access the
data on CD-ROMs.  Put a CD-ROM in your drive, and access it like a large
removable hard disk, or pop in an audio CD and use the included program
to turn your CD-ROM drive into an audio player.

Direct audioCD-to-disk recording
ExtenDOS Pro now allows you to copy segments of an audio CD directly to your
hard disk, at sample rates of 25.033, 44.1, or 50.066 kHz.  The length of
recording is limited only by the size of your hard disk! Please note that
this function requires the appropriate hardware support within the CD-ROM
drive; at this time, for those drives that are known to provide some form of
support, the status is as follows:

          Drive                         Comments
          Chinon 535 (revs Q20 & R20)        not tested
          NEC 3X                   see NOTE below
          Panasonic 8004                not tested
          Pioneer 602x                  not tested
          Plextor 4plex                 not tested
          Sony 561 (& OEM equiv.)       OK
          Toshiba 3401/4101/3601        OK

NOTE: NEC 3Xp tested; it appears to function correctly, but the firmware
does not always return the correct audio data, resulting in 'stuttering' in
the copied file.  It is not known if other NEC drives suffer from this
problem.

For the latest support information, please contact Anodyne Software via
GEnie (R.BURROWS1), or via the Internet (r.burrows1@genie.geis.com), or
write to the address below.

Audio support
ExtenDOS Pro includes the following audio functions:
     . play/pause/stop/eject
     . track forward or back
     . index forward or back
     . skip forward or back
     . cd repeat/shuffle
     . scan
     . set play segment
     . volume control

These are provided through an interface visually similar to a standard audio
CD player, with clearly-marked buttons and a complete time/track display.  A
smaller version of the main window may be selected at any time; this is
particularly effective in reducing screen clutter when running the audio
player as a desk accessory.

ExtenDOS Pro conforms to the defined CD-ROM software interface standard;
programming details for this interface are available on request from Anodyne
Software at the address below.  The interface allows third-party software
products such as the CDP program from Alexander Clauss to access the audio
CD functions and provide functions beyond those available in the CDAUDIO
program/DA.

Data support
ExtenDOS Pro provides support for industry-standard CD-ROM formats.  You can
access any ISO9660 or High Sierra format CD-ROM as if it were a removable
hard disk, switch between supported disk formats without a reboot, and
access files of any size.  ExtenDOS Pro even provides a built-in
configurable cache facility to speed up data access.  And with the right
drive, ExtenDOS Pro supports single-session or multisession photoCD as well.

Hardware requirements
ExtenDOS Pro requires a SCSI CD-ROM drive connected directly to a SCSI port,
or connected to an ACSI port via an ICD AdSCSI+, Link, or Link2 (or
equivalent) host adapter.

Please note that other host adapters (including the original Atari host
adapter, the Supra, the BMS, and certain early ICD adapters) may not be
capable of transmitting the commands necessary to support audio CD and
photoCD.  If you're not sure whether your adapter is compatible, please
contact Anodyne Software at the address below.
ExtenDOS Pro runs on all TOS-based Atari systems, including the ST, STe,
Mega, MegaSTe, TT030, and Falcon030.
Supported functions depend on the type of drive:

     Function                 Type of drive
     read standard CD-ROMs         Any
     read photoCD                  Most current drives
     audio control/play            Any fully SCSI-2 compatible drive;
                              selected SCSI-1 drives, including models from
NEC and Sony
     audio copy                    Selected drives (see list above)

The following is a partial list of supported drives:
     . Apple CD-300e,CD-300e+,PowerCD
     . Chinon 525,535
     . Compaq 561
     . MediaVision Reno
     . NEC 25,35/72/77/80/82,73/83,37/74/84,38/74-1/84-1
     . NEC 210,3Xe/3Xi/3Xp,3Xp+/4Xe/4Xi
     . Panasonic 501
     . Pioneer 602X,604X,124X
     . Plextor 3024/3028,5024/5028,4plex
     . Sony 6211,8022,541,561/55S
     . Sun CDPlus
     . Texel 3024/5024
     . Toshiba 3201,3301,3401,3501,3601,4101,5201,5301

For the latest information on supported drives, please contact Anodyne
Software via GEnie (R.BURROWS1), or via the Internet
(r.burrows1@genie.geis.com), or write to the address below.

Software requirements
ExtenDOS Pro requires one of the following operating environments:

     . TOS (1.0 through 4.04 tested)
     . MultiTOS (with MiNT v1.08 or v1.12)
     . Geneva (v003/v004 tested)
     . Mag!X (v2.01 tested)

Preliminary tests of MagiC v4 indicate that ExtenDOS Pro drives are not
'visible' to the MAGXDESK desktop; however, they are available to any
program running from the desktop, including the builtin CLI.  This anomaly
will be fixed in a subsequent release of ExtenDOS Pro.

Availability
ExtenDOS Pro v2.3 is available now at a suggested retail price of $39.95.
Order from your local Atari dealer, or directly from:
     Anodyne Software
     6 Cobbler Court
     Ottawa
     Ontario K1V 0B8
     CANADA.
If ordering from Anodyne Software, you may request a manual in French
instead of in English.

ExtenDOS Pro Upgrades
If you are an existing ExtenDOS Pro user, you will be able to upgrade to
version 2.3 AT NO CHARGE by downloading an upgrade file.  This will be
distributed to online libraries, including GEnie and Atari FTP sites, within
a few weeks.  Alternatively, you may upgrade by sending your original
diskette plus $8 (including shipping) to Anodyne Software at the above
address.  Please see below for methods of payment.

ExtenDOS Upgrades
Existing owners of ExtenDOS may upgrade to ExtenDOS Pro v2.3 by sending
their original ExtenDOS diskette plus $20 (including shipping) to Anodyne
Software at the above address.  The upgrade includes a manual.  Please see
below for methods of payment.

Methods of payment
For North American orders, please make your payment by cheque or money
order, in US$ for shipping to the U.S.A., in Canadian$ for shipping within
Canada.  Ontario residents please add 8% sales tax.  For shipments outside
North America, please pay by money order in US$. Please add an additional $2
for airmail shipping.


Houston Atari Safari! STR InfoFile!    Safari '96 Announced!

HACE invites all Atari users to the sixth annual Houston Atari Safari.
Safari '96 is primarily a sales show, with plenty of old and new software
and hardware for the ST/TT/Falcon computers, Atari 8-bit computers and Atari
Lynx and Jaguar game systems.  Major Atari vendors who will be at the show
include:
Binary Sounds - MIDI software ChroMagic - ST/Falcon hardware interfaces such
as the keyboard gizmo, ST MIDI tutorial software, ST game software & ST
utilities Crawly Crypt - ST shareware & PD CD Rom disks, CD drives Gribnif -
Dan Wilga will be there with Geneva, Neodesk 4 and more Systems For Tomorrow
- lots of commercial software from Kent's store TOAD Computers - Jennifer is
bringing lots of commercial software Trace Technologies - Keith Gerdes has
Load Aladdin v2.2 and more.

We will be adding another 3 or 4 major vendors in the next few weeks (just
waiting on a reply from them) ... right now the "possibles list" includes
the following vendors who have asked for information: BraSoft's Darek Mihoka
(Gemulator 4), Oregon Research Associates' Bob Luneski (Diamond Back,
Diamond Edge2, HiSoft titles), It's All Relative (CD titles), and Computer
Direct's Chris Krowchuk (retail software).

Safari '96 will also have a used hardware/software area composed of Atari
user and ex-user vendors.

Safari '96 will be held at the Ramada Hotel, 7787 Katy Freeway in Houston,
Texas.  One day only, Saturday - February 24th, 1996 - 10 am to 6 pm.
Admission to the show is $4 (only 1 dollar for kids 12 and under).  Vendor
tables are available for $20 per table.

Table Reservation Form for the Atari Safari '96
Fill in this form and return to the following address so that it will be
received in Houston no later than 17 February 1996:
HACE      ~    PO Box 820335       ~    Houston TX 77282-0335
NAME: ___________________________________________________________
COMPANY: ________________________________________________________
ADDRESS: ________________________________________________________
CITY, ST, ZIP: __________________________________________________
Do you represent a Dealer or Company? ..  Yes   No
Number of tables Required? .............. Yes   No Do you need an electrical
outlet? ....... Yes   No
Will you have any special requirements?  (describe) ____________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
$20.00 X ______ (number of tables requested) = _______ Amt due HACE Make
checks payable to HACE.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION!



                               Jaguar Section

Atari, Limping Off Into the Sunset?
Layoffs, Resignations, and Nasty
Rumors/News - The ONLY News For the Day!


>From the Editor's Controller  -  Playin' it like it is!

     This has probably been the worst week for Atari/Jaguar news in all of
the years that I have been following Atari and supporting its products and
users - both in these pages of STReport, online, and personally.  As likely
mentioned prior to your getting to this section, Atari has had another
layoff, a major one.  There have also been some resignations.  Most notably,
Ted Hoff and programmer Jeff Minter have left Atari.
     
     Layoffs include Ron Beltramo, Sandi and Greg LaBreq, and Dan McNamee.
I've heard that there were about 20-plus employees either laid off or
resigned - not good news, especially after the other recent staff cuts.
With the departure of Hoff and the recent health problems of Atari CEO Sam
Tramiel, Atari patriarch Jack Tramiel is back at the helm of Atari.   Garry
Tramiel is also back in the fold after a short departure.
     
     News reports, rumors, speculations, and denials have been flying
everywhere online.  Other than the staff cuts, we have  no real hard facts
to back up the news reports, or deny them.  What we do have are the various
reports from within Atari and what has been learned from former employees,
either directly or reported from other reliable sources.   Reading all of
the available "stories", there seems to be a good degree of truth in it all.
Reading these reports, and reading between  the lines, says a lot.
     
     Personally, taking into consideration all of the history behind Atari,
the current lackluster success of the Jaguar, and the current stories - it's
easy to think that this is possibly the end of Atari.  Atari, as I knew it,
died when the Falcon030 failed and the computer platform was abandoned for
the Jaguar.  I felt then, as I still do now, Atari was making a mistake
putting all of its eggs into a single basket, the Jaguar. Regardless of the
fact that Atari was born out of the video games market,
     
     I couldn't see it as being the "re-birth" for Atari.  However, I did
consider that the Jaguar was a viable product and could be successful.  In
fact, knowing that Atari computer users were still around in significant
numbers, it made sense to supplement the Atari section of STReport with
Jaguar news.  It worked - for myself, staff, and our readers.
     
     I won't pretend that I don't have a sinking feeling about the future of
Atari, or the lack of one.  This recent news is ominous.  What will happen
to current development of Jaguar games?  What about games reportedly in
production?  New development?  Will Atari take the same path for the Jaguar
as they did for the Lynx - let whatever is in the pipeline come out and then
slowly fade away?  I have no idea.  My guess would be that the present
schedule of games will continue; it makes no sense to put that much money
into development and throw it away.  Unless Jack Tramiel decides to just
pack up and retire Atari, I believe that we'll see the current games that
are in production and those close to being completed in development.  After
that. your guess is as good as the next person's, if made with realism in
mind.
     
     The time for emotional speculation is over.  Reality is about to hit
the masses - be it the avid supporters or the detractors.  There is going to
be plenty of "I told ya so's" and "no way" for a long time.  I see a bleak
time for the supporters; and I see all of the "bashers" coming out of the
woodwork to immaturely taunt.  I also see a lot of the realistic users or ex-
users continue to debate the current affairs in a responsible manner.  It
will definitely be an interesting period until the dust settles on the
subject.
     
     Where do I stand in this matter?  I really don't know what to think. If
Atari fades away, as seems quite possible, I will not be a bit surprised.
If Atari continues, I believe it will be a difficult ride.  In any event, I
do not see the Jaguar as having any real chance for success under present
conditions.  I'm going to see how the dust settles, IF it does, and then
take a long hard look and then make my conclusions. Realistically, the signs
do not look good.
     
     We'll be here to let you know what happens as we learn it.  Stay tuned,
online and in upcoming issues - STReport has the tradition of learning the
news quickly and correctly, whether it be good or bad.  We'll continue to do
so.  As to the rest of the usual Jaguar section - it's been preempted other
than the few reports that have appeared.  Under the circumstances, I feel
that a "normal" issue of Jaguar news and information is inappropriate for
this week.  I apologize in advance if you were expecting more this week, but
I think that you will agree.  I hope that during the days to come before
next week's issue, we'll have some good news.  At the least, we hope to be
able to have more concrete information regarding the situation at Atari.

     Until next time...


Industry News STR Game Console NewsFile  -  The Latest Gaming News!

        Atari Exiting Video Game Business, Liquidating Gaming Assets
Atari Corp. is throwing in the video game towel. Company sources tell MMWIRE
Atari is liquidating all its video game assets, including the Jaguar, Jaguar
CD  and  Atari  Interactive,  the company's recently  launched  PC  software
division.   It  would  appear  that the Tramiel family,  the  largest  Atari
shareholders  (with approx. 47%), have decided to apply  Atari's  $50  mill.
cash reserves in a business other than video games - or any consumer product
for  that  matter.   The  sudden move comes on the  heels  of  the  recently
launched Atari Interactive.  Just last week Atari told MMWIRE it expected to
use a portion of that $50 mill. to invest in video game software companies.

The  closed video game division leaves behind an installed based of  150,000
Jaguar game systems and outstanding title development contracts amounting an
estimated  $6 to $8 mill.  Approx. 20 employees have been laid off,  leaving
30  remaining.   These too are expected to depart shortly.  Layoffs  include
the  entire Interactive division including  management, accounting and legal
personnel.

The  Tramiels  intend  to  exit the video game business,  liquidating  those
assets.   MMWIRE believes the Tramiels intend to merge the resulting company
with  a computer components manufacturer.  "The video game business at Atari
as we know will cease to exist," according to sources. While it is not known
who  Atari  intends to merge with, the combined companies  are  expected  to
trade under the current Atari stock symbol (amex: ATC).

                  ATARI DENIES IT'S QUITTING GAME INDUSTRY
Atari  has  vehemently denied a published story that the company has  dumped
the  Jaguar  and  is planning to slip out of the video game  business.   The
company  believes the story, which appeared on the Internet  yesterday,  was
sparked  off by the sudden departure of key staff at the company,  including
chief executive Ted Hoff. In an interview with NEXT Generation OnLine, chief
financial  officer  August Liguori commented: "We were  in  the  video  game
business a long time before Ted joined us. Just because he has gone does not
mean  that we are quitting the business. The story is not true.  "We sounded
this  market in the first place and we are not about to give it up.  We  are
still  supporting the Jaguar and we are still continuing with  our  recently
announced plans as regards Atari Interactive.  "We have reorganized  and  we
are   looking  carefully at all our operations, but we are still  developing
the same number of titles as we were at the beginning of the week."



ONLINE WEEKLY STReport OnLine          The wires are a hummin'!




                            PEOPLE... ARE TALKING


On CompuServe

compiled by
Joe Mirando
73637,2262



     Hidi ho friends and neighbors.  As is usually the case, there isn't
much going on in the Atari world right now.  Other  than the rumors flying
around about Atari closing its doors or selling the rights to the Jaguar
(neither of the rumors is  true), the big news is the "cooperative
programming" effort to bring a navigator or information manager to allow us
to  access the special features that CompuServe offers for CIM and CISNAV
users.  If you want to be involved in this effort  just fill out the
information form below and send it to Steve Van Rossen at 100256,3406.


INFORMATION FORM


About yourself:


Name    : .............................................................

Street  : ................................................. Nr. : .....

Zipcode : ........ Town : .............................................

Country : .............................................................

I live in timezone: ...................................................


Your Atari:

     MODEL:         RAM:
     [ ] ST                   [ ] 512 Kb
          [ ] STE             [ ] 1 Mb
          [ ] Mega ST                   [ ] 2 Mb
          [ ] Mega STE              [ ] 4 Mb
          [ ] TT                        [ ] Other: ... Mb
          [ ] Stacy
          [ ] Falcon
          [ ] TT/030 boards only: .... ST RAM, .... TT RAM
          [ ] ST Book
          [ ] Other (MEDUSA, Eagle): .................

PRINTER: ............................................

         Type  :    [ ] Matrix    [ ] Laser   [ ] Inkjet
                    [ ] Other: .........................

PERIPHERALS:             -- Model ------------------------------------

  External diskdrives :  .............................................
                         .............................................
  Modem               :  .............................................
  Hard disk(s)        :  .............................................
                         .............................................
  Monitor(s)          :  .............................................
                         .............................................


OPERATING SYSTEM                      EMULATORS

[ ] TOS             version: ........        [ ] Gemulator95     version:
........
[ ] MultiTOS    version: ........       [ ] Janus                version:
........
[ ] Geneva          version: ........        [ ] ...........
version: ........
[ ] MagiC           version: ........
[ ] MagiCMac   version: ........

ACCELERATOR BOARD:
[ ] ..........      version: ........    ...................................

About 'AtariCIS'

General questions:

1. Do you want it to be WinCIM-like or CIS Navigator-like (underline your
choice)

2. What do you think would be a good name for this application?  (e.g.
AtariCIS, CISsie, AtariSurf etc.)

3. How many hours per month are you going to invest in this project?

4. What basic functionality do you expect from the software?

If you can are on the participants list as a developer:

3. What is your favourite compiler? (e.g. Pure C, Lattice C...)

4. What resource-editor do you prefer?

5. Do you want to participate in defining the functional definition (a short
one should do)?

To All:

This project needs a coordinator. I am a candidate for this job, but I would
like that everybody who is interested in the overall coordination send me a
message to tell so. I propose that the project members choose the
coordinator...

Okay, now that that's out of the way, let's get on with the reason for this
column:  All the great news, tips, and info available every week right there
on CompuServe.


>From the Atari Computing Forum

On the subject of carrying your Atari software with you to another platform,
Mark Kelling posts:

"Even if you "jump ship" to a Mac, you _can_ take most of your great Atari
software with you.  All you will need is  MagiCMac.  It works really well
with most well written Atari software.  Just one note: the Mac will _not_
read disks  formated in any of the extended styles.   No extra sectors, no
extra tracks, no twisting, no single sided disks, just plain  old 1.44meg or
720K.  Make sure you get everything copied over _before_ you loose you ST.
I didn't (my ST died in a
thunderstorm) and I'm still trying to get some disks copied."

Jon Pruitt tells Mark:

"Thanks for the suggestion. I do sometimes use extra sectors in formatting,
but mostly, I buy DOS formatted 720k floppys out of laziness. I guess that's
in my favor on this issue."

While talking about accessing the Internet, Dennis Patton posts:

"I have tried to use CAB/Stik on my Mega4STe and a local provider w/no
avail. I can get all the way to connecting w/the provider then I can't seem
to get around the Internet.  I'm thinking the provider is at fault, but they
support SLIP  connections.  I'm quite new to trying Internet stuff and would
love to do so, but can't afford a Mac just for browsing.  Any input?"

Greg Kopchak of It's All Relative tells Dennis:

"I was most impressed with CAB, it does a few things Mosaic doesn't   do.
Once you get it up and running you will be happy with it."

Neil Newman asks:

"Is it possible to use 14.4kbps on a Falcon, the modem.cpx and Stalker.prg
go from 9600 straight to 19200bps and yet  StraightFax has 14.4kbps?"

Mark Hadfield tells Neil:

"The baud rate setting in modem.cpx is the speed with which the Falcon
communicates with the modem, not the speed at which the modem communicates
across the telephone line (e.g. with a Fax machine).

You need to set the Falcon's baud rate at least high as the modem's baud
rate (and preferably at least twice as high if your modem supports
compression).  i.e. set modem.cpx, or within Stalker, to at least 19200
baud, preferably 38400 baud."

John Raymond asks for help:

"I am having problems downloading files from compuserve, (I have had this
problem before and can't remember how to rectify it). I am using Connect -
software, and Compuserve B+ protocol.  I get data overflow, empty data
packet  messages.  I think my setup may have been changed by accident.
anyone have any ideas."

Sysop Jim Ness tells John:

"Most likely cause of those comm problems is that your flow control is set
up wrong.  Flow control makes sure the other  end doesn't not over run your
computer with fast data.

You should have one of the RS232 fix programs in your AUTO folder.  Make
sure it is set up for "hardware" or  "RTS/CTS" flow control."

Michel Vanhamme adds:

"I don't remember all the details, but check your parity settings in Connect
(in the 'port' dialog): they should be 8 bits,  no parity, 1 stopbit. Also
check that the 8th bit is _not_ stripped in the 'compatibility' (or
something) dialog.

All this is from memory, so I might be wrong...

Also note that sometimes (typically when your connection with CIS is bad)
downloads will still fail with the same  symptoms you mentioned. In that
case, you'll have to try to reconnect sometime later.

As was mentioned, a serial port patch in your auto folder will also help."

Shelly Gartner tells us:

"I'm new at downloading and have a basic question. I know you will forgive
me.  I downloaded several files for the  Falcon, including games like BOOm
and Masterword and Rummy. I also downloaded a zip program.  Basically, how
does my Falcon read/run these programs. The Boom game and another game
worked when I changed the extension to  .PRG. The others said "TOS Error
#35" when I did this.  Is this what the zip program is for is the zip
dealing with  converting files from PC language to Atari?  In the Falcon
manual I read the extensions .ACC,.TOS, etc. These do not  work either.
Thank you for your help. I hope this is an easy one."

Sysop Ron Luks tells Shelly:

"Zipped files are 'compressed archives' of one or more programs and files.
To access (run) these files you must UN-Zip  the package.  Download the
UNZIP utility from our libraries here.  Simply changing the filename will
not work.  Think  of these files like clothes that you pack in a suitcase
for traveling on an airplane.  You put all your clothes in a suitcase to
travel to another city, but you must unpack them before you can wear them."

Rob Rasmussen asks for help with PageStream:

"I wanted to try PageStream, so I ordered it from Toad and they sent 5 disks
(a program disk and the rest font disks) with  a manual. Following the
directions, I copied the files from the disks to a folder on my hard disk,
but I keep having  problems.  The program disk has folders named Graphics
and Text which for some reason, won't copy to the hard disk. I  get the
error message "Can't write destination file", even though there is no path
or filename conflict. I copied as much  as I could to the HD, but I kept
getting alerts "Data on drive A may be bad." If I try to run the program
from the HD, it  says "Data on drive E may be bad" (I had copied what I
could to drive E).

I called Toad about this, and they had no idea what could be wrong, so they
sent me another set of 5 disks, and the same  thing happens.  PageStream
won't install on my Falcon or ST. I'm about to give up on this and get a
refund if I can't get  it to work. Anyone have any ideas?"

Ken Goodwin asks Rob:

"Is your hard drive full perhaps?  Your alerts are the same ones usually a
associated when you try to copy a file and your  destination drive is full.
I'm not meaning to insult your intelligence with what could be a very
obvious error, but I've  done it myself a few times!

You might also want to check with Soft_Logik in the Atari Vendors Forum (GO
ATARIV).  Mike from SL drops by occasionally."

Rob tells Ken:

"After a few more tries I finally got PageStream to install ok.  There was
plenty of hard drive space, but some files  wouldn't copy from the folder
they were in on the floppy. So I made new folders and copied the individual
files."


     Well folks, that's about it for this week.  Tune in again next week,
same time, same station, and listen to what they are saying when...

                             PEOPLE ARE TALKING





                            STReport Confidential
                  News, Tips, Rumors, Exposes, Predictions



- Sunnyvale CA.                    ATARI.. to "CALL IT QUITS??"

On Tuesday evening of this past week, STReport reported the following in a
number of posts on the CompuServe Forums; Atari Interactive, Video Game
Central and Video Games:

STReport . the FIRST publication to break this story .

#: 185760 S5/Atari Jaguar
16-Jan-96  20:58:16
Sb: #The Revolving Door
Fm: Ralph @ STReport 70007,4454
To: All


STReport Exclusive .... The whole story this Friday!

 Atari History Repeats itself again!

 Ted Hoff Gone.......

 Minter is gone...

 More Lay-Offs......



 Jack is back.

 Maybe to put the "For Sale Ribbon" on the skeleton.

STReport then posted. in reply to repeated statements of disbelief

You could ask:

Ted Hoff
Ron Beltramo
Greg LeBrec & Mrs. LeBrec
Jeff Minter


     ....and all the others who THOUGHT they had at least six months....
but then... they're gone now.  Not a happy week at ATC.

All that's really left is the Accounting Dep't, (natch) a few testers and a
person in customer service.

Jack's back and Gary's coming back.  Oh Joy.........  I wonder which
peripheral he'll sit on this time. <g>

I believe its "liquidation time"..... I hope I'm wrong...  I think not.

More Information....
According to reports that first appeared in an Online Bulletin from STReport
International Online Magazine, and MMWire, Jack Tramiel, who bought what  is
now  Atari  Corp.  from Warner, has retaken control of  Atari  Corp.   Atari
Corp.'s  Ted  Hoff, President of its North American Operations, vacated  his
position  this  past  Wednesday, after resigning.  This,  following  further
layoffs  of 20 or more employees.  Hoff left amidst reports the company  was
selling  off  its  Interactive/Game Division.  Which  includes;  The  Jaguar
VideoGame  Console, the Jaguar CD Player, and Atari Interactive, a  recently
formed game software entertainment group.

STReport's  Sources, among them; "GreenThroat" and "Big Cahuna"  reported  a
number  of  reasons, including certain health problems, sagging  sales,  and
internal turmoil are mainly behind this recent incident.  Hoff mentioned "It
was  an indication that Atari's long-term commitments were not materializing
as  far  as  continuing in the Game business."  Ted Hoff also remarked  "the
layoffs  include people from every major area in Atari." Those left,  "don't
constitute the minimum levels of experienced personnel necessary to continue
successfully in the Game/Interactive Business."

Atari's  Augie  Liguori,  Jack's close friend and Atari's  long  time  "Bean
Counter",  has  vigorously  denied anything Atari was/is  being  liquidated.
"We're  not  leaving.  We have $50 million, and we fully intend to  continue
being  involved in strategic investments, developing and publishing for  all
our platforms."

But,  at the same time, a number of highly informed industry sources  deftly
remarked  it's  highly unlikely that any ongoing development contracts  will
ever reach fruition.  Reportedly, both the Jaguar VideoGame Console and  the
CD  Player  are no longer in manufacture.  Additionally, our sources  noted,
"It appears Atari has plans to vacate its present office space by the end of
next month, and its warehouse by the end of April."

Food for Thought...
This  Fifty Million. Atari keeps talking about.  Is this the very same Fifty
Million they had when they began with this Jaguar thing??  Why is the  Fifty
Million Figure so common?  To please the Stockholders?  The SEC?   Or, is it
simply a "Catch Phrase"?

Another  of our snoops has it on good authority. "a West Coast Newspaper  is
now  involved in an investigative series of Atari Affairs from the  day  the
Tramiels took over".



Further Information Posted

Subject:  **ATARI CLOSES DOWN** - Msg Number: 59136
From:  SYSOP*John Ricciardi 75162,2212
To:  all
Forum:  VGCENTRAL   Sec: 01-Gaming Central HQ
Date:  17-Jan-96 23:14

To all,

Try THIS one on for size... surely the biggest news in gaming so far in
1996.  Make of it what you will, but no matter how you feel - one thing is
for certain: The Jag is done.

From: mmwire@interramp.com (Todd Elliott)
Subject: MMWIRE(tm) eFlash(tm) Atari Quits Video Games
Status: OR

MMWIRE(tm) eFlash(tm) 1-17-96  3:45pm ET.

We could not resist the urge to inform everyone before our weekly posting.

MMWIRE EXCLUSIVE:

                   ATARI CORP. EXITS VIDEO GAME BUSINESS,
                          TO LIQUIDATE GAME ASSETS
                                      
Copyright 1996 MULTIMEDIA WIRE. All Rights Reserved.

Atari  Corp.  is  throwing in the video game towel.  Sources  close  to  the
company  tell  MMWIRE  Atari  is liquidating all   its  video  game  assets,
including  the  Jaguar,  Jaguar  CD  and Atari  Interactive,  the  company's
recently  launched  PC  software effort. It would appear  that  the  Tramiel
family,  the  majority Atari share holder, with $50 mill.  in  cash  in  the
company, have decided to apply that cash elsewhere.

The  closed  video game division leaves behind an installed  based  of  over
150,000 Jaguars and outstanding title development contracts amounting to  an
estimated  $6 to $8 mill.  Approx. 20 employees have been laid off,  leaving
30  remaining.   These too are expected to depart shortly. Layoffs  included
the  entire Interactive division including  management, accounting and legal
personnel.

The  Tramiels  intend  to  exit the video game business,  liquidating  those
assets.  MMWIRE believes the Tramiels intend  to merge the resulting company
with  a computer components manufacture.  "The video game business at  Atari
as  we   know will cease to exist," according to sources.  While it  is  not
known  who Atari intends to merge with, the combined companies are  expected
to  trade  under  the  current  Atari stock symbol  on  the  American  Stock
Exchange.

MMWIRE Online mmwire@interramp.com http://www.mmwire.com (V) 301/564-6122
(F) 301/493-8996


The following is from the Next Generation Website, its a little more
encouraging than the STReport and MMWIRE reports:


                   ATARI DENIES IT'S QUITTING GAME INDUSTRY

Atari  has  vehemently denied a published story that the company has  dumped
the Jaguar and is planning to slip out of the video game business.

The  company  believes the story, which appeared on the Internet  yesterday,
was  sparked  off  by  the sudden departure of  key staff  at  the  company,
including  chief  executive Ted Hoff. In an interview with  NEXT  Generation
OnLine, chief  financial officer August Liguori commented: "We were  in  the
video  game business a long time before Ted joined us.  Just because he  has
gone does not mean that we are quitting the business. The story is not true.

"We  sounded this market in the first place and we are not about to give  it
up.   We  are still supporting the Jaguar and we  are still continuing  with
our  recently announced plans as regards Atari Interactive.

"We have reorganized and we are looking carefully at all our operations, but
we  are  still  developing the same number of  titles  as  we  were  at  the
beginning  of the week."


Subject:  NextGen update on Atari. - Msg Number: 107542
From:  Harj 76532,1142
To:  ALL
Forum:  ATARIGAMING   Sec: 10-News/Reviews/Shows
Date:  18-Jan-96 23:46

The following is an article on the recent events at Atari from Next
Generation:


                         ATARI: THE LAST DAYS OF ROME

With  conflicting reports raging through the game industry, and  the  Jaguar
community  in  a state of utter panic, NEXT Generation OnLine tries  to  see
sense in all the mess.

Contrary  to  some  reports, Atari hasn't fallen yet.  But  the  citadel  is
crumbling.  Here  are the differing perspectives which  the  industry  faces
today. Until the situation sorts itself out, you must make up your own  mind
of what will emerge from the rubble.

Former  insiders  at  Atari  have  found themselves  without  a  job.  Their
perspective is that the company is finished in the  game industry. That  the
Tramiels  will  take their $50 million suitcase and set  up  shop  elsewhere
(bizarrely, the computer  components market has been mentioned). Independent
observers have thus far been attracted to this point of view.

Atari's  take is, not surprisingly, very different. It says that  there  has
simply  been a post-Christmas re-organization. That  senior management  have
gone.   That  staff  have been laid off. And that a new  approach  is  being
implemented.   The  goals  remain the same: support for the  Jaguar  and  an
aggressive  push  into  software development for more successful  platforms.
This is soothing stuff for Atari-watchers.

Our  take  is that, right now, Atari resembles the Last Days of Rome.  There
are many people at Atari itself who don't  know what is really going on. Nor
what tomorrow holds. These are dark days for the game industry's oldest  and
still  one  of its most colorful forces. Many are awaiting the word from  on
high  which  will answer their question; just what the hell   is  going  on?
Confusion reigns.

Senior   management   still  in  existence  talk  about  restructuring   and
reorganization  but  no  details  are forthcoming.  They   promise  that  no
development  projects have been canned, but are not so forthcoming  on  what
games will actually see the light of day.

They fall back on Atari's long (if flawed) history as a justification for an
everlasting presence in this market which is, of course, sophistry.

Unfortunately, the Jaguar is facing its twilight hours. As a machine at  $99
we  see it as an okay buy. But it is not going to  cause much lost sleep  to
the  people  at Sony and Sega. The netherworld of user-groups  and  fanzines
beckons.

Ted  Hoff,  before  he  left,  was doing the only  thing  plausible  for  an
embattled company. That is, redirecting Atari's brand  strength and internal
talents  towards  areas  of potential profitability (software  development).
Atari  may have enjoyed a  long history in the hardware business,  but  only
the most faithful can see a way forward in this ultra-competitive sector. It
was and is time to get off.

We  hope  that Atari does continue. That new Jaguar games of the quality  of
Defender  2000  make their way to market.  And that the Atari  name  becomes
synonymous with gameplay quality.

We can only hope.


Subject:  IGOnline Update on Atari - Msg Number: 107543
From:  Harj 76532,1142
To:  ALL
Forum:  ATARIGAMING   Sec: 10-News/Reviews/Shows
Date:  18-Jan-96 23:46

The following is from the Interactive Gamer web site:



                         Atari Announces Major Cuts

(Update: 1-18/96)

 by Brian Osserman

Don Thomas at Atari has confirmed that Ted Hoff, President of North American
Operations, has resigned, and Jack  Tramiel, the chairman of the board,  who
had  been very much in the background for the past couple years, has renewed
his active involvement in the company.

Atari  has  laid  off  a number of employees, including  Ted  Taquechi,  who
produced  a  number of Jaguar games and was the producer  for  the  upcoming
Phase  Zero.  Thomas  commented that he did  not expect  these  cutbacks  to
affect upcoming Jaguar and PC releases, stating that games being produced by
people who  were laid off will be reassigned to remaining personnel.   Phase
Zero's new producer will be Jon Skruch. Skruch and  Larry Pacey, who oversee
Atari's Jaguar and PC developments respectively, both remain at Atari.

Thomas  also  confirmed that Jeff Minter, the programmer of  the  incredibly
popular  Tempest 2000 and VLM, and the  much-anticipated Defender 2000,  has
left for another company.

When  Atari  laid  off a number of employees in November,  IG  ran  a  story
indicating that Atari did not plan to contract out  any new Jaguar games. In
a  subsequent  interview  with Don Thomas, Atari denied  these  allegations,
saying  that  they   intended to continue to contract out  Jaguar  games  to
outside companies.

However, it now appears that, in fact, the original story was correct.  Jeff
Minter  was  quite  possibly the most popular Jaguar  developer,  and  other
evidence  indicates the likelihood that Atari had no plans to  contract  out
another Jaguar project to Minter: High Voltage Software, who are responsible
for  White Men Can't Jump, Vid Grid, NBA Jam: Tournament Edition, and Ruiner
Pinball  report  that  Atari  has not contacted them regarding  any  further
Jaguar  projects. Moreover, Beyond Games, who coded Ultra Vortek,  and  were
supposed  to  receive  a contract for the sequel to the  incredibly  popular
Alien  vs.  Predator,  have  stated that Atari  has   dropped  the  contract
negotiations for that game, and have not been responsive to proposals for  a
conversion to the Jaguar  of Beyond Games' Lynx hit Battlewheels.   At  this
point  it seems likeliest that Atari will in fact finish most of the  Jaguar
games  currently  being  worked on, but will  not  pursue  any  new  titles,
focusing instead on the PC games market.




                             EDITORIAL  QUICKIES



                      Happy Birthday to George Burns!!




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