MacWEEK articles from May 1992

MacWEEK archives from May 1992

New displays: big screen, color. (includes related article on travel tips)(Living with PowerBooks)
May 4, 1992... The PowerBooks' built-in LCD screens may be good by portable standards, but they're not the only display choice for these machines. Third-party vendors are offering a growing number of alternatives that provide output for viewing on monochrome...

Keeping PowerBook files in sync in the office as well as on the road. (Apple Macintosh PowerBook portable computer)(Special Report: Living with PowerBooks)
May 4, 1992... Reconciling files between PowerBooks and other Macs can be problematic. Several solutions now offer a way to update automatically. By Jeff Ubois It's a problem for almost every PowerBook user: How do you keep the files on your...

HandiWorks needs more work; missing features offset integration. (MacVONK USA Inc.'s integration software)(includes related product evaluation summary) (Software Review) (Evaluation)
May 4, 1992... Missing features offset integration By Dale Coleman Old-time Mac hands may remember an application called Ragtime, a page-layout program from Europe that met with limited success in the United States. MacVONK*USA has translated...

Quality can't be job 1.1.1.
May 4, 1992... Quality can't be Job 1.1.1 Last month's System 7 Tune-Up fiasco highlights a problem that Mac managers and users confront every day: The standards of quality control prevailing in the microcomputer industry simply don't match the level...

Letters. (Letter to the Editor)
May 4, 1992... Letters Finder features missing or maybe it's just me? As a latecomer to System 7, I thought I was the only one who wondered why the new Finder has so many gaping feature holes in it. The story "On-line critics dissect Mac Finder"...

4 years ago in MacWEEK.
May 4, 1992... May 3, 1988: "AutoCAD, the world's leading desktop CAD package, will soon be available for the Mac II... ." In restrospect: The true potential of AutoCAD may finally be realized with the arrival of more-powerful Macs and the impressive new...

The search for stylus input that feels natural.
May 4, 1992... The seach for stylus input that feels natural Jean-Louis Gassee After early hopes of meeting our everyday personal computing needs, the first wave of pen-based platforms has retreated for now into the realm of "clipboard" computing...

Aperture opens way to facility management: database, CAD tool integrate with ease. (Graphic Management Group Inc.'s Aperture Professional 2.0.7; computer-aided design)(includes related product evaluation summary) (Software Review) (Evaluation)
May 4, 1992... Database, CAD tool integrate with ease By Timothy E. Johnson Aperture Professional 2.0.7 from Graphic Management Group Inc. integrates a fast, accurate 2-D CAD system with a flat-file database for managing facilities such as...

Agent DA: powerful accessory hides behind smooth interface. (Team Building Technologies Inc.'s Agent DA 2.1) (Software Review) (Evaluation)
May 4, 1992... Powerful accessory hides behind smooth interface Agent DA 2.1 from Team Building Technologies Inc. is a nifty appointment and to-do logger desk accessory. Its clean interface belies much of its power. Also included in the package...

Brainstorm Accelerator: Accelerator pumps up Mac Plus performance. (Brainstorm Products Inc.'s coprocessor) (Hardware Review) (Evaluation)
May 4, 1992... Accelerator pumps up Mac Plus performance Brainstorm Products' Brainstorm Accelerator for the Mac Plus is a $249 dealer-installed product that brings the sluggish performance of the Mac Plus to levels comparable to the Mac II and LC. ...

HyperDeX: HyperCard manager doesn't quite stack up. (NorthWest House) (Software Review) (Evaluation)
May 4, 1992... HyperCard manager doesn't quite stack up HyperDeX from NorthWest House is a well-constructed HyperCard-based name and address manager. It features a standard set of fields for this purpose: name, address, city, state, ZIP code, phone...

Background compression: a second opinion. (The Mac Manager)
May 4, 1992... Background compression: A second opinion Don Crabb How dangerous is data compression on your Mac? If you are like my colleague David Ramsey, apparently data compressors are just short of the devil incarnate. A few weeks back...

Across-the-board speed. (Motorola 68040 accelerator boards for the Apple Macintosh)
May 4, 1992... Now that compatibility problems have been solved and even-faster '040s are being released, a growing number of power users are turning to this leading-edge technology. By Larry Stevens Each new CPU, from the early 68020 to the 68030...

Ray Dream designs for pros. (Ray Dream Inc.'s Ray Dream Designer 2.02 graphics software)(includes related product evaluation summary) (Software Review) (Evaluation)
May 4, 1992... Program is faster and easier to use By Phillip Bishop Ray Dream Designer 2.0 has a more intuitive interface than most 3-D software, several exciting new modeling features and a rendering engine built on distributed computing. ...

It looks like a virus, but it's really a cure. (MacInTouch: Bugs & Tips) (TuneUp 1.1) (Column)
May 4, 1992... It looks like a virus, but it's really a cure Following up on the fix, we find that System 7 Tune-Up makes use of some very curious patching mechanisms. Bugs & tips More Tune-Up twists. When I wrote about giving System 7...

How Ray Dream compares with Alias Research's Sketch. (Ray Dream Inc.'s Ray Dream Designer 2.02 and Alias Research Inc.'s Sketch! 1.02 graphics software packages) (Software Review) (Evaluation)
May 4, 1992... Placing 3-D illustration tools in the hands of graphic illustrators is a recent concept -- until now, most 3-D packages have been too cumbersome and difficult to use to appeal to most 2-D artists. Ray Dream Designer began life as a...

ScanJet IIp useful addition to workplace. (HP ScanJet IIp scanner)(includes related summary article) (Hardware Review) (Evaluation)
May 4, 1992... By Steve Hannaford In this year of increasingly powerful and inexpensive desktop color scanners, Hewlett-Packard Co.'s ScanJet IIp is a bit of an anomaly. A 300-dpi, eight-bit gray-scale scanner is not major news, even when it comes...

Apple tuning Quadra 950: 33-MHz Mac due this month. (Apple Macintosh Quadra 950 microcomputer) (Product Announcement)
May 4, 1992... Same price as 900, 30 percent faster By Mitch Ratcliffe San Francisco -- The Quadra 950, a new high-end Macintosh that Apple will announce and ship on May 18, should test the theory that the latest song always draws the most...

New OS key to Apple PDA. (operating system; Apple's Personal Digital Assistant expected to be called Apple Intelligent Assistant)
May 4, 1992... By Andrew Gore Cupertino, Calif. -- More details are coming to light about Apple's first Personal Digital Assistant, which is expected to be called Apple Intelligent Assistant. Due to debut at the Consumer Electronics Show here late...

cc:Mail 2.0 gets needed face lift. (Lotus Development Corp.'s cc:Mail 2.0 electronic mail systems) (Software Review) (Evaluation)
May 4, 1992... cc:Mail 2.0 gets needed face lift By Stephen Howard Version 2.0 of cc:Mail for Macintosh due this month from Lotus Development Corp.'s will focus on interface and usability, an emphasis that is important for two reasons. First, in...

Goldhaber to be named Kaleida CEO. (Nat Goldhaber)
May 4, 1992... By Jon Swartz Cupertino, Calif. -- After six months of recruiting and contract negotiations, Apple and IBM Corp. this week are expected to appoint Nat Goldhaber as CEO of Kaleida, their multimedia joint venture formed last October. ...

Consultants to Apple: clean up PowerBooks, bring back SE/30. (Apple Macintosh PowerBook portable computer)(includes related article on consultants' views about selling Apple Macintoshes)
May 4, 1992... MCN members seek vendor certification By Andrew Gore Wakefield, Mass. -- Improved PowerBook reliability, vendor certification of consultants and the return of the SE/30 were among the action items topping a list formulated by...

Claris giving MacDraw Pro System 7 strength in upgrade. (Claris Corp.'s MacDraw Pro 1.5 graphics software)(brief article) (Product Announcement)
May 4, 1992... By Carolyn Said Santa Clara, Calif. -- Claris Corp. is beefing up performance and building strong System 7 support in Version 1.5 of MacDraw Pro, according to documents recently examined by MacWEEK. Apple's software subsidiary will...

Apple to host nationwide conferences for in-house developers this summer. (Brief Article)
May 4, 1992... By Raines Cohen Cupertino, Calif. -- While Apple is preparing to host thousands of commercial developers at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference in San Jose, Calif., next week, work is under way on a separate series of conferences...

Beefed-up WriteNow is still trim. (T/Maker Co.'s WriteNow 3.0 word processing software)(brief article) (Product Announcement)
May 4, 1992... By Carolyn Said Mountain View, Calif. -- A year after announcing it, T/Maker Co. this week will ship WriteNow 3.0, a System 7-savvy upgrade to its compact word processor. The new version adds more than 60 new features, according to...

ExperVision enters Mac OCR race: TypeReader aimed at high-end market. (ExperVision Inc.'s TypeReader scanning software)(brief article) (Product Announcement)
May 4, 1992... TypeReader aimed at high-end market By Matthew Rothenberg San Jose, Calif. -- ExperVision Inc. has set its sights on the Macintosh optical character recognition market. The company plans to deliver the first Mac version of its...

Rush Order offers low-cost scanner bundle. (Brief Article)
May 4, 1992... Palo Alto, Calif. -- Rush Order Inc. this week posted a new low price for optical character recognition with a bundle that includes an Abaton monochrome scanner and OCR software for $495. The bundle, available now, comprises the...

Suit seeks records from NIST and NSA. (National Institute of Standards; National Security Agency; Digital Signature Standard) (Brief Article)
May 4, 1992... Washington -- An advocacy group wants to take the dispute over the government's proposed Digital Signature Standard to court. Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility last month filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court here, three...

SUMmed-up Norton Utilities ships. (Symantec Corp.'s Norton Utilities for Macintosh 2.0 file management software)(brief article) (Product Announcement)
May 4, 1992... By Henry Norr Cupertino, Calif. -- Symantec Corp., meeting its announced schedule, last week delivered Version 2.0 of Norton Utilities for Macintosh. The new release of the popular $149 package incorporates data-recovery,...

Public Utilities take Fifth Generation into data recovery, disk maintenance. (Public Utilities file management software) (Product Announcement)
May 4, 1992... By Henry Norr Baton Rouge, La. -- Undeterred by updates from the established leaders in the field, Fifth Generation Systems Inc. is jumping into the Mac disk-maintenance and data-recovery market. The company expects to release a...

PB adaptor delivers big-screen color. (Computer Care Inc.'s BookView Imperial peripheral controller for the Apple Macintosh PowerBook microcomputer)(brief article) (Product Announcement)
May 4, 1992... By Raines Cohen Minneapolis -- The first internal PowerBook adapter to provide eight-bit color on large-screen Mac and NTSC monitors is due this month from Computer Care Inc. The BookView Imperial, when installed in a PowerBook 140...

After Hours' DateBook ships with tie-in to TouchBASE. (After Hours Software Inc.'s desktop accessory software)(brief article) (Product Announcement)
May 4, 1992... By Dartanyan L. Brown Van Nuys, Calif. -- After Hours Software last week shipped DateBook, its $125 calendar and scheduling program. In addition to functioning as a stand-alone application, DateBook offers tight integration with...

Voice Navigator goes soft(ware). (Articulate Systems Inc.'s Voice Navigator SW voice input-output software)(brief article) (Product Announcement)
May 4, 1992... By Dartanyan L. Brown Woburn, Mass. -- Articulate Systems Inc. this month will deliver a $399 software-only version of Voice Navigator, its voice-recognition system. Voice Navigator SW uses the internal sound-digitizing features of...

Ehman finally closes its doors; Mac peripherals company might be sold. (Ehman Engineering Inc.) (Brief Article)
May 4, 1992... Service, support issues unresolved By Dartanyan L. Brown Evanston, Wyo. -- The on-again, off-again saga of Ehman Engineering Inc. appears to be off again. The Mac peripherals company abruptly closed its doors last week, and founder...

PaintBoard: true color, big screen, low cost. (RasterOps Corp.'s PaintBoard Li graphics board)(brief article) (Product Announcement)
May 4, 1992... By Neil McManus Santa Clara, Calif. -- RasterOps Corp. this week will unveil the PaintBoard Li, a $999 NuBus card that delivers accelerated 24-bit color to monitors as large as 20 inches. The PaintBoard Li offers a variety of...

For the record. (Brief Article)
May 4, 1992... The April 27 issue reported an incorrect phone number for BMUG Inc. The correct number is (510) 549-2684. The April 20 Script Manager column gave an incorrect phone number and prices for HyperCard upgrades. The HyperCard development kit...

Outbound matches PowerBook price cuts; some Notebook models' prices fall $200 to $300. (Outbound Systems Inc.'s Outbound Notebook Systems portable computers; Apple Macintosh PowerBook portable computer) (Brief Article)
May 4, 1992... Some Notebook models' prices fall $200 to $300 By Raines Cohen Boulder, Colo. -- In an apparent response to Apple's recent PowerBook price cuts, Outbound Systems Inc. last month dropped prices on selected models in its Outbound...

Brainstorming tool now probes deeper; IdeaFisher 2.0 can pose twice as many questions. (Fisher Idea Systems Inc.'s decision support system)(brief article) (Product Announcement)
May 4, 1992... IdeaFisher 2.0 can pose twice as many questions By Daniel Todd Irvine, Calif. -- Users of IdeaFisher, Fisher Idea Systems Inc.'s brainstorming program, now can look to the program for more guidance in clarifying their ideas. ...

Resorcerer 1.1 helps developers conjure up System 7-savvy apps. (Mathemaesthetics Inc.'s text editor)(brief article) (Product Announcement)
May 4, 1992... By Raines Cohen Chestnut Hill, Mass. -- Mathemaesthetics Inc. last week released an update to its Resorcerer resource editor. Version 1.1 of the programmer's tool includes templates and data structures allowing developers to add System...

QMS trims the cost of 20-ppm tabloid printer. (QMS Inc.'s QMS-PS 2000) (Brief Article)
May 4, 1992... By Matthew Rothenberg Mobile, Ala. -- QMS Inc. this week announced a $3,000 price cut and a multiprotocol network interface for its QMS-PS 2000, a high-speed, tabloid-size workgroup printer. The QMS-PS 2000 now costs $12,995, down...

TowerFeed feeds printers. (Dynabit USA Inc.'s sheet feeder) (brief article) (Product Announcement)
May 4, 1992... By April Streeter Tampa, Fla. -- Traffic jams at the printer waiting for someone to reload paper can be eased with any of Dynabit USA Inc.'s three TowerFeed sheet feeders, shipping now. Imported from manufacturer Rutishauser Data AG...

GeoQuery updating map app. (GeoQuery Corp.'s GeoQuery 3.02 geographic information system)(News Briefs)(brief article) (Product Announcement)
May 4, 1992... GeoQuery updating map app Naperville, Ill. -- GeoQuery Corp. last week announced a minor update to its mapping application, GeoQuery. Version 3.02, due this month for free to registered 3.0 users, includes: >New ZIPs. An updated...

Semaphore updates ZIP-code CD. (ZP4 9.0 data base)(News Briefs)(brief article) (Product Announcement)
May 4, 1992... Semaphore updates ZIP-code CD Aptos, Calif. -- Semaphore Corp. last month shipped an update to ZP4, its CD-ROM-based application that standardizes mailing lists and adds postal ZIP+4 codes. Version 9 of the $125 CD-ROM can reparse...

AccuText adds OneScanner, ScanJet. (Xerox Imaging Systems Inc. adds drivers to AccuText 3.0 scanning software)(News Briefs)(brief article) (Product Announcement)
May 4, 1992... AccuText adds OneScanner, ScanJet Peabody, Mass. -- Xerox Imaging Systems Inc. last week extended the reach of AccuText 3.0, its optical character recognition program, by adding drivers for the Apple OneScanner and Hewlett-Packard...

CE comes clean with three updates. (CE Software Inc.'s DiskTop 4.02 utility program and Amazing Paint 1.03 presentation software)(News Briefs)(brief article) (Product Announcement)
May 4, 1992... By Henry Norr West Des Moines, Iowa -- Nearly a year after the release of System 7, CE Software Inc. last month shipped the first 32-bit-clean versions of three of its programs. DiskTop 4.0.2, the new version of the $99.95...

RouterCheck update taps into SNMP; version 2.0 collects AppleTalk, MIB data. (Simple Network Management Protocol; management information bases; Neon Software Inc.'s RouterCehck 2.0 performance analysis software)(brief article) (Product Announcement)
May 4, 1992... Version 2.0 collects AppleTalk, MIB data By Louise Fickel Lafayette, Calif. -- Network managers can stay abreast of router status with RouterCheck 2.0, the first version of Neon Software Inc.'s router monitor to use SNMP. ...

WorldTalk X.400 server promises easy cross-platform mail connection. (WorldTalk Corp.'s WorldTalk 400 for HP9000 communications software)(brief article) (Product Announcement)
May 4, 1992... By Daniel Todd Los Gatos, Calif. -- WorldTalk Corp. is trying to make child's play of building companywide electronic-mail systems. The company's new X.400-based messaging server lets users piece together their existing Mac and IBM PC...

Network General slashes Sniffer's price, adds Expert. (Sniffer Network Analyzer network software and Expert Sniffer network analyzer)(brief article) (Product Announcement)
May 4, 1992... By Henry Norr Menlo Park, Calif. -- Network General Corp., whose Sniffers dominate the market for hardware-based network analyzers, last week slashed prices, introduced a new Expert model and announced several new features. >Price...

Cisco ships router software upgrades; protocol will incorporate Phase 2. (Cisco Systems Inc.)(brief article)
May 4, 1992... By April Streeter Menlo Park, Calif. -- Router-maker Cisco Systems Inc. has simplified security and plans to improve its AppleTalk performance on large-scale networks. The company said it will integrate AppleTalk Phase 2 with its...

Brio front end gives form to SQL data. (Brio Technology Inc.'s DataEdit search software and DataEdit Designer search software; structured query language) (brief article) (Product Announcement)
May 4, 1992... By Louise Fickel Mountain View, Calif. -- Brio Technology Inc. plans to let users improve their relationships with relational databases through DataEdit, a new forms front end to SQL servers. Due next quarter, the program is...

Transware device-servers let users share printers, modems, plotters the SerialWay. (Transware International Inc.'s SerialWay EN and SerialWay LT network software)(brief article) (Product Announcement)
May 4, 1992... By Dartanyan L. Brown Mountain View, Calif. -- Transware International Inc. last month shipped the first of a family of device-sharing servers. The SerialWay EN, priced at $999, lets Macs on Ethernet networks access shared serial...

Applied Engineering casts ShadowLAN across nets. (Applied Engineering's ShadowLAN network software and QuadraLink DMA input/output board)(brief article) (Product Announcement)
May 4, 1992... By Nathalie Welch Dallas -- ShadowLAN, a new software package from Applied Engineering, will give networked users a way to share serial-port peripherals directly connected to colleagues' Macs. The program, which began shipping last...

Legislative wrangling, secret deals ignite debate over digital security.
May 4, 1992... By Mitch Ratcliffe The Department of Justice and the National Security Agency are spearheading a U.S. government effort to open digital communications to surveillance. To protect the privacy of their companies' data, network...

New HP color inkjet to hit Level 2. (HP PaintJet XL 300) (brief article) (Product Announcement)
May 4, 1992... By Matthew Rothenberg Cupertino, Calif. -- Hewlett-Packard Co. this week will release a RISC-based, tabloid-size color inkjet printer that can be outfitted with Adobe PostScript Level 2. The HP PaintJet XL300, priced at $3,495,...

DreamNet system speeds 3-D rendering over nets: extension works with Designer 2.0. (Ray Dream Inc.'s DreamNet network software)(brief article) (Product Announcement)
May 4, 1992... Extension works with Designer 2.0 By Neil McManus Mountain View, Calif. -- Ray Dream Inc. is now shipping DreamNet, its network distributed-processing system to speed 3-D rendering and other computationally intensive tasks. ...

Quark lays out more XTensions. (Quark Inc.'s add-on modules for QuarkXPress 3.1 desktop publishing software)(brief article) (Product Announcement)
May 4, 1992... By Carolyn Said Denver -- Quark Inc. has rounded up a passel of new XTensions that add capabilities to QuarkXPress 3.1, the latest version of its $895 desktop publishing package. The add-on modules, available free on on-line...

DiVA opens VideoShop for editing and cataloging QuickTime movies. (DiVA Corp.'s VideoShop desktop video software)(brief article) (Product Announcement)
May 4, 1992... By Neil McManus Cambridge, Mass. -- DiVA Corp. last week shipped DiVA VideoShop, a QuickTime movie-editing program that the company hopes will steal the spotlight from Adobe Premiere. VideoShop, priced at $599, combines movie...

Coprocessors power up Mac graphics. (Apple Macintosh)
May 4, 1992... By Steve Hannaford Quietly showing at February's Seybold Seminars 92 in Boston were several add-on cards that may radically change the way designers and production workers handle graphics on the Mac. These cards may, in fact, redefine...

Artix rolls out 800-dpi color scanner. (Artix Technologies Inc.'s Tamarack ArtiScan 8000C 24-bit color scanner)(brief article) (Product Announcement)
May 4, 1992... By Matthew Rothenberg Milpitas, Calif. -- Artix Technologies Inc. has rounded out its scanner line with an 800-dpi, 24-bit-color model and optional slide attachment. Available now for $1,595, the Tamarack ArtiScan 8000C captures...

Upgrade lets programs tap into VideoSpigots. (SuperMac Technology Inc.'s software upgrade to its VideoSpigot digital video boards)(brief article) (Product Announcement)
May 4, 1992... By Neil McManus Sunnyvale, Calif. -- SuperMac Technology this month will ship a software upgrade to its VideoSpigot digital video boards that lets users capture movies from within third-party applications. The video-digitizer...

Interactive kiosks make Mac high-tech accessible. (Ikonic Interactive Inc.'s interactive video exhibit for Bandag Inc.)(Screen Test)
May 4, 1992... Interactive kiosks make Mac high-tech accessible San Francisco -- Creating a sophisticated interactive kiosk was only half the problem for Ikonic Interactive Inc., a multimedia production company based here. Not only did Bandag Inc., one...

SuperMac to go public May 11; plans to broaden its product line. (SuperMac Technology) (Brief Article)
May 4, 1992... By Jon Swartz Sunnyvale, Calif. -- SuperMac Technology, the latest Mac graphics company to go public, appears ready to follow the lead of its counterparts: offer an IPO and then develop products for the Windows and DOS markets. The...

Aldus' upper management reshuffled after earnings drop. (Aldus Corp.) (Brief Article)
May 4, 1992... By Daniel Todd Seattle -- In the wake of disappointing financial results, Aldus Corp. continued to reshuffle its management lineup last month, naming Sandy Smith as acting chief operating officer and Jim David as vice president of Aldus...

Farallon gets $10 million in funding: changes executive roles, product lineup. (Farallon Computing Inc.)
May 4, 1992... Changes executive roles, product lineup By Jon Swartz Emeryville, Calif. -- Just one month after announcing a new product strategy, Farallon Computing Inc. has undergone several equally significant changes at the top. Six...

NeXT, Taligent could be headed on collision course.
May 4, 1992... By Clair Whitmer Redwood City, Calif. -- When Steve Jobs was ousted from Apple and went off to create his NeXT venture, the question was: Can he do it again? NeXT Computer Inc.'s long-term viability is still questioned in many...

A computer deal for those in sales. (Brief Article)
May 4, 1992... By Shawn Tomlinson Cupertino, Calif. -- Pssst! Want to buy a PowerBook 170 for a buck? Salespeople from all types of businesses -- not just the computer industry -- now can do that under Apple USA's new Earning Through Achievement...

Few solutions for monitor interface. (Ask David Ramsey) (Column)
May 4, 1992... Few solutions for monitor interference Q: My two monitors interfere with each other. What can I do about it? A: Depressingly little, I'm afraid. The interference is most severe between monitors with different refresh rates, in...

Farallon's AppleTalk runs around token rings. (The Help Desk) (Column)
May 4, 1992... Farallon's AppleTalk runs around token rings >Surprise, surprise. Most people think Farallon Computing Inc.'s PhoneNET Talk software (previously Apple's AppleShare PC) works with only IBM PCs and compatibles equipped with LocalTalk...

PB 100s find a way back home. (Mac the Knife) (Column)
May 4, 1992... As the Knife noted last week, many things are shaky and events sometimes seem to be on the verge of getting out of hand here in California. And as last week drew to a close, affairs in general assumed an intensity not usually associated with...

Problems with the PB floppy. (Apple Macintosh PowerBooks portable computers)(includes related article on battery tips)(Living with the PowerBooks)
May 4, 1992... You come home with a shiny new PowerBook under your arm. After unpacking it, firing it up, admiring the screen and playing with the Puzzle desk accessory, you're ready to load your software. You pull out your master disks and insert the...

Contact! (Psybron System Inc.'s address-book desk accessory)(In Brief) (Software Review) (Evaluation)
May 4, 1992... Contact! Printing features shine; sort, import fall short Psybron Systems Inc.'s $98 address-book desk accessory, Contact!, is fast and easy to use. Like Casady & Greene Inc.'s QuickDEX and Advanced Software Inc.'s Intouch,...

Apple OSI support and X.400 server due at Interop 92. (Open Systems Interconnection)
May 11, 1992... By Louise Fickel and Daniel Todd Washington -- Apple, moving to strengthen its internetworking capabilities, will throw its weight behind two international data standards at Interop 92 Spring here next week. The company will...

General Magic's number: new communications OS; TeleScript will sort, deliver E-mail data. (operating system)
May 11, 1992... TeleScript will sort, deliver E-mail, data By Mitch Ratcliffe San Francisco -- One of Silicon Valley's best-kept secrets is General Magic Inc., a 2-year-old company that hopes to revolutionize information access. Although...

Speech tools to get the Mac talking again. (speech synthesis)
May 11, 1992... By Henry Norr San Jose, Calif. -- Your Mac soon could be speaking out on the issues of the day. While Apple has put its Casper speech-recognition technology in the spotlight in recent months, company engineers also have been working...

Translator to speed shift to RISC. (reduced-instruction-set computers)(Echo Logic Inc.'s FlashPort)
May 11, 1992... By Henry Norr Holmdel, N.J. -- An offshoot of AT&T Co.'s Bell Labs stepped forward last week to take the wraps off a new software-porting technology it said will allow Macintosh developers to move current applications to the PowerPC...

Alisa Systems adds PCs to the party with the release of AlisaMail 4.0. (Product Announcement)
May 11, 1992... By Henry Norr Pasadena, Calif. -- Alisa Systems Inc. this week will mark another advance in its efforts to turn AlisaMail into a universal mail-integration system. The VAX-based software already lets Macintosh users running CE...

New photo discs enter the CD-ROM picture. (Husom & Rose Photographics' Digital Photographics, PhotoDisc Inc.'s People and Lifestyles and The Multimedia Library Inc.'s Art of Ancient Egypt) (Product Announcement)
May 11, 1992... By Matthew Rothenberg St. Paul, Minn. -- A trio of companies has announced new CD-ROM compilations of stock color photos that run the gamut from urban scenes to wildlife. >Husom & Rose Photographics is now shipping Digital...

Software vendors keep a close eye on their sales-per-employee ratio.
May 11, 1992... By April Streeter Watertown, Mass. -- According to Soft*Letter's compilation of 1991's 100 top performers, software companies are paragons of productivity. But when financial results are down, the same sales-per-employee ratio that...

Microsoft, NeXT discussions reported: technology swap may be in offing.
May 11, 1992... Technology swap may be in offing By Jon Swartz Redmond, Wash. -- Microsoft Corp. and NeXT Computer Inc. could be discussing a "technology swap" that would bring Microsoft's most popular applications to the NeXT machine while...

DevCon '92 gives developers lowdown on Apple directions. (1992 Apple Worldwide Developers Conference) (Brief Article)
May 11, 1992... By Raines Cohen San Jose, Calif. -- When thousands of developers descend on the 1992 Apple Worldwide Developers Conference here this week, they might be overwhelmed by the sheer number of new technologies Apple will present. Apple...

One year later, few users sign up for Apple's publish and subscribe. (Brief Article)
May 11, 1992... By Neil McManus Cupertino, Calif. -- Publish and subscribe seems to have few aficionados at its first birthday party, but more functionality and ease of use could make the System 7 feature more popular, users said. "I work with...

Apple sends out invitations for Intelligent Assistant debut: PDA to be unveiled at electronics show. (Personal Digital Assistant) (Brief Article)
May 11, 1992... PDA to be unveiled at electronics show By Andrew Gore Chicago -- On May 29 Apple will demonstrate why it "will be a leader in the personal electronics industry," according to a promotional kit the company mailed last week. At...

AppleLink launches recruiting drive. (Apple's on-line service) (Brief Article) (Product Announcement)
May 11, 1992... By April Streeter Cupertino, Calif. -- Apple has flung open the electronic floodgates to its AppleLink on-line service, once the exclusive domain of employees, developers and resellers. The service has been open to outsiders for...

Quadra 700: IIci: more storage, same price. (Apple Macintosh Quadra 770, 950 and Macintosh IIci)
May 11, 1992... Cupertino, Calif. -- When Apple pushes up the Quadra's speed later this month, some Mac IIci and Quadra 700 configurations will get a hard drive storage boost of 43 percent as a dividend. Apple is expected to ship its Quadra 900...