ST Report: 6-Nov-98 #1437

From: Bruce D. Nelson (aa789@cleveland.Freenet.Edu)
Date: 11/07/98-01:08:03 PM Z


From: aa789@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Bruce D. Nelson)
Subject: ST Report: 6-Nov-98 #1437
Date: Sat Nov  7 13:08:03 1998



                          [Silicon Times Report]
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 November 06, 1998                                                 No.1437


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- Web's Good Old Days - Online Drugstore War      - Porn is Peaking on WEB
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                        SYQUEST SUSPENDS OPERATIONS!
                            IBM'S Grand Strategy
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  From the Editor's Desk...

  Whadda ya know!! Florida's been Bushwhacked! I cannot believe the
  Bushwhacker Group has two governors (Jeb Bush and George W. Bush) and a
  behind the scenes powerhouse known as George H. Bush (ex-President
  ex-Vice President - ex CIA head). Folks in Florida are in for some
  rough times. Here's where the State of Florida begins to mimick the
  State of Texas in lawlessness, state executions, and majorly
  overflowing Penal Institutions. Its easy to predict that Florida will
  soon become one of those "Jails for Profit" states very shortly. There
  would've been a lot less to be concerned about had the Governor's Race
  been peppered with political ads that amplified the Candidate's ideals
  and goals. But no, Jeb waged a horrible campaign in as much as all he
  was doing was bashing his opponent. Politics in this country have gone
  from respectable to one of the most dis-trusted professions known to
  mankind. Mainly because of the outright crookedness of recent (in the
  last five decades) politicians.

  One day we'll see political reform. That day will come when the Press
  gets outta the politico's bedrooms and into their offices like
  Bernstein and Woodward did. Until that time comes we shall be forced to
  endure "suck up to and play the press" politicians like Newt "The Beut"
  Gingrich (this guy is a real Turkey) I just insulted a turkey. Hey
  Newt. GO Home already!

  As for all the other, "self righteous - holier than thou" political
  phonies who are so busy condemning Clinton's amorous activities. Its
  time they ALL got back to doing what they are elected to do. Govern,
  not persecute. As for Starr. This guy is a flaming ZEALOT. His
  investigative tactics, sponsors and associates need to be thoroughly
  investigated by a super Grand Jury made up of twice the number of
  private citizens a normal Grand Jury is comprised of. The Elections are
  over, the fun is about to begin Henry "The Family Wrecker"Hyde is
  already making overtures toward the Whitehouse in the form of
  abbreviated questionnaires and promises of pared down witness lists. I
  say Clinton should look them all dead in the eye and tell them to take
  a hike. If anything, Hyde caused more harm with his amorous escapades
  than Clinton ever dreamed of. Hyde's adventure literally destroyed a
  family, a marriage and human lifetimes. Clinton fooled around with an
  unmarried intern. No broken families no destroyed lives and no irate,
  heartbroken children, husbands or wives left in the wings.

  My advice to Clinton would be to stand pat. Call for an investigation
  into Starr's activities and especially Linda Tripp's. Then on to
  Gingrich why wasn't he (Gingrich) made to fully explain his intentions
  when his sinister little plan was discovered by a north Florida couple
  who were listening to Newt on a cellphone using a UHF scanning radio
  receiver? Who pushed the cover-up on that one and Why? Would you
  believe they arrested the elderly Florida couple for "revealing"
  (re-transmitting) what they heard. That entire slimey Republican
  Bunch... I sincerely hope they get theirs now.  They screwed this
  country over for the last eight years.

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                     AOL Says It Still Fears Microsoft

 America Online Inc. will have the option at the end of this year to undo
 a controversial 1996 agreement that made Microsoft's Internet Explorer
 the default browser on AOL's popular software. But it probably will not
 do so, because it fears Microsoft will retaliate, an AOL official said in
 written testimony in Microsoft's antitrust trial. David Colburn, America
 Online's senior vice president of business affairs testified AOL would
 ``be inclined'' to license a browser from Netscape Communications Corp.
 instead of Microsoft.

 But if AOL ends the browser agreement, Microsoft has warned that it will
 stop listing AOL in its Windows 98 software that refers PC users to
 Internet service providers. "Given the importance of continuing to be
 included in the Windows operating system and desktop," Colburn said,
 "AOL's present intention is to opt to continue with the provisions of the
 1996 Microsoft agreement." In order to save time at the antitrust trial
 of Microsoft, District Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson has ordered direct
 testimony to be submitted in writing.

 America Online has frequently said it chose back in 1996 to include
 Microsoft's rather than Netscape's browser in its software, because it
 knew Microsoft could help it reach millions of new customers at a time
 when the Internet was just becoming popular. Earlier this year, AOL
 Chairman Stephen Case said he signed up with Microsoft because Microsoft
 agreed to prominently feature AOL in its Windows software. Netscape
 contends that deal, in a single stroke, increased Microsoft's share of
 the Internet browser market by nine million users.

 But Colburn's testimony suggests that even today, when America Online is
 an established industry leader, it continues to be intimidated by
 Microsoft. America Online today is the biggest Internet service provider
 in the United States, serving about 15 million of the total 23 million
 households that have Internet access. Still, it depends on Microsoft and
 the popular Windows software to reach new customers.

             U.S. Says Apple Notes Back Netscape Over Microsoft

 Apple Computer Inc. said it was "dead" unless it cooperated with
 Microsoft Corp., according to notes introduced by the government into the
 antitrust trial against the software giant. The Justice Department and 20
 states have alleged that Microsoft illegally used its monopoly in
 personal computer operating systems to defeat Netscape Communications
 Corp. in a battle for the Internet browser market. The handwritten notes
 by an Apple executive were among 100 new exhibits introduced by attorney
 David Boies Tuesday as he sought to reassert the government's case after
 four days of Microsoft cross examination of the first government witness.

 Netscape Chief Executive James Barksdale had testified he was shocked
 when Apple co-founder Steve Jobs announced on Aug. 6, 1997, that Apple
 would accept Microsoft's Internet Explorer Web browser. At the same time,
 Jobs announced at the MacWorld Trade Conference in Boston that Microsoft
 would invest $150 million in Apple. Barksdale tried to reach Jobs but
 instead got a call back from Fred Anderson, Apple's chief financial
 officer.  According to Barksdale, Anderson said that Apple chose
 Microsoft's Web browser because it needed access to Microsoft Office, a
 suite of business applications that include the "Word" word processor, to
 place on its Macintosh computer. "Apple needed to ensure that Microsoft
 would continue to provide MS Office for MAC or we were dead," Anderson's
 handwritten notes said, backing Barksdale's version of what he was told
 by Anderson.

 Boies also used documents and portions of videotaped pretrial testimony
 to launch a counterattack on Microsoft's efforts to discredit Netscape's
 account of a 1995 meeting that has become pivotal to the trial. The
 government and Netscape say Microsoft illegally proposed dividing the
 market for Internet browser software at the meeting and threatened to
 crush Netscape if it did not cooperate. Microsoft proposed making
 browsers for its Windows 95 computer operating system and said Netscape
 could have the rest, the government alleges.

 Microsoft lawyer John Warden last week described Netscape's version of
 the meeting as described by notes from Netscape co-founder Marc
 Andreessen as an "invention or imaginary concoction." But Boies displayed
 a memo sent to Microsoft chairman Bill Gates a day after the meeting by
 Microsoft executive Dan Rosen. "Our goals going into the meeting were (in
 priority) order: Establish Microsoft ownership of the Internet client
 platform for Win95," Rosen's memo said in part. (In computer jargon the
 "client platform" means the Internet Web browser and "Win95" means the
 Windows 95 operating system.)

 Asked if he saw the significance of that memo, Barksdale said he
 certainly did. "That seems to be almost exactly what Mr Andreessen's
 notes say independently," Barksdale said. Microsoft has also tried to
 paint Netscape as the instigator of the 1995 meeting and on Monday said
 the meeting was a setup designed to feed material to the Justice
 Department. Last week, Microsoft's Warden had noted that Netscape
 co-founder Jim Clark had approached Microsoft in December 1994 asking the
 larger company to consider taking a stake in Netscape.

 Warden had questioned Barksdale on his characterization of the Clark
 message as a moment of weakness during some bleak times at Netscape. So
 on Tuesday, Boies played an excerpt from Clark's pretrial testimony in
 which he said: "I suppose you can just say it was a moment of weakness
 and fear on the part of a small company looking in the eyes of the
 world's most powerful software company...." Boies also introduced into
 court memos dating back to 1994 from Microsoft, urging Netscape to get in
 touch and work together. The trial before District Judge Thomas Penfield
 Jackson is expected to continue into December. There are at least 23
 witnesses remaining.

                    AOL Says It Had Deal With Microsoft

 America Online signed an exclusive deal with Microsoft after the company
 promised it would put AOL's logo on its dominant Windows operating
 system, according to a government witness in the antitrust trial against
 Microsoft Corp. AOL senior vice president David Colburn said that's why
 Microsoft beat Netscape in clinching a 1996 deal over the distribution of
 browsers, which allow people to view the Internet.

 "AOL would not have been willing to negotiate a browser license with
 Microsoft had Microsoft not been willing to bundle and promote AOL in its
 Windows operating system and on its desktop," Colburn wrote in testimony
 released Tuesday. Colburn was scheduled to face cross-examination today
 in the Microsoft trial. Like all witnesses in the case, his direct
 testimony was submitted in writing to help shorten the trial. AOL is the
 nation's largest Internet provider, with 13 million customers. Colburn
 said his company agreed to distribute Microsoft's browser because of the
 dominance of its Windows operating system, the central nervous system
 crucial to most personal computers.

 The government contends that Microsoft illegally used its market power in
 operating systems to protect its monopoly, extend into new markets and
 stifle competition. Colburn said Microsoft offered to put an AOL icon in
 the "online services" folder that is called up every time a user starts
 up the computer. In exchange, AOL agreed to an "exclusive distribution
 and promotion" deal that allowed it to use another browser only when
 required by a third party.

 "Microsoft has sought to strictly enforce these restrictions and has
 carefully monitored references to Navigator and Netscape on the AOL
 service," Colburn said. AOL later signed a separate agreement in which
 Microsoft agreed to pay AOL 25 cents for every subscriber it converted to
 its browser and $600,000 if a substantial number of members switched by a
 certain date. Although its agreement with Microsoft does not run out for
 several years, AOL has the option to end the deal at the end of this
 year, but Colburn said it probably won't, for several reasons. Among
 them: Microsoft's dominance in the Internet software business.

 "Microsoft's increased presence in the browser market has left Netscape,
 at least at this point, in a weakened state," Colburn said. Microsoft
 contends that its agreement with AOL was not exclusive. It also argues
 that it won the AOL account because its software was technically superior
 to Netscape's. Colburn, however, said the two browsers were comparable.
 Both were an improvement over what AOL was using at the time; Netscape's
 browser was widely used and had better features while Microsoft's browser
 was able to "connect seamlessly" with the AOL functions, he said.

 On Tuesday, attorneys for both sides of the case finished questioning the
 government's first witness before turning their attention to Microsoft
 Chairman Bill Gates. Government plans to play parts of a videotaped
 deposition of Gates were delayed after objections by Microsoft over how
 much of the tape could be shown. U.S. District Judge Thomas Penfield
 Jackson ultimately ruled that all 20 hours of the Gates interview will be
 allowed because "a witness of equivalent significance in this case
 doesn't immediately come to mind." The videotapes of Gates jousting with
 government lawyers during three days of pretrial depositions last summer
 could be shown as early as Thursday.

             Apple Executive Says Microsoft Muscled His Company

 An executive from Apple Computer Inc. testified that Microsoft used
 monopoly power to muscle Apple away from Netscape Communications Corp.'s
 Web browser. The Justice Department and 20 states have charged that
 Microsoft Corp. violated the nation's antitrust laws by competing
 unfairly against Netscape Communications Corp. in the market for Internet
 browsers. Apple executive Avadis Tevanian also testified about unfair
 tactics Microsoft allegedly used against his company in the market for
 multimedia software, which bear an eerie resemblance to tactics described
 by Netscape executives as having been used against their company.

 Tevanian will be cross-examined on his written testimony, which was made
 public Friday, when the Microsoft trial starts its third week Monday.
 Apple makes its own computers and operating system, one of the few
 competitors to Microsoft's Windows operating system for personal
 computers. Microsoft's Windows commands more than 90 percent of the
 market, while Tevanian said that in 1997 his company's operating system
 had 3.5 percent. Apple computers featured the Netscape Navigator Web
 browser until Microsoft leaned on it, Tevanian said.

 He testified that Microsoft held a monopoly in the office application
 with its Office suite, which included the Word word processor, a
 spreadsheet and other programs. Microsoft makes a version for Apple
 Macintosh computers, and Tevanian testified it was "critical to the
 commercial viability" of Apple computers to sell the product. "Microsoft
 was aware that Apple desperately needed to maintain support for Microsoft
 Office for Macintosh," he said. Microsoft conditioned its continued
 support for Microsoft Office on Apple's agreement to feature Microsoft's
 Internet Explorer over Netscape Navigator, he said.

 "If Microsoft had not exercised its monopoly power in the office
 application market by threatening to stop support for Office for
 Macintosh, Apple would not have resolved the disputes" in favor of
 Internet Explorer, Tevanian said. In addition, Tevanian described Apple's
 own troubles with Microsoft over its multimedia QuickTime technology,
 which plays audio and video content and shows pictures. Tevanian
 described a series of meetings called by Microsoft, ostensibly to discuss
 licensing codes.

 In fact, he said, Microsoft used those meetings to pressure Apple "to
 abandon its business of providing software that enables users to view
 multimedia content." "In return, Microsoft offered Apple the much smaller
 portion of the market for software tools used to create multimedia
 content," Tevanian said. That echoes government accusations that at a
 June 21, 1995, meeting, Microsoft told Netscape to abandon the browser
 market for its Windows 95 operating system and instead be satisfied with
 the much smaller market of Web browsers for other operating systems.

 In another meeting, Apple was told to abandon the playback segment of the
 multimedia market, Tevanian said. Tevanian testified that in September
 1997, Eric Engstrom, the manager of Microsoft multimedia technology, said
 "if necessary, Microsoft would assign 150 engineers" to compete with
 Apple. "At that time, Apple's entire QuickTime engineering group
 consisted of approximately 100 engineers," Tevanian said. In a statement,
 Microsoft said: "Microsoft and Apple continue to be great partners after
 more than 17 years of both competing and cooperating in the software
 industry. Microsoft today reiterates its strong support for the Macintosh
 and our Macintosh customers."

             Microsoft Says AOL Customers Had Browser "Choice"

 Microsoft Corp. argued that customers of America Online Inc. still had a
 choice of Web browsers after the two companies struck a 1996 deal, but an
 AOL executive said in practice a rival browser became hard to find. The
 Justice Department and 20 states have charged that Microsoft violated the
 nation's antitrust laws by competing unfairly against Netscape
 Communications Corp. in the market for Internet browsers. In federal
 court here, AOL Vice President David Colburn has said his firm decided to
 sign the agreement mainly to get a prominent place on the computer
 desktop of Microsoft's Windows operating system that runs most personal
 computers. The second week of the landmark antitrust ended Thursday at a
 snail's pace, with only two of 24 witnesses examined and videotaped
 testimony from company chairman Bill Gates delayed again.

 Experts had predicted the trial would last six to eight weeks but at the
 end of the day government lawyer David Boies said he expected only one --
 or at the most two -- witnesses to come before the court next week,
 starting with Apple Computer Inc. executive Avadis Tevanian. The trial
 has mostly been given to careful, slow cross- examination by Microsoft
 lawyer John Warden. Warden's long cross examination of Colburn made it
 impossible for any of Gates' videotaped pre-trial testimony to be shown.
 Warden tried to show that customers had freedom to choose Netscape's Web
 browser "It is true, is it not, that every one of AOL's subscribers has a
 free and unfettered choice to use Netscape's Web browsing software if he
 wants?" Warden asked Colburn. Replied Colburn: "Yes, if they figure out
 how to get it. When government lawyer David Boies asked questions a few
 minutes later he wanted to know how much flexibility customers had to use
 Netscape's product.

 Colburn answered that it was "difficult" for customers to obtain
 Netscape, because the Microsoft browser was built in. AOL is the biggest
 single provider of on-line services, with more than 13 million customers,
 offering its own on-line environment as well as access to the Internet.
 Toward the end of the day, Warden sprung a small surprise on the court
 that gave waiting television crews at least some tape of Gates  footage
 from a public announcement over two years ago. Warden played a brief tape
 of Gates and America Online Chief Executive Steve Case, when they
 announced in March, 1996, that AOL had agreed to adopt Microsoft's
 Internet Explorer browser over Netscape's Navigator. The methods that
 Microsoft used to convince AOL to sign up for its Web browser and the
 terms of the contract have been the central focus of the trial for the
 past two days.

 Warden tried to get Colburn to acknowledge that America Online picked
 Internet Explorer because of its technical superiority. Colburn insisted
 that the predominant consideration was that Microsoft was a potential
 competitor. Colburn has said AOL chose Microsoft to gain rough parity
 with Microsoft's own on-line service, which is displayed prominently on
 its Windows desktop. During a break, Boies was asked about the long cross
 examination. A reporter asked Boies if Microsoft was filibustering -- a
 Senate technique of unlimited debate to kill legislation. Standing on the
 front steps of the courthouse in clear view of the Capitol, Boies replied
 he would not answer the question "this close to Capitol Hill."

                   Microsoft Says Others Behaved Like It

 Microsoft Corp. tried to turn the tables in court, charging that America
 Online Inc. engaged in the same type of behavior that prompted the
 government to file antitrust charges against the software giant. Facing
 allegations it illegally proposed carving up the market for Internet
 browsers with Netscape Communications Corp., Microsoft pointed to
 evidence that AOL and Netscape had discussed staying out of each other's
 lines of business.

 The tactic by Microsoft attorney John Warden seemed designed to raise
 doubts in the judge's mind about where to draw the line between market
 division and strategic alliances. The Justice Department and 20 states
 have accused Microsoft of using its monopoly in personal computer
 operating systems to try and intimidate Netscape into agreeing to divide
 the browser market at a June 21, 1995, meeting.

 Microsoft has said it was merely trying to propose a strategic alliance
 -- which Netscape rejected. On Wednesday afternoon, day seven of the
 trial, Warden for Microsoft focused on a Dec. 11, 1995, memo from AOL
 President Steve Case that proposed what was described as a strategic
 alliance. AOL and Netscape feared the clout of Microsoft and tentatively
 agreed to work together to combat the larger firm, which they had dubbed
 "the beast of Redmond."

 Case wrote in the memo that Netscape had promised to "remain a software
 company" and pledged it had "no plans or interest in entering the online
 services business" for three years. Warden cross-examined AOL vice
 president David Colburn about his company's dealings with Netscape and in
 particular about the memo, which he suggested amounted to a report of
 illegal market division. "In your various meetings with the Department of
 Justice to suggest that they go after the 'beast from Redmond', did you
 disclose you'd made a market division proposal?" Warden asked.

 "Your wording, not mine," shot back Colburn. At another point, Colburn
 said he "wouldn't call" the agreement market division. AOL is the biggest
 single provider of on-line services, with more than 13 million customers.
 It offers its own on-line environment as well as access to the Internet.
 Earlier Wednesday, Colburn testified that AOL's March 1996 decision to
 choose Microsoft's Internet browser was done to compete with Microsoft
 rather than for technical reasons.

 AOL was facing competition from MSN, an on-line service owned by
 Microsoft that the Redmond, Wash.-giant was able to cheaply promote
 through an icon on the first screen or desktop of the Windows 95
 operating program. In contrast, AOL was having to distribute its software
 through computer makers, paying a bounty for each customer it snared,
 Colburn said. In return for using its browser, Microsoft put an AOL icon
 in a "folder" on the Windows desktop that contained a list of Internet
 service providers.

 In cross examination, Warden tried to suggest that AOL chose the
 Microsoft browser because it worked better than Netscape's. "Isn't it a
 fact that the most important factor in choosing between Microsoft and
 Netscape was getting software that worked with your client?" Warden
 asked, using the word "client" to mean the software AOL provided to its
 customers. "No," replied Colburn. "There were five factors. The most
 important in my mind, as the lead negotiator, was securing parity with
 MSN." He said that the other priorities were, in order, how much AOL
 would have to pay, whether the Web browser would work with the widely
 distributed Microsoft Windows, its flexibility of use with other browsers
 and, last, whether the technology worked.

 Microsoft Spokesman Mark Murray said on the courthouse steps there was
 "startling new evidence" the two companies worked together against
 Microsoft. He said the draft agreement to stay out of each other's
 business was "far more explicit than anything that the government is
 accusing Microsoft of." Government lawyer David Boies expressed no
 surprise that AOL and Netscape would try to cooperate. "Small companies
 get together all the time, particularly when they have to compete against
 a monopoly," Boies told reporters.

                          Avoiding Internet Fraud

 Tips from the Securities and Exchange Commission on avoiding investment
 fraud on the Internet:

   1. Never make an investment based solely on what you read in an online
      newsletter or bulletin board posting, especially if it involves a
      small-company stock that is thinly traded.
   2. Consider all investment offers with skepticism.
   3. Don't invest on your own in small companies that don't file periodic
      reports with the SEC, unless you are willing to investigate each
      company thoroughly and check the truth of every statement about the
      company.
   4. Get access to company financial reports from the SEC's Edgar
      database, a free service. Be aware, though, that companies raising
      less than $5 million in a 12-month period may not be required to
      register their securities or file reports with the SEC. If you can't
      find a company's reports on Edgar, call the SEC at (202) 942-8090 to
      find out if the company filed a stock offering circular under
      Regulation A or a Form D.
   5. Always check with the securities regulators in your state to see if
      they have more information about the company and the people behind
      it. The state regulators also can check the Central Registration
      Depository, or CRD, to determine if the broker promoting the stock
      or the broker's firm has a disciplinary history. The National
      Association of Securities Dealers also can give you a partial
      disciplinary history of a broker or brokerage firm. The NASD's
      public disclosure hotline is (800) 289-9999 and its Web site is
      www.nasdr.com .
   6. When reading Internet newsletters, find out whether the newsletter
      author received payment from a company to "tout" or recommend its
      stock and if so, how much he or she received. Read carefully what
      the newsletter says about payments it has received, and
      independently investigate the company or investment "opportunity"
      being promoted. Check with the SEC or your state securities
      regulators to see if the newsletter has ever been in trouble.

                        Syquest Suspends Operations

 Computer storage device maker SyQuest Technology Inc Monday suspended
 operations and said it may file for a Chapter 11 bankruptcy
 reorganization. In a statement, the company said it requested a halt to
 trading in its securities. SyQuest stock last traded at 34 cents, up
 three cents on the day, before trading was halted. SyQuest, a maker of
 removable storage devices and related products for computers, said it
 will maintain a limited support staff for customer service while
 operations are suspended. In recent years, SyQuest has faced brutal price
 competition for its products and battled for market share with Utah-based
 rival Iomega Corp. As recently as August, SyQuest said it would lay off
 950 employees and end manufacturing at its Fremont, Calif. plant. It
 employed just over 1,100 people in 1997. Just last week, the company said
 its lenders cut its credit line to $10.8 million from $30 million.

                        Microsoft Renames Windows NT

 Aiming to streamline the identity of its broad software line, Microsoft
 Corp. on Tuesday christened the next version of Windows NT, its operating
 software for business computers, with a flashier name: Windows 2000.
 Microsoft eventually plans to use a similar identity for its other
 software as well, including successors to the new Windows 98 for personal
 computers, which will use the more-powerful NT technology, Microsoft vice
 president of marketing Brad Chase said.

 Chase also said the next test version, or beta, of the long-delayed NT
 5.0 will now be released in early 1999. Although Microsoft has never put
 a firm date on releasing the test software, it had been widely expected
 to be out before the end of the year. Chase declined to say when Windows
 2000 will finally be ready for sale. Windows NT - for new technology -
 was first introduced in 1993 for higher-end business computers such as
 workstations and the servers that run computer networks. The latest
 version is Windows NT Version 4.0.

 The name change is part of a Microsoft strategy to abandon the
 traditional numbers long favored by engineers in favor of something
 jazzier: The year - approximately - of when the product ships. That began
 with Windows 95 and has continued with other products such as the Office
 97 business software suite. It also plays into demand by companies to
 upgrade computer systems so they won't fall victim to the "Y2K bug,"
 which threatens to shut down older systems when the calendar turns from
 1999 to 2000.

 "While we plan to ship the product in the year 1999, the year 2000 is a
 big issue with our customers," Chase said. "It's important we have a
 product in an era when customers are thinking about Y2K." Microsoft has
 been marketing NT as the operating system for business use, while
 recommending Windows 98 for personal and home users. Chase said Windows
 98, released in late June, will keep that name. Future versions of that
 software, however, will probably be called "Windows for consumers," with
 the appropriate model year added.

 Under the new nomenclature, Windows NT Workstation, for standalone
 computers, becomes Windows 2000 Professional. Windows NT Server, for
 small and midsize networks, becomes Windows 2000 Server. Windows NT
 Server Enterprise Edition, a more powerful system for companywide
 computers, will be called Windows 2000 Advanced Server. Microsoft also is
 bringing out a new software version, Windows 2000 Datacenter Server, for
 large-scale applications such as huge databases and scientific and
 engineering simulations.

 Microsoft's decision to change the name of Windows NT Version 5.0 came as
 several rival makers of business computers stepped up their own marketing
 battles. Palo Alto, Calif.-based Sun Microsystems Inc. on Tuesday
 unveiled its new Solaris 7 line, which likewise is designed for computers
 ranging from desktop workstations to corporate networks. The initial
 versions, for workstations and small servers, are to ship in November,
 with the largest version available in early 1999.

 On Monday, IBM announced an alliance with Sequent Computer Systems Inc.
 and Santa Cruz Operation Inc. to produce a new version of the Unix
 operating system for Intel Corp.'s high-powered Merced computer chip, now
 in development. The as-yet unnamed Unix product also would run on a range
 of computers, and is expected to be out in 2000.

                 Snag Hit for Microsoft's Windows 2000 Name

 Microsoft won't pursue what could prove to be another expensive trademark
 battle over the name the company has chosen for its next version of the
 Windows operating system. Microsoft vice president Brad Chase last week
 said that the company intended to change the name Windows NT to Windows
 2000, to mark the convergence of Windows 98 with the company's higher end
 NT system. But Redmond's plans may have hit a snag. It turns out that
 Robert Kerstein, an entrepreneur and former McCaw Cellular employee,
 trademarked Windows 2000 two years ago as part of his "Encyberpedia: The
 Online Encyclopedia" Web site. He even owns Windows2000.com, a collection
 of links to information resources and a comprehensive list of webcams.

 "My goal is not to do anything different than what I have already been
 doing-promoting education on the Internet," Kerstein said. "And if the
 Windows 2000 name helps me do that, that's great." Kerstein said he has
 not heard a peep out of Microsoft. Kerstein said the Windows 2000 name is
 a reference to the several hundred links on his Web site to webcams
 around the world. "The Windows 2000 came to me when live cams came out
 ... that cams could be windows that could look out on their world."

 Jeff Price, lead product manager for the company's Windows 2000 server,
 said Microsoft has no plans to pursue the name or take action against
 Kerstein. "Windows is a Microsoft trademark that we've been using since
 1983," Price said. "It is a registered trademark. We have been
 identifying our products with a chronological number for years." "There
 is no impact on our use of the term Windows 2000." On 1 July, Microsoft
 agreed to pay a defunct Illinois Internet service provider US$5 million
 for the right to continue calling its Web browser software Internet
 Explorer. The firm, SyNet, argued successfully in court that it had been
 using the name Explorer since 1994.

                  Remembering The Good Old Days of the Web

 You know that you - not to mention the Web itself - are getting old when
 you start getting nostalgic for the good ol' days of new media. Of
 course, the Web experience isn't exactly long in the virtual tooth just
 yet. But things move fast on the information superhighway. Every lane is
 a passing lane, and there are no rest areas to catch your breath. How
 many Web sites can you think of that still look pretty much the way they
 did when you first visited them? Probably not many.

 Web watchers - the Net Set included - are always talking about the
 importance of keeping sites fresh and flexible. Site developers have come
 to build a "flux factor" into their designs - forever adding, removing,
 changing and, ultimately, chucking elements of a Web site's look and
 functionality. In the world of the Web, evolution is a way of life. The
 word "permanent" doesn't exist in cyberspace. The bottom line: It's chic
 to tweak. A site's redesign generally is judged in terms of two measures:
 how appealing it is, and how well it accomplishes its purpose. If the
 site's pleasing to the eye and it works, then it passes the redesign
 test.

 Nothing wrong with that. But the pass/fail test is predicated on the
 assumption that a redesign was necessary in the first place. And if a
 site ain't broke, then why fix it? Change for change's sake usually
 signals one of three needs: a need to justify one's job, a desperate need
 to "appear" to be on the cutting edge or a mistaken belief that change is
 needed to remain viable. None of which is to say that sites aren't being
 changed for the better all the time. The longer we live with cyberspace,
 the more we learn about what works - and what doesn't.

 Nor should we get too hung up on the past. Nostalgia is often a polite
 word for remembering things the way they never were. And who's to say
 that the good ol' days were all that terrific in the first place anyway?
 But all this tweaking comes at a price. What about the issue of consumer
 familiarity? Or, for that matter, sentimental attachment? Imagine going
 to your regular hangout and finding the bathroom where the bar used to
 be. Or discovering that your favorite bookstore put the cookbooks in the
 classics aisle. As developers continue to create a code of design dos and
 don'ts, Web sites also run the risk of losing their individuality. Out
 with mom-and-pop personality. In with the malling of Cyberstreet U.S.A.
 There's no question that the Web has a future. So, why are we in such a
 rush to forget that it has a past?







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 EDUPAGE STR Focus Keeping the users informed
  [Image]
                                       Edupage







 Contents



 Desperately Seeking A Business  "Rising Expectations And Exploding
 Model For Online Education      Demand" For Technology
 HP Prefers Chai Over Java For
 Electronic Devices              Porn Is Peaking On The Web

 PC Industry Headed For A Slump  E-Mail Response-Management Packages
                                 Debut
 MS Execs Worry About Free       Corporate Partnerships Fund Laptops For
 Software Movement               Georgia Students
 UCSD To House Academia's
 Fastest Computer                Intel's Legacy Free PC
 IBM's Grand Strategy            Smart Cards Slow To Catch On
 Online Drugstore War            MS-We Decide Our Marketing



         DESPERATELY SEEKING A BUSINESS MODEL FOR ONLINE EDUCATION

 Different financial arrangements are developing within the various
 academic institutions that are busy developing online course offerings.
 Two examples: Penn State is splitting revenues with the faculty members
 who develop courses and their departments, whereas New York University
 will hold ownership rights for its online courses. Is there a lot of
 money to split up? NYU's Gerald A. Heeger, dean of continuing and
 professional studies, Warns: "Online is a big, important field in higher
 education, but it does not have a business model that works. The dirty
 little secret is that nobody's making any money." However, he thinks
 someday that will change. (New York Times 2 Nov 98)

         "RISING EXPECTATIONS AND EXPLODING DEMAND" FOR TECHNOLOGY

 The Campus Computing Project's 1998 national survey of information
 technology in higher education says that classroom use of e-mail is up
 substantially (to 44.4%), that almost half of the institutions are using
 student fees to cover information technology costs, and that more than a
 third of research universities have some type of policy addressing
 faculty-developed intellectual property on the campus. Project director
 Kenneth C. Green says, "Campuses are doing more with technology, and they
 are doing it better than in the past. But the real challenge at most
 institutions is to improve resources and services given both rising
 expectations and exploding demand." http://www.campuscomputing.net

              HP PREFERS CHAI OVER JAVA FOR ELECTRONIC DEVICES

 Hewlett-Packard, discontented with Sun Microsystems' control over its
 Java programming language, has banded together with 13 other companies,
 including Microsoft, to form the Real-Time Java Working Group, which will
 develop new versions of the language for electronic devices. The panel's
 creation is the most recent clash in HP's battle with Sun over Java. In
 March, HP announced it was developing its own version of Java called
 "Chai" (after the popular tea drink), which could be used in devices such
 as printers and laboratory equipment. An HP spokesman says the group was
 formed to ensure that no one entity would have total control over the
 development of Java for the devices. Meanwhile, Sun and HP continue to
 work together on Java products for servers and workstations. (Wall Street
 Journal 3 Nov 98)

                         PORN IS PEAKING ON THE WEB

 A Forrester Research analyst estimates that the online adult business is
 close to peaking, after generating 40% annual growth for the last few
 years. "The astronomical growth is set to top out," he says, adding that
 "there is commerce activity at all ends of the adult spectrum." Forrester
 gauges overall Web commerce at $4.8 billion in 1998, with pornography
 sites contributing almost $1 billion to that total. And while lawmakers
 are trying to muzzle online pornography, observers are dubious about the
 ultimate impact of such legislation: "You can use all sorts of screens to
 keep kids out, but the majority of sites choose not to use them."
 However, another potential obstacle might be more effective: American
 Express is considering shutting off service ties for such sites, and
 other credit card companies could choose to follow their example.
 (Broadcasting & Cable 26 Oct 98)

                       PC INDUSTRY HEADED FOR A SLUMP

 A Forrester Research report entitled "PC Industry Roller Coaster"
 predicts that PC sales will surge to $55 billion in 1999 as corporate
 buyers scramble to replace aging equipment run by Y2K-vulnerable
 software. After that, however, things are expected to head downhill, with
 sales dropping precipitously in 2000 and remaining stagnant through 2002.
 After 2000, the report predicts that the PC industry will be reshaped by
 a new set of market forces as computer makers fight for share in the
 sub-$1,000 PC market by cutting prices even further. Two-thirds of
 companies will focus their development efforts on making PCs with
 Internet browsers and on a new generation of Internet-connected
 appliances, which are expected to sell at much lower prices than today's
 PCs. (Reuters/St. Petersburg Times 2 Nov 98)

                 E-MAIL RESPONSE-MANAGEMENT PACKAGES DEBUT

 Manually routing and answering e-mail is time-consuming, with one
 Internet research company placing the cost of dealing with each message
 at $2.75. With that in mind, two companies are poised to introduce new
 software packages next week that are designed to improve response
 automation and personalization. Aptex Software's SelectResponse 3.0 uses
 technology that can interpret the meaning of unstructured text to provide
 quicker and more accurate answers to e-mail queries. Brightware's Contact
 Center software generates automated answers for a predetermined set of
 questions and routes other messages to the appropriate company contact
 when a question requires a more complex response. "The Internet can be
 either the least expensive or the most expensive customer channel,
 depending on the level of automation you have," says Brightware's CEO.
 Using such software should bring the cost of dealing with e-mail
 questions down to as little as 25 cents apiece. (InternetWeek 3 Nov 98)

             MICROSOFT EXECS WORRY ABOUT FREE SOFTWARE MOVEMENT

 An internal Microsoft memo written by one of that company's software
 engineers indicates that Microsoft is concerned with developing
 strategies for competing against free programs that have been gaining
 popularity with software developers, such as the operating system Linux.
 The memorandum warns that the usual Microsoft marketing strategy known as
 FUD (an acronym for fear, uncertainty, and doubt) won't work against
 developers of free software, who are part of the O.S.S. (open-source
 software) movement that makes source code readily available to anyone for
 improvement and testing. The memo
 (http://www.opensource.org/halloween.html) says: "The ability of the
 O.S.S. process to collect and harness the collective I.Q. of thousands of
 individuals across the Internet is simply amazing. More importantly,
 O.S.S. evangelization scales with the size of the Internet much faster
 than our own evangelization efforts appear to scale." (New York Times 3
 Nov 98)

          CORPORATE PARTNERSHIPS FUND LAPTOPS FOR GEORGIA STUDENTS

 Students at Clayton College and State University and Floyd College, two
 of Georgia's smallest public colleges, are benefiting from an unusual
 partnership that pairs the colleges with a computer manufacturer, a
 networking company, a telephone company, an Internet service provider,
 two banks and several software vendors. The arrangement enables the
 schools to offer laptops to incoming students for a $300-per-semester
 fee, which also covers unlimited Internet access and a student I.D. card
 that serves as a bank card, phone card and credit card. The partnership,
 which has been designated a pilot project by the University System of
 Georgia, allows the non-residential colleges to offer a level of
 technology support to students that they otherwise could not afford. Some
 students have objected to the increased presence of corporate logos on
 campus, but presidents at both schools say their primary concern has been
 keeping the most to students as low as possible while giving them the
 workplace skills they'll need upon graduation. "The mission of this
 college says we will prepare students to succeed in the workplace of the
 21st century," says Clayton State president Richard Skinner. (Chronicle
 of Higher Education 6 Nov 98)

                 UCSD TO HOUSE ACADEMIA'S FASTEST COMPUTER

 The San Diego Supercomputer Center at UC San Diego will be home in 1999
 to the fastest computer in the academic community -- an IBM-built,
 teraflop-class computer to be used by the National Partnership for
 Advanced Computational Infrastructure, a group of 37 research
 institutions led by UCSD. The university and IBM are negotiating a price
 for the RS/6000 SP machine, which will probably be somewhat lower than
 the typical asking price of more than $50-million, says the deputy
 director of the Supercomputer Center. The computer will open new avenues
 of academic research in subjects ranging from brain research to
 simulations of the Big Bang, says IBM's Irving Wladawsky-Berger, general
 manager of IBM's Internet Division. (Los Angeles Times 5 Nov 98)

                           INTEL'S LEGACY FREE PC

 Intel is pushing a new concept in PCs -- its Legacy Free PC doesn't look
 like a PC at all, but rather like an orange and silver pyramid with the
 top chopped off. Inside, it's different, too, relying on "plug-and-play"
 universal serial bus ports rather than the old industry standard
 architecture sockets that require users to install circuit boards or load
 special software every time they add a peripheral component. The PC,
 code-named Aztec, won't be built by Intel, but the chipmaking company is
 hoping to use its considerable influence to persuade PC makers to adopt
 its vision of simpler, more stylish devices that work more like
 "information appliances": "...We have had this in the works for several
 years because we have to change things," says the PC initiatives manager
 at Intel. "People have come to expect a gray box, to expect a machine
 that crashes." (Wall Street Journal 4 Nov 98)

                            IBM'S GRAND STRATEGY

 Irving Wladawsky-Berger, general manager of IBM's Internet Division,
 defines the difference between "e-commerce" and "e-business": "E-commerce
 is all about buying and selling (on the Internet) and all the processes
 that support buying and selling, such as advertising, marketing, customer
 support, credit-card activities and the like. E-business, in addition to
 encompassing e-commerce, includes lots of applications to help business
 run more efficiently. It also includes more internal applications for
 linking employees together and helping employees work more productively.
 E-business also involves publishing and accessing information. So
 e-commerce and e-business are two halves of the same coin. E-business is
 the grand strategy, and e-commerce is an extremely important subset of
 e-business." (Investor's Business Daily 4 Nov 98)

                        SMART CARDS SLOW TO CATCH ON

 As a trial of electronic-cash "smart cards" ended on New York's Upper
 West Side, it was clear that the introduction of the technology is not
 going as quickly as some had expected. The sponsors of the trial
 (Citibank, Chase Manhattan, Visa and MasterCard) claim the trial has
 rewarded them with "a lot of good learning," but electronic banking
 consultant Jerome Svigals says that the most critical problem in
 developing a market for smart cards is that they aren't yet profitable --
 and won't be profitable until the banks or other issuers can charge for
 their use and until consumers are willing to pay for the convenience the
 cards represent. So far, the most successful trials in the U.S. have been
 in controlled settings (e.g., college and corporate campuses and military
 bases) where people use the cards not only to pay for things but also to
 gain access to buildings, check out books from the library, etc. (AP 4
 Nov 98)

                            ONLINE DRUGSTORE WAR

 PlanetRx and Drugstore.com, two start-ups hoping to get a respectable
 share of the $160 billion a year U.S. market for drug prescriptions, are
 rushing to open Web sites for this purpose early in 1999. Since many
 states do not allow electronic submission of prescriptions, the companies
 are forced to supplement their Web-based activities with the use of
 phoned or faxed prescriptions; even so, PlanetRx and Drugstore.com are
 betting that customers will prefer the convenience of placing their
 orders through the World Wide Web and waiting for fast delivery to their
 homes, rather than choosing a trip to the local pharmacy. (San Jose
 Mercury News 4 Nov 98)

                     MICROSOFT: WE DECIDE OUR MARKETING

 In the Microsoft antitrust case, the company argued that it had every
 right to tell Apple last year that if Apple didn't adopt Microsoft's
 Internet browser as the default choice on all Apple computers, then
 Microsoft would simply stop producing software to run on Apple machines.
 A Microsoft attorney asked Apple executive Avadis Tevanian: "Suppose
 Microsoft simply decides not to offer a product. Do you have a problem
 with that." Tevanian's answer: "Yes. I have a problem with them doing it
 when they are using it as a threat to get us to do something we didn't
 want to do." (New York Times 5 Nov 98)





 NEW!



                       [BITSBYTES.GIF (64527 bytes)]



 by R. F. Mariano

 The repairs are coming along nicely.  One engine is almost out and as
 soon as that one is done the other will be pulled.  The cost of repairs
 is very respectable as is the upkeep.  The remainder of the expenses are
 under control but God knows, we could use a "Guardian Angel" for the
 major repairs.  This coming season we are going to be taking
 underpriviledged children out to learn about ecology, conservation and
 good sportsmanship.  The idea is to instill upon them these principles so
 they, in turn, will teach their children and friends.  In today's world
 it is very important to make certain everyone from active fishermen to
 ardent spectators, recreational boaters, swimmers, beach goers and others
 who enjoy the sea and all its benefits protect these wonders of nature.
 We need to have these practices instilled in our younger generations.
 Its the only way we shall be albe to adequately protect the entire marine
 environment.



  [Image]              Protect Your Boat Batteries This Winter
                  DieHard's Winterizing Program for Marine Batteries



 When the cold winds blow, do you think about your boat batteries?

 You'd better, say the experts at DieHard marine batteries, or your
 cranking and deep cycle batteries may die premature deaths. When the
 calendar and cold fronts tell you the worst is yet to come, the operable
 word is "winterize."

 Here is a step-by-step battery winterizing program for marine cranking
 and deep cycle batteries. Wear old clothes because you'll be working
 close to battery acid, which can burn a hole in clothing. Protect your
 eyes. For safety's sake, mix a solution of baking soda and water (50-50)
 and keep it nearby so you can use it to neutralize any acid spills.

   1. Disconnect your marine batteries and remove them from the boat and
      from the elements.
   2. Inspect the cables and connectors. Repair or replace them now, if
      necessary, not in the spring when the fish are biting and repair
      shops are busy.
   3. Clean and brush the cable connectors with a wire brush, removing the
      crusty, corrosion build-up. Coat the connectors with white grease to
      help maintain good contact between the connectors and batteries.
   4. Wire brush the battery posts to remove the white, crusty material.
      Coat the terminals with white grease or Vaseline to help ward off
      the effects of corrosion.
   5. With a disposable rag, wipe the crud, dirt and grit from the battery
      cases. Dispose of this rag.
   6. Dip another rag into a neutralizing solution of baking soda and
      water, half-and-half. Wring out the excess fluid and wipe down the
      battery cases.
   7. Check the battery acid levels. Add distilled water or de-ionized
      water, as required, to bring electrolyte levels to within one-eighth
      of an inch of the bottom of the vent well, or one-fourth of an inch
      from the bottom if the battery is discharged. Don't overfill, or
      sulfuric acid will want to escape out of the vents. Don't use tap
      water or well water. They may contain chlorine, iron or salts that
      will harm the battery.
   8. Recharge your batteries. Wear goggles and old clothes. Do not
      overcharge. Excessive overcharging causes loss of electrolyte and
      the interior plates to shed their active material, reducing
      capacity. Never charge a frozen battery. Always charge in a
      well-ventilated area.
   9. Cold weather charging requirements make a strong recommendation for
      the use of a "smart" battery charger such as the DieHard 71320 shelf
      model. This charger is equipped with a microprocessor capable of
      recharging each battery according to its own particular needs. On
      its "automatic" setting, this charger will charge each battery in
      optimal time then revert to a 2-amp "maintenance" setting, keeping
      the battery warm and fully-charged.
  10. Store batteries in a cool, dry, and well-ventilated place, far away
      from the furnace. Make sure they're out of reach from kids and pets.
      A temperature of about 50 degrees is ideal. Your garage is fine for
      storage as long as the temperature inside doesn't dip below
      freezing. A frozen battery is a dead battery. Never try to charge a
      frozen battery.
  11. While your batteries are stored, they'll slowly lose their charge.
      Check them monthly. Restore water levels then bring the batteries up
      to a full charge if needed. A charged battery lasts longer than a
      battery in a discharged state.

 If you have maintenance-free gel cell batteries the winterizing routine
 is the same except with a sealed case you cannot add more electrolyte.
 It's especially important, therefore, that you not overcharge a gel cell
 battery or charge it too quickly. If you do, the gel in the battery can
 heat up and will have a tendency to dry out, shrink and pull away from
 the lead plates.

 One of the most asked questions about battery storage is, "Can I store my
 batteries on cement?" The answer is, "Yes." Before 1967, storing
 batteries on cement was a potential problem because battery cases usually
 were made of hard rubber. Batteries didn't hold a charge as long back
 then, and the cold cement often helped freeze the electrolyte. Also,
 battery sealing was relatively poor. Acid leaks were common in those old
 batteries, and many cement floors showed the effects of such leaks. In
 that year DieHard introduced the heat-sealed, polypropylene battery case
 and cover that have raised battery capacity and reduced the potential for
 leakage. A word of caution, though: If your vent caps are not tight or if
 you overfill your cells, liquid acid may work its way out through the
 vent caps.



                        DieHard Announces 12 Battery
                      Models for Marine Market in 1998

              Sears Marine Line Includes Starting, Deep-Cycle,
                     Gel-Cell, and Commercial Batteries

 HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. -- (March 1998 - DieHard introduces its 1998 marine
 battery line --12 batteries engineered specifically for recreational and
 commercial boating and angling, including saltwater flats and freshwater
 tournament fishing.

 The 1998 line of DieHard marine batteries includes starting, deep-cycle,
 gel-cel, and commercial batteries. All DieHard marine batteries are
 covered by Sears guarantee, "Satisfaction guaranteed or your money back"
 and all but one model have 30-month or longer warrantees.

 "The automobile market is far and away the biggest market for DieHard
 batteries but the marine market is big and getting bigger," said David S.
 Egeland, DieHard brand director. "We are very mindful that tournament
 style boats for bass, crappie, walleye and saltwater fishing use not only
 a starting battery but one, two, three and sometimes four deep-cycle
 batteries to power electric motors, bilge pumps, live-wells, fish
 finders, satellite navigators and instruments."

 For 1998, DieHard will offer one series of marine batteries with a
 built-in power level indicator that you can read at the push of a button.
 Called the "Power Probe," this top-mounted button and display is found on
 the DieHard 3OHM battery. The DieHard 30HM and two other models, 27M and
 24M, also feature Sears "Pack Tite" construction, a design feature that
 promotes longer battery life by helping eliminate the effects of boat
 vibration and pounding. And, delivering 900, 750 and 650 marine cranking
 amps respectively, the 30HM, 27M and 24M are designed to handle engine
 cranking as well as provide deep-cycle current supply for electric
 motors, live-wells, bilge pumps and marine electronics. All three models
 feature convenient carrying handles.

 There are five batteries in the DieHard Gel-Cel series, factory-sealed
 batteries with gelled electrolyte, that deliver power even if fully
 submerged in water or turned upside down. Sears Gel-Cel batteries are
 designed to start engines from 150 h.p. up to 600 h.p. and deliver deep
 cycle current on-demand. DieHard Gel-Cel marine batteries deliver from
 500 to 1725 marine cranking amp. The batteries are guaranteed for 30
 months, including free replacement for 90 days after the purchase date.

 The DieHard 24MS model was designed expressly as a marine starting
 battery and delivers an impressive 625 marine cranking amps in spite of
 its light weight -- only 36 pounds. However, distinction for "smallest
 and lightest" battery goes to the DieHard U1, a 22-pound deep-cycle
 battery measuring less than 9 inches long, 6 inches wide and 8 inches
 tall. This compact model, rated at 270 marine cranking amps, is ideal for
 powering electric trolling motors on small, light boats such as canoes
 and aluminum skiffs.

 At the other end of the scale are the DieHard 4D and 8D, commercial
 marine batteries, that produce 1400 and 1725 marine cranking amps
 respectively.

 DieHard marine batteries for 1998 are sold through more than 2300 retail
 outlets in the United States including Sears Auto Centers, Sears
 Hardware, Sears Dealer stores and Orchard Supply Hardware. Sears
 Automotive Group is the nation's largest retailer of batteries. If you
 have any questions at all about what to do with your batteries, stop in
 at your nearest Sears Auto Center and get some answers, or write me,
 Capt. DieHard, Sears, Roebuck and Co., Sears Automotive Group, 3333
 Beverly Road, BC-103B, Hoffman Estates, IL 60179.

 DIEHARD BATTERY MEDIA CONTACTS:

 Dave Albritton, DieHard Public Relations Specialist
 Voice (847) 286-9017 Fax (847) 286-8351
 E-mail: dalbrit@sears.com

 Bill AuCoin, Public Communications Inc.
 Voice (813) 522-2371; Fax (813) 521-2035;
 E-mail: wmaucoin@gte.net

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           [Image]



                                 WS_FTP Pro

                       The Best Way to Transfer Files

 Contents

    * What is WS_FTP Pro?
    * What are the primary features of WS_FTP Pro?
    * Whats new in version 6.0?
    * What other systems can I connect to with WS_FTP Pro?
    * How does WS_FTP Pro differ from WS_FTP Limited Edition?
    * How do I use WS_FTP Pro with the classic interface?
    * How do I use WS_FTP Pro with Windows Explorer?
    * What is the optimal environment for reviewing WS_FTP Pro?
    * How do I install WS_FTP Pro?
    * Where can I find more detailed information on how to use WS_FTP Pro?
    * How can I customize WS_FTP Pro?
    * How can I use WS_FTP Pro to automate my file transfers?
    * How can I create my own FTP site?
    * How do developers create custom applications using WS_FTP Pro?
    * What other products has Ipswitch developed?



 What is WS_FTP Pro?

 WS_FTP Pro is a Windows-based file transfer client application that is
 used to transfer files between a users local PC and a remote FTP server
 connected via a modem and telephone lines or by a local area network. With
 WS_FTP Pro, users can connect to any remote FTP server, browse through
 directories and files, and transfer files in either direction. In
 addition, users can create, change, and remove directories and view,
 execute, rename, or delete files. WS_FTP Pro also supports anonymous
 logons, which enables users to access the vast store of information on
 anonymous FTP sites around the world.

 What are the primary features of WS_FTP Pro?

 Primary features of WS_FTP Pro include the following:

                   * Convenient drag-and-drop capabilities,
                     which simplifies and speeds up your
                     file transfer tasks
                   * Choice of user interfaces: Windows
                     Explorer interface or "classic" WS_FTP
                     Pro interface (either or both may be
                     installed). Users can choose the one
                     thats right for them.
                   * Year 2000 compliant so that users will
                     not have to worry about a malfunction
                     when the year changes
                   * Auto re-get feature for automatically
                     resuming interrupted transfers so that
                     valuable data is not lost during
                     transfers
                   * Advanced support for handling timeouts,
                     port numbers, passive file transfers,
                     and firewalls
                   * Support for "remote-to-remote"
                     transfers
                   * Support for more than 50 host file
                     systems
                   * File maintenance options to help
                     prevent overwriting of same or newer
                     files and preserving the original file
                     date and time from remote host
                   * Support for custom applications
                     developed using the WS_FTP Pro
                     Development Kit so that users can
                     create their own custom applications by
                     drawing on the internal capabilities of
                     WS_FTP Pro.

 Whats new in version 6.0?

                   * Improved drag-and-drop capabilities in
                     classic interface
                   * New FTP Utility Pack that includes
                     Find, Scripting, and Synchronization
                     Utilities
                   * Quick connect for immediate connection
                     to new sites
                   * Recursive delete which lets any
                     authorized user delete non-empty
                     folders on FTP servers
                   * Site manager allows users to store FTP
                     sites in folders in a familiar tree
                     view for easy reference
                   * Optional new WS_FTP Server for hosting
                     FTP sites

 What other systems can I connect to with WS_FTP Pro?

 WS_FTP Pro can connect to any system that has a valid Internet address and
 an FTP server application running. This allows users to transfer files
 between a wide variety of systems, including Windows, OS/2, VMS, and UNIX
 systems.

 How does WS_FTP Pro differ from WS_FTP Limited Edition?

 WS_FTP Pro includes a number of advanced features that distinguish it from
 WS_FTP Limited Edition (LE). WS_FTP Pros Windows Explorer interface is
 the most significant of these.

 Additional advanced features found in WS_FTP Pro include the ability to
 initiate file transfers using convenient Windows drag-and-drop
 capabilities. Command line support for multiple file transfers allows
 users to automate and further streamline their file maintenance
 operations. The auto re-get feature for failed transfers saves even more
 time by automatically resuming interrupted transfers upon reconnect. In
 addition, WS_FTP Pro comes with a comprehensive printed manual, technical
 support, discounts on future upgrades, and is Year 2000 compliant.

 How do I use WS_FTP Pro with the classic interface?

 To create a connection to a remote FTP site using the classic interface,
 users enter either the information to create a new FTP site profile or
 invoke one that was previously saved. The FTP site profile tells WS_FTP
 Pro the name of the remote system, its platform or host type, and the
 required login account informationincluding User ID and password. With
 the Quick Connect button, users easily connect to the FTP site.

 Once connected to a remote FTP server, the WS_FTP Pro classic interface
 displays a window with the local directories and files on the left and the
 remote directories and files on the right. With both file systems
 displayed, users can easily locate files on one system and copy them to
 the desired directory on the other system.

 How do I use WS_FTP Pro with Windows Explorer?

 The Explorer interface of WS_FTP Pro functions as part of Windows
 Explorer. Although the Explorer interface uses the same "core engine" as
 the classic interface, it lets users copy and move files within the
 familiar environment of Windows Explorer. Users dont even have to be
 especially aware that theyre using FTP, or that the servers theyre
 seeing are FTP servers rather than just ordinary folders.

 The Explorer interface supports nearly all the functionality found in the
 classic interface. (Exceptions include remote edit using Shell Execute,
 and L8 mode transfers of non-text files.) In addition, it supports the
 ability to copy from one remote FTP server to another (remote-to-remote
 transfers).

 To create a connection to a remote FTP site using the Windows Explorer
 interface, simply start Windows Explorer, locate the WS_FTP Pro icon in
 the tree view (left pane), and click it. WS_FTP Pro displays a list of
 defined site profiles in the right pane of Windows Explorer. To connect to
 one of these FTP sites, just double click the site icon, and WS_FTP Pro
 connects to the site and displays it contents.

 WS_FTP Pro comes with a selection of predefined FTP sites, which can be
 kept or deleted. To add a new site profile using the Explorer interface,
 just select Add Site from the File menu and follow the prompts in the Add
 FTP Site Wizard. Users may also access this wizard via the Add Site icon.

 What is the optimal environment for reviewing WS_FTP Pro?

 WS_FTP Pro complies with the Windows sockets (Winsock) standard and is
 available in the following configurations:

                   * 32-bit, two-window version for Windows
                     95, Windows 98, and NT with Explorer
                     interface
                   * 16-bit, four-window version for Windows
                     3.x, (does not includes Explorer
                     interface)

 Supported on Intel platform, we recommend that users review the 32-bit
 version for Windows 95 on the Intel platform (486 or better). A TCP/IP
 protocol stack is also required. Supported stacks include those packaged
 with Microsoft Windows 95 and NT.

 How do I install WS_FTP Pro?

 The following instructions assume that the user is installing the Windows
 95 version of WS_FTP Pro recommended above:

                       1. Insert the WS_FTP Pro disk
                          into a floppy disk drive.
                       2.      Unzip the file.

                               Next, select Run from
                               the File menu, enter the
                               drive letter followed by
                               install.exe.

                       3. For example, a:install.exe.
                       4. When asked, choose WS_FTP Pro
                          Installation.
                       5. Follow the instructions on
                          your screen.



 Where can I find more detailed information on how to use WS_FTP Pro?

 WS_FTP Pro is currently supported by the following literature and
 documentation:

                   * WS_FTP Pro Product SummaryA short
                     overview of WS_FTP Pros capabilities
                   * WS_FTP Pro Users GuideDetailed
                     information on how to install and use
                     WS_FTP Pro

 Additional information related to WS_FTP Pro and other products, including
 a searchable knowledge base, may be found by visiting the Ipswitch Web
 site (http://www.ipswitch.com). In addition, free evaluation software for
 WS_FTP Pro and other Ipswitch products may be downloaded from the Ipswitch
 Web site.

 How can I customize WS_FTP Pro?

 WS_FTP Pro provides numerous opportunities to customize its display,
 operation, and the manner in which files are transferred or executed.

 These include:

                   * Program optionsallow users to change
                     the settings related to the layout and
                     operation of WS_FTP Pro.
                   * Session optionslets users change the
                     settings for current session and
                     session defaults.
                   * Pro optionslets users change the
                     settings related to the way in which
                     files are transferred between local and
                     remote systems.
                   * ASCII extensionslets users change the
                     extensions that are used by Auto Mode,
                     which automatically detects whether a
                     file should be transferred in binary or
                     ASCII mode.
                   * Extension conversionslets users
                     convert file extensions on transfer.
                     For example, users can convert files
                     with .htm extensions to .html.
                   * File associationslets users change the
                     settings that effect execution by the
                     Exec button.
                   * Save directory nameallows users to
                     save the local and remote directory as
                     default for next connection.
                   * Save window locationsaves the current
                     main window size and location.

 Refer to the WS_FTP Pro Users Guide for more information on setting up
 all WS_FTP Pro options, including those for the Windows Explorer
 interface. Additional information is also available online in the form of
 WS_FTP Pro help screens.

 How can I use WS_FTP Pro to automate my file transfers?

 WS_FTP Pros new utility pack includes WS_FTP Script and WS_FTP Synch.
 This utility pack automates file transfers.

 The WS_FTP Script utility automates file transfer and management through a
 series of commands. For example, users can create a script that will
 upload select files at the same time each week.

 The second utility, WS_FTP Synch, greatly simplifies keeping remote sites
 up-to-date by automatically uploading files which have changes and
 deleting files that have been removed from the master directory. This is a
 useful tool for quickly and efficiently updating Web sites.

 In addition, users can automate file transfers by using the command line
 to create a batch file and then use a scheduler to pre-schedule transfers
 to run automatically.

 How can I create my own FTP site?

 Ipswitch is now marketing a new FTP server. WS_FTP Server is an
 easy-to-use product that allows you to create your own FTP sites on a
 Windows NT system. Used in combination with WS_FTP Pro, WS_FTP Server now
 offers companies a robust and complete FTP solution to their Internet file
 sharing needs.

 How do developers create custom applications using WS_FTP Pro?

 WS_FTP Pro provides support for custom applications developed using the
 WS_FTP Pro Development Kit. The kit helps developers create custom
 applications by allowing them to draw on the internal capabilities of
 WS_FTP Pro.

 With a choice of languages that includes C++ and Visual Basic, developers
 can create standalone FTP applications or add network file transfer
 functionality to existing custom applications. For example, developers can
 use the WS_FTP Pro Development Kit to quickly write applications that
 perform any of the following:

                   * Posting of frequent updates to Internet
                     or intranet servers
                   * Automatic download of documents or
                     programs
                   * Regular updates of distributed
                     databases
                   * Automated mirroring of multiple servers

 What other products has Ipswitch developed?

 In addition to WS_FTP Pro, other Ipswitch products include:

                   * IMail Server for Windows NTInternet
                     Messaging
                   * WhatsUpThe Original WhatsUp Graphical
                     Network Monitoring Tool
                   * WhatsUp GoldMultiprotocol Network
                     Monitoring for the Enterprise
                   * WS_Ping ProPackInternet Utilities
                   * VT320 Telnet Terminal EmulatorFor
                     Accessing VMS and UNIX Host
                     Applications
                   * WS_FTP ServerFTP Server for Windows NT

 [Image]

 Ipswitch, Inc.
 81 Hartwell Avenue
 Lexington, MA 02421

 Phone: (781) 676-5700 E-mail: sales@ipswitch.com
 Fax: (781) 676-5710 Web: http://www.ipswitch.com









                                    The Linux Advocate

 Column #26

 November 6th, 1998

 by Scott Dowdle
 dowdle@icstech.net
 ICQ UIN: 15509440

 LOGIN:

 Did everyone have a good Halloween? I don't think Microsoft did. For details, see News
 Item #2. I've been doing more PERL programming at work and I am falling in love with
 PERL. It's great, give it a try today. :) As I write this, I've just learned of the
 Halloween II document which is a follow up to the first document. Halloween II goes more
 in depth on the virtues of Linux and after having skimmed through this document, it is
 much more interesting than the first one. But alas, it was too close to deadline time
 for me to present much info on it here. Check back next week for that.

 NEWS:

 Item #1: Here's 'The Skinny' - LinuxWorld Magazine ( has a new gossip column, and I
 found the first installment to be enjoyably light reading after all of this Halloween
 Document junk. This one gets news Item #1 and the Halloween document gets #2, because
 that what it is. Check out The Skinny for yourself at the following URL:
 http://www.linuxworld.com/linuxworld/lw-1998-11/lw-11-skinny.html

 Item #2: { The Halloween Document } - Eric Raymond (remember him from past editions of
 this column?) posted a document on his web site that appeared to be a Microsoft internal
 document that is an analysis of the Open Source Software movement and offered up a
 strategy on how Microsoft can be combat their newest and greatest threat. As the story
 grows, we learn that Microsoft admits that the document is legitimate and the story
 breaks in the printed pages of the Wall Street Journal. This story will undoubtedly make
 major headlines and have dozens of press articles written about it, but as I write this,
 the Wall Street Journal piece hasn't even broken yet. Read the rather lengthy document
 with your own eyes. Find it at the following URL:

 http://www.tuxedo.org/~esr/halloween.html

 Related URLs so far include:

 Microsoft: Linux a threat to NT
 http://www.news.com/News/Item/0,4,28215,00.html?st.ne.ni.lh

 Microsoft Accused Of Targeting Linux http://www.techweb.com/wire/story/TWB19981102S0005

 Microsoft evaluates the open software 'threat'
 http://www.zdnet.com/pcweek/stories/news/0,4153,369430,00.html

 Internal Memo Shows Microsoft Executives' Concern Over Free Software

 http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/98/11/biztech/articles/03memo.html

 Microsoft wary of open source, embedded systems

 http://www.mercurycenter.com/columnists/gillmor/docs/dg110398.htm

 MS: Open Source is Direct Threat

 http://www.wired.com/news/news/technology/story/15990.html

 Microsoft Seems to Be Heeding The Threat of Shared Software (reproduces the Wall Street
 Journal article)

 http://www.plcom.on.ca/news/top_stories/linux/981103.html

 Microsoft Paper Talked Of Blunting Rival Threat

 http://washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1998-11/03/093l-110398-idx.html

 Memo suggests software giant sees Linux as threat

 http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe/globehtml/307/Memo_suggests_software_giant_sees_L.shtml

 Microsoft details open source software strategy

 http://www.infoworld.com/cgi-bin/displayStory.pl?98112.wcmsopen.htm

 How Microsoft Thinks

 http://www.scripting.com/davenet/98/11/howMicrosoftThinks.html

 Microsoft's Halloween scare

 http://www.salonmagazine.com/21st/rose/1998/11/04straight.html

 Microsoft: Linux is a threat to NT

 http://www.linuxworld.com/linuxworld/lw-1998-10/lw-10-halloween.html

 Item #3: Lotus "hedges" on Linux move - According to this article, Lotus is going to
 port Notes to Linux. To the best of my knowledge, no formal announcement has been made.
 It's commercial software folks... do we really need more if it? How about an Open Source
 clone of Notes someday? I believe several are in the birthing stages. Anyway, for those
 in the computer industry that are addicted to commercial software, mainly because they
 don't know any better, this is good news for them. See the following URL for specifics:
 http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/1998/43/ns-5928.html

 Item #4: Linux, OS upstart gets some respect - The producers of TV.COM and the owners of
 www.news.com have put together an introduction to Linux. To me, this is the most obvious
 example that Linux has past the doorway into "Mainstream World". Check it out at the
 following URL: http://www.cnet.com/Content/Reports/Trends/Linux/index.html

 Item #5: Linux Show Attracts A Zealous Audience - The following story is a short write
 up about the Atlanta Linux Showcase that was mentioned last column. Enjoy it at the
 following URL: http://www.internetworld.com/print/current/webdev/19981102-linux.html

 Item #6: Corel makes commitment to WINE project - Seems as if I missed a significant
 story last week concerning the various Corel announcements. WordPerfect 8 for Linux
 (free for personal use) hasn't been released yet and I really haven't had time to
 research the other stuff I wanted to mention BUT my point here is... (taking a
 breath)... Corel did announce that they have decided to help support the WINE project.
 For those who haven't heard of WINE, it is a free, open source project to build a
 Windows emulator. WINE has been going on and on for several years and has had quite a
 bit of success but they are still a long ways off from being 100% compatible. The Corel
 announcement (sorry, no links for you at this time, I lost them) has been taken with
 much anticipation of it aiding in Wine becoming more compatible sooner.

 Item #7: Linux week at InfoWorld? - Well, it might not really be Linux week at InfoWorld
 but it is starting to seem like it. Check out the following list of URLs:

 Linux and the formula for success as defined by the Pointy Haired Boss - by Nicholas
 Petreley

 http://www.infoworld.com/cgi-bin/displayNew.pl?/petrel/981102np.htm

 Linux in the limelight, Forum on InfoWorld... yet again my Mr. Petreley

 http://forums.infoworld.com/threads/get.cgi?80940

 Lotus weighs its Linux options - by Emily Fitzloff

 http://www.infoworld.com/cgi-bin/displayStory.pl?981031.ehlotus.htm

 Unix vendors need Linux to tackle NT

 http://www.infoworld.com/cgi-bin/displayNew.pl?/vizard/981102mv.htm

 Linux campaign rolls on: Unix camp seeks ally - by Benjamin Keyser

 http://www.infoworld.com/cgi-bin/displayStory.pl?981031.ehlinux.htm

 Item #8: Beware the Linux hype - For contrast value only, I present a link to the
 biggest piece of crap... piece of FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt) that I've run
 across to date. The only thing that isn't funny about this article, is that it just
 might actually present a common attitude among those who don't know any better. Hmmm,
 those last few sentences sounded pretty slanderous to me but I thought it matched the
 theme of the piece in question. Check it out for yourself at the following URL:
 http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/specials/1998/10/linux_lounge/1.html

 LOGOUT:

 I was too busy this week reading all the URLs you see posted above... and believe me, I
 filtered about two times as more. I hope to have a spotlight next column that was
 written by a non-Linux using friend of mine. I asked her a series of questions about
 Linux to see what her responses would in an attempt to do an ad-hoc opinion poll from
 outside the Linux community. I can't exactly claim that my friend is outside the Linux
 community completely, because she has heard me rant and rave about Linux for a couple of
 years now and has several concepts about it. It should turn out rather interesting. This
 paragraph is meant to be some additional encouragement for you to get those questions
 wrapped up ;)

 Scott Dowdle









                         The Kids Computing Corner

                     Computer news and software reviews
                       from a parents point of view

                                  [Image]



                                In the News

 Im hoping to get the news section back up to speed in the near future.
 At this time, there are some family health problems that are restricting
 the time I can devote to this column. If you have any suggestions or
 comments, please send them to fsereno@uti.com and I will give them the
 utmost consideration.



                              Featured Review

                        Travel the World with Timmy!

                      Windows/Macintosh hybrid CD-ROM
                                 About $25



                                   Edmark
                                PO Box 97021
                           Redmond, WA 98073-9721
                               (800) 320-8377

                           http://www.edmark.com



                            Program Requirements

 IBM                                   Macintosh
 OS:Windows 3.1-9x                     OS:System 7.0.1
 CPU: 486DX/66 up                      CPU: 68040 or PowerPC
 HD Space: 10 MB                       HD Space: 3 MB
 Memory: 8 MB                          Memory: 8 MB

 Graphics: 640 by 480 with 256 colors  Graphics: 640 by 480 with 256
                                       colors
 CD-ROM: Double-speed                  CD-ROM: Double-speed
 Audio: 8-bit Windows compatible
 sound card
 Other: mouse
 Optional: Printer - Edmark
 TouchWindow.

  [Image]







 Review by Frank Sereno (fsereno@uti.com)

 Send your child on an exciting learning journey as he travels around the
 world in a hot air balloon. Explore exotic locales while learning about
 languages, culture and customs of distant lands. Travel the World with
 Timmy! is an enchanting adventure for youngsters that will spark their
 interest in additional languages, creativity, reading and more.

 Timmy, a friendly and encouraging alligator, is your childs guide. Just
 hop in the balloon and click on a countrys flag to be instantly whisked
 there. Your child can choose from Argentina, Japan and Kenya. The program
 includes five activities for each nation: Games, Build-A-Village,
 Make-A-Story, Sing-A-Song and Arts & Crafts. Within any activity, you can
 click on the dictionary to view a picture dictionary featuring common
 words from Spanish, Japanese and Swahili.

 Both Argentina and Kenya feature a game with three levels of difficulty
 and a choice between human and computer opponents. Both games develop
 problem-solving skills. The Japan portion of the program features Kabuki
 Theatre playsets. Your child can print them out, color and assemble the
 pieces, then create imaginative plays.

 The Arts & Crafts activity is a coloring book featuring the cultural
 crafts of each country. Your child can create Japanese kites, paper
 necklaces and more. The paint program features several brush sizes, a
 variety of textures and numerous stamps. You child can use a magic brush
 to see how the people of that country may have painted the picture. The
 resulting artwork can be saved to the hard drive and printed on your
 printer complete with assembly directions.

 Make-A-Story is a story creating machine. The computer gives children
 choices at various points in an illustrated story. Your child can listen
 and read the story in English or in the native language. The text is
 highlighted as each word is spoken so children can learn vocabulary. You
 can also print the stories for later reading. Children will probably
 notice the difference in grammatic structure between the other languages
 and English. Kids will really enjoy creating these stories.

 Children love music. What better way to encourage them to learn a little
 Swahili than for them to sing a folk tune? By making the sounds of
 another language, children are enhancing their ability to speak many
 different languages. As we grow older, we lose the ability to make the
 different phonemes of language from lack of exposure and use. Its pretty
 complicated to explain the science behind this, but the earlier children
 are exposed to additional languages, the easier they will master those
 languages. Its the old "if you dont use it, you lose it" axiom.

 The most interesting and challenging activity to my children was
 Build-A-Village. The screen features a landscape from the country being
 visited. Along the top of the screen are a set of pictures such as
 animals, flora and people of the country. Along the left side of the
 screen are numbers. Click on a number or picture and you will hear it
 pronounced in the native language. This activity has two modes. In
 Explore mode, your child can place objects on the screen by clicking on
 an image and a number. He can then drag those items about the screen and
 even print the pictures when done. In Question and Answer Mode, the
 program now asks your child to place the correct number of objects on the
 screen. You can have the computer read the problem off a pictogram scroll
 or you can choose to solve the problem by ear. That proved to be quite a
 challenge for this grizzled reviewer!

 The program features a number of Edmarks famous characters such as
 Bailey from Baileys Bookhouse and Stanley from Stanleys Sticker
 Stories. If your child has other Edmark titles, these fellows will seem
 like old and dear friends. Travel the World with Timmy! has good
 production values and excellent content. The program is very easy to
 navigate and fun to play. It also carries on the fine Edmark traditions
 of an excellent manual that includes suggestions for learning fun away
 from the computer and how to trouble-shoot many common computer problems.
 The program is also backed by an excellent 30-Day Satisfaction Guarantee
 and a 90-Day defective media warranty.

 If you want to give your child a fun way to experiment with additional
 languages, you cant go wrong buying Travel the World with Timmy!
 Children will learn that even though we have many differences, we have
 much more in common with people in other lands. Be sure to look for
 special rebate offers available at your favorite software retailer.





[Image]

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rmariano@streport.com
STReport International Online Magazine





  [Image]  STR Editor's Mail Call "...a place for the readers to be heard"







                              Editor's MailBag



                                         [big_maddie[1].jpg (26994 bytes)]

 This is a heartbreaker... please keep her in your prayers

 Have you seen Maddie?

 NAME: MADLYN "MADDIE" RAE CLIFTON
 AGE: 8 years
 HEIGHT: 4' 4"
 WEIGHT: 44 pounds
 EYES: BROWN
 HAIR: BROWN

 IF LOCATED, PLEASE CALL THE:
 JACKSONVILLE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AT:
 1-904-630-0500

 Maddie was last seen about 5:30pm Tuesday, November 3rd at her home in
 the 6100 block of Fleetwood Road, just off St. Augustine Road, just south
 of University Blvd.

 The photo (above right) is the most recent, with short brown hair.

 [MADDIE_REDSHIRT[1].jpg (15717 bytes)]





 When she disappeared, she was wearing a red YMCA basketball shirt, but
 not the exact one pictured at left. She had on blue shorts and black
 tennis shoes.

 IF LOCATED, PLEASE CALL THE:
 JACKSONVILLE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AT:
 1-904-630-0500



 [image87.gif (45316 bytes)]

 Classics & Gaming Section
 Editor Dana P. Jacobson
 dpj@streport.com

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

 Well, another year of elections has come and gone - thankfully. I hate
 politics, but I have to briefly mention this past election. First of
 all... Ha Ha, ha ha ha! The "Lewinski Factor" backfired and bit the

 Republicans in the behind! I hear Newt Gingrich is re-doing his resume;
 he'll need it. Only in America: "The Body" becomes governor of Minnesota!
 And Jeb takes Florida! And Grandpa Munster loses! Who needs to go out for
 entertainment? We've got it all here with politicians!!

 Until next time...





                              Gaming Section



    * "Crash Bandicoot: WARPED!"
    * "Apocalypse"!
    * "Bushido Blade 2"!
    * "StarWars"!
    * "Wipeout 64"!
    * ...And much more!





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



                          Crash Bandicoot: WARPED

 Oh Yeah... He's Back... and He's Ready! Sony Computer Entertainment
 America announced the release of Crash Bandicoot: WARPED, available
 exclusively for the PlayStation game console. It's a whole new adventure
 as Crash Bandicoot returns in one of the most successful and best-selling
 videogame franchises in PlayStation history.

 In Crash Bandicoot: WARPED, players will experience all new,
 out-of-this-world adventures, which include swimming in the underwater
 world of Atlantis, riding on the back of a young T-Rex in the Jurassic
 Era, and even time warping to a futuristic world in the new millennium!
 The time travel theme brings players through unique worlds, and Crash
 Bandicoot fans will have to prove they've got the stamina and skills to
 endure these multiple challenges.

 In addition to the unique worlds, Crash Bandicoot: WARPED also features a
 "time trial" mode, where players race against the clock and earn relics
 by beating pre-designated times. The first five relics earned open a
 Secret Warp Room and one of the secret levels, while every five relics
 earned thereafter open secret levels within the hidden Warp Room. The new
 time trial mode challenges players to race competitively and achieve the
 best time overall.

 Crash Bandicoot continues to set unprecedented industry records, with
 overall sales of the franchise (including the original Crash Bandicoot
 and Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back) surpassing the 5 million unit
 sales mark worldwide earlier this year. Crash Bandicoot is the first and
 only PlayStation franchise to have both the original game and its sequel
 exceed the one million unit mark in North America.

 "Like its predecessors, Crash Bandicoot: WARPED is anticipated to be one
 of this year's top titles," said Peter Dille, senior director, product
 marketing, Sony Computer Entertainment America. "With its release hitting
 just in time for the big holiday shopping season and given the
 overwhelming popularity of the Crash Bandicoot character and
 corresponding PlayStation games, Crash Bandicoot: WARPED will certainly
 be a must-have addition for new and existing PlayStation fans around the
 world. Crash Bandicoot's timeless appeal and infectious worldwide
 popularity makes this a franchise that will continue to break its own
 sales records."

 Reassembling some of the finest talent who contributed to the previous
 titles, Crash Bandicoot: WARPED once again features Mark Mothersbaugh of
 Mutato Muzika and founding member/lead singer of the band Devo, composing
 another hit musical track for this sequel; and Clancy Brown, the actor
 best known as Kurgan in the film "Highlanders" and Sergeant Zim in
 "Starship Troopers," as the voice of the infamous character Dr. Neo
 Cortex.

 Crash Bandicoot: WARPED was developed in partnership with Sony Computer
 Entertainment America and the combined talents of Universal Interactive
 Studios, Inc. (UIS), and Santa Monica, Calif.-based game developer,
 Naughty Dog, Inc.

 "Working with Sony Computer Entertainment America to launch one of
 today's most popular and highly-acclaimed videogame franchises has been
 an unbelievable experience," said Jason Rubin, co-founder, Naughty Dog,
 Inc. "With Crash Bandicoot: WARPED, fans of the franchise will be pleased
 to find that we've added another playable character, Crash's sister,
 Coco; completely new open levels; more awe-inspiring 3D animation and
 detailed graphics; a wider game environment; additional character moves;
 and best of all, an all-new set of worldly Crash adventures to enjoy."

 "Crash Bandicoot: WARPED preserves all of the best qualities of the first
 two Crash videogames, while introducing new and enhanced game features to
 give Crash fans even more of what they've come to love," said Mark Cerny,
 president, Universal Interactive Studios, Inc., and executive producer of
 the Crash Bandicoot series. "With the success of the first two Crash
 games and now the launch of Crash Bandicoot: WARPED, we can only hope to
 see Crash Bandicoot's popularity grow and continue to draw new fans,
 offering the best and most unbelievable game experiences they can share
 with their friends and family."

      Activision Sets Date for Bruce Willis Action-Shooter, Apocalypse

 Beginning on November 17, 1998, gamers will be able to experience
 explosive non-stop action as one of most famous superstars of our time,
 Bruce Willis, with the launch of Activision, Inc.'s upcoming game
 Apocalypse for the PlayStation game console. Apocalypse is the first
 original game that has been designed specifically for an actor of Willis'
 magnitude.

 As Trey Kincaid, a pistol-packing nano-physicist, players must defeat the
 Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse as they attempt to save the world in the
 mother of all showdowns. Gamers take control of a motion captured and
 cyber-scanned 3D Willis as they fight their way through a Neo-Gothic
 world on the edge of annihilation.

                    Square Soft Launches Bushido Blade 2

 Having breathed new life into the fighting game genre with Bushido Blade,
 Square Soft, provider of one of the most successful gaming franchises in
 interactive entertainment history, today announced the launch of Bushido
 Blade2 for the PlayStation game console. With the addition of 12 new
 playable characters (bringing the total to 20), unique story lines and
 incredibly smooth 3D rendered character movements, Bushido Blade 2
 travels far beyond the innovations set forth by its predecessor.

 Following the release of Xenogears, Square Soft's futuristic role playing
 game, Bushido Blade 2 is the third of four new titles to be marketed and
 distributed in North America under the recently-formed Square Electronic
 Arts joint venture between Square Soft and Electronic Arts. Continuing
 the highly acclaimed and unique fighting styles of Bushido Blade, which
 eliminated life meters, time limits and restricted movement, Bushido
 Blade 2 provides new elements to the fighting game genre and interactive
 experience by bringing swordplay even closer to reality.

 With the addition of "subweapons," the unique interactive qualities of
 each character are further emphasized, thus enhancing gameplay. From a
 single strike meaning the difference between life and death, to
 stimulating, two-handed swordplay against samurai warriors, the
 capability to perform various types of attacks are visually stimulating
 and stunningly realistic. A feature foreign to traditional fighting
 games, Bushido Blade 2's elimination of time limits allows gamers the
 opportunity to explore and enjoy beautifully rendered, authentic fighting
 environments throughout the game, while allowing them to strategically
 eliminate their opponent. The game also adopts a new command structure
 based on two stances and allows gamers to fight from a first-person
 vantage point.

 "Our ultimate goal continues to focus on providing our customers with the
 highest quality, most compelling and fun interactive entertainment
 available," stated Jun Iwasaki, president of Square Electronic Arts.
 "Bushido Blade 2 is another step forward in our quest to continually
 enhance and redefine the entire gaming experience -- this means allowing
 our customers to be fully immersed in each of the games we develop,
 enabling a more complete and unmatched interactive experience."

 With roots dating centuries past to the ancient island of Kounoshima,
 Bushido Blade 2 centers around the story of a deep and bitter rivalry
 between two samurai families, the Kagami and Sue, who were once engaged
 in a devastating war that threatened to split the country in two. The
 Kagami family survived the war by siding with the predominant power,
 while the Sue family was greatly weakened because of this betrayal.

 Today, after centuries of feuding between the Kagami and Sue, descendants
 of both families continue to engage in warfare. As a result of this
 bloody feud, the Kagami family formed Narukagami, a school for samurai
 assassins, while the Sue family formed their own school, Shainto. Through
 a variety of battles, different story paths for each character, and
 realistic samurai swordplay, gamers are fully immersed in, and become
 part of, this bitter feud, thereby, enhancing the replay value of the
 game.

 Traditional fighting games utilize a command system where single, preset
 buttons create special attacks. A unique and improved "Motion Shift
 System" is introduced in Bushido Blade 2, bringing an even greater level
 of realistic movement to the game. With this system, the player starts
 one motion by pressing a controller button, then adds a second,
 continuous motion by sequentially pressing another button, allowing for
 the creation of special techniques and movements. These techniques and
 movements are unique to each character and enable gamers to take full
 advantage of each character's subweapons. Bushido Blade 2 is available
 for approximately US $40.00 and carries an ESRB rating of "Teen." It is
 available now in leading retail outlets throughout North America.

       Nintendo, LucasArts Announce Limited Exclusive Star Wars Deal
                           for Video Game Systems

 Nintendo of America Inc., LucasArts Entertainment Company LLC and Lucas
 Licensing recently announced a five year worldwide agreement for three
 new Star Wars games, granting limited exclusivity to Nintendo. Two of the
 games will be based on the upcoming 1999 Star Wars feature film, Star
 Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace. The games will debut exclusively in
 home console form on the Nintendo 64 and in portable form on Nintendo's
 Game Boy Color system at launch. All titles will be distributed
 exclusively by Nintendo.

 The first game under the agreement, Star Wars: Rogue Squadron, will be
 released in North America on December 7 for the Nintendo 64 system. It
 allows players to assume the role of Luke Skywalker in piloting more than
 a dozen vehicles, and draws from the classic Star Wars characters and
 themes. Each of two future games, will be based on the feature film
 Episode I scheduled to premiere next May. Like the film, the games will
 introduce a new cast of characters, new settings, and a new story line.
 LucasArts will develop and publish the Nintendo 64 versions of these
 upcoming games, while Nintendo will develop the same titles for
 Nintendo's new Game Boy Color handheld system. Under terms of the
 agreement, Nintendo will market each of the games and hold exclusive
 worldwide distribution rights for five years following the release of
 each game.

 "The Star Wars franchise is undeniably one of the gold-plated
 entertainment properties of the 20th century," says Howard Lincoln,
 chairman, Nintendo of America Inc. "And this agreement, launching new
 Star Wars video games surrounding the eagerly-anticipated new Star Wars
 movie, propels both Nintendo and LucasArts aggressively into the new
 century of interactive entertainment."  "When the Star Wars saga began on
 film, it existed only in a traditional narrative form," says Jack
 Sorensen, President, LucasArts Entertainment Company, LLC. "But
 interactive play added a new dimension to Star Wars, and Episode I will
 further redefine what LucasArts can achieve in gaming. We believe these
 new high-resolution titles on Nintendo 64 will allow our fans to feel a
 part of the Star Wars saga as never before."

 The upcoming Rogue Squadron will be one of the first games to use
 Nintendo's new Expansion Pak memory cartridge, which inserts into the top
 of the Nintendo 64 video game machine. It will boost screen resolution to
 640 x 480 pixels, resulting in unprecedented visual effects as game
 players emulate Luke Skywalker speeding through 16 different 3D
 environments drawn from past and future Star Wars story lines.

 Rogue Squadron is scheduled for release in North America on December 7 at
 a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $59.95. Nintendo's 4MB
 Expansion Pak for the Nintendo 64 is scheduled for release in North
 America on November 23 at a manufacturer's suggested retail price of
 $29.95. The portable versions of the new Episode I games will be designed
 to fully incorporate the 32,000-color palette, 56-color screen display of
 Nintendo's new Game Boy Color system. The system is scheduled to launch
 on November 18 at a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $79.95.

            Midway Breaks the Speed Barrier as Wipeout 64 Ships

 In explosive gaming news, Midway Home Entertainment today announced that
 Wipeout 64, the newest addition to the legendary futuristic racing
 franchise, has shipped to retail. Developed by Psygnosis Ltd., Wipeout 64
 combines many of the fan-favorite features of previous Wipeout titles
 with all-new enhancements including four-player split-screen multiplayer
 racing, to create the most exciting Wipeout yet.

 "The Wipeout franchise has consistently received critical support from
 the press and ignited obsessive enthusiasm amongst gamers," said Paula
 Cook, director of marketing at Midway Home Entertainment. "With new race
 tracks, new weapons and new features, the all-new Wipeout 64 is sure to
 be a winner for gamers, for retailers and for Midway."

 Considered by many to be a benchmark series of the modern gaming era,
 Wipeout 64 places gamers at the controls of four different high-speed,
 anti-gravity racing vehicles (players can also qualify for the
 sensationally fast, hidden 'Piranha' ship). Multiple race challenges,
 including time trials and multi-player leagues, take place over six
 turbulent, twisting tracks packed with hair-pin turns, roller-coaster
 style drops and death-defying jumps. In addition to blasting their
 friends, players will find races packed with up to fifteen ships to
 target using the game's fifteen weapons, collectable at interactive track
 hot spots. For the first time in Wipeout history, each race team will
 have its own exclusive weapon.

 Wipeout and Wipeout XL, which have appeared on both the PlayStation game
 console and PC, set the trend for pumping techno music in video games.
 Wipeout 64 is one of the first Nintendo 64 games to feature big names
 from today's popular "electronica" scene. Exclusive mixes by Fluke
 (Absurd, Goodnight Lover) and the Propellerheads (Bang On) take Wipeout
 64's adrenaline-charged action to new heights. Gameplay in Wipeout 64 is
 designed to be easily accessible to first time players, while offering
 Wipeout veterans challenging new levels of high-velocity racing.

           Hasbro Interactive Ships MicroProse's European Air War

 Leading entertainment software publisher Hasbro Interactive announced he
 launch of European Air War from MicroProse. Building on the success of
 the critically acclaimed and award-winning 1942: The Pacific Air War,
 European Air War is a World War II era flight simulation game that offers
 authentic cockpit designs, realistic flight models, enhanced artificial
 intelligence, spectacular sound, award-winning graphics and visual
 effects with Direct3D and Glide support. The Windows 95 PC CD-ROM game is
 being published under the MicroProse brand name.

 "European Air War is a highly-anticipated flight simulation offering
 players the opportunity to take to the skies over Europe during the most
 dangerous days of World War II," said Tom Dusenberry, President of Hasbro
 Interactive. "With its unsurpassed graphics and spine-tingling gameplay,
 this game ensures ferocious combat and unpredictable dogfight action."

 European Air War gives players the chance to fly 20 historical fighter
 planes for the American, British or German air forces including the
 famous P-51 Mustang, Messerschmitt and Spitfire. All of the 20 aircraft
 have detailed, authentic cockpits and realistic flight models. Players
 have the option of selecting quick start, single mission or career play;
 they can take to the skies for fast dogfighting action or take on
 historically accurate missions.

 The single mission option allows players to control a single plane or a
 group of planes against the computer-controlled aircraft in a particular
 type of mission. Players can also design their own missions in single
 mission mode. The career option lets players enlist in any of the three
 air forces: German Luftwaffe, British Royal Air Force or U.S. Army Air
 Force. Players will battle it out to control the European sky in three
 dynamic campaigns -- Battle of Britain: 1940, European Theater: 1943 and
 European Theater: 1944.

 European Air War offers fully customizable gameplay for the beginner or
 the expert. Choose the game difficulty, flight model accuracy, graphic
 detail levels and keyboard and joystick controls. Of special note is
 MicroProse's virtual cockpit technology, which enables players to look
 for enemy planes in any direction, just like a real pilot. This was a
 popular feature in 1942: The Pacific Air War and has been improved upon
 in European Air War.

 European Air War features exciting multiplayer options. Players can
 select cooperative or competitive missions via modem, serial connection,
 local area network and TCP/IP supporting up to 8 players on a LAN. In
 addition, the game is a featured title on the Internet Gaming Zone at
 Further information about European Air War is available for download from
 the MicroProse Web site at www.microprose.com.

 The introduction animation in European Air War was selected as "Best
 Animation" by Infografica at the 1998 SIGGRAPH convention. 1942: The
 Pacific Air War was awarded 1994 Best Simulation of the Year by PC Gamer
 and Computer Games Strategy Plus and received a 1994 Editor's Choice
 Award from PC Gamer. The game was also a Computer Gaming World Finalist
 for 1995 Best Simulation of the year.

   'Tis the Season...for Epic Space Battles, Global Domination, Formula 1
                   Racing, Misguided Lemmings and More...

 Psygnosis Redefines Holiday Gift-Giving With Top PC and PlayStation Game
 Console Hits for the Whole Family International video game leader
 Psygnosis, Inc., announces spectacular holiday product lineup featuring
 an array of top-selling, affordably-priced PC and PlayStation game
 console titles for holiday gift-giving. There are hits for everyone on
 the list: epic space battles for hard-core gamers, world tour golf for
 sports fans, heroic fire-fighting for the younger set, and amusing antics
 with lovable, misguided lemmings for the whole family.

 Featuring both established market leaders and new benchmark titles in a
 range of genres including racing, strategy, sports, simulation and
 action/adventure, the Psygnosis holiday lineup will thrill players of all
 ages with spectacular 3D graphics and realistic, action-packed gameplay.
 Psygnosis built its reputation developing games for this audience, all of
 which feature high intensity action, stunning environments and
 multi-faceted missions. Selections for both PC CD-ROM and the PlayStation
 game console include O.D.T ($44.99), an addictive 3D action-adventure
 that takes players into a world of mystery, magic and mayhem as one of
 four unique characters; and Sentinel Returns ($34.99), a chilling,
 mind-bending strategy game with striking visuals, over 600 levels of
 gameplay, and music by renowned composer and director John Carpenter
 (Halloween).

 PlayStation exclusives include Colony Wars: Vengeance ($44.99), a
 spectacular space combat that features an epic story line, fast-paced
 arcade action, and an emotional depth that makes war personal; and
 Psybadek ($39.99), an alternative 3D platform game with street-smart
 characters inspired by Manga-Japanese animation that maneuver via
 "hoverdeks" through a rolling-3D game-play environment. For PC gamers,
 Global Domination ($44.99), is a multi-genre hit that combines strategy,
 war games, and air and land arcade combat for up to 16 networked players
 (8 teams).

 Duffers on the PC can capture the perfect swing with Pro 18 World Tour
 Golf ($44.99), which features a unique four-click swing and the most
 accurate physics ever. Players tour precisely-modeled courses such as
 Royal Country Down and Sun City, and play with top pros such as Mark
 O'Meara and Vijay Singh while "voice of golf" Peter Alliss, and ESPN
 anchor Mike Turrico, provide commentary. Meanwhile, PlayStation racing
 fans will love the screaming action of F1 98 ($44.99), the latest edition
 of the very successful Formula 1 series that places players in the most
 technically advanced cars, competing against the best drivers on the
 world's most famous tracks. Officially licensed by Formula One
 Administration Ltd., the program features all 11 teams and 16 circuits,
 plus 1998 season statistics.

 Lemmings ($24.99) -- One of the world's most successful computer game
 puzzles for the PlayStation game console, this family favorite includes
 two games in one -- the original Lemmings and the sequel OH NO! More
 Lemmings -- for 209 fur-flying levels populated by thousands of lovable,
 misguided rodents. As the rambunctious rodents court disaster, players
 must safeguard the species by making decisions for the creatures and
 assigning them skills to ensure that they survive each progressively more
 challenging level.

 For the PlayStation platform/puzzle gamer, Roll Away ($39.99) offers a
 revolutionary world of floating 3D mazes and deadly obstacles. Players
 control the world's coolest beach ball as they roll through 200 fantastic
 platform worlds, each of which presents unique problems to solve, and
 plenty of obstacles, traps and hazards. Young gamers ages 8 - 10 will
 love the first ever 3D fire-fighting game for the PlayStation game
 console, Roscoe McQueen -- Firefighter Supreme ($44.99). This action hit
 features a 70s disaster movie feel, combining humor, adventure and
 strategy as Roscoe battles an evil madman in a struggle to extinguish a
 blazing high-rise and save hundreds of innocent civilians.

              Mad Catz Announces New, Exclusive MCSPORTS Line

 This fall, Mad Catz, Inc. announces the latest concept in console gaming,
 the MCSPORTS line for PlayStation and Nintendo 64. Only Mad Catz has a
 sports line that features electric blue controllers known as the Sport
 Pads for both PlayStation and Nintendo 64, the Sport Port for
 PlayStation, which allows five person play, and the unique and exclusive
 memory cards, known as the Sport Pack for Nintendo 64 and the Sport Card
 for PlayStation. These unique memory cards are shaped into custom molded
 sports balls perfect for saving your favorite sports games. This new line
 is sure to be a hit for all of the hottest sports games out this fall!



 ONLINE WEEKLY STReport OnLine The wires are a hummin'!



                             People are Talking

 Compiled by Joe Mirando
 jmirando@streport.com

 Hidi ho friends and neighbors. Another week has come and gone and we're
 getting closer to Thanksgiving and Christmas. I always thought that it
 was funny when someone older than myself would say that time seems to go
 by faster as you get older. Well, not funny actually... just odd. Time is
 static, after all. Moving at a rate that, at least at any meaningful
 level, does not change. We all move through this fourth dimension at a
 constant rate: One second per second. So how is it that most people say
 that 'time flies' or 'time drags' at one point or another?

 Perhaps it is that we gain experience as we age and all of that extra
 data causes us to pay less attention to the passage of time while we do
 whatever it is that we do. Or maybe its that we are less capable of
 marking the passage of time as we get older, or when our mind is occupied
 with something really interesting. Goodness knows that most of us could
 use something interesting once in a while. It seems that paying attention
 to what is happening around us is becoming a lost art. There are still
 politicians that get away with whatever they can irrespective of the fact
 that information is so much more available now than at any time in our
 history. It happens, we are suitably outraged, we get over it, and it
 happens all over again. Lest you think that I'm off on a tear about
 politics, let me just say that this goes for everything from computers
 and the most recent round of inquiries into Microsoft's business to that
 most heinous of pastimes: golf <grin>. The closer you are to the object
 or act, the less objective you are.

 Hmmm... maybe I should refrain from watching The X-Files while I'm
 writing the column, huh? Well, at any rate, I guess we should get on with
 the rest of the column. I completely lost track of the time.



 From the comp.sys.atari.st NewsGroup



 Jonas Klereborn posts this about changing the hard drive in his Falcon:

 "I'm going to replace my internal 65 Mb IDE HD with a bigger drive. Is
 there any pitfalls or special things to check or is it just to plug in
 any IDE drive, partition it and start working. My setup: Atari Falcon
 AB040 in Mk-X case. HDDRIVER 7.5"

 Henry Dahmen tells Jonas:

 "I just recently bought an IBM DHEA 6.4 GB and it works absolutely
 perfect. any other drive i have (scsi and ide) produce a lot of errors
 when i run my falcon on 40 MHz but not this one ! it is very fast, almost
 cannot be heard and does not heat up."

 Marc Paro asks:

 "Does anyone know if the Milan will make it to this side of the Atlantic
 .... to the USA or Canada? It would be nice to have the option to puchase
 such a system here."

 'ANGIEF18' tells Marc:

 "God Father Computers (in California I think) will be carrying the Milan.
 Also, when I asked Systems For Tomorrow (in Missouri) about the Milan,
 they said they will be carrying the machine."

 'Soreal' asks:

 "I have found someone selling a Mega STE 4 MB but claims that the
 computer has no internal HDD. Didn't all Mega STE's come with internal
 HDD? Could it be a MEGA ST (was there one?)? What should I look for?"

 My old friend Sheldon Winick of Computer STudio tells Soreal:

 "The MegaSTe came with or without an internal hard drive. The computer
 was identical, but the base model without the hard drive simply had an
 empty hard drive bay. To add a hard drive to the base model, you'll need
 the hard drive upgrade kit, which included the interface board (a simple
 plug-in board), hard drive bay cover with mounting hardware, and ribbon
 cable. I'm pretty sure I still have one of those lying around in the
 parts department if you should need it."

 Roger Cain adds:

 "There certainly were Mega STs and [some of] these did not contain
 HDs..."

 Peter Onyschtschuk posts:

 "I have had an Atari 520ST (with 4MB mem and a Megafile 60) for many
 years but have hardly used it in the last few and so I have fell out of
 touch with what superceded what and which is better.

 I live in Victoria, BC, Canada and I have no source for Atari h/w or s/w.
 Someone just gave me a MegaST2 machine with a Megafile 40. What is the
 difference between the MegaST2 and the 520ST? Will the 520ST be able to
 read the Megafile 40 and will the MegaST2 be able to read the Megafile
 60? Where can I find programs for e-mail, news-group-reading,
 web-browsing? Where can I buy a version of Empire from Interstel
 Corporation?"

 Nick Bales tells Peter:

 "Apart from the case, the MegaST has a blitter chip (a sort of 2D
 graphics accelerator), and 2Mb of RAM, a 720K drive a hardly-ever-used
 internal expansion slot. The keyboard is also much better. That's all."

 Bertil Jagard posts:

 "I have a user here that are looking for software to his Atari to use a
 scanner that are using the printerport. The scanner is for (PC) and is
 twain compatible but I'm wondering if there is anyone that knows if there
 is any software at all that support this twain on Atari? Please answer
 this in email if possible!"

 Nick Bales tells Bertil:

 "There's no chance in running a parallel port scanner on the Atari's
 parallel port, because it is missing some signals. This is the same
 reason parallel Zip drives will not run on the Atari's parallel port.
 It's not a driver issue. There are some drivers for SCSI scanners around,
 but rather difficult to get hold of. Parx used to write them, but they've
 folded."

 Martin Byttebier tells Nick:

 "I'm afraid you're wrong at this point. I've been using an Epson ET6500
 scanner for years on my printerport of my TT030. Right now the same
 scanner hangs on the printerport of a Hades 060. I know that my
 Atari-dealer had to do something inside the TT030 to make the scanner
 working but I can't recall what he did. It took only a few minutes so it
 is probably not a big job."

 Charlie Massey posts:

 "I have been using an EZ135 for sometime now on an STe and moved it to my
 new/used TT in the past year. It has been a joy and I make fast backups
 to my important info and also use it for my music projects. I have been
 helping a new computer user that picked up a Mega 2 STe and I thought it
 would be a good idea to pick up one of the EZ230's at the blowout price
 of $80. It has been a near nightmare........ When I opened it up, I found
 that Syquest had changed the SCSI connector from a 50 pin Cetronics to a
 25 pin. Since I had to use the Link2 on the Mega, the search was on for
 for a 50 pin female Cetronics to 25 pin male. It took me 3 weeks to get
 the correct cable-this includes 2 cables that were shipped that were
 mistakes......... When I finally got the proper cable, I hooked it up and
 the power supply was DEAD! Syquest shipped me a new one at no charge, of
 course. Finally, we are up and running. I used the ICD Pro Formatter to
 format and partition the cart and all was well. Then I started moving
 files and folders to the 230 and checked a few text files and all was
 well. Then data started getting trashed. I ran Diamond Edge and there
 were many lost clusters and FAT 1 did not match FAT -(I haven't a clue as
 to what this means). So, I called Syquest and they cheerfully told me to
 box it all up, ship it to them and they sent me a complete new kit. Last
 night, I fired it up on my TT, instead of hauling it to my friends house
 18 miles away, and it was the SAME situation...... The only difference
 was that I was not using the LINK2 and came straight from my Quantum
 SCSI. I tried moving data by clicking and dragging, using Maxifile and
 even turned off the cache. I am out of ideas. I did not terminate the EZ
 as I had no terminator (remember the 25 pin problem) but I figured since
 the TT recognized the EZ and was able to format/partition and actually
 move a few files correctly that termination is not a problem-True or
 False????? <grin>"

 Bill Platt tells Charlie:

 "I've had an EZ230 hooked up to my STe and now My Falcon because my Jazz
 died on me. I have had no problem at all. I believe the EZ like the Jazz
 is auto terminating. You may have a problem with the SCSI ID. I remember
 reading somewhere that the TT030's SCSI considers the TT itself as a SCSI
 device."

 David Leaver adds:

 "I have used the same ezFlyer on both my MSTe and TT. On the MSTe I
 connected via the SCSI port on a Supradrive without problems. The ezFlyer
 is Auto-terminating, so there are no termination problems on the MSTe,
 (unless you have other devices in the chain) because the internal drive
 is on a different SCSI chain. However, on the TT, the ezFlyer is on the
 same chain as the internal drive and, if you do not unterminate the
 internal drive you will get data errors all over the Syquest, and if you
 are unlucky, the internal drive as well. Be very careful about
 termination when connecting external drives to the TT's SCSI port."

 Brian Becroft adds:

 "Well we have a club member who uses one, he uses a ribbon cable with the
 suitable SCSI connectors on it so the plugging issues are sorted out. His
 problem was he had a commercial 25 to 50pin cable with different pinouts
 on the cable, be happy you didn't have this problem! The Link2 heated up
 a great deal. All is well now with a new cable. The problem you describe
 may be related to termination, and you should establish clearly how it is
 on or off, whether there is a switch, jumper auto or whatever. You must
 know its status, and try it both ways. I personally have a Syquest 270
 removable and have had to return it *THREE* times. Indeed, I knew more
 than the Syquest agent in this country, because I got a friend to
 telephone the factory in Singapore. THis is where I found out they were
 having trouble and there were many dud drives, so I could tell the local
 rep a thing or two.

 I don't know if the 230 drives are known to have problems, but it should
 work fine, like any hard drive should. Without hesitation, you should get
 a new replacement, with a new cartridge and very carefully start again
 and logically monitor and test different setups to make sure. Try it on
 several machines if you can, including a PC. It is important to get it
 sorted. I know that my 270 is still a little bit flakey, they do
 cartridges in rather easily. I saw an article in a German computer mag,
 where they tested the drives *properly* and found that the sysquest 270
 had been improved but still had problems. Its hard to find out definitive
 information that really covers in depth a customers hassle.

 I have seen strange things with the TT030, its hard to know sometimes if
 every hardware is quite compatable with each other. Certainly the Atari
 SCSI is not great, I've had my share of ICD Link2 problems, I begin to
 think that the European Link97 is a more full implementation of SCSI and
 who knows if this helps in the equation when there are problems. Either
 way, my advice is to insist on a new replacement, I know of people who
 have had to do this many times, until you strike a good one."

 John Sweden asks a related question:

 "[Linking a Zip drive to a 1040 STFM...] Is this possible? How can I do
 it and what do I need? If not, what other options are there that won't
 bankrupt me? Sorry...lotta questions! Just discovered this newsgroup."

 Nick Bales sums it up rather succinctly:

 "You CAN'T connect a parallel Zip to the Atari's parallel port. You CAN
 connect a parallel Zip to a cartridge port adapter from Germany. You CAN
 connect a SCSI Zip to a SCSI host adapter on the Atari."

 Trystan Negus asks:

 "For the Atari 8-bit there exists a program called APE which enables the
 Atari to link to the PC via the serial ports (using a suitable cable),
 and effectively use the PC as a direct filestore (using disk images and
 so on). Is there a similar utility available for the ST? It seems a shame
 to let my PC's HD get filled up with MS bloat when I could use it for
 much more useful and entertaining things."

 Steve Stupple tells Trystan:

 "There is it's called Ghost link and allows you to access any of the pc's
 drives via the ST. Apart from the program, you need a standard null modem
 cable."

 Well folks, that's about it for this time around. See that? Didn't time
 seem to just fly by? I hope the rest of the week flies by as quickly so
 that we can get together again and listen to what they are saying when...

                             PEOPLE ARE TALKING







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                             EDITORIAL QUICKIES



                                 WHOOOOPS!

  It seems that when God was making the world, he called man over and
  bestowed upon him twenty years of normal sex life.

  Man was horrified. "Only twenty years of normal sex life?" But the Lord
  was very adamant, that was all man could have.

  Then the Lord called the monkey and gave him twenty years. "But I don't
  need twenty years", he protested, "ten is plenty for me".

  Man spoke up eagerly, "Can I have the other ten?" The monkey
  graciously agreed.

  Then the Lord called the lion and gave him twenty years and the lion,
  like the monkey, wanted only ten.

  Again man spoke up, "Can I have the other ten?" The lion said, of
  course he could.

  And then came the donkey and was given twenty years, but like the
  others, ten was sufficient and again the man pleaded, "Can I have the
  other ten?" The donkey said yes, he could.

  This explains why man has twenty years of normal sex life, plus ten
  years of monkeying around, ten years of lion about it, and ten years of
  making an ass of himself.



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