ST Report: 25-Aug-95 #1134

From: Bruce D. Nelson (aa789@cleveland.Freenet.Edu)
Date: 09/07/95-09:51:05 PM Z


From: aa789@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Bruce D. Nelson)
Subject: ST Report: 25-Aug-95 #1134
Date: Thu Sep  7 21:51:05 1995




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 08/25/95 STR 1134 "The Original * Independent * OnLine Magazine!"
   ASCII Edition
 - CPU INDUSTRY REPORT    - MOVE OVER ..MCI!!      - Object DeskTop Review
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 - Mr. T's CatNIPS        - People Talking         - Jaguar NewsBits

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


      On Wednesday, all day long, I enjoyed the company of reporters and
 camera operators from TWO Local TV stations.  It looked like a major
 spectacle with their conspicuously marked trucks parked outside. The
 reporters, Michael Dillon, WTLV (NBC) and David Hanson, WJKS (ABC) asked
 all sorts of questions about Microsoft, Windows 95, NT and the future.

      While they were getting the best information, demonstrations and
 explanations I could muster I made certain ClubWin was mentioned and
 explained as best I could in both interviews.  ClubWin will soon become a
 household word in the world of Windows.  ABC gave us a 90sec spot as the
 first item in their newscast... and ABC gave us a 60 sec spot at a midway
 point in their newscast.  Both stations did so at both 6pm and 11pm.
 Admittedly, it was an easy day for me after having been the host of a TV
 talk show in Ft. Lauderdale for almost two and a half years at WKID TV-51.

      Actually, Windows 95 stole the show.   That's as it should've been.
 Those of you who have machines on different platforms owe it to yourselves
 to go to the local computer store and have a good long look at Windows 95.
 See for your self just how badly maligned this excellent OS really is.  I
 believe many of you will soon see exactly who is full of hot air and who
 is actually telling it like it is.

      Microsoft, as I've stated many times before, has a real winner on
 their hands with Windows 95.  All the naysayers and Gates bashers have
 made their personal agonies well known by their deceitful tirades against
 Windows 95.  The truth is Brad Silverberg and his finely tuned staff have
 turned out what can only be called the software effort of the decade.
 Silverberg has single-handedly accomplished what other software companies
 have been trying to do for years.  That is to bring software production to
 a point where the company can be more than only relatively confident the
 release version is stable.  The manner in which Silverberg set about to
 accomplish this monumental feat was indeed revolutionary.  Brad Silverberg
 had, what can only be termed extreme foresight into a highly productive
 future by recruiting a large beta team such as was involved with bringing
 Windows 95 to market.  In fact, his concepts seem to border on an open NDA
 beta program especially when release time was drawing near.

      When asked about his unique approach to the entire Windows 95
 development program, Brad quipped "I came to Microsoft over 5 years ago,
 just as win 3.0 was launched, with the vision of "Chicago" in my mind.  I
 knew that's what I wanted to build. Had to do a few things first, like WIN
 3.1, ms-dos 5,6, and wfw 3.1 and 3.11, but now win95 is a reality".  If
 nothing else, Brad will always be recognized as a "can-do" kinda guy.  Of
 course... Windows 95 is really only the "true beginning" for Brad
 Silverberg.  He is a young dynamic executive with an aggressive and
 equally progressive company.  It becomes very easy to believe that for
 him, the sky... barely a limit.

      As mentioned above, the manner is which the entire beta program
 operated was truly unique.  Now, with the release of the revolutionary new
 OS, Silverberg has managed to set another precedent... He encouraged
 ClubWin.  ClubWin is composed of a group of the original beta team members
 who expressed a desire to help the computing community make the transition
 to Windows 95.  One can easily obtain help from ClubWin members most
 anywhere ..all one need do is ask.   This reporter is willing to wager
 that in the moths to come many other software houses will be offering
 similar beta programs.  The "elitist" attitude is gone and people helping
 people has taken its place.  Obviously, its a successful approach.
 Windows 95 speaks loudly in favor of Silverberg's unique approach.

      In this, our "Inaugural Enhanced Issue", We also celebrate the
 Windows 95 launch in our own way.  Lord knows how badly I've wanted to
 provide an eye pleasing weekly issue that was highly informative and good
 looking at the same time.  The enhanced issue is done with the 32 bit
 Office 95 package and particular, Word 7.0 from Microsoft.  The Ascii
 version is done with Word Perfect as it always has been.  We at STReport
 are overjoyed to bring you the enhanced version in the Adobe PDF [Portable
 Document Format] as it preserves every minute detail that's planned into
 each issue.  Adobe's Acrobat Reader version 2.1 is available on most every
 popular computing platform.  That makes the PDF version 99% cross-platform
 compatible.  Please enjoy our humble efforts.

                                         Ralph......



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 STR INDUSTRY REPORT                     LATE BREAKING INDUSTRY-WIDE NEWS

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

                                  Issue #34

                        Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson



                 -/- Judge OKs Microsoft Settlement -/-


      A federal judge this morning approved an antitrust settlement
 reached more than a year ago between Microsoft Corp. and the U.S.
 Justice Department changing the way the software giant sells its key
 product.

     Reporting from Washington, The Associated Press says that during a
 hearing that lasted just 17 minutes, U.S. District Judge Thomas
 Penfield Jackson asked attorneys for Microsoft and the government
 whether there were any last minute changes.

      Microsoft asked that the agreement -- which extends for 6 1/2
 years and covers the way it sells, or licenses, its main product to
 personal computer makers -- be made effective retroactive to Dec. 15,
 1994. The government opposed that idea and Jackson sided with the
 Justice Department, saying it would take effect as soon as he approved
 it.

      A few moments later, he declared, "The decree has been entered."
 Assistant U.S. Attorney General Anne Bingaman declined to comment
 afterward. William Neukom, chief counsel for Microsoft, said the
 company was pleased by the judge's decision.

      The order ends an unusually long judicial review of an antitrust
 case. The first judge to look over the agreement rejected it but was
 overturned on appeal.

      Meanwhile, a separate investigation into Microsoft's new Windows
 95 operating system and its entry into the online services industry is
 continuing. Justice officials left open the possibility that evidence
 from the current probe could be presented to the judge, according to
 the Dow Jones news service.


                  -/- Microsoft Unveils Web Browser -/-

      Microsoft Corp. has unveiled browser software for the Internet's
 World Wide Web, available for free downloading. The browser is
 specially designed to take advantage of Microsoft's Windows 95
 operating system, which goes on sale next week.

      Vice President Brad Silverberg of Microsoft's personal systems
 division told United Press International at the company's Redmond,
 Washington, headquarters, "Our goal is to provide Windows 95 customers
 with a solution that combines superior integration with Windows 95,
 great ease of use and high performance."

      UPI adds, "The announcement launches Microsoft into the red-hot
 battle to become publisher of the dominant browser. ... Microsoft said
 computer manufacturers are pre-installing Explorer on all new machines
 running Windows95."

      The wire service adds the Internet Explorer takes advantage of
 Windows 95, a faster 32-bit system, while earlier browsers were
 configured for earlier versions of Windows, 16-bit systems. Also built
 in is the RealTime Audio software for listening to sounds or music on
 the Net.

      The Microsoft's browser will be available free at the firm's File
 Transfer Protocol site at ftp.microsoft.com at the Web address
 http://www.microsoft.com.

      CompuServe members now have access to the Internet's World Wide
 Web through the NetLauncher software. GO NETLAUNCHER for details. Or
 to reach the FTP site from CompuServe, GO INTERNET.


                 -/- Microsoft Readies Win95 TV Show -/-

      Microsoft Corp. says it will promote its new Windows 95 operating
 system with a 30- minute TV special.

      The show, called Microsoft Presents: The Start of Something New,
 is scheduled to premiere in local U.S. TV markets on Sunday, Aug. 27,
 and Monday, Aug. 28.

      Hosted by actor Anthony Edwards of NBC's ER and featuring
 Microsoft Chairman and CEO Bill Gates, the show "will introduce
 millions of Americans to the power and possibilities of computers,"
 says the software giant.

      Gates and Edwards will serve as guides in the 30-minute broadcast
 special, which will include a visit to a remote Appalachian classroom
 connected to the rest of the world by computers; a backstage look at
 the intricacies of choreographing the magic of Cirque du Soleil; and a
 look at a cutting-edge rock band that combines music, video, art and
 graphics into a complete multimedia experience.

      Microsoft Presents: The Start of Something New is produced by
 Universal Studios-based Zaloom-Mayfield Productions, whose previous
 credits include the syndicated television specials The Making of
 Jurassic Park and Cheers: Last Call, as well as the theatrical motion
 pictures Heart of Darkness and Encino Man. The show's national sponsors
 include Coca-Cola Co., Compaq Computer Corp., CompUSA, Eastman Kodak
 Co. and USAir.


                   -/- Stones Tune to Launch Win95 -/-

      Members of the Rolling Stones, breaking their longstanding refusal
 to sell song rights to advertisers, reportedly have accepted
 $12 million to let Microsoft Corp. use their hit "Start Me Up" to
 launch the Windows 95 software campaign next week.

      In London, The Sun newspaper reports Microsoft chief Bill Gates
 asked Stones lead singer Mick Jagger to let him use the song.

      An unidentified Stones source was quoted as telling the newspaper,
 "When Microsoft approached Mick, he quoted a ludicrous amount of money
 thinking they would turn him down. To his surprise they agreed almost
 immediately."

      The paper notes this is the first time Jagger and Keith Richards,
 the Stones' songwriters, have allowed songs for which they own the
 copyrights to be used commercially.

      Gates apparently thinks "Start Me Up" will be the perfect
 accompaniment to an ad, because the first thing a user must do after
 turning on the computer is to click the mouse on the start button,
 London's Financial Times adds.

      But UK-based Computergram International this morning wonders if
 Microsoft actually has listened to the song.

      "Mick and Keith have plenty to celebrate in Microsoft Corp's
 choice of their song to promote Windows 95," the newsletter observes,
 "and, unless Bill Gates has an unsuspectedly well-developed sense of
 irony, they get the last laugh too, because although the title of the
 song is 'Start Me Up,' the hook line in the song is actually the one
 all those foolhardy enough to wrestle with early versions of Windows 95
 will be repeating, the one that goes 'You make a grown man cry.'"


                 -/- Happy Win95 Eve, Fellow Nerds! -/-

      "Computer nerds are a strange animal. They tend to be up at night,
 anyway."

      So says Kurt Schmidtke, manager of Egghead Inc.'s retail
 operations to explain in this morning's Wall Street Journal why his
 employer's 164 outlets will be open at one minute after midnight
 tonight to get a jump on the official release date for Microsoft
 Corp.'s new Windows 95 operating system.

      Journal reporter Carlos Tejada notes some are even throwing
 parties.

 For instance:

      -:- For 95 minutes after midnight, CompUSA's 86 stores will be
 giving away pizza and offering $95 discount coupons on some American
 Airlines flights to buyers of the $89 upgrade or the $209 operating
 system.

      -:- Tandy Corp.'s chain of 79 Computer City stores will stay open
 until 2 a.m. and reopen at 7 a.m. Buyers will get a book with discounts
 on equipment and software. Its 10 Incredible Universe megastores will
 give away movie passes and sports tickets as door prizes, hold drawings
 every 30 minutes for $95 in cash (dubbed "Win Dough 95") and conduct
 contests for the best-dressed nerd.

      -:- At 2 p.m. EDT tomorrow, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates is
 scheduled to make a televised speech from company headquarters in
 Redmond, Wash., and many retailers will carry his remarks live. Jay
 Leno will host the event.

      Meanwhile, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, industry trackers at
 Ziff-Davis Interactive estimate more than 40 percent of us plan to
 upgrade to Win95 right away, while another 49 percent say we will use
 it within a year.

      ZD Interactive Vice President David Shnaider told United Press
 International, "It's not surprising that so many people plan to
 upgrade. But we were surprised to learn that many plan to upgrade
 immediately and will invest in new hardware as part of the move."

      Based on results on more than 12,000 responses received through
 various online services, ZD reports:

      -:- Of those planning to upgrade, 43 percent plan to do so
 immediately; another 30 percent will upgrade over the next six months,
 and nearly 89 percent expect to be using Windows 95 within the next
 year.

      -:- More than 41 percent of the upgraders plan to upgrade hardware
 with the new operating system. Of those, most will be adding chips for
 more RAM and a third will be upgrading hard drives.

      -:- More than 28 percent of the upgraders, or 12 percent of the
 total, plan to buy a whole new system.

      Says UPI, "Most cited several reasons for upgrading: access to
 32 bit applications (79 percent); better memory management (77 percent);
 better able to do more than one task at once (76 percent); more power
 (67 percent); ease of use (45 percent); and Internet access
 (35 percent)."

      (Ziff-Davis said the responses add up to more than 100 percent
 because respondents could give more than one reason for upgrading.)


                    -/- China Backs IBM OS/2 Warp -/-

      In a blow to Microsoft Corp., China's electronics ministry has
 endorsed IBM Corp's OS/2 Warp operating system over the rival Windows
 platform.

      The official Xinhua news agency notes that the endorsement by
 China's Ministry of Electronics Industry was part of a "statement of
 direction" signed by Chinese and IBM officials. According to Xinhua,
 "The ministry is to endorse OS/2 Warp as a preferred product and
 recommend it to Chinese users, so as to provide them with alternatives
 among various software platforms."

      The endorsement comes less than a week before the worldwide launch
 of Windows 95. A Chinese version of Windows 95 is scheduled for launch
 before the end of 1995.


                  -/- Win95 Anti-Virus Program Set -/-

      McAfee Associates Inc. of Santa Clara, California, has announced
 VirusScan for Windows 95, a native 32-bit anti-virus program.

      McAfee notes that the product, which is scheduled to ship on
 August 21, has been approved by Microsoft to carry the Windows 95 logo
 and is certified by the National Computer Security Association. The
 product can detect over 5,100 viruses, says McAfee

      "The excitement and anticipated demand for Windows 95 clearly
 makes it a prime target for virus writers," says Scott Gordon, the
 anti-virus product manager at McAfee. "Windows 95 is also especially
 susceptible to viruses because it does not include bundled anti-virus
 capabilities."

      VirusScan for Windows 95 will ship with a pre-configured list of
 recommended scanning options. Users can customize the options to meet
 their specific needs. The software's users can also define which drives,
 folders and file types will be scanned for infection. Additionally,
 users and network administrators can choose what actions the program,
 will take when a virus is discovered.

      VirusScan for Windows 95 will sell for $65.


                  -/- PC Mag Disputes Win95 Claims -/-

      In its Sept. 26 issue, PC Magazine reports that its test results
 tell a slightly different tale for Windows 95 than Microsoft's
 performance claims.

      The publication says its testing reveals that Windows 95 performs
 at par with Windows 3.11 and Windows 3.1, running existing Windows
 applications on machines with sufficient memory. However, the new
 operating system is slower on some older configurations and in running
 DOS applications. Still, notes the magazine, Windows 95 strikes a good
 balance between stability and compatibility with existing applications.

      PC Magazine recommends that individual users who are buying new
 systems, or who have systems with at least 8MB of memory should upgrade
 to Windows 95, because they will see similar performance, better
 stability, very good compatibility and the ability to run the many new
 applications being written for the operating system.

      However, PC Magazine recommends that users who have systems with
 only 4MB of RAM stick with Windows 3.1 unless they are willing to
 purchase additional memory.


                 -/- French Student Cracks Netscape -/-

      The security code of a foreign version of the popular Netscape
 Navigator software reportedly has been cracked by a French computerist.

      Business writer Catalina Ortiz of The Associated Press comments,
 "While the breach illustrates that such encryption codes aren't
 foolproof, it doesn't mean open season on credit card numbers and other
 sensitive financial data used on the global computer network."

      For one thing, Ortiz says, "the cracked code was much less
 sophisticated than that used on the domestic version of Netscape
 Navigator." Also, "even the hacker admitted it took 122 computers and
 eight days to crack enough code to read just one single message, a
 process that would have to be repeated for any additional message."

      Still, Netscape and security experts said the breach signals the
 need for the U.S. government to eliminate rules that prohibit export of
 software with the stronger security features.

      Netscape Vice President Mike Homer told AP, "Many companies have
 been lobbying for that. I think it's likely it will change. I'm not
 sure how long it will take."

      AP notes current export rules are designed to prevent foreign
 terrorists from stealing sophisticated security codes, potentially
 allowing them to communicate without intelligence agencies listening
 in.

      The wire service says Damien Doligez, a student at the French
 Institute for Research in Computer Science, announced on the Internet
 earlier this week that he cracked the security code in response to a
 challenge from a member of Cypherpunks, an Internet discussion group
 devoted to encryption and privacy issues.

      The task required 120 workstations and two supercomputers, he
 said, adding he did not break the master code but read only one
 encrypted message. In an update yesterday, Doligez said he learned that
 someone else broke the code two hours before he did.

      "The version of Navigator available to Doligez," says Ortiz, "uses
 an encryption code with a so-called 40-bit key, the most sophisticated
 technology that the United States allows companies to export. In the
 United States, Netscape uses a 128-bit security key."

      At Netscape, Homer said breaking the security of that version
 required "10 to the 26th power" more computing power than Doligez used,
 adding, "That's 10 with 26 zeros behind it. There isn't an English word
 for it. The closest I could get when I tried to figure it out was more
 than 100 trillion times greater. ... That only gets you to 14 of those
 26 zeros."

      In his Internet announcement, Doligez said the technical
 implications of his feat were "almost zero." He added that
 knowledgeable people already knew it was possible to read messages
 protected by the 40-bit code and that the domestic version of Netscape
 Navigator is "practically impenetrable."


                     -/- AOL Relocates Employees -/-

       The Washington Post reports that online service provider America
 Online Inc. of Vienna, Virginia, has asked 250 local employees to
 relocate to Jacksonville, Florida, and accept a pay cut.

      The newspaper states that the relocation affects most of AOL's
 Vienna-based customer service staff, representing one of every six AOL
 employees in Northern Virginia. It is the first downsizing at the
 10-year-old company's headquarters.

      "It's more advantageous for us to have customer support centers in
 other parts of the country," where costs of living and business
 expenses are lower than in the D.C. area, AOL spokeswoman Pam McGraw
 told the Post.

      A man who identified himself as an AOL staffer contacted newspaper
 yesterday to complain about the relocation, saying that employees who
 made the move would face a pay cut after the first year of about
 one-third, from $11 an hour to $7 an hour. Employees were given only a
 few weeks to make the decision, he added.

      McGraw stated that AOL would offer affected employees "a very
 generous relocation package."


                  -/- US Robotics Buys ISDN Systems -/-

      Through a stock transaction worth about $40 million, modem maker
 US Robotics Corp. has acquired ISDN Systems Corp., a Vienna, Virginia,
 developer of board-level Integrated Services Digital Network and Frame
 Relay-based client and server products.

      In a statement from its Skokie, Illinois, headquarters, Robotics
 says the acquisition enables it "to take advantage of applications that
 require ISDN-only connectivity, and positions the company to maximize
 opportunities in the growing worldwide marketplace for ISDN and Frame
 Relay access products."

      The statement says all outstanding shares of privately- held ISC
 were converted into US Robotics shares. ISC becomes a wholly-owned
 subsidiary operated under US Robotics' Corporate/Systems Division.

      ISC President/CEO Asghar Mostafa will become a senior manager in
 that business unit.


                  -/- Compaq Unveils New Notebooks -/-

      Compaq Computer Corp. has introduced the LTE 5000, a new high-end
 notebook computer line, its first models co- developed with Inventec
 Electronics Corp. of Taiwan.

      The 75MHz and 90MHz Pentium- based system feature a modular design
 that allows users to access an integrated CD-ROM drive, up to 2.7GB of
 hard disk storage, two batteries with up to eight hours of operating
 time or a floppy disk drive. The notebooks also provide PCI local-bus
 graphics and a maximum RAM capacity of 72MB.

      An optional MultiBay Expansion Base shares interchangeable devices
 with the notebook. The unit also provides storage expansion to 5.4 GB,
 two additional PCMCIA slots, integrated Ethernet support, MPEG and TV
 Video adapters and stereo speakers.

      "The new LTE 5000 is the ultimate business tool for mobile
 professionals who require the highest performance, most flexible
 notebook for advanced or specialized applications," says Hugh Barnes,
 senior vice president and general manager of Compaq's portable PC
 division. "Our customers have described their notebook wish list,
 including the ability to easily customize their portables to meet their
 individual needs, and we've designed the LTE 5000 to exceed their
 expectations.

      Compaq says it will announce the systems' prices and begin
 shipments in September.


                   -/- Compaq Wins Big PC Contract -/-

      Compaq Computer Corp. says it has been awarded a three-year
 contract by British Telecom (BT) to supply it with more than 9,000
 network servers and desktop PCs per year.

      Compaq notes that the contract, valued at more than $90 million,
 is the largest PC contract ever awarded to a computer company in
 Europe.

      The deal calls for Compaq to provide Deskpro, ProSignia and
 ProLiant models to the British telecommunications giant.

      "We chose Compaq following a detailed evaluation of products from
 all the different manufacturers from a technical, commercial and
 customer perspective," says Claire Garrett BT's manager of desktop
 procurement, BT. "In particular, Compaq was able to demonstrate ease
 of upgrade and future-proofing.


        -/- Compaq Names Former Sony, L.A. Cellular Executive -/-

 HOUSTON (Aug. 22) BUSINESS WIRE - Aug. 22, 1995--In a move aimed at
 expanding its leadership role in the consumer market, Compaq Computer
 Corporation (NYSE:CPQ) today announced that Michael Heil, a former top
 executive with Sony and Los Angeles Cellular Telephone Company, an
 AT&T-Bell South partnership, has joined the company as senior vice
 president and general manager of Compaq's Consumer Products Division.
 Heil will report directly to Compaq President and CEO Eckhard Pfeiffer.

      Compaq formed the Consumer Products Division early this year as
 part of its on going efforts to intensify the company's focus on this
 rapidly growing segment of its business.  The company has rocketed to
 the top of the retail PC marketplace since Compaq launched its Presario
 family of consumer PCs in the second half of 1993.

      As head of Compaq's Consumer Products Division, Heil will oversee
 all of Compaq's worldwide consumer business, including the development
 and marketing of all products and services for the consumer marketplace
 and the expansion of Compaq's worldwide retail distribution network.

      "The addition of Michael Heil to our senior management team builds
 on the tremendous success of Compaq's family of Presario consumer PCs
 and puts us in an even stronger position to take advantage of the
 growing opportunities in the consumer marketplace," said Eckhard
 Pfeiffer, Compaq President and CEO.  "In just two years, Compaq has
 helped spark the phenomenal growth of the consumer information
 technology marketplace -- a market that is expected to exceed $100
 billion by the year 2000 -- and Michael Heil brings the experience,
 vision and insight into both consumer electronics and consumer
 telecommunications that will expand Compaq's leadership role."

      At L.A. Cellular, Heil was president and general manager of one of
 the largest cellular phone operating companies in the U.S., Los Angeles
 Cellular Telephone Company.  Heil, who was with L.A. Cellular from 1989
 to 1995, was responsible for all of L.A. Cellular's operations.  From
 1985 to 1989, Heil was a top executive at Sony Corporation, where he
 was president of Sony's Consumer Display Products Company, managing the
 U.S. operations for direct view and projection television as well as
 Watchman products.  He also served as vice president of marketing and
 vice president of national accounts for Sony Corporation of America.
 Heil previously held sales and marketing positions with several other
 consumer product companies, including Atari Corporation, where he was
 vice president of sales for Atari's Western division; Polaroid
 Corporation; and Lever Brothers.


                 -/- HP Joins Price-Cutting Contest -/-

      Following competitors IBM and Compaq Computer Corp.,
 Hewlett-Packard is cutting PC prices by up to 18 percent. Observers say
 the firms are jockeying for position in advance of Microsoft Corp.'s
 release of the Windows 95 operating system this week.

      Reporting from Palo Alto, California, United Press International
 quotes HP officials as saying the company has cut prices on its entire
 family of HP Vectra desktops in order to match or go lower than leading
 competitors' PCs.

      Said Jacques C. Clay, general manager of worldwide desktop PC
 business, "Our unmatched growth in the market shows that we are meeting
 business customers' expectations."

      UPI says HP also rolled out half a dozen business PCs with new
 models of the HP Vectra XU PCs, based on the fastest versions of Intel
 Corp.'s Pentium and running at speeds of 120 and 133 MHz. The new
 systems are expected to ship in mid-September.

      HP said an entry-level HP Vectra VE PC with a 75MHz Pentium and
 8MB of RAM will cost $1,469, compared with $1,599 for a similarly
 configured Compaq ProLinea and $1,650 for a comparable Dell OptiPlex
 X500 PC.

      Last week cuts of 13 percent to 25 percent were announced by
 Compaq, where officials said they are willing to minimize profits to
 boost market share and gain sales on more expensive machines such as
 servers running networks of PCs.

      And, as reported IBM has cut prices of 40 high-end desktop
 computers by an average of 16 percent.


                -/- Hayes Weighs Merger Alternatives -/-

      Hayes Microcomputer Products Inc. is looking at alternatives to a
 merger with Boca Research Inc., officials with the Georgia modem maker
 told a bankruptcy court yesterday.

      The U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Atlanta approved a letter of intent
 for the two modem manufacturers to merge, but did so, says writer Mark
 Boslet of the Dow Jones news service, "while objecting to $1 million in
 breakup fees Hayes Microcomputer would owe Boca Research should the
 merger fail, company and industry sources said."

      Dow Jones quotes an attorney who observed the proceedings as
 saying the bankruptcy judge has decided to review the fees at the time
 they might be requested.

      A company official who also watched the proceedings told the wire
 service Hayes has been presented with some alternatives to the Boca
 Research merger.

      "Sources close to the company declined to comment on whether the
 'alternative' financing would prove enough for Hayes to emerge from
 bankruptcy without Boca Research's help," Boslet reports.

      As reported earlier, Boca Research has agreed to acquire Hayes
 Microcomputer for the cost of its creditors' claims and 1,685,000 of
 its shares. (Previously Boca estimated the cost of creditors claims
 between $70 million and $80 million.)

      "The source said discussions on the alternative financing were
 continuing," the wire service says. "The letter of intent allows Hayes
 to review proposals for minority investments in the company, but not
 majority ones. Company officials said that nevertheless due diligence
 in anticipation of the merger was continuing."


                 -/- CompuServe to Develop Win95 CIM -/-

      While it objects to how Microsoft Corp. is bundling its Microsoft
 Network with the new Windows 95 operating system, CompuServe said today
 it will develop a Win95 version of its CompuServe Information Manager
 software.

      In a statement from his Columbus, Ohio, office, CompuServe
 President/CEO Robert Massey said, "Windows 95, with its easy-to-use
 features and outstanding user interface, represents a milestone in the
 personal computing industry."

      He added, though, "While we are pleased Windows 95 has finally
 arrived on the scene, we continue to oppose the bundling of Microsoft
 Network in the Windows 95 application. By attempting to leverage its
 control in the operating system market to dominate the online industry,
 Microsoft is casting a cloud over the future of cyberspace."

      Meanwhile in Washington, Attorney General Janet Reno rained a
 little on Microsoft's parade, saying the Justice Department's
 anti-trust investigation into the firm is continuing. She declined,
 though, to say when a decision will be made.

      As noted, the Justice Department is looking at whether Microsoft's
 bundling of the new online service with Win95 gives the company an
 unfair advantage.

      The Dow Jones news service quoted Reno as saying, "I can't
 specifically describe what we're looking at, other than to say the
 investigation is continuing."

      As reported, the Justice Department earlier this month took an
 unusual step in saying it did not expect to wrap up its investigation
 before today's release of Windows 95.

      When asked today by reporters whether investigators thought it
 best now to wait and see what the actual impact of the new software is
 before concluding the probe, Reno said, "What the department is
 dedicated to doing is acting and proceeding based on the evidence and
 the law. And it will consider all the evidence that is appropriate in
 the conduct of this investigation."

      Dow Jones says that, while scores of companies besides Microsoft
 had a significant stake in the release of the new operating system,
 Reno said those concerns have not played a role in the Justice
 Department's investigation, or the timing of its conclusion.

      "Again," she said, "what we have tried to do is make a judgement
 based on the evidence that we have. And the evidence goes to the
 practices involved and not to ... what it may or may not do to other
 people."


                 -/- Online Services See Growth Soar -/-

      The number of consumer online service subscribers grew 37.3
 percent to 8.5 million in the first half of 1995, according to market
 researcher SIMBA Information Inc. of Wilton, Connecticut.

      CompuServe remained the largest consumer online service with
 3.2 million subscribers, reports the company, with America Online and
 Prodigy coming in second and third, respectively. Combined, the big
 three services accounted for 7.5 million subscriptions, or 88 percent
 of the consumer online market in the six-month period, says SIMBA.

      SIMBA predicts that the number of consumer online subscribers will
 exceed 11 million by the end of 1995. Growth will be fueled by strong
 gains in existing services and the launch of The Microsoft Network,
 according to Paulette Donnelly, editor of SIMBA's Electronic
 Information Report.

      "Expect online services to continue to grow dramatically over the
 next year, as scores of publishers, investors, software, cable,
 technology and telecommunications companies jump on the online
 bandwagon," says Donnelly.


 Frankie's Corner STR Feature



                Math Ace Grand Prix and Word City Grand Prix


     available separately on floppy disk and CD-ROM for Windows and Mac

                                ages 8 to 14
                                 MRSP $39.95
                            from Sanctuary Woods
                              1825 S. Grant St.
                             San Mateo, CA 94402
                                415-286-6100

                            Program Requirements


            IBM                               Macintosh
 CPU:      386DX-33                      CPU:      LC III
 RAM:      4 megs                        RAM:      4 megs
 OS:       Windows 3.1                   OS:       System 6.0.1
 Hdisk:    3 megs                        Hdisk:    N/A
 Video:    SVGA, 640 by 480, 256 colors  Video:    256 colors, 13" mon.
 CD-ROM:   Double-speed                  CD-ROM:   Double-speed
 Misc.:    Sound card, speakers, mouse   Misc.:    Mouse


 The Kids' Computing Corner


 by Frank Sereno

 Racers, start your engines!  Sanctuary Woods has updated two of its award-
 winning educational titles and based them upon a racing theme which is
 sure to appeal to most boys and girls.

 Math Ace Grand Prix features over 3000 math problems covering seventy
 mathematical topics.  Concepts covered include addition, subtraction,
 multiplication, division, fractions, probability, algebra, geometry,
 decimals, and graphing.  The CD-ROM version includes more advanced topics
 from advanced high school and college mathematics.  These "Champ" topics
 can be added to the floppy disk version by requesting an upgrade diskette
 for $12.95 Word City Grand Prix combines many activities so that children
 can learn spelling, reading comprehension, alphabetization, vocabulary,
 speed reading, antonyms/synonyms, parts of speech and prefixes/suffixes.
 The CD-ROM version contains advanced materials in the "Champ" level.  This
 can be added to the floppy disk version by purchasing the upgrade
 diskette.

 Game play in both programs can be customized to the desired level and to
 study a particular concept or to solve randomly selected problems.  The
 playfield consists of a ten by ten-grid.  Children must capture squares to
 build a road from the green starting flag to the checkered flag.  To
 accomplish this, players must correctly answer questions.  Meanwhile, a
 helicopter is dropping items to block the player's path to the checkered
 flag.  If the helicopter drops enough items to block any possible path to
 the flag, then the game is over.

 Other obstacles to the player's progress are challenge squares.  These
 challenges include building words from letter combinations in Bridge Jump
 and driving over the missing letters to words in Spelling Track in Word
 City.  Decoder asks children to decode messages by guessing letters.  The
 final Word City challenge is Word Shoot in which the player must shoot the
 correct word using a moving cannon.  Math Ace challenges include Paint
 Ball which is a study in probability and Function Shoot in which a player
 must enter a value into an equation to dissect a helicopter on a graph.
 Also included are Angle Cannon in which players must shoot a moving
 helicopter by adjusting the angle of the turret and Function Track, a
 racing game in which the player drives over the correct answers.

 Upon completion of a level, the player can choose to race on a Grand Prix
 track.  He must use the cursor keys to control his car to drive around
 obstacles and curves in the road.  Bonus points are gained for
 successfully completing the course.  Players can advance through eight
 levels of competition in the game portion of the program to become a "new
 Grand Prix champion."

 Another option is to study in the Smart Lab portion of either program.
 Children can then choose from a menu of study options.  Word City has the
 option of building custom word lists for Spelling and Vocabulary study as
 well the included words.  Other choices are Reading Comprehension and
 Speed Reading.  In the Spelling section, the player can choose to see or
 listen to the word before spelling it.  Unfortunately, custom word lists
 are not pronounced.

 The Math Ace Smart Lab menu allows the selection of skill level and
 subject matter.  Example problems and solutions are shown on one portion
 of the screen along an explanation of the procedures used.  For more
 intense study, the student can go to the Reference section for detailed
 information on the available topics which include quadratic equations,
 calculus and trigonometry on the CD-ROM version.  Some of the reference
 material was boring and dry, but that is probably why many children find
 higher level mathematics uninteresting.

 The Grand Prix versions of Math Ace and Word City have colorful, rendered
 graphics which are very attractive.  Both programs are filled with
 excellent sound effects and digitized voices.  The music is MIDI and uses
 a variety of tempos and instruments.  It is an aural treat.

 The interface is quite simple.  Help is provided in text windows.  Audible
 help for younger players would be a nice addition to the programs.  I
 found it difficult to control the on-screen devices in some challenge
 games.  For example, in Spell Track it was difficult for me to read the
 clue and then look to the track to find the correct letters.  Imagine how
 much more difficult it would be for younger children still learning to
 read.    The Grand Prix race was made harder because my keyboard uses a
 ten-key cursor layout.  Why couldn't it have been designed to use a mouse
 or possibly a joystick?  The user manual is very concise and includes a
 troubleshooting section.  Technical assistance is just a toll call away as
 well.

 Children will enjoy playing both games.  Each child will have his own
 preferences for favorite challenge games.  I personally enjoyed the Bridge
 Jump.  These programs would get a higher rating if the bonus level racing
 game was easier to play.

 Both programs provide fantastic educational content.  The challenges and
 resources are quite abundant.  Math Ace and Word City will test your
 children through high school.  I do wish the reference section in Math Ace
 used a teacher to audibly explain the concepts besides the text
 information provided.

 Bang for the Buck is very high.  Both titles come with a 30-Day money-back
 guarantee.  Sanctuary Woods also offers a program through which your local
 school can receive a free copy of the program.  With retail prices around
 $30 and an excellent combination of play and educational values, either
 Word City Grand Prix or Math Ace Grand Prix would be an excellent addition
 to any home educational software.

                                   Ratings

                          Graphics             8.5
                          Sounds               9.0
                          Interface            8.0
                          Play Value           8.5
                          Educational Value    9.5
                          Bang for the Buck    9.0
                          Average              8.75


              Activision's Atari 2600 Action Pack 2 for Windows

 Are you tired of games filled with gore and but lacking imagination?  Are
 you looking for interesting gameplay?  Do you wish for a chance to return
 to those thrilling days of yesteryear?  The Atari 2600 Action Pack 2 could
 be your answer.

 Action Pack 2 consists of fifteen more classic games from the heyday of
 the Atari 2600 gaming machine.  Atlantis, a game of subterranean defense,
 is from Imagic while the other fourteen games are from Activision's own
 vaults of hit games.  Future editions of the Action Pack will include
 Imagic's Demon Attack and Riddle of the Sphinx and also many classic games
 programmed by Atari.

 Activision's contributions to this collection include Barnstorming, a
 side-scrolling flight game in which the player must fly through barns,
 over windmills and avoid geese in flight.  Dolphin is aquatic adventure as
 the player guides a dolphin trying to escape deadly predators.  Dragster
 is a game of head-to-head quarter mile racing.  Enduro, a driving game,
 was one of the first games to feature changing environmental conditions.
 Ice Hockey is still great fun to play against the computer or a friend.
 Keystone Kapers is a cops and robbers chase through a department store.
 Laser Blast put a twist on the usual space invasion theme in which the
 player instead of defending his planet is now trying to recapture it.

 Megamania is a shoot-em-up game in which the deadly targets include
 burgers and bow ties.  Oink gives the player a chance to save the three
 little pigs by patching the holes blown in the wall by that nasty old
 wolf.  Ever heard of a game about dental hygiene?  Then you may have
 forgotten Plaque Attack, the game in which the player shoots toothpaste at
 food items to protect his teeth.  River Raid II is the sequel to the
 original River Raid and is another vertically scrolling shoot-em-up.
 Skiing is a vertically scrolling downhill racing game.  Get along little
 dogies!  Stampede is a challenging game of roping and herding cattle.  The
 final game is Tennis which allows head-to-head or individual play.

 Activision included some interesting features in Action Pack 2.  The
 artificial Mom is a nice touch of nostalgia.  Remember when your mother
 would lovingly remind to do your chores or homework instead of playing
 video games.  Action Pack 2 gives you the option to simulate those golden
 years of your youth by including an artificial Mom.  You can set her to
 nag you occasionally, constantly or any interval in between.

 Another nice feature is that the Help section of each game also includes
 information about that game's history and its author.  In a few cases,
 little is known about the author's whereabouts.  For example, Larry
 Miller, the author of Enduro, has apparently left without a trace.  But it
 is interesting to learn what many of these programmers have accomplished
 over the years.  Many of them are still involved in video games.

 These are great games for playing with younger children or for reminiscing
 about days gone by.  Most of these games hold up really well for great
 gameplay despite the crudity of the graphics.  It is a marvel to realize
 that these games consisted of either 2 or 4k of ROM.  The Atari 2600
 Action Pack can be an excellent addition to your gaming library.

 Once again, I thank you for reading!



 InternetMCI STR Spotlight      "Move Over.... InternetMCI!!!"



                        HOW STRONG IS InternetMCI...
                          ...TECHNICALLY SPEAKING?


 by Ralph Mariano

      Many of our readers should recall the "Name the Net" item we carried
 last week about MCI's wonderful, $5,000.00 contest.  Well... everything is
 NOT so wonderful about this contest... it seems there is a "ID Code
 Server" as some of MCI's telephone reps (called "PROFESSIONALS") believe its
 called.  It conveniently croaked early Friday afternoon. Thus, effectively
 cutting off the MCI subscribers in entire southeastern United States.  So
 much for the "big deal" contest for those folks. This reporter has finally
 concluded what MCI seemingly does with its profits... "they probably spend
 a small fortune having those cute "thankyou for calling..." recordings
 made with "the songs that go nowhere" playing in the background."  I
 know.. been there done that!  I was forced to listen to this trash for a
 grand total of two hours and fifty three minutes while waiting for one of
 these alleged "PROFESSIONALS" to answer the phone.  Thank goodness for
 speaker phones.  I was able to work on this article while being
 "entertained" by the professionally made recordings.  Bleeech!

      The InternetMCI software is, in most cases, totally unnecessary....
 Windows 95 handles the whole shtick easily, as does Warp and any number of
 other, far superior, packages than that offered by InternetMCI.  Many of
 which are available for less and even free.  The constant impression given
 by the Internet MCI "Professionals"  is that one cannot use InternetMCI
 unless they BUY ($39.95) the Internet MCI software!  The Netscape Software
 included is old... Netscape is up to version 1.2 b3 and has many new
 features.

      MCI ads are found just about everywhere in the computing community
 even in the Tiger Software Catalog.  (where for an additional $10.00, one
 can buy an instructional Videotape.  InternetMCI and the tape for a total
 of over $50.00!!)  Why would anyone NEED a step by step video tape if the
 software is so easy to install and use to get on the net?   In that
 catalog, the InternetMCI two page ad blatantly boasts;

              "THE COMPANY THAT REVOLUTIONIZED LONG DISTANCE...
                    ...NOW REVOLUTIONIZES THE INTERNET"

        "Joke, JOKE.. that has to be a joke, they can't be serious!"

                                    (..in my best "BobCat" voice)

      From last Friday afternoon until Saturday afternoon, the InternetMCI
 dialup number continued to answer and generate incorrect error messages on
 client machines.  Thankfully, shortly thereafter ..somebody had the common
 sense to not allow the defective server to pick up the incoming calls. The
 "Server" was finally back in operation last Sunday.

 In plain English;

 * The service interruption itself was unbelievable.

 * The overall, knowledge of the "net", responsiveness to customer needs
   and levels of support from the InternetMCI Customer Service
   "Professionals" was virtually non-existent.  (Read APPALLING)

 * The amount of time it took to restore the service made the interruption
   an unmitigated catastrophe!!

      Someone ought to inform those "in charge" of InternetMCI that if the
 example set this past weekend of August 18, 1995 is their concept of  how
 their performance in serving the Internet is to either be or a revolution
 they should instead, be in the "mushroom" business.  Apparently, they're
 under the impression their consumer base, both current and potential, is
 comprised solely of "mushrooms".

      The only thing revolutionary about InternetMCI's activities is the
 level of un-original creativity they've exhibited in generating excuses
 for the lame performance of their Internet Service Provider.. especially
 this past weekend.  One can only wonder if their "high powered executives"
 have ever taken a course about "truth in advertising" or, "the successful
 training of customer service personnel."

      The most aggravating of incidents this past weekend were the
 depressingly LONG periods of time involved in "holding on" for customer
 assistance when calling after midnight.  Obviously, they're using a
 "SKELETON CREW for the GRAVEYARD SHIFT!"  And... that UGLY BACKGROUND
 MUSIC!!   It only added to the grief!  It must be a total combination of
 all rejected elevator music!

      While on the subject of InternetMCI ads, its amazing that InternetMCI
 goes to great lengths to explain the "Client/Server" relationship in the
 Tigersoftware catalog ad but in reality, their telephone service reps
 haven't a clue about a Client, a Server and/or the Internet.
 Name the Net and Win $5,000

 STReport's SUGGESTION for a name is.....

                        "WEAK-NET"  MCI'S BEST SHOT!

      MCI Communications Corp. and New Corp. are offering $5,000 to the
 person who comes up with the best name for their new online service.  But
 if you have an idea, move fast: the deadline for entries is Friday night.

      "We're appealing to one of the most discriminating   yet democratic
 --segments of our society to help us name our new service," said Scott
 Kurnit, newly appointed president/CEO of the joint venture in a statement
 from Washington announcing the contest. "The cyber generation spends its
 time flaming, lurking and posting, so we thought  it would be fun to
 involve them in shaping the future."...

      ....Kurnit says net surfers entering the "Name the Net" contest can
 submit suggestions online at World Wide Web address:

                     http://www.internetMCI.com/venture

 Entries must be received in English by midnight Friday and the winner,
 receiving $5,000, will be announced by Aug. 31.

      Is that "midnight Friday" the 18th of August or, the 25th of August??
 The weekend of the eighteenth of August was wiped out for many of Internet
 MCI's customers by the outrageous failure of what appears to be an
 improperly BACKED-UP "ID Recognition Server" in the Atlanta Regional
 Center.  When the server failed they were not able to simply substitute
 the faulty hardware and restore the software to it from a recent backup.
 Odd isn't it??  That's the very first thing taught to most budding
 computer professionals .. the VALUE of CURRENT & FREQUENT BACKUPS.  I
 anxiously await the new crop of "creative excuses" that will be offered by
 InternetMCI in more weak attempts to excuse away this serious failure of
 their "ID SERVER".  So much for all the reliability hype!  Is Internet MCI
 in the connectivity business or the excuse business??

      One can only wonder if this incident is some sort of Freudian
 indication meant for Internet MCI's subscribers to pay attention to the
 newest Internet Provider to enter the market .. AT&T!!

         "Move Over AT&T??"  Its doubtful it'll be that way at all.

      Of course, all this will change very shortly.  STReport maintains all
 its lines with MCI..  And soon our ISDN lines will also be with MCI.  In
 fact, if all goes well.. we hope to have MCI install and service a T-3 or
 T-2 in the not too distant future.  In the long distance section, MCI has
 certainly offered savings above any of those we ever realized with AT&T.
 Sprint with its monstrous credits is amazing that they seem to think
 people are gullable enough to change services and receive these credit at
 piddily amounts every month for what seems like a ten year spread.

      When it comes to real and very true savings... MCI does indeed
 deliver.  Now, when they get their InternetMCI service and service reps
 fully up to speed they'll be virtually unbeatable.  As I understand it
 that not far away from becoming reality.  We shall see.



 Fact or Fantasy from IBM? STR FOCUS! Clearing the Smoke & WARPO Mirrors!


                       MICROSOFT S ANSWERS TO IBM S...

      "THE REAL STORY ABOUT WINDOWS 95 - 15 QUESTIONS TO ASK MICROSOFT"


 The purpose of this document is to answer the questions raised in IBM s
 document entitled "The Real Story about Win 95-or-15 Questions to ask
 Microsoft".  This document has been circulating around the internet and
 other online services.

 IBM s document repeatedly presents a series of arcane technical arguments
 concerning some of the design decisions Microsoft made in producing
 Windows 95.  These can be grouped into the following three areas:

 Multitasking:
 Windows 95 and OS/2 take essentially the same approach to running 16-bit
 Windows applications - that is to run them in the way as Windows 3.1
 would.  The reason for this is compatibility.  16-bit Windows applications
 were designed to be executed in a cooperatively multitasked environment.
 While OS/2 offers a non-default option to run 16-bit Windows applications
 preemptively, it does so by loading a full copy of Windows 3.1 for each
 application, which requires a great deal of memory and reduces
 performance.

 This option also introduces compatibility problems because 16-bit Windows
 applications were not designed to be run this way.  For example,
 applications that use OLE are not able to exchange information in this
 mode.  So this option offers marginally better multitasking at the cost of
 reduced performance, higher memory requirements, and incompatibility.

 If the benefits of this OS/2 feature were worth its cost, why is it not
 turned on by default?  Further, if preemptive multitasking of applications
 is important, why has IBM stated that OS/2 will not run 32-bit
 applications designed for Windows 95 and Windows NT, which have as their
 key features preemptive multitasking and multiple threads of execution?

 Robustness:
 There is no evidence that OS/2 is any more robust than Windows 3.1 when
 running 16-bit Windows applications, and Windows 95 has a number of
 important robustness improvements that go beyond Windows 3.1 and OS/2 such
 as increased system resources, per-thread resource tracking, and better
 recovery from application failures.

 The only case that could be made for OS/2 in this regard is that its
 option to run each 16-bit Windows application in a separate session adds
 some protection, but at a great cost in resources and compatibility as
 explained above.

 Ease of Use:
 The Windows 95 user interface is the result of thousands of hours of
 usability testing and has proven to be an easier and more productive user
 interface than OS/2.

 PC World and PC Computing magazines each conducted usability tests
 comparing Windows 95 to OS/2 and Windows 3.1 in their August 1995 issues.
 In both cases, Windows 95 and Windows 3.1 proved to be significantly
 easier to use than OS/2.

      Rather than labor over these technical details, it is probably more
 relevant to evaluate how an operating system addresses customer
 requirements such as: Performance on mainstream hardware; the number of
 native applications developed for the operating system; compatibility with
 the applications, and hardware customers already own; ease of use (beyond
 the few technical details IBM discusses here), and the future prospects of
 the operating system.  See  Key customer requirements for a PC Operating
 System  at the end of this document for a more thorough discussion of
 these issues.

 The following section presents questions from IBM s document followed by
 Microsoft s answers.

 Subject: The Real Story about Win 95-or-15 Questions to ask Microsoft

 Can Windows 95 live up to the hype that Microsoft has generated for it?
 These questions, which are based upon published information about the
 final beta product in the "Windows 95 Resource Kit" and "Windows 95
 Reviewer's Guide," might help you decide.


                              ABOUT RELIABILITY


 Q1: What happens to 32-bit applications when a Win16 application crashes
 under Windows 95?

 IBM A1: They can stop executing.  Because Microsoft built Windows 95 using
 the same System Virtual Machine (VM) model found in Windows 3.1, the
 operating system is at the mercy of legacy 16-bit applications.  If a
 Win16 program hangs, it can tie up critical 16-bit code modules located in
 the System VM.  All other processing is halted.

 IBM Bottom Line: Windows 95 is not a reliable platform for mission
 critical, line-of-business applications.

 Microsoft:
 Windows 95 provides a high level of robustness, improved over Windows 3.1,
 and is designed to recover from application crashes.  If an application
 crashes on Windows 95, the user has the option of terminating that
 application, and continuing to run other currently loaded applications.
 It is possible, though unlikely, for a poorly written 16-bit Windows
 application to crash and temporarily hold up other applications in a
 Windows 95 system.  The penalty for preventing this entirely would be
 incompatibility with a large number of existing Windows applications
 and/or unacceptably slow performance on mainstream hardware.  Rather than
 unilaterally imposing this penalty on customers, the design of Windows 95
 assumes most Windows applications are well-behaved and runs them as they
 were designed to be run.  32-bit applications running under Windows 95 add
 further robustness improvements such as asynchronous input queues and full
 memory protection.  The result is that Windows 95 is substantially more
 robust than Windows 3.1 while as fast or faster on mainstream hardware.
 This level of compatibility and performance is demanded by customers, and
 is not fully provided by OS/2.  Windows NT offers both full protection and
 better compatibility than OS/2 for users who require the highest level of
 robustness.

 What happens to 32-bit OS/2 applications when one of them stops processing
 messages such as mouse and keyboard events?  Because OS/2 processes
 messages synchronously, when one application hangs or for some other
 reason does not process its messages, no other 32-bit application gets any
 messages either, so all of them stop.  The lack of separate, asynchronous
 message queues for 32-bit applications under OS/2 is a major architectural
 limitation - one that is not shared by Windows 95.  Windows 95 provides
 separate, asynchronous message queues for each 32-bit application, so if
 one stops responding, the rest are unaffected.

 Bottom line:  Windows 95 is more robust than Windows 3.1 and OS/2 running
 16-bit applications, and adds even more robustness when running 32-bit
 applications.



 Q2: Does Windows 95 protect the contents of its system cache against
 intrusion by Win32 programs?

 A2: No.  As with the afore mentioned system structures, Windows 95 also
 fails to protect the contents of its system cache - disk cache, network
 cache, and CD-ROM cache.  As a result, an errant Win32 application can
 write to memory in use by the cache. The potential results:  inaccurate
 data, corrupted file system entries, etc.

 Bottom Line: Data integrity is a question mark with Windows 95.

 Microsoft:
 An application deliberately altering system data structures is an
 extremely rare case.  Neither Windows 95 nor OS/2 completely protect
 system data areas because to do so would impose large performance
 penalties, require more system resources, and introduce incompatibilities
 with some applications.   The same choice was made by IBM in the design
 for OS/2, for probably the same reason - performance.  It should be noted
 that an application would have to be more than just buggy to over-write
 system components or data in Windows 95 - it would have to be malicious -
 deliberately and specifically accessing those areas.  A similar malicious
 application would also harm OS/2.

 Specifically, does OS/2 protect any of its ring 3 system data pages?  No.
 OS/2 s system-wide data structures including the window manager, graphics
 engine, and non-kernel system components (the shell, desktop, object
 model) can be overwritten by an application, causing the system to crash.
 Only Microsoft Windows NT provides virtually complete protection from an
 application attempting to access memory outside its own.

 Bottom line:  Windows 95 provides a reliable and robust operating system
 that achieves excellent performance and compatibility on mainstream
 systems.



 Q3: How is Microsoft dealing with the issue of Virtual Device Driver (VxD)
 instability?

 A3: They aren't.  In fact, Windows 95 itself makes heavy use of VxDs to
 supplement and, in many cases, replace DOS functionality.  VxDs are
 extremely powerful programs that can literally go anywhere and do anything
 in the operating system.  They have free reign to address system memory
 directly, manipulate hardware, and even replace portions of Windows 95
 itself at runtime.  This gives the creative VxD programmer unlimited
 flexibility when designing applications that need to modify Windows 95's
 operation. Microsoft has itself often promoted the VxD interface as a
 mechanism for gaining good performance with time-critical Windows
 applications.  Unfortunately, the power of the VxD can also be a curse.
 As more developers begin to exploit this interface - an interface that has
 only limited controls and almost zero inter-process isolation - a
 programming free-for-all may result where multiple third party VxDs modify
 the system in similar ways with unpredictable results.  The failure of a
 single VxD can undermine the stability of the entire Windows95
 environment.

 Bottom Line: VxDs are potential disasters waiting to happen in the
 corporate world.

 Microsoft:
 IBM presents no evidence of stability problems with VxDs, because there is
 none. VxDs, which are merely device drivers, have been a fundamental part
 of the Windows operating system design since 1990 - tens of millions of
 people rely on them every day, though they probably don t realize it since
 they perform less visible tasks such as network support.  If there was
 some kind of wide-spread stability issue with VxDs, Windows could never
 have achieved the success that it has.  It is true that in Windows 95, if
 a device driver fails, the consequences can be severe, but that is the
 case with every PC operating system in existence.

 Is OS/2 immune to the problems that can arise if an OS/2 device driver
 fails?  No - nor is any other operating system.  Additionally, since OS/2
 is not compatible with Windows VxDs, it cannot run any application or
 component (such as Norton Utilities, Visual C++, some communications
 applications, and the networking components of Windows for Workgroups)
 which requires them.

 Bottom line: Windows 95 has comprehensive device support, providing high
 performance using a proven and stable device driver architecture.



 Q4: Is it true that Windows 95 doesn't fully protect its own operating
 system code against Win32 application failures?

 A4: Yes.  Win32 applications can write to regions of the extreme lower and
 upper address spaces in the System VM that are critical to the
 environment's operation.  As a result, an errant memory operation can
 undermine system stability and potentially crash the entire operating
 system.

 Bottom Line:  Windows 95 may be one errant memory operation away from
 total failure.

 Microsoft:
 Windows 95 improves robustness, without sacrificing compatibility.  It is
 true that Win32 applications have access to the 64K - 4MB range.  The
 reason is compatibility with MS-DOS and 16-bit Windows applications and
 device drivers, something the designers of OS/2 decided to forgo.  This
 level of compatibility means, for example,  that users can continue to use
 their existing MS-DOS device drivers for devices like sound cards and
 those devices will work with 16 and 32-bit applications under Windows 95.
 An application would have to deliberately and maliciously write to a
 particular system memory area (out of the  whole 4GB range) to cause
 problems.  The technical details of IBM s argument are also incorrect -
 the extreme lower and upper addresses (near 0 and 4GB) are not addressable
 to Win32 applications.  This feature catches a common error in
 applications where they may attempt to use null or near null pointers.
 Also see the response to question #2.

 OS/2 provides no protection from applications writing into critical system
 data memory areas.  If an application chooses to write into these areas,
 OS/2 can and will crash.

 Bottom line:  Windows 95 s design successfully achieves high compatibility
 with existing applications and hardware, while improving robustness and
 reliability over Windows 3.1.



 Q5: When running DOS applications, does Windows 95 fully virtualize the
 PC s hardware to protect against buggy applications?

 A5: No.  Windows 95 fails to virtualize critical hardware components like
 the interrupt flag. This, in turn, can lead to a system crash if an errant
 DOS program becomes unresponsive while interrupts are disabled.

 Bottom Line:  Legacy applications are the Achilles heel of Windows 95
 memory management.

 Microsoft:
 Windows 95 has superior MS-DOS application and device driver support to
 OS/2.  While it's unlikely that an MS-DOS application would turn off
 interrupts, certain real-mode device drivers will.  If Windows 95
 virtualized all of these services and did not allow an application or
 device driver to turn off interrupts, then those device drivers wouldn't
 work.  This would prevent the use of device drivers that support products
 like Bernoulli drives.  The choice was made to retain compatibility with
 these drivers because some users will require them to support their
 hardware.

 If interrupts are disabled in an unresponsive application on certain bus
 architectures under OS/2, OS/2 will also hang.  OS/2 does not provide the
 benefit of the use of these device drivers for compatibility reasons, yet
 still pays the cost in robustness for allowing this type of operation.

 Bottom line:  Windows 95 is the only 32-bit operating system that
 successfully retains compatibility with existing real-mode device drivers.


                               ABOUT USABILITY


 Q6: Does Windows 95 track objects dynamically?

 A6: No.  Windows 95 uses a series of static DOS pathnames and .INI files
 to track the relationship between icons on the desktop and files on disk.
 For example, the shortcut mechanism of the Windows 95 interface relies on
 a stored copy of the original's path information when locating and
 invoking it.  If the file is moved within the directory structure, Windows
 95 must search the hard disk for it based on file size and date stamp.
 Although this technique works most of the time, it is limited to searching
 a single volume - if you move the file to another disk volume, the link is
 broken completely.  And, because Windows 95 will search your entire
 network if attached, it may take forever if it is connected to, say, five
 gigabytes of storage.

 Bottom Line:  Help desk calls will be on the rise as users experiment with
 shortcuts and long filenames.

 Microsoft:
 When it comes to usability, Windows 95 is certainly superior to OS/2. This
 is evidenced by the PC World and PC Computing tests reported in their
 August 1995 issues in which OS2 loses not only to Windows 95, but also to
 Windows 3.1.  Shortcuts and long file names are two of the many usability
 improvements in Windows 95 that were driven by extensive usability testing
 with the goal of reducing user support burden.

 To address this particular question, files that appear on the Windows 95
 desktop are stored in a directory just like any other file regardless of
 whether they have long or short file names.  Shortcuts are a special type
 of file that contain data on the location of the original object.  If the
 original object is moved, Windows 95 will update the location data the
 next time the object is accessed.  If the object that a shortcut points to
 is moved to another drive, the user must specify the new location.
 Windows 95 will only search a network drive if that was the original
 location of the object.  Whether the object or shortcut uses long file
 names makes no difference.

 OS/2 implements a rough equivalent of Windows 95 shortcuts, called
 shadows, however they are less powerful and less easy to use in several
 ways.  Windows 95 allows easy creation of shortcuts to any type of network
 resource. While OS/2 allows the user to create a shadow of a folder on a
 network server, the shadow disappears when the computer is rebooted.  If a
 Windows 95 user creates a shortcut to a network resource, and later
 accesses the shortcut when not connected to the network, Windows 95 is
 smart enough to invoke its dial-up networking feature to connect to the
 network and access the resource.  If OS/2 users attempt the same
 operation, they get an error message.  Unlike Windows 95 s shortcuts, OS/2
 shadows cannot point to a particular part of a document, nor can they be
 embedded into a document or mailed to another user.   While both shortcuts
 and shadows can point to content on the Internet, only Windows 95 is smart
 enough to launch a connection to the Internet automatically when a user
 opens the shortcut.

 Bottom line:  The design of Windows 95 was driven by extensive usability
 testing, which resulted in a user interface that surpasses Windows 3.1 and
 OS/2 in its ease of use, productivity and reduction of support burden.



 Q7: Does Windows 95 make consistent use of drag & drop?

 A7: No.  Windows 95's drag & drop features are applicable to some objects,
 like files and folders, but not to others.  You cannot, for example, drag
 a dial-up networking connection to the Windows 95 Recycler; nor can you
 drag objects to the My Computer folder - both are "special" objects in the
 Windows 95 interface and aren't subject to the normal Windows 95 drag &
 drop rules.  This introduces a level of inconsistency to the interface and
 a possible stumbling block for new users trying to take advantage of drag
 & drop.

 Bottom Line:  The Windows 95 interface is inconsistent from function to
 function.

 Microsoft:
 Again, Windows 95 is demonstrably superior to OS/2, especially in terms of
 usability.   Windows 95 makes dragging and dropping objects both easy, and
 safe.  My Computer is designed to show the objects that are on the user s
 computer: the disk drives, network connections, and related settings.  It
 would be confusing to allow users to add new items to this list since
 those items would not be disk drives, net connections, or settings.
 Dragging a dial-up network connection to another location automatically
 creates a shortcut to that connection, leaving the original in the dial-up
 networking folder where it belongs.  It certainly would not make sense to
 create a shortcut in the recycle bin, where it would then be discarded.

 OS/2 forces the user to remember inconsistent dragging techniques.  The
 non-default (right) mouse button is used to drag objects, but the left
 mouse button is used to drag windows, and to drag objects in the Windows
 UI and in Windows applications running under OS/2.  Objects cannot be
 dragged from windows in OS/2 to Windows-based  applications.

 Bottom line:  Windows 95 provides the easiest, most productive user
 interface of any PC operating system.  Don t take Microsoft s word for it,
 read the August issues of PC World and PC Computing.



 Q8: Is the Windows 95 interface consistent and object-oriented?

 A8: No.  For example, while you can invoke the right mouse button pop-up
 menu on most objects, entries in the Start menu and its submenus are not
 included.  This makes manipulating Start menu entries an awkward process
 involving the Taskbar properties dialog box and several layers of menus
 and windows.  Since the right mouse button works in most other areas of
 the interface, the Start button's deviation from this norm exposes Windows
 95's object-oriented support as incomplete.

 Bottom Line:  Windows 95 does not fully exploit O-O technology.

 Microsoft:
 Clicking the right mouse button on the Windows 95 Start Button produces a
 complete set of options for manipulating items contained on the Start Menu
 including Open, Explore, and Find.  These features make it very easy and
 efficient to add, change, and delete those items.  How is object oriented
 technology (which is a software development approach) relevant to how
 users interact with the user interface of an operating system?

 Bottom line:  See question 7.


                      ABOUT WINDOWS 95 AND MULTITASKING


 Q9: Can Windows 95 preemptively multitask Win16 applications?

 A9: No.  Because Win16 applications were written for a cooperative
 multitasking environment, they cannot handle the stress of being
 "preempted" during execution.  Therefore Windows 95 must handle these
 applications in the same way that Windows 3.1 does: by  giving them
 exclusive control of the CPU for as long as they are executing.  When, and
 only when, the application makes a specific API call - one of the few such
 calls that constitute safe points at which Windows can wrest control away
 from the program - are other programs allowed to execute.  This is
 "cooperative" multitasking, and has proven to be ineffectual when running
 more than a handful of programs simultaneously or when running CPU-
 intensive programs such as communications, print and/or fax programs.
 Bottom Line: Windows 95 adds little value for the large base of legacy
 Win16 applications.

 Microsoft:
 Both Windows 95 and OS/2 take the approach of running 16-bit Windows
 applications cooperatively.  Windows 95 cooperatively multitasks existing
 Windows applications because that is the best way to achieve high
 compatibility with those applications.  Windows 95 adds an improved user
 interface, better robustness, greatly increased system resource capacity,
 32-bit printing, networking, disk I/O, multimedia, communications
 components, and more - all of which provide benefits when using 16-bit or
 32-bit applications, without compromising compatibility or performance.
 All new 32-bit applications designed for Windows 95 offer fully preemptive
 multitasking and can use multiple threads of execution.

 OS/2 provides a non-default option to run 16-bit Windows applications in
 separate, preemptively multitasked sessions.   However this comes at great
 cost in terms of memory - since a copy of Windows 3.1 is loaded for each
 application - and compatibility because OLE-based applications cannot
 exchange information when run in separate sessions.  If the separate
 session option really provides tangible benefits worth its costs, why is
 it not enabled by default in OS/2?  OS/2 is not compatible with any of the
 32-bit applications designed for Windows 95, and which run with preemptive
 multitasking.

 Bottom line:  Windows 95 adds significant value in running 16-bit Windows
 applications including an improved user interface, better robustness,
 greatly increased system resource capacity, 32-bit printing, networking,
 disk I/O, multimedia, communications components, and more.



 Q10: Are there any caveats to multitasking Win32 applications under
 Windows 95?

 A10. Yes.  In its effort to maintain a high degree of backward
 compatibility while simultaneously minimizing the RAM requirements of the
 operating system, Microsoft has chosen to rely on its existing, Widows
 3.1-era USER (window management) and GDI (Graphics Device Interface)
 modules rather than create new, 32-bit versions.  In order to utilize this
 older, 16-bit code in potentially preemptive (with regard to Win32
 applications), 32-bit multitasking environment of Windows 95, Microsoft
 was forced to serialize access to USER and GDI.  As a result, only a
 single Win32 or Win16 program can access these critical modules at any
 given time.  This hurts application performance on heavily loaded systems
 as programs are forced to "line-up" and wait for a chance to execute a
 USER or GDI routine.  All USER calls (for both16 and 32-bit applications)
 are serialized and handled by the 16-bit code, while the majority of GDI
 calls are similarly handled (the other 50 percentage handled by newer 32-
 bit routines).

 Bottom Line: Windows 95's multitasking is best described as "preemptively
 challenged."

 Microsoft:
 Windows 95 provides excellent multitasking of 32-bit applications while
 maintaining compatibility with 16-bit applications designed for Windows
 3.1.  Windows 95 provides this high-level of compatibility by running 16-
 bit Windows applications the way they were designed to be run, using time-
 tested, proven code for compatibility and lower memory requirements.  The
 result is good cooperative multitasking and fast performance with 16-bit
 applications plus great preemptive multitasking of 32-bit applications.
 For users that require a high level of compatibility with 16 and 32-bit
 Windows applications, plus the option to run 16-bit Windows applications
 preemptively, Microsoft offers Windows NT.

 OS/2, which has a significant amount of 16-bit code itself, requires more
 memory to run 16-bit Windows applications, and runs them slower than
 Windows 95.  OS/2 also adds compatibility problems if its preemptive
 option is used, and is totally incompatible with 32-bit Windows
 applications designed for Windows 95 and Windows NT.

 Bottom line:  Windows 95 and Win32 applications provide smooth preemptive
 multitasking.



 Q11: What happens to Windows 95's multitasking when you run a mixture of
 application types?

 A11: It reverts to a cooperative multitasking model.  Windows 95's
 continued reliance on the single system VM model of Windows 3.1 places the
 operating system's multitasking capabilities at the mercy of the lowest
 common denominator: the 16-bit Windows application.  Whenever a Win16
 application is running, the operating system's multitasking capabilities
 are compromised by the need to allow such programs to execute
 "undisturbed" for as long as they require.  As a result, when multitasking
 a mixture of applications - Win16 andWin32 - true preemptive operation is
 impossible since, at any given time, a16-bit application may require
 exclusive control of the CPU.  Worse still, since the Win16 application is
 typically executing a portion of the 16-bitUSER or GDI code - access to
 which must be serialized among processes -all other processes, including
 Win32 applications, are blocked from executing.  The net result is what
 would be best described as "semi-preemptive  multitasking.

 Bottom Line:  When Win16 applications enter the mix, Windows 95 takes on
 an alternate personality: Windows 3.1.

 Microsoft:
 Windows 95 runs both 16 and 32-bit applications simultaneously and allows
 multitasking both types of applications.  When a 16-bit application is
 executing on Windows 95, it s control of the CPU lasts for only a very
 short time, after which time is allocated to other running applications on
 a preemptive or cooperative basis depending on the application.  The user
 experience, in most cases is that all applications run essentially at the
 same time, regardless of whether they are 16 or 32-bit.  Readers who are
 concerned about this can try a simple test:  print a long document from
 Microsoft Word 6.0 (16-bit), while performing a copy of a large file using
 the Windows 95 Explorer (32-bit).  Both operations will proceed smoothly
 and simultaneously to completion.  As users migrate to 32-bit
 applications, multitasking becomes even smoother.

 As stated above, OS/2 provides a non-default option for running 16-bit
 Windows applications preemptively, but this option requires significantly
 more memory (so applications run slowly), and introduces compatibility
 problems such as the inability to use OLE to exchange data between
 applications.  OS/2 will not run 32-bit Windows applications at all so
 users cannot take advantage of their superior multitasking if they use
 OS/2.

 Bottom line:  Windows 95 runs existing 16-bit applications on top of new
 32-bit system components, which provide smooth operation along with the
 preemptive multitasking of new 32-bit applications..



 Q12: Does Windows 95's multitasking resolve any of Windows 3.1's
 multimedia-related deficiencies?

 A12: Not really.  Windows 95's inconsistent multitasking performance - a
 byproduct of the single System VM model - compromises its performance as a
 serious multimedia production platform. Complex .AVI clips break up
 noticeably when a significant I/O strain is placed on a Windows 95 system.
 Even simple operations, like opening an application program, can have a
 negative impact on multimedia playback.

 Bottom Line:  You still can't play multimedia and do heavy I/O
 simultaneously.

 Microsoft:
 Windows 95 s new 32-bit multimedia subsystems give a tremendous boost to
 its playback performance, making even full screen full motion video
 playback possible on high end systems.  Among the many improvements in
 this area are an improved, swappable and tunable CD-ROM cache, 32-bit
 video CODECs, game development tools, plus high-performance graphics and
 disk I/O.  The May 1995 issue of NewMedia magazine was particularly
 enthusiastic about the multimedia improvements in Windows 95, stating  The
 potential benefits - especially to multimedia - of a 32-bit, multitasking,
 multithreading system are mind-blowing.

 Already, multimedia titles for Windows 3.1 far outnumber and outsell
 titles for OS/2 (go into any software reseller and try to locate even one
 OS/2 multimedia title).  Windows 95 is receiving a high-level of attention
 and investment from multimedia ISVs who are eager to take advantage of
 Windows 95 s multimedia improvements, so there will soon be a large number
 of games and titles designed specifically for Windows 95 (these
 applications will not run on OS/2 at all).

 Bottom line:  Windows 95 offers significant improvements in all areas of
 multimedia performance.


                   ABOUT WINDOWS 95'S RELATIONSHIP TO DOS


 Q13: Does Windows 95 really do away with DOS?

 A13: No.  Windows 95, though touted as a "completely new, 32-bit"
 operating system, is in fact still based on DOS technology that dates back
 to the early1980s.  Under Windows 95, even Win32 applications rely on at
 least a few data structures within the real mode DOS environment (most
 notably, they all maintain real mode PSPs).  Despite Microsoft's claims to
 the contrary, Windows 95 is highly sensitive to the configuration of a
 PC's real mode DOS environment.  If, for example, the available
 conventional memory in the System VM - the DOS virtual machine where all
 16-bit Windows applications and some Windows 95 codes executes - dips
 below a certain level, Windows 95 will report  out of memory" messages
 when you try to open additional Win16 or Win32programs.  This is unrelated
 to the well known System Resources phenomena, and the only real solutions
 are to either replace as many real mode device drivers as possible with
 VxDs or to invest in a third party memory manager to optimize the pre-
 Windows 95 DOS environment.

 Bottom Line: Windows 95 can be viewed as DOS/Windows with a new interface
 and some new VxDs.

 Microsoft:
 Windows 95 employs new 32-bit code in all areas in which it produces
 performance and/or robustness improvements, and uses time-tested, proven
 16-bit code in some areas for compatibility and reduced memory
 requirements.  To provide compatibility that allows 32-bit applications to
 exchange data with 16-bit applications and device drivers, Windows 95
 continues to use data structures such as the MS-DOS PSP.  It is highly
 unlikely that users would ever run out of real-mode memory under Windows
 95 since each application only allocates one 256 byte PSP (out of 655,360
 bytes of real mode memory), nor are any additional MS-DOS memory managers
 required.  Virtually all of the things that take up conventional memory
 under Windows 3.1 (network, CD-ROM drivers, sound drivers, etc) are now
 implemented as 32-bit protect mode components in Windows 95.  So there is
 even less of a chance that real mode memory will become an issue.  For
 example, a typical system which has device drivers for a CD-ROM drive,
 SCSI card, network card and protocols, and sound card will still have over
 600K free conventional memory since all of those device drivers are now
 32-bit and loaded into protect mode memory.

 OS/2 employs 16-bit code in performance-critical areas such as the file
 system and network components.  OS/2 also exhibits lower compatibility
 with 16-bit Windows applications than Windows 95, even though it runs them
 using 16-bit Windows 3.1 code.  OS/2 is also totally incompatible with 32-
 bit applications designed for Windows 95 and Windows NT.  So, not only is
 OS/2 compromised by the use of 16-bit code in performance-critical areas,
 it has poor Windows application compatibility as well.

 Bottom line:  Windows 95 is the only operating system that provides 32-bit
 power while retaining a high level of compatibility with real-mode device
 drivers and existing applications.



 Q14: What is Single MS-DOS Application mode and how does it affect other
 running applications?

 A14: Microsoft touts Single MS-DOS Application (SMA) mode as its ultimate
 solution to any and all DOS compatibility complaints.  SMA is essentially
 real mode DOS, except that instead of booting DOS and then loading
 Windows, the order has been reversed: you first boot Windows 95, then
 "unload" it as the machine is reset into the real mode of  SMA. This
 indeed eliminates virtually all remaining DOS application
 incompatibilities since the PC is no longer running in V86 protected mode
 - it has been reset to real mode, loaded with a copy of DOS, and left at a
 command prompt.  What Microsoft doesn't like to admit, however, is that to
 invoke an SMA-dependent application is to essentially shut-down Windows 95
 - all running applications are closed, network connections are severed,
 and VxD support for peripherals like CD-ROM drives disappears.  To
 maintain these functions you need to add real mode DOS device drivers to
 your system and then configure them via the SMA dialog box.  And since
 Windows 95 is no longer running, any users who are connected to shared
 resources on the system are disconnected when it enters into SMA mode.

 Bottom Line:  SMA is really only a viable solution for home users and
 other non-networked environments.

 Microsoft:
 Windows 95 provides the MS-DOS Mode compatibility feature for running MS-
 DOS applications (typically games) that require absolute control over the
 hardware of the PC.  Microsoft tested approximately 1,300 of the most
 demanding MS-DOS applications under Windows 95, and found that only one in
 ten require the use of MS-DOS Mode.  If a real-mode device driver is
 required to run the MS-DOS Mode application, it can be specified and
 automatically loaded via a CONFIG.SYS and/or AUTOEXEC.BAT file unique to
 that application.  Windows 95 will suggest the use of MS-DOS Mode
 automatically for applications that are known to require it, or when
 applications perform certain operations - so users do not have to perform
 special operations to run their applications.  Windows applications, which
 are the vast majority of applications sold and used, do not require MS-DOS
 Mode.  OS/2 also provides a way to boot MS-DOS when an MS-DOS application
 does not work under OS/2, but it is far less convenient, requiring the
 user to issue BOOT /DOS, run their application, and then type BOOT /OS2 to
 return to OS/2.

 Bottom line:  Microsoft has done the extra work that allows Windows 95 to
 run even poorly behaved MS-DOS applications, significantly improving MS-
 DOS application compatibility over Windows 3.1.



 Q15: How does Windows 95 handle real mode DOS device drivers?
 A15: Windows 95's dependency on the real mode DOS environment undermines
 the product's ability to support DOS applications.  Because Windows 95
 relies on an "image" of the pre-Windows 95 boot-up environment when
 creating the System VM, and because subsequent DOS virtual machines are
 similarly based on this boot-up image, Windows 95 users are forced to load
 any required real mode device drivers as part of the original boot-up
 CONFIG.SYS file.  The ramifications of this limitation are significant:
 each and every DOS session under Windows 95 contains a running copy of,
 and surrenders valuable conventional or upper memory to, real mode device
 drivers.  This is true even if the drivers are not required or desired in
 a particular DOS session.

 Bottom Line: There's no way to load a real mode driver into a specific DOS
 session -- it's an all or nothing proposition.

 Microsoft:
 Windows 95 does not depend on real mode MS-DOS device drivers.  Windows 95
 is however, compatible with existing real-mode drivers if they are
 required for a particular device.  Windows 95 is the only 32-bit operating
 system that retains compatibility with existing real mode device drivers.
 This means that users can continue to use devices with Windows 95 even if
 they do not have 32-bit device drivers.  Device drivers loaded via
 CONFIG.SYS are available to all DOS sessions since that is what users
 expect, not wishing to maintain multiple CONFIG.SYS files.   Most users
 will run few if any real-mode drivers since Windows 95 provides a large
 selection of new 32-bit drivers that support most popular devices.  In
 fact most users won t even need to maintain a CONFIG.SYS file.

 OS/2 does not allow the use of real-mode MS-DOS device drivers for network
 cards, sound cards, graphics adapters, CD-ROM drives, or other devices
 that users need to run under OS/2.  This means that users often cannot use
 a particular device under OS/2 since its device support is not as
 comprehensive as that of Windows 95.  OS/2 also requires users to maintain
 a complex and large (often over 200 lines) CONFIG.SYS file when adding or
 removing device drivers.  The ability to have multiple copies of
 CONFIG.SYS files under OS/2 adds even more complexity for minimal benefit
 - most users would never take advantage of this  feature .

 Bottom line:  See question 14.


             KEY CUSTOMER REQUIREMENTS FOR A PC OPERATING SYSTEM

 Windows 95 is the result of input from thousands of customers representing
 all types of uses from end user to corporate IS manager. The criteria that
 emerged from discussions with those groups is summarized below.

 Performance:
      Customers want to run their applications with the best performance,
 using the fewest resources.  Windows 95 provides better performance than
 OS/2, across the entire range of RAM and processor configurations.

 Applications:
      Customers buy an operating system to run their applications - pure
 and simple, and they want a wide choice of high-quality applications
 designed for the operating system.  During the first quarter of 1995, 78%
 of all applications sold worldwide were Windows-based, while less than 1%
 were OS/2-based.  ISV support for native OS/2 applications has always been
 very low, and few, if any OS/2 applications are likely to be offered by
 typical software resellers.  Over 200 new 32-bit applications designed for
 Windows 95 are part of Windows 95 launch co-marketing programs.  These
 applications represent a huge commitment to Windows 95 by every major ISV.

 Compatibility:
      Customers want to know that the operating system they chose will run
 on the hardware they have, with the applications they have today, plus
 those they buy in the future.  Windows 95 runs almost all existing 16-bit
 Windows and MS-DOS applications, and provides a platform for new 32-bit
 applications designed specifically for Windows 95 which are now under
 development at all major ISVs.  OS/2 has significant compatibility
 problems with 16-bit Windows applications, and is totally incompatible
 with the new generation of 32-bit Windows applications.

 Ease of Use:
      Users of all types want their operating system to be easy and
 efficient to setup, learn, and use.  Windows 95 has many features designed
 for enhanced usability such as Wizards, a great help system, the Start
 Button and task bar and many others.  OS/2 is difficult to install, and
 has two totally different user interfaces: the OS/2 WorkPlace shell, and
 the Windows 3.1 UI.  PC World and PC Computing each conducted usability
 tests comparing Windows 95 to OS/2 and Windows 3.1 in their August 1995
 issues.  In both tests, Windows 95 and Windows 3.1 proved to be
 significantly easier to use than OS/2.

 Strategy/Future:
      Customers make a large commitment when they choose an operating
 system and they want to know that the product will be supported and
 enhanced for many years.  Windows 95 and Windows NT, which share many
 design features and the same programming interface, are Microsoft s
 operating systems for today and the future.  There is no question that
 these products are and will be well supported and enhanced by Microsoft
 and ISVs.  OS/2 has never garnered the level of industry or customer
 support that is necessary to ensure its future viability.

     For more information on Windows 95 s design and feature set please
         download the Windows 95 Reviewer s Guide from our web site
                        (www.microsoft.com/windows).


 Win95 FACT SHEET STR FOCUS!


                            Microsoft Windows 95
                     More Power, More Freedom, More Fun


 With the Microsoft Windows 95 operating system, you can unlock the
 potential of your computer. So you can work even easier and faster.
 Explore exciting new possibilities. And make it all more fun.

 For years, millions of people worldwide have relied on MS-DOS, Windows,
 and Windows for Workgroups operating systems to help them work better and
 accomplish more. Now and for years to come, people will go even farther
 with the next-generation successor to these systems-Microsoft Windows 95.
 For computer users everywhere, it's a giant leap forward.

 With the Windows 95 operating system, the things you do now are easier and
 faster. The things you've always wanted to try, from electronic mail to
 Internet connections, are now possible. And Windows 95 makes computers
 more friendly and accessible, so whatever you do, you enjoy it more.

 The first thing you'll notice is a redesigned graphical interface that's
 not only dramatically simpler to use, but more efficient and more
 customizable as well. Plus, configuring Plug and Play-compatible modems,
 CD-ROM drives, and other peripherals isn't just easy, it's automatic with
 new Plug and Play technology in Windows 95.

 You also gain easy access to a whole new world of possibilities. Windows
 95 offers enhanced multimedia, more powerful features for laptop users,
 integrated and seamless networking, and support for traveling the
 "infobahn."

 <Picture: Upgrade Box>And because Microsoft Windows 95 is made to run the
 new generation of 32-bit programs, you can take advantage of powerful new
 features such as preemptive multitasking and multithreading that let you
 perform several actions at the same time. Windows 95 also runs your
 current MS-DOS-based and Windows-based programs in a more stable
 environment.

 Did we mention fun? Windows 95 offers larger, smoother video and enhanced
 support for fast action games. And every day, an easier, more efficient
 way of working takes the frustration out of computing. And puts back the
 satisfaction.

 All of which makes Microsoft Windows 95 one of the biggest improvements
 ever to come to PCs in general-and to your PC in particular.


 The Start button is always visible. Click it anytime to use the full power
 of Windows 95 for opening programs, file management, system maintenance,
 and far more.

 The taskbar makes switching between multiple programs simple. Each time
 you start a program, a button for it is placed on the taskbar. When you
 want to use any program, just click its button.

 Plug and Play can free you from manually setting up hardware devices.
 Windows 95 detects and configures Plug and Play-compatible devices
 automatically.

 Long filenames make it easy to find what you're looking for. Names can be
 up to 250 characters.

 Windows 95 works with the hardware and software you already have, so you
 can get the most from your current applications for the MS-DOS and Windows
 operating systems.

 Increase your productivity with faster disk and file access and faster
 printing.

 Windows 95 virtually installs itself-you select a few on-screen options
 and the rest is automatic.

 Customize and use resources efficiently. Just click the right mouse button
 anywhere, and a menu appears with the most common commands to use with the
 object at hand.

 Even network installation is simplified with built-in client support for
 NetWare, Windows NTTM Server network operating system, and Windows for
 Workgroups. Windows 95 also supports all major network transport driver
 standards.

 Windows Explorer makes your system remarkably easy to navigate by giving
 you a graphical view of everything on your computer. And that makes
 information easy to find.

 AN OPEN DOOR TO DOING MORE.

 Accomplish several tasks at once. Running 32-bit programs, Windows 95
 offers preemptive multitasking and multithreading and runs programs in
 their own memory space.

 With built-in Microsoft Exchange Inbox, you can send and receive e-mail
 and faxes via one universal inbox.

 Sign on to The Microsoft Network,* the exciting new online service that
 gives you Internet access, e-mail, the latest news, reference information,
 and more.

 Easily connect to your organization's network from anywhere. Built-in
 Dial-Up Networking takes the complexity out of remote computing, so you
 can connect one simple way, no matter where you are.

 Make your laptop computer even more convenient. Windows 95 equips it with
 a wealth of helpful features, including Briefcase for automatically
 updating files between two PCs, Plug and Play support for PC cards
 (PCMCIA) and docking stations, and Battery Meter.

 INSTEAD OF WORKING AT IT, YOU CAN ENJOY IT.

 Windows 95 takes the frustration out of computing with its improved
 interface, wizards to assist with common tasks, and a more powerful Help
 system.

 Faster, smoother video makes Microsoft Windows 95 awesome for multimedia
 programs and games.

 Multimedia titles of all kinds are easy to use with AutoPlay. Just pop in
 an AutoPlay CD and it runs automatically.

 PERFORMANCE FEATURES

                       FOR WORKING EASIER AND FASTER

 Start button
 Taskbar
 Great support for existing MS-DOS- and Windows-based applications
 Plug and Play
 Long filenames
 Letter MS-DOS support without MS-DOS
 Faster file and disk access; faster printing
 Easy installation
 Right click for pop-up command menus
 Out-of-the-box compatibility with NetWare and all major networks
 Supports all major network transport driver standards
 Windows Explorer enhanced file management tool

 FOR MORE POSSIBILITIES

 32-bit preemptive multitasking and multithreading
 Microsoft Exchange Inbox
 The Microsoft Network Dial-Up Networking
 More convenient laptop computing

 FOR MORE FUN

 Faster, smoother video
 AutoPlay
 Enhanced support for fast action games

 ACCESSIBILITY FEATURES

                         FOR MORE USE BY MORE OF US

 Customizable fonts, sizes, colors, and mouse pointers for people with low
 vision

 StickyKeys, MouseKeys, FilterKeys, and SerialKeys for people with limited
 dexterity

 ShowSounds and SoundSentry for people who are deaf or hard of hearing

 Accessibility features easily adjusted through the Control Panel and
 taskbar

 User profiles and time-outs make these features safe and convenient for
 public and multi-use machines

 SPECIFICATIONS

 TO UPGRADE TO MICROSOFT WINDOWS 95, YOU NEED:

 Personal computer with a 386DX or higher processor running the MS-DOS
 operating system version 3.31 or later and Microsoft Windows version 3.0
 or later or OS/2 version 2.0 or later

 4 MB of memory (8 MB recommended)

 Typical available hard disk space required: 35-40 MB (actual requirements
 will vary based on features you choose to install)

 One 3.5" high-density disk drive or CD-ROM drive VGA or higher-resolution
 graphics card

 OPTIONS:

 Microsoft Mouse or compatible pointing device
 Modem/fax modem
 Audio card/speakers for sound

                     TO ACCESS MICROSOFT EXCHANGE INBOX
                                     AND
                           THE MICROSOFT NETWORK:

 8 MB of memory
 20 MB of additional hard disk space
 Modem required for The Microsoft Network*

 Note:
 System requirements for Windows 95-based programs may exceed system
 requirements described above for Windows 95.  To get the full benefits of
 preemptive multitasking requires exclusive use of 32-bit, Windows-based
 programs such as those products bearing the Designed for Windows 95 logo.

 90-DAY, NO-CHARGE SUPPORT.

 In the United States and Canada, count on 90-day, no-charge support (toll
 charges apply) for all issues other than networking.** Outside the United
 States and Canada, contact Product Support Services at the Microsoft
 subsidiary office that serves your area.

 The easiest Windows yet. The improved interface of Windows 95 plus its
 32-bit architecture make working with the system simpler and faster.  Easy
 mobile computing. Wherever you are, Dial-Up Networking makes it simple to
 connect your laptop or other PCs to remote networks or online services.
 Faster graphics and enhanced sound support help you get all the fun and
 excitement from multimedia programs, including today's hottest games.

 *The  software to access The Microsoft Network is a feature of Windows 95.
 Access  to and use of The Microsoft Network requires payment of a separate
 fee.    **Networking issues are defined as setup, installation or usage of
 Windows  95  in a networked environment. This includes LAN or server-based
 setup,  network administration, dialing into a computer, connecting to the
 Internet  via  a service provider, using MSN, and using e-mail or fax from
 within  Windows  95.   Support services vary outside the United States and
 Canada.  For information on support in other locations, contact your local
 M i crosoft  subsidiary.  Microsoft's  support  services  are  subject  to
 Microsoft's then-current prices, terms, and conditions, and are subject to
 change   without  notice.  (c)  1995  Microsoft  Corporation.  All  rights
 reserved.

 This  data  sheet  is  for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO
 WARRANTIES,  EXPRESS  OR  IMPLIED,  IN THIS SUMMARY. Microsoft, Bookshelf,
 Encarta,  MS-DOS,  Windows,  Windows  NT,  and the Windows logo are either
 registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United
 S t a tes  and/or  other  countries.  Pentium  is  a  trademark  of  Intel
 Corporation.  OS/2  is  a  registered  trademark of International Business
 Machines Corporation. NetWare is a registered trademark of Novell, Inc.
 Microsoft Corporation One Microsoft Way Redmond, WA 98052-6399 USA



 OS/2 WARP; Another LOOK SEE STR Spotlight


 In comp.os.os2.advocacy, gordon@lab.lwpi.com (Gordon Letwin) wrote:

 In an earlier posting to c.o.o.a I promised a posting about OS/2's
 recent past and future.  Originally I'd planned on posting this on Aug 24,
 but real life events are foreshadowing things so I'll post a bit early.

 IBM doomed OS/2 2.0, in terms of a successful desktop system, almost from
 the start.  The folks at Microsoft realized this; we were always amazed
 that so many folks at IBM didn't.  I speak here not of the faceless low
 level drones at IBM but the senior guys who are - for the most part -
 pretty smart guys.

 By successful I mean by either of two metrics:

        1) successful in market penetration.  To run on enough desktops
           that developers would consider writing for it first.
           Heck, to run on enough that developers will consider writing
           for it *at all*.
        2) successful financially.  If it turns an acceptable profit then
           that by itself is generally sufficient.  But note that a
           2 or 3 billion dollar product needs to turn a *big* profit -
           400 million net, maybe $1 billion a year in gross sales.

 Sure, the product can be "successful" as an O/S layer for machines
 dedicated >to custom apps, such as airline reservation terminals.  Of
 course, *anything* that can support a custom app can be successful in this
 role.  I'm sure that there are still Pick machines out there.  But this
 role is uninteresting because it fails to meet either of the two above
 criteria.  IBM will never earn back even a fraction of the billions blown
 on OS/2 by selling it into this niche.  I'm not even confident - although
 this is admittedly out of my area of expertise - that they can even run a
 positive cash flow selling to such a small market.

 What was OS/2's problem?  Why was it doomed?  Because it's main attraction
 was as an engine to run MS-Windows applications.  The problem is one of
 standards, and one of critical mass.  Standards are of incredible
 importance in the computing world.  They're critical in other domains that
 folks don't often think about.  Your HiFi CD player, for example.  It
 plugs into your preamp.  And that plugs into your amp.  And that connects
 to speakers.

 Each of those can, and usually does, come from a different manufacturer.
 The RCA connectors, and the signal levels themselves, are standardized.
 Standardization is a big plus in the computer field.  You're much better
 off having thousands of products and vendors compatible with a single
 standard, even a mediocre one, than having dozens of products, one or two
 each for each of a dozen fragmented standards.

 For example, I bought a Tektronics 222 scope.  It has an RS232 port on
 it to upload and download waveforms.  It came with a floppy disk with
 driver software on it.  For which processor and OS was the software
 written?

 And what was the disk format?  Guess.  The fact that it's not hard to
 guess is exactly my point.  If there were 5 standards for PCs then
 that software would cost 5 times as much and it just wouldn't exist at
 all.

 Note that even the RS232 port itself is a standard.  And an inferior one;
 sending stuff at 9600 baud over a 7 wire connection is a travesty by
 modern standards.  But it's a travesty that all machines can understand.

 So this is the classic chicken and egg problem.  Who will buy OS/2 when
 it has no apps, and who will write apps then no one has bought OS/2?
 A fundimental problem.  When Microsoft and IBM first came out with OS/2
 1.1 we expected the 640k limit to drive us over this barrier.  The
 thinking was that because living in 640K was so terribly painful folks
 would upgrade to OS/2 1.1 and buy all new OS/2 apps because the pain was
 too great.  The knowledge of that reality would cause app writers to
 invest in writing the apps, and the feedback engine is started up, if
 a little slowly.

 The miscalculation came about with the 386 coming out sooner than we
 expected.  And then various folks writing DOS extenders for the 386,
 which took a lot of the pressure off of the 640K barrier.  When the
 386 did come out earlier than expected and we saw what was happening,
 Microsoft wanted to abandon OS/2 1.0 before it was released and work on a
 386-only version, one that would be able to emulate more than one DOS box
 and do a better job, at that.  But, as you'll remember, Compaq was the
 first to have a 386 box; IBM was slow to follow suit.  IBM was strong in
 286's and weak in 386's, so they was strongly opposed to dropping the 286
 in favor of leapfrogging to the 386 and they insisted that we stay the
 course for the 286.

 Another problem that came up here was that IBM didn't want us to use the
 windows API for the graphical environment under OS/2.  Many key folks
 inside IBM had always hated Windows.  IBM had this crazy thing called
 TopView, it was a character oriented windowing scheme and not very good.
 Bill Gates, myself, and some other folks made several trips to Boca Raton
 to try to explain to those guys why a character oriented windowing scheme
 was obsolete before it was even written, but to no avail.  One of IBM's
 most major problems is that although their top guys may be smart, they
 aren't techically savvy.  And their low level guys are often neither.
 IBM doesn't promote on the basis of your skills and ability; they promote
 on the basis of seniority and other secondary factors.  So the guy
 who makes these decisions often doesn't know what he's doing.  And he
 doesn't know that he doesn't know, because his peers are equally
 butt-ignorant too.  So these guys can never figure out how other folks,
 including but not limited to Microsoft, keep doing better!  Must be dumb
 luck, they think.  I always agreed that it *was* dumb luck.  If you catch
 my drift... :-)

 So the technical guys to whom we made our presentation thought that
 a crude character oriented interface (and the other major problems
 that I've since forgotten) was good enough.  It said "IBM" so people would
 have to buy it.  And their very senior managers couldn't understand our
 argument, and their own folks said that we were wrong, so that was that.

 Topview died a very quick death and Windows, while not a red hot success
 at the time, did reasonably well.  I don't understand the internal
 personalities, etc., but the upshot was that several key people at IBM
 would turn livid at the mention of Windows.  So one of the "costs" of
 doing OS/2 with IBM was - as a form of punishment - that OS/2 would
 *not* have a windows API.  The windowing API, in fact, would be designed
 by some IBM guys.  This was their revenge.

 We thought that this was stupid - refusing to run
 these hard-won windows apps, shooting ourselves in the foot before OS/2
 was even coded!  But it was the price for getting IBM on board and we
 figured that - with IBM and Microsoft together, and the 640K crunch
 looming, that the success of OS/2 would appear so inevitable to the ISVs
 that they'd write for it anyhow and the success feedback would be started.
 Now you know why the OS/2 windowing API even puts the screen origin at
 a different corner!  They wanted to be as different from Windows as they
 could as a matter of personal vendetta.

 OK, as we know, the 640K pressure was helped a lot by DOS extenders,
 386 machines quickly took over from 286 machines, and IBM and MS were
 left with a product that wasn't going anywhere fast.  We also didn't
 have application critical mass.  So we started on OS/2 2.0, together,
 a couple of years later than we should have.  THis would be a 386
 version, have good multiple DOS boxes, and hopefully pull the fat out of
 the fire.  At roughly the same time our windows group - which was not
 our prime focus - was working on a 386 version, as well.

 The windows product - 3.0 - came out and did very well indeed.  IBM
 was unhappy.  They were unhappy cause they thought we were being disloyal
 to OS/2 by writing a competitor.  And they were shitting bricks because it
 was their old enemy Windows - the ones that a lot of IBMers
 told there bosses would never be a success!  MS's reaction to the Win 3
 success was to say that OS/2 had to support the Win 3 API - that we'd
 then have a "low end" kernel - windows - and a high end kernel - OS/2 -
 to run the app base.  IBM said that we either had to stop development of
 windows - not just as an OS/2 API, but completely - or
 we were fired from OS/2 the OS/2 project.

 We still believed OS/2 2.0 could be made a success.  But Win 3.0 was
 *already* a big success.  It seemed just stupid to us to kill a healthy
 animal in the hopes of nursing a sick one into recovery!  So given that
 choice, we kept Windows and IBM kicked us out of the OS/2 team.  Also
 note that IBM insisted on no Windows API in the product, so we'd have
 to drop Windows and abandon the apps.  We'd seen how hard it was to
 build windows critical mass and to just shoot all of those apps,
 and all of those ISVs, and all of those users seemed completely out of
 the question.

 It's extremely ironic that within a few months, IBM was announcing that
 OS/2 2.0 would support the Windows API!  It was for that that they
 kicked us out!  It was clear that there are a lot more emotions then
 intellect running things over there, when they'd make a decision, let
 it drive a terrible divorce, and then un-make the decision a little while
 later!

 Why was IBM doing these random things?  I dunno; they never invited me to
 their inner stragegy meetings.  But I'd guess that they were driven too
 much by hatred of Windows, hatred of Bill Gates, envy at MS's success,
 etc.  The hatred and envy of many of IBM's folks - even senior folks - is
 well documented in various books and articles.  It's my opinion that they
 let their emotions cut off their noses to spite their faces.  Their first
 goal wasn't for OS/2 to succeed, it was for Microsoft to fail.

 But here's the problem with OS/2 in a market where Windows has been
 very successful and has a big share.  Win 3.0 had the critical
 market share, and OS/2 didn't.  OS/2 could be a good platform to run
 Windows programs, but very few vendors would write for the OS/2
 API.  Why write for OS/2 and sell into a world of 5% of machines, when
 you can write for the Windows API and sell to *all* of them, OS/2
 included!

 If OS/2 had some good features - like HPFS :-) - then folks could get
 the advantages while running Windows apps, you didn't need to use
 the OS/2 API to take advantage of HPFS, or the shell, or whatever.
 So there's no strong motivation for ISVs to hurt themselves by writing to
 the OS/2 API.  What hurt the good news for OS/2 is that - with it's WIN
 3.0 support - it could run from a massive pool of applications and
 therefore be an interesting system to some customers, even in it's
 infancy.  The bad news is that there'll never be a significant number of
 apps using the OS/2 API.

 So OS/2 could have a successful career as a "high end" windows engine.
 So that does IBM do?  They come out with their infamous "Curtains for
 Windows" campaign!  Microsoft controled the Windows standard.  By that
 I mean that if we say that future versions of our OS's are going to
 have some new features - such as OLE - people take that seriously.
 Whereas if IBM decides to extend the Windows API - which they could
 easily do, from a technical standpoint - people know that only a small
 percentage of machines will be able to support that extension, so they
 won't use it, and it languishes.

 It's extremely hard to do development work on an operating system when
 someone else controls the standard.  "Control" in this case is a matter
 of public perception.  For example, Microsoft was once very big in the
 Unix world.  In fact, we considered it our candidate for the future
 desktop operating system, when machines got powerful enough to run
 something good.  We were the worlds biggest seller of Unix systems.  DOS
 was, when we first wrote it, a one-time throw-away product intended to
 keep IBM happy so that they'd buy our languages.

 The UNIX contracts were all done when Bell Labs was regulated and couldn't
 sell Unix into the commerical marketplace.  So although they wrote it
 and were paid royalties, they couldn't develop it in competition to us.
 But after a few years that changed.  Bell was degregulated and now they
 were selling Unix directly, in competition to us!  They might sell it for
 cheaper than we had to pay them in royalties!  But that wasn't the real
 killer, the real killer was the Bell now controlled the standard.  If
 we wrote an API extension that did X, and Bell wrote an incompatible one
 that did Y, which one would people write for?  The ISVs know that AT&T
 was a very big company and that they'd written the original, so they'd
 believe that AT&T controlled the standard, not MS, and that belief would
 then define reality.  So we'd always just be waiting for what AT&T
 announced and then frantically trying to duplicate it.

 Bill Gates knew, right away, that there was no strong future in Unix for
 us any more.  Fortunately at that time, DOS was taking off and we were
 learning, along with everyone else, about the power of standards.  So the
 primary OS team - the Unix guys - joined with the secondary OS team - the
 DOS guys - and the earliest versions of OS/2 were born.  (This was before
 IBM came on board, so it wasn't called OS/2!)

 So to get back to the main track, IBM has a product which could become
 a successful windows executive.  But they don't control the windows
 standard, Microsoft does.  So a wise company would enter into some kind of
 formal or informal relationship with MS.  MS would be helped by the
 presense of this high end windows executive - it makes the windows API
 more attractive - and a cooperative venture would be born.  But instead,
 *unbelievably* - IBM challenges us publicly to a fight to the death!
 "Curtains for windows", indeed!  Yes, IBM could add WIN 3.0 support
 because they had the WIN 3.0 source code, but their contract which gave
 them that source was due to expire soon!  The entire survival of OS/2 as a
 product depends upon that contract, and their nasty ads, their character
 assasinations (Hi, J. Soyring!) and their "curtains for windows" didn't
 leave much chance of our ever extending their contract!

 Why do this crazy thing?  Again, I speculate that they let their envy
 at our success, and their anger over their own past failures, warp their
 thinking.  They wanted to hurt us more than they wanted to help
 themselves.  Also, IBM grew up in the days when it had a stranglehold on
 the industry and they dreamed of returning to that stranglehold.  The
 Microchannel was intended to achieve that, but it failed.  Now if they
 could own the only OS standard they could use that to leverage their
 hardware and regain dominance in both fields.  The brilliance of the
 prospect of returning to their past glories blinded them to the fact that
 it wouldn't work.

 So that's where Microsoft has been sitting for the past two or three
 years.  Every few months I read some c.o.o.a and I marvel at all of
 the folks there that just don't get it.  They argue about how OS/2 now has
 a 3% market share, or is it 5%, and they think that that means anything.
 It's like two race cars - one with hundreds of gallons of gas - and
 a 20 lap lead - and the other way behind with only a cup of gas.  And
 it's proponents are crowing that it's slowly gaining!

 Also, I see folks argue about the sales figures that show that OS/2 apps
 don't sell worth a darn, try to deny the fact that there aren't very many
 widely interesting OS/2 apps available.  Nobody seems to understand why
 there aren't - and won't be - big draw OS/2 apps available.  And people
 think that the "5%" penetration number contradicts the "no OS/2 apps sold"
 number.  Every time I'd marvel at how folks could just look at it in the
 face and not understand what that means.

 It means that OS/2 is selling, however well it does, as a Windows engine.
 That's why some number of copies have been sold, but very few OS/2
 API apps were sold along side.

 So OS/2 is a windows engine, and that engine is going to jump the tracks
 each time an improved Windows ships.  It will take IBM two or three years
 to reverse engineer the new stuff, and by that time MS will have it's
 *next* release out.  You can't establish your own direction, and you can't
 play catch up.  It's just an untennable position.  MS refused to get into
 that position with AT&T, yet IBM burned all of it's other bridges *before*
 it crossed them.  The only way to live in that kind of a situation is to
 cooperate with the company that controls the standard, not slander and
 belittle it.

 The only thing that interested me about this was making bets with my
 friends on how long it would be before Lou Gestner wised up.  Mr. Gestner,
 whom I don't personally know, is clearly a very sharp guy.  But he was a
 cookie salesman and didn't understand the kind of dynamics I've discussed
 above.  He had to take the word of underlings - guys who spun crazy
 tales of somehow overthrowing Microsoft, IBM regaining it's rightful
 position as ruler of the world, "curtains for windows", and the
 incredible profits that would come from an IBM stranglehold.  It sounds
 good if you don't understand the real underlying dynamics, and IBM
 desparately needs major new profit centers, so these guys convinced
 Gestner to support them.

 But, as I've said, while Gestner was ignorant, he isn't dumb.  And he
 won't be ignorant forever.  Eventually he'll come to realize that
 the OS/2 emperor has no clothes.  So me and my friends would occasionally
 speculate when that might be - 6 months, 12 months, 24 months, etc.
 There was no doubt *what* would happen, it was just a matter of *when*.

 Clearly, Gestner has reached that point.  First, note that IBM said that
 they weren't even going to try to modify OS/2 for the new WIN95 APIs.
 That means that they don't want to launch a 2 year product because
 they figure there'll be nothing there in 2 years to run that API.
 IBM has to run behind Microsoft playing "catch up", and they've stopped
 running and are walking slowly, panting.  This is a critical sign.

 Secondly, Gestner is saying publicly that the OS battle is the "previous
 battle" and that groupware is now where he should fight.  I won't argue
 with that, but this is as clear a statement as you'll ever find that
 they've given up on OS/2 as a mainstream desktop system.  It's not
 curtains for windows, but curtains for OS/2.   For anyone who has eyes to
 see, IBM has thrown in the towel on OS/2 as a mainstream, successful
 operating system.  They'll continue to support it for the folks who are
 using it as a dedicated platform.  But that won't go far or for very long,
 IMHO.

 There are two problems.  First, it's my uneducated guess that they can't
 even turn a positive cash flow developing it for dedicated platforms.
 Even if they just write off the billions blown, IBM is not an efficient
 developer and they'll have a hell of a lot of programmers writing and
 supporting it.  At one time in the past IBM might have lost money for
 10 years as a strategic move to increase customer confidence in IBM
 support.  But as their mainframes start melting seriously IBM won't be
 able to afford such luxuries.  It's my guess - and again, I admit that
 this is outside of my area of expertise - that there'll be a lot of
 scouts-honor promises, but that after a few years of loosing money
 IBM will phase out of OS/2 altogether, one way or another.  Note that they
 *have* to spend a lot of money developing it, even for this niche.
 Otherwise stuff like NT - which is so much cheaper because of the larger
 number of copies - is too attractive.  NT, for example, would have the
 latest technology and a stagnant OS/2 wouldn't.  NT would have the latest
 tools and compilers, and a stagnant OS/2 wouldn't.  So even as a niche
 system, OS/2 can't be just milked, it has to continue to undergo
 development.  And it will be damned hard for anyone, especially IBM, to
 make money doing that.

 So, in a few nutshells, that's it.  IBM doomed OS/2 years ago when
 they said it was "us or them".  Folks at MS walked around with their
 mouths hanging open for days - we couldn't believe that IBM was that
 dumb.  And now you see the result.  OS/2 is dead as a general purpose
 operating system.  And I, for one, am highly skeptical of it's longevity
 as a dedicated platform.

        Gordon Letwin
        not a Microsoft spokesperson

 p.s. - please note that all of this is my personal opinion.  I don't
 set or participate in Microsoft strategy, I'm just a programmer.
 None of this represents Microsoft's view of the situation, either
 formally or informally.

 Editor Note:
      Looks like all is not quite right in Warped land... its a shame.  It
 also appears that they are taking some kind of weird delight in letting
 the World know the Red Chinese Government is using El Warpo.  If it were
 I, I would fastidiously _hide_ that factoid as best I could.

              Thank God the Reds decided to release Harry Wu.

      They're still an oppresive, hateful government.  Just ask those in
 forced slavery manufacturing textiles and all sorts of dry goods for less
 than a bowl of food per day.  The really sad part is most of those in this
 "forced slavery" are either political prisoners and children.

      The slimey Entrepreneurs (some Americans included) who are taking
 advantage of this human misery should be sent there to live and stripped
 of their citizenship.  They are Americans not to be proud of.  They also
 cast a grey pall of disgrace upon the rest of the USA and especially those
 who died bravely fighting the Chinese Communists.  Come on Pres. Clinton..
 Newt G.? ? Bob Dole??  Why is this great nation allowing this to happen?
 And Clinton wants to send Hillary to _visit_ the principals of the Chinese
 Government??  Isn't that literally giving tacit approval to the Chinese
 Reds of their ongoing nefarious violations against human rights?



 The OS/2 WARP Corner STR Feature



 This week, we are previewing a hot piece of OS/2 software from Stardock
 Systems called Object Desktop.


                   ENHANCE OS/2 WITH STARDOCK'S OBJECT DESKTOP

    by Matt Hite

    While most of the mainstream software industry is busy preparing for
    the arrival of Windows 95, Stardock Systems has been hard at work
    giving OS/2 Warp a new-and-improved look. Called Object Desktop,
    Stardock is hoping that this facelift will do for OS/2 what Norton
    Desktop did for Windows.

    Object Desktop is described as a set of new "objects" which integrate
    seamlessly into the existing Workplace Shell, providing an enhanced
    operating environment. Because of the object-oriented design of OS/2,
    not only can additional objects be created, but the default "stock"
    objects can be altered in both appearance and behavior. Object Desktop
    does both, effectively offering a 3rd party upgrade to an already
    superior operating system.

    PERFORMANCE

    When folders are opened in OS/2, the Workplace Shell individually
    retrieves each icon from their various locations on the hard disk and
    displays them. The icon retrieval time is usually brief, but is
    comparatively slower than the equivalent action in Windows. The
    HyperCache feature attempts to address this shortcoming -- frequently
    used folders can be cached so their contents are always held open in
    memory, providing instantaneous access. Another speed improvement is
    the HyperDrive option. Instead of searching the system for the icon
    associated to a data file, HyperDrive will attempt to make its best
    guess based on the file extension. After these icon "predictions" are
    displayed, HyperDrive can then optionally use the standard Workplace
    Shell icon retrieval facilities to correct any erroneous guesses.

    INTERFACE

    Object Desktop provides folder objects with a new look. Typically,
    OS/2 opens a new folder object when accessed from a parent folder.
    This can lead to a chaotic and disorganized desktop. A new browse mode
    option decreases desktop clutter by repopulating the currently active
    folder with the child folder's contents. Two new buttons are also
    added to the folder object's window frame. The folder traversal button
    (denoted by a left arrow icon) allows the user to easily move back up
    the folder object hierarchy. The other button (a prominent "X")
    permits one-click closing of folder objects. A status line also
    appears at the bottom of the window frame, denoting the number of
    objects occupying the folder and the amount of physical space (in
    kilobytes) they consume.

    UTILITIES

    The Control Center utility provides a visual representation of system
    usage, which includes memory, drive, and swap file usage graphs. A
    miniature CPU-usage line graph and digital clock is also shown on the
    Control Center console. Another console feature is the Object Browser,
    which is similar to the Windows 95 "Start" menu. Its user-adjustable
    menus provide easy navigation through an object's hierarchy to launch
    an application, eliminating the need to open folder objects on the
    desktop. For example, my browser includes the folders I access most
    frequently, such as the Drives folder and the System Prompts folder.

    Virtual work areas can also be managed from the Control Center. Using
    the virtual desktop manager, applications and folders can be opened in
    their own work-area. Switching desktops is simple -- just click on the
    thumbnail representation of the work-area. Virtual desktops aren't for
    everybody, but for those of us whose monitors are stuck in a low
    resolution, they can be helpful. New archive template classes are also
    included with Object Desktop. Creating an archive is as simple as
    dragging the ZIP template onto your desktop and copying files into the
    new folder. And because all OS/2 file associations will remain intact
    when browsing an archive, access to an object's appropriate viewer or
    application requires only a double-click.

    To make access to applications from the Launchpad more organized,
    users can opt to use Stardock's Tabbed Launchpad. With these tab
    headings, programs can now be arranged into categories. As each tab is
    clicked, the icons are updated to reveal the items associated with the
    category heading.

    If you don't like a launchpad cluttering up valuable screen space,
    short-cut keys can be assigned to program objects. However, the real
    power of this feature is the ability to associate multiple objects to
    one hot-key. I use this feature to login to my Internet service
    provider and download my email. By assigning both programs to the same
    hot-key, I can effortlessly start it all in the background and save
    myself a few mouse clicks.

    To manage files, folders, and other objects, Stardock has included an
    Object Navigator utility, which resembles the Windows 95 Explorer and
    provides quick, easy access to the directory structure of each drive.
    The Navigator possesses much of the same abilities as OS/2's Drives
    object, but organizes and displays directory information in a more
    intuitive and useful fashion. Not only can you launch programs from
    within the Navigator, but objects can be moved, copied, shadowed, and
    shredded using the buttons along the window border. And since this is
    all integrated into the Workplace Shell, file associations are fully
    supported. For those of us who like a simple and easy way to maneuver
    around the desktop and file directories, the Object Navigator proves
    to be an elegant alternative.

    THE CHALLENGE

    If Windows 95 poses a threat to Warp, it's not because it is more
    powerful or more stable; people may simply find Windows 95 more
    visually appealing. But Stardock has succeeded in meeting Microsoft's
    challenge by transcending the forthcoming Windows 95 interface. Object
    Desktop is more than a suite of applications and operating system
    enhancements -- it is what OS/2 advocates have been waiting for all
    these years.

    This review was based on a beta copy of Object Desktop. The release
    version will begin shipping in late August of 1995. Stardock Systems
    can be reached at (313) 453-0328 or via Internet email at
    wardell@ibm.net. Matt Hite is a freelance writer. He can be
    contacted at sexchoc@netcom.com.

       [Thanks to Matt Hite for granting us permission to reprint ths
                 article. It can be found on the Internet at
               http://www.mother.com/iomag/io795/objdesk.html]

 As always, direct any feedback to our editor, Ralph Mariano, at
 rmariano@delphi.com, or directly to me at mike.restivo@np.newpower.com

 Happy Warping!



 The Registration Myth STR FOCUS!



                  Microsoft Windows 95 Registration Wizard
                                    Q & A
                                 Summer 1995


 Q:  What is the Microsoft Windows 95 operating system Registration Wizard?

 A:  The Windows 95 Registration Wizard is simply an electronic version of
 the paper-based registration card that will ship in the Windows 95 product
 box.


 Q:  Must I use the Registration Wizard?

 A:  No.  You may use the paper registration card if you prefer.  And just
 like paper-based registration, online registration is completely optional.



 Q:  How does the Registration Wizard work?

 A:  The Registration Wizard helps you step by step through the process of
 registering your copy of Windows 95.  The wizard helps you provide the
 same information that you would fill out using the paper registration
 form.  For example, the wizard starts by asking your name, company name,
 address and phone number.  It then gives you the option of sending
 information about your computer system s configuration (such as the
 processor type, amount of memory and hard-disk space) and your hardware
 peripherals (such as your network card, CD-ROM drive and sound card).  The
 wizard also asks if you d like to send information about the applications
 on your system.

 The wizard makes it easy for you to provide information about your system
 configuration, because it automatically queries the system registry of
 your computer and displays a list of your computer s configuration
 information.  You can see all of the information, and you can choose to
 send or not send it.

 Similarly, the wizard makes it easy for you to provide information about
 the applications you use, because it checks your local hard disk for the
 names of commonly used programs and lists on the display the names of the
 ones you have (a maximum of 12 are listed).  You review the list, then
 choose to send or not send the information.

 Q:  What is the difference between registering online and filling out the
 paper registration form?

 A:  Online registration can be more accurate and convenient.  It
 eliminates the need to write answers on a card and mail it.  The wizard
 also checks your local computer and fills in some answers for you to
 review, so that you don t have to guess or look up system-configuration
 and application information.  The wizard also conveniently sends the
 information to Microsoft Corp. via MSN The Microsoft Network, eliminating
 the need for the information to be manually entered into a database once
 it reaches Microsoft.


 Q:  Can I choose to send some, but not all, of the information requested
 by the wizard?

 A:  Yes.  For example, you do not have to send the system-configuration
 information.  It is completely optional.  In fact, unless you explicitly
 choose to send the information, the wizard does not send it.

 The same is true for the information about the applications on your
 system.  You must choose to send the information, or the wizard does not
 send it.


 Q:  How is the information sent to Microsoft?

 A:  The information you choose to send to Microsoft is transmitted via
 MSN.


 Q:  Do you have to subscribe to The Microsoft Network to use the
 Registration Wizard?

 A:  No.  You do not have to be an MSN subscriber to register online, and
 using the Registration Wizard to register your copy of Windows 95 does not
 make you an MSN subscriber.  Signing up for The Microsoft Network is a
 separate process.


 Q:  Why does Microsoft need the system-configuration and application
 information?

 A:  The information helps Microsoft build better products and provides you
 with better product support.  Information about users  systems   such as
 memory and hard-disk space, and the presence of a CD-ROM drive   helps
 Microsoft understand customers  configurations and therefore design
 products that meet the majority of users  needs.  Knowing your exact
 system configuration and the applications you run makes it easier for
 product-support specialists to provide fast, accurate telephone responses
 to your questions.

 Like paper-based registration, online registration enables Microsoft to
 send you information about Microsoft programs that are tailored for your
 needs and interests.  Just as with paper-based registration, the online
 registration information stays at Microsoft and is never provided to other
 parties.  Occasionally, information may be sent to you about non-Microsoft
 products or programs when appropriate, but you can check a box in the
 wizard if you wish never to receive such materials.

 Q:  Why should I register at all?

 A:  Registration is optional.  However, registering your software brings
 you a number of benefits.  These benefits often include qualifying for
 special Microsoft product offers and upgrades to new versions of the
 software at special prices or at no charge, in addition to improved
 product support.


 Q:  Can I see exactly what information is being sent to Microsoft when I
 register online?

 A:  Yes.  The wizard is carefully designed to allow you to easily see and
 review all the information before it is sent.  For example, the dialog
 boxes about system configuration and applications do not support scroll
 bars.  This eliminates any possibility that information scrolled out of
 view could be transferred without your knowledge.


 Q:  If I choose to cancel out of online registration, will I have another
 opportunity to register?

 A:  Yes.  The Online Registration button is displayed on the Welcome
 dialog box for Windows 95 until the registration process is completed.
 Once registration is successfully completed, this button disappears.


 Q:  Does the Registration Wizard track serial numbers or registration
 information about the user s registration of other products?

 A:  Not at all.  It also does not query computers on a local or wide area
 network.


 Q:  Is this Microsoft s way of tracking down illegal copies of products?

 A:  No.  The Registration Wizard is not designed to be an enforcement tool
 of any kind and does not capture any information that would be useful in
 tracking illegal software.  For instance, the information that is
 collected does not include serial numbers or other registration
 information about products installed on the hard disk.  Thus, the
 Registration Wizard is not useful for fighting software piracy.


 Q:  Do other companies offer online registration facilities?

 A:  Dozens of companies in the computer software and hardware industries
 offer online registration facilities like the Windows 95 Registration
 Wizard.  These companies include IBM, Compaq Computer Corp., PROCOMM,
 CompuServe Inc. and America Online Inc., to name a few.


 Q:  Do any other Microsoft products use this technology?

 A:  Windows 95 is the first Microsoft product to offer online registration
 as an option for the convenience of customers.  We anticipate using this
 technology in future products.  In fact, we plan for online registration
 to be offered in other Microsoft products soon.


 Q:  How does the information sent to Microsoft during online registration
 differ from that sent in by paper-based registration?

 A:  The information basically is the same, and it is used in the same
 manner by Microsoft.  Online registration simply uses the system to check
 the configuration and installed applications and offers you that
 information, which makes it easier for you to respond precisely to the
 registration questions.


 Q:  Can I be sure that additional information will not be sent
 accidentally to Microsoft from my hard drive or memory?

 A:  The Registration Wizard sends no information without your explicit
 permission.  Information cannot be sent accidentally from your hard drive
 or memory.  The Registration Wizard uses a memory buffer that is first
 cleared of all information (initialized to contain all 0s).  Your
 registration information is copied into the buffer one string at a time
 copying only the exact information you see on the display.  There is no
 way for the Registration Wizard to upload information that you did not see
 on the display.

 If you want to view the exact information gathered during your online
 registration, you can view the REGINFO.TXT file found in the C:\WINDOWS
 directory of your local computer.

 Q:  Can I remove the wizard from my computer if I want to?

 A:  Yes.  Your network administrator also can remove the Registration
 Wizard during batch setup of Windows 95-based computers.

 Microsoft and Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of
 Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.


 WILDCAT 5 THE ANNIHILATOR STR FOCUS!


                   Mustang Software, Project Annihilator
                        Preliminary Information Sheet
 August 22, 1995

 Interactive Multimedia Reaches the On-line Application Market

 Mustang Software is developing a system to empower the corporate,
 business, small office and hobbyist community to offer full on-line
 multimedia to customers, staff and prospects. The development name of
 the project is Annihilator and it has entered beta testing at several
 hundred locations. It is targeted for release between Thanksgiving and
 the end of the year as Wildcat! 5 for Windows 95 and Windows NT.
 Annihilator is a true Windows 95 or Windows NT client/server application
 designed to provide a BBS- based solution for a broad range of
 customers. It delivers an exciting interactive multimedia experience for
 callers by allowing the system operator to make use of familiar
 multimedia tools, including JPEG and GIF editors, for customization of
 the caller interface. For backward compatibility all aspects of the
 system are accessible via standard ANSI connectivity but when accessed
 using the free remote client, the caller is greeted with an exciting
 multimedia experience. The support engine for offering remote graphics
 to the caller is included at no additional cost, and the remote
 graphical client suite is slated for free distribution.

 Annihilator takes full advantage of the new multitasking in Windows 95
 and the robust server operations in Windows NT to provide a solution for
 every online need. The Windows 95 platform has been selected to support
 small to medium load systems while the Windows NT platform was chosen to
 provide high performance on-line solutions utilizing its single and
 multi-processor support.

 True Client/Server Technology

 The Bulletin Board System arena is the latest market segment to be
 courted by advertisements touting the benefits of "client/server"
 technology.  However, upon closer inspection, "client/server" is often
 used to refer to the use of a proprietary remote program (the client) to
 dial into a BBS application (the server). While the use of a remote
 graphic client is an exciting aspect of many of the newer BBS
 technologies including `Annihilator', it does not represent true
 client/server functionality at the application program level, the
 location where its true power can be unleashed.

 So What is Client/Server?

 Client/server, at its simplest level, is an architecture that involves
 client processes requesting service from server processes.
 Client/server computing recognizes that those client modules need not
 all be executed within the same memory space, that is, the processes
 that distribute the information need not all be a part of the same
 single program. Separation of the client and server modules provides
 improved security and performance. By implementing a BBS with a core
 information server, and routing that information using a number of
 application clients at the sysop's location, a system can be established
 that delivers more information at greater speed, even on a single PC
 running Windows 95.

 Isn't It Complicated?

 Client/server can be as simple as running two or three familiar programs
 on a single PC or as intricate as a multiple-PC network running several
 applications on each PC. The beauty of client/server model is that once
 you understand the relationship between the different executable
 programs (the clients and the servers) you can set it up in any of
 several ways that best meet your needs.


 The client/server model of Annihilator above is a simple setup with the
 server and all clients running on a single PC. The computer can operate
 under Windows 95 or Windows NT Workstation or Server. This configuration
 offers the most compact system and allows for total management from the
 single BBS computer.

 An alternative to operating all client executables on a single PC is to
 distribute the processing over a Microsoft Network. The server
 executable runs on a Windows NT (workstation or server) PC while the
 client modules can be run on either the server PC or networked PCs
 running either Windows 95 or Windows NT.  The advantage of separating
 some client operations from the server is increased power through
 distributed processing.  For example, in an extremely active system the
 sysop may find it advantageous to establish three PCs, one for the
 Server and TCP/IP connectivity, including WWW access, and two others,
 each running a rack of 32 modems with its own copy of the Modem
 Controller Client.

 Use of the client/server model provides a number of advantages:

   32-bit Windows multitasking means no additional multitasking software
   is needed and 16-32 lines can be run easily without loading multiple
   copies of the BBS.

   The entire BBS configuration in our client/server model can be
   modified even while in full operation, but only by authorized
   personnel. The system server accepts change requests and implements
   them as soon as usage permits.

   The number of inbound sessions on a single computer is significantly
   increased. Thanks to the enhanced multitasking of both 32-bit Windows
   platforms, a much larger number of connections is possible on any
   given PC. As inbound access (via modem, telnet, HTTP, etc.) reaches
   the processor limits for any given PC, additional client PCs can be
   added which communicate automatically with the server. Clients for
   modems, HTTP, telnet and other activities can be operated on a single
   PC or on a variety of additional systems, depending on load.

 This new generation BBS can truly isolate the core of the host
 activities, providing secure, private system access even to local users.
 The server portion of the system is established in an area on disk with
 restricted user access.  The server controls all access to messages,
 files and other system information. Requests are submitted to the server
 by all support programs and third-party utilities through an easily
 adopted application program interface (API). This methodology has the
 added advantage of allowing the actual BBS program-flow code to be
 written in wcCODE and to be fully customizable.

 True Client/server technology provides total flexibility.  It allows the
 sysop to offer a BBS on a desktop platform and to expand the system
 capabilities as desired.

 Standard Annihilator Modules Included With Every BBS Create a Foundation

 Server module

   This module provides the base functionality for processing all
   database and configuration requests through a published API structure.

 Local or LAN Client

   This module is included with every package and is used by anyone
   connecting at the host PC.  It can also be used by anyone on the
   network for local login. It is an ANSI text connection. Note that the
   Graphical Client used for remote connection also can be used locally
   for a graphical local connection.

 Online Client

   This module is included with every package and answers the phone for
   all dial-in lines. It can present the BBS information to a caller in
   ANSI, ASCII or in full graphics when called with the free remote
   graphical client.

 QWK Echo Client

   This module is included with every package and handles QWK mail
   exchange processing between the host and other BBSs.

 TAPI Client

   This module is included with every package and provides a link to the
   Windows Telephony Application Program Interface.  It talks to
   TAPI-aware add-on cards or hardware that offer ISDN, X.25 or other
   connectivity.

 Graphical Remote Client

   This module is a set of freely-distributable Windows programs for
   callers to experience full multimedia when connected.  This program
   suite operates on Windows 3.1, Windows 95, Windows NT and any OS/2
   release with Windows support. It can also be run locally, over a LAN
   or via a telnet connection. The core language of the remote graphical
   client is HTML, the language of the World Wide Web.


 Optional Annihilator Modules Increase Client/Server Power

 UUCP Client [wcGATE]

   This optional module handles dial-up Internet email and newsgroup
   support. It includes a dial-out program and mail tosser, allowing
   callers to send and receive Internet email and newsgroup messages. It
   also supports feeding messages to downline nodes.

 Internet Package

 This optional accessory package handles TCP/IP support and includes
 several individual clients. Note that many of the modules included with
 the Internet Client Package operate as clients to the BBS host, but act
 as a server to the wider Internet connection:

  Telnet Module

    This module handles inbound telnet, connecting callers to the BBS
    when they connect from a remote internet site. In this mode it acts
    as a telnet server. With the Telnet module installed the BBS also
    supports outbound telnet sessions requested by callers, connecting
    them to other locations on the internet. In this mode the BBS acts as
    a telnet client for the caller. Inbound telnet connections support
    ANSI, ASCII and the graphical remote client interface.

  FTP Module

    This module handles inbound FTP file requests and functions as a FTP
    server. Requests can be made anonymously for a restricted file set,
    or using a name and password on the BBS for FTP access to files based
    on the caller's access profile.

  WWW Module

    This module provides BBS connectivity to callers connecting using a
    WWW browser. It functions as an HTTP server that dynamically creates
    HTML files for file and message data and is fed by a set of display
    files in HTML format customized by the sysop.

  IRC Module

    This module provides a link to internet relay chat to expand the live
    discussion capabilities of the BBS. It functions as an irc client for
    callers.  Note that standard inter-node chat is supported without
    this module.

  SMTP Module

    This module provides support for simple mail transfer protocol
    messaging and acts as a server for SMTP.  It provides the link to
    allow callers to send and receive internet email.

  NNTP Module

    This module provides support for network news transfer protocol
    messaging and acts as a NNTP client to process mail from an Internet
    NNTP server (many providers offer nntp mail services). It provides
    the link to allow callers to read and reply to usenet newsgroups.

 [end of Internet Package items]

 MAPI Client

   This optional module provides a link to the Windows Mail Application
   Program Interface.  It provides a mechanism to exchange messages
   between any application that supports MAPI such as Microsoft Mail,
   cc:Mail, Lotus Notes, etc. With MAPI support the sysop can easily
   establish a single repository for all messages by routing e-mail to
   Microsoft Exchange or any favorite mail package.

 CODE Development Package [wcCODE]

   This optional package is a new, enhanced high-speed 32-bit development
   language so powerful that all standard BBS functions are written in
   it. The CODE package allows the sysop to create custom BBS operations
   and programs to be run by the caller.

 Source Code

   For total customization of all online activity the wcCODE source for
   all BBS functions is available for purchase. (Requires wcCODE)

 Database (SQL) Client

   This optional module provides full remote connectivity to distributed
   database processing using the SQL standard.

 Reports Client [wcPRO]

   This optional module provides extensive reporting on BBS usage and
   activities.

 Billing Client [wcBILLING]

   This optional module provides a complete billing for pre-pay or
   post-pay systems.

 How Do I Set Up a Client/Server BBS?

 The configuration of Annihilator is very similar to the DOS Wildcat! BBS
 except that all configuration programs are 32-bit graphic Windows
 applications. Once you have run the installation and configuration
 programs you maintain the BBS using other Windows applications that
 provide functionality similar to the DOS Wildcat! MAKEMENU, MAKEWILD,
 MAKEQUES, wcFILE, and other support programs.

 How Do Callers Connect?

 There are several methods for callers to connect to your Annihilator
 (Wildcat! 5 ) BBS and several types of presentation:

   Dial-in modem callers using a standard comm package receive standard
   ANSI screens, just like WC4.

   Dial-in modem callers using the Graphical Remote Client package
   receive a full graphical HTML presentation. The BBS main "page" and
   all other informational pages such as bulletins, etc. are created by
   the sysop as HTML (www) documents using any HTML editor.

   Telnet in connections using a standard telnet or comm package receive
   ANSI screens, just like WC4.

   Telnet in connections using the Graphical Remote Client package
   receive a full graphical HTML presentation.

   FTP inbound connection requests can log in as "guest" or "anonymous"
   for limited file access as set by the sysop, or can log in as a BBS
   user with the correct password for full file lists based on BBS access
   profiles.

   HTTP inbound can be made using any browser (Netscape, Mosaic, etc.)
   and will receive dynamically generated HTML pages for files and
   messages, with other information and a main "page" prepared by the
   sysop as HTML documents.

 What Internet Services Can I Offer?

 Your callers can make use of a number of Internet services if they
 dial-in using the Remote Graphical Client. By connecting to you over a
 standard phone line they are able to telnet to any other internet
 location, they can ftp to any other location and they can surf the World
 Wide Web (because our Remote Graphical Client is a web browser). We hope
 to add the ability to offer PPP connectivity as well, but the
 implementation may not be available until after Christmas.

 What Hardware Will I Need?

 Annihilator was designed to provide a platform for everything from a
 single line BBS to a 1,000 line corporate connectivity server. The same
 set of client/server modules are used in all installations.

 For a simple one or two line BBS the easiest installation platform would
 be a 486/66 PC with 8 MB of memory running Windows 95. The standard
 communications ports in the PC can be used and the sysop just needs to
 run the Server Module and the Modem Client.  Minimize these two programs
 on the desktop and your BBS is operational.  To login locally you run
 the Graphical Client for a full graphical BBS session.

 As the BBS expands the sysop might add a multiport card from Digi,
 Comtrol, Stallion, Equinox or any other manufacturer that offers Windows
 95 or NT support. A 4-16 port card can be installed in the same 486 PC
 to increase line count and the only additional hardware changes might be
 to add additional memory to 16 MB. The same Modem Client will handle the
 additional lines with the installation of a line count increase module.

 Further expansion of the BBS can be accomplished in many ways. As line
 count increases the power of the PC can be increased to handle the added
 load by moving to a Pentium 90-120 MHz CPU. With the technology
 available today it is entirely possible to operate a single-box PC that
 can address hundreds of incoming lines and other connections by taking
 advantage of the multi-processor capabilities of the Windows NT
 platform.

 For those that would rather make use of a LAN environment for BBS
 connectivity the Annihilator project also has a solution. By using
 Windows NT (Server or Workstation) the sysop can establish a server PC
 that handles the core server duties and separate PCs for different
 aspects of the remote connection. Each Client module can be operated on
 a networked PC running Windows 95 or NT, and will communicate with the
 server PC automatically. No messy drive mappings and no specific
 Networking components are required, other than those that come with
 Windows NT (workstation or server) and Windows 95. This type of
 distributed processing system really make sense for large systems with
 several different types of access, including local, TCP/IP, modem, X.25
 and ISDN.  Different client processes can be run on less-powerful PCs
 depending on their load.

 What about Novell Networks?

 Annihilator is totally compatible with NetWare. A workstation PC in a
 NetWare LAN can run Windows 95 or Windows NT and operate the complete
 BBS. Other LAN PCs can access the BBS using the Local/LAN client.

 Although the BBS PC can access files located on the NetWare Server
 drives, it is recommended that all BBS files be located on the PC that
 operates the BBS Server Module, with the possible exception of the
 downloadable files, which can be located anywhere on the LAN.

 The sysop can set up BBS clients on other PCs on the LAN providing the
 BBS server module is on a PC running Windows NT and the other client PCs
 run Windows 95 or NT.  The same cabling for NetWare connectivity is
 automatically used by the Windows networking to share BBS client/server
 data using NT's routing technology.

 Can it Run Doors? Annihilator supports DOS-based doors on all port
 connections, and includes a program for DOS program redirection.
 However, operation of 16-bit DOS doors does limit the number of lines
 that can be supported on any given PC. Programs specifically written in
 the new 32-bit wcCODE are an exception, and do not cause this system
 degradation.

 Doors do not require any modification and operate in their own memory
 session for each node. Door operation is virtualized, a process that
 isolates the door itself from the port, and prevents it from knowing
 whether it is talking to a standard com port, a DigiBoard or a telnet
 connection.  All doors all think they are talking to a standard COM 1.

 Release Information and Pricing

 No specific release date has been set for project Annihilator, but the
 target date is between Thanksgiving and year end.  The majority of the
 program modules are expected to be available in fourth quarter `95 but
 some optional modules will not become available until early 1996.

 Pre-release CD Special

 A special Pre-Release Annihilator CD will be made available in
 mid-September for $49.  Only 5,000 copies of this special CD release
 will be mastered, and they will be distributed solely as an
 instructional and informational exercise. Although the BBS on the CD
 program will be operational, it is not intended to be used as a
 commercial BBS because it will not have completed testing nor will it
 include full printed documentation.

 The Pre-Release Annihilator CD has two functions:

   Provide an early introduction to new technology for leading-edge
   sysops.

   Establish eligibility for a staggering price discount on the purchase
   of the full product release.

 Those who purchase a copy of the CD and invest the time in learning the
 new technology ahead of time will be rewarded with a 75% discount off
 the purchase price when Annihilator is released. Wildcat! BBS sysops who
 elect not to participate in the Pre-Release Annihilator CD special will
 be eligible for a 66.6% (2/3) discount.  The following table outlines
 the expected manufacturer's suggested list price, the Pre- Release
 participant discount and the Wildcat! sysop discount:


 Product              MSRP*      75% off*      66.6% off*
 Availability

 M2 (two + local)    $149         $37              $49         4th qtr. `95
 M16 (16 node)       $349         $87             $115         4th qtr. `95
 M32 (32 node)       $699         $174            $230         4th qtr. `95
 8 Pack Node Inc     $199         $49             $65          4th qtr. `95
 UUCP Client (dial)  $149         $37             $49          4th qtr. `95
 Internet Pkg.       $799         $199            $265         4th qtr. `95
 MAPI Client         $799         $199            $265         early `96
 CODE Language       $149         $37             $49          4th qtr. `95
 BBS Source Code     $799         $199            $265         4th qtr. `95
 SQL Database Client $799         $199            $265         early `96
 Reports [wcPRO]     $149         $37             $49          early `96
 Billing Client      $149         $37             $49          early `96

 * MSRP - Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price; 75% off - to participants
 in the special Pre-Release Annihilator CD program; 66.6% off - to any
 Wildcat! sysop with a valid registration number

 The CD will include an unlimited line count program, a dial-up UUCP
 client, Internet support for telnet in/out, ftp in, and email/newsgroup
 message tossing. It will also contain the wcCODE Integrated Development
 Environment and source code for the BBS operation.

 To obtain a copy of the CD contact MSI direct at 800-999-9619.

 The current DOS version of Wildcat! will continue to be supported and
 updated by its own separate team of engineers. We have no current plans
 for a native OS/2 BBS system and do not anticipate such development in
 the foreseeable future.



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

                  FARGO PRIMERA PRO COLOR PRINTERS - 600DPI

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

                       STReport's Fargo Printout Offer
                                P.O. Box 6672
                      Jacksonville, Florida 32205-6155

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

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


                            ___   ___    _____     _______
                           /___| /___|  /_____|  /_______/
                          /____|/____| /__/|__| /__/
                         /_____|_____|/__/_|__|/__/
                        /__/|____/|__|________|__/
                       /__/ |___/ |__|_/   |__|_/_____
                      /__/  |__/  |__|/    |__|______/
                  ________________________________________
                 /_______________________________________/


 MAC/APPLE SECTION                            John Deegan, Editor (Temp)




 IS THIS FOR REAL? STR SOUND OFF    A TRUE PICTURE OF SOUR GRAPES!


 This writer for the Orange County Register really did an emotional tirade
 on Windows 95. We all need to send him e-mail about his article. His
 e-mail address is: number6@ocr1.freedom.com. Let's counter his emotion
 with facts and education.


 ANALYSIS: Take Your Windows PC and Toss It; Macs Are Clearly Superior

 By Stephen Lynch
 The Orange County Register, Calif.
 Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News

 Aug. 19--What's on my PowerBook? Well, whatever it is, you can be sure I
 can find it. Which is more than I can say for Windows -- where
 user-friendly operating system is an oxymoron.

 Yet Apple is scoffed at, sneered at, reviled by Ivy League Ph.D.
 candidates for whom sadomasochism is the fine art of DOS. Through bullying
 and intimidation, they have convinced a population that the road hard
 traveled is the road to heaven -- electing one of their own, Bill Gates,
 tollman.

 Apparently a good print job or modem connection is an accomplishment
 unappreciated without a good afternoon of reconfiguring your system.

 Now there is Windows 95, in which Microsoft blatantly rips off the
 Macintosh operating system in an effort to reinvent the wheel. It's like
 Marco Polo coming back from China with pasta, and then Italy taking the
 credit for the rest of history.

 Inside Apple, officials have started using the slogan Windows 95 is
 Macintosh 89. Seeing as how Microsoft has finally started incorporating
 plug and play and hierarchal menus into its operating system, I'd say
 Windows 95 stole Macintosh 89.''

 Like many of Apple's converts, I love my Mac more than I love my friends.
 The computer's certainly more reliable, hardly ever snips at me, never
 makes fun of me (unless I easily configure its sound system to spout
 taunts) and fits into my trunk. My friends won't fit in my trunk unless
 I'm committing a felony.

 For you PC slaves still unconvinced that easy-to-use does not mean stupid,
 I use Microsoft's own crown jewel as argument. Windows 95, the most
 overhyped sequel since Batman Forever, is Gates' concession to simple.

 Suddenly there is a Recycle Bin to easily delete files (the Macintosh
 Trash Can). There is a friendly Start button from which programs can be
 launched (the Macintosh Apple Menu). Shortcuts can be created on the
 desktop for easy access (an imitation of Mac aliasing). Gates cribbed his
 classmate's notes so thoroughly I'm surprised he remembered to change the
 name of the program.

 The reason for all this thievery is simple -- Microsoft knows it cannot
 attract new customers without an easier interface, or ever hope to shake
 faithful Apple users from their Macintoshes with Windooze 3.1.

 Truth is, they're never going to be able to convert the Mac users. I, for
 one, am required to use Windows 95 for my job. But my sanity requires my
 PowerBook 520. My portable is useful. It's fun. It's easily configured to
 elicit soundbites from The Prisoner and screen savers from Star Trek. It
 doesn't have an operating system that eats up most of my hard disk space.
 And in the same month that Microsoft unveiled an operating system that
 takes a fortnight to load, Apple unveiled the PowerPC 9500, which moves
 like a jackrabbit on hot asphalt.

 So why do PC users make up more than 80 percent of computer owners? Why is
 there such a blatant prejudice against Macintosh users? My theory --
 there's a secret coalition of corporations (the same one that had JFK
 killed and introduced New Coke) that pays off journalists to keep the
 Windows machine alive.

 After all, without such a product, how would all those training, repair,
 hotline companies survive? Microsoft has generated a cottage industry of
 people who fix bugs.

 Therefore I call on all Mac users to take to the superstores and toss
 Pentiums off the roof like Yankees at a tea party. With our PowerPCs in
 tow and our single-button mouses a-clicking, we can rout that toll troll
 and introduce the world to simple nirvana.

 Give me Macintosh or give me death. Stephen Lynch can be E-mailed at
 number6(at)ocr1.freedom.com



 STR Mail Call          "...a place for our readers to be heard"


                             STReport's MAILBAG


                     Messages * NOT EDITED * for content


 SERVICE NEEDS A TUNEUP?

 Subject:  #109242-Sell on other service - Msg Number: 109258
 From:  Frank Heller 74544,2214
 To:  RICHARD RIVES 76031,1247
 Forum:  ATARIPRO   Sec: 01-Forum Business
 Date:  20-Aug-95  14:43:36

 Richard:

 As a former GEnie subscriber, I must say that it is true that the Atari
 section is decently active and reasonably well run, by the sysops there.
 Unfortunately, Alladin won't really help, as the up/downloads are
 unbearably slow and, in spite of the custom front end that Alladin (if it
 were bug free) might provide, it is still an archaicly  S L O W system.
 Let's face it, GEnie is years behind the times. The Midi and music
 sections were the main reason I joined and then subsequently left. The
 sections were run by (for the most part) uncaring, snotty and incompetent
 weasels who couldn't upload a user file if there lives depended on it. In
 a one year (that's right, ONE YEAR) search, only 20-30 files were uploaded
 into the midi section...and that was done by an ATARI sysop helping out. I
 miss the Atari section...but I just couldn't tolerate the system. Just
 thought I'd tell this little story.

 Regards,

 Frank Heller


 BUGS in WARP?? ..Really??

 Date: 08-21-95                         Msg # 9169
 From: JERRY BURSZTYN                   Conf: (121) ITCSysopOpsE
 To: BILL LANSCHE                       Stat: Public
 Subj: More stable                      Read: Yes

 OK, now I know why my board was being so unstable in the short past. SIO
 1.52 had a nasty little bug that would not reset the DTR/DSR. Now that I
 am running 1.53, my board is a LOT more stable.

 Also, I just received the new service pack for OS/2 Warp (XR_W009.*DK).
 This fixes a LOT of bugs (45K in a text file list |>) and the one that
 caught my attention the most is a fix that repairs HANGS on Pentiums,
 DX4's and newer DX2/66's. I so, I will benefit because I use a DX4. And
 after that, I really will be more stable.

 See, I strive to be better. So, I can say that even though my board was
 unstable, I am WORKING to get it all fixed.

 Tina on the other hand, perpetuated trouble. |> Had to inject that |>


 Pall

 === [Team OS/2] / [iMAGe] / PRICE-LESS COMPUTERS ===
 E-MAIL:pall@getnet.com (85:823/607)










 ATARI/JAG SECTION                                 Dana Jacobson, Editor



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



      I've been having a ball playing around with a CDROM on the Falcon,
 when I've been able to find a few spare minutes.  Imagine a 600+ meg
 hard drive partition, loaded with software.  Or, imagine the same thing
 loaded with clip art, pictures, animations, and more.  Amazing - it's
 something Atari users should have been able to use years ago.

      I was hoping to have a review of a couple of the CDs that I've
 been looking at, but some weird split-shift hours at work made my
 productive "leisure" hours almost negligible this week.  I'll keep
 working on it, though.

      Atari users who either use multiple platforms, or moved over to
 the PC side of things will enjoy knowing that a Gemulator for
 Windows 95 has just arrived.  So, if you want the new OS, but still
 want to use Atari software, Gemulator 4 is for you.  We've got the news
 of this new product from Darek Mihocka, below.

      Speaking of Windows 95, after all of the hype, it's amazing to see
 the number of articles on television, newspapers, and magazines that
 are covering this product.  What's even more amazing is how much
 negative coverage this product is getting!  The product may be a good
 one, most say, but what a typical user will need to accommodate this
 new operating system is the problem.  I won't pretend to understand PCs
 and Windows 95 - I can't.  But, after reading a number of these
 articles, I'm glad I'm not faced with the decision to upgrade!

      Until next time...




 Gemulator 4! STR NewsFile!  -  Gemulator For Windows '95 Debuts!




           GEMULATOR 4 Atari STE Emulation Card For Windows 95
           ===================================================

 August 21, 1995

 For additional product information contact Darek Mihocka at:

                           Branch Always Software
                      14150 N.E. 20th Street, Suite 302
                         Bellevue, WA 98007, U.S.A.

                        Phone:          206-236-0540
                        Fax:            206-236-0257

                           America Online: BRASOFT
                         Compuserve:     73657,2714
                           GEnie:          BRASOFT
                     Internet:       brasoft@halcyon.com
                           MSN:            BRASOFT
               World Wide Web: http://www.halcyon.com/brasoft/


 Introducing Gemulator 4
 -----------------------

 Branch Always Software is proud to introduce Gemulator 4 For Windows 95,
 the world's first Atari ST and Atari STE emulator designed specifically
 for use on the new Windows 95 operating system. Gemulator 4 turns your
 PC into an Atari clone with many of the features of a high end Atari
 Mega ST or Atari TT030 computer, yet it allows you to run Atari ST and
 STE software in a window right on the Windows 95 desktop, side-by-side
 with Windows and MS-DOS programs.

 Gemulator 4 is the latest product in our family of Atari 8-bit and
 Atari ST emulators. Branch Always Software was the first to release an
 Atari 130XE emulator for MS-DOS last year (PC Xformer 3.0), the first
 to release an Atari ST emulator for MS-DOS (Gemulator 1.0) in 1992, and
 now the first to offer an Atari STE emulator for Windows 95.

 If you have Internet access or use an online service, you can browse
 our Internet World Wide Web page at http://www.halcyon.com/brasoft/ to
 see a screen shot of Gemulator 4 running on the Windows 95 desktop. Our
 web page also has an up-to-the-minute computer dealer listing as well
 as additional product information about Gemulator 4 and PC Xformer.

 Gemulator 4 emulates all of the standard Atari STE video modes and
 supports 360K and 720K Atari floppy disks. It also supports CD-ROM,
 high resolution Super VGA and Moniterm graphics modes, up to
 14 megabytes of emulated Atari ST memory, up to 4 modems and 3 printers,
 STE hardware emulation including blitter chip emulation, 4096 colors,
 stereo sound, and more.

 The Gemulator 4 emulation card plugs right into any 8-bit or 16-bit
 ISA slot in your PC and comes pre-installed with TOS 2.06. Additional
 sockets on the card allow you to plug in earlier versions of TOS (such
 as TOS 1.0 or TOS 1.4) for compatibility with very old Atari ST
 software. Once the card is plugged in, simply copy the Gemulator 4
 emulation software to your Windows 95 desktop and double click the
 Gemulator 4 icon. Various settings, such as the amount of Atari memory
 being emulated, the hardware mode (Atari ST or STE), configuring the
 printer and modem ports, and other options can be changed on-the-fly
 with an easy to use dialog box and a few mouse clicks. No AUTOEXEC.BAT
 or CONFIG.SYS files to edit, no .INI files to edit, no MS-DOS to mess
 with, period!

 With Gemulator 4 For Windows 95, you can run your favorite Atari ST and
 STE applications, such as Pagestream 2, Calamus SL, Word Writer, GFA
 Basic, FLASH!, Tempus II, Prism Paint, Neodesk, Degas Elite, Laser C,
 and hundreds of others.

 You can pay $900 for Calamus SL for Windows, or you can use your
 existing Calamus SL on Windows 95 now. Which would you prefer?  Waiting
 for Pagestream for Windows? Keep waiting! Most Atari software will
 never be ported to Windows. With Gemulator, it doesn't have to be!


 Pricing and availability
 ------------------------

 The English language version of Gemulator 4 For Windows 95 begins
 shipping August 24 and will be available from Atari computer dealers in
 the United States, Canada, the U.K., and Australia by September 1.
 German, French, and Dutch versions will also be available within a few
 months. See ads in Atari World, ST Informer, ST Applications, and other
 magazines for details.

 The list price of Gemulator 4 for Windows 95 is $219.95 U.S. complete,
 which includes the emulation card, emulation software, a 40 page
 manual, and TOS 2.06 ROMs installed. In the U.K. the price is 159 UKP
 complete. Due to fluctuating exchange rates, prices in other countries
 will vary, so call your dealer.

 Existing users of Gemulator 1.0, 2.0, 2.1, or 3.0 can upgrade to
 Gemulator 4.0 for only $59.95 directly through Branch Always Software
 or participating Atari dealers. TOS 2.06 ROM upgrades are also
 available for about $60.

 Beware of imitators. Other Atari emulators now on the market cost up to
 3 times as much as Gemulator 4 and may run slower. Some don't even use
 real TOS ROMs. None offer the list of features that Gemulator does.
 Gemulator was the first and is still the best Atari ST emulator on the
 market.


 Hardware requirements and performance
 -------------------------------------

 Gemulator 4 runs on any 486 or Pentium based PC with at least
 8 megabytes of RAM, an 8-bit or 16-bit ISA card slot, and which is
 running the released version of Windows 95. We recommend using a
 "Windows accelerator" type VGA card for best performance. A mouse,
 modem, printer, joystick, and sound card are all optional but
 recommended to make full use of Gemulator's features.

 Gemulator 4 does not run on 286 or 386 based PCs, nor does it run
 MS-DOS, Windows 3.1 or OS/2 Warp. A Windows NT 3.51 compatible version
 of Gemulator 4 will be available in a few weeks.

 To get an idea of what kind of speed to expect from your PC, the
 following list shows the speed of the PC's processor and the
 corresponding approximate emulation speed of Gemulator 4 when running
 on Windows 95:

      486 (25 to 33 MHz):           8 MHz 68000 (e.g. Atari 1040ST)
      486 (66 to 75 MHz):          16 MHz 68000 (e.g. Mega STE)
      Pentium (60 MHz):            16 Mhz 68030 (e.g. Atari Falcon)
      Pentium (90 to 100 Mhz):     32 Mhz 68030 (e.g. Atari TT)

 As with a real Atari computer, you can use software accelerators such
 as NVDI, Quick ST, Warp 9, or Turbo ST to increase Gemulator's
 performance considerably.


 Feature list
 ------------

 Gemulator 4 for Windows 95 is not just our old Gemulator for MS-DOS
 running in a window. Many features have been greatly improved from
 earlier versions of Gemulator and several brand new features have been
 added:

 EASE OF USE: Gone are the restrictions of the earlier versions of
 Gemulator for MS-DOS and Windows 3.1. There is no longer a GEMUL8R.INI
 file to edit, no CONFIG.SYS file to edit, and no AUTOEXEC.BAT file to
 edit. No MS-DOS commands to type in. All settings are now configured
 with simple easy to use menus and dialog boxes. Just double click on
 the Gemulator icon on your Windows desktop and a few seconds later the
 Atari GEM desktop is running in its own window.

 HARD DISK and CD-ROM SUPPORT: Gemulator 4 breaks the old 32 megabyte
 partition barrier found in all versions of TOS. Any disk partition on
 your PC, including CD-ROMs and ones that are larger than 32 megabytes
 in size, can be accessed by the GEM desktop and by Atari programs.
 Partitions compressed with DoubleSpace, DriveSpace, Stacker, and other
 disk compression utilities are fully accessible. 1 gigabyte hard disk
 partitions? No problem. Since not all Atari ST software is written to
 run with large hard disk partitions, Gemulator 4 also has a "virtual
 disk" mode which is compatible with earlier versions of Gemulator. In
 this mode, your Atari files are stored on four 32-megabyte Atari-only
 partitions which behave exactly like a real Atari hard disk. Virtual
 disk mode is set up automatically and does NOT require reformatting
 your hard disk.

 FLOPPY DISK SUPPORT: Gemulator 4 still allows you to read and run your
 old Atari ST floppy disks, formatted by older versions of TOS, as well
 as boot disks and 1.44M PC disks. We now include a utility which
 re-writes the boot sector of the floppy disk to make it MS-DOS
 compatible. This allows you to then read your floppy disks from other
 Windows 95 programs. Gemulator 4, for legal and technical reasons, does
 not support copy protected disks.

 VIDEO SUPPORT: Unlimited screen size! The GEM desktop can grow to as
 large as your Windows desktop. So now you can take advantage not only
 of 640x480 and 800x600 color modes, but also use 1024x768, 1280x960
 (Moniterm mode), and even higher resolutions. Most well written GEM
 software will run in all these modes.

 MODEM AND PRINTER SUPPORT: Modem baud rates from 110 to 115200 baud are
 now supported, allowing you to use your high speed 14.4k or 28.8k baud
 modem with your Atari ST terminal software. All serial ports (COM1
 through COM4) are supported. All printer ports (LPT1 through LPT3) are
 now supported.

 STE FEATURES: Other Atari emulators offer only the basic functionality
 of an Atari ST. Gemulator 4 has most of the sound and video support of
 a Mega STE, including emulation of stereo sound, 4096 colors, and the
 blitter chip.

 TOS ROM SUPPORT: All ST and STE TOS ROM versions including TOS 1.6,
 1.62, and 2.05 are now supported, in addition to TOS 1.0, TOS 1.2,
 TOS 1.4., and TOS 2.06 which were supported by earlier versions of
 Gemulator. The TOS ROMs that you plug in are what Gemulator 4 runs, and
 the Gemulator card includes additional sockets for plugging in multiple
 versions of TOS. TOS 2.06 is what is recommended for use with
 Gemulator 4 and what it is optimized for.


 Why Gemulator 4.0 on a PC is cheaper than a real Atari!
 -------------------------------------------------------

 If you currently use an Atari ST, STE, Falcon, of even a TT, then you
 are not getting the full potential out of your Atari ST and STE
 programs. Why? Because your Atari computer is based on a 10 year old
 design that places severe limits on such things as the maximum amount
 of memory in the computer, the speed of the serial ports, the size of
 the hard disk partitions, the capacity of your floppy disks, and the
 screen resolution of the monitor.

 The Atari ST, Mega STE, and even the Falcon computers still have a
 built-in maximum screen resolution of 640x400 or 640x480 pixels. Your
 ST or STE also requires the use of two monitors, one for color and one
 for monochrome. To achieve higher screen resolutions such as 1024x768
 and 1280x960 requires yet another monitor, a special video card, and
 special software drivers, which together can easily cost from $500 to
 $1000 more.

 To be able to use the industry standard 1.44 megabyte floppy disks used
 by today's Macintosh and PC computers requires installing a new floppy
 disk drive in your ST, another $100 cost. To add more memory beyond the
 4 megabytes that most STs allow requires complicated memory expansion
 boards costing many hundreds of dollars more. To install the latest
 TOS 2.06 into an Atari ST requires a $140 expansion board. A CPU
 accelerator? At least another $200.

 As you can see, it can easily cost well over $1000 to upgrade an
 existing Atari ST or STE computer to the point where it becomes usable
 and can run power applications such as Calamus SL. That same money
 spent upgrading an ST is enough to buy a brand new 486 or Pentium
 based computer!

 With Gemulator 4, you get the best of both worlds: the familiar Atari
 GEM desktop running your familiar Atari applications, while having a
 computer that not only costs less than a real Atari computer but also
 runs Windows 95.


 Gemulator 4 dealers
 -------------------

 The following dealers will have Gemulator 4 For Windows 95, with
 TOS 2.06 ROMs, available for sale by September 1. Many also offer
 all-in-one 486 and Pentium systems which have Windows 95 and
 Gemulator 4.0 (with TOS 2.06) pre-installed:

 U.S.A
 -----

 ATY Computer
 3727 13th Avenue
 Oakland, CA 94610
 phone: 510-482-3775
 fax: 510-482-3775
 email: a.yu@genie.geis.com
 systems: basic 100MHz Pentium, $840 and up

 B & C Computervisions
 1725 De La Cruz #7
 Santa Clara, CA 95050-3011
 phone: 408-986-9960
 fax: 408-986-9968

 Godfather Computer
 1177 Quarry Lane, Suite E
 Pleasanton, CA 94566
 phone: 510-174-6809
 fax: 510-417-8787
 email:ercorp@aol.com
 web page: http://www.netrep.com/home/GODFATHER/
 systems: K-PONE 75 MHz Pentium, 8 meg RAM, 545 meg disk, monitor,
 $1599 and up

 Run PC
 524 West Laurel #2
 Fort Collins, CO 80521
 phone: 800-326-2344
 phone: 970-493-5565
 fax: 970-493-5571
 systems: 66 MHz 486, 8 meg RAM, 420 meg disk, $1395 and up

 Toad Computers
 570-F Ritchie Highway
 Severna Park, MD 21146
 phone: 800-448-TOAD (8623)
 phone: 410-544-6943
 fax: 410-544-1329
 web page: http://www.toad.net/pc/systems.html
 systems: 80 MHz 486 and 75 MHz Pentium, 8 meg RAM, 560 meg disk, $1799
 and up

 Xanth Computers
 14100 N.E. 20th Street #105
 Bellevue, WA 98007
 phone: 206-643-9697
 systems: 66 MHz 486, 8 meg RAM, 500 meg disk, call for pricing

 CANADA
 ------

 Falcon Systems
 330 6th Street
 New Westminster, B.C. V3L 3A8
 phone: 604-522-2915
 fax: 604-522-2721
 systems: 486 and Pentium based systems, call for pricing

 RGB Data
 100 Dyke Rd.
 E. Passage, NS B3G 1K2
 phone: 902-465-2321
 fax: 902-465-9966

 Scarborough Computers
 3331 Sheppard Ave. E.
 Scarborough, Ont. M1T 3K2
 phone: 416-491-3139
 fax: 416-491-3280
 systems: 486 and Pentium based systems, call for pricing

 UNITED KINGDOM
 --------------

 FaST Club
 7 Musters Road
 Nottingham N2G 7PP
 phone: +44 0115 945 5250
 fax: +44 0115 945 5305

 System Solutions
 17-19 Blackwater Street
 London SE22 8RS
 phone: +44 (0181) 693 3355
 fax: +44 (0181) 693 6936

 16/32
 173 High Street
 Strood, Kent ME2 4TW
 phone: +44 (01634) 107 788
 fax: +44 (01634) 295 895

 AUSTRALIA
 ---------

 Music Graphics
 P.O. Box 357
 Belgrave 3160
 phone: +61 (03) 754 8588
 fax: +61 (03) 754 8101
 systems: 486 and Pentium Olivetti systems, call for pricing


 See our World Wide Web page for the latest product information,
 product screen shots and demos, and the dealer listing.


 Product support
 ---------------

 Branch Always Software provides free phone support on weekday mornings,
 as well as email support over the Internet and online services.
 Gemulator cards are replaced free of charge up to 30 days after
 purchase if you find that yours does not function properly, although
 to date less than 1% of the more than 3000 Gemulator cards currently
 in use have failed.

 Bug fix and maintenance upgrades of the Gemulator 4 software will be
 provided free of charge. All Gemulator 4 users who purchase or have
 purchased either the Gemulator 4 Beta, Gemulator 4 for Windows, or
 Gemulator 4 for Windows 95 will receive a free maintenance upgrade
 release of Gemulator 4 for Windows 95 in the mail during the month of
 September. Additional maintenance upgrades will be available via email
 to users of the Internet or online services.


 Branch Always Software has also exhibited at dozens of Atari shows and
 user group meetings over the last 7 years. This year we have already
 shown Gemulator 4 at the Toronto, Sacramento, and Indianapolis
 Atarifests and will be doing so again October 7th at the Dallas show.
 We hope to see you there.



                               JAGUAR SECTION


 JaguarCD Ships...Quietly...
 CATnips!  Video Gaming Decline?
 WMCJ Tips!  And much more!




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




      I must say that I am somewhat disappointed, but not surprised, at
 the lackluster release of the JaguarCD.  Yes, it started shipping
 yesterday.  Will we be able to buy it in the next couple of days?
 Unlikely.  It will probably take a week or so before the bulk of the
 units make the dealer shelves - it does take some time for it all to
 happen.

    It's also unfortunate, or fortunate depending on your viewpoint,
 that there won't be the 6-8 additional CD games available at the same
 time.  Atari was committed to the August 24th ship date; the games were
 supposed to be ready, but are not, as far as we know.  Look for
 September for the games we were expecting these last few days of
 August.

      Also, expect the hype to pick up within the next couple of weeks.
 The quiet shipping of the CD unit may be a letdown, but I understand
 that there will be some major promotions starting in early September.
 So yes, we're a little down, but I think that will be overshadowed in
 the next few weeks.

      It's my impression that the JaguarCD's release was going to be a
 public lose-lose situation.  They could have either held back the
 release to wait for the games and incur the userbase's wrath' or they
 could ship the unit with the available pack-ins and wait for the
 eventual release of subsequent games.  Not a great choice, but under
 the circumstances, the pack-ins, VLM, and Myst demo should keep us busy
 long enough to wait for the other games - providing that those games
 arrive soon!

      At any rate, I can wait a little while longer as I have enough
 cart games to keep me busy for a long time!  I'm waiting for the
 JaguarCD more as a result of anticipation than anything else at the
 moment.  Stay tuned here for the news as it happens!


      Until next time....




 Jaguar Catalog STR InfoFile  -   What's currently available, what's
                                             coming out.

     Current Available Titles

     CAT #   TITLE                 MSRP      DEVELOPER/PUBLISHER

      J9000  Cybermorph           $59.99           Atari Corp.
      J9006  Evolution:Dino Dudes $29.99           Atari Corp.
      J9005  Raiden               $29.99           FABTEK, Inc/Atari Corp.
      J9001  Trevor McFur/
             Crescent Galaxy      $29.99           Atari Corp.
      J9010  Tempest 2000         $59.95           Llamasoft/Atari Corp.
      J9028  Wolfenstein 3D       $69.95           id/Atari Corp.
      JA100  Brutal Sports FtBall $69.95           Telegames
      J9008  Alien vs. Predator   $69.99           Rebellion/Atari Corp.
      J9029  Doom                 $69.99           id/Atari Corp.
      J9036  Dragon: Bruce Lee    $39.99           Atari Corp.
      J9003  Club Drive           $59.99           Atari Corp.
      J9007  Checkered Flag       $39.99           Atari Corp.
      J9012  Kasumi Ninja         $69.99           Atari Corp.
      J9042  Zool 2               $59.99           Atari Corp
      J9020  Bubsy                $49.99           Atari Corp
      J9026  Iron Soldier         $59.99           Atari Corp
      J9060  Val D'Isere Skiing   $59.99           Atari Corp.
             Cannon Fodder        $49.99           Virgin/C-West
             Syndicate            $69.99           Ocean
             Troy Aikman Ftball   $69.99           Williams
             Theme Park           $69.99           Ocean
             Sensible Soccer                       Telegames
             Double Dragon V      $59.99           Williams
      J9009E Hover Strike         $59.99           Atari Corp.
      J0144E Pinball Fantasies    $59.99           C-West
      J9052E Super Burnout        $59.99           Atari
             White Men Can't Jump $69.99           Atari
             Flashback            $59.99           U.S. Gold
             VidGrid (CD)          TBD             Atari Corp
             Blue Lightning (CD)  $59.99           Atari Corp


      Available Soon

      CAT #   TITLE                MSRP         DEVELOPER/PUBLISHER

              Ultra Vortek         $69.99             Atari
              Flip-Out              TBD               Atari
              Rayman                TBD              UBI Soft
              Power Drive Rally     TBD                TWI

      Hardware and Peripherals

      CAT #   TITLE               MSRP          MANUFACTURER

      J8001  Jaguar (complete)   $189.99        Atari Corp.
      J8001  Jaguar (no cart)    $159.99        Atari Corp.
      J8904  Composite Cable     $19.95
      J8901  Controller/Joypad   $24.95         Atari Corp.
      J8905  S-Video Cable       $19.95
             CatBox              $69.95             ICD
             Jaguar CD-ROM       $149.99        Atari Corp.




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


                   -/- Uncertain Game Market Seen -/-

      The health of the video game will depend on how well four "next
 generation" systems fare over the next two years, says a new report
 from DFC Intelligence of San Diego.

      The report notes that in 1994 video games and entertainment
 software for PCs generated $4.3 billion in U.S. revenues. This was down
 slightly from 1993's $4.4 billion. The video game hardware market took
 a more significant dip in 1994, declining 18 percent to $1.5 billion.

      "The market will not pick up until the next generation hardware
 systems start to gain momentum," says David Cole, DFC's president. Cole
 states that there are four separate systems that could rejuvenate the
 market: the Sega Saturn, the Sony PlayStation, the Nintendo Ultra 64
 and 3DO systems.

       Unfortunately, it could take over a year for the new systems to
 gain momentum. DFC forecasts that in 1995, software revenue will be
 down 14 percent, while the number of hardware units sold will be down
 36 percent. Cole claims that the 1995 holiday season is shaping up to
 a major disappointment.

      "The 16-bit market will decline sharply in 1995 and nothing has
 come along to replace it," he says. "The next generation systems are
 starting to look good, but still suffer from high price points and
 limited software availability."



 Jaguar Developers STR InfoFile  -  Current Developer Lists & Titles




 Game Title             Date   Game Type           MSRP      Publisher

 Air Cars                TBA   Racing/Combat       $59.99    MidNite Ent.
 Alien vs Predator       NOW   Role Play/Adventure $69.99    Atari
 Alien vs Predator CD    2/96  Role Play/Adventure  TBD      Atari
 Arena Football         10/95  Sports               TBD      V Reel
 Assault                2Q/95  Action/Combat       $59.99    MidNite Ent.
 Atari Kart             11/95  TBD                  TBD      Atari
 Att. of Mut. Penguins  10/95  Arcade               TBD      Atari
 Baldies (CD)            9/95  Action/Simulation    TBD      Atari
 Batman Forever (CD)     4/96  Action/Adventure     TBD      Atari
 Battlemorph (CD)        9/95  Flying/Action       $59.99    Atari
 Battlesphere            9/95  Space/Combat         TBD      4-Play
 Battlestar             11/95  Space/Combat         TBD      ?
 Battle Wheels          2Q/95  Racing/Combat        TBD      Beyond Games
 Black ICE/White Noise  12/95  Action/Adventure     TBD      Atari
 Blue Lightning (CD)     NOW   Flying/Action       $59.99    Atari
 Braindead 13 (CD)      10/95  Action/Adventure     TBD      ReadySoft
 Breakout 2000          11/95  Puzzle               TBD      Atari
 Brett Hull Hockey (CD) 11/95  Sports               TBD      Atari
 Brutal Sports Football  NOW   Sports/Combat       $69.99    Telegames
 Bubsy                   NOW   Action/Adventure    $49.99    Atari
 Cannon Fodder           NOW   Action/Adventure    $49.99    Virgin
 Chas Barkley Basketball 9/95  Sports               TBD      Atari
 Checkered Flag          NOW   Racing              $69.99    Atari
 Club Drive              NOW   Racing              $59.99    Atari
 Commando (CD)          11/95  Action (3D)          TBD      Atari
 Commander Blood (CD)   11/95  RPG                  TBD      Atari
 Creature Shock (CD)     8/95  Adventure/Sci-Fi     TBD      Atari/Virgin
 Cybermorph              NOW   Flying/Action       $59.99    Atari
 Dactyl Joust           11/95  Action               TBD      Atari
 Dante (CD)              6/96  Action               TBD      Atari
 Deathwatch             11/95  Arcade               TBD      Atari
 Defender 2000          10/95  Arcade               TBD      Atari
 Demolition Man (CD)     9/95  Action/Combat       $59.99    Atari
 Doom                    NOW   Action/Combat       $69.99    Atari
 Double Dragon V         NOW   Action/Adventure    $59.99    Williams
 Dragon:Bruce Lee Story  NOW   Combat              $59.99    Atari
 Dragon's Lair (CD)      8/95  Adventure            TBD      Ready Soft
 Dragon's Lair 2 (CD)   10/95  Adventure            TBD      ReadySoft
 Dreadnought (CD)       2Q/95  Adventure            TBD      Atari
 Dune Racer (CD)         1/96  Racing               TBD      Atari
 Dungeon Depths         2Q/95  Action/Adventure    $59.99    MidNite Ent.
 Evolution: Dino Dudes   NOW   Puzzle/Adventure    $49.99    Atari
 Fight For Life          TBA   Combat               TBD      Atari
 Flashback               NOW   Action/Adventure    $59.99    US Gold
 Flip-Out                8/95  Puzzle               TBD      Atari
 Formula Racing (CD)    12/95  Racing               TBD      Atari
 Frank Thomas Baseball   4/96  Sports               TBD      Atari
 Gotcha!                 1/95  ?                    TBD      ---
 Hardball Baseball      2Q/95  Sports               TBD      Atari
 Highlander I (CD)      11/95  Action/Adventure    $59.99    Atari
 Highlander II (CD)      2/96  Action/Adventure     TBD      Atari
 Highlander III (CD)     4/96  Action/Adventure     TBD      Atari
 Horrorscope            2Q/95  Combat               TBD      V Reel
 Hover Strike            NOW   Action/Combat       $59.99    Atari
 Hover Strike CD         9/95  Action/Combat        TBD      Atari
 Hyper Force             TBA   ?                    TBD      Comp. West
 Ironman/XO-Manowar      4/96  Action               TBD      Atari
 Iron Soldier            NOW   Action/Strategy     $59.99    Atari
 Iron Soldier II (CD)    1/96  Action/Strategy      TBD      Atari
 Jack Nicklaus Golf(CD) 2Q/95  Sports               TBD      Atari
 Kasumi Ninja            NOW   Combat              $69.99    Atari
 Magic Carpet (CD)      12/95  Action/RPG           TBD      Atari
 Max Force               9/95  Action               TBD      Atari
 Mindripper (CD)         2/96  Adventure            TBD      Atari
 Mortal Kombat 3         4/96  Fighting             TBD      Atari
 Myst (CD)               8/95  Interactive Novel    TBD      Atari
 NBA Jam T.E.           12/95  Sports               TBD      Atari
 Phase Zero             10/95  Action/Arcade        TBD      Atari
 Pinball Fantasies       NOW  Arcade              $59.95     Comp. West
 Pitfall                 9/95  Arcade               TBD      Activision
 Power Drive Rally       8/95  Driving              TBD      TWI
 Primal Rage (CD)       12/95  Fighting             TBD      TWI
 Rage Rally             2Q/95  Racing               TBD      Atari
 Raiden                  NOW   Action/Adventure    $49.99    Atari
 Rayman                  9/95  Action/Adventure     TBD      UBI Soft
 Redemption (CD)        11/95  Action/Adventure     TBD      Atari
 Rise of the Robots (CD)11/95  Action/Arcade        TBD      TWI
 Robinson's Requiem (CD) 9/95  Adventure            TBD      Atari
 Rocky Horror Inter.(CD) 4/96  Adventure            TBD      Atari
 Ruiner Pinball          9/95  Arcade               TBD      Atari
 Sensible Soccer         NOW   Sports                        Telegames
 Sky Hammer (CD)        12/95  Flying/Action        TBD      Atari
 Soccer Kid             2Q/95  Sports               TBD      Ocean
 Soul Star (CD)          9/95  Action/Sci-Fi        TBD      Atari
 Space Ace (CD)          9/95  Space/Combat         TBD      ReadySoft
 Space War               9/95  Action/Adventure    $59.99    Atari
 Starlight BowlaRama CD 10/95  Simulation/Sports    TBD      Atari
 Star Raiders           2Q/95  Space Simulation     TBD      Atari
 Sudden Impact          12/95  Action               TBD      Atari
 Super Burnout           NOW   Racing              $59.99    Atari
 Supercross 3D           9/95  Sports               TBD      Atari
 Syndicate               NOW   Simulation          $69.99    Ocean
 Tempest 2000            NOW   Action/Adventure    $59.99    Atari
 Thea Relm Fighters (CD)10/95  Action/Fighting      TBD      Atari
 Theme Park              NOW   Simulation          $69.99    Ocean
 Tiny Toon Adventures   2Q/95  Action/Adventure    $59.99    Atari
 Trevor McFur            NOW   Action/Adventure    $49.99    Atari
 Troy Aikman NFL Ftball  NOW   Sports              $69.99    Williams
 Ultimate Brain Games   2Q/95  Puzzle               TBD      Telegames
 Ultra Vortek            9/95  Action/Adventure    $69.99    Beyond Games
 Val D'Isere Skiing...   NOW   Sports              $59.99    Atari
 Varuna's Forces (CD)   11/95  Action/Adventure     TBD      Atari
 VidGrid (CD)            NOW   Puzzle/Music Video   TBD      Atari
 Wayne Gretzky NHL (CD) 12/95  Sports               TBD      TWI
 White Men Can't Jump    NOW   Sports (w/Team Tap) $69.99    TriMark
 Wolfenstein 3D          NOW   Combat/Action       $59.99    Atari
 Zero 5                  1/96  ?                    TBD      ---
 Zool2                   NOW   Action/Adventure    $59.99    Atari

 [Editor's note: Titles, scheduled release dates, and prices are
 verified from Atari - all subject to change]




 Jaguar Easter Eggs/Cheats/Hints STR InfoFile  -  Solving Those Riddles!


 We've been getting a lot of e-mail from readers who have been
 frustrated trying to figure out the Super Dunks for White Men Can't
 Jump.  Well, we gave you one of them a few weeks ago, but you wanted
 more!  So, here are a couple more of them, but we'll hold back giving
 them all to you!

 As it turns out, white men actually can jump, and all of the white
 male characters possess the same Super Dunks.  They are described here,
 along with the proper button presses to activate them.  Remember that
 the button presses must be done quickly, and while the "B" action
 button is held down.  When the "B" action button is released, the
 player will perform the Super Dunk.  Timing is critical to getting off
 the more complex Super Dunks.

 The following Super Dunks are for all white male characters.

 A.   To perform the SIMPLE slam, press the D-PAD LEFT.
 B.   To perform the SPIN-FLIP slam, press the D-PAD DOWN TWICE.
 C.   To perform the POWER slam, press the D-PAD RIGHT, THEN DOWN.
 D.   To perform the BEHIND-THE-BACK slam, press the D-PAD LEFT, THEN
      DOWN.
 E.   To perform the SEE-SAW-SPIN slam, press the D-PAD RIGHT, THEN UP,
      THEN LEFT.

 3.   All of the males with tank tops characters possess the same Super
 Dunks.  They are described here, along with the proper button presses
 to activate them.  Remember that the button presses must be done
 quickly, and while the "B" action button is held down.  When the "B"
 action button is released, the player will perform the Super Dunk.
 Timing is critical to getting off the more complex Super Dunks.

      The following Super Dunks are for all males with tank tops
 characters.

 A.   To perform the SIMPLE slam, press the D-PAD down.
 B.   To perform the SIDEWAYS slam, press the D-PAD LEFT.
 C.   To perform the TWO-HANDED slam, press the D-PAD UP TWICE.
 D.   To perform the UNDER & IN slam, press the D-PAD DOWN, THEN UP.
 E.   To perform the REWIND & ROTATE slam, press the D-PAD RIGHT, THEN
      DOWN, THEN LEFT.

 [Courtesy of Lance Lewis, at Atari]



 Jaguar Online STR InfoFile         Online Users Growl & Purr!




       CATnips... Jaguar tidbits from Don Thomas        (95.08.23)



 It's here! D-Day! No, I'm not talking about Windows'95. I'm talking
 about the Jaguar CD-ROM. This morning, Ted Hoff gathered us together
 and was grinning big time as he verified that the final pack-ins were
 being delivered and the boxes would roll off the packout lines just as
 predicted. Ted feels a peripheral as important as the CD-ROM should be
 blessed by the retail buyers by sending the first units off the line to
 their attention. Another batch will be shipped ahead of his arrival to
 New York to host a formal press presentation next week.

 In the past four weeks, orders from retailers for the CD-ROM have
 exploded and Atari will ship in quantity as soon as ample quantities
 of the complete packouts have been amassed. Unlike some of our software
 releases in the past when only pre-orders are fulfilled, Ted is
 demanding that delivery schedules to retailers are timed to be
 equitable and as fair as possible. The CD-ROM should be available
 nationwide within just a couple of weeks! Yea!

 FlipOut! will be shipping this Friday. I think it will be a surprise
 hit. We will see. <g>

       +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 New Jaguar Book Contest from Atari Explorer Online....

 It has a black glossy cover, with peering yellow eyes. It's full of
 cool stuff. It even includes a few AEO interviews. Now =you= can win
 an author signed copy of Sandwich Islands' "Atari Jaguar Official
 Gamer's Guide."

 How? Atari Explorer Online Magazine is holding a contest, of sorts.
 It's the "AEO 'Read Between The Lines'" contest. It's easy to enter,
 and you could win a copy of the book that shows (among other things):

  [ ] Just WHERE that darn Motion Tracker in Alien Vs.
      Predator is located.

  [ ] How to lower the drawbridge over the Big Pit O'Acid in
      Level 3 of Doom.

  [ ] Exactly the path needed to complete the final level of
      Zool 2.

  [ ] Cheats, Codes and Funny Captioned Fotos of eighteen
      Jaguar games.

 How to Enter....

 E-Mail a tip about a Jaguar game to AEO <aeo.mag@genie.com> before
 Midnight CDT (UTC-5) August 31, 1995. (Please put the word "Contest" in
 the subject line!! AEO regularly receives dozens of EMails every day,
 and it would make the sorting job easier!)

 =Any= tip for =any= Jaguar game will suffice. (Don't know any tips?
 Make one up! This contest is well named.)

 Two tips will be selected in a random drawing of all entered tips. The
 winning entries will be notified, and their entries will be published
 in the next issue of AEO, due out the weekend of September 2, 1995.

 All submissions will be considered the property of Subspace Publishers,
 and may be used in future issues of Atari Explorer Online Magazine.
 Void where prohibited. Yadda, yadda, yadda.

 Get those tips in NOW!

       +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 Hey if you're a kid or know any kids between the ages of 8 to 14 years
 of age AND they have access to Web Domains within the wonderful world
 of the Internet, tell them about KIDSCOM. KIDSCOM is a new wholesome
 way kids can learn, participate in surveys, exchange ideas on the
 "Graffiti Wall" and even win prizes. To visit KIDSCOM, steer your Web
 Browser to http:\\www.kidscom.com.

 KIDSCOM currently includes Jaguar news including screen shots AND soon,
 kids can win cool Jaguar stuff too!

       +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 Kristine Chambers tells me that "Hover Strike: Unconquered Lands" (the
 CD descendent) looks really good. For you audiophiles, the left/right
 stereo has been corrected <g> and there's a whole bunch of exciting new
 improvements over the cart-based game that is available now. Kristine
 said I could share some of them with you...

 In the new CD version, there are full motion video sequences including
 a real cool intro, between mission scenes and an exciting end-of-game
 reward. There are 10 entirely new missions and 2 brand new terrain
 types. A new rendering engine allows lighting effects on the texture
 mapped terrain as well as more efficient overall coding and animated
 terrain textures. There are high-resolution terrain textures for new
 missions and a new control panel so the user can customize flying
 physics of the craft. Gamers will discover improved flying with
 smoother movement physics and there will be CD quality music during
 gameplay.

 "Hover Strike: Unconquered Lands" will be available by the end of
 September according to Kristine. Based on what she tells me, the new
 game will be a natural for those who love the cart based game and it
 will offer a lot of appeal for those who felt the original game may
 have been a bit hard to control. Get on the pre-sell lists now!

 I know it's off topic, but my wife treated me to an unusual get-a-way
 this past weekend. On Friday, she drove us to Wine Country (Napa
 Valley, CA) and we checked in to what I later learned was one of the
 region's highest rated Bed & Breakfast (Foothill House). On Saturday
 she rolled me out of bed at 4:30 a.m. to take a hot air balloon ride
 at dawn across the valley. There is no effective way to describe the
 beauty, courtesies and pleasures of where we stayed or the nice times
 we had, so I won't even try. Let me just tell you to book the best
 bed & breakfast in Calistoga, call 800/942-6933. Insist on the Quail's
 Roost cottage for at least two nights. You can also have them book
 reservations at any one of the nicest nearby restaurants for dinner.
 There are several. If you go all out and want the best balloon ride,
 call 707/944-4408. Tell them you want to ride the balloon named "Lucy"
 and you want it piloted by "Sonoma Bob". Feel free to tell them that
 Don and Lynn Thomas promised the time of your life!

 Stay tuned for a lot more Jaguar-related news coming soon. There are
 some exciting releases scheduled for the upcoming weeks.

 BTW, we know it may be frustrating if you're anxiously waiting for the
 CD-ROM. This long awaited peripheral is being distributed very
 carefully so that as our retailers and the gamers receive quality
 merchandise that passes stringent Quality Assurance tests rather than
 simply loading them in overnight sacks for the sake of just being fast.
 I am anxiously awaiting the opportunity to get my hands on one too...
 I never did get to finish any of the games I started at E3. <g>



 From CompuServe's Atari Gaming Forums:


 Sb: Ultra64 Expensive!
 Fm: Daniel Skelton 73742,464
 To: All

 I just picked this up from Simon over on the Video Games+ forum, a
 message that he in turn captured from the WWW site for IGOnline
 (Intelligent Gamers Online).

 "First NU64 titles announced: Kyoto-based Nintendo Co. Ltd. has
 shattered their Ultra Famicom silence by announcing the first two
 titles for their much-hyped 64-bit game machine. According to company
 officials (source: Nikkei English News), Nintendo will release a Mario
 title and a Final Fantasy RPG for the system, which will be released
 in Japan this December. The two games, both very popular on the 16-bit
 Super Famicom and Super NES platforms in Japan and North America, will
 retail for about 10,000 yen (U.S. $110) each. Many of Nintendo's recent
 $70 SNES titles have sold for roughly the same yen price in Japan.

 The video game manufacturer has, according to the Nikkei English News,
 teamed up with 12 firms outside of Japan and five domestic software
 developers to make games for the new machine. Although release dates
 have yet to be decided, Nintendo continues to claim that the machine
 will cost less than 25,000 yen (U.S. $275) in Japan and under $250 in
 the United States."

 In short, U64 + 1 game = $360!
 Jaguar + 1 game = $210

 I think we can all do THAT math.

 Dan Skelton
 Antique Videogame Aficionado and Proud Jaguar Owner



 ONLINE WEEKLY STReport OnLine          The wires are a hummin'!



                            PEOPLE... ARE TALKING



 On CompuServe

 compiled by
 Joe Mirando
 73637,2262



 Well folks, it's official.  Windows 95 is out the door.  What has been
 called biggest marketing push in the history of the computer industry is
 just starting.  Now it's time for we non-Intel users can sit back and
 watch what happens.

 Is Windows 95 a good product?  Of course it is.  Is it as good as all
 the hype?  Probably not.  I'm sorry Mr. Gates, but in order to live up
 to all this hype, Win 95 would have to make me breakfast in the morning,
 dinner at night, and do things that I can't mention here.  But that's
 okay.  Software, like a person (most people, anyway) matures.

 Throughout the next week or two, the real abilities, necessities, and
 shortcomings of this cult-inspiring product.  Prices of hard drives and
 memory chips/simms/what-have-you are expected to rise as folks find out
 how to get the most from MicroSoft's latest offering.  Now this isn't a
 slam at the product, it's simply a statement of fact.  Win 95 will be
 most useful on computers with large hard drives and at least 12 meg of
 RAM.  So if you're in the market for a bigger hard drive or more memory,
 go out and get it now.  And when all the people you know who got Windows
 95 start talking about what they've got to do in order to get the most
 out of it, you can say "Yeah, I heard about that in my favorite ATARI
 column.

 I just heard the MicroSoft commercial for Win 95 (really, just this
 minute).  I question the decision to use a theme song that contains the
 phrase "you make a grown man cry".

 As Norm Crosby used to say:  "A word to the wise is deficient".

 Now let's get on with the reason for this column... All the great news,
 info, hints and tips available every week right here on CompuServe.


 From the Atari Computing Forums
 ===============================

 Mark Kelling posts:

   "I just uploaded a new version of Ghostscript to the library.
   Hopefully, this will be of interest to some users.

   I did run into a problem when trying to type in the description.  The
   system kept complaining of the description being over the limit, but
   would not allow me to make any changes to the text.  What you ended up
   with as a description is going to be a surprise.  This is what I
   intended:

   The Latest update to Ghostscript, the "FREE" PostScript (R)
   interpreter for the ATARI ST line of computers. This version, 312B,
   gives full GEM window control over the programs functions (you can now
   change output devices and res with a mouse click!).  A very nice update
   to a great program

   Please note: This file expands to over 1MEG of files.  You _MUST_ use
   the Questor LZH program to unpack it (other expanders complain of
   "too many files").  Also look for new font files."

 Sysop Ron Luks tells Mark:

   "I'm looking for the new upload right now and cant locate it.  Did the
   upload seem to go correctly other than the description problems?
   (Fortunately, uploading to the libs is free)"

 Mark replies:

   "Everything went OK with the upload, got a normal response, but then
   had the problems with the description.  Maybe I didn't finish it
   properly and CIS dumped it?...

   I just finished reuploading GhostScript 312.  Everything went fine
   tonight!  I will also post the improved font files to go along with the
   update as soon as I retrieve them.

   Most likely the problem last night was my ST.  I'm working with a
   recently resurected MEGA4 and it still is giving me fits.  The power
   supply got fried and although the new supply got me up and running,

   I think some other components may have also got zapped!

   Thanks for your time checking into the upload."

 Christian Roth asks Mark:

   "Does Ghostscript handle EPS files as well?  Does it make use of NVDI
   and its scaling abilities? Does it support Speedo and TrueType fonts?"

 Albert Dayes of Atari Explorer Online Magazine tells Chris:

   "GhostScript only handles PostScript Type 1 fonts. You can print EPS
   files I believe but I have not tried it myself. It works with Warp 9 so
   I would assume it should work with NVDI without any problems. To scale
   the picture via NVDI I am not sure since I have not used it.

   You can scale the drawing/picture using the postscript scale command.

    x y scale

   To scale the picture to 70% of its original size.

    .70 .70 scale

   To scale the picture 110% of its original size.

    1.10 1.10 scale

   You can change the x and y values independently so you can have some
   very interesting results. Such as ....

    .30 .70 scale

   One would have to edit the postscript file to set the scaling values."

 Chris replies:

   "I guess it's not easy digging into PostScript.

   hmm Type 1 fonts - looks like a new adventure to me <g>."

 Albert adds:

   "PostScript is not too hard to learn it just takes time. Two good
   books on the subject include ....

   Learning PostScript: A Visual Approach by Ross Smith
   ISBN: 0-938151-12-6

   PostScript Language Reference Manual by Adobe
   ISBN: 0-201-18127-4 (also known as the "red book")"

 On the subject of CompuServe Information Manager, Hans Kummer posts:

   "I...am interested in a cim for ATARI. So I went through many forums
   to find a documentation of HMI, the 'window-language' of CompuServe.
   But I just can get the full documentation when I find a software house
   that will develope my program. And 'cause I don't know whether I could
   realize such a program, it's impossible to try it out only. It seems
   that compuserve isn't interested in new and cheap cim's for alternative
   systems.  So what else can we do, since ATARI does nothing
   themselves?--I don't know..."

 Chris Roth tells Hans:

   "Me too.  I was always interested in a cim for atari, and compuserve's
   restrictive policy in this case always annoyed me. I can't imagine that
   it would be very difficult for a professional programmer to realise a
   cim. But compuserve even goes so far that it hides the protocol and
   just provides programming toolkits for developers. They never made one
   for the ataris. So they simply claim that there's no such toolkit
   available for the atari and therefore a cim development not possible.
   Regarding this it's no miracle why the internet is so succesful,
   providing possibilities for various platforms. Sure, we had to wait a
   long time for a www browser, but finally it seems that now we're going
   to see them soon.  So, a cim would easily have been possible in the
   meantime.

   I guess there would be a lot more (atari) users within compuserve, at
   least in Germany. Meanwhile, the internet is going to make it..."

 Ronald Buneo asks:

   "Does anyone know of a program that will double or increase hard drive
   space?  Is there a PD or shareware program for this?"

 Albert Dayes tells Ronald:

   "There are a couple compression programs out there. One is from
   HiSoft/ORA and another is from Keith (former Double Click software). I
   do not recall the names of the products unfortunately.  You might wish
   to check with your Atari dealer for specifics. Hopefully someone will
   jump in who has used on the above products for details."

 Paul at Double Click Software tells Albert and Ronald:

   "The product is Data Diet that Trace Technology (Keith) is now
   supporting.  I believe it's up to version 2.0?  His number is (713)
   771-8332."

 Simon Churchill posts this:

   "...These system's are known to be distributed from the following
   companies which are both based within the United Kingdom.

   MEDUSSA T40:

    System Solutions
    Windsor Business Centre
    Vansittart Road
    Windsor
    SL4 1SE

   Tel: (01753) 832212
   Fax: (01753) 830344  (Numbers for U.k. Add international number as
   needed)


   EAGLE SYSTEM:

    Gasteiner
    126 Fore Street
    Upper Edmonton
    London
    N18 2XA

   Tel: 0181-345-6000  or  0181-345-6868      International code add as
   above.

   Hope these guy's can give you the latest low-down on thier new
   machines."

 Good ol' Simon also posts this on the subject of accelerators for the ST
 series of computers:

   "One of the best compatable accelerator boards I know of and use is
   the T28 and T36 series.    They are basicly a 68000 running at Txx, so
   a T28 is a 28Mhz and the T36 is a 36Mhz version.   Most ST's except the
   T28 and a few will except the T36, but some mods are normaly required.

   These board's are designed for the STFM, Mega ST and STE. There is no
   mention of the Mega STE being able to use the STE's board, you would
   need to contact the distributor and ask them if it's possable to fit.

   They also have a 64K fast cache memory on board which can be switched
   on the fly and the speed of the system can be reduced back to the
   normal 8Mhz by switching a switch and reseting the computer.   As a
   68000 is used there is NO compatability problem's with program's or
   hardware.

   My STFM has a T28 in it and this increases the speed of the CPU to 300%
   Gembench) and 337% if I install GEMRAM and other util's which put TOS
   in memory.  (Don't ask me why this should increase the CPU, I think
   it's just gembenches multiply test's.)

   To install these board's your simms MUST be 100nano second's or faster
   as although the buses stay at 8Mhz they have a higher demand put on
   them and the memory HAS to keep up.

   The T board's are also compatable with Cubase and Notator Logic, these
   programs use critical timed event's and with complete compatability
   with the T board mean's MIDI user's get that extra speed neede when
   editting there work.

   There are also the PAK 68/3 accelerator boards, these are 32Mhz 68030
   boards and have 32K cache with 32bit wide TOS.  There is also an
   optional FPU chip and it is possable to have the board's running at
   40Mhz and 50Mhz!!

   Minimum TOS for these board's is 2.06, 3.06 is recommended.   The
   speed by gembech is 775%.  This is just over twice that of the T
   boards.   However the price for twice the speed is TWICE the price!

   Also being a 68030 CPU makes some program's cripple quickly so some
   oftware is inevitable.  However your machine would be heading along the
   Falcon's 68030 chip set and some of the newer program's would run
   happily on a PAK board.

   There is a software accelerator called NVDI and this can REALLY speed
   up the screen display.    For example my ST at normal 8Mhz has 100% CPU
   and 100% Graphics, With a T28 AND NVDI installed (+ utils) The CPU is
   337% and graphics is at 1057%.  YES, that's over TEN times faster
   screen updates! And with a cool CPU running 3.5 times faster, your ST
   becomes a dream machine.

   Hope this is of interest."


 Well folks, I'm going to keep this short and end here so that, with the
 extra Win 95 info that I'm sure will be included in this issue, you
 won't have to download a HUGE file.

 So tune in again next week, same time, same station, and be ready to
 listen to what they are saying when...

                             PEOPLE ARE TALKING



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