ST Report: 22-Oct-93 #943

From: Bruce D. Nelson (aa789@cleveland.Freenet.Edu)
Date: 10/26/93-10:40:10 AM Z


From: aa789@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Bruce D. Nelson)
Subject: ST Report: 22-Oct-93 #943
Date: Tue Oct 26 10:40:10 1993


                           SILICON TIMES REPORT
                           ===================
                       INTERNATIONAL ONLINE MAGAZINE
                       =============================

                                   from
                      STR Electronic Publishing Inc.


   October 22, 1993                                              No. 9.43
   ======================================================================

                           Silicon Times Report
                       International Online Magazine
                           Post Office Box 6672
                     Jacksonville, Florida  32221-6155

                               R.F. Mariano
                            Publisher - Editor
                 -----------------------------------------
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                    FAX: 904-783-3319 12 AM - 6 AM EST
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          FNET. 620 : Leif's World ................1-904-573-0734
          FNET. 690 : PASTE BBS....................1-206-284-8493
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          FNET. 489 : Steal Your Face BBS..........1-908-920-7981
 _________________________________________________________________________


 > 10/22/93 STR 943  "The Original * Independent * Online Magazine!"
   """"""""""""""""
 - CPU REPORT             - Infopublisher Ships!      - MACROMEDIA & 3DO
 - HORNET for MAC Out     - WPerfect 3.0 MAC SHIPS    - STORM -Shareware
 - USR Sysop Deal         - FLASH II Review           - Sculley Joins SIC
 - WPerfect & MS Suit     - NEW MAC PRICES!!          - POWER PC & MAC!

                      -* Word Perfect & Developers *-
                      -* NT THE FUTURE -> P. Norton *-
                       -* PEN TOPS LOSING APPEAL? *-

 =========================================================================
                  STReport International Online Magazine
               The Original * Independent * Online Magazine
                          -* FEATURING WEEKLY *-
                "Accurate UP-TO-DATE News and Information"
     Current Events, Original Articles, Tips, Rumors, and Information
             Hardware - Software - Corporate - R & D - Imports
 =========================================================================
 STReport's  support BBS; The Bounty,  invites ALL  BBS systems, worldwide,
 to participate  in  the  Fido/PROWL/ITC/USENET/NEST/  F-Net  International
 Mail   Networks.  You   may   also  Phone   The   Bounty  BBS   direct  at
 1-904-786-4176.    Enjoy the  wonder   and   excitement of  exchanging all
 types of  information relative to computers,   worldwide,  through the use
 of excellent   International  Networking Systems.  All SysOps,  worldwide,
 are  welcome to join   the STReport  International Conferences.   The Fido
 Node is 1:112/35,  ITC Node  is 85:881/253, Crossnet  Code is  #34813, and
 the "Lead Node" is #620.  All computer  platform's BBS systems are welcome
 and invited to participate.   Support your favorite computer Today!
 =========================================================================
       CIS ~ DELPHI ~ BIX ~ NVN  ~ FIDO ~ PROWL ~ ITC ~ NEST ~ EURONET
       USENET ~ C IX  ~ CLEVELAND FREE-NET ~ INTERNET ~ FNET ~ GEnie
 =========================================================================

     COMPUSERVE WILL PRESENT $15.00 WORTH OF COMPLIMENTARY ONLINE TIME
                            to the Readers of;

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

      From the information we now have some familiar faces we've usually
 seen at Fall Comdex are not going to be there this year.  Amazing no, not
 really its expected.  Especially after the comments about computer
 production runs happening only for special items made at a recent
 meeting.  For example; special developer machines.  Nothing to get
 excited over though.  Again, its been expected all along.  Like the man
 says; "no matter what is said or done, they'll do it their way".  So...
 no big deal..  Let 'em do it their way.  At this point in time, it
 doesn't matter much anymore at all.  Its fun to watch though.

      On to the more vibrant, positive plateaus of computing.  Word
 Perfect is blazing all sorts of new and wonderful trails in the Computing
 world.  From Platinum and Gold customer support programs to firm pledges
 of continuing the 800 number customer support programs now in place.  In
 the meantime, Word Perfect's new version 6.0 for Windows is a strong
 contender in the "Top New Software" listing due in December.  STReport
 and its editors are working with and compiling evaluations of the new
 software being released in their respective departments for the December
 Awards.

      The Mac world has never had such strong coverage in the online scene
 and the results of our MAC editor's efforts are becoming quite evident.
 The reader response to his, more than timely articles are nothing but
 positive.  Don't miss this week's MAC segment. Its neat to see all the
 exciting things happening in time for the holidays.

                                   Ralph......



 """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""


               ** STReport International Online Magazine **

                    NOW!  AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD IN THE
                             MAC RT ON GENIE!



  STReport's Staff                          DEDICATED TO SERVING YOU!
  """"""""""""""""

                            Publisher - Editor
                            """"""""""""""""""
                             Ralph F. Mariano

                 Lloyd E. Pulley, Editor Current Affairs


 Section Editors
 """""""""""""""
      PC SECTION     AMIGA SECTION       MAC SECTION    ATARI SECTION
      ----------     -------------       -----------    -------------
      R.D. Stevens     R. Glover          R. Noak       D. P. Jacobson


 STReport Staff Editors:
 """""""""""""""""""""""

           Dana P. Jacobson    Michael Arthur           John Deegan
           Lucien Oppler       Brad Martin              Judith Hamner
           John Szczepanik     Dan Stidham              Joseph Mirando
                         Steve Spivey        Doyle C. Helms

  Contributing Correspondents:
  """"""""""""""""""""""""""""
           Michael Lee         Richard Covert           Scott Birch
           Brian Converse      Oliver Steinmeier        Tim Holt
           Andrew Learner      Norman Boucher           Harry Steele
           Clemens Chin        Neil Bradley             Eric Jerue
           Ron Deal            Robert Dean              Ed Westhusing
           Frank Sereno        Vernon W. Smith          Bruno Puglia

                             IMPORTANT NOTICE
                             """"""""""""""""
      Please, submit letters to the editor, articles, reviews, etc...
                              via E-Mail to:

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                 NEST........................ 90:21/350.0
                 GEnie......................... ST-REPORT


 """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""


 > CPU STATUS REPORT                 LATE BREAKING INDUSTRY-WIDE NEWS
   """""""""""""""""




                     Computer Products Update - CPU Report
                     ------------------------   ----------
                    Weekly Happenings in the Computer World

                                  Issue #43



 by: Lloyd E. Pulley, Sr.


                    ******* General Computer News *******


              ** Sega to Create "Next Generation Video Game" **

    Sega Enterprises is attempting to steal a march on rival Nintendo by
 developing a 64-bit video game machine - nicknamed the "Saturn" - and
 getting it to market by the fall of 1994.  Nindendo's 64-bit offering
 isn't expected to reach market until 1995.

    Reportedly the "Saturn" will be equipped with dual processors.  One
 will be Hitachi's 64-bit processor and the other a 32-bit processor. The
 64-bit processor will be used to produce high quality screen movement, as
 well as voice and sound features. It is claimed that the picture can be
 three-dimensional and highly realistic.

    Sega will set up a software development center, called the "Creative
 Center", in Shibuya, Tokyo, to start creating software for its new game
 system.  Besides that, Sega is also planning to set up a software
 development studio, called "Multimedia Studio," next April. At the
 studio, Sega wants to create advanced software incorporating video and
 sound technologies. Movie producers, broadcasting firms and music
 companies will participate in the project. Sega has reportedly already
 signed deals with movie and broadcasting firms.


        ** 3DO Interactive Multiplayer System Gains Major Supporter **

    The 3DO Company this week gained the support Macromedia, a leader in
 multi-media software tools.  Macromedia announced it had entered into an
 agreement to develop a software player that will allow Director Windows
 or Macintosh files to port easily and quickly to the 3DO Interactive
 Multiplayer system.

    This agreement makes it possible for Macromedia Director developers to
 seamlessly port applications to a leading consumer platform. Titles
 created with Director can currently be distributed on Macintosh and
 Windows platforms. With the Director Player for 3DO, developers focused
 on the Macintosh and Windows platforms can now deliver titles to a wider
 consumer audience.

   "Our agreement with 3DO represents our strategic commitment to provide
 our multimedia playback technology on the leading consumer platforms,"
 said John C. (Bud) Colligan, president and chief executive officer at
 Macromedia. "We believe the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer system will be an
 important consumer standard."

    This agreement extends Macromedia's strategy to offer developers
 platform optimization rather than forcing them to develop on the lowest
 common denominator. The Director Player for 3DO will provide developers
 with special extensions that optimize titles to take advantage of the
 unique features of the 3DO platform.

   "The Director Player for 3DO is the next step in providing a rich
 authoring platform to 3DO developers," said Bill Duvall, senior vice
 president of software at The 3DO Company. "The Director Player for 3DO,
 along with the other multimedia development tools that Macromedia and 3DO
 are delivering to developers, ensures that the 3DO Interactive
 Multiplayer environment will have a wide selection of software titles."

   "For multimedia title developers to be successful and competitive, they
 need to both decrease their development time and optimize their titles
 for target platforms," said Larry Miller, vice president of marketing at
 Macromedia. "With our Player for Windows and now the Player for 3DO, the
 world's largest installed base of multimedia developers will be able to
 do just that."

    The 3DO Interactive Multiplayer system attaches to a television set
 and delivers 50 times the graphics animation performance of PCs and video
 game systems. The 3DO Interactive Multiplayer system plays interactive
 entertainment, education and information software, as well as music CDs,
 photo CDs and motion CDs. Designed to be a worldwide standard like VHS,
 the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer is available in a CD-based version from
 Panasonic under the name FZ-1 REAL(TM) 3DO Interactive Multiplayer.


           ** WordPerfect and Microsoft Fight it out in the Courts **

    Which word processor is the most popular in the world, WordPerfect or
 Microsoft Word? It appears that the courts are going to have to make the
 decision on this question.  WordPerfect has filed suit in U.S. District
 Court in New York which challenges Microsoft Corp.'s claim that Microsoft
 Word in the most poplar word processor in the world.

    Microsoft executives have estimated their firm has about 40% of the
 word-processing market. WordPerfect says that an independent tracking
 service showed that for every 57 packages of Microsoft Word sold
 worldwide, WordPerfect has sold 95 packages.

    Microsoft partially bases their claim because of its practice bundling
 its most popular personal computer programs for a far lower price than
 buying the applications separately.

    Chris Peters, general manager of Microsoft's Word unit, acknowledged
 that WordPerfect does have more units installed worldwide and has been
 outselling Word this year within the United States.  However, Peters
 defended the Microsoft ads, saying the popularity claim is based on sales
 over the past year, rather than in current domestic sales or total units
 installed. Saying that DataQuest and Soft-ware Publishers Association
 figures both showed sales of more than 3.5 million units worldwide for
 Microsoft Word and more than 3 million for WordPerfect in 1992, Peters
 added, "We didn't fall off a cliff starting January 1st. The trends
 continued."


                          ** Microsoft Office 4.0 **

      Microsoft has introduced version 4.0 of its Microsoft Office
 software suite that includes Microsoft Word word processor, Microsoft
 Excel spreadsheet, Microsoft Powerpoint presentation graphics, Microsoft
 Access database, and a workstation license for Microsoft Mail.

      IntelliSense attempts to sense what it is the user is trying to do
 and produce the desired result. Microsoft says the 100 most common tasks
 performed by users can now be accomplished in a single step. IntelliSense
 will automatically correct common typing and misspelling, and can format
 an entire document in a single step. Excel 5.0, part of Microsoft Office,
 has a tipWizard feature that offers tips on how to get the current task

 done faster, and Powerpoint 4.0's Autocontent Wizard helps the user
 develop appropriate content for a presentation.

      All of the Office components share the spelling checker, custom user
 dictionary, Microsoft Graph, Microsoft Query Tool, equation editor, clip
 art gallery, font effects, graphics filters, setup, and text conversion
 filters. Office uses Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) 2.0 to share
 information among the applications. OLE allows the user to edit objects
 such as a spreadsheet chart within another application such as the word
 processor without leaving the document, then drag and drop objects across
 applications. It's also easier now to insert objects.

      In addition to the productivity applications in Office, Microsoft
 has also included Microsoft Office Manager (MOM), a tool with a
 customizable toolbar that contains icons to launch or switch between
 applications. MOM also has an uninstall feature that cleans up files
 associated with applications the user decides he or she doesn't want.

      Two versions of Office are being offered. Microsoft Office Standard
 for Windows includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and the Microsoft Mail
 license. Microsoft Office Professional includes all of those plus Access.
 A Macintosh version of the standard version is also available, and files
 created for either platform are cross-compatible. Office for the Mac is
 expected to ship in the first half of 1994. Microsoft says it
 is working on 32-bit versions of the Office applications that will run on
 Windows NT. Intel-based versions of Word and Excel are scheduled to ship
 in the second quarter of 1994, with Digital Alpha AXT and MIPS versions
 scheduled for the third quarter of 94. Other platform-specific versions
 are scheduled for next year also. Microsoft said Office will be available
 in more than two dozen languages.

      Microsoft said it will continue to offer no-cost standard support
 for all its desktop applications from 6AM to 6PM PDT. Evening and weekend
 support is available for $2 per minute, $25 per incident, or $195 for an
 annual support subscription.

      Office 4 has a suggested retail price of $750, and Office
 Professional is priced at $899. Users of any Office application can
 upgrade through February 1, 1994 to Office Standard for $259. Users of
 competitive programs can switch to Office for $299 during the same
 period.

      Various installation options are available to meet the available
 disk space and memory configurations of laptop and desktop systems.
 Minimum requirements include 16.5 MB of disk space and 4MB of memory.


            ** PicoPower Technology Granted Power-Saving Patent **

    PicoPower Technology says it has been granted a patent for its PC
 power conservation technology. The company reports that the U.S. Patent
 Office has awarded patent number 5254888 to its "Switchable Clock Circuit
 for Microprocessors To Thereby Save Power."

    The patent covers technology that reduces power consumption on the
 microprocessor by dynamically slowing the clock frequency during periods
 when the microprocessor is idle. Since power consumption is directly
 proportional to a microprocessor's clock frequency, the slower clock
 frequency dramatically reduces power consumption.

    The slower clock only occurs when the microprocessor is idle and there
 is no degradation in performance, says PicoPower.


                      ** Motorola Launches Law Venture **

    A venture intended to help lawyers deal with mountains of legal
 documents has been launched jointly by electronics giant Motorola Inc.
 and accounting firm Arthur Andersen & Co.  The venture, called LegaLink
 Services, "streamline(s) the process of searching for, managing and
 analyzing legal documents."


               ** Now You Too Can Be a Computer Games Expert **

    Baseline Publishing has announced Axis The Gamecheater, a utility
 designed to enable you to manipulate your favorite game.

    While the game cannot be modified, the variables in a game can be
 manipulated. Just by pressing a hot key you can add points, lives, or
 whatever to the game you're currently playing.

    The program is memory resident and works in the background.  Over 50
 games are supported, including Prince of Persia, Lemmings, Hellcats, PGA
 Tour Golf, Spectre & Spectre Supreme, Dogs of War, Simcity, A-Train, and
 more.

    Both Macintosh and IBM compatible personal computer (PC) versions are
 available.  Retail price of Axis The Gamecheater is $69.95 on the PC and
 $59.95 on the Macintosh. The company says the product is available
 through major software retailers via distributors such as Merisel and
 Baker & Taylor.


                         ** New Chips From IBM, DEC **

    Both Digital Equipment Corporation and IBM have announced additions to
 their most advanced microprocessor lines.

    IBM announced first production of the PowerPC 603 chip, a low-power
 member of the PowerPC line that resulted from an alliance of IBM,
 Motorola Corp., and Apple Computer. With lower power consumption, the 603
 will be aimed mainly at the portable computer market.

    Digital announced two new versions of its Alpha AXP processor,
 boosting the top speed of the Alpha design to 275 MHz. The new versions
 of the DECchip 21064 run at 225 and 275 MHz, joining existing versions at
 150, 175, and 200 MHz.


                ** Hitachi Intros 2GB Magneto-Optical Drive **

    Hitachi America has introduced a new, higher-capacity 5.25-inch
 magneto-optical (MO) drive which allows users to store as much as 2
 gigabytes (GB) of data on a single cartridge.

    Hitachi's new OD152 drive is not ISO (International Standards
 Organization)-compatible because there is no ISO standard for this
 general capacity of 5.25-inch drives. However, it does comply with a
 European standards organization, the European Computer Manufacturing
 Association.

    This new drive has the highest capacity of any 5.25-inch MO drive disc
 and the discs formatted for this drive are not compatible with other
 manufacturer's drives.

    Unlike WORM (write-once, read-many) drives and discs, MO discs can be
 erased and rewritten to a number of times, making them the operational
 equivalent of very large, rather slow hard drives, with removable
 cartridges.

    Average access time for the new drive is 50 milliseconds (ms),
 rotational speed is 3,000 revolutions-per-minute (rpm), and it is SCSI
 (Small Computer Systems Interface)-2 compatible.


                     ** Have Pen Computers 'dried up'? **

    A survey conducted on portable computer user trends by Datapro
 Information Service, a Delran, N.J.-based market researcher, shows little
 interest in pen computer applications outside of some specialized niches.

    The survey revealed that only a very small number of the users utilize
 a pen/stylus device, and that handwriting recognition was not a leading
 topic of interest.

    Margaret Jacobs, a Datapro analyst, noted, "At present, pen-based
 computing/handwriting recognition software is generally limited to
 forms-based applications for niche markets such as the insurance and
 medical fields. Handwriting recognition software must become much more
 reliable and intuitive before users can adopt it for general purpose
 applications."


           ** Sculley to Head Spectrum Information Technologies **

    Less than one week ago, John Sculley resigned as Apple's CEO.  This
 week it was announced that the former Apple Computer Inc. chairman will
 head Spectrum Information Technologies Inc.

    Spectrum, which specializes in wireless data transmission, has annual
 revenues of about $100 million. The firm holds patents on technology for
 transmitting data over cellular phone lines. Peter Caserta will remain as
 vice chairman and president.


                       ** White Males Still Dominate **

    A survey by the Computerworld trade weekly suggests white males still
 dominate the computer industry, particularly in the ranks of top
 management.  The survey puts the top information systems manager who is a
 minority at 9% of U.S. businesses. Minorities fill 10.3% of management
 positions in general, according to government figures.

   Reporting on the survey of 107 information systems professionals -

   -:- Three percent of top technology slots are held by African
       Americans, 2% by Hispanics, 1% by Asians and 3% by other groups.

   -:- Women are holding 15% of the top information systems management
       positions

   -:- Seventy-four percent of the repondents said the number of minori-
       ties in their information systems departments stayed the same in
       the past year, while 7% said the number had decreased.

    Computerworld attributed the predominance of white males in computing
 partly to the nation's economic slump, which has led to aggressive
 costcutting and staffing reductions among information systems divisions
 in many corporations.


                       ******* General PC News *******


                  ** IBM Adds Pentium To ValuePoint Line **

      IBM Personal Computer Co. this week launched its new ValuePoint
 P60/D computer. The P60/D has a Pentium processor running at 60-mhz,
 which IBM said will more than double the performance of a 66-mhz
 486-based computer. It comes with four expansion slots and five bays for
 storage devices. Customers can choose a 424-meg or 527-meg hard drive.
 The machine comes with 16-meg of memory, expandable to 128-meg, IBM said,
 plus 1-meg of video memory, expandable to 2-meg.

      The system also comes with PCI local bus architecture, 256-kb of
 Level 2 cache, and the Mach32AX graphics accelerator chip from ATI
 Technologies Inc., of Markham, Ontario.  IBM said, it also will comply
 with the Energy Star guidelines, consuming less than 30 watts of power in
 standby mode using power-management software.


                    ** Peter Norton Bets On Windows-NT **

      In a speech this week to the Atlanta PC Users group, Peter Norton,
 an author and computer guru, talked about the future of operating
 systems. He seemed to endorse Windows NT was the best bet for the future.

      Norton started by saying there needs to be a single standardized
 operating system for PCs. The reason for that, in a word, is efficiency.

      He said the three top operating systems are OS/2, Unix, and
 Windows-NT. He dismissed the Apple Macintosh system, saying its best days
 are behind it. He called OS/2 a dead-end operating system, and said not
 many systems are running Unix. He added that Windows-NT is where the
 industry is heading. But he also said that it doesn't really matter which
 is the best operating system, from a technical standpoint -- what matters
 is which OS wins the marketing wars. The winner there, hands down, he
 said, is Microsoft.


            ** Artisoft Announces Home Office Networking System **

      Artisoft Inc., a Tucson, Arizona based company, this week announced
 that it's introducing an entry-level network operating system designed to
 meet the basic networking requirements of small businesses and home
 offices.

      The Simply LANtastic network operating system provides basic file,
 printer and CD-ROM sharing features and is specially designed for easy
 installation and use.

      The Simply LANtastic network operating system is scheduled to begin
 shipping by early December. It will be available in software-only kits as
 well as two hardware bundles, with pricing starting at $79 per node.


              ** IBM's 'baby' Turns Out to be a Phenomena **

      The IBM ValuePoint brand was 'born' a year ago this month. In that
 year, it has grown into the parent's 'pride and joy'. Since its 'birth'
 the the 'new kid on the block' has turned in a phenominal amount of
 'firsts' -

      The first new brand, since the formation of the IBM PC Company, to
 ship more than 1 million units in less than a year.

      The first to deliver the latest industry-standard technology through
 four product refreshes in a development cycle spanning less than six
 months.

      The first to make multimedia available to businesses at affordable
 prices.

      The first to offer a power-packed desktop based on Intel Pentium
 technology.

      The first to respond swiftly and decisively to industry price cuts
 three times during the year -- and within 48 hours -- that left the
 competition blinking.

      At the same time, ValuePoint has contributed to the IBM PC Company's
 gain in worldwide market share, impressed industry experts, grabbed the
 Number 1 spot in the dealer channel share, seen two of its models
 acclaimed as the industry's "best-selling desktops" with dealers, and won
 several prestigious awards from major publications.


                 ** Dell Desktop PCs For "Techno-boomers" **

      Dell Computer Corporation has announced a new line of its Dimension
 PCs designed for what the company calls the "techno-boomer," the small
 office or home office user who wants a good value for the money spent and
 can upgrade as new technology becomes available.

      The new systems are all Intel 486SX or DX-based, with clock speeds
 from 25MHz to 66MHz; have system memory, or RAM, up to 64-meg; and
 include 1-meg of video RAM and local bus graphics. The PCs are upgradable
 to use Intel's Pentium Overdrive technology, and external cache of 128K
 or 256K can be added. Options include tape backup devices, fax/data
 modems, and CD-ROM drives that support Photo CD.

      Dell systems come with one year of next-business-day onsite support,
 unlimited around the clock telephone support with guaranteed five-minute
 response, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

      Pricing for the new Dimension systems starts at $1,230 with a color
 monitor. Dell says the new systems will begin shipping in early November
 in the U.S., Canada, and Europe.


            ** Aldus Ships First Standalone Pagemaker Addition **

      Aldus Corp., has announced shipment of its first standalone Aldus
 Addition for Pagemaker.

      Infopublisher Database Addition is an application that links the
 desktop publishing program to database management systems. "Anyone who
 needs to produce graphically appealing information retained in a database
 needs Infopublisher, especially if they already use Pagemaker," says
 senior product marketing manager Karen Howe.

      The company says Infopublisher Database Addition is an upgrade to
 the Aldus Pagemaker 4.0 Database Edition. Users can now place data from
 Paradox 3.5, Microsoft Access, Foxpro and Excel into documents. The
 importing of ASCII text files have been improved, and Microsoft's Open
 Database Communication (ODBC) protocol is supported.

      Infopublisher can be launched as an Addition from within Pagemaker,
 several columns can be grouped as one for use in side-by-side paragraphs,
 and style and graphics compatibility has also been improved.

      Infopublisher Database Addition has a suggested retail price of
 $199, but Aldus is offering it at the introductory price of $129 through
 the end of November. Registered owners of the Database Edition 4.0 can
 upgrade for $79. If you purchased Database Edition 4.0 after June 29,
 1993 the upgrade is free.


                  ** Wordperfect Outlines New Support Policies **

      Wordperfect Corp., has announced new support programs for large
 accounts and says it will continue its free and toll-free end-user
 support.

      The company said it will continue to provide its free and toll free
 support for end users. "Alan Ashton and Bruce Bastian founded WordPerfect
 Corporation with two basic objectives," said Ad Rietveld, senior VP of
 sales and marketing. "The first was to write software that enables people
 to be more productive, and the second was to offer the best
 customer support. We hold to these objectives today."

      In addition to telephone support, end users can get help through the
 company's BBS, a toll-free fax-back system, and an automated telephone
 system that allows the customer to navigate through the company's
 technical support infobase via their Pc and a modem.


                     ******* General Apple News *******


                    ** DCA Ships Crosstalk for the MAC **

      Digital Communications Associates Inc. has released Crosstalk for
 Macintosh, a Macintosh communications program. Crosstalk has been
 available for the IBM and compatible personal computer for a number of
 years. This is DCA's first release of the product for the Macintosh.

   "Crosstalk for Macintosh offers [features] including cross-platform
   compatibility giving users a smooth migration from other operating
   system environments," said William Miller, vice president of DCA's
   emote access division.

      A current user of Crosstalk for Windows in an IBM environment could
 migrate to the new Macintosh product without resorting to the manual
 conversion of scripts and other software facilities. In addition, the
 software follows Apple guidelines for user interface design and operation
 while maintaining operational compatibility with Crosstalk for Windows.

      Crosstalk for Macintosh allows users a wide choice of file transfer
 protocols which include CompuServe B+ and QuickB.

      Crosstalk for Macintosh retails for $195. Users of Crosstalk or a
 competitive product can upgrade to the new product for $49 directly from
 DCA.

      For additional information, call DCA at:
      800/348-3221 (voice) or
      404/442-4364 (fax)


        ** Apple's New PhotoFinish Bundled With UMax Color Scanner **

      Apple Computer's PhotoFinish, a new photo publishing software
 package being unveiled this week, is being included with the UMax UC630
 color scanner.

      A UMax spokesperson said that UMax is the first scanner vendor to
 bundle PhotoFinish, a product that provides image browsing, a
 drag-and-drop capability for direct placement of photos, automated tools
 for image adjustment, and real time "adjustment preview" that lets the
 user experiment with results.

      Apple's PhotoFinish is also equipped with AppleScript, a scripting
 language for automating repetitive tasks, and JPEG image compression for
 saving disk space, she said.

      Priced at $999 and available immediately, the UC630LE/MAC bundle
 includes Adobe's PhotoShop LE for image editing as well as the UC630
 color scanner and PhotoFinish. PhotoFinish accepts PhotoShop plug-in
 modules for import, export, and special effects.

      The UC630 color scanner is a 24-bit, 600 dpi (dot-per-inch) flatbed
 color scanner with a hardware resolution of 600-by-300 dpi, according to
 the spokesperson. Resolution is enhanced to 1200-by- 1200 dpi through
 software interpolation, she noted.


                ** What's New About Apple's Quicktime 1.6.1 **

      Apple Computer has announced its latest version of the multimedia
 extensions, Quicktime 1.6.1, at the announcement of the new Macintosh
 operating system, System 7 Pro.

      The company says that, key differences between this new release and
 Quicktime 1.5 include less memory use, better performance, better
 integration with Apple technology, new interfaces, and increased
 reliability.

      Quicktime offers users the ability to imbed sound, video, and
 animation into ordinary documents or applications on the Macintosh. While
 the new version of Quicktime still takes the same amount of memory when
 operating, it unloads a large portion of itself from memory when not in
 use.

      The 1.5 Quicktime version took up 160 KB of RAM when installed, but
 the new version only requires less than 18 KB upon installation. This
 also means less memory is required for movie playback as well, Apple
 representatives said.

      The new version is also more reliable, as Apple claims it fixed all
 known bugs present in the 1.5 version. For example, 1.6.1 adds tear-free
 movie playback support to the image compression manager which reduces the
 tearing visible when playing back movies with large amounts of background
 motion, Apple maintains.

      In addition, the latest Quicktime version integrates better with
 Apple's technology by offering explicit support for the grayscale
 Powerbook, Mac Easy Open, and Color Sync. Also, a new 3.0 version of the
 Sound Manager, offered with Quicktime 1.6.1, allows for a faster movie
 playback environment than under Quicktime 1.5.

      Quicktime users will notice a few new enhancements in the Quicktime
 1.6.1 user interface as well. For example, the movie import component is
 now a drag-and-drop operation, allowing users to import compact disc (CD)
 tracks as easily as they can open PICS or AIF files.

      Apple is offering a toll-free order line to accommodate those who
 wish to upgrade to Quicktime 1.6.1. There is a $10 charge plus tax where
 applicable for the upgrade, but no shipping and handling charge,
 according to staffers on the toll-free line. The new version is also now
 available in the System 7.1 upgrade and upgrade kits or from Apple
 bulletin boards and user groups, company officials said.

       _____________________________________________________________



 > WORDPERFECT INDUSTRY LEADER! STR Spotlight
   """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""



             NEW INDUSTRY DATA CONFIRMS WORDPERFECT LEADERSHIP
             =================================================


  WordPerfect continues to be the world's most popular word  processor

      First released in 1979, WordPerfect continues to be the most popular
 word processing application in the world. New data from several
 independent sources shows that more people, on more platforms, in
 morecountries, use WordPerfect than any other word processor.

 "Our competitors are spending a lot of time and money trying to convince
 usersthat they have successfully challenged our leadership," said Ad
 Rietveld, senior vice president of sales and marketing at WordPerfect
 Corporation. "We are now officially setting the record straight with the
 facts. WordPerfect is unquestionably the most popular word processor in
 the world today and most people plan to buy WordPerfect in the future."

 The company is currently promoting its leadership in an advertisement
 entitled "A Lesson in Proper Form" which appears in a variety of national
 publications this month. The ad addresses the past, present and future
 success of WordPerfect across all platforms, and cites independent
 statistics which support the fact that WordPerfect is still the
 undisputed leader in word processing. The supporting facts regarding
 WordPerfect Corporation's leadership include:

 I. WordPerfect is the most popular word processor in the world
 WordPerfect Corporation has sold more than 13 million copies of
 WordPerfect.

 September 1993 figures from InfoCorp in Santa Clara, Calif. show
 WordPerfect's total domestic user base is double that of Microsoft Word.1

 *Independent figures from International Data Corp. (IDC) in Framingham,
 Mass. show WordPerfect has a worldwide installed user base of 9.1 million
 while Microsoft Word is second with 5.6 million users.

 IDC's fourth quarter Software Audit shows that 65% of all respondents use
 WordPerfect while fewer than 23% use Microsoft Word.3

 A July 1993 Computerworld survey shows that 62% of respondents use
 WordPerfect while 26% use Microsoft Word, 3% Lotus Ami Pro. 4

 II.  In 1993, more people are buying WordPerfect than Microsoft Word or
 Lotus Ami Pro

 During the first quarter of 1993, domestic sales of WordPerfect
 outnumbered the domestic sales of all other word processing applications
 combined. (SPA Q1 1993)5

 *During the first quarter of 1993, domestic sales of WordPerfect for
 Windows outnumbered the domestic sales of Microsoft Word for Windows and
 Lotus Ami Pro for Windows combined. (SPA Q1 1993)6

 WordPerfect for DOS now accounts for 9 out of every 10 DOS word
 processors sold in the U.S., and 8 out of every 10 DOS word processors
 sold worldwide. (SPA 1993)7

 III. More people plan to buy WordPerfect than Microsoft Word and Lotus
 Ami Pro in the future

 *Twice as many users surveyed plan to buy WordPerfect over Microsoft Word
 in 1993. (IDC Q4, 1992)8

 *More than half of survey respondents (Computerworld, 52%) say
 WordPerfect is considered the front runner in the word processing race
 while 34% say Microsoft, 14% Lotus.9

 WordPerfect is currently available on 12 platforms and in 28 different
 languages, more than any other word processor in the world. WordPerfect
 for the IBM PC was first introduced in 1982 to 605 WordPerfect users on
 the Data General machine. Today, more than 13 million people have chosen
 WordPerfect, making it the worldwide standard.

 1. InfoCorp Market Model: 1993 market picture (survey 10,000 PC users,
    U.S.)

 2. International Data Corp., Q4 1992 Software Audit

 3. International Data Corp., Q4 1992 Software Audit  (DOS, Windows,
    Macintosh)

 4. Computerworld, User Preference Survey, July 1993

 5. Software Publisher's Association Report (SPA Q1 1993, WPCorp
    Accounting Analysis)

 6. SPA Q1 1993 (WPCorp Accounting Analysis)

 7. SPA 1993 (WPCorp Accounting Analysis)

 8. International Data Corp., Q4 1992 Software Audit

 9. Computerworld, User Preference Survey, July 1993


        ___________________________________________________________




                        IBM/POWER-PC/PC SECTION (I)
                        ===========================



 > WORD PERFECT SETS THE PACE! STR Feature
   """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""



                      WORDPERFECT CORPORATION ANNOUNCES
                     "WORKING WITH WORDPERFECT" PROGRAM

                New Third-Party Developer Program Introduced
                       As Component Of WISE Strategy

 DALLAS;  WordPerfect Corporation announced its new third-party developer
 program, Working With WordPerfect. WordPerfect Corporation will use the
 Working With WordPerfect program to build strategic partnerships with a
 broad range of hardware manufacturers and software developers to
 encourage high-quality integration with WordPerfect Corporation products.

 "Strategic partnering between WordPerfect Corporation and third-party
 developers combines vendor technologies with in-house development,
 ultimately bringing better product solutions to our customers," said Mark
 Calkins, vice president of corporate and strategic marketing at
 WordPerfect Corporation. " Often, these partnerships provide the most
 innovative solutions."

 Third-party integration plays an integral role in the WISE Strategy
 (WordPerfect Information Systems Environment) which encompasses the
 company's overall mission to help the world communicate by providing
 software tools that process, share and present information. The three
 strategic development components introduced with the WISE strategy last
 year were to open WordPerfect Corporation's technology to third-party
 development, to devote development resources to open architecture
 technologies such as OpenDoc and to provide open APIs to encourage
 tighter third-party integration with WordPerfect Corporation products.

 Developers can qualify on one of three levels with the Working With
 WordPerfect Program -- Associate, Registered and Premier Developer. The
 Associate level is for individual developers or companies that have a
 general interest in supporting WordPerfect Corporation software. A
 completed application is all that is necessary to become an Associate
 developer. The benefits include access to current technology and
 developer trend information, and faster integration with WordPerfect
 Corporation software through effective integration tools, Software
 Developer Kits (SDKs), on-line support and opportunities for development
 training.

 The Registered level is for companies that demonstrate significant
 efforts to produce and market products that address one or more aspects
 of the WISE strategy. For a $150 fee, Registered Developers will enjoy
 the same benefits as Associate Developers, as well as increased
 visibility in the marketplace.  Developers gain use of the "Working With
 WordPerfect" logo, and listings in WordPerfect Corporation's bi-annual
 Solutions Guide and WordPerfect Magazine's semi-annual Product
 Directories. These publications reach more than 330,000 subscribers.

 To become a Premier developer, a company or individual must commit to
 very close integration with WPCorp software. The product must be a market
 leader, introduce innovative technology, promise wide visibility or
 provide a solution for WPCorp software users. WordPerfect Corporation
 will select as many as fifty Premier developers. At this highest level,
 developers will have direct contact with WordPerfect Corporation through
 an assigned account manager and one-on-one assistance from developer
 support programmers. In addition, Software Developer Kits (SDKs), the
 Solutions Guide, strong APIs and extensive marketing resources will
 ensure smooth integration and successful promotion of the third-party
 add-ons produced by Premier developers.

 WordPerfect Corporation has pre-selected 28 Premier Developers to
 participate in the Working With WordPerfect program. Calera, Capsoft,
 Dragon Systems, HP Boise, HP Greeley, IBM, PC DOCS, Simplify and West
 Publishing were the nine pre-selected Premier developers that
 participated in the press event at NetWorld '93 Dallas. These initial
 Premier developers offer market solutions in the areas of document
 management, voice recognition technology, scanning and printing, and the
 vertical market arena.

 "As a provider of document assembly tools to large law firms and legal
 publishers, we have long been looking for a way to get document
 automation capability into the hands of users with limited resources,"
 said Marshall Morrise, president of Capsoft Development.

 "Becoming a WordPerfect Premier Developer has made it possible for us to
 create a version of our document assembly software that runs right in
 WordPerfect for Windows. "


           ______________________________________________________




 > WP 6.0 for WINDOWS STR InfoFile   "A WORLD CLASS WINNER!" STR Magazine
   """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""



         WORDPERFECT CORPORATION SHIPS WORDPERFECT 6.0 FOR WINDOWS

        THE NEXT RELEASE OF THE WORLD'S MOST POPULAR WORD PROCESSOR


 Most comprehensive Windows word processor is intelligent and easy to use.

 OREM, Utah WordPerfect Corporation announced that WordPerfect 6.0 for
 Windows is shipping on schedule and will be available on retail shelves
 October 19, 1993. WordPerfect 6.0 for Windows, an upgrade to WordPerfect
 Corporation's best-selling word processor, has been completely rewritten
 and includes dramatic improvements to virtually every feature.

 WordPerfect is the world's most popular word processor, nearly 14 million
 copies of the product have been sold since its introduction in 1979.

 WordPerfect 6.0 for Windows offers the most comprehensive set of tools to
 easily and automatically create any kind of document: powerful word
 processing, drawing, charting, spreadsheet functionality within tables,
 direct spreadsheet and database import, and direct integration with other
 Windows applications.

 "With WordPerfect 6.0 for Windows, users may never need to leave their
 word processor," said Todd Titensor, product marketing director for
 WordPerfect for Windows at WordPerfect Corporation. "No other word
 processor offers the power and breadth of features with such an
 accessible interface."

 With this version, WordPerfect Corporation introduces an intelligent and
 customizable interface, innovations in ease of use, and features that
 make the most of the Windows environment.

 Intelligent and Customizable Interface

 QuickMenus.  Working in Windows is easier with context-sensitive
 QuickMenus that are accessed by clicking the right mouse button virtually
 anywhere in WordPerfect. For example, clicking the right mouse button
 anywhere in a document presents a QuickMenu to change fonts, spell check
 or center text, while clicking in the left margin presents a menu to
 select text, change margins or add comments to a document. QuickMenus
 vary according to location and text selected.

 Feature Bars.  Feature Bars automatically appear for more than 20
 different tasks giving users additional feature-specific options. For
 example, when working with graphics, the Graphics Feature Bar appears
 with buttons to add a caption, change position and size, or add borders
 and fill patterns.

 "Today's word processing users demand more than a checklist of editing
 tools," said Titensor. "Users want intelligent tools, such as QuickMenus
 and Feature Bars, that automatically anticipate their tasks."

 Button Bars.  The WordPerfect Button Bar is the most versatile interface
 tool inany Windows product. Users can place any WordPerfect feature,
 function or macro on a Button Bar for quick access, as well as any other
 Windows application.

 Complete Customization.  To make the product more applicable to
 individual users, every aspect of the interface can be completely
 customized:  Button Bar, Power Bar, status bar, menus, and keyboards.

 Innovations in Ease of Use

 Templates.  Templates simplify the creation of professional- looking
 documents by giving users pre-created documents. WordPerfect 6.0 ships
 with more than 70 ExpressDocs, pre-created templates for common forms,
 fax sheets, memos, newsletters, and more. ExpressDocs are more than
 customized documents; they are interactive and prompt users for
 information such as the name and fax number on a fax cover sheet. Users
 can also edit these templates or create their own with customized Button
 Bars, menus, styles and macros.

 Coaches.  Like a personal instructor, a Coach prompts a user through a
 variety of common tasks with step-by-step instructions. Coaches are
 written with WordPerfect's macro language so users can write their own to
 add to the Help menu.

 Preview Windows.  Preview windows in many dialog boxes let users see how
 changes in a document--such as columns, margins, and line spacing--will
 look before making them.

 Online Tutorials and Improved Help.  To lessen a user's dependence on
 printed documentation, a variety of online tutorials are available. Help
 is also more visual and intuitive with context-sensitive icons. For
 example, Help for the Power Bar actually displays the Power Bar so users
 can click any icon for help.  A non-scrolling region at the top of the
 Help screen keeps the topic constantly in view, as well as related Help
 terms.

 Easiest Transition for WordPerfect DOS users

 File Compatibility.  WordPerfect 6.0 for Windows gives WordPerfect DOS
 users the easiest transition to Windows with feature and file
 compatibility. WordPerfect 6.0 for Windows seamlessly imports WordPerfect
 5.1 DOS files. In addition, WordPerfect 6.0 for DOS and WordPerfect 6.0
 for Windows share the same file format so no conversion is necessary
 between the two products.

 WordPerfect DOS Templates.  Users can select a WordPerfect 5.1 or 6.0 for
 DOS template that will change the interface to look and feel like
 WordPerfect for DOS.

 Keystrokes.  WordPerfect 6.0 for Windows includes a WPDOS keyboard layout
 if users want to maintain familiar WordPerfect DOS keystrokes.

 Macro Conversions.  WordPerfect 6.0 for Windows provides macro
 conversions for WordPerfect DOS macros. Users can also write macros that
 will work in both WordPerfect 6.0 for DOS and WordPerfect 6.0 for
 Windows.

 "No one moves DOS users to Windows better than WordPerfect," said
 Titensor.  "Although other products may claim to imitate WordPerfect,
 WordPerfect 6.0 for Windows offers the best compatibility with
 WordPerfect files, macros and keystrokes, as well as cross-platform
 compatibility."

 Making the Most of Windows

 WordPerfect 6.0 for Windows takes advantage of the Windows environment
 more than any other Windows word processor.

 Program Launching.  Any Windows program or file can be placed on a Button
 Bar for quick access from within WordPerfect. For example, a user could
 drag the program file for Quattro Pro from the Windows File Manager to a
 Button Bar and then be able to launch Quattro Pro while working in
 WordPerfect. Or a user could place a Microsoft Excel file on a Button Bar
 and with a click of a button launchExcel and load the file.

 Direct Spreadsheet and Database Import.  Spreadsheet and database
 information can be directly imported into WordPerfect 6.0 for Windows.
 All leadingspreadsheet formats and a variety of database formats such as
 Paradox, dBase,Oracle and popular SQL servers are supported. Users can
 perform queries on database files to extract only the needed information.
 Spreadsheets and databases can also be linked via Dynamic Data Exchange
 (DDE) or Object Linking and Embedding (OLE).

 File Management. Users now have the power of the WordPerfect File Manager
 available right from the Open File dialog box. With the File Options
 button, users can copy, move, rename, delete, print and change file
 attributes, as well as create and rename directories. Files can be
 displayed and sorted by filename, extension, size, date/time, and
 descriptive name and type.

 WordPerfect Draw.  WordPerfect Draw contains the sophisticated drawing
 and charting tools from WordPerfect Presentations including Bezier curves
 and the ability to contour text on a curve. The charting module lets
 users turn table and spreadsheet data into a variety of charts:  3-D,
 bar, line, area, hi-lo, pie, and exploded pie charts. WordPerfect Draw
 works through OLE and is easily accessed by double-clicking any chart or
 graphic image.  WordPerfect Draw also supports the TWAIN standard for
 direct access to scanners so users can easily scan any image into a
 document.

 Other Features

 Spreadsheet in Tables.  WordPerfect is the only Windows word processor to
 include advanced spreadsheet capabilities. The Tables feature contains
 nearly 100 built-in formulas, numerical cell formatting, automatic
 calculation, data fills, floating cells and named ranges.

 TextArt.  Co-developed with Bitstream Inc., TextArt lets users instantly
 create special effects with type using shapes, colors, fills and shadows.

 QuickFinder.  The QuickFinder rivals standalone packages with some of the
 fastest indexing and text retrieval in the industry. Users can index
 directories or groups of files and perform nearly instantaneous searches.

 Grammatik 5.  The most popular grammar checker is now fully integrated
 into WordPerfect 6.0 for Windows. Grammatik 5 is published by WordPerfect
 Corporation's award-winning Consumer Products Division.

 Borders.  WordPerfect 6.0 ships with more predefined and customizable
 border styles and fill patterns than any other word processor. Borders
 can be used for paragraphs, pages, columns, tables, table cells and
 graphic images.

 WordPerfect Focus on Usability

 WordPerfect 6.0 for Windows was completely designed and developed around
 usability studies conducted in WordPerfect Corporation's state-of-the-art
 Usability Center. Nearly every feature in the product went through
 extensive usability testing to ensure that this product would be the
 easiest Windows word processor to learn and use.

 More than 1,000 users participated in usability studies; participants
 were chosen according to skill level, experience with other graphical
 environments, and experience with particular word processing tasks.

 WordPerfect Corporation also invited representatives from accounting,
 legal, education and business accounts to attend a week-long conference
 at the Usability Center. Participants brought their own work and were
 asked to accomplish their regular tasks using WordPerfect 6.0 for
 Windows. They had daily contact with developers to offer suggestions for
 improvements and changes.

 In addition to improvements from usability testing, more than 653 unique
 enhancements have been added to WordPerfect 6.0 for Windows, representing
 nearly 12,000 customer requests.

 International Versions

 By November 1993, WordPerfect 6.0 for Windows will be available in the
 following languages:  English-UK,  English-OZ,  English- Canada, Dutch,
 Finnish, French, French-National, French-Canada, German-National,
 German-Swiss, Italian, Norwegian, Spanish and Swedish. By December 1993,
 WordPerfect will be available in Danish and Portuguese-National.

 Pricing
 -------
 Retail.  The suggested retail price of WordPerfect 6.0 for Windows is
 $495.* Current WordPerfect users with any DOS, Windows or OS/2 version of
 WordPerfect can upgrade for $129. A competitive upgrade is available for
 $149 from any word processor with a suggested retail price of at least
 $395.

 Free Upgrade.  A free upgrade window allows users who have purchased
 WordPerfect 5.2 for Windows between August 30, 1993 and November 19, 1993
 to receive a free upgrade.

 Easy Move.  With the flexible Easy Move program, WordPerfect 6.0 for DOS
 users may become licensed to run WordPerfect 6.0 for Windows free of
 charge by calling the Easy Move Hotline at (800) 228-5040.

 Borland Promotion.  For a limited time, WordPerfect 6.0 for Windows is
 also available with Quattro Pro 5.0 Workgroup Edition for the suggested
 retail price of $525.** (Quattro Pro 5.0 Workgroup Edition has a
 suggested retail price of $495.) These specially marked packages of
 WordPerfect 6.0 for Windows include disks, a reference guide, online
 documentation and a license for Quattro Pro 5.0 Workgroup Edition.

 System Requirements

 WordPerfect 6.0 for Windows requires a 386 machine or higher, a VGA
 monitor, at least 4M (preferably 6M) RAM and Microsoft Windows 3.1. The
 product also ships on CD-ROM with online documentation in a Folio VIEWS
 Infobase.

 * All prices are in U.S. dollars. ** Offer valid in U.S and Canada only.



            ___________________________________________________



 > Alphabet Blocks STR Review
   """"""""""""""""""""""""""


                              ALPHABET BLOCKS
                                    FROM
                               SIERRA ON-LINE


 by Frank Sereno

      For many years, salespeople have touted the excellence of the
 computer as an educational tool.  Only in the past few years have
 programs been written that make full use of the computer's power which
 also offer ease of use for the pre-school student and actually allow him
 to learn.  Unfortunately for consumers (parents!), there is a vast array
 of software available and not all of it is equal in value.

      One program that I have found to be execellent for my children is
 Alphabet Blocks from Sierra On-line.  It is available for IBM compatibles
 and the Macintosh.  Program requirements for the IBM are a 386SX or
 better CPU, four megs of ram, Windows 3.1 in enhanced mode running in
 VGA-256 color mode in 640 by 480 resolution, a Windows compatible sound
 card with a DAC chip and a mouse.

      The requirements are large, but they are necessary to provide the
 power needed for this astounding program.  The 386SX or better CPU is
 needed to run Win 3.1 in enhanced mode.  The sound card with DAC is
 needed because this program uses digitized speech to talk to the child.
 But not only do the on-screen characters speak, but their lips form the
 words and letters in synchronization to the sound.  After years of
 watching animated computer graphics have no morerelationship to the sound
 as a poorly dubbed Godzilla movie, I found this programming feat to be a
 revolutionary advance.

      The purpose of Alphabet Blocks is teach children the alphabet and to
 learn the sounds associated with each letter.  The program does this by
 allowing the child to play four different games with two on-screen
 coaches, Jack and Bananas.  These coaches only offer positive
 encouragement and will assist the child when he does not know an answer.
 Correct answers are rewarded with verbal encouragement and visual
 surprises.

      The four games allow the child to match letters, identify letters by
 name, identify letters by sound and identify words that begin with a
 letter sound.  Parents can change various settings to make the games
 easier or more difficult depending on the skill of the student.  The
 program itself has artificial intelligence and will present more advanced
 levels as the child becomes more competent.  The coaches tell the student
 what to do in each game but I recommend that an adult be nearby to help
 the child if they have trouble with operating the mouse or understanding
 the instructions.  If the child becomes bored or distracted, the coaches
 will prompt him to 'click on my nose' and laugh to draw his attention
 back to the game.  This is definitely interactive software.

      Here is a description of gameplay in one game.  On the main screen
 you will see the two coaches, Bananas and Jack.  If you click on Jack
 when he has a picture of three blocks above him, the child will play a
 game of matching one letter from a choice of three.  Clicking on Jack, he
 will pronounce a letter name and it will be displayed on the chalkboard.
 The child will then choose the matching letter from three blocks.  This
 sounds simple, but this is meant as an introductory game.  Later, the
 child can play a game where he can choose from all 26 letters and Jack
 only pronounces the name of the letter without it being displayed.  The
 child will naturally progress and will not become frustrated by the
 learning experience.

      I think this software is great.  My children enjoy it and they have
 learned a great deal. My oldest son is beginning to play Ready, Set, Read.
 This is the sequel to Alphabet Blocks and is meant to teach word
 recognition and reading skills.  And an important note on Alphabet
 Blocks, Sierra has discounted the price on this program through their
 mailing offers and in discounts to some retailers.  This program
 originally listed for $40, but I have found it in KayBee Toy Stores for
 as little as $14.99.  Alphabet Blocks was an excellent value at the
 original price and it is a steal at the discounted price.  I recommend
 this software for any preschooler who is ready to learn the alphabet.



 """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

                    :HOW TO GET YOUR OWN GENIE ACCOUNT:
                     _________________________________

      Set your communications software to Half Duplex (or Local Echo)
                     Call: (with modem) 800-638-8369.
               Upon connection type HHH (RETURN after that).
                         Wait for the U#= prompt.

                 Type: XTX99587,CPUREPT then, hit RETURN.

         GEnie Information copyright (C) 1993 by General Electric
            Information Services/GEnie, reprinted by permission


 """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

          ___   ___    _____     _______
         /___| /___|  /_____|  /_______/          The Macintosh RoundTable
        /____|/____| /__/|__| /__/                ________________________
       /_____|_____|/__/_|__|/__/
      /__/|____/|__|________|__/
     /__/ |___/ |__|_/   |__|_<____                  Managed by SyndiComm
    /__/  |__/  |__|/    |__|______/

          An Official Forum of the International Computer Users Group
    .____________________________________________________________________.
    | Help Desk - Having a problem with your Mac? Stop by the HD for the |
    | answers! In the RTC from 9pm to 12pm EDT in ROOM 1........ (605;2) |
    !____________________________________________________________________!
    .____________________________________________________________________.
    |                    A SyndiComm Round Table                         |
    |                 (Tom Weishaar & Kent Filmore)                      |
    |____________________________________________________________________|
    |                                                                    |
    |                          Hosted by:                                |
    |                Chief SysOp:  (Unk) DAVE.REID                       |
    |                                                                    |
    | - - SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS - -     |  - - SOFTWARE LIBRARY  - -   |
    | Education ....... (Rob) R.WHITELOCK | Chief Librarian: RANDY.SIMON |
    | Mac Hardware ..... (Nick) N.PASSINO | Asst Librarians:             |
    |                        (J) W.GLENN1 |             (Steve) S.MACK   |
    | Games ............ (Bart) MAC.GAMES |           (Anne) ANNE-INDA   |
    | Telecommunity ........ (Kent) DRACO |        (Phil) P.VALIQUETTE   |
    | PowerBooks...... (Doc) D.E.JOHNSTON |                              |
    |_____________________________________!______________________________|
    |  - - - Weekly RTC Schedule - - -    |   - - Help Desk Schedule - - |
    |                          (All Times Eastern)                       |
    | Educational Mac    Mon 9:45pm  Rm 3 | Mon-Fri 9:00pm-12:00am Rm 1  |
    | About PowerBooks   Tue 9:45pm  Rm 2 | Sunday 10:30pm-12:00am Rm 1  |
    | Telecommunity      Wed 9:45pm  Rm 2 | ___________________________  |
    | Macintosh Games    Wed10:30pm  Rm 3 | To enter GE-MUG RTC, type..  |
    | Macintosh Hardware Thr 9:45pm  Rm 2 | MOVE 605;2 and choose room # |
    | Sunday Night Fight Sun 9:00pm  Rm 3 |______________________________|
    |_____________________________________!______________________________|
    |                 **** IMPORTANT INFORMATION ****                    |
    |     For COMPLETE information and TIPS on downloading, be sure      |
    |       to read item # 4 on page 605 - "About The RoundTable"        |
    !____________________________________________________________________!


                          MAC/APPLE SECTION (II)
                          ======================


 Mac Report

 by Randy Noak

      Since it's Sunday as I write this, I was looking over the newspaper
 this morning and noticed that Best Buy is having a sale on the new
 Performa 475. The Performa 475 has a 25mHz 68040 CPU, a 160 meg hard
 drive, 4 megs of memory, and comes with keyboard, mouse, monitor and the
 usual Performa software package. Also  included in the sale price is an
 HP Deskwriter C. What's amazing about all this is that the sale price is
 only about $100more than I paid for my Performa 450 without a printer
 about 6 months ago.  Now, that $100 gives the user a much more powerful
 CPU, a larger hard drive, and an inkjet printer. Pretty exciting stuff!
 No wonder Apple's sales have gone through the roof this last year. I
 think that this shows, that despite the fall in profits lately, Apple is
 clearly more concerned with increasing market share in the future than
 sort term profits, which, in my opinion, bodes well for Mac users.
 Plummeting Mac prices have influenced the price of peripherals, with
 prices dropping there too. Lets  hope that the introduction of the
 PowerPC Macs can maintain the momentum.

      By now, we all know that John Sculley has left Apple. I'm sure that
 there will be reams of text written about this move, so I won't comment
 at this time. Of course, in true Monday morning quarterback fashion, I
 reserve the right to, depending on the final outcome, either praise or
 condemn the move in the future. Twenty-twenty hindsight is wonderful.

      Every day I receive at least one piece of mail that has something to
 do with the Macintosh. Usually one, but more often three of four. I think
 my personal  record is 11 pieces of Mac-related mail in one day. It's
 becoming clear that I could fill Mac Report with a  Mail Call column
 every week and still never get caught up with the backlog. So, what's the
 solution?  I've decided to include Mail Call in each week's column. I'll
 sift through the pile each week, pull out the mail that I feel is the
 most interesting and tell you about it. That should leave room in Mac
 Report for news, reviews, opinions, etc. As always, check out the Email
 addresses at the end of this column and let me know what _you_ think.
 We'll start this next week.

      Lets start out with a press release or two, courtesy Genie's GE-MUG
 Roundtable.  In my mind, press releases are kind of a mixed bag. Sure you
 get some useful information, but you also get a lot of, "Joe Blow,
 Executive in Charge of Some  Important Thing or Other, said, "Blah blah
 wonderful blah blah new paradigm blah blah leapfrog blah blah blah." , so
 I'm going to edit the press releases to try and eliminate most of the
 "Blah blah blah." If you recall, last week I made a big to-do about
 CD-ROM being the future of computing, so here is yet another Press
 Release proving, once again, that I am correct. Ahem. While you're at it,
 be sure and look for this weeks FREEBIE somewhere in this column!


 MOVED OVER PR NEWSWIRE AT 11:07 AM, PDT, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 12,1993.

  Ian Diery Keynotes at Macromedia Conference;
  Underscores Apple's Commitment to Multimedia

 SAN FRANCISCO, California--October 12, 1993--In his keynote speech at the
 Macromedia Developer's Conference, Ian Diery, Apple Computer's executive
 vice president of the Personal Computer Division, today outlined how
 Apple plans to build the largest installed base of CD-ROM users by
 providing cross-platform multimedia authoring technologies and
 leading-edge developer support programs.  Diery said these plans are part
 of Apple's multi-pronged strategy to remain the industry leader in
 multimedia authoring and delivery systems...

  Building a Foundation for Success

      In his speech, Diery discussed three problems that have prohibited
 widespread adoption of multimedia technology--all of which Apple has
 successfully addressed in the past year.  First, a small installed base
 of CD-ROM drives offered little business opportunity for title
 developers. Second, few media-rich applications existed as a result of
 slow video compression algorithms.  And finally, CD authoring was
 prohibitively expensive for many commercial and consumer developers.

      "Beginning with our commitment to CD-ROM technology as a foundation
 for success, Apple has invested in the future of multimedia by
 sacrificing more than $100 million in gross margin in 1993 by offering
 CD-ROM drives at cost.  We believe this investment will prove very
 profitable, very quickly.  These efforts should result in the sales of
 more than one million Apple CD-ROM drives in this year alone," said
 Diery.

      With more than 500 applications and 300 products shipping, QuickTime
 is well on its way to becoming the cross-platform standard for
 multimedia.  By March of 1993, Apple shipped more than one million copies
 of Apple's QuickTime video technology to customers worldwide. And,
 because the same QuickTime movies will play on both platforms, the
 technical effort has been greatly reduced and the market opportunity
 significantly increased for CD-ROM title developers...

      The Apple Media Kit allows authors to assemble content, such as
 graphics, video and sound, that has been created in other multimedia
 applications.  It has been designed to improve title playback speed, and
 enable multiple platform delivery.

      One million Apple CD-ROM drives being sold this year and that's not
 even counting those sold under other brand names.  I wonder what
 percentage of the installed base that is?

      Below is a pretty good deal, which just goes to show you that it
 pays to read these columns. Color It! is sort of a poor man's
 Photoshop/Painter.  I have this program, and it works as advertised. I
 don't think that you can go wrong with this deal.

 News Release
 For Immediate Release
 (Dcs Moines, Iowa)

      MicroFrontier, Incorporated headquarted in Dcs Moines Iowa announced
 today that is would give away 1,000,000 (one million) copies of it's
 award winning Color It! image creation and editing program. Their
 headline reads:A Million ways to have fun, expand your creativity and
 increase your capability...   and they're all FREE! Keith Woodard,
 president of MicroFrontier announced today that between October 1 and
 December 31, 1993, MicroFrontier will give away one million copies of
 Color It! its award-winning program for the Macintosh. To receive a  copy
 one must simply call 1-800-949-5555.Woodard said that Color It! version
 2.3 is a brand new release and that it is really two programs in one, a
 32-Bit, 16 million color paint program and a professional image editing
 and creative package.

 He further stated that "You should call today for your free* copy.All you
 need is a color capable Macintosh.  Once the free copies are gone,the
 price reverts to  $149.95. Don't wait. Even if you already have another
 paint, creative or editing program, You can't afford to miss this
 terrific offer!"Woodard also said "We have also included exclusive offers
 from other companies that compliment the capabilities of Color It! 2.3.
 From LaCie, Ltd. there will  be a special offer (details were still being
 worked out at press time, look on the Color It! disk for more details);
 HSC Software is providing Kai's Power Tools(tm) Gradient Designer(tm) ;
 Lizard Tech is offering Planet Color(tm), their new image compression and
 conversion software for less than 10% of retail - a $200.00 value;
 Digital Vision is offering a $25.00 rebate on the purchase of their
 ComputerEyes/RT(tm) SCSI video frame grabber, Thunderware is offering the
 LightningScan Pro 256(tm) handheld gray scale scanner for only $395.00 -
 a $245.00 savings; Photone International is offering Photone Lite(tm) a
 professional four color separation program FREE;and Expert Software is
 offering a special discount on Expert Draw(tm).There will be some
 additional surprises included as the promotion progresses."

 * There is a non-refundable nominal fee of $8.37 charged for order
 processing, shipping and handling. Offer valid in the U.S. only. MC/Visa
 will be accepted.or send check or money order to:

                               MicroFrontier
                              P.O. Box 71190
                          Dcs Moines, Iowa 50325

       OK, so it's not completely free, but $8.37 for the program is still
 a good deal. Image retouching must be the hot topic lately. Even Apple is
 getting into the market with a product called PhotoFlash.


  Moved over PR Newswire at 5:32am, PDT, Monday, October 18, 1993.

  Apple Unveils PhotoFlash--

  The Fast, Easy Way to Add Photos to Documents

 SAN FRANCISCO, California--October 18, 1993--Underscoring its ongoing
 commitment to desktop publishing, Apple Computer, Inc.  announced a new
 software product called PhotoFlash for the Apple Macintosh personal
 computer that simplifies the process of getting photos into documents.
 PhotoFlash is designed to help users of page layout and presentation
 software quickly and easily access, enhance, and place photos in
 documents.  PhotoFlash helps customers create visually appealing
 documents that communicate information with more impact.  Apple plans to
 unveil the product on October 21, 1993 at Seybold San Francisco, an
 electronic publishing conference and exposition.

      PhotoFlash has three key components: an integrated browser that
 simplifies selection of images, unique photo preparation tools that
 enhance images, and scripting capabilities that place images into popular
 page-layout applications and automate routine tasks....

     Fast and Efficient Operation

      Most imaging applications require a substantial amount of memory and
 disk space in order to run.  PhotoFlash, however, is optimized to manage
 digital images.  As a result, it requires much less memory and disk
 space.  PhotoFlash also comes with integrate image compression technology
 and a unique selective compression feature that allows users to compress
 different areas of a photo at different levels, offering users the
 quality they need and the file size they want. Furthermore, PhotoFlash
 can be accelerated by PhotoFlash-compatible accelerator cards, including
 the ThunderStorm and Thunder II series from SuperMac Technology and
 Charger series from DayStar Digital.  The technology for  PhotoFlash was
 developed by Storm Technology of Mountain View,CA  and is licensed to
 Apple Computer, Inc....

 Support for Peripherals and Other Formats, including Kodak PhotoCD

      PhotoFlash accepts Adobe Photoshop plug-in modules for special
 effects, as well as import and export capabilities, giving users  the
 ability to work with many scanners, printers, digital cameras  and other
 peripherals. PhotoFlash supports a wide variety of file formats,
 including PICT, TIFF, JPEG, Photo CD, PhotoShop, EPS, and DCS, and can
 work with RGB, CMYK or grayscale images. In addition to optimized file
 access routines for other formats, PhotoFlash incorporates accelerated
 Photo CD routines to speed image access....


  Product Contents and System Requirements

      PhotoFlash includes the PhotoFlash application, integrated  browser,
 automated scripts for use with Aldus PageMaker and QuarkXPress, scripts
 for automating PhotoFlash functions, and the AppleScript and QuickTime
 system extensions.  A sampler of color photos is also provided, along
 with a tutorial, a comprehensive user's guide, and unlimited customer
 support.  Apple recommends PhotoFlash customers use the software with an
 Apple Macintosh or PowerBook computer with a 68020 or faster processor,
 at least 8MB of RAM (3.5MB of application RAM), and Macintosh system
 software version 7.0 or later.

  Pricing and Availability

      Apple plans to make PhotoFlash available for a suggested retail
 price of $279 beginning in late November of 1993. The company also  plans
 to distribute it through software resellers, Apple  authorized resellers,
 and through Apple's volume licensing program.

      Hmmm. Maybe this is a sort of Ofoto for photos? What this may mean
 for the average user is downward pressure on image retouching program
 prices.  Lets all hope for a PhotoShop competitive upgrade deal.

      Looks like competition is heating up in the Mac word processing
 field with WordPerfect releasing version 3.0 for the Mac. There is a
 competitive upgrade price on  this program, so it may pay to check it
 out. At least you shouldn't have to worry about cross platform
 compatibility, since Mac Word Perfect files use the same format as DOS
 Word Perfect files. .

                WORDPERFECT CORPORATION RELEASES
                 WORDPERFECT 3.0 FOR MACINTOSH

 Version 3.0 provides integration and compatibility with other WordPerfect
 Corporation products

 OREM, Utah   October 5, 1993   As part of an unprecedented year of
 product releases, WordPerfect Corporation today released WordPerfect 3.0
 forMacintosh, establishing the new version as the technological leader in
 Macintosh word processing.

      WordPerfect 3.0 includes an innovative interface that simplifies
 access to many product features. WordPerfect 3.0 also contains feature
 compatibility with new versions of WordPerfect on other platforms, as
 well as support for Apple Computer's System 7  Pro, which combines
 PowerTalk, AppleEvents, AppleScript, WorldScript and QuickTime....

      WordPerfect 3.0 provides more integration by allowing users to
 accessGrammatik 5 and WordPerfect Office 4.0 directly from the Button
 Bar. For example, users can take advantage of the E-mail portion of
 WordPerfect Office by clicking on the Button Bar to send and receive
 messages, or to send documents from the WordPerfect document window.

      The upgrade also provides increased compatibility with WordPerfect
 6.0 for Windows by including the same 25 TrueType fonts from Bitstream,
 Inc.  WordPerfect 3.0 files can now be opened in WordPerfect 6.0 for DOS
 and Windows automatically, so users no longer need to export files to the
 version 6.0 format.

       Many user enhancement requests have been added to WordPerfect 3.0.
 Some powerful additions include the following:

      Ruler Bars. In each document window, users can expand the Ruler to
 display various Ruler Bars that provide quick access to both basic and
 advanced features. Using the Control Bar, users can control which Ruler
 Bars appear. Users can also display additional Bars for Layout, Font,
 Styles, Tables, List and Merge functions.

      Button Bars. WordPerfect 3.0 includes three pre-defined Button Bars
 for use when editing text, graphics or equations. Users can customize
 multiple Button Bars for common tasks such as bullet indent, quick sort,
 and creating headers and footers. The Button Bar appears outside the
 document window and can be displayed along the left, right, bottom or top
 edge of the screen. Button Bars are also context-sensitive; the Graphic
 Button Bar appears while using the Graphic Editor, and the Equation
 Button Bar appears while using the Equation Editor.

      Tables. With the new Tables feature, users can create tables of
 information in columns, rows and cells. Tables can be freestanding or
 contained in a movable box in a document. Buttons on the Tables Ruler Bar
 allow users to insert or delete rows and columns, join or split cells,
 and fill cells with colors or patterns. Users can create custom borders
 in a table and manipulate the graphical lines that make up the table
 structure.  Existing text can be converted to a table and vice versa.
 Users can also perform basic math calculations in a table.

      Equation Editor. The Equation Editor allows users to create and edit
 mathematical expressions in a document. With the Equation Tool Palette,
 users can create all the elements of an equation such as fractions,
 exponents and matrices. Users can also display and edit equations created
 in other programs such as WordPerfect for DOS and Windows.

      Drag and Drop Text. Users can easily move or copy selected text in a
 document by clicking and dragging it. Text is copied to a new location by
 pressing the Option key while clicking the selection.

      Document Preview in Open Dialog. In the Open dialog box, users can
 quickly preview WordPerfect documents and graphics without opening them.

      Other key features include three different types of columns and
 borders created from 36 line styles and 64 patterns, text boxes, styles,
 graphic drawing tools, macros, sort, indexes, tables of contents, merge,
 stationery and zoom editing.

      The retail price for WordPerfect 3.0 is $495, and full package
 upgrades for current WordPerfect users is $59.95 through  December 31,
 1993. Users who own any competing word processing package may trade up to
 WordPerfect 3.0 for $99 through December 31, 1993.

      WordPerfect 3.0 runs on any Macintosh computer with a hard drive.
 The product requires 2M (System 6.0.7 or higher) or 4M (System 7.x) of
 RAM.

      Apple should be announcing some new machines and lower pricing on
 some older machines this week. In the meantime, Apple is offering us
 tantalizing peeks at what the future holds for Macintosh users. PowerPC
 looks like it will be all that we could ask for. Here's an edited press
 release.

 THE FOLLOWING MOVED OVER THE PR NEWSWIRE AT 8:34 AM, EDT, TUESDAY,
 OCTOBER 19,  1993.

 Momentum Builds For Macintosh With PowerPC

 Apple Outlines Growing Developer Support, Upgrade Program and New Levels
 of Performance

 CUPERTINO, California--October 19, 1993--In a series of announcements at
 major industry events this week, Apple Computer, Inc. is demonstrating
 growing momentum behind and support for the next generation PC platform:
 Macintosh with PowerPC.  The PowerPC is a new RISC-based microprocessor
 family under development by Apple, IBM and Motorola.  Macintosh with
 PowerPC will bring a new level of performance and functionality to
 personal computing at low prices.

  In summary, Apple announced the following:

  -- Seven additional software developers have announced plans to
     develop new versions of applications that tap the  power of
     Macintosh with PowerPC.

  -- Plans to deliver higher clock speeds for RISC-based Macintosh
     systems.

  -- Additional details on its PowerPC upgrade program for current
     customers.

  -- Delivery of first silicon of the PowerPC 603, the second
     member of the PowerPC family of chips designed jointly with
     IBM and Motorola.

      This week's progress update coincides with three major conferences
 where PowerPC will be discussed: the Microprocessor Forum in Burlingame,
 CA, the Seybold Publishing Conference in San Francisco, and the EDUCOM
 education conference in Cincinnati. Re-affirming that Apple is on
 schedule for its planned introduction of systems based on new RISC
 technology during the first six months of 1994, Apple plans to exhibit
 Macintosh with PowerPC prototype systems and demonstrate a selection of
 applications that are under development at both Seybold and EDUCOM.

      "Just as the current Macintosh platform continues to gain
 marketshare, our next generation Macintosh with PowerPC technology
 continues to gain momentum," commented Ian Diery, executive vice
 president and general manager of the Personal Computer Division. "PowerPC
 represents a major milestone for Apple, our customers and the industry.
 Not only is Apple readying new mainstream systems with radical
 improvements in price/performance, but we are providing our customers
 with an on-ramp to the future of personal computing. Because of the
 imminent arrival of Macintosh with PowerPC, we want to keep our customers
 well informed of our progress."

  Major Developers Committed to PowerPC

      Notably, Apple announced seven new developers worldwide have
 unveiled plans to deliver "native" applications for Macintosh with
 PowerPC. (A native application is an application that has been recompiled
 for the PowerPC chip.  Native applications take full advantage of the
 superior speed of PowerPC technology.)  Together with 11 leading
 developers who previously announced their support, this brings the total
 number of developers who have announced applications support on Apple's
 platform to 18.  The seven new developers include the following: Artwork
 Systems, N.V., Canto Software, Inc., Fractal Design Corporation,
 Graphisoft, Great Plains Software, ITEDO Software GmbH., and Wolfram
 Research, Inc.

      Developers previously committed to developing native applications
 include: Adobe Systems Inc., ACIUS Inc., Aldus Corporation, Claris
 Corporation, Deneba Software, Frame Technology, Insignia Solutions,
 Microsoft Corporation, Quark, Inc., Specular International, and
 WordPerfect Corporation.

      At both the Seybold and the EDUCOM conferences, Apple plans to
 publicly demonstrate for the first time a selection of native
 applications that are currently under development by some of the
 industry's leading software publishers.  These demonstrations underscore
 the significant performance gains users should be able to achieve with
 native applications in the future.  Planned demonstrations include the
 following:

  -- Aldus FreeHand, one of the world's most popular professional
     drawing programs.

  -- Insignia SoftPC, a program which will allow Macintosh users
     to run DOS and Windows applications with good performance on
     the PowerPC processor. This creates a migration path to
     Macintosh with PowerPC for DOS/Windows users.

  -- Adobe Photoshop, the leading image processing program for
     publishing and multimedia users worldwide.

  -- Fractal Design Painter, the premier publishing and multimedia
     tool for image enhancement.

  -- Specular Infini-D, a major 3-D modeling and rendering package
     for the Macintosh environment.

  -- Wofram Mathematica, the world's leading mathematical modeling
     package for education and business.

     Apple continues to work with these and hundreds of other developers
 worldwide to ensure the availability of a wide range of leading
 applications and to help create entirely new categories of products,
 enabled by the powerful new PowerPC architecture. (For a complete listing
 of developers supporting Macintosh with PowerPC, see the attached
 third-party summary sheet.)

    In addition to native applications, Macintosh with PowerPC will run
 thousands of existing Macintosh applications based on Apple's current
 System 7 operating system.  Apple's chief goal in introducing PowerPC is
 to retain a high degree of compatibility with existing Macintosh
 applications.  Addressing compatibility, Nagel said: "Because Apple
 controls both the hardware and software, our compatibility is rock
 solid."

  Affordable Upgrade Paths

 Today, Apple also announced plans to ship upgrade products simultaneous
 with the initial introduction of Macintosh with PowerPC systems, and
 added an upgrade path for Apple Workgroup Servers (See related release
 today).

      Earlier this year, Apple announced an aggressive upgrade program for
 PowerPC technology in order to ensure the highest degree of customer
 satisfaction for customers as they transition to Macintosh with PowerPC.
 At that time, the company announced that it would offer upgrades for six
 Macintosh desktop computer models.  Models included: the Macintosh
 Centris 610 and 650 computers, Macintosh IIvx and IIvi, Performa 600 and
 Quadra 800.  Since that time, Apple has added two new desktop models to
 the list with the introduction of the Centris 660AV and the Quadra 840AV.

      Upgrade prices will vary by model, with upgrades expected to start
 at below $1,000.  Specifics on various upgrade options are expected to be
 announced in conjunction with the introduction of PowerPC
 technology-based systems.  Apple and third parties continue to work on
 upgrade paths for other Macintosh models.

  Increased Microprocessor Performance

      In co-operation with IBM and Motorola, Apple announced that the
 performance of the PowerPC 601 chip has exceeded original goals and plans
 to ship at higher frequencies (speeds) than earlier announced.

      The minimum speed of RISC-based Macintosh systems has been increased
 from 50MHz to 60MHz.  Additionally, Apple announced that it also plans to
 ship 80MHz systems during 1994.  Last May, Apple exhibited an 80MHz
 prototype system as part of a technology demonstration at its Worldwide
 Developer's Conference.

      Also this week, Apple with IBM and Motorola announced that the
 second PowerPC chip, the 603, has reached first silicon.  Motorola and
 IBM unveiled the new chip at the Microprocessor Forum in San Francisco.
 The first silicon for the PowerPC 601 processor, which is at the heart of
 the first generation of Macintosh systems based on PowerPC, was announced
 last fall at the Slater Microprocessor Forum.

      Here's some news that we've all been waiting for; the new Macs.
 Apple is simplifying the product line, and adding some powerful new
 products at very competitive prices. "Honey, lets give the kids this
 Performa and buy a nice new Quadra for my office." What do you think?
 Will she buy it?

 MOVED OVER PR NEWSWIRE AFTER 8:15 AM, EDT, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1993.

      Apple Accelerates Marketshare Strategy, Rolls Out Competitively
 Priced Macintosh Models Streamlined Product Lines and Performance
 Improvements are Part of Fall Offering.

  CUPERTINO, California--October 21, 1993--Apple Computer, Inc. today
 announced a host of new Macintosh computer models that cost less, while
 delivering increased functionality and greater value to home, education
 and business users.  Prices for new models are expected to start at $969.

      "This introduction  sends a clear message to the marketplace:  we
 have smashed the price barrier long associated with Apple products", said
 Ian Diery, executive vice president of Apple's Personal Computer
 Division.  "Today one of the last remaining obstacles to greater
 Macintosh acceptance - price competitiveness - tumbles down.  As proven
 by our year-end results there is growing momentum behind the Macintosh
 platform.  These announcements  reinforce Apple's steadfast commitment to
 expanding market share even further."

      Along with seven new personal computers for home, education and
 business --including entry-level systems which make the power of the
 Motorola 68040 microprocessor more accessible and affordable-- and two
 new printers, Apple announced performance improvements on two existing
 mid-range models and took action to streamline its product lines to
 simplify purchase decision-making.  Apple also unveiled a new pricing
 structure - ApplePrice - and an advertising campaign to support new
 products and underscore its commitment to price competitiveness.

  Performa - Three New Offerings

      A range of new Performa products were introduced today with prices
 for the line expected to start at $999.  New models include:

      The Performa 460 series,  based on a Motorola 68030 microprocessor
 running at 33MHz.

      The Performa 470 series, based on a Motorola 68040 microprocessor
 running at 25MHz.

  The Performa 550, which is an all-in-one design featuring built-in
 CD-ROM, microphone, stereo sound and a Sony Trinitron color monitor,
 comes with a variety of CD titles.

      Now celebrating its first year on the market the Performa line has
 been successful in attracting first-time computer buyers through the
 retail channel.  Designed to fit the needs of people working and learning
 at home, the  Performa line features all-in-one box computing solutions
 including software and hardware chosen specifically with home users in
 mind. All Performa prices include a keyboard, color monitor, 12-17
 software titles and a fax/modem.  In the U.S., Performa is available at
 more than 5000retail outlets nationwide.

  LC - New 040-based model for Education

       Today's addition of the LC 475 adds the robust performance of the
 Motorola 68040 microprocessor to one of the best-selling product  lines
 in the industry.  The LC line, one of the industry's most  popular
 personal computers lines and the workhorse computer for the education
 market, fitsthe need for high-performance but very competitively-priced
 products.  For qualified education institutions the price of the LC 475
 (including keyboard and mouse) will range from $1082.

  Quadra - 605, 610 and 650 join the business line

      With the Quadra 605, a 25MHz LC040-based model, business customers
 will find choices in the  Quadra line designed to meet their needs.
 Prices are expected to start at $969.  Formerly part of the Centris line,
 the 610 and 650 models  have been revamped for increased performance.
 The 610 features a 25MHz 68040 microprocessor,  built- in Ethernet and an
 optional built-in CD ROM drive.  The 650, a 33MHz 68040 based system is
 very expandable, having three Nubus slots and an optional CD-ROM drive.
 With the Quadra and Centris lines now consolidated under the Quadra brand
 name Apple offers business and professional customers a range of products
 that combine competitive pricing, high performance and advanced features
 and correspond to the broad needs of today's corporate and professional
 marketplace.

  PowerBook - Active Matrix Duo 250 and 270c

       Apple today became the first computer notebook vendor  to introduce
 16-bit color and the first to produce an active matrix notebook computer
 weighing less than 5lbs.  Another plus for the new PowerBook Duos is a
 50% increase in battery life.  The PowerBook Duo 250 is a 4.2 lb active
 matrix grayscale notebook with battery life of up to 6 hours.  The
 PowerBook Duo 270c, a color  active matrix notebook is capable of
 displaying thousands of colors and has a battery life of up to 4 hours.
 It weighs 4.8 lbs.

  LaserWriters - new Select 360 and Pro 810

       Two new LaserWriters also hit the dual goals of aggressive pricing
 and customer satisfaction. The LaserWriter Select 360 is positioned to be
 a price leader in its class.  Offering the ability to connect to both
 Macintosh and DOS/Windows networks, it is ideal for small workgroups.
 Larger workgroups will appreciate the features of  the LaserWriter Pro
 810 which has the advantage of connecting simultaneously to four network
 environments and offers up to 64 virtual printing possibilities. Both
 printers support PostScript Fax options for plain paper, high quality
 network fax capability.

      The LaserWriter Select 360 is a 10 page per minute, 600 dots per
 inch (dpi) printer with the ability to connect to both Mac and
 DOS/Windows environments.  The LaserWriter Pro 810 is a 20 page per
 minute printer capable of printing at up to 800 dpi. Compatible with
 Macintosh, DEC, Novell and Unix environments, it provides simultaneous
 printing for IPX, TCP/IP, AppleTalk and Digital LAT protocols via the
 built-in Ethernet interface.

  Simpler Product Lines

      With this introduction, Apple moves to consolidate its business and
 professional products by folding in the Centris line under the umbrella
 of one brand name - Quadra.

      "We are responding to customer requests for a more simplified
 product line to choose from," said Diery.  "With this introduction, Apple
 offers business and professional customers a single identifiable business
 brand with a range of products that combine aggressive pricing,
 high-performance and advanced features.  Within the line are a variety of
 products that correspond to the broad needs of today's corporate and
 professional marketplace".

      In addition, in the U.S.,  Apple plans to focus its four product
 lines by markets and channels of distribution : the Performa line for
 people working and learning at home, the LC line for education, the
 Quadra line for business and professional users, and the award-winning
 PowerBook line of notebooks to meet the needs of mobile professionals.

  New Pricing

      The Apple USA division of Apple Computer today announced it is
 eliminating the use of the term Suggested Retail Price (SRP) in product
 announcements, price lists and advertising.  This is consistent with an
 industry-wide trend to replace SRPs with more representative price
 comparisons.  Apple is replacing SRP with ApplePrice.  ApplePrice is the
 price at which Apple intends to sell its products to customers who are
 purchasing as few as one unit from  one of Apple's direct sales programs,
 such as the Apple Catalog.   ApplePrice is expected to fall within the
 general range of prices  offered by Apple's Resellers.

  New Advertising Campaign

      Concurrent with its product announcement,  Apple kicked-off an
 advertising campaign driving home its commitment to price
 competitiveness.  Under the banner of "Macintosh. It does more.  It costs
 less. It's that simple."  a series of TV, print and radio spots draw
 attention not alone to price but to the Macintosh's comparative
 advantages regarding ease of use, intelligent integration of hardware and
 software and ease of set-up.

  Energy Star

      All three new desktop products - Performa 470 series, LC 475, Quadra
 605, both of the new PowerBook Duos, and the LaserWriter Select 360,
 qualify for the EPA's Energy Star logo.

  Pricing and Availability

       In the U.S. all desktop and PowerBook products are immediately
 available.  Both printers are expected to be available early November and
 the Performa 550 is expected to be available mid November.  For further
 information, customers in the United States should call the Apple
 Referral Center at (800) 538-9696.  Pricing and availability may vary by
 country.  Prices quoted below are ApplePrice.  Apple Price will fall
 within the general range of street prices offered by our resellers.

  Model                    ApplePrice

  Performa
  460 series            From $1299 to $1499
  470 series            From $1599 to $1799
  550                   From $1949 to $2049

  Quadra
  605                   From  $969 to $1269
  610                   From $1439 to $2159
  650                   From $2399 to $3339

  PowerBook Duo
  250                   From $2599 to $3099
  270c                  From $3099 to $3619

  Apple Printers
  LaserWriter Select 360     $1599
  LaserWriter Pro 810        $4899



      Finally, here's a posting from GEnie's GE-MUG RoundTable. I found
 Spectrum Holobyte's Falcon to be a real time-waster since I spent a lot
 time flying when I should have been working. Not that it wasn't great
 fun, but, well, work must be done. From preliminary reports, Hornet
 appears to be an even better flight simulator, so if future Mac Report
 columns are missing from Silicon Times Report, you'll know why.

 GE-MUG (Macintosh) RoundTable
 Category 5,  Topic 16
 Message 12        Wed Oct 20, 1993
 R.DIFFLEY [ Diff ]           at 22:47 EDT

 Here's some insightful comments I picked up from the Net on this new
 game. After reading these, you'll want to use your charge card right away
 (-:

                         === Cut Here ===

 Now that Hornet is out, I can finally break the silence that I had to
 endure during the Non-Disclosure.  It is cool.  An unbiased opinion, this
 is a game that rivals the SGI simulator performance wise, and realism
 wise it tops it.

 The only difference here is that this is on the Mac and not the SGI. The
 graphics that are used, are good for the speed that things are running.
 It will be nice to see what if anything they have planned for the PowerPC
 (once it becomes a reality) Texture mapping would be nice, but probably
 processor expensive. We'll have to see.

 As far as realism goes, this is the closest that people will get to
 flying the F/A-18 without 4 years of school, and an Officers commission
 in the Navy.

 I personally like the ability to Launch and Recover from an Aircraft
 Carrier.

 Having served aboard the USS America during carrier qualifications of the
 Hornet during the late 1980's I can say that this is a really cool game,
 and very close to the real thing. the only things that are missing are
 the sense of smell (boy that jp5 is great!!) and the excitement that you
 feel when you catch a wire, or launch from a Catapult.

 Missions are a bit on the tough side, the enemy is smart, and requires a
 bit of low-flying to avoid things like incoming SAM, and AA fire. The
 radar modes in the cockpit will give you a bundle of information (read
 the manual!!) that you can use to your advantage.

 Dogfighting is something you have to experience. It is different than any
 other simulator on the market, because the Hornet is a different plane.
 It moves differently than the Falcon. It is a nimble sort of plane that
 when caressed the right way will do things that other planes only dream
 about.

 Speed, well that is something too. When you want to hurry the mission
 along, do the command (f), and buckle the seat belt!! This baby cooks!!.
 the best thing to do is put on the AP, and goto the outside view, and
 watch things fly by. These guys did a nice job on this flight model.

 I did not get to test the network version, but I am sure that is
 exciting.

 While there are some things that I am sure people will find something's
 wrong with this program, this first release blows Falcon MC out of the
 sky as far as speed, graphics, and playability in my book.  Spectrum take
 note, my Falcon flies NO MORE!!

 Enjoy this game, it will be cool to see when the mission disks hit the
 market!!

                                   == Cut Here ==

  -> Diff <-
 ----------

       That's it for this week.  Next week, we'll do some mail, maybe
 finally get to the BBEdit review, see if  I've received any of the
 software or hardware I've ordered, and try and find some more FREEBIES.
 As always, please feel free to send  your comments or questions to:

                           Compuserve: 70323,1031
                               GEnie: R.NOAK
                         America OnLine: RandyNoak


   **********************************************************************
                             IMPORTANT NOTICE!
                             =================

      STReport International Online Magazine   is available  every  week in
 the ST  Advantage on  DELPHI.   STReport   readers  are invited   to  join
 DELPHI and become a  part of a friendly community of enthusiastic computer
 users there.

                          SIGNING UP WITH DELPHI
                          ======================

       Using a personal computer and modem, members worldwide access
                  DELPHI services via a local phone call

                              JOIN -- DELPHI
                              --------------

                Via modem, dial up DELPHI at 1-800-695-4002
                                  then...
                When connected, press RETURN once or twice
                                  and...
               At Password: type STREPORT and press RETURN.

      DELPHI's Basic  Plan offers access for  only $6.00 per hour,  for any
 baud  rate.  The  $5.95 monthly fee includes  your first  hour online. For
 more information, call:  DELPHI Member Services   at 1-800-544-4005 DELPHI
 is a  service of General Videotex Corporation of Cambridge, MA.

                        Try DELPHI for $1 an hour!

      For a limited  time, you  can become a  trial member  of DELPHI,  and
 receive 5 hours  of evening and weekend access  during this month for only
 $5.  If  you're not satisfied, simply  cancel your account before  the end
 of  the calendar  month  with no  further obligation.    If you  keep your
 account active, you  will automatically be enrolled in DELPHI's 10/4 Basic
 Plan, where you can use  up to 4 weekend  and evening hours a month for  a
 minimum $10 monthly charge, with  additional hours available at  3.96. But
 hurry, this special  trial offer will expire  soon!  To take  advantage of
 this limited  offer, use your modem  to dial 1-800-365-4636.   Press <RET>
 once  or twice.  When you  get the Password:  prompt,  type IP26 and press
 <RET> again.   Then,  answer the   questions   and  within a  day or  two,
 you'll officially be a member of DELPHI!

                 DELPHI- It's getting better all the time!


   **********************************************************************



                          ATARI/JAG SECTION (III)
                          =======================


 WHAT'S NEW in Compuserve's ...

                         ATARI FORUMS (October 22)

 ATARI PORTFOLIO FORUM MERGES WITH PALMTOP FORUM

 The Atari Portfolio Forum will be closing on Friday, October 22, 1993,
 and all activity and libraries will be moved to the PALMTOP FORUM (GO
 PALMTOP).

 We would like to welcome all Atari Portfolio owners to the Palmtop Forum.
 Section 9 and Library 9 are designated as the home base for continued
 Portfolio support.  You'll find over 750 Portfolio files (most are DOS
 compatible) from the former Portfolio Forum available there.  Owners of
 other DOS palmtops should check out these files as many are not
 Portfolio-specific and will run on your units.

 NEW FILES IN CODEHEAD SECTION OF ATARI VENDORS FORUM

 Download the following new files from LIBRARY 16 of the Atari
 Vendors Forum (GO ATARIVEN):

   W9380U.TXT  - Press release describing version 3.80 of Warp 9
   THRONE.LZH  - A different sort of flying appliance...
   EASYUP.TXT  - CodeHead makes it easier to upgrade Warp 9
   CLOK11.LZH  - New EOS Clock fixes config save bug
   CLOCK.LZH   - Does anybody really know what time it is...

 DESKTOP FUN!

 Download file DESKFX.ARC from LIBRARY 14 of the Atari Arts Forum (GO
 ATARIARTS) for a picture Desktop, an Animated Mouse, and a font program
 in one(!).  Personalize your color ST with any Degas pic you like instead
 of a green desktop, you can even create your own animated mice with
 ANIMOU.ARC  (a separate download). Works in low and medium rez, resident
 while you work/play.

            ________________________________________________



 > FLASH II STR Review    "...do-it-all telcomunications program."
   """""""""""""""""""



                                       Flash-II Review
                                       ===============


 by Robert Trowbridge, ctsy Delphi Atari Advantage

      Are you still looking for a killer, do-it-all telcomunications
 program?  (Allows you to connect your computer/modem to another
 computer/modem)?  Well this program may be the best choice that we have
 to date.  It has most of the features considered to be required of
 today's telecommunications programs, various terminal emulations, file
 transfer protocols (including today's defacto standard Z-Modem) and also
 includes a program, Silent Line to allow you to do file transfers in the
 background. I had used InterLink v. 1.85 before this and didn't like
 having to load an external program to do Z-Modem file transfers. The
 program can be controlled with either the mouse or an extensive set of
 keyboard commands.

       When you first boot the Flash-II program it comes up in the Editor
 screen.  Across the top are your various drop down menus. From the left
 hand side they are, DESK - for access up to the usual six desk
 accessories, as well as information about Flash-II.  FILE - for various
 file setting options, DRIVE - set the default disk drive, LOAD - load
 a file into the capture buffer, SAVE - save the capture buffer (the
 extender controls how the buffer file is saved, TTY, ANS, GIF, etc.) ,
 DELETE - delete disk files, RENAME - rename files, LOAD.DO - load .DO
 files from the old Flash, SAVE.DO - for saving .DO files that you have
 used the Editor to create, LOAD DEFAULTS - for loading one of a set of
 multiple default configuration files, SAVE DEFAULTS - for saving current
 settings to the default configuration file, SAVE DEFAULTS AS - for saving
 multiple default configuration files, DISK SPACE - check for free space
 on floppy or hard drive partitions, RUN PROGRAM - run external programs,
 PRG, TOS or TTP and QUIT - to exit from Flash-II, it even prompts you
 whether you want to save the buffer contents.  The background downloading
 program, Silent Line will continue to work if it was in use if FLASH-II
 is exited.

 CAPTURE - control the capture buffer, CLEAR - clear the capture buffer,
 REVIEW - replays a saved capture buffer, PRINT - print to the parallel
 port, MEMORY - set how much memory that the capture buffer can use.

 TRANSFER - set file transfer options, DOWNLOAD - receive a file from
 another system, UPLOAD - send a file, capture buffer or part of a capture
 buffer to another system, OPTIONS - set options for whatever file
 transfer option has been selected, CIS B+ - for sending packets to
 CompuServe in VidTex mode, IMMEDIATE - selects whether file transfers
 start as soon as the file name is selected or waits, SILENT LINE -
 selects background transfers, The file transfer protocols supported are,
 ASCII, XMODEM, YMODEM, MODEM7, WXMODEM, KERMIT, SEALINK and ZMODEM.  The
 manual goes into detail about each one and provides an Xmodem downloading
 example.

 PHONE - DIAL BOARDS - dial up to 40 pre-defined boards, each having its
 own set of parameters.  DIAL NUMBER - Dial one time numbers. ORIGINATE
 CALL - Force a connection after using the DIAL NUMBER option.  ANSWER
 CALL - Answer a call from another modem.  TERMINATE CALL - Disconnect
 from another system.  LOAD BOARDS - Load another set of up to 40 boards.
 SAVE BOARDS - Save the default board configuration, or the configuration
 loaded with LOAD BOARDS.  SAVE BOARDS AS - Save alternate board lists
 using a different name than the default name.  DELETE BOARDS - Delete one
 or more boards.  EDIT BOARDS - Modify or add boards, setting the board
 name, telephone number, Logon ID, Options, etc.  AUTO EVENT LOG -  Track
 your usage of the boards you call.  AUTO BOARDS - Automate the logon and
 download process.

 BLOCK MENU - provides commands for handling data in the Editor buffer.

 MARK START - Mark the start of a block.  MARK END - Mark the end of a
 block.  UMMARK - Unmark the current block.  FIND START - Move to the
 beginning of a block.  MOVE - Move a marked block somewhere else in the
 Editor buffer.  COPY - Repeat a block of info to another location in the
 Editor buffer.  DELETE - Delete a marked block. REFORMAT - Reformats the
 text to the set column width.  LOAD - Merges a file into the Editor
 buffer starting at the cursor's position.  SAVE - Save a marked block to
 a file.  APPEND - Save a marked block, adding it to the end of an
 existing file.  PRINT - sends a marked block to the parallel port.
 SEARCH - Search or search & replace within the Editor buffer.

 OPTIONS - modify the configuration of FLASH-II.  EDITOR - Set columns,
 Tabs, Display of control characters, Display of carriage returns, Whether
 you replace or insert when typing in characters and whether sentences are
 word wrapped or not.  TERMINAL - Set full or half duplex, Set whether Xon
 & Xoff are used, Turn Capture on or off at the startup, Set escape
 sequences filter to to remove control codes for modes such as ANSI or
 VT100, Add a line feed to any carriage returns that are received, Add a
 line feed to any carriage return sent out, Translate the Atari 8-bit
 control codes to Atari St control codes, Set smooth or jump scrolling,
 Set sentence word wrap, Set rubout, Set cursor on, off, blink, no-blink,
 Set the function keys to locked or unlocked when in DEC emulation mode,
 Set columns to 80 or 132, Set rows to 24, 29 or 48, Set a light or dark
 background, Lock user features, Set 7 or 8 bit control codes usage, Set 7
 or 8 bit character codes usage, Set print mode to screen or screen &
 printer or printer only,  Set the screen area to be printed when
 <SHIFT/HELP> is pressed, Set whether a form feed is added after a print
 command, Set the keypad to be either numeric or application specific, Set
 cursor keys to normal or application mode, Set charcter set to IBM, Atari
 ST or DEC, TYPE AHEAD - Select hard C/R after each line or at the end all
 text in the type ahead buffer, RS232 - Set baud rate or MIDI, Set parity,
 Set databits, Set stopbits, MODEM OPTIONS - Set modem prefixes, Set modem
 suffix, Set redials, Set connect type, Set DCD connect time, Set DTR
 disconnect time, MACROS - Define the function keys (F1-F10) to do strings
 of commands, CLOCK - Set 12 or 24 or no type of display, Set time, Set
 date, Set autoset to Never, Compare or Always, Set currency symbol, Set
 UTC time offset, SILENT LINE - Set the buffer size, Set whether progress
 is monitored by time or blocks, Set clock in Silent Line to 12 or 24.
 The last thing on the top line in the upper right hand corner is a
 realtime clock.  The next line displays the word "Editor" to let you know
 that you are in the Editor screen as opposed to being in the Terminal
 screen.  The third line of the Editor screen has a status line showing
 you the amount of free capture buffer space, the amount of used buffer
 space, the width of the Editor screen, the size of the tabs, and whether
 it is in Insert mode or not. Below those three lines are the 20 lines
 reserved for viewing or entering data.  There is a vertical and
 horizontal scroll bar along the bottom and the top.

      The Terminal screen is accessed by pressing the right mouse button
 when you are in the Editor screen.  It consists of a single status line
 at the top followed by either 23 or 47 lines where you receive the
 information from the other system.  The status line contains the Amount
 of capture buffer free space, VT status if you are using a VT screen
 mode, Databits, Parity, Stopbits, Duplex and Baud rate.  Some of the keys
 stroke(s) and their results are, HELP - listing of macro functions and
 special keystrokes, UNDO - abort file transfer or exit type ahead window,
 INSERT - invokes the terminal command line, SHIFT/HELP - ASCII dump of
 the terminal to the printer, ALT/C - toggle capture buffer on and off,
 ALT/H toggle printer echo, ALT/W - clear capture buffer, ALT/X - Exit
 Flash-II, ALT/Y - sends screen data to the capture buffer, even if its
 turned off, LEFT MOUSE BUTTON - exits the terminal screen and calls the
 Dial Boards dialog. There are other key combinations that vary depending
 on what terminal emulation you are in.  The type ahead editor is called
 by pressing ALT/O.  It consists of a 3 line buffer that is most useful
 when talking to other people online in realtime.  You can compose
 sentences while other people are entering their sentences and theirs
 scroll above the type ahead window.

      The following info is from the manual as I haven't tried using the
 Silent Line program.  Silent Line, the background file transfer program
 can only be used if it is loaded from the auto folder when the computer
 is first booted.  You can start a download and then exit Flash-II to use
 another program such as a word processor or a database.  The manual
 cautions that other reset proof programs such as ramdisks won't work
 right when Silent Line is being used.  Any programs to be transferred
 must be able to fit into the file transfer buffer.  When a Silent Line
 file transfer is in progress and you exit the Terminal mode most of the
 Flash-II menu options are no longer available as their use could
 interfere with the Silent Line file transfer.  The text editor can be
 used though.

      Flash-II in addition to the macros also has the capability to use a
 scripting language just like the original Flash.  These of course are the
 (in)famous .DO scripts.  The macros (mini scripts) can be entered either
 for each board or globally.  They can also be used to start a .DO script.

      I found Flash-II to be easy to set up and use.  It was just a matter
 of running the install program to register my copy and then copying the
 files onto another disk that was set up with my other programs that I
 boot up with each time.  It appears that the install program was thought
 of as a later effort to combat software piracy as it was only noted on a
 added sheet of paper.  The package comes with signup information for both
 GEnie and Compu$erve.  Per the manual putting Flash-II onto a hard drive
 is just a matter of copying the files to appropriate folders.  It
 recommends setting up a separate folder for the files that don't go into
 the auto folder.

      One of the greatest things that I liked about this program was its
 very flexible editor screen.  The distribution disk comes with several
 files that you can load into the editor and then review.  It even loads
 GIF picture files so that you can see them.

      Setting up the boards that I use was easy.  It was just a matter of
 selecting EDIT BOARDS under the PHONE section.  Then clicking on one of
 the blank selections and entering the info and then saving it. I even got
 one to accept my logon ID without a lot of work.  I think that the rest
 would be easy to set up. I just haven't felt it to be worth it to take
 the time to get them setup.

      There has been at least one intermediate bug fix released.  I
 downloaded it and installed it.  It didn't fix the one problem that I was
 having which involved 48 line mode and using Warp-9 at the same time.
 You would get a garbled logon msg unless the Warp-9 screen accelerator
 was disabled.  After you went back to the terminal screen you could then
 toggle back to the editor and re-enable the Warp-9 screen accelerator and
 all would be okay.

      I would recommend this program to anyone looking for a new
 telecommuncations program.  The only program that is similar in
 capability that I am aware of is STALKER and it requires an add-on editor
 program to do what is built into FLASH-II.  The system I tested on was a
 1040-ST with 1 meg memory, TOS 1.0, monochrome monitor and both
 internal/external floppy drives.

       ______________________________________________________________




 > ONLINE WEEKLY STReport OnLine          The wires are a hummin'!
   """""""""""""""""""""""""""""



                            PEOPLE... ARE TALKING
                            =====================


  On CompuServe
  -------------
  compiled by
  Joe Mirando



   Hello again friends!  First off, I'd like to thank everyone who dropped
 me a line this past week to enquire as to my grandmother's health after I
 mentioned it in last week's column.  Unfortunately, there is not much
 good news to date.  It is at times like this that one can appreciate the
 on-line community and its almost instantaneous transmission of not only
 bits of computer-recognizable code, but of the feelings of empathy and
 concern from both good friends and those that I know only as ASCII
 signatures in on-line posts.  Thanks again for your concern... and thank
 you for indulging me in this short (as I promised a few weeks ago)
 monologue.

   Now, let's get to the good stuff...


 From the Atari Productivity Forum
 =================================


 John Devlin asks:

 "Does anyone know if its possoble to connect a modem to a mobile phone
 (I live in the UK).

 The reason for the question is that Mercury Telecomunication are
 offering free calls between  7pm & 7am, for local calls, in this case
 this is a bout 45 mile diameter circle."

 Master Sysop Ron Luks tells John:

 "If by "mobile" phone, you mean cellular phone, then I believe you
 have to get a cellular modem."

 Jonnie Santos talks about his setup with FOLDERXXX:

 "I chose the FOLDRXXX.PRG and set it to 500.  That should do it for
 now."

 Peter Joseph jumps in and asks:

 "500!!  Wow, you plan on having a lot of folders.  I have mine set to
 100 and I doubt I'll ever need that.  You do know that that's gonna
 eat up about 68k of memory right? (or is it 66k)"

 Jonnie now asks:

 "Anyone know how many folders I can have with TOS 1.62?  I've got a
 STe and I've used the FOLDRXXX.PRG but now I also have an option to
 increase the folder limit with the ICD utilites that came with my new
 hard drive."

 Alan Moore tells Jonnie:

 "With FOLDRXXX.PRG you should be able to increase the limit to any
 number you require, the only consideration is the ammout om memory,
 (the bigger the limit the more memory you use), but only if memory is
 tight."

 Jonnie asks:

 "But how many folders does TOS 1.62 support in the first place?  It
 may not even be necessary that I increase the folder limit in the
 first place."

 Alan tells Jonnie:

 "TOS 1.62, if I'm not mistaken, has the 40 folder bug, if you open more
 than that in one session then you will get garbage on the screen and
 you will need to re-boot, if you have a hard disk then I would suggest
 you use FOLDRXXX.PRG but if you only have floppies then you would
 never reach the limit of 40 folders so the patch prg is not needed."

 Jonnie tells Alan:

 "TOS 1.62, if I'm not mistaken, has the 40 folder bug, if you open more
 than that in one session then you will get garbage on the screen and
 you will need to re-boot, if you have a hard disk then I would suggest
 you use FOLDRXXX.PRG but if you only have floppies then you would
 never reach the limit of 40 folders so the patch prg is not needed."

 David Burns tells us:

 "...Guys like Keith and systems like C-Serve are keeping guys like me
 going right now.  I live in a non-Atari market (FL), so there's
 neither sales nor service support, no allies to call when I dig myself
 in deep.  All my cyber buddies are doing DOS [this is your brain on
 DOS], so it just makes my day when I dumb my way into a jam that half
 a dozen guys quite willingly jump in to help bail me out.  By the way,
 I've downloaded some of the PS fonts recently and have run them on
 Pagestream:  they look just mahvelous!  Any tips on speeding up the
 screen re-draws of these fonts?"

 My buddy ,Brian Gockley of ST Informer, tells David:

 "One of the best things you could do is to buy Warp9 from the
 Codeheads. It will speed up your screen redraws by 30%!"

 Now _that_ is good advice.  Warp9 3.80 is a GREAT product that works
 wonders!  Anyone who doesn't have Warp9 should have to use (shudder,
 shudder) DOS as a punnishment.

 Boris Molodyi, another mainstay here in the Atari Forums, tells David:

 "In addition to what Brian had advised (Warp 9), you also may consider
 BITMAKER from MegaType Software. It creates screen fonts from PS fonts
 (either PageStream or Type1) and actually gives even better speed
 increase. Of course, with Warp9 you will see speed increase everywhere,
 not only in PgS, but if you use PgS much, then I think that BitMaker
 is an essential utility, since Soft-Logik never cared to implement
 caching of font outlines, and redraws take a lot. With BitMaker you
 have screen bitmaps ready-made, and speed increase is something to be
 seen."

 DI Johnson pleads:

 "Help! - A friend of mine needs to replace the floppy drive in his
 1040ST.  Is there anyone here who has a used one to sell?  How about a
 new one - how much would that cost? Who can supply the part?  Any help
 would be appreciated."

 Albert Dayes of Atari Explorer On-Line tells DI:

 "Any IBM style 3.5 inch drive should do just fine.  They run around
 $60 or so but if you shop around you can find them for a lower price.
 This is assuming you want to replace the floppy mechanism versus the
 drive itself.

 For external ones you might want to check with an Atari dealer.  I
 like the Computer Network myself (818)-500-3900.  And I'm sure others
 can recommend other dealers."

 DI asks Albert:

 "What is the difference between the "mechanism" and the "drive"?

 I will check with a local repair house, and may also call the folks @
 the Computer Network as well."

 Albert supplies the proper terminology:

 "The mechanism is the actual hardware that makes up the floppy disk
 drive. The "drive" is the plastic case, power supply, and the
 mechanism all in one."

 John Damiano at Transierra adds another source:

 "...Call Best Electronics in San Jose CA.  They have everything.  He can
 probably get an exact replacement.   The IBM drives (720K)generally
 work but they don't match physically.  Good luck and good hunting."

 Mike Mortilla posts:

 "Ok, here's a good one...

 My Stacy has developed a very strange habit. If I open a window for a
 drive and run a program (or show a file) when I return to the desktop,
 the widow is gone.  Wait, there's more...

 If I run a program while I have 3 windows open, when I return to the
 desktop, 2 windows remain open. If 2 are open, when I return 1 will be
 open.

 Any ideas of what's going on here?...

 ...I am locked out of my Stacy HD for real this time! If I let it go
 thru the boot process, it'll look like it'll be fine, but then won't
 actually finish booting. At the "end" of the process, it asks me to
 insert a disk in Drive A (even tho there is a disk in the drive).
 Pressing anything causes 3 bombs and a freeze-up.

 I can bypass the HD (Ctl-Alt-L/Shift) on boot up and run from
 floppies, but the Stacy utility won't let me reformat the drive. It
 reports a "Fatal Error" (no kidding) and then asks that I check all
 connections to the HD. Of course, tearing the Stacy apart to do this
 is not the easiest thing in the world, so I am forced to send the
 thing in for repair <sigh>.

 But if anyone has any ideas as to what is going on, I'd appreciate
 it. The fact that it is going thru it's auto programs before crashing
 makes me think that the connections to the HD are fine and that
 perhaps a FAT is messed up somewhere, but why would I not be able to
 format the drive?

 Dazzz Smith gives Mike a pat on the back... sort of:

 "Hey Mike, congratulations, thats a new one on me, cant say I ever
 heard of anything like that before. What TOS is this?"

 Mike tells Dazzz:

 "Rainbow TOS (1.4?) with a ZRAM upgrade to 4 megs. The latest
 development came this morning when I was "experimenting." I suspected
 the Desktop.INF file so I kept trashing it and resaving the desktop.
 Then I thought, maybe if I save a desktop with no windows, I could
 find out where the problem is.  I guess it's the HD because the Stacy
 won't boot at all now. I'll go thru the motions. but is really faking
 it <g>.

 When it gets to the end of the boot process, it'll say: Please Insert
 disk in Drive A (whether or not you booted with a disk in the drive or
 not. I can override the HD and boot from a floppy, and I'll try
 running AHDI.PRG from the desktop to get back into my HD, but I think
 I'll end up reformatting it. No data lost, fortunately, and with ADSCI
 and the Syquest from my other systems, I'll survive. But I sure wish I
 knew what was happening."

 Dazzz tells Mike:

 "Weird, I dont see how the HD would affect the number of windows
 though.

 I think your Stacy needs a phsychiatrist!"

 Jim Ness jumps in and tells Mike:

 "That's a software problem of some kind.  GEM stores the desktop
 condition in ram, in the exact format you see if you print out
 DESKTOP.INF or CONTROL.INF files.  Some of the lines describe any open
 windows on the desktop.  Somehow that data is being corrupted such
 that the "current" window is no longer shown as open.

 When GEM returns to the desktop, it rebuilds the desktop per that info.

 I'd suggest an AUTO or ACC as the problem.  Any recent additions?"

 Did that sound too easy to you? It did to me.  Although that would
 have been an easy fix, Mike tells us:

 "No recent additions, just a recent trip. Maybe a loose chip? I'll just
 reformat the HD and see what happens."

 Micky White tells us

 "I have recently bought an F030 and for the most part I am pleased with
 it, but I am a little lost. I hope someone out there can help me.
 The Atari desktop includes a functioming HELP key. The HELP window
 describes Alt1 Alt2 etc this is supposed to change reso's but it doesn't.
 Also the Alt/HELP is supposed to initiate a screen dump but this too
 fails to perform. And one more thing I cannot launch ACC's under Multitos
 as described in the MT manual."

 John Amsler tells Micky:

 "Darn, I can't help you because I don't have a Falcon.  Heck, I don't
 even have a TT.  (I've got a MegaSTe.  I love it, but sooner or later
 -- probably the former -- I'm probably going to be forced to buy a
 PowerPC- or Pentium-based computer and stick a GEMulator card in it to
 maintain the use of things such as Arabesque Professional,
 STalker/STeno, Flash 2, Easy Draw, GEMView, MultiDesk Deluxe,
 MegaPaint II, Silhouette, Maxifile, Warp 9, etc. etc.)

 Best wishes; I'm sure someone around here will be able to jump in and
 give you the information you need."

 Tony Barker at Moving Pixels asks Micky about his new machine:

 "What version of TOS are you running in that Falcon? Mine (4.01)
 doesn't mention the ALT1 etc for changing res. The only way to do that
 is from the OPTIONS menu under Set Video...

 ALT/HELP will only do a screen dump if you are in an ST compatable
 screen mode, ie: ST-LOW, ST-Medium, ST-High. I think thats right,
 haven't checked it in some time.

 As far as the MT ACC running thing goes, I'm a little fuzzy on that
 whole thing (to slow for me, so I rarely run it), but make sure the
 line:

         setenv ACCEXT=ACC,ACX

 is in your GEM.CNF file."


 From the Atari ST Arts Forum
 ============================

 A little while ago, Mike Mortilla advised someone on the purchase of
 Midi programs by saying:

 "Platinum goes for about $199 list. Gold was about $100 and I
 think II was about $60.

 If you starting out and can get a used or "left over inventory"
 of Gold you'll be a happy camper. But you'll probably want to
 upgrade for all the cool features in Platinum."

 Stefan Daystrom at Barefoot Software tells us:

 "_Normally_ that might be a good strategy, but with Guitar Center
 doing a "Crazy Eddie" imitation <grin!> this month on those bundles,
 versus the Gold->Platinum upgrade cost being $119, I'd say in most
 cases _this month_ it'd be cheaper to buy the bundle new than to buy
 Gold used and then upgrade..."

 Wow! Now that makes me wish I had some musical talent.  Meanwhile,
 while we're still on the subject of music, Bob Ledbetter asks:

 "Would someone please tell me the differences between EditTrack II,
 EditTrack Gold, and EditTrack Platinum."

 Stefan tells Bob:

 "... they are versions (II was v5, Gold was v6, and Platinum, the
 current is v7).  We (Barefoot Software, formerly Hybrid Arts when II
 and Gold came out) started varying the suffix of the program name with
 each major version to call attention to the differences.  The feature
 differences in each upgrade are too numerous for me to
 remember/mention them _all_, but the _biggest_ change from II to Gold
 was a major revamping of the graphic screen (in II you could use the
 graphic screen to edit notes one at a time, but Gold added Zones,
 Regions, NoteSets, and many editing commands to the graphics screen,
 along with Undo, ability to compare the edited track with _any_
 original track, etc), while the changes from Gold to Platinum include
 a new "tiling" look to the main screen (where you can choose among
 several combinations of screen elements, kinda like windows except
 that you never have to top them and they never overlap and they don't
 get in the way of MIDI timing) with several nice improvements to the
 user interface (real record button, improved muting controls, simple
 track self-repeat, etc), plus a Beat Align feature which lets you play
 something in without regard to the metronome but compensate for that
 later, and much more.

 Reflecting their age, II and Gold weren't Falcon-compatible, and if I
 recall at least the first release of II wasn't TOS 2.xx compatible.

 Because the upgrade price is higher than the difference in price,
 it's probably not worth getting II at this point no matter _how_ low a
 price you might find it for _if_ you plan to upgrade, and that _might_
 even be the case with Gold (especially with the specials that Guitar
 Center is running on EditTrack/GenEdit/EZ-Score bundles this month).
 In fact, even if you _already have_ II, you should check out the
 Guitar Center bundle as an alternative to a II->Platinum upgrade..."

 John Cole at Lexicor Software tells us:

 "I noticed that Atari stock is near it's all time high!  and a very big
 volume (wasnt it 200,000+ trades?)  One thing I noticed in the Wall
 Street Journal was that Atari is listed as having an AMEX bond.  Just
 what is that? I know little about stocks, and nothing about AMEX Bonds
 :-)  Could some fincial guru explain this?  I'll see if I cant post
 the listing."

 Sysop Ron Luks tells John (and anyone else who cares to know):

 "Atari Corp has issued both common stock and sold convertible
 debentures (bonds) to the investing public.

 Stock is an ownership (equity) interest in the company.  The majority
 stockholders are the "owners" of the company.

 Bonds or debentures are "debt" and do not reflect ownership status.
 They are nothing more than a fancy name for a "loan" of money to the
 company.  (similar to going to a bank and borrowing the money like a
 mortgage or school loan).  They have a fixed expiration date (at which
 time the bond holder must be paid back the face value of the bond.

 Convertible bonds are a hybrid instrument.  They are a bond (loan) to
 the company.  The bond holder gets paid interest during the life of
 the bond, then gets paid back the face value at redemption (usually
 20-30 years).

 *HOWEVER* as a 'kicker' or enticement to buy the bonds (loan the
 company money) at lower interest rates, convertible bonds have a
 provision that allows them to be converted into a pre-set number of
 shares at the holders option.

 Theoretical example of how this works:

 Let's say a company wants to borrow $50 million dollars by selling
 bonds to the public.  Based upon the company's credit rating and
 history and other factors, lets say the going interest rate they would
 have to pay would be 10% per year.  The company doesnt want to pay
 that high of a rate.

 So, they make the bonds 'convertible' into stock at a price of $25 per
 share.  (The stock is currently trading at say $18, so its doesnt pay
 to convert it now but sometime down the road the stock may move up to
 $30 or $40 per share.  Then the conversion price of $25 becomes a real
 good idea.

 Because of this "profit potential" from possible stock price gains,
 the company can usually issue the bonds at a lower interest rate--
 like 6% instead of 10%."

 John thanks Ron and asks for more info:

 "Thanks for the explanation ;-)

 How about translating the listing in the Wall Street Journal.
 Here it is

 AMEX BONDS

 Bonds     Cur Yld   Vol   Close   Net Chg. Atari5 1/4 02  cv    36
 60 1/8 +   1/8

 I looked but couldnt find what 'cv' stood for (Oh, just found it!
 'cv' is a Convertible bond :-)

 Boy this stuff is complex ;-)"

 Ron, being the knowledgeable guy that he is, tells John:

 "Translation:

 Atari issued bonds at a face value of $1000 per bond.  They are
 currently trading at a price of $612.50 per bond.

 The bonds pay $52.50 interest per year, which at the current price of
 60 1/8 is a yield of about 8 1/2%.

 36 bonds trading meant a face value of $36,000 changed hands (a
 statistically insignificant number).

 According to my Standard and Poors Bond guide, the Atari bonds can be
 converted into common stock at a price of just over $16 per share.
 With the stock trading at less than 1/2 this figure, conversion isnt a
 consideration (no one would convert).  Until the stock gets to a price
 over $12-14 oper share, the conversion priviledge isnt a factor in the
 bonds value."

 A quick check with the stock reports available here on CompuServe
 shows Atari stock at 4:00p on Thursday with a value of $7.875 per
 share.  Just imagine, had I invested my life savings in Atari stock
 when it was valued at $0.50 per share, I'd be rich.  I didn't because
 I no longer trust them to not "snatch defeat from the jaws of
 victory".  Well, live and learn, I guess.



 In the hot NEWS Dep't, Alan Page (Flash Fame) tells us;

 "As many people are aware, I had arranged with Double-Click software to
 write a new telecommunications program to be called Storm. Due to a
 variety of circumstances, the program was never finished, though it had
 progressed to beta testing.

 I have decided to release Storm as shareware. I realize that there are
 companies out there that would be happy to publish it commercially, but I
 have a full-time job and it would take too long to completely finish the
 program and  manual. Mike Vederman has been kind enough to permit me to
 release the program as shareware and also to allow me to use the Storm
 name and logo. Mike and I are still on very good terms.

 The program is fully functional, except for a few minor features. Current
 documentation consists of a couple of text files, one on the Basic, one
 on the program itself. I have not disabled any features for the shareware
 version and there are no annoying messages nagging users about shareware
 registration.

 I will be distributing the final beta test version to beta testers
 shortly. Once it has been tested, the shareware package will be released.
 I hope this will be in a week or two.

 I have had access to a Falcon, so the program is definitely Falcon
 compatible, as well as MultiTOS, and TT compatible. It has been tried out
 on a variety of video cards, including full-color TT video cards and
 appears to work with all of them.

 The suggested shareware fee will be $25. That is either Canadian or U.S.
 $.(This is to encourage U.S. registrants to purchase Canadian money
 orders.) Shareware registrants will receive printed documentation and an
 enhanced version of the program in the first quarter of 1994. While I
 will attempt to fix any serious bugs in the unregistered version, I will

 not be adding any new features to it. I will be adding features to the
 registered shareware version and writing improved documentation for it.

 I will be supporting Storm on both CompuServe and Genie. I do not wish to
 become involved in any of the battles that occasionally erupt between
 users of the various online services. I will upload the software to both
 services on the same day, and it will be up to the sysops when it will
 become available for download.

                                               - Alan Page

 All beta testers are released from non-disclosure regarding Storm
 features, though I hope they will check out the final beta version
 (available in a day or so) before commenting, because there have been a
 number of changes and fixes."



 From the Atari Vendors Forum
 ============================


 John Brenner, another new aquaintence of mine, asks Ron:

 "I read a post where a customer inquiring from you about accelerators
 was recommended a Gadgets SST and you strongly discouraged him
 againts a Fastech 030. The reasons were obscure. You did say that the
 SST was more compatible. I think the opposite is true, The 030 board
 has a 68,000 chip on board so it is backwards compatible. It can also
 go to 40 megs of ram instead of the 12 megs on the SST. As for
 problems with Fastech. I ordered my Turbo 030 a month ago from Jim
 Allen and it is sitting on my desk as I am typing this. We all know of
 the problems Fastech as had with delivering the Tiny Turbos for the
 STE series but this is no reason for discouraging Mega ST users from
 looking into getting the best accelerator available for the Mega line
 of computers."

 Ron tells John why he "chose" one over the other:

 "Actually, I did not say the SST was more compatible than the Fastech
 unit.  In fact, I'm not very familiar with either product as I dont
 use an accellerator board in my system.

 My reasons for recommending Gadgets over Fastech were overwhelmingly
 due to the fact that I've known Dave Small for many years and know
 that he designs good products and writes good manuals.  Gadgets
 provides online support for our customers on CompuServe.  Fastech does
 not.

 And of course, the delivery problems you've mentioned about the
 TinyTurbo were a big factor.  As far as I know, they still aren't
 shipping and some people have reported giving deposits or payments
 almost a year and a half ago.  I can't recommend people buy a product
 from a company that does business this way.

 While I dont recall ever meeting Jim Allen face to face, I have been
 exposed to his actions online.  I've even been on the receiving end
 of some of his antics back about 5 or 6 months ago when the Atari
 clone situation was first brought up on CIS.

 No, in good conscience, I could not recommend his company or products
 to anyone."

 Before anyone (and this means ANYONE) starts rolling their eyes,
 making odd hand jestures or surly comments, let me just say that, when
 I went looking for an accelerator, I chose Fastech over Gadgets by
 Small for one of the reasons that Ron recommended the reverse:  I know
 Jim Allen... I know that he designs top-quality, state-of-the-art,
 more-compatible-than-should-be-expected products.  I'm sure that the
 Gadgets product is everything its supposed to be, but it was just more
 technology than I need (I opted for the Tiny Turbo030).



 From the Atari Portfolio Forum
 ==============================


 Well folks, to paraphrase, its out of the old, into the new.  The
 banner on "door" of the Portfolio Forum is (was) as follows:

 "This PORTFOLIO FORUM will be closing tomorrow (Friday, the 22nd) and
 all activity and libraries will be moved to the PALMTOP FORUM (GO
 PALMTOP)."

 Chris Johansen posts:

 "I'm saddened.  My Sinclair ZX80 is abandoned.  My SWTPCo 6800 is an
 orphan.  My Epson HX 20 is adrift.  Note that all these systems still
 _work_, but they have outlived their creators (or their creators'
 interest).  I hope this isn't a portent for the Po'Fo.  That's the
 problem with silicon--sand is much more durable than corporate
 culture. Even Hewlett-Packard, which has enlightened policy toward its
 out-of- production hardware, no longer supports my HP-35 (nor the -45,
 -98 and some others).

 So we will have to provide our own support.  That brings up the
 question of the libraries.  Here we have some sixteen sections and
 libraries.  Will all their contents be crammed into one library
 section in Palmtop?  If the library is to be severely culled before it
 is transferred, perhaps we should preserve the riches we have.
 Perhaps we can support ourselves by assigning different sections to
 people who are active here.  If sixteen people each downloaded a
 section, then, come what may, when a PortFolian needed a file from
 the former library s/he could contact the Keeper of the Section.  Many
 hands make light work.  Thirty-two downloaders would cut the work in
 half.

 Does anyone have a better idea, before Alexandria burns?"

 Sysop Ron Luks tells Chris:

 "Don't dispair!  Portfolio support will continue on the Palmtop Forum
 a lot longer than it will continue from Atari Corp.

 Let's face it, the Portfolio is essentially unchanged since its
 release in 1988.  Atari Corp has moved away from the computer
 marketplace to the videogames arena.  There is no one at Atari
 specializing in the Portfolio anymore (and thats been the case for
 nearly 2 years.) To his credit, Don Thomas (a super guy, albiet not a
 very handsome one) has been supporting Portfolio owners on CompuServe
 on his own time (and nickel) for well over a year.

 We have made efforts to retain our ties with DIP (the creators of the
 Portfolio), Atari Corp (the US distributors of the unit), and the
 greatest assest for the Portfolio-- the user community.

 While its true that we will combine all the Portfolio files into a
 single library in Palmtop, we will be moving the majorityu of our
 files over. (You will be able to do keyword searches within the lib,
 so it wont be all bad).

 Essentially, I was faced with the choice of dropping Portfolio
 support on CIS or merging it into Palmtop Forum and I chose the
 latter. In this manner, we will be able to continue Portfolio support
 with your favorite sysops much longer than would be possible
 otherwise."

 Bill Osburn posts:

 "I don't understand why CI$ wants to drop the Atari Forum unless
 it has to do with the almighty $.  As for me, the only reason I log in
 is because of this Forum.  When the Club Forum dissolved, I lost my
 support for the Coleco Adam computer that I used to use.  I stayed off
 CI$ until I picked up a PORTFOLIO and learned that CI$ supported it in
 a separate forum.

 I will try the new forum and if I don't find it convenient, I will
 retire my CI$ account.  I can use the $30 - $40 a month on something
 else.  And you may quote me on that.  Better yet, fire this over to
 the management. Well guys, what do you think?  We control the purse
 strings.  Isn't the customer always right?  I for one vote to keep
 this forum untouched.  I know how to navigate through this system to
 maximize my computing dollars. And if all the files won't transfer
 over, why not?  Aren't they not good enough?  Why put them on there in
 the first place?  And with 750 files PLUS the rest of the files
 supporting other palmtops, there probably will be over 1500 files to
 run a search through!  Another ploy to rack up your coneect time
 dollar$.  I normally lurk on this forum, but this ticks me off to the
 point where I feel I must speak up.  Thanks for bearing with me on
 this."

 Ron Luks explains (in a slightly different way) why the Portfolio
 section is being moved:

 "First, it was my decision to merge the Portfolio forum into the
 Palmtop Forum.

 This was something we were going to do from DAY 1, but held off
 because the Portfolio forum was already a stand alone entity and we
 had a special working arrangement with Atari Corp.

 In years past, this forum did over 100 messages a day and now the
 total is often just a couple a day-- sometimes none.

 To maintain a forum "shell" requires a fixed minimum amount of online
 resources and disk space, and the number of people passing through
 here each day did not justify this investment.  Imagine keeping a
 restaurant open only for left-handed, White Anglo Saxon, smokers who
 preferred high cholesteral foods.  10 years ago, this was a
 significant population, but today........  things change.

 Fortunately, the forum software will permit you to access the Palmtop
 Forum and limit your reading and lib scanning to a single message
 section and library.  In that case, whats the difference between going
 to a specialized forum and a specialized section in a general
 forum????

 The number of Portfolio owners who frequented this forum in the early
 days numbered in the thousands.  Today, it does not even number in the
 dozens.  We dont want to drop Portfolio support, and in fact, merging
 it into the Palmtop forum will give it a new life.

 Just as the C64, the Atari 8-bit, and the Radio Shack Color computers
 were once the mainstay of the computing market, times have changed and
 unfortunately, the Portfolio has not moved along with them.

 So, don't yell at CompuServe.  Yell at me.  I run the forums here and
 I'll take the heat."

 Now THAT'S refreshing:  Someone willing to take the heat instead of
 shifting the blame to another organization or a superior.  You don't
 see much of that anymore... in any walk of life.  Thanks Ron, for
 being a stand-up guy.

 Bill Osburn explains his position:

 "As long as Atari has a separate forum within the Palmtop forum,
 that's OK with me.  I didn't want to wade through messages for other
 machines that I did not have or care to use.  I realize that there has
 to be traffic in the forums to keep it alive.  So examine why the
 traffic is slower.  Did people find what they want?  Did they switch
 to other machines, or did they feel they could get what they needed
 elsewhere?  Maybe the Atari forum will be better in the new forum.
 Why doesn't someone look at which software in the Palmtop forum is
 compatible with the PORT and let the rest of us know about it?"

 Ron tells Bill:

 "There WILL be a separate section within the Palmtop Forum for
 Portfolio owners.  You can go check it out now.  (Its available today
 but won't be officially unveiled until Friday).

 We will do our best to point out to you any PC software for palmtops
 that is also Portfolio compatible."



 Well folks, I've done it again... I've exceeded by limit for this
 column.  It really is easy to do here on CompuServe.  Be sure to tune
 in again next week, same time, same station, and listen to what they
 are saying when...

                            PEOPLE ARE TALKING


             __________________________________________________



 > US Robotics Sysop Deal STR InfoFile
   """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""




                    U.S. ROBOTICS SYSOP SUPPORT PROGRAM
                    ===================================


 General:

     This section describes the rules of the U.S. Robotics SYSOP Program.
 U.S. Robotics reserves the right to modify or change these rules at any
 time.

 Scope:

     The U.S. Robotics SYSOP Program permits QUALIFIED SYSOPs to purchase
 current U.S. Robotics products at a reduced price.  The purpose of this
 program is to continue the close relationship established many years
 ago between U.S. Robotics and the Sysop community.

      Participants should recognize that our ability to continue the
 program is dependent upon the strong position U.S. Robotics enjoys in the
 reseller channel, with the distributors and dealers, VARs, etc. that
 continue to buy and resell our products to home and business users around
 the world.  It is our intent to maintain the integrity of our channel
 relationships by closely scrutinizing each SYSOP sale to ensure that we
 only sell productsto qualified SYSOPs.


 Qualifications:

 1.  The SYSOP states that he/she is NOT in the business of
     reselling computer products and/or related
     peripherals, including modems.  Qualified resellers
     may take advantage of other programs offered by U.S.
     Robotics by calling (800) 342-5877 and asking for the
     dealer sales representative for your area.

 2.  The SYSOP has been operating the bulletin board system
     for at least six (6) months and that this activity can
     be verified by dialing into the bulletin board system.
     Typically user logs, activity logs, and local message
     bases are a good source for verifying activity.

 3.  The SYSOP understands that the number of modems that
     may be obtained under this program is limited to the
     number of working, VERIFIABLE data lines.  Data lines
     MUST be dedicated for modem use only and MUST be
     available 24 hours a day for modem access.  Modems
     purchased under this program MUST be used on one of
     the stated lines.  Furthermore, the SYSOP understands
     that the number of serial cards that may be obtained
     is one for each 2 modems ordered under the SYSOP Program.
     Participants in the Sysop Program beginning 1/1/92 may
     purchase the Dual Async Card based on these rules as well.

 4.  The SYSOP agrees to post an appropriate logon notice,
     visible to users of the bulletin board, which states
     that said bulletin board uses and supports U.S.
     Robotics brand products.

 5.  The SYSOP agrees that he/she intends to operate the
     bulletin board, for which these products are purchased,
     for at least six (6) months post purchase.  The U.S.
     Robotics logon must remain in effect for six (6)
     months to allow verification that the bulletin board
     is in place and that the U.S. Robotics promotional
     message is being displayed.

 6.  The SYSOP agrees that, in order to avoid conflict with
     the U.S. Robotics reseller channel, modems purchased
     under this program cannot be re-sold without the
     expressed written consent of U.S. Robotics.
     Violation of this policy will result in the SYSOP's
     being ineligible for future participation in the U.S.
     Robotics SYSOP program.  In addition, any warranties
     on modems re-sold without U.S. Robotics authorization
     will be null and void.

 7.  The SYSOP understands that verification of an order will
     take from two (2) to five (5) weeks depending on the
     number of orders being processed by the SYSOP Support
     Department, and difficulty in verifying your bulletin
     board.  Shipment of product will take from two (2) to
     six (6) weeks pending availability of the particular product
     ordered.  U.S. Robotics will ship product(s) to
     QUALIFIED SYSOPs as soon as possible after:

     A.   The SYSOP completes the order form and
     questionnaire found on the U.S. Robotics BBS via
     the SYSOP command at the main menu.  These must be
     filled-out on-line as no mail-in orders will be accepted.

     Prepaid orders will not be processed until payment has
     been received by U.S. Robotics.  After placing an order
     on the board, a SYSOP wishing to prepay his/her order
     should send a money order or cashier's check for U.S.
     funds to:

                     U.S. Robotics SYSOP Support Program
                           8100 McCormick Blvd.
                             Skokie, IL 60076

     It is imperative that the SYSOP name, voice phone number and BBS
 phone number be indicated for identification purposes.  A personal or
 company check is acceptable, but shipping will be delayed for ten (10)
 working days to ensure that the check clears our bank.  NO CHECKS OR
 MONEY ORDERS WILLBE DEPOSITED BY U.S. ROBOTICS UNTIL THE SYSOP's BBS HAS
 BEEN VERIFIED.


           *********************************************************
           **     Wire transfers MUST be pre-approved by the      **
           **         U.S. Robotics Sysop Department.             **
           *********************************************************



           $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
           $ U.S. Robotics will now accept credit card orders.     $
           $ To pay via credit card please call the Sysop Dept     $
           $ and be prepared to provide the Sysop Receptionist all $
           $ pertinent credit card information.  Charges will not  $
           $ be applied to the account until the BBS has been      $
           $ verified by a SYSOP administrator.                    $
           $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$



     B.   The SYSOP understands that once an order is
     placed, it cannot be changed.  If you are uncertain
     as to the product you want to purchase, you may consult
     the Information & Text Files file area of this bulletin
     board for product information.  Or, you may call the
     U.S. Robotics Technical Support Department at (800) 982-5151
     in the U.S. or (800) 553-3560 in Canada.
     Outside the U.S and Canada, call (708) 982-5151.

     C.   Your board will be verified by a the U.S.
     Robotics SYSOP Administrator.  We MUST be able to connect
     with your bulletin board to verify board status.  In the
     event that we are uncertain of your board status, you
     will be notified either by U.S. Robotics via your board
     or by mail or voice.  We will advise you as best we can as
     to what you need to provide in order to have your board
     verified (appropriate logon, copy of phone bill, soft-
     ware registration, etc.).  In no case will we verify a
     board until we are certain that it meets the require-
     ments of the program.

     D.   U.S. Robotics will not accept phone-in orders.

     E.   U. S. Robotics reserves the right to modify,
     change or cancel this program at any time.

     F.   If you have any questions regarding this program,
     please call (800) 342-5877 for clarification.  In Canada,
     call (800) 553-3560.  Outside the U.S. and Canada, call
     (708) 982-5001.


 ADDENDUM



 We realize that all Bulletin Boards are not the same and we are not
 always able to ascertain their validity during our normal verification
 process.  In order not to exclude those Bulletin Boards from our program,
 we may request additional information such as copies of telephone bills,
 proof of software purchase and/or registration and network and
 association membership.  This information will only be requested by U.S.
 Robotics in rare cases and can not be used solely as a means of
 qualification.

 Before placing an order, please take steps to ensure the process goes as
 easily as possible.

  1. Create a login for U.S. Robotics

  2. Ensure no questionnaires or voting is necessary

  3. If your logon requires information other than password be
     sure to include this information on the order.

  4. Once this is established logon under the U.S. Robotics ID
     and look for verifiable proof of 6 months activity.  If
     you can't find it, odds are we won't be able to either.

      ** US Robotics CAN NOT download special software to verify  **
      ** your BBS.  We support the basic communication platforms. **

      U.S. Robotics is determined to provide a SYSOP Program which is fair
 and equitable to everyone.  Any requests made of SYSOPs in order to
 verify Bulletin Boards are made in order to ensure that the program
 serves the entire SYSOP community and protect the USR distribution
 channel as well.

      We will make every effort to process each and every order in a
 professional and courteous manner.  Please help us to provide the type of
 service you want and deserve by filling-out the order form as completely
 and accurately as possible and responding to our requests for additional
 information in a prompt manner.


          PRODUCT                                          PRICE

          COURIER HST (U.S. AND CANADA)                    $ 349
          COURIER V.32bis (U.S. AND CANADA)                $ 299
          COURIER HST DUAL STANDARD w/V.32terbo & 21.6K    $ 399
          INTERNATIONAL HST*                               $ 339
          INTERNATIONAL V.32bis*                           $ 289
          INTERNATIONAL COURIER HST DUAL STANDARD*         $ 439
          DOMESTIC POWER SUPPLY (INT'L USERS)*             $  10
          INTERNATIONAL POWER SUPPLY (INT'L USERS)*        $  50
          HIGH SPEED DUAL ASYNC SERIAL BOARD               $  50


 * European Sysops must now order via our office in France.

   The BBS number is +33 20-059945, voice number is
   +33 20-471210.  Be sure to read their EURODEAL rules as
   they differ from USR/USA.

 **International version - a separate power supply must be ordered if the
 modem is used outside the U.S. or Canada.  International power supply is
 220 volts;

 Domestic power supply is 110 volts.  At least one (1) power supply must
 be ordered with each international modem.

 ***For detailed information and technical specifications on the above
 products, call the U.S. Robotics Technical Support Department at (800)
 982-5151 in the U.S. or (800) 553-3560 in Canada.  From outside the U.S.
 or Canada, call (708) 982-5151.  Or FAX at 708-933-5552.  In Europe call
 +33 20-471210 or FAX +33 20-91992


                             *** THANK YOU ***




 """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""


                      STReport's "EDITORIAL CARTOON"
                      """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""


 > A "Quotable Quote"                "Of Castles & Sand!"
   """""""""""""""""




           "....is about the use of SMOKE & MIRRORS"
                 to manipulate stock values!"

                           ..from; "The Study of Stock Market Sorcery"


                   MUZZLES??  DID SOMEONE SAY MUZZLES???

                           THERE ARE NO MUZZLES!

                   "Its always quiet at solemn funerals!"

                                          .. O'Hara's Observations



  """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""


 > DEALER CLASSIFIED LIST STR InfoFile        * Dealer Listings *
   """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""          ---------------

                            ABCO COMPUTER INC.
                            ==================
                               P.O. Box 6672
                     Jacksonville, Florida 32221-6155
                                 Est. 1985
                              1-904-783-3319
                         FULL LINE COMPUTER DEALER
                        MAIL ORDER SERVICE WORLDWIDE
                    IBM/MSDOS-PC-CLONES-MAC-AMIGA-ATARI
                      CUSTOM, MADE TO ORDER HARDWARE
                     SOFTWARE, SUPPLIES & INSTRUCTION

           """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

                              COMPUTER STUDIO
                              ===============
                         WESTGATE SHOPPING CENTER
                       40 Westgate Parkway - Suite D
                           Asheville, NC  28806
                       1-800-253-0201 - Orders Only
                        1-704-251-0201 - Information
                          FULL LINE COMPUTER DEALER

           """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

                          EAST HARTFORD COMPUTER
                          ======================
                              202 Roberts St.
                         East Hartford CT.  06108
                               1-203-528-4448
                         FULL LINE COMPUTER DEALER

          """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

                            MEGABYTE COMPUTERS
                            ==================
                               907 Mebourne
                              Hurst, TX 76053
                              1-817-589-2950
                         FULL LINE COMPUTER DEALER

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                             SAN JOSE COMPUTER
                             =================
                              1278 Alma Court
                           San Jose, CA.  95112
                               1-408-995-5080
                         FULL LINE COMPUTER DEALER

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                             CompuSeller West
                             ================
                            220-1/2 W. Main St.
                          St. Charles, IL., 60174
                            Ph. (708) 513-5220
                         FULL LINE COMPUTER DEALER

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           (DEALERS; to be listed here, please drop us a line.)

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