MacWEEK articles from February 1997

MacWEEK archives from February 1997

All that glitters is not sold: Chip ship dates tough to tell. (Power Computing, UMAX Computer demonstrate systems with PowerPC processors) (Company Business and Marketing)
February 3, 1997... In a heated race to deliver the fastest systems in the Mac market, clone vendors have been showing off machines that are months away from arriving in users' hands. Power Computing Corp. of Round Rock, Texas, and UMAX Computer Corp. of Fremont,...

Clones dent Apple sales. (Apple not one of top five US PC makers in 4th qtr 1996) (Company Business and Marketing)
February 3, 1997... Company drops to 4th worldwide Apple slipped from the list of the top five U.S. personal computer makers in the fourth quarter of 1996, but analysts said growing sales of Mac clones may prop up the platform. According to preliminary surveys...

Consumer Mac lineup to lose Performa label. (Apple phases out Performa name, considering new options) (Product Information)
February 3, 1997... Apple will reportedly play the name game with its consumer product line in the third quarter when it phases out the Performa moniker. Sources said Apple marketing has decided to retire the designation on several grounds. Apple marketing...

Expression acts natural with vector-based graphics. (Fractal Design's vector illustration application) (Software Review)(Evaluation)
February 3, 1997... Score card Expression 1.0 4 diamonds (Very good) Fractal Design Corp. List price: $449* Hits: Well-designed drawing tools; cool-looking "natural" media tools. Misses: Too expensive; lack of plug-in support. *Users of...

PPC partners push 300 MHz with '97 chips. (Motorola RISC Microprocessor Division and IBM Microelectronics Division developing Arthur G-3 series PowerPC processor) (Product Development)
February 3, 1997... It's full speed ahead for Macs during the next few quarters as the PowerPC partners unveil a raft of faster processors, including the first entry in the next-generation G3 series. According to sources, IBM Microelectronics Division of East...

Chena takes over support for Attain's In Control PIM. (Chena Software to suppport personal information management application) (Product Information)(Brief Article)
February 3, 1997... Chena Software Inc. last week announced that it has taken over support for users of the In Control outliner and personal information manager package. In Control was the flagship product of Attain Corp. of Somerville, Mass., which ceased...

Connectix releases fix for Speed Doubler 2.0. (Speed Doubler 2.0.1 acceleration utility is free update)(Product Announcement)(Brief Article)
February 3, 1997... Connectix Corp. last week released a free update to its Speed Doubler acceleration utility to address a compatibility problem with Mac OS 7.6. The company said that when Mac OS 7.6, Speed Doubler and the Find File application are used together,...

Floppy drive bug bites some Power Tower Pros. (Power Computing reports floppy disk drive problems for microcomputers) (Product Information)(Brief Article)
February 3, 1997... Power Computing Corp. last week revealed a floppy disk drive problem with some of its Power Tower Pro systems. Due to a machining error, the front bezel on some Power Tower machines slightly obstructs the ejection path for floppy disks, causing...

ESRI prepares ArcView 3.0. (Environmental Systems Research Institute's GIS)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 3, 1997... Environmental Systems Research Institute Inc. said it plans to release Version 3.0 of ArcView GIS, its geographical information software, in March. Users of the updated data-mapping package will be able to customize tool bars and menus and...

Kiplinger puts new interface on '96 TaxCut. (Block Financial's Kiplinger TaxCut tax preparation software)(Product Announcement)(Brief Article)
February 3, 1997... Block Financial Corp. is now shipping the final filing edition of Kiplinger TaxCut, its tax-preparation package. TaxCut includes most commonly used federal and state forms as well as schedules and worksheets for personal and business taxes, the...

Kyocera's cartridge-free lasers join printer line. (Kyocera Electronics' FS-1700, FS-3700 laser printers)(Product Announcement)(Brief Article)
February 3, 1997... Kyocera Electronics Inc. in late January introduced two workgroup laser printers that the company said will reduce the cost of operating printers. Kyocera's 12-page-per-minute FS-1700 and 18-page-per-minute FS-3700 printers use a new developer...

Minolta to focus on consumer camera. (Minolta Dimage V digital camera)(Product Announcement)
February 3, 1997... Dimage to offer flexible zoom lens Minolta Corp. showed off in January its first consumer digital camera, the Minolta Dimage V. Unlike most point-and-shoot cameras, the Dimage V will feature a detachable zoom lens on a 3-foot cable, allowing...

SyQuest ships SyJet 1.5-Gbyte removable. (SyQuest Technology)(Product Announcement)(Brief Article)
February 3, 1997... Transfers data at 5.6 Mbytes/second SyQuest Technology Inc. last week began shipping the SyJet, the company's 1.5-Gbyte removable-cartridge drive. Featuring a smaller, more streamlined design than past SyQuest offerings, the SyJet has an...

Meeting Maker turns 4.0. (ON Technology's scheduling software)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 3, 1997... Update supports up to 10,000 users ON Technology Corp. at the end of January shipped Meeting Maker 4.0, its client-server scheduling software. The company said the new version is geared toward larger organizations, supporting as many as 10,000...

QuickBooks users get upgrade offers. (Intuit accounting software users offered upgrades to BestWare's M.Y.O.B. Accounting 7.0, Big Software's Big Business 2.0.6, CheckMark Software's Multiledger 4.0) (Product Information)(Brief Article)
February 3, 1997... Users of Intuit Inc.'s QuickBooks are being wooed with competitive upgrades from other accounting software vendors, now that Intuit has said it will no longer develop the small-business accounting package for the Mac platform (see 01.06.97, Page...

Apple updates E.T.O. suite. (Essentials-Tools-Objects 22 developers-tools suite)(Product Announcement)(Brief Article)
February 3, 1997... Apple is now shipping Version 22 of its Essentials-Tools-Objects developers-tools suite. The update includes a pre-release version of the Mac OS 7.5 Instrumentation software developers kit. Apple said the set of applications and libraries lets...

Apple zips up Performa 6400. (Apple Performa 6400/200 to feature integrated Iomega Zip drive)(Product Announcement)(Brief Article)
February 3, 1997... Apple this week plans to release a pair of Performa 6400 configurations into selected retail stores, including one with an integrated Iomega Zip drive. Sporting 32 Mbytes of RAM, the new Zip-outfitted version of the Performa 6400/200 will be...

For the record. (News Briefs)(Correction Notice)
February 3, 1997... A story in the 01.20.97 issue (Page 18) should have said that Sonic Systems Inc.'s QuickStream Pro remote-access server comes with WebStream software already installed.

Symantec reports profit. (fiscal quarter ending Dec 31, 1996) (Company Financial Information)(Brief Article)
February 3, 1997... Symantec Corp. of Cupertino, Calif., announced a $13.9 million profit for its fiscal quarter ended Dec. 31. In the same quarter last year, the tools and utilities company lost $36.8 million, largely due to its purchase of Delrina Corp. and its...

Astarte turns QT into MPEG. (Astarte MPEG Exporter QuickTime extension)(Product Announcement)(Brief Article)
February 3, 1997... In sync with Apple's announcement last week of a QuickTime MPEG extension, Astarte GmbH of Karlsruhe, Germany, announced its Astarte MPEG Exporter, an extension to QuickTime that converts QuickTime movies to MPEG-1 format. Apple's extension...

Astound boosts its Mac lineup. (Astound WebMotion Web-animation software, Astound 3.0 for Macintosh presentation software)(Product Announcement)(Brief Article)
February 3, 1997... Astound Inc. last week unveiled a major Mac upgrade to its namesake presentation program and announced Astound WebMotion, a new Web-animation package. Astound 3.0 for Macintosh, due in March for $295, will share many features with the...

ColorAge tones up print server. (DocuPress Pro Pentium Pro-based system)(Product Announcement)(Brief Article)
February 3, 1997... ColorAge Inc. last week introduced a higher-performance version of its DocuPress server for Xerox color copiers. Meanwhile, the company cut the price of the original DocuPress model. The $12,900 DocuPress Pro features DiamondMerge, a...

Fractal 3-D apps land ThinkFish renderer. (ThinkFish Productions and Fractal Design have licensing deal to integrate ThinkFish's LiveStyles with Fractal's 3-D application) (Company Business and Marketing)(Brief Article)
February 3, 1997... Three-D newcomer ThinkFish Productions Inc. and Fractal Design Corp. in January announced a licensing deal that integrates ThinkFish's LiveStyles rendering technology with Fractal's 3-D software. Meanwhile, sources said Apple is considering...

LivePix photo editor ready for prime time. (announces Live Picture's LivePix for Macintosh photo-editing application, acquires RealSpace)(Product Announcement)(Brief Article)
February 3, 1997... Live Picture Inc. this month plans to ship the Mac version of LivePix, its $49 photo-editing application aimed at consumers. Meanwhile, the company is charting its Virtual Reality Modeling Language course with newly acquired RealSpace Inc....

Adobe revamps SiteMill. (Adobe Systems' SiteMill 2.0 Web-site management software) (Product Development)(Brief Article)
February 3, 1997... App will work with PageMill Adobe Systems Inc. in late January released a public beta version of SiteMill 2.0, its Web-site management software. SiteMill lets users maintain a site's Web pages and keep track of its links. Unlike the previous...

Ascend to purchase PSINet's InterCon. (Ascend Communications to buy InterCon Systems) (Company Business and Marketing)(Brief Article)
February 3, 1997... PSINet Inc. last week said it will sell InterCon Systems Corp. to Ascend Communications Inc. PSINet, an Internet service provider in Herndon, Va., bought privately held InterCon, also of Herndon, in July 1995. At that time PSINet also...

GifBuilder moves to 0.5. (freeware utility composed by Yves Piquet)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 3, 1997... A new version of GifBuilder is available for downloading. The freeware utility builds animated GIF files from several types of images. Written by Yves Piguet of Lausanne, Switzerland, Version 0.5 of GifBuilder is the ninth public release. The...

Ramp, ISDNet route ISDN. (Ramp Networks' WebRamp Entre Ethernet hub/router combination, IDSNet's NetRouter 1040 ISDN router)(Product Announcement)(Brief Article)
February 3, 1997... A pair of companies have introduced products designed to tie Mac networks to the Internet through ISDN. * Ramp Networks Inc., formerly Trancell Systems Inc., released WebRamp Entre, a four-port Ethernet hub and ISDN router combination designed...

Sonic to rev Net servers, updates to boost speed. (Sonic Systems' SonicMail 1.5 e-mail software)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 3, 1997... Sonic Systems Inc. this month will take the wraps off revisions to its e-mail and FTP server software, with new incarnations of its Web and Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol servers due later this spring. The speedier Version 1.5 of SonicMail...

Farallon Q1 revenue down 4%. (Farallon Communications) (Company Financial Information)(Brief Article)
February 3, 1997... Farallon Communications Inc. in January posted a profit of $118,000 on revenue of $13.5 million for the quarter ended Dec. 31. The Alameda, Calif., company's revenue dropped 4 percent compared with the same period of 1995, when it earned $299,000...

MovieClips edits video quickly, easily for pros and beginners. (Digerati Multimedia) (Software Review)(Evaluation)
February 3, 1997... Score card MovieClips 1.0 4 diamonds (Very good) Digerati Multimedia Inc. List price: $249 Hits: Speedy playback rendering; user friendly; interface designed for speed. Misses: Audio features somewhat weak; one level of...

Alphanumeric paging poised for big growth. (includes related article on SkyTel's SkyTel2-Way two-way paging service) (Technology Information)
February 3, 1997... April Streeter Although it seems an unlikely link, the Internet is having a stimulating effect on alphanumeric paging, which allows pagers to receive text-based messages. In turn, the Internet is helping Macintosh users employ pagers as part...

Readers write about Apple's failures, future. (Apple users do not like idea of Apple becoming more vertical business)(MacInTouch) (Company Business and Marketing)(Column)
February 3, 1997... I'm going to change my tune--or part of it, anyway. Readers responded vigorously to the column two weeks ago about Apple becoming a more vertical business (see 01.20.97, Page 33), and I now have the benefit of their perspectives and insights....

Akia puts stamp on clones. (MicroBook Power 604e/225, 603e Mac clones to be sold in Japan)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 3, 1997... Akia Corp. of Tokyo plans to ship a pair of Mac clones this month for the Japanese market. Based on Apple's Tsunami logic board, the company's MicroBook Power 604e/225 MHz will use a 225-MHz PowerPC processor and come with a 4-Gbyte Fast...

Apple COO predicts ad blitz. (Marco Landi) (Company Business and Marketing)(Brief Article)
February 3, 1997... Apple is shifting its advertising focus away from buffing the corporate brand and toward selling the Macintosh. Marco Landi, Apple chief operating officer, said the company is "going on the attack" and will introduce a major ad campaign this...

Lotus takes Notes to 4.5: Upgrade shoots for Net. (integrates workgoup capabilities with Internet)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 3, 1997... Lotus Development Corp. last week shipped Notes 4.5. The new version of the company's groupware system integrates messaging, scheduling and database functions with Internet access. Notes 4.5 offers a departure from proprietary technology, Lotus...

Netscape, Iomega post profits. (Company Financial Information)(Brief Article)
February 3, 1997... Internet software company Netscape Communications Corp. and storage vendor Iomega Corp. last week posted strong results in their fourth quarters. Netscape of Mountain View, Calif., reported a profit of $8.8 million, compared with $500,000 in...

StockWatch. (News Briefs)(Illustration)
February 3, 1997... 01.30.97 weekly close change Apple 16.75 -0.50 MacWEEK Composite* 139.20 -4.51 Software Developers Adobe 37.38 0.88...

Connectix links design, bravado. (Web site) (News Briefs)(Directory)
February 3, 1997... Connectix http://www.connectix.com Company sells its software online and is secure enough to link to reviews, competitors Considering the possibilities, it's distressing that so many corporate Web sites resemble nothing more than...

Hot List: HTML. (Web sites) (News Briefs)(Directory)
February 3, 1997... A potpourri of resources for HTML veterans and novices alike are found on the Web. These sites should tickle your fancy regardless of your level of expertise. > HTML 3.2 Fact Sheet http://www.w3.org/pub/WWW/Press/HTML32-fact.html The...

Reader picks. (Web sites) (News Briefs)(Directory)
February 3, 1997... http://www.ogrady.com Jason O'Grady's PowerPage is the first place I check for up-to-the-minute PowerBook news. It provides a daily update of news about Apple's PowerBooks, usually dealing with the PowerBook 500, 5300, 1400 and the...

The Knife comes alive!(Mac the Knife) (Humor)(Column)
February 3, 1997... Just when Mac the Knife thought MacWEEK's vinyl-based office entertainment system couldn't get more fabulous, ace reporter John Poultney added an eight-track component to the '70s dance mix. Regular readers of this column are familiar with the...

Amelio redefines Apple; investors mollified by rousing speech. (Gilbert Amelio) (Company Operations)(Brief Article)
February 10, 1997... Cupertino, Calif. - In the face of a sometimes boisterous crowd at the company's annual shareholders meeting, Apple CEO Gilbert Amelio took the stage with confidence here last week. And two hours after hearing details of the crises the company...

Apple taps Mach kernel as basis for Rhapsody OS. (technology from NeXT Software) (Product Development)(Brief Article)
February 10, 1997... NeXTstep core key to transition Revealing another ingredient in its secret recipe, Apple last week announced that the Mach kernel will be at the core of its next-generation OS. In an open letter to developers, Ellen Hancock, head of Apple's...

Hayes blowout: 56 Kbps for $99 in trade-in plan. (Hayes Microcomputer Products' modem upgrade offer) (Company Business and Marketing)(Brief Article)
February 10, 1997... Attention, modem shoppers: Hayes Microcomputer Products Inc. last week announced that users of any modem can upgrade to its new 56-Kbps line for $99. Due in March or April, Hayes' 56-Kbps modems will be based on the K56Flex standard created by...

NeXT's WebObjects to give Apple enterprise foothold. (Web-development software part of NeXT Software assets acquired by Apple) (Product Information)
February 10, 1997... Among the assets Apple is acquiring with NeXT Software Inc. is WebObjects, an object-oriented tool for developing complex Web sites. The enterprise-strength environment lets users develop on Windows NT and OpenStep systems and deploy...

Extreme 3D 2.0: solid upgrade gets particular. (Macromedia's modeling, rendering, animation package) (Software Review)(Evaluation)
February 10, 1997... Score card Extreme 3D 2.0 4 diamonds (Very good) Macromedia Inc. Estimated street price: $399* Hits: Powerful spline modeler with innovative Metaforms and Particle Generator; good animation tools; competitive price, especially...

CEO centralizes operations in reorg. (Apple CEO Gilbert Amelio) (includes related article on three-week plan to cut costs by $400 million) (Amelio Redefines Apple) (Company Operations)
February 10, 1997... Apple CEO Gilbert Amelio last week unveiled his second sweeping reorganization since taking over the company a year ago. Amelio said the new structure, effective March 1, is intended to centralize operations and give top management a tighter...

CE posts 1st-quarter loss, lays off 16% of work force. (CE Software) (Company Financial Information)(Brief Article)
February 10, 1997... CE Software Inc. last week posted a first-quarter loss and said it laid off 16 of its 100 employees. The company, based in West Des Moines, Iowa, reported a loss of $368,000 for the quarter ended Dec. 31, compared with a loss of $131,000 for...

AOL restructuring, refunds lead to Q2 loss of $155M. (America Online Inc) (Company Financial Information)(Brief Article)
February 10, 1997... America Online Inc. last week posted a $154.8 million loss on revenue of $409.4 million for the second fiscal quarter ended Dec. 31. However, the Vienna, Va., company's revenue increased by 64 percent from the same quarter last year, when it...

Forum leaders organize strike to protest AOL fees. (America Online plan to charge fees to those who operate forums) (Company Business and Marketing)(Brief Article)
February 10, 1997... A group of forum leaders in America Online Inc.'s Company Connection area went on strike late last week to protest a plan that requires them to pay fees to continue operating their forums. The Company Connection area features discussion forums...

Optima seeing double with new CD-R drive. (Optima Technology Corp introduces DisKovery 1300CDR CD-recordable drive)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 10, 1997... Specialized driver handles 1.3 Gbytes A new drive technology from Optima Technology Corp. doubles the capacity of ordinary CD-Recordable discs and boosts playback speeds. The company last week shipped the $749 DisKovery 1300CDR drive, a 6x...

Theta Group ships database objects. (LiveAccess collection of OpenDoc components for linking clients, database servers)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 10, 1997... Theta Group of Karlsruhe, Germany, in January forged an OpenDoc link between clients and a variety of databases. Called LiveAccess, the collection of parts includes connections to Theta Group's own dtF SQL relational database, ACI US Inc.'s...

Motorola divvies up operations. (Motorola Computer Group reorganizes) (Company Operations)(Brief Article)
February 10, 1997... Mac cloner Motorola Computer Group of Tempe, Ariz., last week reorganized into two divisions, one of which will sell Mac OS notebook systems. The new businesses will operate as separate profit and loss centers, the company said, and will have...

La Cie tunes in Mac radio. (La Cie Ltd introduces software-controlled FM tuner)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 10, 1997... La Cie Ltd. introduced in January a software-controlled FM radio that hooks up to the Mac via the ADB port. The $49 La Cie FM Radio comes with a stereo cable that can be hooked up through the Mac's sound-in port. The device can also be used...

Apple cuts desktop prices. (Product Information)(Brief Article)
February 10, 1997... Power Mac, Performa prices cut While attending to its corporate make-over, Apple also altered its price list, dropping the prices of Power Mac and Performa models. The price cuts range from $250 to $1,150 for Power Macs and include a drop of...

Claris sells wares on Web. (Claris Corp offers Emailer, other products online) (Company Business and Marketing)(Brief Article)
February 10, 1997... Emailer, others available online Claris Corp. plans to announce this week that it will expand its Internet-based software distribution. The company recently signed agreements with CyberSource Corp.'s Software.net as well as with CNET Direct...

Bar coding goes small. (Videx Inc introduces LaserLite bar-code reader, DuraTrax barcode/Ibutton reader)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 10, 1997... Videx Inc. in January shipped two new palm-size bar-code readers that the company said are the smallest on the market. The $1,195 LaserLite bar-code reader and the $625 DuraTrax bar-code and Ibutton reader are housed in water- and...

Frontier heads to Version 4.2. (UserLand Software Inc introduces update to Mac scripting environment)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 10, 1997... UserLand Software Inc. recently released the latest update to its free Frontier scripting environment for the Mac. Version 4.2 includes a suite of commands called FinderMenu that initiate actions in the Finder. Using the freeware OSA Menu...

Differential equation. (Micronet Technology to ship Differential SCSI versions of DataDock disk arrays)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 10, 1997... MicroNet Technology Inc. this month plans to ship Differential SCSI versions of its DataDock disk arrays. The devices, based on the Ultra SCSI standard, can be as far as 81 feet between nodes. The seven-bay DataDock 7000D chassis will cost...

Backup plans. (CharisMac Engineering Inc introduces Backup Mastery)(Storage Beat)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 10, 1997... CharisMac Engineering Inc. of Newcastle, Calif., in January shipped Backup Mastery, a $129 package that works with the company's Discribe CD-Recordable authoring software to back up directly to CD-R. The software also works without Discribe for...

Saving the data. (Software Architects Inc introduces DataSaver Personal Backup)(Storage Beat)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 10, 1997... Software Architects Inc. of Bothell, Wash., emphasizes simplicity with its new backup offering, DataSaver Personal Backup, which also shipped in January. According to the company, the $79 package provides a one-step backup operation and an...

100-disc jukebox. (Pinacle Micro Inc introduces Cascade CD100X4)(Storage Beat)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 10, 1997... Pinnacle Micro Inc. of Irvine, Calif., said it will ship later this month the Cascade CD100X4, a CD-ROM jukebox with a 100-disc capacity. The device includes four quadruple-speed drives, yielding a sustained data transfer rate of 676 Kbytes per...

Adobe revises font utilities. (Adobe Systems Inc introduces Adobe Type Manager Deluxe 4.0, Adobe Type Reunion Deluxe 2.0)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 10, 1997... Adobe Systems Inc. last week delivered long-awaited revisions to its Adobe Type Manager and Adobe Type Reunion font utilities. Adobe Type Manager Deluxe 4.0 offers font-management capabilities and support for TrueType as well as Type 1 fonts....

Profile/80 2.0 speeds color printer data. (Color Partnership introduces new version of software for generating International Color Consortium printer profiles)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 10, 1997... The Color Partnership last week delivered the sequel to Profile/80, the company's software for generating ICC (International Color Consortium) printer profiles based on spectrophotometric data. Version 2.0 of the $395 application features...

Opcode tunes up notation package. (Opcode Systems releases Overture 2.0; Waves Ltd offers Renaisisance Coprocessor, PsychoAcoustic Analyzer plug-ins)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 10, 1997... Waves readies audio plug-ins At January's National Association of Music Merchants show in Anaheim, Calif., Opcode Systems released Version 2.0 of its musical notation program while Waves Ltd. announced two new audio plug-ins. Version 2.0 of...

Three D Graphics, Texture reunited. (Texture Creator)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 10, 1997... A texture generator with a checkered career has been updated and renamed. Three D Graphics said it will introduce its $129.99 Texture Creator program by the end of this month. An earlier version of the program, originally called PixelLoom, was...

Fuji's Print-it hits the Mac. (Fuji Photo Film USA introduces Macintosh kit for snapshot printer)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 10, 1997... Taking its best shot at Macintosh-based digital photographers, Fuji Photo Film USA Inc. in January released a Macintosh connection kit for its Print-it snapshot printer. The $29 Mac converter kit contains a parallel-to-serial cable, a Mac...

Seeing through the hype. (Ingrimayne Type introduces No-Hype Type font library)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 10, 1997... Ingrimayne Type of Rensselaer, Ind., in January published No-Hype Type, a CD-ROM of 500 typefaces in TrueType and Type 1 formats. The $59 collection includes designs originally released by Wayzata Technology in addition to several font utilities....

Mystery font. (Handcraftedfonts Co. introduces HF Murder Mystery Font)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 10, 1997... Also in January, Handcraftedfonts Co. of Philadelphia shipped a picture font for those with a penchant for murder mysteries. HF Murder Mystery Font, $45, designed by Jonathan Macagba, comprises 75 crime scenes. The face comes in Type 1 and...

Text lab. (Design Lab Srl introduces Simona, Fashion Fonts type designs)(Font Beat)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 10, 1997... Design Lab Srl of Milan, Italy, in December released two type designs. Simona is inspired by monument plaques in northern Italy. The Type 1 font is $299 for six weights and an ornamental style. The whimsical Fashion Fonts cost $59 to $69. Design...

Hot fonts. (Adobe Systems Inc adds Kepler, Cronos to Adobe Type Library)(Font Beat)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 10, 1997... Adobe Systems Inc. of San Jose, Calif., in December enlarged the Adobe Type Library. The modern-style Kepler and the animated yet formal Cronos are among the new multiple-master faces, which are capable of producing thousands of font instances...

Down to the letter. (LetterPerfect adds Cresci, Pontif, Pietra, Kolo, Bermuda typefaces)(Font Beat)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 10, 1997... LetterPerfect of Seattle added to its cornerstone Type 1 and TrueType font collections. Three capital typefaces - Cresci, Pontif and Pietra - round out the Legacy of Letters line, while Kolo and Bermuda enliven the Vive la Fonts ensemble of...

Type by hand. (Signature Software introduces Personal Font-Western Europe handwriting font)(Font Beat)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 10, 1997... Signature Software Inc. of Hood River, Ore., in January signed off on a new handwriting font. Personal Font-Western Europe, $169.95, emulates a user's contextual handwriting in Western European languages. Phone (541) 386-3221 or (800) 925-8840;...

Old-fashioned type. (International Typeface Corp introduces Vintage, Freddo typefaces)(Font Beat)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 10, 1997... International Typeface Corp. of New York in December presented several new text and display typefaces, including ITC Vintage, a classic headline design, and ITC Freddo, based on a 1930s sign-lettering manual. ITC typefaces come in PostScript and...

iCat to rev Net shopping suite. (Electronic Commerce Suite 3.0)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 10, 1997... Version 3.0 to add ODBC compliance iCat Corp. plans to release a major upgrade to its Electronic Commerce Suite this month. The suite will let users create and maintain a Web-based shopping catalog, and will provide shopping functions and...

Net2Phone lets users make calls on the Net. (IDT Corp releases Mac version of freeware Internet telephone package)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 10, 1997... Hoping to take on telecommunications giants, IDT Corp. last week released a beta version of Net2Phone for the Mac, a free package that lets users conduct real-time conversations over the Internet. The software, which shipped for Windows last...

Apple cuts Mac OS, AIX server prices. (Apple Workgroup Servers) (Product Information)(Brief Article)
February 10, 1997... Apple in January cut prices on its Mac OS- and AIX-based servers and announced a special offer for the forthcoming AppleShare IP 5.0. The company trimmed prices on its Apple Workgroup Servers by an average of 10 percent. The Workgroup Server...

Web Quick 1.4 extension manages URLs. (Europa Software Inc to ship new URL manager update)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 10, 1997... Europa Software Inc. this week will ship Web Quick 1.4, an update to its URL manager. Web Quick is an extension and appears as an icon on a menu bar in any application. Bookmarked Web sites can be accessed through a pull-down menu. After users...

The emperor has no strategy in cyberspace. (Apple's Internet strategy)(Working the Net) (Company Business and Marketing)(Column)
February 10, 1997... Before Macworld Expo in January I posed a simple question - "Does Apple have an Internet strategy?" - to a private mailing list of Internet developers. Larry Tesler, vice president of AppleNet, was the only person who responded in the...

NetManage drops Mac. (halts development of Macintosh products) (Product Information)(Brief Article)
February 10, 1997... Intranet application, server and development tools maker NetManage Inc. last month said it is halting development of its Macintosh products. NetManage entered the Mac market in February 1996 and has since shipped three products for the Mac:...

Network traffic. (News Briefs)
February 10, 1997... > CE releases QuickMail betas > Asante delivers IntraSpection > Roaster licenses Java Generic Library CE Software Inc. of West Des Moines, Iowa, released beta versions of updaters for QuickMail LAN and QuickMail Pro. QuickMail LAN...

Waiting for Adobe. (software vendor's support for Rhapsody OS strategy is crucial) (Company Business and Marketing)(Brief Article)
February 10, 1997... As the blueprint for Apple's future operating system begins to come into focus, Adobe Systems Inc.'s intentions remain a frustrating cipher. During his keynote speech at January's Macworld Expo in San Francisco, Apple CEO Gilbert Amelio...

1710 monitor saga shows need for new approach. (AppleVision 1710AV monitor has numerous defects, indicates that company must improve quality to survive)(The Second Decade) (Product Information)(Column)
February 10, 1997... After listening to my woes with my AppleVision 1710AV monitor (see 02.03.97, Page 18), Apple's Customer Relations group last week agreed to replace it. This is obviously a personal relief, but it hasn't dampened my conviction that a new approach...