InfoWorld articles from July 1993

InfoWorld archives from July 1993

Pipeline. (hardware)
July 26, 1993... PRICE CUTS MoviePak card's price reduced by RasterOps A video compression/decompression card from RasterOps Corp. is now 50 percent less, at $999. The daughtercard for the Macintosh and Quadra works with RasterOps' video display adapters....

Microsoft rallies to boost Video for Windows. (desktop video software) (Brief Article)
July 26, 1993... In the wake of disappointing sales of Video for Windows, Microsoft Corp. is beefing up the product and restructuring its relationships with third-party developers to create a more compelling alternative to Apple's QuickTime on the PC. Video...

PhotoStyler 2.0 to gain speed, better interface. (Aldus Corp.'s image processing software) (Brief Article)
July 26, 1993... Aldus Corp.'s PhotoStyler is getting a face-lift and performance boost before it steps out the factory door late this quarter or early in the next, sources said. PhotoStyler 2.0, originally scheduled to ship in the first half of this year,...

PS/2 servers to get Pentium, RAID. (redundant array of inexpensive disks) (IBM PS/2 85 and PS/2 95 file servers)
July 26, 1993... IBM will soon install higher end system management and reliability features into its PS/2 Model 85 and 95 servers. In August or September, the 95 will also be upgraded with the Pentium chip, a RAID controller, and SCSI 2 for better...

Shortage, panic catapult prices of DRAM, systems. (dynamic random-access memory chips)
July 26, 1993... A panic over shortages in memory products was driving prices up practically by the hour last week and fueling quick increases in PC prices from all but the largest clone vendors. The shortage could greatly accelerate a shakeout among smaller...

Lotus plans to let cc:Mail users tap into the Notes gold mine. (Lotus Development Corp. to link electronic mail software with Lotus Notes office automation software) (Brief Article)
July 26, 1993... Lotus Development Corp. is finalizing a plan to link its popular cc:Mail messaging package to the more powerful back-end services used by Lotus Notes. For example, cc:Mail sites will be able to exploit key Notes administration features...

Seiko's printers offer fast image capture; VSX configuration lets users directly link monitor to printer. (Seiko Instruments USA Inc.'s ColorPoint VSX 4 and ColorPoint VSX 14 thermal wax transfer printers and Professional ColorPoint VSX dye sublimation printers) (Product Announcement)
July 26, 1993... Seiko Instruments USA Inc. last week introduced two color thermal printers and a dye-sublimation printer for the CAD/CAM, geophysical, and medical imaging markets. The VSX Series printers use a video interface instead of serial, parallel, or...

Excel 5 for Windows will lift its features out of the menu maze. (Microsoft Corp.'s spreadsheet software)
July 26, 1993... Users expecting Excel 5 for Windows to be a minor upgrade are in for a surprise, said analysts briefed on the product last week by Microsoft Corp. Instead of a slight tweak, the analysts described a spreadsheet with a dramatically different...

Flash memory may cost less, replace disk drives. (semiconductor memory) (Brief Article)
July 26, 1993... A ramp up in the production of flash memory, or static RAM (SRAM), will determine just how widely the memory will be used in replacing such common peripherals as hard disk drives. Until now, the nonvolatile, expensive memory has been used...

Novell baffles developers, users with NetWare upgrade; NetWare 4.01 may not work with current NLMs. (Novell Inc.'s network operating system; NetWare Loadable Modules) (Brief Article)
July 26, 1993... Novell Inc.'s decision to release a NetWare 4.0 upgrade that sports a more robust -- but incompatible -- directory service has users and developers confused, frustrated, and looking for answers. Developers told InfoWorld last week that they...

Claris boosts cross-platform graphic options. (ClarisDraw and ClarisImpact graphics packages) (Brief Article)
July 26, 1993... Claris Corp. will ship to Macintosh and Windows users two graphics packages that share similar interfaces and file formats across platforms, key elements of its successful cross-platform strategy. ClarisDraw, which will replace MacDraw II and...

Borland's SQL Link for Windows slips into fall. (Borland International Inc.'s search software) (At Deadline) (Brief Article)
July 26, 1993... SQL Link for Windows was due in July but will not ship until late summer or early fall, Borland International Inc. said last week. Currently in beta testing, the product will link Paradox for Windows and Quattro Pro for Windows to SQL Server,...

Stac fix opens DOS 6.0 to OS/2 users. (Stac Electronics Inc.'s fix for Stacker for OS/2 & DOS file management software) (At Deadline)(Brief Article)
July 26, 1993... Stac Electronics Inc. last week issued a fix that allows users to access DOS 6.0 files from OS/2 2.1. The $19.95 set of disks for Stacker for OS/2 & DOS converts DoubleSpace files to the Stacker file format. "We didn't realize the number of...

Developers interested in MessagePad. (Apple's personal digital assistant, formerly called Newton) (At Deadline)(Brief Article)
July 26, 1993... With the introduction of MessagePad -- formerly called Newton -- a week away, Apple Computer Inc. is telling users that at least 1,500 developers are interested in developing for the personal digital assistant. Although some of those products...

HP licenses WABI from SunSelect. (Windows Application Binary Interface; Sun Microsystems Inc.'s SunSelect networking division) (At Deadline)(Brief Article)
July 26, 1993... Hewlett-Packard Co. last week agreed to license Windows Application Binary Interface (Wabi) technology from Sun Microsystems Inc.'s SunSelect networking division. Wabi lets Unix-based systems run Microsoft Windows 3.1 applications natively...

Symantec, SPC lose money, revenues. (Software Publishing Corp. report losses for second quarter 1993) (At Deadline)(Brief Article)
July 26, 1993... Symantec Corp. and Software Publishing Corp. reported large losses and declining revenues last quarter. Software Publishing Corp. lost $6 million. The company brought in $20.6 million, $14.6 million less than the same quarter last year....

Apple calls suit baseless, vows to fight. (class action suit filed by Milberg Weiss) (At Deadline) (Brief Article)
July 26, 1993... Apple Computer Inc. described as baseless a class action lawsuit filed last week in U.S. District Court in San Jose, Calif., and vowed to fight it. The lawsuit alleges the company made false and misleading statements concerning sales and...

IBM to announce line of monitors, PC sound system. (IBM to offer 14- and 15-inch color monitors, 17-inch monochrome monitor and 5-watt stereo system) (Brief Article)
July 26, 1993... IBM this week will announce five monitors and an external sound system, sources said. The announcement marks the first time IBM's monitor group has developed a line of monitors independent from IBM's systems business. The multifrequency...

Tektronix to debut speedier X terminals. (TekXpress XP350 series, comprising XP354, XP356 and XP358) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
July 26, 1993... Tektronix Inc. has introduced a line of faster X terminals, including a stand-alone display controller for customers who want to keep their current monitors. The TekXpress XP350 series uses a MIPS R3000 RISC processor from LSI Logic Corp....

IBM, Compaq to bundle products on CD-ROM. (IBM Software Manufacturing Co.'s CD Showcase to offer users menu of applications via resellers; Compaq to offer network operating systems on CD-ROM)
July 26, 1993... IBM's Software Manufacturing Co. took its first step toward the age of electronic software distribution last week, announcing a new CD-ROM-based technology aimed at resellers. Compaq Computer Corp. also extended its move toward distributing...

Apple Workgroup Server 60 targets schools, small businesses. (Apple Workgroup Server 80 also begins shipping) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
July 26, 1993... Apple Computer Inc. this week will ship its midrange and low-end Workgroup Servers at prices that reflect the recently announced price cuts on Apple's hardware products. The company also extended its Apple Assurance service and support...

Olympus debuts fast, ROM-based optical drives. (read-only memory) (MOS 300E and MOS 300S magneto-optical disk drives from Olympus Image Systems Inc.) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
July 26, 1993... Olympus USA Inc., which was formed earlier this year, recently offered the OEM market a 3.5-inch 128MB magneto-optical drive. The external metal-oxide semiconductor (MOS) 300E and its internal counterpart, the MOS 300S, feature an average...

Philips boosts monitors' sound, resolution with Brilliance. (Philips Consumer Electronics Co.'s Brilliance 15, Brilliance 17 and Brilliance 21 color monitors) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
July 26, 1993... Philips Consumer Electronics Co. this month will ship a series of high-resolution monitors, including one with built-in stereo audio. For $699, the 15-inch Brilliance 15 comes with a built-in stereo amplifier, speakers, headphone jack, and...

Adstar's low-cost disk drives increase PCs' storage space. (H2 high-density 2.5-inch hard disk drives, CBX double-density 5.25-inch optical disk drives and MultiRAID disk array) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
July 26, 1993... Adstar announced three new storage products last week, including a high-density 2.5-inch magnetic hard drive for portable computers. The manufacturer, IBM's storage device company, also announced a family of 5.25-inch magneto-optical disk...

Pipeline. (networking)
July 26, 1993... SHIPPING Trakker now monitors Token Ring segments Concord Communications Inc. has added Token Ring support to its Trakker internetwork monitoring product. The Trakker Token Ring segment monitor software lets administrators manage large...

Don't call the Feds, but I doubt Microsoft's success is healthy. (Distributed Thinking) (Editorial)
July 26, 1993... There are times when even though you don't want to, you have to write about Microsoft. The company has gotten so big and important that even if you want to cover a smaller company, you have to pay attention. This is one of them. Reportedly,...

Parallel querying still faces hurdles before it pays off; technique will tap power of multiprocessing. (parallel data base querying)
July 26, 1993... Parallel query technology, which could propel multiprocessor servers into many LANs, is proving no cakewalk for database companies. Leading database firms Sybase Inc. and Informix Software Inc. have both hit snags in their plans to deliver...

NetPro makes StreetTalk easier to use. (NetPro Computing Inc.'s StreetWise graphical interface for Banyan Systems Inc.'s StreetTalk network management software) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
July 26, 1993... A management software product will soon let network managers enjoy the advantages of Banyan Systems Inc.'s StreetTalk without the cumbersome DOS interface. NetPro Computing Inc.'s StreetWise uses the Windows interface to provide a graphical...

FTC deadlock let Microsoft off the hook, users say. (Federal Trade Commission undecided over whether to charge Microsoft with illegal business practices)
July 26, 1993... Users reacted with disappointment last week over the Federal Trade Commission's second deadlock on whether to charge Microsoft Corp. with illegal business practices. "I'm sorry the FTC deadlocked again," said Douglas Welch, systems manager...

Correction. (Correction Notice)
July 26, 1993... View Corp.'s nView ViewFrame Spectra C active matrix color LCD projection panel now qualifies for the Buyers Assurance Seal. (See product comparison, June 7, page 70.) nView signed the one-year repair or replace guarantee after the June 7...

Lannet hubs ready for multimedia; add-in delivers full Ethernet bandwidth to desktop. (Lannet Data Communications' LANSwitch multimedia hub modules) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
July 26, 1993... Lannet Data Communications in September will begin shipping add-in products for its hubs that are designed to deliver multimedia to the desktop. Lannet's family of LANSwitch multimedia hub modules will deliver full 10Mb-per-second (Mbps)...

ViTel MHS hub ties E-mail users to fax, telex around the world. (ViTel International Inc.'s Global MHS Hub electronic mail and fax routing service and ViTelink communications software) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
July 26, 1993... ViTel International Inc. smashed the bottle on the boat recently with the launch of a new product and service that links electronic mail users to faxes, telexes, and other E-mail users internationally. ViTel's Global MHS Hub is based on...

Dr. Watson network tool is proactive. (Empirical Tools & Technologies Inc. network analysis tool) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
July 26, 1993... Start-up Empirical Tools & Technologies Inc. is shipping its first product, a software-based network analysis tool that allows users to interact with network traffic to isolate problems. Unlike protocol analyzers, which allow administrators...

HP's Ethernet hub twists data to foil eavesdroppers. (EtherTwist 10Base-T Hub Plus/24 S stackable Ethernet hub) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
July 26, 1993... Hewlett-Packard Co. is shipping a stackable Ethernet hub with built-in security features and a lifetime replacement warranty. The EtherTwist 10Base-T Hub Plus/24 S is based on an Intel i960 processor and sports 24 ports. Priced starting at...

PI Systems' pen clipboards get a wireless LAN adapter; deal with Proxim lets users bypass docking stations. (local area network) (Infolio pen-based computers to be integrated with Proxim's RangeLAN) (Brief Article)
July 26, 1993... PI Systems Corp. has reached an agreement with Proxim Inc. to integrate Proxim's wireless LAN adapters in its pen-based Infolio electronic clipboards. The deal will result in the release of wireless pen PC clipboards by October, according to...

Switch starts PCs for remote users; a phone call causes this unit to power up your PC. (Server Technology Inc.'s Remote Power On/Off+AUX) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
July 26, 1993... Have you ever been away from work and needed to get at data on the PC in the office only to discover your machine is turned off? Server Technology Inc. is shipping a remote control solution that will turn on your PC with a simple telephone...

Graphics vendors ready to unleash updated products. (HSC Software's Kai's Power Tools 2.0 extension; Adobe Systems Inc.'s Photoshop 2.5.1, Illustrator 5.0 and Premiere 3.0; Computer Associates International Inc.'s CA-Cricket Presents III 1.0 and CA-Cricket Graph III 1.5; Macworld Exposition 1993) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
July 26, 1993... Users will hear plenty of graphics software news from vendors announcing products and shipping others at Macworld Expo, to be held in Boston next week. * HSC Software will demonstrate Kai's Power Tools 2.0, an extension for Adobe Photoshop...

Perceptive storage is optimized for NetWare. (Perceptive Solutions Inc. NetStore disk controller and server memory optimization software) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
July 26, 1993... Perceptive Solutions Inc. in August will ship a package that enhances performance on Novell Inc. NetWare networks by optimizing server memory. The $795 NetStore package includes a high-performance SCSI disk controller designed for NetWare...

Novell pushes third-party development for NMS: users expect enhanced platform. (NetWare Management System network management software) (Brief Article)
July 26, 1993... Novell Inc.'s move this month to encourage more third-party developers to support its NetWare Management System (NMS) is being hailed by users, but observers say it could be mid-1994 before NMS can be considered enterprise ready. Users are...

Double-speed Pentium chip to ship in April. (Intel Corp.'s microprocessor; April 1994)
July 26, 1993... Corporate users and system manufacturers are waiting for a new, double-speed version of the Pentium, which is expected to establish the high-performance processor as a mainstream product. Intel Corp. will announce the chip at fall Comdex....

X.400 headache No. 1: simplify the addressing scheme. (X.400 electronic mail standard) (LAN Talk)(Tutorial) (Column)
July 26, 1993... This week I want to take a look at one approach for implementing X.400 access from your network. As I discussed last week, X.400 can be added to your network by establishing a direct relationship with an X.400 mail provider. Alternatively,...

Doing the download dance is driving gripe-line callers crazy. (From the Editor) (Editorial)
July 26, 1993... Does it seem to you that you can hardly install any new product these days without having to call tech support to find out which updated drivers you need to download? It seems that way to a number of folks on the gripe line. An increasingly...

Businesses adopt free e-mail package; PMail distributed over the Internet. (Pegasus Mail, author David Harris)
July 26, 1993... Why pay for an electronic mail product when you can get a good one for free? That is the question a growing number of business and government E-mail users are asking as they turn to an E-mail package that a programmer in New Zealand is...

Pipeline. (Software)
July 26, 1993... ANNOUNCED Printer utilities keep documents secure Macintosh users who need to account for printer and paper use, track document printing, or are concerned about document security might want to try Working Software Inc.'s Working PrintLogger...

Alpha showcased in multimedia apps. (DEC's microcomputers; Siggraph trade show)
July 26, 1993... Digital Equipment Corp. will attempt to make its Alpha PCs major players in the multimedia world with a host of software and hardware announcements at the Siggraph show in Anaheim, Calif., next week. The software and hardware will work with...

Designer allows users to paint on 3-D objects: update adds more than 50 tools. (Ray Dream Designer 3.0 graphics software) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
July 26, 1993... A new version of the Macintosh-based Ray Dream Designer offers more than 50 new features, including the capability to paint on three-dimensional objects. "It's like painting on a sculpture," said beta tester Hal Rucker, co-owner of Rucker...

Lies, damn lies, and statistics: Gartner PC cost/benefit analysis is fishy. (rebuttal of The Gartner Group's 'PC Cost/Benefit and Payback Analysis' of microcomputer systems) (Peer to Peer) (Column)
July 26, 1993... Does anyone else find The Gartner Group annoying? I'm reviewing its "PC Cost/Benefit and Payback Analysis. " The good news: I now understand the "Productivity Paradox." It comes from Gartner's inflated cost numbers. The bad news: If...

Sybase offers graphical client/server front-end builder. (Brief Article)
July 26, 1993... TOKYO -- Sybase Inc. is readying an object-oriented development tool that will enable developers to easily create graphical user interface-based applications for distributed client/server systems, a Sybase official said earlier this month....

Users like Solaris for Intel but want more apps. (SunSoft Inc.'s operating system) (Brief Article)
July 26, 1993... SunSoft Inc.'s Solaris on Intel is getting good marks from users. Users, however, are frustrated by the lack of applications available for the new operating system, which shipped a month ago. Despite Solaris' high performance and robustness,...

Wireless nets give me a warm feeling inside. (wireless local area networks) (From the Ether) (Column)
July 26, 1993... At a recent wireless LAN demo, I got a funny warm feeling inside about cellular radio technologies in the frequency bands around 2.4 gigahertz. Having worked at Raytheon back in the 1960s, when the Radarange was new, I guessed that 2.4 gigs is...

Common Unix desktop gets boost with Motif toolkit. (SunSoft Inc.'s Motif 1.2.2 toolkit for Solaris 2.2) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
July 26, 1993... SunSoft Inc. took its first step toward supporting the common Unix desktop environment last week by shipping a Motif toolkit for Solaris 2.2, the current version of its operating system for the Sparc hardware. The Motif 1.2.2 toolkit offers...

Mac graphing program revamped for mainstream market. (DeltaPoint Inc.'s DeltaGraph Pro 3.0) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
July 26, 1993... Last week DeltaPoint Inc. revamped its graphing and presentation program by redesigning the interface to include tool and status bars that let users navigate among the chart window, slide sorter, and outline view of a document. While...

LAN printing: Are we still in the dark ages? (local area network) (includes related articles on network printing standards) (Enterprise Computing)
July 26, 1993... Network printing continues to be the bane of network administrators and users alike. Years after companies opted for LANs in large part to share printers among PC users, LAN printing still takes up a large part of the network administrator's...

OnTrack financial data on server systems. (IMRS Inc.'s OnTrack for Hyperion financial software) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
July 26, 1993... With OnTrack for Hyperion, the latest high-end client/server financial application from IMRS Inc., Windows users can access live data from Hyperion, the company's enterprisewide financial system. OnTrack can also access an array of...

Vendors seek third-party support for downsizing. (Client/server software vendors) (Brief Article)
July 26, 1993... Client/server software vendors say they will be turning to more third parties to handle large downsizing projects. Sybase Inc., The Ask Group, and Microsoft Corp. all announced last week they are beefing up their programs to train and support...

IBM applies expertise to process management. (IBM Enterprise Process Management facility form IBM Consulting Group) (Enterprise Computing/Management)
July 26, 1993... It's not easy to coordinate, much less define, the many activities that take place between a corporation and its business partners. But a promising new technology from IBM may make it easier for companies to develop applications that delineate...

Aladdin boosts Mac desktops' speed, access. (Aladdin Systems' Aladdin Desktop Tools file management utility) (Brief Article)
July 26, 1993... Users who want to make their Macintosh desktops even easier to use might want to look at Aladdin Systems' Aladdin Desktop Tools, a set of system utilities that makes files accessible even if the user doesn't have the application of origin....

First Chicago reaps tangible benefits from GUI; FirstWindow system gives commercial banking clients direct access to account data. (graphical user interface) (includes related article on FirstWindow 2000 custom application) (Enterprise Computing/Management: Case Study)
July 26, 1993... Mention graphical interfaces and you will hear users rave about application ease of use and improved productivity. But quantifying the benefits of GUIs has been an elusive goal at most firms. The First National Bank of Chicago, however,...

Redefine keys into any character string with this free utility. (Compose) (Window Manager) (Column)
July 26, 1993... I'm always looking for ways to save a few more keystrokes in Windows. Often-repeated names and phrases can be a pain to type, and I frequently have to look up the oddly spelled names of companies and friends that I work with, which takes even...

Hot and bothered. (why computer buyers are angry) (Buying Advice) (InfoWorld Direct: The Buyer's Guide special advertising supplement) (Column)
July 26, 1993... Normally, the readers of this column are a silent lot. But every time I slam some aspect of the computer industry, I get mail -- almost all of it favorable. The more vicious my prose, the more grateful mail I get. There are two...

New equipment will get the office talking. (devices will have better communications abilities and perform more functions) (InfoWorld Direct: The Buyer's Guide special supplement)
July 26, 1993... Like members of a dysfunctional family, the electronic devices in today's offices are almost completely unable to communicate with each other. Soon, however, users may find themselves able to control a new wave of fax machines, photocopiers,...

The E-Team feels the heat during NetWare 4 CD-ROM installation. (Novell Inc.'s NetWare 4.0 network operating system) (Down to the Wire)(Enterprise Computing/Management) (Column)
July 26, 1993... As part of our never-ending quest for network interoperability, we've been installing various flavors of the popular LAN operating systems. This week we attacked Novell's latest and greatest -- NetWare 4.0. Last week we talked about...

Even with a RAM upgrade, a LaserJet III can print only so fast. (random access memory; HP laser printer) (question-and-answer) (Help Desk)(Enterprise Computing/Management) (Column)
July 26, 1993... Q: We have an HP LaserJet III. Due to printing problems with TurboTax for Windows in April, I expanded its internal memory from 2MB to 5MB (the maximum). While this made room for the fonts to print tax forms, it hasn't sped up other printing...

Direct authority. (The Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) uses microcomputers bought through the direct channel) (includes related articles on LCRA Senior Systems Analyst Jim Howell and his experience at CompuAdd) (InfoWorld Direct: The Buyer's Guide special supplement )
July 26, 1993... Charged with the task of managing a mighty river, the Lower Colorado River Authority makes heavy demands of its enterprisewide network. Using a stringent 10-year plan, Jim Howell will use direct-channel PCs to keep the authority's rapidly...

Keeping in touch. (connecting portable computers with company systems) (includes related article on using portable computers in hotels) (InfoWorld Direct: The Buyer's Guide special supplement)
July 26, 1993... Portable computers are most useful when they can communicate with the rest of your company's systems. Equipped with the right hardware, software and overall stragegies, corporate nomads can stay in close contact with the home front. ...

We're still playing with a few of our favorite Toys for Techies. (Column) (Software Review) (Hardware Review) (Civilized Computing)(Enterprise Computing/Management) (Evaluation)
July 26, 1993... Ever see the look on kids' faces after opening all their Christmas presents? They look a little confused, not knowing what to play with first. After a while, they settle on a few toys that have become their favorites. That's the feeling...

The miniature HP 100LX has a lot to like and a lot to hate. (HP 100LX palmtop computer) (Hardware Review) (The Network Curmudgeon)(Enterprise Computing/Management) (Evaluation)
July 26, 1993... I've been torn between raving about Hewlett-Packard's latest miniature computer, the 100LX, and panning it. Part of me wants to encourage those designers who put together the first DOS computer that has cc:Mail built in and weighs less than a...

The 486DX2/66 enters the mainstream. (microcomputers based on Intel Corp.'s 80486DX2/66 microprocessor) (includes buyers guide and international price index on microcomputers, software, network cards and other types of hardware) (InfoWorld Direct: The Buyer's Guide special supplement) (Buyers Guide)
July 26, 1993... Less than a year ago, the 66MHz 486DX2 computer was considered to be the Cadillac of desktop systems, given the most demanding tasks as file servers and personal workstations for power users. As a result, it also carried a price premium over...

cc:Mail for Windows adds several vital improvements. (version 2.0 of Lotus Development Corp.'s electronic mail system) (Software Review) (Evaluation)
July 26, 1993... Users of the current release of cc:Mail for Windows should push their electronic mail administrators into getting Version 2.0. Because the upgrade price is only $195 per post office, it shouldn't take much of a push. The many readers of...

Monitoring monitors. (eight 17-inch color displays) (includes related articles on testing methodology and low-cost 17-inch monitors, as well as an Executive Summary and a glossary) (Hardware Review) (Evaluation)
July 26, 1993... When you are choosing a monitor, you will find a direct correlation between what you see and what you get. If you see blurry text, dull colors, and a disturbing glare, you will get a throbbing headache and a trip to the eye doctor. If you...

dBFast lets developers get acquainted with Windows. (version 2.0 of Computer Associates International Inc.'s program development software) (Software Review) (Evaluation)
July 26, 1993... Computer Associates International Inc. recently released Version 2.0 of dBFast, a veteran Xbase development product for Windows. This upgrade features a new Visual Designer and the CA-RET report writer (now bundled with the product)....

Invaluable utility helps test display quality of monitors. (Sonera Technologies' DisplayMate Professional and DisplayMate monitor testing software) (Software Review) (Evaluation)
July 26, 1993... Sonera Technologies' DisplayMate Professional proved to be an invaluable utility for developing test procedures for our 17-inch monitor comparison. DisplayMate helps users set up, evaluate, test, and adjust their monitors and graphics cards...

Monitors that can make the pivot. (Radius PrecisionColor Pivot and Portrait Display Labs Portrait/15 Plus pivoting 15-inch color monitors) (Hardware Review) (Evaluation)
July 26, 1993... When Radius Inc. introduced its first dual-orientation (pivoting) display terminal in 1991, IBM-compatible PC users were left out. Radius continues to cater to the Macintosh user, but Portrait Display Labs has licensed the technology to take on...

Thomas hopes DMI standard will make PCs manageable. (Desktop Management Task Force leader Chris Thomas; Desktop Management Interface) (One on One) (Interview)
July 26, 1993... If IBM had not made the PC an open architecture that could be cloned and supplemented by third parties, keeping track of all the computer devices in a given office would be pretty easy. Instead, most companies have a collection of CPUs, hard...

Just because IBM is paranoid doesn't mean everyone isn't out to get it. (rumor)(Notes from the Field) (Column)
July 26, 1993... "You did this to me!" screamed Pammy, who was parading around the room in her rather minimal underwear, alternately wringing her hands or clutching at her flawless hip. "I did what to you?" "Cellulite! If I grab my hip and the light is...

Monitors go green with built-in, power-saving functions or add-ons. (Nanao USA Corp.'s Flexscan F550iW 17-inch power-saving color monitor and Combinova's Wattless VDU Power Saver) (Hardware Review) (Evaluation)
July 26, 1993... Although some companies have been aware for years of the need to reduce power consumption in the workplace, up until recently there have not been many PC products that complement this environmental goal. But with such programs as the...

PageMaker 5.0 catches up to the competition. (Aldus Corp.'s desktop publishing software for IBM-compatible microcomputers) (Software Review) (Evaluation)
July 26, 1993... PageMaker 5.0 for Windows is a significant upgrade to the venerable desktop publishing product. Most of the improvements are in color handling, interface controls, typographic precision, and semiautomated tools for common publishing tasks....

No sign of slowed buying from users. (survey of microcomputer users' buying intentions) (Brief Article)
July 26, 1993... Market researchers are predicting a relative slowdown in computer sales because of higher component costs and other factors, but few users InfoWorld contacted are changing their buying plans yet. Higher prices on PCs with Pentium chips,...

Apple's At Ease goes corporate. (At Ease 2.0 for Workgroups work group software) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
July 26, 1993... Apple Computer Inc. is extending its simplified At Ease user interface to the corporate environment with At Ease 2.0 for Workgroups, expected to ship in August. The new version, which uses folders to group applications and files, features...

NT due next month, but apps won't follow soon. (Microsoft Windows NT due August 1993) (includes related article on 16-bit Windows NT)
July 19, 1993... When Windows NT finally arrives, users looking forward to running their favorite productivity applications and tools -- even some from Microsoft itself -- may wait months before 32-bit versions ship, vendors predicted last week. Microsoft...

Polaris scrambles to develop an update for its buggy PackRat. (Polaris Software Inc's information management software)
July 19, 1993... In response to disgruntled users, the president of Polaris Software Inc. went on the company's CompuServe forum last week to tell them an update to Polaris' information manager was in the works. PackRat 5.0 shipped July 1 after a number of...

Apple to take the wraps off multimedia line, PDA. (Apple Centris 660 AV and Quadra 840 AV microcomputers; and MessagePad personal digital assistant, formerly Newton) (Product Announcement)
July 19, 1993... The first products of a new, leaner-and-meaner Apple Computer Inc. will be introduced during the next two weeks as the company rolls out its multimedia line and the Newton PDA, now known as MessagePad. Apple is debating whether to introduce...

Growth-strained Dell aims to turn itself around by year end. (Dell Computer Corp. hopes to become profitable)
July 19, 1993... Despite Dell Computer Corp.'s deepening financial troubles, Michael Dell and some observers said the company is just down -- not out. Chairman and chief executive officer Dell expects the company to become profitable by the end of October...

Servers to ease management. (Compaq to introduce three servers with hot-swappable subsystems) (Brief Article)
July 19, 1993... To make its servers more reliable and manageable, Compaq Computer Corp. this fall will introduce three servers that feature internal replaceable subsystems and extended server management functions. The new models include a single processor...