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Index of News Stories! We have added an index with hyperlinks to each story published. You can browse by individual stories back through February 25, and by date from February 25-13, 1996.

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May 2, 1996

Apple Maintains "Best" Track Record

The decision to purchase Apple versus PC is not as clear cut as "conventional wisdom" would have consumers believe. Despite current financial woes, Apple still has the best track record for making products that are easy to use and is credited with leading industry innovation in the areas of multimedia programs, desktop publishing and digital imaging. Although PC software receives more shelf space, most major titles and all major consumer software categories are available in Macintosh versions.

Worldwide Developers Conference

Apple will be providing a webcast of the Worldwide Developers Conference to extend the event beyond onsite conference participants and to showcase Apple multimedia technologies. The webcast will include remarks from Apple CEO, Dr. Gil Amelio, as well as other keynote addresses and conference highlights.

Whole Earth Access

Whole Earth Access has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection listing debts of $10 million and more than 800 creditors. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, the Whole Earth chain sold a wide range of electronic equipment and consumer goods, including personal computers and software. The chain became a victim of over-ambitious and poorly-timed expansion.

Markkula Sells 1/2 Million Shares of Apple Stock

Reportedly last week A.C. "Mike" Markkula, former Apple Chairman and current Apple Board Member, sold 500,000 shares of Apple stock. He still has 3.1 million remaining shares. His sale of 1/2 million shares represents about 14% of his total holdings of Apple Computer.

A spokesperson for Markkula said that he only had a certain window of time in which to sell stock, and that the decision was personal. Yeah, we bet. With Gil Amelios announced restructuring, some shareholders are a bit piturbed.

Electronic Commerce People are Still Fearful

Analysts are betting that everyone wants to make money from electronic commerce, including individuals as well as merchants and banking institutions.

Sources such as The Wall Street Journal, have made claims that people are afraid to give their credit card numbers over the Internet. Most are aware (or certainly should be) that the risk of non authorized use of a credit card gives an exposure of just $50., provided that it is reported to the banking institution within 30 days. For electronic commerce to emerge, people need to shop over the Net. Payments need to be made by a secure payment instruments, such as secure credit cards, electronic checking, and others.

Of course merchants must also upgrade their point-of-sale systems to accept secure credit cards and newer payment instruments. Many merchants use the Internet as a new sales channel in which a purchaser need not be present at a merchant's location. Current online examples of this "card-not-present" transaction include: First Union/CommunityCommerce, as well as many retailers like inFORMed SOLUTIONS, Inc. Computers

Currently many analysts feel that purchase made over the net are more secure than purchase made via telephone or even purchases made at your local eating establishment where they rarely tear up the "carbon" from your credit card receipt.

Apple Adds The German System 7.5.3 Update 2

Apple Computer has added System 7.5.3 Update 2 Worldwide German version to it's software archives. We normally allow you to download directly from "The online MacinStuff Times", but there is 16 downloads. If you need this software you can get all 16 parts (seperately) from here.

AT&T Endorses Internet Telephone
(If you can't beat em join em)

AT&T has launched a Web-hosting service for businesses and is even considering offering Internet telephony through its WorldNet service.

AT&T's endorsement yesterday of Internet telephone service came as a surprise because it could put increasing pressure on the company's flagship telecommunications business as users begin to exploit the Net for low-cost, long distance phone calls. Internet telephones, such as Quarterdeck's WebTalk and VocalTec's Internet Phone, allow long distance calls over the Internet for the price of a call to a local Internet service provider.

WorldNet customers can already use Internet telephones, but AT&T could distribute software that would make Net telephony a standard feature. "Anyway we can make communications better for our customers," said Tom Evslin, AT&T's vice president for WorldNet. "To make a good phone call over the Internet, you'd like to get priority handling."

AT&T could also offer a special category of service for applications that depend on real-time communications such as videoconferencing and audio or video streaming, as well as telephony.

Confirming AT&T's position on the legality of Internet telephony, Evslin also unequivocally condemned a recent petition by a coalition of smaller long distance carriers urging the Federal Communications Commission to ban Internet telephones on the basis of unfair competition.

But AT&T's Net telephony plans remain in the extremely tentative stage. More concretely, AT&T spin-off Lucent Technologies has announced a different kind of Internet telephone, the Definity PC Console. The Console is a Windows application for receptionists and call centers that helps manage phone calls and Net access connections. Available immediately, the Console costs $4,400.

AT&T also expanded its Internet offerings yesterday with the launch of AT&T
Easy World Wide Web Services, a hosting service originally announced last November.

AT&T Easy World Wide Web Services is part of a growing breed of Web-hosting services that allow businesses to out-source management of sites, including hardware, software, and high-speed Net connections. BBN Planet, UUNet Technologies, and USWeb all offer such services.

In this market, AT&T already has a built-in advantage. The company is targeting merchants with 800 and 888 toll-free numbers, a vast community that AT&T
already serves through its telecommunications operations.

As with its WorldNet service, which includes five free hours of Internet access per month for AT&T long distance customers, the company is giving its 800 and 888 clients a price cut on Web hosting. Those customers will pay $500 per month for hosting up to 100MB of files and for up to 300MB of data downloaded by customers. Additional storage space and data downloads cost more.

Customers not using toll-free numbers will pay the same price for a promotional period ending July 1; after that, the cost will be $600 per month. All hosting-service customers are required to pay a $1,500 one-time registration fee.

Those who sign up for the hosting service also will receive assistance designing their Web sites, automatic domain name registration, Microsoft's FrontPage HTML editing tool, bandwidth on demand, and 12-hour daily telephone support.

Although AT&T is targeting its existing 800 and 888 customers with promotional pricing, its services are still more expensive than some comparable offerings. BBN Planet, for example, offers its Web Advantage Silver hosting service, including 60MB of disk storage and 300MB of data downloads, for a one-time fee of $495 and $295 per month.

as reporteted by cnet

Free Brochure Touting The Mac

The new brochure "Why Do People Prefer Macintosh?" is now available FREE to all customers, resellers, and Apple employees.

In this brochure, users tell in their own words why the Macintosh is superior to a PC running Windows 95 for business, education, and home computing. The numerous, fact-filled essays leave no doubt that the Mac is still the best personal computer on the planet.

To order, contact StartingLine 800-825-2145, 303-297-8070, e-mail and ask for item L01749A. Apple reps and resellers can order up to 50 per call; customers can get up to 5 per call. For volume orders, e-mail .

Electronic versions are available in Acrobat/pdf format on the Why Mac web site (), the Mac Marketing server in Free Trade Zone, and the GER Euro Developer server (Public/Mac Marketing). It is also displayed on apple.com/whymac for real time browsing.

This piece joins the other free tools available to tell the Mac Advantage story: All are back in stock after the record setting first orders.

New Tools For Offline Browsing

This week at Internet World in San Jose, DataViz and FreeLoader both announced offline browsing clients.

DataViz announced Web Buddy($49) adds a tool palette to your favorite Web browser. The software gives users the ability to schedule a download time and file the pages in categories that you create.You can tell Web Buddy how many levels of a site that you want to capture, and instruct it not to follow links outside of that site. You can also restrict Web Buddy by amount of connect time or data retrieved.

If you don't mind putting up with the occasional advertising logo, FreeLoader 1.0 from FreeLoader, Inc.is Free. While you're not using your computer, FreeLoader will watch sites that you've "subscribed" to, and downloads the data to your hard drive. Currently only a PC version is available, Mac users will have a version reportedly by early fall .

May 1, 1996

Global Village Platinum Modem Fix

Seem many people have been having problems getting online with thier internet service providers, while using Global Village Teleport Platinum modems. Global Village has come out with a Flash Update that's supposed to fix this and other issues at you can download it here.

IDG Reports Sales Growth Slows

International Data reported that the industry grew 14% the first three months this year vs. 25% a year ago.

1996 started off with sluggish sales, but consumers and companies have started buying in March as
companies slashed prices and launched new products, analyst Eric Lewis says. "Demand may be a lot better than it appears," he says.

PC makers were unevenly affected by the slowing growth. Compaq, which reported solid earnings
last week, increased its share of the U.S. market to 12.9% vs. 10.6% a year ago, as unit sales grew 40%. "We think the market is strong," says Compaq Chief Financial Officer Daryl White.
Hewlett-Packard's sales grew 132%.

Apple Computer's sales dropped 22%. Its share of the market dipped to 6.5% this year, from 9.4% last year.

Another Update To PPP

Fog City has yet another update to FreePPP, 2.5b7. You can download it here. Note that this release does not include the full installer. If you'd like the full installer for FreePPP 2.5b4, you can get it here.

Error, Not Quite Yet

The Consumer Electronics Manufacturing Association (CEMA) reported Tuesday that 4.6 million TVs were sold in the first quarter of the year, not 660,000 as earlier reported. The original erroneous figure would have validated the recent claims by prominent industry executives that consumers were buying more PCs than televisions. Originally reported here erroneously in yesterdays news.

Webcast of Worldwide Developers Conference

Apple will be providing a webcast of the Worldwide Developers Conference to extend the event beyond onsite conference participants and to showcase Apple multimedia technologies. The webcast will include remarks from Apple CEO, Dr. Gil Amelio, as well as other keynote addresses and conference highlights. For more information, visit the WWDC web site.

MFS Communications acquire ISP Uunet Technologies

MFS Communications, the largest provider of high-speed telephone and data services to businesses, has agreed to acquire Internet service provider Uunet Technologies in a stock exchange valued at $2 billion. Many industry observers believe that the acquisition portends a consolidation of Internet service provider businesses and telephone companies that are looking to buy, rather than build, their own Internet expertise.

Netopia ISDN Modem for the Mac (No not a drink)

Farallon has announced availability of the Netopia ISDN Modem for the Macintosh, a unique high-speed Internet access solution for individuals, small office/home office users and telecommuters. Farallon's Up & Running, Guaranteed! program is bundled with the Netopia modem for $99 and provides a one-stop solution for ISDN/ISP setup and support services.

Apple Ships Free Internet Domain Name Server


Responding to the webmaster community, Larry Tesler, vice president of Internet platforms at Apple Computer, Inc., announced yesterday at Internet World, San Jose that a new version of Apple's domain name server software, MacDNS 1.0.2, is available for free, but you must go through a rgistration process. You can register and then download the software here. The new MacDNS 1.0.2 provides domain name services on any Mac OS Internet server, enabling domain names to be translated into network IP addresses and vice-versa. In addition, Apple outlined its plans for the upcoming MacDNS 2.0, which is expected to include secondary name server capabilities and support recursive name resolution and subdomain delegation. You can read Apples complete press release here.

No PointCast for Mac

* Editor Note: Yesterday we ran a story re: PointCast, some of our readers have pointed out that there is no Mac Version as of yet. Theey do have a blurb that says "once their Win version is nailed down, they intend to address other platforms." Let PointCast know we want a Mac version !

Copland to Slip Again, Mid 1997 Release

Apple Computer is preparing to meet with software developers who are key to its turnaround prospects, but it may be months before they get hold of its much touted next-generation operating system.

Apple is in the midst of efforts to refocus its strategy under the leadership of its new chairman and chief executive, Gilbert Amelio, following a record $740 million loss in its second fiscal quarter.

Amelio, who has already made broad statements that the huge enthusiasm surrounding the Internet global network will be a central feature of his strategy, is due to present his plans to the company's annual technical forum for developers on May 13.

Although parts of Copland, will be much in evidence during talks and demonstrations at the conference, Apple has said the system is not yet ready to be distributed to developers.

The new OS is expected to enhance the iMac nterface with a three-dimensional appearance, while completely rebuilding the innards of the program with ``object-oriented'' software, making it easier to upgrade, and able to run many programs at once.

Reactions have been mixed to the additional delay -- some hoped an earlier version might ship already last year. Some analysts said it will enable Apple to build Internet capabilities more directly into the operating system itself.

``It appears that Amelio wants Internet access integrated more tightly into the operating system. So that's a change order, it requires additional work to be done to complete the system,'' said Hartsook Letter publisher Pieter Hartsook.

``It's not the end of the world but its getting noticeably into 1997,'' he said, adding that Apple still has the option of a staggered release in which certain features of Copland are distributed as they are ready for market, as opposed to a one- time ``Venus springing fully-formed from the head of Zeus.''

Dataquest analyst Kimball Brown said further delays were not surprising. ``I don't think this is a real delay,'' he said, noting with others that Apple has been planning to release test versions in stages, rather than one big Beta program.

The reaction of developers will be crucial, as Apple must stem a growing perception that Microsoft Corp.'s Windows platforms, which already control nearly 90 percent of the personal computer market, have marginalized Apple's Mac OS system for the Macintosh even in some of Apple's key markets.

Apple Releases New System Profiler

Apples System Profiler v1.0.1 is a utility to gather, summarize, and deliver key pieces of system
configuration information. This version adds support for Power Macintosh 7600, 5400, 5300, and 5200 series, and corrects a problem where certain machines were not being correctly identified. You can download the Profiler v1.0.1 here.

Apple Releases Beta New Speech Recognition

A beta release of Apples Speech Recognition software 1.5 is available here, (1.16 Mb.)

Experience Mt. Everest via QuickTime VR

Apple Computer South Africa have just released the first QuickTime Virtual Reality scenes sent from Everest. For the first time you can stand on the mountain and feel as though you are there! Check it out at for yourself here, and don't forget your bacpack and climbing gear

MacPlay Spring Decathlon

Reflecting the excitement of an Olympic year, MacPlay today announced its spring line-up with the Spring Decathlon promotion. Beginning April 15th and running through June 30th, the Spring
Decathlon is MacPlay's latest collection of five new CD-ROM releases expected to spur purchase of additional titles by offering a free game sampler containing five outstanding MacPlay game demos, in total supporting 10 of MacPlay's 30 titles. The five Spring Decathlon titles, all sold separately, include a $10 mail-in rebate redeemable toward the purchase of any full version of the sampler products.

"MacPlay continues in its dedication to supporting the Macintosh platform with great games for the consumer," said Kim Motika, vice-president of sales for Interplay. "In addition, we're committed to creating programs that will provide the retailer with outstanding incentives to merchandise the products."

Each of the Decathlon's five featured titles include something for everyone: Beat The House(, a strategy and casino gaming anthology including Vegas-inspired renditions of Blackjack, Roulette, Video Poker, Craps and Slot Machines and a gambling study guide written by world-famous gambling guru Avery Cardoza; Castles: Siege & Conquest, a medieval simulation that challenges the player's ability to manage military, diplomatic and administrative affairs in his or her very own kingdom; The Classic 5, fun for the whole family with such favorites as Backgammon, Go, Chess, Bridge and Checkers; Kingdom: The Far Reaches(, an enchanting interactive fantasy world filled with wizards, dragons and monsters; Star Trek(: Judgment Rites CD-ROM, the definitive collectors' edition for the most discriminating Trekker, including the game on CD-ROM, a separate CD-ROM containing interviews with Gene Roddenberry & Leonard Nimoy and a behind-the-scenes look at "The Making of Star Trek: Judgment Rites," and a limited-edition collector's pin.

Sampler titles are as captivating as the featured products and include some of MacPlay's most anticipated entertainment experiences: Alone In The Dark 3, the H.P. Lovecraft inspired sequel to the award-winning originals and part of the soon-to-be released Alone in the Dark: The Trilogy Dungeon Master II: The Legend of Skullkeep, the dungeon-crawler enthusiasts' sequel to the standard-setting original; Descent the title that took the world by storm; Frankenstein: Through The Eyes Of The Monster( starring Tim Curry, winner of two "Best Actor In A Computer Game" awards; and Tommy: The Interactive Adventure, the new multimedia title starring Pete Townshend of "The Who."

InterVU's Netscape Plug-in Streams Movies

InterVU has posted a beta version of its InterVU MPEG Player, a Netscape Navigator 2.0 plug-in that lets users view MPEG videos before and during download. The company says that because it has based its player on MPEG, content developers aren't tied to licensing fees and proprietary encoders.

InterVU MPEG Player automatically adjusts real-time frame rates to match a user's modem. But even if an MPEG file is downloaded through a 14.4kbps modem at low frame rates, the file can replayed at full MPEG frame rates. InterVU MPEG Player automatically displays the first frame of a video clip, letting viewers decide if they want to download the clip.

Tou have to go to InterVu download page, select the version you wish to download, and supply your name and email address.

Cyberdog - Update

Cyberdog is an integrated suite of tools for the Internet that includes these features: Cyberdog software integrates a set of full-featured Internet tools with a common interface. The "Cyberdog Starting Point" combines these tools into one easy-to-use package, making Internet solutions simple. The Starting Point is a predesigned way of using the Cyberdog tools. Because the software is based on OpenDoc component technology, you can also use Cyberdog "parts" to create your own documents with embedded Internet functionality, thus creating your own Internet "starting point."

You can download the complete Cyberdog B4 here.

VocalTec Announces Mac Version of Internet Phone


VocalTec, the Internet Phone Company, is proud to introduce Internet Phone for the Macintosh, making interactive voice communication between Mac and Windows Internet Phone users over the Internet possible for first time. Now you can make unlimited long distance and international conversations for the cost of an Internet connection!

A Beta version is available for free , you cam dowmload a binHex version here, or a macBinary version here.

Internet Phone for the Macintosh has all the power of the Windows version, plus a completely new user interface that takes full advantage of the Mac OS capabilities. Animated graphics lead you through as you make calls and talk to others. Panels with tools and information can be opened or closed at will.

The Beta version requires a Power Macintosh or compatible with 12 MB RAM, System 7.5.1 or 7.5.3, Built-in audio, a microphone (such as Apple PlainTalkô), Mac TCP 2.0.6 or Open Transport 1.1, PPP v2.5 or direct Internet connection, A 14,400 baud or faster modem, QuickTime v2, SoundManager v3.1.

April 30, 1996

Apple Adds New Software, Download Them Here

Online Service Use to Triple by the Year 2000

A report by the media research group Jupiter Communications indicates that the number of U.S. homes subscribing to online services will more than triple to 35.2 million by the year 2000. The estimates were based on a sampling of 9.6 million online households in 1995. As expected, America Online is leading the pace of growth in $2.2 billion online industry, accounting for 66 percent of all new consumer online service subscriptions.

Computers Outsell TVs for First Time


Computer Intelligence Infocorp, has reported that personal computers outsold televisions during the first quarter of 1996 for the first time. Consumer electronics and computer/office superstores combined to sell 937,000 personal computers compared to 600,000 televisions during the first three months. The trend is not expected to continue however; consumer television purchases have traditionally increased at a faster rate during the year.

CompuServe Announces Mac Project

CompuServe has announced its first Internet-only Macintosh product, SPRYNET for the Mac. According to Craig McCallum, vice president of Compuserve's SPRY Internet Division, SPRYNET for the Mac enforces "Compuserve's commitment to open standards and platforms". He also noted studies showing that Mac users comprise 22 percent of Internet users. SPRYNET for the Mac is available on SPRYNET's homepage.

Claris Announces Contest

Claris announced today the launch of the FileMaker Pro 3.0 Database Challenge, an Internet-based contest to find the best real-world solutions created with FileMaker Pro 3.0 relational databases. The grand prize winner will receive flights around the world for two plus $4,000 in expenses and a notebook computer loaded with Claris software.

Apple and Netscape Collaborate on Multimedia

Apple and Netscape today announced a QuickTime licensing agreement that is expected to increase the use of multimedia, video-based images and digital music on the World Wide Web. As a result of this agreement, Apple's QuickTime plug-in will be included in an upcoming version of Netscape Navigator 3.0. You can read the entire press release here.

Apple Licenses Sun's Java

Apple Computer, Inc. today announced that it has licensed Sun's Java programming environment. The complete press release is available here.

Pointcast & Netscape Joint Technology Agreement

On the opening day of Internet World Expo, PointCast Incorporated, a leading provider of network news via the Internet and Netscape Communications Corporation a provider of open software for enterprise networks and the Internet, today announced strategic marketing initiatives to jointly leverage their product lines, benefiting both companies and their customers.

Under the terms of a technology agreement, the two companies plan to jointly launch a major electronic marketing campaign highlighting both the Netscape Navigator Internet client software and the PointCast Network. The PointCast Network is a free service that broadcasts news and information directly to a viewer's computer screen. Viewers can download the software at from PointCast.

In a related announcement today, PointCast announced it will ship version 1.0 of the PointCast Network next week. Version 1.0 of the PointCast Network is optomized for use with Netscape Navigator, offering Netscape users quick and easy access to the PointCast Network. The new PointCast Network software also functions as a Netscape Navigator plug-in allowing users to view the PointCast Network from within Netscape Navigator.

"This initiative focuses on the complementary nature of Netscape's and Pointcast's products and brings together two companies known for their innovative use of Internet technologies," said Mike Homer, senior vice president of marketing for Netscape. "The PointCast Network plug-in extends the functionality of the Netscape software platform by delivering busy Internet users headline news and information automatically to their desktop."

TIGHT INTEGRATION

When a Netscape user installs the PointCast Network, the PointCast software can automatically determine whether a users system contains Netscape Navigator, enabling the user to select it as the default client. Netscape Navigator will automatically replace PointCast's built-in Web browser when a viewer clicks on a commercial or selects the Internet channel in the PointCast Network. Additionally, the PointCast Network functions as a Netscape Navigator plug-in, allowing users to view the PointCast Network from within the Netscape Navigator environment.

MAJOR MARKETING CAMPAIGN

The initiative highlights the unique features of each companies products. Netscape plans to begin broadcasting 30-second commercials on the PointCast Network this summer. A "Netscape Now!" button has been added to the PointCast Network ChannelViewer, enabling viewers to download the latest version of Netscape Navigator by simply clicking on a button.

In addition, PointCast will work with Netscape and leverage its communications vehicles, including its Web site. PointCast plans to launch a major "Get the Point!" branding campaign, beginning in May, on the Netscape and PointCast sites.

This fall, the two companies also plan to introduce a Netscape-operated channel on the PointCast Network. "We are delighted to include Netscape as one of our premier content providers," said PointCast President and CEO Chris Hassett. "As one of the leaders in Internet technology, Netscape can help provide our viewers with valuable, up-to-the-minute news and information on this highly dynamic industry."

* Editor Note: Some of our readers have pointed out that there is no Mac Version as of yet, please let PointCast know of our displeasure in this

TopSoft, Inc. Releases FREE "FilterTop."


FilterTop is a multipurpose file-processing utility program that provides Macintosh users with the facilities of batch processing and pipelining, formerly available only to users of operating systems with a command-line interface, like Unix. These advantages allow Mac users to process from
one to thousands of files-of any type-at one time, performing numerous different operations on these files in quick succession, all within the context of the friendly graphical user interface Macintosh users expect and deserve.

FilterTop comes with a set of more than fifty "filters," program modules that may be arranged in virtually limitless permutations and combinations by dragging their icons between windows with the mouse. Similarly, batches of files may be sent for processing to a saved group of filters, called a SuperFilter, with a simple drag-and-drop operation.

A key feature of FilterTop is its modularity. As users discover new needs, they can acquire new filters with different functionality by downloading them from TopSoft's FTP site. These filters can be "plugged in" and linked to any others as needed to perform new combinations of tasks without changing the basic FilterTop application itself. This also means that FilterTop is indefinitely extensible and new filters can be created to fill new needs.

FilterTop also comes with a full set of online help files that are viewable through the "About Box." The FilterTop About Box is as innovative as the FilterTop application itself. It is equally modular and
extensible, and help files, in the form of "slides," may easily be added by the user as new or revised ones become available.

You can download the free (1 Mb) software here, or here.
More information may be obtained by visiting the TopSoft's web pages here.

Metrowerks Ships Java Tools

Metrowerks, Inc, developer of the CodeWarrior development tools, announced today support for Java(tm), the programming language developed by Sun Microsystems, Inc. for writing Internet-based applications.

CodeWarrior now supports four major languages used in developing desktop applications: Java, Pascal, C and C++. All of these languages are supported within the CodeWarrior Integrated Development Environment (IDE.) Discover Programming with Java is the complete, professional CodeWarrior Java toolset priced to appeal to both beginning and experienced programmers. CodeWarrior Gold and Academic products contain support for all four languages.

Metrowerks had three major design objectives in implementing Java support:
1 - Stability and Speed:
2 - Full CodeWarrior IDE Support for Java:
3 - Java Training:
Free Microsoft Internet Explorer
The Microsoft Internet Explorer Web browser is provided free in all the
CodeWarrior Java products. Internet Explorer can be used to access the
Web and view the html-formatted documentation included on the CD.

Pricing and Availability
Metrowerks is including full Java support in four separate products:

1. Shipping today Discover Programming(tn) with Java SRP US$ 99
2. Shipping May 15/96 CodeWarrior Gold 9, SRP US$ 399
3. Shipping May 15/96 CodeWarrior Academic Pro 9 SRP US$ 119
4. Shipping May 15/96 CodeWarrior Academic 96/97 SRP US$ 79

LightningDraw GX 1.0 Demo Available

There is a demo version of LightningDraw GX 1.0 available . You can download the 1.8mb program here.

LightningDraw GX 1.0 is innovative type and graphics software. Intuitive and powerful, it allows both users to create sophisticated graphics and text in any language supported by the Mac OS.

The ability to print on any printer, PostScript or not. Save in EPS, PICT, and Photoshop formats
for use with all your existing software. Even export your illustrations in JPEG format for use in
World Wide Web pages like this one.

For additional information on this product go here.

Netscape Atlas Gold Beta for 68K Mac Uncovered

We have located a 680x0 version of Netscape Atlas Gold Beta, you can download it here.

New QuickDraw GX Handbook

The QuickDraw GX Handbook, the first book on Apples QuickDraw GX technology written for the average Mac user, is now on sale. The 65,000-word book contains over 200 pages of information and illustrations.

The book offers thorough instructions on using QuickDraw GX and provides an extensive overview of all GX applications, GX fonts, and the past and future of the GX technology. There are individual chapters on GX-based programs such as LightningDraw GX, UniQorn and
ReadySetGo! GX. The QuickDraw GX Handbook has full color front and back covers. It was designed and illustrated using nothing but GX programs and GX fonts.

The QuickDraw GX Book is available for $19.95 (plus $3 for shipping and handling) from Walnut Hill Press. The handbook also comes with a floppy filled with GX shareware and freeware programs.

You can order the The QuickDraw GX Handbook, or for more information, contact Dennis Sellers

April 29, 1996

Macromedia Releases New Java & Shockwave Applets

At Internet World in San Jose, California, Macromedia has unveiled a set of applets to help designers give their Web pages a jolt of Java and Shockwave.

The company today posted six PowerApplets--small programs that add multimedia elements to Web pages without requiring programming--to its Web site. Three of the applets, Icons, SlideShow, and Animator, provide designers with graphical, animated screen elements such as bullets, navigation buttons, and other icons that can be embedded in Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) pages and viewed from any browser that has Macromedia's Shockwave plug-in for displaying interactive movies.

The other three applet--Banners, Bullets, and Charts--are based on the same idea of prepackaging basic animations for Web pages but are written in with Sun Microsystems' Java. According to Macromedia, this initial set of six PowerApplets are only the beginning of a long line of animation add-ons.

The first set of six will be available for free downloading for the next 60 days. After that they will start selling the PowerApplets on a subscription basis. You can download the six applets here as soon as they become available..

In related news Macromedia began shipping the general version of its Backstage HTML editing tool.

Digital Breaks Land Speed Record 366 MHz

Digital Equipment today rolled out some of the fastest Windows NT workstations in the world, it uses a new super-charged versions of its Alpha processor,

Digital's new Alpha XL personal workstations are built around two new Alpha processors that run at 300 and 366 MHz. These models may be shown up, however, by systems built around a 400-MHz Alpha processor that Digital is already working on, company representatives said.

The current high-performance system architecture includes: 2MB of level-2 cache, a 128-bit memory bus, a 32-bit PCI input-output bus, Fast and Wide SCSI-2 for high-speed disk access, and integrated Ethernet. The workstations support up to 512MB of memory and come with a quad-speed speed CD-ROM drive, up to 12GB of internal storage, and five drive bays.

Available now for $8,495, an Alpha XL 300 Personal Workstation includes 32MB of memory, a 1GB hard disk drive, a Matrox Millenium 2D/3D graphics adapter, CD-ROM, and a floppy disk drive.

Spokane College Offering Degree: Internet Management.

Spokane Community College we are planning on offering a new two year degree program, beginning in the fall of 1996, in Internet Management. The the general program information is listed below. What I need is feedback about such a program. Spefically, what do you feel are the employment opportunities for a person with such a degree and what do thing of the content. Any feedback will be greatly appreciated.

The Internet Management Program is designed to prepare graduates to develop and manage the rapidly growing number of commercial Internet services and World Wide Web sites. The program covers a wide range of Internet related course work including computer operations, networking, Internet design, e-mail, setting up and managing Web servers, and the design and maintenance of Web sites. Special attention is given to "hands-on" experience using various hardware platforms and related software.

World's Richest Child Born

Talk about being born with a silver spoon in your hand! Well this spoon is platinum and diamond incrusted. Microsoft chairman Bill Gates has a new title: Daddy. Friday night he and wife Melinda had thier first baby, a girl, named Jennifer Katherine, 8 pounds, 6 ounces. Gates was married in a private ceremony on New Year's Day, 1994, in Hawaii is co-founder and chairman of the world's largest computer-software company and is one of the world's richest men, with an estimated worth of almost $15 billion.
(Almost as much money as I have in the bank, Monoploly money, that is!)

Power Computing Builds Fastest Single CPU Mac

Power Computing, the mac clone maker announced the PowerTower 180, a three-slot minitower system with a 180-MHz 604 processor that costs $4,195 in a standard configuration. The PowerTower 166, featuring a 166-MHz 604 CPU, is $3,795 in a standard configuration.

A new midrange PowerCenterseries, with 604 processors running at 120, 132 and 150 MHz. Prices
will start at $1,895 for a 120-MHz system with an unrealistic 8 Mbytes of RAM, an 850-Mbyte hard drive and quadruple-speed CD-ROM drive. Thankfully, Power Computing has followed Apple's example by including Level 2 cache in all its new systems.

In related news PowerComputing also announced new software packages, see story below.

Mac Clone Manufacturer Release New Packages

Power Computing has announced several new hardware and software packages available with MacOS-compatible systems that offer users Internet access, multimedia software and CPU upgrades. For example, consumers who purchase a CPU with Power's Internet Package receive a Global Village Teleport Platinum 28.8 fax modem and the Apple Internet Connection Kit.

The Quicken 6 R7 available!

Intuit, Inc. announced the latest update release to Quicken 6 for Macintosh, release R7. You can get this new release by downloading the Quicken 6 release R7 Updater. This Updater will automatically update prior releases of Quicken 6 for Macintosh (R2 or R5) to the current release (R7).

Quicken's online banking features allows: Currently there is 17 banking institutions that allow on-line banking using Quicken, you can contact them via phone at:

Computer Shipments to Grow 19% by 2000

Dataquest forecasts that the worldwide PC market will grow 19.1 percent in 1996, despite anxiety over excess semiconductor inventories. The U.S. market is expected to grow 13.6 percent. Worldwide PC unit shipments are should exceed 71.7 million units this year and, based on a 17 percent annual growth rate, could reach 131.7 million units by the year 2000.

CodeWarrior to use Java

Metrowerks announced today that it will include full support for Sun's Java language in its CodeWarrior Gold 9, CodeWarrior Academic Pro 9, CodeWarrior Academic 96/97 and Discover Programming products. The MacOS implementation will be integrated with Metrowerks' PowerPlant object-oriented application framework, with portions hand-coded in PowerPC assembler to optimize performance.

Mac Clone Manufacturer Release New Packages

Power Computing has announced several new hardware and software packages available with MacOS-compatible systems that offer users Internet access, multimedia software and CPU upgrades. For example, consumers who purchase a CPU with Power's Internet Package receive a Global Village Teleport Platinum 28.8 fax modem and the Apple Internet Connection Kit.

Apple Slips to 4th, IBM Drops Off Top 5, PC Shipments

International Data Corp. has reported that Compaq has not only retained it's spot as the number 1 PC maker, but it has widened its quarter lead by garnering 12.9 percent of the U.S. market - up from 10.9 percent a year ago. Both Apple and IBM slipped.

Hewlett-Packard suprised the industry and analysts by jumping from number 8 to the number 3 position, according to a survey by market research firm International Data Corp. which was published by the Bloomberg News Service. HP entered the consumer PC space only about a year ago but has won following by being an aggressive price/performance player. Packard Bell was the No. 2 PC maker for the quarter.

IBM dropped out of the top five for the first time and Apple came in fourth, with 6.5 percent of the market, compared with 9.4 percent in the year-ago quarter. Apple was No. 3 in the year-ago quarter.
Overall shipments of PCs rose 14 percent during the quarter to 5.73 million from 5.02 million, IDC reported.

MCI One-Stop Package


MCI announced a one-stop package for phone services. For a single monthly charge they will provide everything from Internet access to long distance and cellular calling.

The service, called "MCI One," will offer a basic package for $5 per month which will includ 30 minutes of free long distance calling as well as five hours of free on the Internet, plus voicemail, call waiting and an individual 1-800 or 1-888 number, according to Reuters. For people willing to shell out $37.95 a month, the service will add a pager and free cellular phone, and discounts on cellular calling rates.

Customers can sign up to MCI One, which will provide single billing for the myriad of services, beginning today.

April 28, 1996

Symantec Q4 Sales Strong

Symantec Corp. reported an upswing in revenues for the fourth quarter of 1996, which experts attribute to the launch of its Internet strategy and growth in sales of its desktop management utilities.
Revenue totaled $116 million for the quarter ended March 31. Earnings per share for the quarter grew 50 percent to 15 cents a share based on $54.2 million. The fourth-quarter results were not strong enough though to offset losses for the 1996 fiscal year, which totaled $41 million or 76 cents per share. Revenue for fiscal 1996 totaled $445.4 million compared with $431.3 million for fiscal 1995.

The Exodus Continues, Everhart to go to Fujitsu PC

Everhart, was formerly a vice president at Apple Computer Inc., his departure laned him the position of president of Fujitsu PC . The wholly-owned subsidiary of Fujitsu Ltd., of Tokyo, will be based in Milpitas, Calif., and will manufacture and design its products in Silicon Valley and in Hillsboro, Ore.

Fujitsu PC Corp. was created in February to focus on the U.S. market, which was not parent Fujitsu Ltd.'s focus, despite large worldwide PC sales. Everhart said he plans to leverage his parent company's expertise in networking, agents, wireless and semiconductor technology to differentiate his products.

Everhart said his time at Apple, where he spent 18 years in a variety of positions, taught him the importance of strong communication with the channel.

"I spent a lot of time personally with the CEOs (of major resellers)," he said. "On the flip side, I had the advantage that Apple is a huge company producing a variety of products. I saw what can happen when it becomes hard to change."

Fujitsu PC may eventually come out with a desktop line, but he wants the company to "keep it simple" at first, he said.

But Fujitsu Ltd. will probably come out with a PC that is more of a "broader communications device," working with voice, data and video, in the next year to 18 months, he said.

FCC Plans Public Radio Links To WWW

Schools, businesses and other organizations with large concentrations of Internet users will soon be able to use radio links to join their constituencies in lightning-fast networks, under a plan expected to be announced today by the Federal Communications Commission.

The proposal is aimed squarely at fulfilling the Clinton administration's promise to hook all schools, hospitals and libraries to the Internet by the year 2000. But it also follows the recommendations of at least two industry groups, one led by Apple Computer Inc. and another AT&T Corp., Nortel and Motorola Inc.

Though similar proposals have been kicked around the FCC in years past, the daunting task of rewiring existing buildings for wireline connections to the Internet evidently drove the decision. If the FCC ultimately carries out its plan - a near certainty but for the details - anyone could set up a radio-based network capable of carrying some 25 million bits per second. Since the power of the transmission would be extremely limited, the reach of such data broadcasting would be only about a quarter mile.

The FCC is also requesting comment on an Apple proposal that would allow point-to-point broadcast of up to 1.5 million bits per second over distances up to 9.6 miles.

MacFair LA May 10-12

The Los Angeles Macintosh Group (LAMG) is sponsoring "Go for the Gold" at the 6th annual MacFair LA! The event will take place on May 10-12 at the Burbank Hilton Hotel and Convention Center, in Burbank, CA.

MacFair LA is the largest Mac Show in Southern California and the attendees are serious Mac users.

MacFair LA '95 had over 10,000 people and we have now expanded the show to three days, and increased the Exhibit Hall to accommodate the expected 15,000 attendees this year!

An Online Pavilion, a special area devoted to online services, Internet Service Providers, and companies with Internet products.

The show will also feature over 60 seminars of the hottest topics and include speakers such as: Robin Williams, Bob Levitus, David Pogue, Deke McClelland, Tom Negrino and many more! Keynote address features Larry Tesler, Apple Computer's chief scientist, discussing the future of
technology, Apple Computer, and the Internet.

Vendors, discover how MacFair LA can give you a terrific opportunity to reach thousands of Mac users, at a surprisingly affordable cost. Email The Los Angeles Macintosh Group for further information

Turn on the Oven, Roaster to Ship in May

Three and a half months after releasing Natural Intelligence's Roaster DR1, the first set of tools for developing in Sun Microsystems' Java programming language on the Macintosh Natural Intelligence, Inc. is entering final beta testing of its next major release, which will ship on May 13, 1996 at Apple's World Wide Developer Conference in San Jose, California. Those who buy Roaster DR1 now will automatically receive the upcoming Release 1 and Release 2 for free. Owners of DR1 will be automatically updated to both releases.

New features and improvements

Roaster Release 1 has a revamped integrated development environment (IDE) and comprehensive feature set. Roaster DR1, released on January 5, 1996, included a hierarchical project window, powerful source code editor, interpreter, Java compiler, debugger, and speedy runtime engine. Roaster Release 1 includes the following new additions: This release of Roaster also includes prerelease versions of the following:
Roaster is the first of a series of Java development tools that Natural Intelligence is planning for the coming year. At WWDC, Natural Intelligence will be making further announcements regarding the Roaster Product Line.

Roaster is priced at $299. Those who do not own Roaster can purchase the commercial release through Natural Intelligence at 1-800-739-1616, or through retailers.

Do You Yahoo !?

Just weeks after going public and posting a $1.7 million profit, Yahoo! is unveiling a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign designed to lure first-time net surfers onto the web. The "Do you Yahoo!?" campaign will launch with 30-second television spots in key media markets and could cost up to $10 million. Yahoo! would not discuss its budget for the campaign.

Wireless "NII Band"

The Federal Communications Commission today proposed rules to implement a wireless "NII Band," which would extend the National Information Infrastructure, including the Internet, to students and teachers, libraries, health care facilities, families and businesses that the NII could not otherwise reach. Read the entire Apple press release here.

ShrinkWrap Your Own Software?

The shareware program you can not be without turns 2, you can download it here.

April 27, 1996

Netscape Atlas Gold Beta for Mac Uncovered

We searched high, we searched low, and we uncovered the Mac Beta of Netscape Atlas Gold. We can not guarantee how long it will remain their but for now you can download the 3 megabytes of Beta software here., or try here.

We have not had too much time to try this software. Seems to be like Pagemill on steriods. The release is for PPC Macs only.Give it a try and send us your comments.

Apple Considering Closing Plant in Singapore?

Apple Computer continues to struggle with large losses and a recent further downgrading in its credit by Standard & Poors (see related story), it is re-evaluating its Singapore plant.

Apple has repeatedly stated that it has no plans to closie the plant, but is looking at several options towards restructuring its operations. These include a joint-manufacturing agreement with another company or outsourcing the manufacturing to another firm.

Apple has recently sold its Colorado plant to SCI Systems, which will make Apple products under contract. The Singapore plant employs some 2,000 workers and supplies the regional market including Japan, which remains its second largest market in the world.

GeoPort Users: SpeakerPhone, Voice Messaging


MUSI Computer Products announced the availability of PhoneFloater 1.1, an upgrade to thier telephony application. New features include, a voice messaging feature.

PhoneFloater is a desktop speakerphone and voice messaging application for use with a GeoPort Telecom Adapter equipped Macintosh. PhoneFloater provides users with an interface for placing and receiving telephone calls through their Macintosh, with support for Macintosh Drag & Drop and the Speech Recognition Manager.

Telephony

PhoneFloater 1.1 provides users with a small, effective telephone solution for their GeoPort equipped Macintosh. Telephony support includes the ability to place and receive calls with PhoneFloater, using your Macintosh as a full-duplex speakerphone for the clearest possible
telephone connection, and a full featured voice messaging system with time and date stamping.

A new addition to PhoneFloater 1.1 is the integrated Phone Book. With the Phone Book, you can now speak the name of the party you wish to call using Apple Computer's Speech Recognition 1.5 software (available on Power Macintosh computers), or drag and drop the name to the Phone window to initiate a call.

All incoming and outgoing calls may be logged, giving you a complete record of transactions for billing purposes, and previously logged numbers can be redialed through the call log window.

In addition, PhoneFloater will keep track of the ten most recent numbers dialed in a Speed Dial popup menu, giving you a quick and easy way of placing calls to those important numbers.

Speech Recognition

Speech recognition in PhoneFloater allows you to place calls by talking to your Macintosh, as well as perform normal functions like saving a file. By using Apple Computer's Speech Recognition 1.5 software, Power Macintosh users will have an enhanced user experience when using PhoneFloater.

System Requirements

PhoneFloater 1.1 requires a Macintosh AV or Power Macintosh with a GeoPort Telecom Adapter and the Apple Telecom Software with a minimum of 8 MB of RAM (only 768k application memory required). If installed, PhoneFloater will use PowerTalk for placing calls with PowerTalk Business Cards. PhoneFloater is accelerated for Power Macintosh.

Availability and Pricing

PhoneFloater 1.1 is distributed as shareware through online services and the Internet at leading Macintosh archive sites, or by contacting MUSI Computer Products via electronic email .

Heidi Roizen Statement about Release of Copland.



Friday, April 26, 1996

Dear developers,

As you can imagine, the level of activity at Apple these days is very high as we continue to prepare for the upcoming Worldwide Developer Conference.

There is some news that I need to share with you now, as an expression of Apple's commitment to open communication: We've stated in the past that it has been our goal to deliver the first widespread developer release of Copland -- what we are calling the Compatibility Edition -- to all attendees at the WWDC. After thorough analysis, it has become apparent to the engineering team and me that we will not be able to achieve this goal.

The Copland developer release strategy is designed to get the operating system into your hands as early as possible. Driver and extension developers need an early start and application developers need to ensure that current shipping products can be tested for compatibility.

The goals of the Compatibility Edition have been specifically designed to meet these needs. Unfortunately, Apple will not be able to deliver a release that is of high enough quality to achieve these goals by WWDC. Rather than provide a WWDC-specific release that would not allow you to
make any progress (and further delay the delivery of a release that would meet your needs), we are focusing all resources on delivering the Compatibility Edition as quickly as we can by mid-year.

We are scrutinizing our plans as you are reading this, so we can provide more specific release information at the conference together with more information about commercial availability, which we expect to now take place in mid-1997.

Despite the fact that we will not supply a take-away copy of Copland at the WWDC, Copland remains a major focus for the technical content at the conference. We will deliver technical documentation to all attendees, and demonstrate Copland to you in many of the sessions. We'll also provide hands-on access to the latest engineering build, so you can experience the system yourself, play with it, test it...or just watch it boot.

Copland remains a high priority for Apple Computer. We are taking steps now to ensure that theproduct will be aligned with Apple's corporate strategy -- which you can look forward to hearing about in detail at the Worldwide Developer Conference.

I realize that you were expecting to receive the developer release at the conference. I sincerely apologize that we are not able to get you this release as soon as we had hoped. However, in the interest of fulfilling my personal number-one commitment to you, that Apple deals with the developer community "straight up", I believe that this is the right answer for us all. I am confident that you will still receive tremendous value from attending the conference, and that all attendees will receive the CD as soon as it becomes available.

We remain committed to your success as our partners in making the Macintosh platform an ongoing success. I look forward to seeing you on May 13!

Best regards,

Heidi

"Intranet" Seminar by:Adobe Now Software & Apple


Adobe, Now Software and Apple Computer are co-sponsoring a seminar that will demonstrate that the Apple Internet Server Solution (AISS) is the one of the best IntraNet servers. They will show users that they can focus on the content creation, because internet publishing on Mac OS is a snap.

Attendees will learn how to publish an Intranet (intrnally used Internet system). Each atandee will leave with an Intranet Starter kit (CD of a preconfigured server), and will be provided an IntraNet CD with a sample company IntraNet template to get them started.

This seminar is intended for those interested in setting up and managing an internal Internet server to publish their corporation or department's information.

Topics to be covered are: The seminars will be held around the country at the following locations:

Boston 5/16
Dallas 5/21
Atlanta 5/28
New York City 5/30
Chicago 6/5
Reston (DC) 6/12
Seattle 6/18
Santa Monica (LA) 6/25

There will be two sessions each day, 9AM-12PM, 1PM-4PM

April 26, 1996

M.I.C.KE.Y M.O.U.S.E H.P

Hewlett-Packard announced a color home printer that comes with Disney Interactive's Mickey and Friends Print Studio CD-ROM and new home-craft software for family entertainment.

The printer is part of a new line of color home printers with **52981** built-in banner printing. Prices start at about $300. The DeskJet 680 series printers are perfect for creating banners, greeting cards and a variety of home crafts, as well as for everyday family printing.

"The DeskJet 680 series printers enable people to make a lasting impression with their ideas and creations," said Michelle Hamilton, HP home printers product manager. "If you can dream it and create it on your PC, you can print it. The experience doesn't end when you turn off the computer."

HP Makes Cool Projects a Snap

The DeskJet 682C printer makes family projects easy. With the new printer, customers can create a Disney birthday party, from invitations to placemats and other decorations; produce creative greeting cards and stationery; create personalized coloring pages and bookmarks that come alive with Mickey and his friends; and turn their refrigerators and bedroom walls into art galleries with cards, calendars and other creations.

The printer comes with the HP Home Project Kit, which includes three components:

Daystar Announces New Units and More Price Cuts

DayStar Digital announced the introduction of two new mac Clones and dropped the prices on two others.

The Genesis MP, designed for high-end media publishers, are priced between $6,999 and $9,999 The price of the Genesis MP 528 has been cut $3,500 and the Genesis MP 600 cost is dropped $4,430 (US).

Expected to ship this May, is the Genesis MP 300, it reportedly runs up to 75 percent faster than Apples Power Mac 9500/132.

The Genesis MP 300 incorporates 6 PCI slots with similar four processor Genesis upgrade paths as the MP 528 and 600 workstations. Daystars Genesis MP family sport chassis that are expandable to included nine drive bays and four PowerPC processors.

Here is a listing of Daystars MP Systems capable of supporting Multiple PowerPC 604 processors:
Genesis MP 300 16/150 MHz , two processors/ 1 gig $6,999. New.

Genesis MP 528 16/132 MHz four processorsof, 1 gig $9,999, reducedf $3,500.

Genesis MP 600:16/150 Mhz four processors
(16MB of RAM, 1 gigabyte hard drive), 150 MHz four processors, $11,999. New.

Genesis MP 600 32/150 Mhz 2 gig, four processors , $13,069, reduced $4,430.

Internet World: Apple Expected to License Java

Apple Computer, Inc., will license Sun's Java for the MacOS as part of its larger Internet strategy, according to news reports and industry sources which predict Apple will follow Microsoft's lead when it announces Java's integration into Windows at Meckermedia Corps Internet World next week.

While the announcement of a broad licensing agreement could come as an initial move toward improved OpenDoc-Java coordination, Apple is not prepared to detail plans for Java's future integration with OpenDoc.

Apple declined to comment on the reports overall, but reportedly Apple will be among a half-dozen vendors announcing Java integration in their operating systems, including IBM, for OS/2, and Novell, for NetWare. Despite the "me-too" quality of such an announcement, Apple's integration of Java could help level the playing field for the MacOS.

"For corporate networks, the big reference is, What is the Java implementation for that OS?," said Will Iverson, Macintosh development tools evangelist for Symantec. "Right there, you've got your corporate strategy."

A licensing deal with Sun could also bolster Apple's position as a leading provider of Internet technologies--a key strategic goal articulated by CEO Gil Amelio in last week's earnings announcement. Eric Lewis, manager of Personal Systems Research with IDC, said "Amelio has made it [the Internet] a cornerstone of Apple's new strategy. Java fits right in. Why they haven't done it already is an awfully good question."

Symantec's Iverson said that as a first step a broad licensing agreement makes sense: "There has been tremendous pressure from numerous sources saying the OpenDoc solution is not acceptable at this time, so anything they [Apple] can do is a big win for OpenDoc. Part of the trick is not biting off too much."

Free CD for Educators from NASA

Scientists at NASA's jet Propulsion Lab are offering educators freeCD-ROM software containing radar-imaging data and photographs gathered aboard the space shuttle. The data was collected as part of the Spaceborne Imaging Radar C/X-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar project and also contains
QuickTime movies of the missions in April and October 1994.

To order the CDs (available in Mac format only), send a self-addressed postcard to:

U.S. Geological Survey's EDC DAAC User Services
EROS Data Center
Sioux Falls, SD 57198
or
NASA CORE ($5.00)
Lorain County JVS
15181 Route 58 South
Oberlin, OH 44074
216-774-1051 ext. 293

Due to high demand, orders may take several weeks to fill.

Quarterdeck Ships WebSTAR 1.2.5

Quarterdeck Corp announced that it has made WebSTAR 1.2.5 for Macintosh available for free downloading off the Internet to current owners of the software. This update for the industry-leading MacOS Web server works natively with Apple's recently released Open Transport TCP/IP driver and, as a result, offers significant performance improvements and support for many more simultaneous connections than previous versions. Running under Open Transport 1.1, WebSTAR 1.2.5's throughput increases up to 40% without making any changes to the server's configuration.

"WebSTAR has been a multi-threaded, PowerPC native application since it shipped almost a year ago," remarked Chuck Shotton, Quarterdeck Fellow and principle architect of WebSTAR. "Now that both the server and it's underlying TCP/IP stack are executing natively on PowerPC, WebSTAR's performance will tear through any lingering doubts about the Mac's robustness as a Web server platform."

Recommended for servers requiring Open Transport 1.1 only, WebSTAR 1.2.5 supports up to 150 simultaneous connections, breaking through the previous limit of 50 connections running under MacTCP. Due to the PowerPC native execution of TCP/IP transactions in Open Transport, WebSTAR 1.2.5 now supports up to 40% more connections per minute than WebSTAR 1.2.4

Although support for hundreds of simultaneous connections places WebSTAR 1.2.5 in the same league as most UNIX Web servers, this feature is only one factor in assessing overall server performance. In his recently published paper "A Model of Web Server Performance", Quarterdeck Computer Scientist Dr. Louis Slothouber observes a theoretical upper limit on the serving capacity of Web servers in general which cannot simply be addressed by increasing the number of simultaneous connections. Generally, network bandwidth is the primary bottleneck in server performance. The paper is available here.
.

WebSTAR 1.2.5 is available at for downloading here, you must be a current WebSTAR owner.

Yet Another IPO?

Farallon Computing Inc. intends to become a public company. This will be the Alameda, CalifI based companies second attempt at an initial public offering, and will probably take place in early summer.

Farallon filed for an IPO of stock with the Security and Exchange Commission this week to sell 2 million common shares at between $13 and $15 a share. Ten million shares will remain outstanding.

Sources outside the company stated that three years ago Farallon attempted to take itself public, , but pulled back due to product and financial missteps at the time.

Netscapes New Standard LDAP

Netscape has announced that over 40 companies have agreed to adopt a proposed new standard for email/directory services called the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP). The LDAP provides a uniform way for Internet software to access directory listings of Internet users. Netscape plans to add the technology to its browser and server products.

Apple to License 3D Sound (SRS)

Apple has decided to license the SRS Labs' (Sound Retrieval System) 3D sound technology incorporated in the new Power Macintosh 5400/120. The patented Sound Retrieval System Technology is licensed by over 5 million manufacturers of consumer audio products, multimedia computers, professional sound equipment, and musical instruments.

PowerPrint to Support Apple's New PC Cards

GDT Softworks continues to expand the scope of its PowerPrint family of printing solutions by announcing support for Apple's new PC Compatibility Cards. GDT's PowerPC-native PowerPrint software provides cross-platform printing functionality for Mac users. The product has won several prestigious awards, including a Macworld Editor's Choice award.

Hewlett Packard Releases New Print Backgrounder

Hewlett Packard has released a new background printing utility v4.07 that corrects inability for many of HP's inkjet printers from working properly on Apples PCI Macs. You can download the driver here.

April 25, 1996

"The online MacinStuff Times" Moving, Bringing Many New Features

We are approaching 50,000 + readers in just over two months, and have experienced many growing pains. In order to serve our readers better, "The online MacinStuff Times" will be moving to a new home.

With the move will come a redesign as well as many additional features, including an online search engine, a ListServer, an IRC section and much, much more. From day one "The online MacinStuff Times" readers have been very vocal, on average we receive 100 emails per week and answer each one personally. Please continue to email us your suggestions, and comments as this will assist us in the redesign.

Till the new site is completed we will be mirroring "The online MacinStuff Times", at here, the new address is <http://www.informedusa.com/t/mactimes.html>, please bookmark the new URL as soon as possible

Fog City Makes FreePPP 2.5b6 Available

Fog City has made yet another version of FreePPP available. Version 2.5b6 Is the latest and (greatest?) version of FreePPP. This public beta version expires May 13. A final version will be released before then. You can download just FreePPP 2.5b6 here or thethe full installer of FreePPP 2.5b4 here.

Apple Posts System 7.5.3 Overview

In an attempt to stem some of the confusion regarding it's System 7.5.3 Update 2.0, Apple Computer has posted an all encompassing page with oodles of information. You will find a product description, Synopsis, Advantages, system requirements, some **52981** cool charts, as well as ordering information. You can view the page here.

Apple Adds New Software Files, Download Them Here

Newton Gets CompuServe EMail

CompuServe and Apple Computer, Inc. have signed an agreement to provide a CompuServe mail client for the Newton Personal Digital Assistant .

Newton 2.0 users can now share an email box with CompuServe users on both Windows and Mac platforms. The email client works with the Newton's built-in In Box and Out Box so that when they return home from travel Newton users can access the same mail from their desktop computer--whether it's a Windows or MacOS machine.

The CompuServe Mail Client will be available free of charge in May. from CompuServe's Web site.

Adobe Releases Effects 3.1 Update

Adobe released a free update for After Effects v3.1, its compositing and animation package. The new version more fully supports DayStar's multiprocessing MacOS computer, resulting in faster rendering of images and plug-in effects.

Version 3.1 also adds support for TIFF and Targa files and includes new plug-ins: Unsharp Mask, Remove Color Matting, and Write-on, which simulates animated handwriting. Owners of the more costly Production Bundle will also receive a new Lightning plug-in.

The update is available on CD-ROM and will be mailed free to all registered users of After Effects 3.0.

Pioneer to Produce 10x CD-ROM by Year end


Pioneer New Media Super 10X CD-ROM drive CD, boosts transfer speeds by using chips newly developed by the company and combines a couple of rotation theories. In its new drives, Pioneer has incorporated the rotation theory used in hard drives, called constant angular velocity (CAV), in which the disc spins at the same speed no matter where the data is on the media.

Between the new chips and the combined rotation modes, the drives get 10X speed (the X in CD speeds refers to 550 rpm, the rotation speed used in the original 1X audio CD drives).

Reportedly, the drive can be operated in either CAV mode or a combination of CAV and CLV mode. The new capability offers an access time of 80 ms, and data transfer rates from 660 KBps to 1500 KBps.

No prices have been released for the drive yet.

S&P Lowers Apples Debt Rating (Again)

Citing concern about near-term liquidity and cash flow levels, Standard & Poors has once again lowered Apple's credit rating. The latest cut has pushed Apple's senior debt rating to "single B minus" and short-term, or commercial, debt to "single C". Apple had no comment on the action.

Global Village Forms New Division


Global Village Communication Inc. (GVIL) reported that it plans to make its Internet Services Division a stand-alone business called GlobalCenter Inc. GVIL**52981** said UUNET Technologies Inc. (UUNT) intends to take a 19.9% equity interest in the new business. GVIL added that it is exploring additional outside financing arrangements and expects to remain a major shareholder in GlobalCenter.

Netscape Earns $.06 Per Share


Netscape reported a surprisingly strong 35 percent sequential rise in first quarter revenues from the December quarter, a tenfold rise from the year ago period. Net income reached $4.7 million, or 6 cents a share, in the quarter, compared with a loss of $3.9 million, or 6 cents a share, in the 1995 period. Fourth-quarter profit also doubled to about $2.4 million.

Three Form PODI

Adobe Systems, Apple, and Scitex Corporation today announced the Print On Demand Initiative (PODI), a program to develop and demonstrate business opportunities in the on demand color printing market. The program plans to educate consumers and OEMs on emerging on-demand printing market opportunities, including Internet printing, direct marketing, technical publishing, specialty printing and catalog publishing.

Spyglass Inc. Acquires Surfwatch Software Inc


Spyglass Inc. is adding Surfwatch Software Inc., maker of Internet content-filtering software, to its Web portfolio.

Naperville, Ill.-based Spyglass plans to purchase Surfwatch in a stock swap valued at $12.6
million. Officials at Los Altos, Calif.-based Surfwatch said that upon completion of the deal,
expected by the end of April, the company will become a West Coast research and development
division of Spyglass. No layoffs are expected at either company.

Spyglass CEO Douglas Colbeth will run the combined company; the future position of Surfwatch
President Bill Duvall is undetermined.

Jay Friedland, Surfwatch vice president of marketing, said his division's first order of business
will be to integrate its Internet-filtering technologies into the client and server portions of Spyglass'
Web Technology kits, which were announced this month and due this summer.

An OpenDoc version of Surfwatch will be developed, Friedland said, which is consistent with
Spyglass' component-software plans. An Open Transport-compatible update to Surfwatch's existing software is due in May.

Meckermedia Corp.'s SPRING INTERNET WORLD


Meckermedia Corp.will hold it's SPRING INTERNET WORLD '96 in San Jose April 30-May 2,
1996, at the San Jose Convention Center.

Spring Internet World '96 is reportedly the largest, most comprehensive Internet conference and exhibition ever presented on this planet. Anything you want to know about Internet and Web applications is here -- you'll find presentations for industry, commerce, publishing, legal, marketing, finance, technical, education, communications, and of course, the Web -- and all major operating system platforms will be represented.

Partial listing of exhibitors include:

April 24, 1996

Apple and Microsoft Attempt to "Make Up"

Apple Computer Inc. chief executive Gil Amelio (in less than three months on the job) has moved quickly to improve relations with Microsoft Corp., analysts and industry exectives said.

Amelio visited Microsoft's suburban Seattle headquarters several weeks ago and met with Chairman Bill Gates to discuss a wide range of issues, officials said.

``Despite what anyone may want to believe (Apple's Macintosh) is still a very important platform for us,'' said Microsoft spokeswoman Mich Mathews.

Repotedly Microsoft earns **52981** more than $200 million of the company's $6 billion in 1995 revenues from Macintosh applications such as versions of Microsoft's Office productivity programs.

In the spirit of mending fences, Apple executives hosted a party for Microsoft Macintosh developers last week at a microbrewery near Microsoft's headquarters.

The lighthearted afternoon event was a far cry from the acrimony of last year, when Gates publicly complained about Spindler's ``lack of candor and honesty'' after Apple added Microsoft to a copyright lawsuit.

Netscape Daylight Savings Time Bug To be Fixed Soon


Sources have reported that Netscape is working on a fix for it''s "daylight Savings Bug" (reported here earlier) found in its browser Netscape 2.02. The fix reportedly will be released "in the next two weeks" and will be incorporated in the next preview release of Atlas (netscape 3.0). Additional information can be found here.

Explorer 2.0b3 for Macintosh Ships

Microsoft released its browser, Internet Explorer version 2.0 for the Macintosh operating system. You can download the browser at no charge. The browser supports video, 3D virtual reality environments, and digital formats.

Microsoft Internet Explorer comes in 3 flavors:

Apple Updates Networking Software Dowload them Here

Navigator Integrated into Apple's Internet Kit

Apple Computer, Inc. has updated its Internet Connection Kit to include Netscape Navigator 2.0, as well as the latest version of Open Transport, version 1.1.

The Apple Internet Connection Kit version 1.1, which Apple claims will get users up and running in 30 minutes, also includes System 7.5 Update 2.0 and increased support for PPP connections.

The kit includes the following: Apple Internet Dialer, which now offers a choice between five service providers (Netcom, Portal, InternetMCI, Concentric, and PSI); the Apple Guide for the Internet with enhanced on-screen help; Netscape Navigator 2.0; Claris Emailer Lite version 1.0v3, which is now fully compatible with Open Transport 1.1; Fetch **52981** FTP software version 3.0; NewsWatcher version 2.1.2; MacPPP version 2.5; NCSA Telnet; QuickTime VR Player; Progressive Networks' RealAudio Player; Adobe Acrobat Reader; and System 7.5 Update 2.0.

The Internet Connection Kit sells for $59. Upgrades are available through Claris for $19.

Atlas to Grow into Navigator 3.0b

Netscape Communications Corp. will release a beta version of Navigator 3.0 (formally Atlas) next week at the Internet World trade show in San Jose, Calif., according to sources.

The new browser will feature integrated multimedia capabilities such as video, audio and Internet telephony. The Internet telephony capabilities are based on InSoft Inc.'s CoolTalk. Netscape acquired InSoft earlier this year.

In addition, the new Internet client software supports the VRML (Virtual Reality Modeling Language) 2.0 standard and features enhancements to its Mail and News readers. It also includes integrated whiteboarding capabilities.Navigator 3.0 will also feature integrated support for digital certificates, which will be issued by VeriSign Inc.

It is not clear if all of the new feature set will be included in the Macintosh version of Navigator 3.0b.

Eudora Pro Turns 3, Download beta here

Qualcomm has announced Eudora Pro 3.0 Email program.

In a bid to keep up with Claris Emailer v 1.0.3, Eudora Pro 3, capabilities reportedly include the ability to automatically redirect a message, send a reply, or send a copy of a received message, limiting the size of messages that are Eudora Pro will automatically download from the server, conserving your connect-time dollars, as well as supporting drag-and-drop.

Qualcomm also hopes that it's newly-published Translation Services API will encourage third-party
developers to plug into Eudora, such as security applications that would automatically encrypt and
decrypt messages.

Eudora Pro 3.0 is now available as a public beta and expected to ship in July. You can download the Mac beta version here (you must be a Eudora Pro user for the update to work.)

April 23, 1996

Netsacpe's Profits Nearly Double

Netscape Communications nearly doubled its profits for the first quarter of the year on a 35 percent increase in revenue.

Netscape's net income for the Q1 came in at $4.7 million, **52981** or $0.06 per share, compared to $2.4 million, or $0.03 per share, for the previous quarter. The company reported revenues totaling $55 million for the first quarter ended March 31, up from $40.6 million for the previous quarter. The company went public last August.

Netscape's stock closed up more than 3 points today at 61-7/8.

Netscape and other Internet companies have become the darlings of Wall Street. We have seen IPOs from the likes of Yahoo, Excite and Lycos over the last few weeks,

Fargo Electronics New RasterText & New Ribbon

Fargo Electronics maker of low cost high quality dye sublimation printers has RasterText print technology, and states that the "Mystery of the Disappearing 4 Point Font" has been solved! Printing extremely small text and fine lines has always been a challenge for dye-sublimation printers. Dye-sublimation text printed at 8 points or below, for example, can often appear very faded on the printed page and can sometimes drop out altogether.

RasterText is incorporated into all Pictura printer drivers as a selectable option called Enhance Fine Text. When selected, this option allows Pictura to apply the software-based spatial filter of RasterText to your printed image. This filter brings out the fine detail of small text and lines within your image and allows them to print with remarkable definition and clarity.

RasterText is currently built into all of the most recent printer driver versions for the complete line of Pictura Color Printers and is fully functional for both Macintosh and Windows applications.

RasterText is included on the following printer driver versions: Mac version 4.4.1 (or higher), Mac PostScript version 3.3.2 (or higher), Windows version 2.3.0 (or higher). Click here to download the latest Pictura printer drivers. Fargo printers are available direct as well as authorized resalers such as inFORMed SOLUTIONS, Inc.

New Color Ribbon allows Users to Transfer Images to Almost Anything!

Looking for a fast, easy and inexpensive way to transfer your favorite images? Well FARGO now has a revolutionary new print ribbon called the PowerPrint(TM) Sublimation Ribbon that allows you to transfer your best full-color images to almost anything with a polymer coating. From buttons and baseball caps, to mugs and mouse pads, images printed on Primera and PrimeraPro can be transferred in just minutes.

With the wax thermal and dye-sublimation print modes of Primera and PrimeraPro, users have always been able to print transfers for making high-quality custom T-shirts and photo mugs. Now, with the PowerPrint ribbon, FARGO offers a totally new way to transfer images to more surfaces than ever before.

Some of the creative things you can transfer images to include: The PowerPrint ribbon installs into Primera or PrimeraPro just like a standard wax thermal or dye-sublimation ribbon and allows you to print directly onto standard grade paper. After the image is printed, simply heat transfer the image to any polyester fabric or coated metal, wood or ceramic material and presto! You've just made a custom transfer with the sharpness, color quality and durability you've come to expect from a FARGO printer.

The PowerPrint provides 115 prints per ribbon and can be purchased directly from FARGO for $235 (MSRP). For more information and a complete listing of coated materials available for use with the PowerPrint ribbon, contact FARGO or authorized resalers such as inFORMed SOLUTIONS, Inc.

British Telecom Prototype, "Office on the Arm"

British Telecom has built a prototype product named "Office in the Arm", it is based on the Macintosh platform. A touch pad replaces the keyboard and mouse. The screen display enlarges, or users may opt for a head mounted display resembling a virtual reality headset visor. Included reportedly are stereo headphones, and a microphone for use with its voice recognition system. BT laboratories is located in Martlesham Heath, England.

Claris Sales Up 60%, Windows 16 Bit FileMaker

Claris announced second-quarter revenues on Tuesday. The Apple Computer subsidiary's revenues reached a record $64.4 million, up from $40.1 million in the Q2 of 1995. The growth is attributed to strong sales of Claris and Apple-branded software and continued sales growth of its FileMaker Pro and ClarisWorks products in the Japanese market.

Claris has also nnounced that it will release a 16-bit version of the popular FileMaker Pro 3.0 relational database for Windows 3.x users. FileMaker Pro 3.0 is currently available for users of Macintosh and 32-bit Windows 95/NT users. The new FileMaker Pro 3.0 for Windows 3.1, Windows 95 and Windows NT will include all three versions within a single software box.

Wow PageMill 2

Seems today much of our competition is reporting about Adobes new PageMill 2. Readers of "The online MacinStuff Times" got this news one week ago, on tax day April 15th, read the original story.

Netscape Takes Lead in Directory Standardization

Netscape Communications is leading the charge for a new standard that may dramatically enhance the appeal of Internet communications for businesses by making it easier to locate Net email addresses worldwide.

Netscape announced that it is developing a server product, the Netscape Directory Server, based on LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol), a newly proposed directory standard created by researchers at the University of Michigan. An extension of the X.500 directory standard would allow users to easily locate email addresses across the Net.

More than 40 other vendors also threw their weight behind the LDAP protocol, including IBM, AT&T, Novell, Banyan, and Lotus Development. The show of broad support for the fledgling standard may add momentum to the push to create a single Internet directory services standard.

Both Novell and Banyan have been promoting the idea of extending their LAN-based directory services standards--Novell Directory Services (NDS) and StreetTalk, respectively--to the Net. The companies' efforts have been hamstrung by the fact that both technologies are incompatible with each other and closely tied to proprietary protocols, said Jamie Lewis, Novell analyst and president of consultancy at The Burton Group.

Global Village Alternative, File Transfer Software

Mac users now have alternatives to faxes, email, and overnight delivery, GlobalTransfer from Global Village.

GlobalTransfer software is based on the Zmodem file-transfer protocol and works with most 14.4Kbps or faster modems, according to Global Village.

It enables users to send documents cross platform using a simple point-and-click interface. Users don't have to deal with illegible faxes or files corrupted during transmission.

The Macintosh version of GlobalTransfer Lite is available for download here. A Windows version of GlobalTransfer Lite will be available later this summer.

GlobalTransfer is available in one-, two- and ten-packs for $29.95, $44.95 and $199.95. It requires a Mac with a 68020 or higher processor, System 7.0 or later, 1MB RAM and a 14.4Kbps or faster modem.