EW TAX SO
I
THE WORLDWIDE COMPUTING AUTHORITY
(' 1
Intelligent E-Mail will change
the way you work seepage 90
SPECIAL REPORT
Where groupware l
EXCLUSIVE RATINGS
The best E-Mail progra
5 New 600-dpi Laser Printers
ir^.I'L^'
rfrr=-o»"LEa
Beyeml DOS: Next-Generation OLE
o 440235
i^Jw-^ii*!.
■■
A./S4.50 IN CANADA
blication/0360-5280
TDStfuu
Your Wish Is Our a
5 5 — """' "I wish I could get a great PC at a great price without
sacrificing performance and features." Your wish is our
command!
You'll be spellbound by Gateway's ferociously competitive
prices on systems that are unequaled in powerful performance,
impressive features and graceful integration of components. When
readers and editors of the most popular PC magazines are asked
which company delivers on its promises, their overwhelming
response is Gateway 2000.
f^H "Gateway has gone far beyond conventional ideas of price
r^ and performance ... it has created new rules that other PC
makers will have to follow if they want to remain players."
- PC Computing, 1992 MVP Awards
"Gateway 2000 was the big 1992 Best Buy winner,
sweeping not only the desktop awards as it did last year, but
the newly expanded notebook categories as well ... Altogether,
Gateway won five Best Buy awards this year, including Best
Overall System Vendor ... It's no surprise that Gateway
is consistently the people's choice when it comes to
systems.
- Computer Shopper, 1992 Readers' Best Buy Awards
bimand!
-T ~"'\ wish I could be sure I'm buying from a PC company
that will provide excellent service and support - a company that
will be around for me." Your wish is our command!
Twice in 1992, Gateway was honored for outstanding service.
PC World readers ranked Gateway number one in service and
support. And PC Magazine readers gave Gateway the best overall
scores in the 1992 Service and Reliability Survey.
Just as important is our strength as a company. Warranties and
assurances of lifetime technical support don't mean anything unless
a company survives to honor them, which is a serious consideration
in the shifting sands of today's PC marketplace.
Gateway is among the few financially robust companies in the
industry. Our 1992 revenues exceeded $1 billion and our earnings
are among the strongest in the industry. The company is virtually
debt-free. At a time when other companies have been forced to lay
off employees, we added 300 people to our staff. You now have
1,800 friends in the business. Rest assured Gateway is your oasis
that will never leave you high and dry. We'll be here for you!
rt-k
"I wish I could find the combination of features I need
in a portable PC - at the right price." Your wish is our command!
No matter what you need in a portable, you'll find it in one of
our Nomad notebooks. Gateway customers selected Nomads as
the winners in 386 and 486 notebook categories of Computer
Shopper's 1992 Best Buy Awards.
"There are faster laptops, there are cheaper laptops, there
are color laptops, but there is no better laptop ...
Weighing in at only 5.6 pounds, the Nomad combines the powerful
punch of a 25MHz i486DX with a working battery life of more
than six hours. At long last, we have a laptop that can really go the
distance when there's no power outlet in sight."
- Computer Shopper, 1992 Readers' Best Buy Awards
PC Sources echoed Computer Shopper's conclusions. "The
Nomad 425DXL packs an awful lot of computing into a case that's
just 1.7 inches high. Its excellent 79-key keyboard has a great
typing feel ... The fine video system includes a large backlit
black-on-white LCD ..."
New this month is the Nomad 450DXL including Intel's 50MHz
486DX2L processor for blazing performance.
Our Caravan Of Extras.
Software Selections
Your every software need is our
command. With mini desktop, desktop
and tower systems that include "choice of
application software," select one of the
following applications, all latest versions:
I Microsoft® Excel for Windows™
I Microsoft Word for Windows™
■ Microsoft Word and Bookshelf 92,®
CD-ROM Edition
■ Microsoft PowerPoint for Windows™
■ Microsoft Project for Windows™
■ The MS Entrepreneur Pack (Works,™'
Publisher,™ Money,™ TurboTax for
Windows® from ChipSoft, and games)
■ Borland Paradox® or dB ASE IV®
■ The Windows Programmer Pack (MS
Quick C,™ Visual Basic and more)
■ Upgrade to Microsoft Office™ for $ 175
If the system you want comes with Works
for Windows,™ you can upgrade to one of
the software choices above for only $150.
Utilities Included, Too
Cool Tools for DOS, a diagnostic and
utilities package, comes with all Gateway
desktop systems and includes: QA Plus™
from Diagsoft,™ Central Point® Anti-Virus,
RAM Boost, Defrag and Emergency Disk.
Microsoft Windows™
for Workgroups
Windows for Workgroups is ideal for
e-mail, group scheduling and resource
sharing, and includes an Ethernet adapter
and software. Hardware and software are
factory-installed. You can see Windows
for Workgroups running on Gateway
systems in any of over 200 Egghead
Software® stores in the U.S. Stop by for a
demonstration! With the purchase of a
system, Windows for Workgroups is
specially priced at just $159!
Microsoft Windows
Sound System™
This sound system designed especially
for business use lets you speak to your PC
for hands-free operation. It even reads
numbers back to you for proofing. You
can also embed audio messages in all your
Windows OLE applications. Package
includes soundboard, microphone, headset
and software. You pay only $149 with the
purchase of a system.
CD-ROM Kit
Includes CD-ROM, interface card,
and everything you need to add MPC-
compliant CD-ROM to your PC. With a
system purchase, or if you own a Gateway
system, you can buy this CD-ROM kit
for only $225!
The TelePath™ Fax/Modem
A 14,400bps modem, V.32bis, with
9,600bps fax capability. Includes WinFax
Pro,™ Crosstalk™ for Windows, Qmodem™
and more. $195
CrystalScan™ 15-Inch Monitor
Non-interlaced 15-inch color monitor
with flat, square screen - an upgrade
option only at the time of purchase on any
Gateway 2000 desktop system for only
$100.
Panasonic
Color-Capable Printer
Add color to your documents with this
Panasonic KXP2123 24-pin dot matrix
printer. Includes Adobe Type Manager.®
Printer, $259; Color Option, $50
Most Gateway peripherals are sold only
with the purchase of a Gateway system.
For details on our complete line of
components, peripherals and software,
call direct to our special add-on
components division at 800-846-2080.
fr fr ff fr flr
Qateway 2000's Magical Values
Desktop Systems
3SX-33
■ 33MHz 386SX Intel® Processor*
■ 4MB RAM
■ 5.25" & 3.5" Diskette Drives
■ 80MB 17ms IDE Hard Drive
■ Windows Accelerated Video with
1MB DRAM
■ 14" Color CrystalScan™ 1024NI
■ Mini Desktop Case
■ 5 16-Bit ISA Slots
■ 124-Key AnyKey™ Keyboard
■ MS-DOS,®Windows™ & Mouse
■ Cool Tools for DOS
■ MS Works for Windows™ 2.0
4SX-25
4SX-33
$1295
4SX-33V
■ 33MHz 486SX Intel Processor*
■ 8MB RAM, 64K Cache
■ 5.25" & 3.5" Diskette Drives
■ 170MB 13ms IDE Hard Drive
■ Local Bus IDE Interface
I VESA Local Bus ATI Ultra Pro
with 1MB VRAM
■ 15" Color CrystalScan 1572FS
■ Desktop Case (Tower Upgrade)
■ 8 16-Bit ISA Slots, 2 with 32-Bit
VESA Local Bus
■ 124-Key AnyKey Keyboard
■ MS-DOS, Windows & Mouse
■ Cool Tools for DOS
■ Choice of Application Software
$2195
486 Notebooks.
■ 25MHz 486SX Intel Processor*
I 4MB RAM
■ 5.25" & 3.5" Diskette Drives
■ 170MB 13ms IDE Hard Drive
■ Local Bus IDE Interface
■ Windows Accelerated Video with
1MB DRAM
■ 14" Color CrystalScan 1024NI
■ Mini Desktop Case
■ 5 16-Bit ISA Slots
■ 1 24-Key AnyKey Keyboard
■ MS-DOS, Windows & Mouse
■ Cool Tools for DOS
■ MS Works for Windows 2.0
■ 33MHz 486SX Intel Processor*
■ 4MB RAM, 64K Cache
■ 5.25" & 3.5" Diskette Drives *
■ 170MB 13ms IDE Hard Drive
■ Local Bus IDE Interface
■ Windows Accelerated Video with
1MB DRAM
■ 14" Color CrystalScan 1024NI
■ Mini Desktop Case
■ 5 16-Bit ISA Slots
■ 124-Key Any Key Keyboard
■ MS-DOS, Windows & Mouse
■ Cool Tools for DOS
■ Choice of Application Software
4DX-33
■ 33MHz 486DX Intel Processor*
■ 4MB RAM, 64K Cache
■ 5.25" & 3.5" Diskette Drives
■ 250MB 13ms IDE Hard Drive
■ Local Bus IDE Interface
■ Windows Accelerated Video with
1MB DRAM
■ 14" Color CrystalScan 1024NI
■ Mini Desktop Case
■ 5 16-Bit ISA Slots
■ 124-Key AnyKey Keyboard
■ MS-DOS, Windows & Mouse
■ Cool Tools for DOS
■ Choice of Application Software
$1495
$1695
$1995
4DX-33V
■ 33MHz 486DX Intel Processor*
■ 8MB RAM, 64K Cache
■ 5.25" & 3.5" Diskette Drives
■ 250MB 13ms IDE Hard Drive
■ Local Bus IDE Interface
■ VESA Local Bus ATI Ultra Pro
with 1MB VRAM
■ 15" Color CrystalScan 1572FS
■ Desktop Case (Tower Upgrade)
■ 8 16-Bit ISA Slots, 2 with 32-Bit
VESA Local Bus
■ 124-Key AnyKey Keyboard
■ MS-DOS, Windows & Mouse
■ Cool Tools for DOS
■ Choice of Application Software
4DX2-66V
66MHz 486DX2 Intel Processor*
8MB RAM, 256K Cache
5.25" & 3.5" Diskette Drives
340MB 13ms IDE Hard Drive
Local Bus IDE Interface
VESA Local Bus ATI Ultra Pro
with 1MB VRAM
15" Color CrystalScan 1572FS
Desktop Case (Tower Upgrade)
8 16-Bit ISA Slots, 2 with 32-Bit
VESA Local Bus
124-Key AnyKey Keyboard
MS-DOS, Windows & Mouse
Cool Tools for DOS
Choice of Application Software
4DX2-66E
■ 66MHz 486DX2 Intel Processor*
■ 8MB RAM, 256K Cache
■ 5.25" & 3.5" Diskette Drives
■ 500MB 11ms SCSI Hard Drive
■ 32-Bit EISA SCSI Controller
■ Windows Accelerated Video with
1MB DRAM
■ 14" Color CrystalScan 1024NI
■ Tower Case
■ 8 32-Bit EISA Slots
■ 124-Key AnyKey Keyboard
■ MS-DOS, Windows & Mouse
■ Cool Tools for DOS
■ Choice of Application Software
$2495
$2995
M
$3795
^
NOMAD 425SXL
25MHz 486SX Intel Processor*
4MB RAM
3.5" Diskette Drive
80MB IDE Hard Drive
Backlit 10" VGA Screen, 64 Grays
Simultaneous Video with 256K
Size 8.5" x 11" x 1.8", 5.6 Lbs.
6-Hr. NiCad Battery & AC Pack
1 Parallel/1 Serial Port
79-Key Keyboard & FieldMouse™
MS-DOS 5.0 and Windows 3.1
MS Works for Windows 2.0
NOMAD 425DXL
■ 25MHz 486DX Intel Processor*
■ 4MB RAM
■ 3.5" Diskette Drive
■ 120MB IDE Hard Drive
■ Backlit 10" VGA Screen, 64Grays
■ Simultaneous Video with 1MB
■ Size 8.5" xll"x 1.8", 5.6 Lbs.
■ 6-Hr. NiCad Battery & AC Pack
■ 1 Parallel/1 Serial Port
■ 79-Key Keyboard & FieldMouse
■ MS-DOS 5.0 and Windows 3.1
■ MS Works for Windows 2.0
NOMAD 450DXL
50MHz 486DX2 Intel Processor*
8MB RAM
3.5" Diskette Drive
200MB IDE Hard Drive
Backlit 10" VGA Screen, 64 Grays
Simultaneous Video with 1MB
Size 8.5" x 11" x 1.8", 5.6 Lbs.
6-Hr. NiCad Battery & AC Pack
1 Parallel/1 Serial Port
79-Key Keyboard & FieldMouse
MS-DOS 5.0 and Windows 3.1
MS Works for Windows 2.0
S
$1995
$2595
$3295
GATEW&2000
^Contains an Intel386""or
Intel486'" microprocessor
"You w ?nt a trimi in tov mtsimx;
8 (TT- 8 4 6 - 2
610 Gateway Drive • P.O.Box 2000 • North Sioux City, SD 57049-2000 • 605-232-2000 • Fax 605-232-2023
Sales Hours: 7am- 10pm Weekdays, 9am-4pm Saturdays (CT)
©1993 Gateway 2000, Inc. AnyKey, HandBook, FieldMouse, CrystalScan and TelePath are trademarks of Gateway 2000, Inc. The.lntel Inside Logo is a trademark and Intel is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation.
All other brands and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Prices and configurations are subject to change without notice. Prices do not include shipping.
Your wish
is our command at
■
Qateway 2000! We can grant you the three
most universal PC wishes in the wink of an
eye. As a fringe benefit, we won't limit you to
three wishes here. Most anything your heart
desires in computers (sorry, we can't grant
wishes for romance or riches), you can get
from Qateway.
That's because we built our business by
listening to our customers' wishes and doing
everything in our power to make their dreams
come true. At Qateway, we believe you should
be able to have it all: the latest technology,
glittering performance, quality construction,
enchanting service and the fairest prices in the
land. All this from a financially healthy
company that won't run dry and leave you
stranded in the desert.
You don't have to settle for less. With
Qateway 2000, you can have it all. Draw up
your wish list and give us a call. We'll make
some truly magical values materialize for you.
GATEWW2000
8 -846-2000
So Powerful
It Can't Be A PC.
Transform Your PC With The
INTERACTIVE UNIX System.
Unleash the 32-bit power in your PC with
the INTERACTIVE'" UNIX 8 System from
SunSoft. Charge through applications at
record speeds. Use real-world multitasking
and networking. Get on the path to a
distributed computing future.
Just Say No To SCO.
Why? The INTERACTIVE UNIX System is easy to use, simple to
administer, all at a great price.
Open Systems Today* sap the INTERACTIVE UNIX "system
management. ..is easier to use and more comprehensive" than SCO'"
and "is simply a masterpiece of good design."
Looking Glass Professional" desktop manager makes the
INTERACTIVE UNIX System easy enough for novices, yet powerful
enough for experienced UNIX users. And the award winning Easy
Windows makes setting up graphic environments infinitely simpler.
You can't afford not to take advantage of the already low cost of
: INTERACTIVE UNIX System.
And SCO UNIX/XENIX* users can save an
additional 50% by switching to the
INTERACTIVE UNIX System today.
That's something to say yes to.
Everything You Like About
Your PC- And A Lot More.
INTERACTIVE UNIX System V/386 Release 3.2
supports hundreds of the most popular Intel-
based platforms and peripherals. So getting
started is fast, easy, and cost-effective.
Thousands of UNIX and XENIX applica-
tions are at your command. And our VP/ix
package runs virtually all DOS software.
You get Lotus',' WordPerfect' and Oracle*. You get SCO applications.
You get it all.
See What Develops.
The INTERACTIVE UNIX System is the environment of choice for 80X86
application development. You get access to a full range of development
tools including compilers, debuggers and libraries. And for graphical
applications, the XI 1 INTERACTIVE environment is a revelation.
Partner With Power.
The INTERACTIVE UNIX System is a powerful business partner for
companies who know something about power. Companies like BMW,
Goodyear, Leica, and Dunlop to name a few. That power can be yours,
too. All from SunSoft, the leading supplier of 32-bit UNIX system
software.
Call today and save 50% on UNIX power that's so cost-effective,
it can't be anything but a PC. 1-800-227-9227.
"Issue dale: April 13, 1992 ©1992 Sun Microsystems, inc. Sun, Sun Microsystems, lire Sun logo, SunSoft, the SunSoft Logo, VP/ix and Easy Windows are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. INTERACTIVE is a trademark of
INTERACTIVE Systems Corporation. UNlXis a registered trademark of UNIX System Laboratories, Inc. Looking Glass Professional is a trademark of Visix Software, Inc. All oilier trademarks and registered trademarks are the properties of their respective
holders. The promotional discount is available to SCO UNIX/XENIX users and is subject to certain restrictions. Contact SunSoft for terms and conditions of promotion. SunSoft reserves the right to stop the promotion at any time. .SunSoft can be reached
at 2550 GarciaAvenue, Mountain View, CA 94043. (510) 460-3267. B-3/93
Circle 1 74 on Inquiry Card .
EVTE
March 1993
Volume 18, Number 3
COVER STORY
FEATURE
Smarter E-Mail Is Coming
PAGE 90
SOLUTIONS FOCUS
A Review of E-Mail Packages
PAGE 136
■nrra
24 MICROBYTES
The first HDTV sets are not likely
to appear in U.S. homes before 1995,
yet companies from Microsoft
to HBO are already involved in
programming projects.
37 REPORT FROM INDIA
High-Tech Opportunities Abound
by Jay Remade
The government is high on growth
but down on imports.
40 FIRST IMPRESSIONS
A Spring Harvest
of Apple Macintoshes
£>v Tom Thompson
and Tom R. Half hill
With street prices of abotit $ 1 000
to $4500, these new Macs are price-
conscious and powerful.
90
46
Lotus 1-2-3 for OS/2 2.0
and Lotus Freelance Graphics
for OS/2 2.0, two major
applications for IBM's OS
Sparcstation LX, Sun' s feature-
packed little Unix box
Personal Communicator 440,
start-up EO does it right the first time
58
PowerExec EL, forgoing some
notebook frills means big savings
WHAT'S NEW
BriteL/te LX puts SPARC power on
the road, LANDesk simplifies network
management, and more.
FEATURES
Smarter E-Mail Is Coming
by Andy Reinhardt
Intelligent E-mail delivers more than messages. It will change how your
business works by improving communications and automating workflow.
THE VINES ADVANTAGE
bv Jon Udell
STATE OF THE ART
COLLABORATIVE COMPUTING
112 Overview: Collaborative Computing
by Jeffrey Hsu and Tony Lockwood
Computer technology brings workgroups closer.
THE PUBLIC REACTS
TO GROUP DECISION
SUPPORT SYSTEMS
by James D, Ccmtl
and Catherine M. Beise
123 Hitting Warp Speed
for LANs
by Mark A. Clarkson
Collaborative
computing demands
faster networks.
129 Better Than
Being There
by Tom Yager
Desktop video
conferencing is
on its way.
BEING HERE
AND THERE
by David H. Mitchell
4 BYTE • MARCH (993
COVER IMAGE: ELLE SCHUSTER 8 1993
REVIEWS
OPINIONS
136 SOLUTIONS FOCUS t>
Mixed Messaging
by Howard Eglowstein
and Ben Smith
Muitiplatform internetwork
mail can link diverse clients
on widespread networks.
E-MAIL FROM THE
WORKPLACE SHELL
by Jon Udell
156 A New Resolution
for Desktop Lasers
by G. Armour Van Horn
A comparison of the latest
600-dpi laser printers.
165 How to Deal with
Taxing Questions
by Kathleen LaRiviere
and Stan Miastkowski
Tax-preparation software for
DOS, the Mac, and Windows.
169 Compaq Stakes Out
Both Ends of the Server
Spectrum
by Barry Nance
Compaq's new high-end
Systempro/XL and low-end
ProSignia servers.
173 Two PowerBooks
Great and Small
by Tom Thompson
The PowerBook 180 and PowerBook Duo 230 show different design directions.
177 Visual Basic for Windows Gets a Face-Lift by Tom Yager
Microsoft improves its programming package with version 2.0.
181 Imagining the World by Raymond GA Cote
Macintosh software for simulating systems from the administrative office to the
factory floor.
183 REVIEWER'S NOTEBOOK
It Worked Fine a Minute Ago by Rick Grehan
Reflections on Macintosh compatibility problems.
73
184
256
12
20
HANDS ON
187 SOME ASSEMBLY 208
REQUIRED
Divide and Conquer
by Thomas Jeffries
Here's how to debug interrupt
service routines.
197 UNDER THE HOOD
CD-ROM Inside and Out 209
by Roger C. Alford
Exploring the complexities
of CD-ROM drives, discs,
and associated standards.
SOFTWARE CORNER
Automatic NetWare Log-Ins
by Barry Nance, Tom Thompson,
and Ben Smith
Let your applications log in
to NetWare; a Mac text editor;
and a graphics file viewer.
BEYOND DOS
Next-Generation OLE
by Bruce D. Schatzman
A faster, simpler OLE looms on
the horizon.
USER'S COLUMN
CD-ROM Secrets
by Jerry Poumelle
The trick to integrating CD-ROM
and Windows for Workgroups.
BOOK AND CD-ROM
REVIEWS
The AI Debate Revisited
by Hugh Kenner, Dick Pountain,
and Raymond GA Cote
What Computers Still Can 't Do,
guides to the Internet,
an updated Grolier's multimedia
encyclopedia, and more.
STOP BIT
Fractal Fantasies
by Clifford A. Pickover
Fractals add a new dynamic
to game design.
EDITORIAL
The State of BYTE
by Dennis Allen
LETTERS
Choosing a CPU; low-cost PCs;
BYTE's Windows issue;
and other topics.
READER SERVICE
254
Editorial Index by Company
250
Alphabetical Index to Advertisers
252
Index to Advertisers
by Product Category
Direct Link Cards: 252A
213
BUYER'S GUIDE
Mail Order
Hardware/Software Showcase
Buver's Mart
PROGRAM LISTINGS
From BIX: Join "Ustings/frombyte93" and
select the appropriate subarea (i.e., "mar93").
From the UUNET: ftp to ftp.uu.net, log on as
"anonymous," and enter your user ID as your
password. Type "cd/published/byte" and type
"DIR." Files appear in subdirectories arranged
by month.
From the BYTE BBS at 1200-9600 bps: Dial
(603) 924-9820 and follow the instructions at
the prompt.
BYTE (ISSN 0360-5280) is published monthly with additional issues in April and October by McGraw-Hill, Inc. U.S. subscriber rate S29.95 per year.
In Canada and Mexico, $34.95 per year. European surface mail subscriptions S60. airmail $80. Non-European subscriptions, 360 surface mail or
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Subscriptions. P.O. Box 552, Hightstown, NJ 08520.
INSIDE BYTE
COVER CORNER PHOTOGRAPHY: MEL LINDSTROM © 1993
MARCH 1993 'BYTE 5
I
fWE FIRST OPTICAL s-l&FiQ DMVI,
uiimirdlloloii norfonmiiio), . ,"
19 Technology • Irvine, CA 92718 • Int'l (714) 727-3300 • Fax (714) 727-1913
rr dfuve You'll
". . . IllO P1MO-6.SO V/iJS il
voiitiililo m<:!
G2SJ3 I wl nS"
GPIB • Data Acquisition • VXI • RS-232 • Instrument Drivers
ANALYSIS
3EnB^M ■[§ ; ■ jatuHmn t^H pxa i^H
| 1
Sk <"
s. 'M in
DSP • Statistics • Linear Algebra • Filters • Windows
PRESENTATION
= n@
BMBBiaB
u « « o a
119
Graphical User Interface • Hard Copy • File I/O
C and BASIC Programming
Graphical Programming
See us at PITTCON, Booth
Call for FREE demo disks
(800) 433-3488 (U.S. and Canada)
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©Copyright 1992 Nationallnstrumcnts Corporation. All rights reserved. Product and
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Circle 1 1 6 on Inquiry Card.
4207.
f
f¥ NATIONAL
M INSTRUMENTS
T/jt> Software is the Instrument ®
6504 Bridge Point Parkway
Austin, TX 78730-5039
Tel: (512) 794-0100
Fax:(512)794-8411
Talk about poetry in motion.
Introducing the IBM ThinkPad™ 300.
Less than six pounds of brilliance and beauty
that can accompany you hither and yon. And
won't cost you an outrageous fortune.
Introducing
ThinkPad
ThinkPad 300 comes with 4MB of
memory upgradable to 12MB and 80MB of
hard disk space, upgradable to 120MB.
There's even a math co-processor available.
But while ThinkPad is the ultimate tool
for your mind, we
didn't forget the
rest of you. So
there's a comfort-
able, economi-
cally designed
keyboard with a
numeric keypad
built in. And a
feature that lets
you take a break
and pick up where you left off. The display is
a big 9.5" with incredibly sharp 640x480
VGA resolution. Since complex ideas are
rarely black and white, ThinkPad displays 64
dramatic shades of gray — enough to express
the subtleties of anyone's gray matter.
ThinkPads set you free, with a world-
'Depending on usage and configuration. "'MSRP. Dealer prices may vary. IBM is a
registered trademark and ThinkPad, and HelpWare are trademarks of International
Business Machines Corporation. The Intel Inside Logo is a trademark of Intel
Corporation. © 1992 IBM Corp.
It's what Shakesp
used on a f li
I
wide AC adapter and a port replicator, so you
don't have to detach and reattach peripheral
cables when you take your
ThinkPad with you. There's
an Ethernet LAN port right
on the machine, with Data
Only (2400 baud) and Data/Fax
(2400/9600) modems available, too. The dual
VGA connector lets you display on other
monitors and keep the control right in your lap.
ltd. .
ThinkPad
Model 300
Processor
386SL/25 MHz
Display
9.5" Monochrome Display
64 Grayscale Screen
Battery Life*
4-10 Hours
Weight
5.9 Lbs.
Warranty
1 Year
Price**
$2,375
Alas, even great thinkers don't always
have all the answers. So ThinkPad comes
with HelpWare,™ an invaluable service pack-
age including a one-year international
warranty and 24-hour, seven-day-a-week
assistance by fax, electronic bulletin board
or toll-free phone, as you like it. To learn
more about ThinkPad, or to order, call
1 800 IBM-2YOU. Or visit your nearest
IBM authorized dealer.
And experience your next flight on a
higher plane.
:®
eare would have
ht to the coast
Circle 91 on Inquiry Card.
EDITORIAL
DENNIS
ALLEN
The State of BYTE
The changes we're
making this year are being
made for only one reason:
to serve you better
Since I offered my first state-of-BYTE editorial a
year ago, BYTE has made some important ad-
vances in how it serves you. And this year we
have even greater things in store for you. I would
like to share a glimpse of what you can expect
from BYTE in 1993. First, though, here's a quick re-
view of where we are today.
In 1992, BYTE began doing a new kind of cover story.
Our approach combines repor-
torial breadth with technical
depth — a combination that no
other computer magazine de-
livers. To accomplish that goal,
we literally threw all BYTE's
editorial resources at each
cover story. We garnered first-
hand reports from our bureaus
and staff editors, and, where appropriate, we backed it up
with testing from the BYTE Lab. The result has been
first-class articles that provide you with information not
available elsewhere. Even publications outside the com-
puter field, such as BusinessWeek and the Wall Street
Journal, have quoted from BYTE's cover stories.
Another change came in September 1992 with the
globalization of BYTE. Because technology and product
developments are not exclusive to North America, BYTE
is committed to covering the most important technologies
and products from around the world. BYTE also ex-
panded its worldwide position with translations in such
places as Brazil, Czechoslovakia, and Croatia.
Additionally, we produced two special issues in 1992:
BYTE's Essential Guide to Windows and Essential Guide
to Portable Computing. These issues departed from
BYTE's usual technology-centric coverage to provide
practical hands-on and buying information for the two
fastest growing segments of users.
All these changes were in direct response to your in-
formation needs. In 1993, BYTE will continue to re-
spond to your needs. We'll do so by applying the breadth
and depth of our cover stories to other feature articles.
BYTE will continue and strengthen its commitment to
worldwide reporting on technologies and products. We
will also continue to provide the two elements of BYTE
that you say you like best: our legendary State of the Art
articles that focus on a specific technology topic each
month, and the wit and wisdom of industry sage and user
advocate Jerry Poumelle. And this spring, BYTE will
introduce an updated look that will make finding the in-
formation you need easier.
In 1993, BYTE is committed to bringing you two
bonus issues on using Windows — one in the spring, the
other in the fall. We're also going to provide you with in-
formation in forms beyond the pages of a magazine.
We will be listening to you more closely than ever be-
fore. Don't be surprised if you receive a survey ques-
tionnaire — or a phone call — from BYTE editors, be-
cause we want to hear from you firsthand.
All this close communication brings me to our most im-
portant announcement of the year. In our May issue, we
will introduce the most exciting and innovative product
coverage ever. We know that you expect BYTE to write
about advanced technologies and leading-edge products,
and we will continue to fill that need in a way that only
BYTE can. However, we have learned that you also need
to know about commodity products for your organization.
In other words, it's not enough for BYTE to cover lead-
ing-edge dye-sublimation printers, for example — you
also need to know which personal laser printer is best
for the applications in your business.
Therefore, BYTE will provide large-scale exhaustive
testing on commodity products every month. The first
product-testing report will be on, you guessed it, printers,
and we won't cover just a select few. This roundup will
encompass virtually every significant printer on the mar-
ket. But we won't bore you with 80 to 120 pages of end-
less printer specifications and features lists; instead,
BYTE will deliver only the information you need, in a for-
mat that will make zeroing in on that information a cinch.
How can we do it? With our 20,000-square-foot state-
of-the-art testing facility, the National Software Testing
Labs in Philadelphia. No other computer magazine has
such a lab, and no other magazine is listening to its read-
ers in the way that BYTE does.
Moreover, at no other magazine on the planet can you
find a better qualified group of technical journalists/
engineers than at BYTE, BYTE Lab, and NSTL.
But it is you, BYTE's readers, who make BYTE a
success. No other group of readers demands the kind of
excellence in technical reporting that you do.
— Dennis Allen
Editor in Chief
12 BYTE • MARCH 1993
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Increased 386 Perform
AMD's 3-Volt 386 Microprocessors Deliver
The Longest Battery Life For Portable Computing.
The power struggle continues. While you can
get a 386 microprocessor that goes fast, you'll still
burn through a battery charge in a hurry. Low-
voltage 386 CPUs from AMD are the answer — the
Am386'"SXLV and Am386DXLV micro-
processors.
Here are two CPUs made not only to go
fast, but to go the distance with portable
computer users. Unlike common power- j; ... ,.
hungry 386s, these low-voltage CPUs mamuiein
run on 3 volts. And they automatically slip into a
static "sleep" mode to save power whenever the
processor is idle. So users depend less on recharge
units — and get the longest operational battery life.
Both Am 386 CPUs were designed to fit as
comfortably in your budget as they do
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Now there's nothing
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For more information on low-voltage 386 micro-
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EVTE
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Dennis Allen
PUBLISHER
Ronald W. Evans
HOW TO CONTACT THE EDITORS
EXECUTIVE EDITORS
New York: Rich Malloy
Peterborough: Rich Friedman
MANAGING EDITOR
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ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITOR
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NEWS
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News Editors, What's New: Martha Hicks,
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New York:
News Editor: Ed Perratore
BYTE LAB
Senior Editor & Director: A\an Joch
Technical Director: Rick Grehan
Technical Editors:
Stephen Apiki: systems, networking
Stanford Diehl; graphics software,
add-ins, peripherals
Tom Yager: multimedia, Unix, operating
systems, software development
Testing Editors/Engineers: Howard
Eglowstein, Ben Smith, Stanley Wszola
Lab Assistant: Selinda Chiquoine
STATE OF THE ART/FEATURES
Senior Editor: Michael Nadeau
Technical Editors: Janet J. Barron,
Anthony J. Lockwood, Robert M. Ryan
SENIOR TECHNICAL EDITORS
At Large: Tom Thompson, Jon Udell
Columns: Rob Mitchell
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Ellen Bingham, Susan Colwell, Jeff
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Don Crabb, Anne Fischer Lent, Laurence
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Jane Morrill Tazelaar, Ellen Ullman,
Peter Wayner
INTERACTIVE ON-LINE SERVICE
PRODUCT MANAGER
Kip Bryan
EXCHANGE EDITORS
Amiga Exchange: Joanne Dow
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Rich Taylor
IBM Exchange: Barry Nance
Programmers Exchange: Bill Nicholls
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Tojerry Exchange: Jerry Pournelle
WIX Exchange: Karen Kenworthy
Writers Exchange: Wayne Rash Jr.
EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS
Office Manager: Peggy Dunham
Assistants: Linda C. Ryan, Janet A. Young
DESIGN
Director: Nancy Rice
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Director: Claudia Flowers
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Production Manager: David R. Anderson
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Graphics Production Coordinators:
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Advertising Services Manager: Linda Fluhr
Senior Advertising Services
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Quality Control Manager: Wai-Chiu Li
Operations Assistant: Lisa Jo Steiner
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Senior Financial Analyst: Kenneth A. King
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16 BYTE • MARCH 1993
ON ONE HAND,
PROJECT
MANAGEMENT
CAN BE A REAL
HEADACHE.
fiffT '<™
rJx'Hi/ 1 ' MICROSOFT
PRQJECT& WINDOWS.
■
You work hard enough plan-
ning your projects; why not let
Microsoft 8 Project 3.0 for Windows"
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With clear graphs, you'll be
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Project helps you see how it will
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Assigning a new job? Just
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Mcrosoft Project can help you
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And if you need to get off to
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You can even exchange files
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your Mac? Either way, why not
plan on the leading project man-
agement software? Microsoft
Project 3.0 - it takes the pain out
of planning.
Making it easier
5 1 993 Microsoft Corporation. All tights reserved. Printed in the USA. Microsoft is a registered tradematk and Windows and the Windows logo ate ttadcmatks of Microsoft Corporation. Mac is a registeted trademark of Apple Computet,
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CIPRICO
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© 1995, Mylex Corporation. Specifications subject to
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Circle 1 1 3 on Inquiry Card.
LETTERS
The Truth About OS/2
I want to clarify one point in Jerry Pour-
nelle's comments about OS/2 2.0 ("Pon-
dering OS/2," November 1992). Referring
to Windows 3.1 bundled applications like
Paintbrush and Write, he states that "if you
had a bunch of Windows 3. 1 applications
on your hard disk, this is probably one of
them and you'll get a message that the ap-
plications can't be run. Considerable time
is wasted to no purpose." But Windows
3.1 -compatible programs definitely work
under OS/2 2.0. Some people misunder-
stood the phrase and asked me if OS/2 2.0
can't run any Windows 3.1-aware applications. I run
Windows applications like Atech's AllType font-conver-
sion program without problems.
Fernando Cassia
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Upgrading Made Easier
I appreciated the timeliness of Andy Redfern's article
"Make the Right CPU Move" (December 1992). I
wanted to upgrade my 386SX/25 to remain more current
but was unsure of the best path to take. Since I wanted to
realize a major performance improvement but not at an
astronomical cost, I had narrowed it down to either the
386DX/40 or the 486DX/33. The article clearly showed
that there is not enough difference, performance-wise, to
justify the extra cost of the 486 for my applications. I'll
upgrade to the 386DX/40 and wait for the P5.
Also, thanks to Jerry for telling the truth about OS/2's
installation: If you read the manuals, it's as easy as insert-
ing one disk after another — it is boring, but hardly diffi-
cult.
Larry Field
College Station, TX
Static Shock
I was shocked when I saw the November 1992 What's
New item "Create a New Ion Field" (page 82), which
describes a device called the Perfect-Aire 100.
There is no such thing as an ion field. There is also no
such thing as ion radiation (except maybe in particle ac-
celerators, and that's stretching it). There is certainly no
such thing as electrostatic radiation: By definition, static
electricity is static and thus cannot radiate anything.
On top of that, I do not think this kind of device has
ever been proved to have any beneficial effect in reducing
static. Rather, it often uses high voltages, which tend to
produce ozone — a poison if the concentration is too high.
Jean-Pierre Weber, Ph.D. in E.E.
Stockholm, Sweden
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letters@bytepb.byte.com. Letters may be edited.
Investment Credit
While many companies may be trading
off long-term R&D against short-
term financial gain with the new, low-cost
personal computers coming out ("Penny-
Pinching PCs: How They Did It," Novem-
ber 1992), not all are cutting back on R&D
spending. Apple has increased spending
on R&D (26 percent from 1991). Also, the
construction of Apple's new R&D campus
(Cupertino, CA) demonstrates that not all
companies coming out with low-cost per-
sonal computers are taking a short-term
view of their future.
Mark Boudreau
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Windows Rebellion?
It was interesting to contrast the tone of BYTE's Essen-
tial Guide to Windows (1992) with that of "Penny-
Pinching PCs: How They Did It" (November 1992). The
former referred to the huge amount of disk storage and
RAM required to run Windows applications. The consen-
sus seemed to be a 200-MB hard drive and 8 MB of RAM;
a 486 was recommended. In the discussion of the inexpen-
sive PCs (made by Compaq, AST Research, IBM, and so
on), the configuration was more like a 40-MB drive, 4 MB
of RAM, and a 386SX. Unless there is a wholesale rebel-
lion against Windows applications because of their exces-
sive hardware requirements, I fear that the marketing of
low-end PCs by high-end companies will fail.
Henry T. Minden
Concord, MA
Where are all the Windows enthusiasts your PC jour-
nalists cite in BYTE's Essential Guide to Windows,
1992? The Windows users I see are usually victims of
managers trying to entice computer phobics and novices
to the system or of their vendor's greedy deals with the
Microsoft juggernaut. Enthusiastic PC users gave up on
DOS long ago. Most that I know are using OS/2 2.0 and
find it a much better platform for their DOS applications
than DOS, and especially better than Windows. OS/2's
support for Windows applications is a useful bonus.
Joseph C. Hager
San Francisco, CA
FIXES
• In BYTE's Essential Guide to Portable Computing,
1992, on page 26 we referred to Mitsuba as a manu-
facturer of floppy drives as well as notebook computers.
Mitsuba does not make floppy drives.
• In "Fast Transit" (October 1992), Henry Quan is identi-
fied as president of ATI Technologies. Quan is vice
president of marketing. ■
20 BYTE • MARCH 1993
Important News
For The Power Hungry:
Your Dinner's Ready.
U ome and get it.
The new Amiga® 3000T multimedia
workstation tower -the most expandable,
flexible Amiga ever built.
Now powered by a 25 MUZ Motorola
68040 CPU, the A3000T is faster than ever
before. (Current A3000T
users can upgrade to a 040-
based accelerator card.)
The A3000T features a
200MB hard disk drive. A 3.5" floppy disk
drive. 5MB of RAM, expandable to 18MB.
And 32-bit bus architecture to transfer mam-
moth amounts of information at breakneck
speed. The truly power
famished will be happy to know
that the A3000T is stuffed
with an abundant selection of
expansion slots. There's
a co-processor slot. A
video slot for inter-
nal devices. Up to
four PC slots. And
up to five Zorro
III slots. Every
Amiga 3000 series
computer comes with
Commodore Express'" Gold Service options*
And convenient leasing terms are available.
Now, you'd expect a power feast like
this to carry a fat price tag. But now with our
new low price, you can sit down to an Amiga
3000T for just $2,875** Which in itself is a
powerful reason for seeing your Commodore
dealer today. For a dealer
near you, call
1-800-66-AMIGA.
In Canada, call
1-800-661-AMIGA.
Bon appetit.
*^n
C* Commodore
AMIGA
■a
© 1992 Commodore Business Machines inc. Commodore and the Commodore logo are trademarks of Commodore Electronics Ltd. Amiga is a trademark of
Commodore -Amiga,- Inc. Products available on GSA schedule GS-O0K-9I -AGS-5069. * Available only on systems purchased in the U.S. through an authorized Commodore -Amiga dealer. Customer activation
required. Some optional programs include a charge. **MSRP, monitor sold separately.
Circle 75 on Inquiry Card.
Iomega 21MB Floptical Drive.
A standard floppy drive and a
21MB floppy drive in one.
• Reads/writes to standard floppy diskettes.
• Up to 3 times faster than floppies.
• Holographic Optical Tracking for added reliability and speed
• New Iomega laser-etched media — every one is a master.
Bernoulli MultiDisk 150.
Handles like a floppy,
performs like a hard disk.
• 150MB capacity.
• 18-msec effective access time.
• Rugged Bernoulli Technology.
• Disks also available in 105, 65,
and 35MB capacities.
• Reads/writes 90MB Bernoulli Disks, reads 44MB Bernoulli Disks.
'Awards won for products using Bernoulli Technology.
S1993 Iomega Corp. Iomega, the Iomega logo, Bernoulli, and Bernoulli Technology are registered trademarks, and MultiDisk and LaserSafe
call 1-800-456-5522. In Europe, call 49-761-45040. For worldwide customer
Hold everything!
Iomega introduces storai
solutions for everyone.
febfe lG ,
"Qneto..
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Never-ending storage solutions.
Windows, DTP, CAD, graphics, multimedia, data-
bases, programming. Today's demanding software
needs powerful storage — removable storage.
At Iomega, our solutions are the easiest way
to share, transport and protect your data. And
they never fill up. You just insert new media.
A company you can trust.
Iomega has won more awards than any other
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PRO.
Iomega LaserSafe
Rewritable 1GB
magneto-optical drive.
• 35-msec seek time.
• Disks have 30-year shelf life. "„
• Dual-mode switch lets drive be
operated as fixed or removable.
• ISO compatible, so it reads & writes to 650MB MO disks.
are trademarks of Iomega Corp. Floptical is a registered trademark of INSITE Peripherals, Inc. All other products are trademarks of their holders. For customer service in U.S.A. and Canada
service, call 1-801-778-3000. For accessory items, call I0MART at 1-800-723-3770.
Circle 94 on Inquiry Card.
NEWS
MICROBYTES
HDTV Presages a New Wave of Intelligent
Entertainment; Computer Companies Watching
The first HDTV sets, which will offer brighter, wider, and clearer displays than
that of today's TVs, will not likely start appearing in U.S. homes before the
1995-1996 time frame. Yet companies ranging from Microsoft to HBO (Home
Box Office) are investigating the on-demand delivery of digital TV programs,
where the HDTV not only plays the program but actually scans for programming
that interests you and delivers it for viewing at your convenience.
Last December, at the HDTV and Future Television conference run by Meckler,
Ltd. (+44 071 976 0405) and held in London, Nathan Myhrvold, Microsoft's vice
president of advanced technology, said the company plans to help produce enter-
tainment systems that contain computers running a version of Microsoft Windows.
Users will preprogram these HDTVs to scan an electronic programming guide and
select a particular type of program or movie that appeals to them. Future enter-
tainment centers could also encompass integrated multimedia and movies in which
the audience participates with and influences the outcome of a program.
With their 16-10-9 (width-to-height) aspect ratios, HDTV screens are wider than
standard TV screens, which traditionally have 4-to-3 aspect ratios. And with display
resolution in the range of 1920 by 1035 pixels, HDTV display resolution is much
higher than regular TV's and closer to that of a 35mm film.
HDTV is important to an on-demand information delivery, because it offers pic-
ture resolution that's sharp enough to clearly display text. Because most of the
new HDTV sets will have considerable built-in digital logic, they will take a more
active role in entertainment delivery than do today's passive TVs. With standard,
smaller picture TV, screen real estate is at a premium. But HDTV screens are
rarely less than 32-inches diagonal in size, which should allow enough room for the
TV picture, with menus and status indicators at one side of the screen.
Since 1989, Japan has pioneered HDTV broadcasting with daily transmission.
Junji Matsuzaki, director of the HDTV division of NHK Broadcasting, Japan, says
that "100,000 Japanese households can now receive NHK's HiVision HDTV satel-
lite broadcasts." In Europe, programs from the 1992 Summer Olympics in Spain were
transmitted using the HD-MAC (High-Definition Multiplexed Analog Compo-
nents) standard. In the U.S., four all-digital systems for terrestrial broadcast HDTV
have been proposed to the FCC, which is expected to choose its standard before the
end of the year.
Myhrvold said cable TV systems will likely be the primary providers of interactive
HDTV programming in the U.S. He adds, "If you already have digital transmission
with cable TV systems, why not [offer] two-way capability and integrate the service
with these enhanced entertainment systems?" Robert M. Zitter, senior vice presi-
dent of HBO's Technology Operations Division, said that in early 1994, direct
satellite-to-home broadcasting will start in the U.S, which should help accelerate
HDTVs acceptance.
HDTV is already starting to make inroads into high-end graphics displays. Su-
permac Technologies (Sunnyvale, CA) and Intelligent Resources (Arlington Heights,
IL) have released video cards that let you connect an HDTV monitor to a Mac.
HDTV systems are expensive, but Larry Thorpe, vice president, production tech-
nologies, Sony Advanced Systems division (Montvale, NT), expects the price of the
monitors to come down as they become more widely used. NHK Broadcasting's
Matsuzaki-san believes that the average 32-inch HDTV set will fall in price below
500,000 yen (about US$4000) this year.
— Trevor Marshall
NANO BYTES
Researchers at Bellcore Labs
(Red Bank, NJ) say they have cre-
ated experimental prototypes of a
rechargeable lithium-ion battery
that could result in AA-size batter-
ies that can run about three times
longer than current products. Re-
searchers had known that re-
chargeable batteries could be im-
proved with lithium-based
technology, but safety and envi-
ronmental problems with using
pure lithium metal prevented lithi-
um-based batteries from entering
the marketplace. Bellcore scien-
tists say they eliminated these
problems by replacing the highly
reactive lithium metal with lithium
compounds and graphite. □
Next Computer hopes to boost
sales into the European-finance
and public-service markets
through an agreement signed with
Norwegian server-supplier Dol-
phin Server Technology. Steve
Jobs, Next CEO, announced in
London that Dolphin will sell
Next workstations as clients for its
Unix-based server workstations.
Dolphin will license the Database
Kit in NextStep 3.0 and the Net-
Info administration software. □
At the Technologic Partner's Per-
sonal Computer Outlook confer-
ence, the following interchange
took place between moderator
Richard Shaf-
fer and Vern
Raburn,
chairman of
Slate, which
develops pen-
based appli-
cations:
Shaffer: So,
Vern. What's
happened this
year [1992] in pen computing?
Raburn: Nothing happened in pen
computing! That's the problem. □
24 BYTE • MARCH 1993
Deliverin
TT
H
,T
Windows" NT Development Tools from WATCOM
Featuring powerful new GUI debugger
NOW available in Beta
Calll-800-265-4555
"' ^n to enroll.
nanftzfii
► The Wide
32-bit DOS, 32-bit Windows, OS/2
► The Industry's Leading Code Optimizer
Advanced global optimizer with new 486 optimizati' —
► The Most Comprehensive Toolset
Debugger, profiler, protected-rhode compiler and linker,
32-bit DOS extender with royalty-free run-time, license!
components from Microsoft SDK, and more
► The Best Value in 32-Bit Tools:
Unleash 32-bit Power!
WATCOM C9.0/386 lets you exploit the two key 32-bit
performance benefits. The 32-bit flat memory model
simplifies memory management and lets applications address
beyond the 640K limit. Powerful 32-bit instruction processing
delivers a significant speed advantage: typically at least a 2x
speedup.
You Get:
► 100% ANSI and SAA compatible compiler and libraries C9.0/ 386
passes all Plum Hall Validation Suite tests
► Extensive Microsoft compatibility simplifies porting of 16- bit code
► Royalty-free run-time for 32-bit DOS, Windows and OS/2 apps
► Comprehensive toolset includes debugger, linker, profiler and more
► DOS extender support for Rational, Phar Lap and Ergo
► Run-time compatible with WATCOM FORTRAN 77/386
32-bit DOS support includes the DOS/4GW 32-bit DOS extender by
Rational Systems with royalty-free runtime license
► Virtual Memory support up to 32Mb
32-bit WindOWS support enables development and debugging of
true 32-bit GUI applications and DLL's.
► Includes licensed Microsoft SDK components
32-bit OS/2 2.0 support includes development for multiple target
environments including OS/2 2,0, 32-bit DOS and 32-bit Windows
► Access to full OS/2 2.0 API including Presentation Manager
► Integrated with IBM Workframe/2 Environment
AutoCAD ADS and ADI Development: Everything you need to
develop and debug ADS and ADI applications for AutoCAD Release 1 1
Novell's Network CforNLM's SDK includes C/386
The Industry's
Choice.
Autodesk, Robert Wenig, Manager, AutoCAD for Windows:
"At Autodesk, we're using WATCOM C/386 in the development
of strategic new products since it gives us a competitive edge
through early access to new technologies. We also highly
recommend WATCOM C/386 to third party AutoCAD add-on
(ADS and ADI) developers."
FOX Software, David Fulton, President: "FoxPro 2.0 itself is
written in WATCOM C, and takes advantage of its many superior
features. Optimizing for either speed or compactness is not
uncommon, but to accomplish both was quite remarkable."
GO, Robert Can; Vice President of Software: "After looking at the
32-bit Intel 80x86 tools available in the industry, WATCOM C was
the best choice. Key factors in our decision were performance,
functionality, reliability and technical support."
IBM, John Soyring, Director of OS/2 Software Developer Programs:
"IBM and WATCOM are working together closely to integrate these
compilers with the OS/2 2.0 Programmer's Workbench."
LotUS, David Reed, Chief Scientist and Vice President, Pen-Based
Applications: "In new product development we're working with
WATCOM C because of superior code optimization, responsive
support, and timely delivery of technologies important to us like
p-code and support for GO Corp's. PenPoint."
Novell, Nancy Woodward, VP. and G.M., Development Products:
"We searched the industry for the best 386 C compiler technology
to incorporate with our developer toolkits. Our choice was
WATCOM."
WDBLDi
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WATt
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LANGUAGE
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taxes where applicable. Authorized dealers may sell for less. WATCOM C and Lightning Device are trademarks of WATCOM
International Corp. D0S/4G and D0S/1 6M are trademarks of Rational Systems Inc. Other trademarks are the properties pf their
respective cwners. Copyright 1992 WATCOM International Corp,
Circle 163 on Inquiry Card.
NEWS
MICROBYTES
Popular 486 Sees High Demand in Europe
LONDON — Europe faces a potential
shortage of 486 chips in the first quar-
ter, with vendors saying that Intel has
warned that those without a consignment
on order should not expect to obtain parts
early this year. The processor family is in
heavy demand due to a larger-than-expect-
ed need for the 486 family and the rush of
vendors wanting to deliver low-cost 486-
based PCs, said Nick Wood, Intel's tech-
nical marketing manager at Intel U.K.
Companies that buy 486 chips on the open
market — in particular, through the so-called
"gray" market from other PC makers —
may face a tough time, Wood conceded.
"A significant change in demand for
486s started in Q3 last year, compounded
by the market reaching an overall size of 30
million units [for all PC processors world-
wide], compared to a Dataquest forecast of
23 million," Wood said. "Ql will be tough,
but we should be able to meet all market
requirements." About 60 percent of PCs
now shipping are 486-based, Wood added.
Chris Bakolas, Dan Technology's tech-
nical director in the U.K., confirmed that
Intel was warning vendors about potential
1993 shortages as long ago as October 1992.
Michael Spiro, financial director of direct-
vendor Elonex, said PC vendors that buy
their 486s through the U.K. chip distribution
channels may not get enough chips. Chip
shortages could recur later this year.
— Dom Pancucci
IBM No Ostrich in Anticipation of NT, Cairo
While Microsoft readies Windows NT,
IBM is busily preparing OS/2 2.1.
John Patrick, vice president of marketing
and sales for IBM's Personal Software
Products division, said IBM hopes its 5000-
site beta test of OS/2 2. 1 will help it avoid
mistakes made with version 2.0. The haste
with which IBM released OS/2 2.0 result-
ed in about 200 bugs.
Version 2. 1 will have seamless support
for Windows 3.1 standard mode (with ex-
tra drivers for printers and other hardware),
the 32-bit graphics engine, and bug fixes. It
will also have 256-color XGA and Super
VGA drivers, Advanced Power Manage-
ment support, PCMCIA-card enabling, pen
support, a fax send/receive applet, and for
Win-OS/2 users, the Windows File Man-
ager and TrueType fonts. What's missing is
seamless support for IBM's 8514 graph-
ics standard. "All in all, it's the best beta
I've seen to run with all these features,"
said Steve Mastrianni, president of Per-
sonal Systems Software (Unionville, CT).
IBM's PSP division is not focusing its
development efforts solely on the 32-bit
Intel version of OS/2, however. Patrick
said the company is targeting a "Work-
place Shell-like" GUI-based version of
PC-DOS — tentatively called Workplace
DOS — at users of 286 and lower-end 386
systems. IBM may come out with pen ex-
tensions for this PC-DOS and a ROM ver-
sion of Workplace DOS. IBM also expects
to go into beta test this year with a version
of OS/2 running on the Mach microkernel.
Also, Taligent spokeswoman Loretta
Stagnetto said that the company hopes
this year to announce business and prod-
uct strategies for the microkernel-based,
object-oriented operating system it hopes
will win out over Microsoft's upcoming
Cairo and other systems.
— Ed Perratore
Intel Faces Competition on Low and High End
BURLINGAME, Calif.— Smaller Intel-
clone chip makers AMD (Sunnyvale,
CA) and Cyrix (Richardson, TX) are up-
beat in their assessments about their ability
to compete. At the Technologic Partner's
Personal Computer Outlook conference,
executives from AMD, Cyrix, Sun Mi-
crosystems, and AST Research concluded
that despite the massive Intel Inside cam-
paign, most users don't care about proces-
sor name brand, provided the chip is 1 00
percent compatible and performs well.
Cyrix's CEO Jerry Rogers said that as a
fabless chip maker, Cyrix has concentrat-
ed on its strengths and enlisted the aid of
Texas Instruments. Subodh Taprani, AMD
director of marketing and systems, said
AMD has seen strong demand for its 386
chips, noting that it set a record for its 386
unit sales during the third quarter of last
year. AMD plans to release a 486-com-
patible chip later this year.
As Intel prepares to unleash the first Pen-
tium processors and move its user base from
the 486 to its next-generation processor, it
faces competition from the likes of the Mips
R4000 and DEC's Alpha microprocessor.
— Patrick Waurzyniak
NANOBYTES
In an ironic twist of fate, Borland
International founder Philippe
Kahn blames Microsoft for start-
ing a price war that he said forced
Borland to lay
off 350 peo-
ple — 15 per-
cent of his
company — two-
weeks before
Christmas.
"It's painful,
it's no fun, but
we have to do
it," said Kahn.
"Microsoft has
been extremely aggressive, and
we think there will be more price
wars in the future." Kahn attacked
Microsoft's pricing strategy for
Access, a Windows database pro-
gram introduced last November.
Kahn said Microsoft mailed litera-
ture that advertised Access at
$695 and then slashed the intro-
ductory price to $99. Ironically,
Borland used a similar strategy a
few years ago when introducing
Quattro Pro. Observers said that
things would not be so bad for
Borland had it not been so late in
releasing its Paradox for Windows
(which should be released by
now) and dBase for Windows
(slated for mid-1993 release). □
Microsoft (Redmond, WA) denies
that its $99 introductory offer for
Access was a cruel attempt to
squash Borland. Charles Stevens,
general manager of Microsoft's
Database and Programmability
Group, told BYTE that Microsoft
was only trying to establish a new
database program in an entrenched
market. Nevertheless, users report
that the first version of Access
could have benefited from code
optimization. One user complained
that Microsoft technical support
recommended that he upgrade his
40-MHz 386 machine to at least 8
MB of RAM to achieve acceptable
performance. This despite the fact
that Microsoft's Access box reads
that the program runs on a 386SX
with 2 MB of RAM; "4 MB [of
RAM] recommended." □
26 BYTE • MARCH 1993
Fina% full-motion
video tor your PC.
Now you can create full-motion
video and multimedia presenta-
tions right on your desktop PC
with Video Blaster™ hardware and
Microsoft® Video for Windows™
software. Everything you need is
right in the Video
Blaster box.
Complete video
hardware PLUS full-
motion multimedia
software...
Video Kit for special effects and
JPEG compression software to
store images in a fraction of the
disk space required
by other PC video
systems.
Microsoft Video for Windows:
puts the power of full-motion digital
video onto your PC screen.
Video Blaster lets you
capture, freeze, store, manipulate and export fully-
scalable digital video images from as many as
three sources (both PAL and NTSC).
Video for Windows software adds Windows-
compatible, Audio- Video Interleave (AVI) format to
your Video Blaster hardware. So you can now cap-
ture and store full-motion video and incorporate it
into OLE-compatible applications.
Use the two together to produce
and edit full-color digital video
sequences in a resizable window.
Combine still and moving video
with computer-generated graphics
and animation, or overlay text and
graphics onto live video. With just
these tools and a video source, you've got an entire
multimedia video studio on your desktop.
To add CD-quality 16-bit stereo sound and
on-screen digital mixing, just plug in a
Sound Blaster'" 16 ASP™ or other
Sound Blaster audio card. Your presenta-
tions will sound as good as they look.
Included in your Video Blaster package is
over $1500 in software-including Macromind
Action!™ and Tempra™ presentation packages for
DOS or Windows environments. Plus Creative Labs'
...all in one
package.
t,, ,1 i , Special Edition
Its the complete { empmGIFand
multimedia author- SHOW:forDOS.
ing and editing
solution. Everything you need to
get rolling with full-motion multimedia video. . .
and all at a price you can afford.
For more information and the name of your
nearest dealer, call 1-800-647-9933.
Creative Labs and Microsoft
team up to offer state-of-the-art
PC video far less than $500*
W4
ACTION! -
MacroMind
Action! for
Windows.
:C ^ Other
-Customer-
Charles Foster Ka
Floral & Hearty, ln<
14 Rosebud Lane
Pasadena, CA 90C
1-800 225-5224, E
M Ship To Address
D Bill To Address
The Rose: A beautiful,
fragrant blossom; it is the
symbol of eternal love
and. happiness.
Connection Status
C0H1: 9660
A
ab|
X4=
El ®
□
H
sers, Wake Up
he Windows.
H-
190
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chFTD
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rder
1
ngup
DO
CA-dBFast includes Windows
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Free
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II
NEWS
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
A Spring Harvest of
Apple Macintoshes
TOM THOMPSON AND TOM R. HALFHILL
Six new computers
redefine the Mac
product line
In 1990 Apple began its major assault on the
_ microcomputer market with six new machines.
No portion of the market was left untouched:
- The Mac Classic II, with its black-and-white
display, targeted the low-cost segment, while
two 68040-based Macs, the Quadra 700 and
900, took the high-end, high-performance territory. For the on-the-go office work-
er, the PowerBooks — three notebook Macs with black-and-white screens — of-
fered many features that PC notebook computers lacked. Since then, Apple has
made enhancements to these product lines, such as a faster Quadra (the Quadra
950) and more powerful notebooks with gray-scale displays (the PowerBook 180
and PowerBook Duo 230).
On February 10, Apple unleashed its second wave in the market-share war. As be-
fore, the company introduced six Macs that compose a sweeping revision of its
product line. Among the changes is the first compact Mac with a color screen, the
first PowerBook with a color screen, and a new Quadra with a shorter mini-tower
design. A newly introduced Centris series — a set of 68040-based midrange com-
puters — is intended to replace the Mac II line. Also shown was the Mac LC III, a
high-powered successor to the LC II.
Willi street prices likely to range from
$1000 to $4500. these new Macs address
the price-conscious segment of the micro-
computer market while delivering pro-
cessing power. Because low-end Macs
now account for the vast majority of Ap-
ple's unit sales, we'll start at the bottom of
the product line and work our way up. We
looked at preproduction units of each mod-
el. Note that the prices given here are pre-
liminary and may change by press time.
Color Classic
Low-cosi computing on the Mac tradi-
tionally meant sacrificing color capability.
This is no longer true. The Color Classic's
built-in monitor uses a 76-dot-per-inch,
10- inch-diagonal Sony Trinitron tube that
displays a 512- by 384-pixel screen. Pre-
vious compact Mac screens — such as the
Classic II — are only 512 by 342 pixels,
making the Color Classic's screen taller
by 42 pixel lines. To accommodate the
larger tube, Apple slightly altered the com-
pact case design, using a larger front bezel
that also includes a built-in microphone.
As with the Classic II. the Color Clas-
sic's main logic board uses a 16-MHz
68030 processor and has 4 MB of RAM
standard (the Classic II initially had only 2
MB of RAM, but since mid-1992, Apple
has been shipping the unit with 4 MB).
RAM is expandable to 10 MB using 30-pin
RAM SIMMs. There is 256 KB of 100-
nanosecond VRAM (video RAM) that lets
40 BYTE • MARCH 1993
PHOTOGRAPHY: MEL LINDSTROM 1993
NEWS
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
the computer display 256 colors on-screen.
You can expand it to 512 KB by adding a
VRAM SIMM; the system can then dis-
play 32,768 colors.
The Color Classic still uses a 16-bit-
wide bus that reduces system costs, but at
the expense of throughput. However, the
video-frame buffer now resides in VRAM
rather than in main memory and thus elim-
inates a performance hit that hobbled the
Classic's design. In the old design, as the
video circuits periodically accessed mem-
ory to refresh the screen, they blocked the
processor's access to the bus, which de-
grades overall performance. With the
video-frame buffer in separate VRAM on
the Color Classic, both video and proces-
sor operations run unimpeded. The result
should be better performance, and the pre-
liminary BYTE low-level benchmark re-
sults (see the figure) support this conclu-
sion. The Color Classic is about as fast as
a Mac LC II, or about Mac II caliber.
Normally, the compact Mac design of-
fers limited expansion options, but here's
where the Color Classic really breaks with
tradition. First, there's a socket for a 68882
FPU. Next, there's a 96-pin PDS (Proces-
sor Direct Slot) that's electrically and phys-
ically compatible with Mac LC and LC II
expansion boards. Finally, you can junk
the Torx screwdriver and case-cracking
tools required to open older compact Macs.
Just tug on two tabs at the bottom rear of
the computer to remove a panel, and the
main logic board slides out, letting you
easily add extra RAM, the FPU, or an LC
or LC II expansion board. This arrange-
ment also prevents exposure to the haz-
ardous voltages lurking in the color-video
circuitry.
A Color Classic with 4 MB of RAM
and a 40-MB hard drive costs $ 1 300. The
68000-based Classic is being discontin-
ued, with the Classic II taking its place as
the lowest-cost Mac. No upgrade path from
a Classic II to a Color Classic is offered.
Mac LC HI
As limited as its expansion options are (a
single PDS slot and no FPU), the Mac LC
II is Apple's best-selling computer. The
company asked users what design im-
provements they'd like to see in the com-
puter. The answers were, allow more mem-
ory, add more display options, and make it
faster. The LC III does these things — and
more. A new controller chip — an enhanced
derivative of a Mac LC ASIC (applica-
tion-specific IC) — enables you to expand
RAM to 36 MB (up from 10 MB). The
main logic board has 4 MB of 80-ns RAM
soldered to it, and a single SIMM socket
provides memory expansion using a high-
density SIMM. The LC III uses an indus-
try-standard 72-pin SIMM, rather than the
30-pin SIMMs found in other Macs.
The LC Ill's built-in video supports a
bevy of monitors, from Apple's 12-inch
RGB display (5 12 by 384 pixels) to its 16-
inch display (832 by 624 pixels) and VGA
monitors. The 5 12 KB of 80-ns VRAM
soldered to the main logic board supports
8-bit pixels (256 colors) on these screens.
A single SIMM socket lets you add 256
KB of VRAM (for a total of 768 KB) so
that you can view 16-bit images (32,768
colors) on 14-inch monitors (640 by 480
pixels).
The LC Ill's 68030 processor is clocked
at 25 MHz (up from 1 6 MHz), and there's
a socket for a 68882 FPU. More impor-
tant, the LC III uses a 32-bit-wide bus.
whereas the LC II's bus was only 16 bits
wide (a cost-cutting move, as in the Clas-
sic design). The end result is that the LC III
serves up nearly Mac Ilci performance,
according to the BYTE benchmarks. A
notched 1 14-pin PDS connector accepts
existing 96-pin LC II expansion boards,
with a maximum power budget of 4 watts.
An LC III with 4 MB of RAM and a 40-
MB hard drive costs $1300. Mac LC II
owners can rest easy: Through a logic-
board swap, they can upgrade their com-
puters for $599, although they will have
to replace the old RAM^The LC II won't
be discontinued; instead, its price will be
lowered.
Centris 610
With the market's low end firmly anchored
by the Classic II, Color Classic, LC II, LC
III, and the Performa line, Apple turned
its attention to the aging 68030-based Mac
II line. The top performer here has been
the 25-MHz Mac Ilci, whose design is
more than three years old. The new Centris
610 and 650 computers are low-cost
68040-based midrange Macs.
Tight integration of components has re-
duced the 10 custom ASICs used in the
Quadra 950 design to only three, which
reduces the cost of the Centris computers
and the 33-MHz Quadra 800 (described
later). One of these chips, the memory-
controller ASIC (MEMC), now lets you
mix different-density RAM SIMMs (as
long as they are 4 MB or larger) on the
main logic board. At boot-up time, the
MEMC maps the different-size chunks of
RAM into one contiguous memory space.
Throughput wasn't sacrificed while cut-
ting costs. Both Centris computers use the
53C96 SCSI controller, the same one
found in the Quadras. This controller has a
maximum transfer rate of 5 Mbps, versus
the 53C80 found in other Macs that han-
dles only 1.5 Mbps. The I/O bus in the
Quadra design has practically disappeared,
MARCH 1993 -BYTE 41
NEWS
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
with most I/O signals and controls com-
bined into one ASIC (the IOSB). The
IOSB is clocked at CPU speeds, so on the
Quadra 800 most I/O operations run at 33
MHz. The exception is the Ethernet con-
troller, which runs at 16 MHz.
The Centris 6 1 is a low-profile desktop
computer similar in design to the Mac LC
III. It has room for two internal SCSI de-
vices: a 3'/:-inch drive and a bay at the
front for a 5'A-inch half-height device (typ-
ically a CD-ROM drive). An 86-W power
supply provides ample power for these pe-
ripherals. To reduce costs, the Centris 610
uses a 20-MHz 68LC040, which is essen-
tially a 68040 processor without an FPU
(sort of like a 486SX). However, it uses
the same socket as a 68040, which offers
the possibility of an upgrade.
An Ethernet port, using the AUI (At-
tachment Unit Interface) connector, is an
option. This option is actually a main log-
ic board populated with the Ethernet port
and electronics. Like the Mac Ilsi, the Cen-
tris 610 has a single 68040 PDS expan-
sion slot, which can also be a NuBus slot
by using an adapter board. To fit within
the computer, these boards must be only 7
inches long (current NuBus boards can be
up to 12 inches long) and use a maximum
of 10W.
The Centris 610 starts with a base 4 MB
of RAM; two 72-pin SIMM sockets let
you expand memory to a maximum of 68
MB. Its 512 KB of 100-ns VRAM sup-
ports 8-bit colors on monitors from 12 to
21 inches (1152 by 870 pixels). Two
SIMM sockets let you increase VRAM to
1 MB, to support 16-bit-deep screens on
monitors as large as 16 inches.
A Centris 610 with 4 MB of RAM and
an 80-MB hard drive is expected to cost
under $2000. You get a lot of bang for
your buck here: The BYTE low-level
benchmarks peg the 20-MHz Centris 610
at better than Mac Ilfx performance (the
Mac Ilfx uses a 40-MHz 68030 and 68882
FPU.) Even with the 68LC040, the Centris
610 did better than the Mac Ilfx on float-
ing-point operations.
Centris 650
If you require more expansion options than
are offered by the Centris 610, there's the
Centris 650. It uses the same Mac IIvx
housing with a bay for a 5 ! /i-inch SCSI de-
vice, a 68040 PDS, and three slots that im-
plement a NuBus 90 backplane. The slots
accept full-size NuBus boards. A 1 12-W
power supply powers the system, and 15
W is available for each NuBus slot. The
processor is a 68LC040 or a 68040 clocked
at 25 MHz. As with the Centris 610, the
Ethernet interface is an option. The Centris
650's on-board video is identical to the
Centris 610's and supports the same mon-
itor sizes and screen depths. But it uses
80-ns VRAM instead of 100-ns hardware.
The Centris 68040-based Macs make up Apple 's new midrange computers. Both are
shown with an optional CD-ROM drive.
The main logic board has 4 or 8 MB of
80-ns RAM; four 72-pin SIMM sockets
let you expand memory to as much as 136
MB (assuming 8 MB on the main board).
The memory subsystem in the Centris 650
and the Quadra 800 has been enhanced to
support interleaved memory. The MEMC
ASIC arranges RAM in logical banks and
then provides a hardware assist by rapidly
stepping through the banks during burst-
mode accesses. This shaves several clock
cycles off these memory operations and
improves throughput The memory on the
main logic board is interleaved, and the
socketed SIMM RAM must be the same
density for memory interleaving to occur.
The BYTE benchmarks show that, on
average, the Centris 650's memory oper-
ations are faster by about 13 percent than
the Quadra 700 (Apple claims 10 percent
to 15 percent). While not all memory op-
erations can take advantage of burst mode,
the test results do indicate that the memo-
ry subsystem uses them when it can. The
benchmarks show that the 650 edges out
the 25-MHz Quadra 700 in performance.
A Centris 650 with 4 MB of RAM and
an 80-MB hard drive sets you back $3000.
It's expected that the Mac Ilsi and Ilci will
be discontinued, leaving the Mac IIvx as
the sole survivor of the Mac II line.
Quadra 800
The Quadra 800 is a short, squat tower
similar to the Quadra 950, but it stands
only 14'/j inches high (versus the Quadra's
18-Y-i inches). It uses a 33-MHz 68040 pro-
cessor and comes with 8 MB of 70-ns
RAM on the main logic board. Four 72-pin
SIMM sockets let you expand RAM to
1 36 MB. Memory on the main logic board
is interleaved, and so is the socketed RAM
if it is all the same density. Ethernet is
standard, and three slots implement a
NuBus 90 backplane, which handles full-
size NuBus boards.
The tower contains three bays at the
front that can hold four SCSI devices: a
5'A-inch half-height device (typically a
CD-ROM), a 3^-inch half-height device
(a hard drive), and either a 3M-inch full-
height device (typically a disk array) or
two half-height devices. A ribbon cable
with SCSI connectors and four power ca-
bles at the ready make adding a SCSI pe-
ripheral easy. The 200-W power supply
provides ample muscle for these periph-
erals and 15 W per NuBus board.
Because the Quadra 800 borrows from
the same design used by the Centris 610
and 650, it supports the same monitors and
screen depths (up to 16 bits deep on a 16-
inch monitor). Video performance on all
42 BYTE • MARCH 1993
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Circle 73 on Inquiry Card (RESELLERS: 74).
NEWS
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
PRELIMINARY LOW-LEVEL BENCHMARK RESULTS
I CPU Index
FPU Index
I Disk Index
I Video Index
Mac Classic II
Color Classic
Mac LC III
Mac llfx
Centris 610
Centris 650
PowerBook180
PowerBook165c
Quadra 950
Quadra 800
For all tests, a Classic II = 1. Higher numbers indicate better performance. All Macs
ran System 7.1. The Color Classic had an FPU; the Centris 610 did not.
three systems is faster because the IOSB
eliminates one wait state from VRAM ac-
cesses. Also, certain QuickDraw graphics
routines have been modified to take ad-
vantage of the 68040's MOVE16 instruc-
tion (which burst-transfers 16 bytes), im-
proving the speed of scrolling and filling
operations.
The BYTE benchmarks show that the
Quadra 800 is slightly faster than the 33-
MHz Quadra 950. This results from the
improvements in the Quadra design: mem-
ory interleaving, the I/O functions merged
into the IOSB, and the optimized video.
A Quadra 800 with 8 MB of RAM and
a 230-MB hard drive costs $4700, a most
attractive price when you compare it to a
similarly equipped Quadra 950 ($7359).
Where the Quadra 800 falls short of its
predecessor is in its lack of 24-bit video,
fewer slots, and fewer peripheral bays. The
features the Quadra 800 packs, however,
should attract a flock of buyers.
PowerBook 165c
Last but not least, Apple closes the gap in
its notebook line with the PowerBook
165c. Essentially a PowerBook 1 80 (a 33-
MHz 68030 processor, 68882 FPU, exter-
nal video, and 4 MB of RAM), the 165c
differs mainly in its color passive-matrix
LCD screen that displays 256 colors. The
9-inch-diagonal display is smaller than the
PowerBook 180's 77-dpi, 10-inch-diago-
nal display, but its 85-dpi density packs
in the same 640- by 400-pixel screen. The
screen uses special filters and polarizer
materials to provide good contrast and a
wide viewing angle, while two backlight
bulbs and a filter increase its brightness.
The screen adds only 'A pound to the sys-
tem's weight (for a total of 7 pounds).
Internally, the engineers moved the 4
MB of RAM and 1 MB of ROM to a
"cousin card" to make room for the color
display's controller and DRAM. The dis-
play consumes more power (about 6 to 7
W). Thus, the PowerBook 165c uses a
beefier 2.9-watt-hour nickel-cadmium bat-
tery (the PowerBook 140/170 use a 2.7-
Wh battery). Also, the power charger now
cranks out 24 W (up from 1 5 W) to re-
charge the battery faster.
The 165c's screen is brighter than we
expected, with rich colors. Scanned color
images are a joy to behold. The BYTE
benchmarks indicate that the 165c is slight-
ly slower than the PowerBook 180. The
video benchmarks were especially slow
because the display's frame buffer doesn't
use dual-ported VRAM. Although the
PowerBook 165c's passive-matrix screen
might not match the brisk colors of an ac-
tive-matrix screen, the trade-off here is for
your wallet. A PowerBook 165c with 4
MB of RAM and an 80-MB hard drive
costs $3279. The prices of comparable PC
notebooks with active-matrix screens start
at about $4300.
A Mac for Every Purpose
This latest generation of Macs spans every
part of the microcomputer market. At the
low end, there is the affordable Color Clas-
sic with a small desktop footprint. If you
need more power, the LC III serves up
Mac Ilci performance.
The 68030-based midrange Mac II line
was in desperate need of an overhaul. The
Centris line of Macs brings this section up
to date with affordable 68040-based com-
puters that deliver ample horsepower.
The Quadra 800 mini-tower offers lead-
ing-edge performance while intelligent de-
sign compromises make it the most af-
fordable Quadra ever. And for those who
need color on the road, the PowerBook
165c is a powerful 33-MHz color note-
book that delivers performance while spar-
ing your budget.
As usual, we admire the Apple engi-
neers who have reused proven technologies
where they can (e.g., enhanced versions
of the Mac LC components for the LC III)
and maximized their design efforts (e.g., by
integrating the Quadra design into fewer
ASICs and using them in the Centris com-
puters as well as the Quadra 800). The re-
sult is better performance at lower cost —
a win-win situation for the Mac user. ■
Tom Thompson is a BYTE senior technical
editor at large with a B.S.E.E. from Mem-
phis State University. He is an associate
Apple developer. You can reach him on
AppleLink as "T. THOMPSON" or on the
Internet at tomt@bytepb.byte.com. Tom
R. Halfhill is a BYTE senior news editor
based in San Mateo, California. You can
reach him on BIX as "thalfhill. "
THE FACTS
Color Classic (with 4 MB of
RAM/40-MB hard drive): $1300
Mac LC m (with 4 MB of .
RAM/40-MB hard drive): $1300
Mac Centris 610 (with 4 MB of
RAM/80-MB hard drive): under
$2000
Mac Centris 650 (with 4 MB of
RAM/80-MB hard drive): $3000
Mac Quadra 800 (with 8 MB of
RAM/230-MB hard drive): $4700
Mac PowerBook 165c (with 4 MB
of RAM/80-MB hard drive): $3279
Apple Computer, Inc.
20525 Mariani Ave.
Cupertino, CA 95014
(408) 996-1010
Circle 1 165 on Inquiry Card.
44 BYTE • MARCH 1993
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Circle 223 on Inquiry Card (RESELLERS: 224).
NEWS
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
1-2-3, Freelance for OS/2: Major Applications at Last
®
m
The lines "something bor-
rowed, something blue"
came to mind while I looked
at Lotus's first two applications
for OS/2 2.0. Lotus 1-2-3 and
Lotus Freelance Graphics for
OS/2 2.0 were written for this
platform, not ported, yet they
borrow from among the best
features of their DOS and Win-
dows counterparts while bring-
ing out the best of Big Blue's
32-bit operating system.
Based on the beta versions
that I saw, OS/2 2.0 is worth
consideration — or reconsider-
ation — as a platform that is
supported by major, and native,
applications. The attraction of
1-2-3 for OS/2 2.0 and Freelance Graphics
for OS/2 2.0, however, is also their tight in-
tegration when both are installed — from
file operations to the sharing of resources
and an OLE-like method of saving all
a project's files under a single desktop
(.DSK) filename.
Both products should now be available,
and Lotus says that OS/2 2.0 versions of
cc:Mail and Ami Pro should follow with-
in a couple of months. Lotus will then have
OS/2 2.0 products in all four major appli-
cations categories. A 32-bit version of Lo-
tus Notes has been held up. Lotus officials
indicated at press time that it may not be
ready to ship until the end of the year.
Lotus 1-2-3 for OS/2, formerly called
Lotus 1-2-3/G, has improved with OS/2
2.0's functionality in mind. Lotus quietly
shed the redundant G (for graphical) la-
bel around the time it released 1 -2-3 for
Windows. But true to the form of prod-
ucts maintained across multiple platforms,
the newer 1 -2-3 for OS/2 has gone beyond
the current Windows version.
In addition to a more powerful charting
engine based on a DLL shared with Free-
lance Graphics, 1-2-3 for OS/2 includes
Smartlcons — one-click shortcuts to oper-
ations such as insert or delete row/column,
format currency, add, and undo. One handy
icon will resize one or more columns to
their maximum widths necessary to dis-
play all data contained in each respective
column. You can also customize the de-
fault Smartlcon set to substitute ones you
use more frequently.
Among other enhancements, you can
select discontiguous sections (called col-
lections) for various operations by using
the right mouse button, and you can se-
Template*
if
Minimized
Window Viewer
*
mme
Master HeSplSSI^i'wfo^ion
OS/2 System DOS Piogtams
irtdom Pregtam-s Additional DOS Pro-ams Addi
m
orw! 0512 Picgtarm
*Q
Dim A P iWa .
DESK3.DSK "'"
Reedy
file Edit Worksheet Range Copy... Move.
Print Graph Data Utility Quit.
Help
lect whole rows and columns by clicking
on them in the frame. The next version of
1-2-3 for Windows (expected to ship this
spring) will support collections. OS/2's
Workplace Shell will now let you drop
a filename onto the printer, shredder, or
1-2-3 icon (or the Freelance icon if both are
installed). The application icon will launch
the application and load the file.
Freelance Graphics, developed for OS/2
before DOS and Windows, uses the same
process-oriented approach that Lotus first
used in the Windows version 1 .0. In other
words, the program guides you through
each step of building a presentation
through a succession of templates.
Version 2.0 for Windows shipped early
this year, so the OS/2 version gleaned plen-
ty of functionality from its older sibling.
Smartlcons let you click on page layouts,
select a text block for input and change
the font, start a new page, and page in ei-
ther direction. Some functions (e.g., out-
lining and organizational charting) present
in the new Windows version are missing
from Freelance Graphics for OS/2 2.0.
Other functions, particularly those relat-
ed to the OS/2 Workplace Shell, are not
in versions written for other platforms.
Individually, 1-2-3 and Freelance
Graphics are worth a look; together they
may be irresistible. For starters, you save
more than 4 MB on your hard disk thanks
to code shared between the two applica-
tions; you also save RAM, but usage varies
too much to provide a concrete figure.
The common charting engine, which
saves about 2 MB in itself, represents one
less part of either program for new users to
learn. And, if you're working on several
files grouped under a single desktop file.
all Smartlcons and menus are
context-sensitive and change
as you move from worksheet
to graph to presentation. Lotus
expects that if you use cc:Mail
for OS/2 when it ships later this
year, you'll be able to drag a
file icon to the cc:Mail icon to
attach a file to an E-mail mes-
sage.
You've heard the OS/2 trash
talk: It has no so-called killer
application that will do for Big
Blue's platform what the orig-
inal 1-2-3 did for DOS. No true
killer application may surface
in a market that is far more
segmented and sophisticated
today than it was 10 years ago,
but Lotus's first two OS/2 2.0 offerings
indicate that adopting the OS/2 platform is
now an easier choice to make.
— Ed Perratore
THE FACTS
Lotus 1-2-3 for OS/2 2.0
single-user standard edition, $495;
network server edition, $595; $395
per concuirent network user (not in-
cluding documentation) above price
of network server edition
Lotus Freelance Graphics
for OS/2 2.0
(prices same as for 1-2-3)
System requirements:
386 PC (minimum 20 MHz recom-
mended) with OS/2 2.0 (equipped
with Service Pak) or higher; if in-
stalling both products, 4 MB of
RAM (7 MB recommended) and
1 1 'A MB of free disk space; for 1 -2-
3 alone, 4 MB of RAM (8 MB rec-
ommended) and 9/4 MB of free disk
space; for Freelance alone, 4 MB of
RAM (8 MB recommended) and 6 [ A
MB of free disk space; a mouse.
Lotus Development Corp.
55 Cambridge Pkwy.
Cambridge, MA 02142
(800) 343-5414
(617)577-8500
fax:(617)693-4551
Circle 1 166 on Inquiry Card.
46 BYTE • MARCH 1993
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Circle 79 on Inquiry Card.
NEWS
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Sun's New Unix Box: Short and Sweet
With its introduction of the Sparcsta-
tion IPC, Sun Microsystems started
a new packaging trend: small and inex-
pensive Unix workstations. With their
small footprints and like-size expansion
cabinets (for external drive, tape, and CD-
ROM), Sun's IPC and its descendants took
the bulk out of workstations. But Sun's
best-performing desktop systems were still
found only in the traditional "pizza-box"
case. If you wanted a zippy CPU or drive,
you had to invest in something other than
Sun's squat boxes.
The Sparcstation LX hopes to change
all that. As with the IPC, miniaturization
abounds, but Sun has found some innova-
tive ways to pack more functions into a
case that hasn't gotten any bigger or heav-
ier. The LX addresses many of the wish-
list items Sun users have desired.
At the heart of the LX is its MicroSparc
CPU, developed by Sun and Texas In-
struments and runnina here at 50 MHz.
This CPU rolls the integer, FPU, MMU
(memory management unit), and cache
into one chip, bringing the chip count
down, reducing costs, and making room
for more goodies. Those objectives were
furthered by Sun's replacement of most
of the system's I/O controllers with a pair
of ASICs (application-specific ICs). The
LX makes fine use of the extra real estate,
building in support for basic-rate ISDN,
twisted-pair Ethernet, 16-bit digital audio,
and accelerated graphics.
Most of the new features built into the
LX require outside-world connections, and
the back panel of this system is densely
packed with connectors. One DB-25 splits
out to two serial ports, and another one
services a bidirectional parallel port, ex-
panding the range of supported printers.
The Ethernet port pops out in two places:
a tiny socket into which you plug a thin-
wire transceiver or an AUI (Attachment
Unit Interface) conversion cable, and a
twisted-pair jack that lets you hook di-
rectly into a network. You'll also find a
jack for connection to an ISDN line and
connectors for SCSI and audio I/O.
The LX's standard audio capability is
a leap beyond that built into previous
Sparcstations. The LX manages 16-bit au-
dio at sampling rates of up to 48 kHz. The
system includes a battery-driven condenser
microphone with mounting hardware to"
stick it to the front of your monitor.
The most impressive aspects of this new
system relate to performance: CPU, dis-
play, and drive performance have all been
enhanced. With the 50-MHz MicroSparc
CPU, the LX is faster than Sun's Sparc-
station 2, previously its fastest uniproces-
sor desktop system. But it's not much
faster — the documentation refers to it as
being "1.5 times the speed of a 486." My
tests against an Altos System 5000 (33-
MHz 486) proved that statement to be true,
at least for integer performance. In other ar-
eas, the LX positively skunked the 486:
The LX was three times faster in floating-
point and disk I/O. These results are unre-
liable because the LX I tested was a pre-
production unit, but they at least show that
Sun isn't inflating its performance claims.
I'll admit I had hoped that by now Sun
would have taken a big leap in single-CPU
performance, along the lines of 68030 to
68040 or 386 to 486. That didn't happen:
My CPU performance tests showed the
50-MHz MicroSparc to be calculating al-
most exactly twice as fast as the 25-MHz
chip in an IPC unit. It's fine for Sun to
quote performance numbers against the
486, but the company is losing ground
against IBM, Hewlett-Packard, and Sili-
con Graphics, all of which have reduced-
cost RISC workstations with excellent sin-
gle-processor performance. The LX will
also be competing soon against systems
built around Intel's Pentium, which, if you
take Intel's vaunted performance figures as
truth, could also make the MicroSparc look
a little sickly.
If the LX's CPU performance isn't stel-
lar, it's at least adequate, and some of the
slack is picked up by the system's other
turbocharged features. The GXplus graph-
ics accelerator built onto the LX's moth-
erboard boosts the system's texl and graph-
ics performance. The first evidence of this
is in the LX's text mode. Previous Sun
systems were practically unusable with-
out the window system running because
text was displayed and scrolled so slowly.
Once you fire up OpenWindows, the
GXplus really earns its keep. Sun claims
the chip enhances everything from win-
dow operations to 3-D wireframe and flat
shading; I had no complaints with the sys-
tem's performance in these areas. The LX
comes with a 16-inch color monitor that
shows the Sun-standard 1 152- by 900-pix-
el resolution, but you can pick up a 21-
inch monitor that handles the GXplus's
top resolution.
Overall, the Sparcstation LX strikes me
as a solid machine. True, it's not at the top
of its class in CPU performance, but it cer-
tainly makes a capable platform for the
majority of applications you'd want on
your desktop. The standard accelerated
graphics means that whether you run a
program locally or reach across the net-
work to some high-performance computer
server, your display won't be a bottleneck.
The LX's fast SCSI makes quick work of
applications I/O and makes the LX valu-
able in the peer-to-peer world of TCP/IP
and NFS (Network File System) — or even
as a low-cost file server.
The Sparcstation LX is priced at $7995
with 16 MB of memory (expandable to 96
MB using 16-MB SIMMs, 24 MB other-
wise), a 424-MB hard drive, a 3M-inch
1.44-MB floppy drive, and a 16-inch col-
or monitor. A license for Sun's new Unix
System V-based operating system, Solaris
2.1, is included with the system. A CD-
ROM drive is not included, but if you plan
to buy anything from Sun, you'd better
make room for one in your budget. All
Sun's software products are shipped ex-
clusively on CD-ROM, and most SPARC
applications vendors are following suit.
— Tom Yager
THE FACTS
Sparcstation LX
$7995
Sun Microsystems Computer Corp.
2550 Garcia Ave.
Mountain View, CA 94043
(415)960-1300
fax:(415)969-9131
Circle 1 167 on Inquiry Card.
48 BYTE ■ MARCH 1 993
Power Packed Upgrades.
STANDARD UNITS
These UL/CSA approved, fully-tested power
supplies are die best basic units available.
STANDARD 200 XT $69
STANDARD 205 SLIM $89
STANDARD 220 BABY $89
STANDARD 220 AI7TOWER $89
ULTRA-QUIET UNITS
Unrattle your nerves with
noise levels (db) ., silencer power supply,
°* recognized since 1986 as
°* die industry's quietest.
i_ m Cooled with efficient,
variable-speed fans that
OHDINARY SILENCER . ...
power supply power supply w vntually inaudible!
A must for home office or multimedia applications.
SILENCER 205 SLIM $119
SILENCER 220 AT/TOWER $129
SILENCER 270 AT/TOWER $179
fflGH-PERFORMANCE UNITS
Upgrade your computer with one of our premium
Turbo-Cool power supplies— die choice of PC
professionals. You'll get 50% - 100% more power,
built-in line conditioning, a dual-stage EMI filter,
super-tight regulation, ultra-clean DC output, our
high-capacitv ThermaSense variable-speed fan
(300W models), UL/CSA/TUV approvals, and a
no-hassle 2-year warranty! Ideal for high-end
workstations and network file servers.
TURBO-COOL 200 XT $159
TURBO-COOL 300 SLIM $169
TURBO-COOL 300 BABY $169
TURBO-COOL 300 AT/TOWER $189
TURBO-COOL 450 AT/TOWER $349
REDUNDANT POWER SYSTEM
Eliminate the risk of network downtime or data loss
due to power supply failure with die TwinPower 900
redundant power system. It delivers high-capacity,
fault-tolerant power to the entire network server.
Consists of two Turbo-Cool 450 power supplies
in parallel, utilizing a special power-management
interface module. A must for mission critical LANs.
486 CPU COOLER
■ Super Server Power. Widi 900 watts of peak
power, die TwinPower 900 effortlessly runs any
array of drives- without die need for sequencing.
■ 100 Times More Reliable.
Why gamble with a single-
, ' ° ° , PROBABILITY OF A
unit systems TwinPower's PI,V KSSS URE
load-sharing, redundant Zl ^h4
design lets you take die 3 ";
power system for granted. «* - — j^-
It's the peace-of-mind a .T* ~ — '
r SinglE-Unil TwinPower 900
network manager needs!
■ Hot-Swap Capability. In die unlikely event that
one of its 450s should fail, an alarm sounds, and
the other 450 sustains the server while the user
simply swaps in a new unit. No downtime!
■ Optional Enclosures. We offer "monster" cases
that hold TwinPower's two power supplies and
the interface. The Standard Tower (51 lbs.) holds
13 drives, while die all-steel Industrial Tower
(104 lbs.) allows dual systemboards and holds up
to 16 drives. Now, that's expandability!
TWIN-POWER 900 $995
W/STANDARD CASE $1695
W/TNDUSTRIAL CASE $1995
It's a fact. 486 chips run hot, often exceeding 185°F!
Now, you can reduce the operating temperature of
your 80486 processor to a cool, safe 85°- 95 °F with
our popular CPU-Cool. You'll prevent random
system erron and add years to the life of your
investment. Consists of a ^ mimn , f)
quiet mini-fan embedded
in a sculptured heat sink
that easily mounts on the
CPU. Powered by a spare
drive connector. Effective,
. WITHOUT WITH
inexpensive insurance! cpu-cool cpikool
CPU-COOL $39
1B0 —
160 -\
140 —I
120 J -I
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GO" - ^H
POWER SUPPLY ADVISOR
1. Even before it fails, an inferior power supply can
be trouble. Nasty hard-to-track problems such
as rebooting, loss of setup, overheating, and
memory errors are often power supply related.
2. You can't have too much power. A power supply
delivers only what the PC needs and actually
performs best at 25% -75% of its rated capacity.
3. For greater hard drive reliability, use a power
supply with independent regulation and extra
cooling such as the Turbo-Cool 300/450.
4. Buy from a reputable power supply specialist.
You'll get real sendee, not some runaround like:
"Here's a number in Taiwan, give diem a call".
5. To save money, PC manufacturers put ordinary
power supplies— with limited features— in
their systems. To upgrade, call us direct or ask
your PC supplier for one of our units by name.
PC POWER & COOUNB, INC.
5995 Avenida Enemas, Carlsbad, CA 92008 • (619) 931-5700 • (800) 722-6555 • Fax (619) 931-6988
Most orders shipped same day. We accept Visa, MC, COD, or PO on approved credit. Turbo-Cool anil TwinPower models guaranteed for 2 years. All oilier products guaranteed for 1 vear. Hours: 7 a.m. - 5 pjn. (PI) Won. - J : ri.
©1992 PC Power & Cooling, Inc. Silencer, Turbo-Cool, ThermaSense, TwinPower, and CPU-Cool are trademarks of PC Power & Cooling, Inc. All other brand names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.
Circle 123 on Inquiry Card (RESELLERS: 1 24).
NO OTHER PEN HAS THIS KIND OF
The 3.3-pound machine is considerably
lighter than many competitors' machines.
Its black-and-white screen uses a back light,
*"<-<** ,
which will allow customers to use the computer
in difficult lighting situations.
fi *-*+^p
it. if
'•v^n* -. a ^*'
- Los Angeles Times, Nov. 2, 1992
,i>;naes foi ,v.
connections, they saia.
One problem we've had is
seeing the screens [of other pen
computers] in various lighting
environments. ..[Toshiba is]
using new backlit reflective
technology; you can see it in
any lighting.
- Reprinted from PC Week, Sept. 14, 1992
- -..^date users said.
[Toshiba has] done an
exceptional job in the
industrial design of the
system, and going beyond
that, looking at specific
vertical solutions.
See TOSHIBA page 10:
- Stella Kelly, InfoCorp Senior Analyst
lnfoworM.Nov.2,1992
The Toshiba Dynapad makes most transreflective-sidelit display, engineering in Dyn
of its predecessors look clunky by 40MB hard drive and two PCMCIA pen market has bee
comparison. Packed into this sleek, 2.0 slots. Clearly a 3rd-generation
little 3.3-pound tablet is a 9.5" pen computer, the innovative
- Portia Isaacson, Dream IT, Inc.
INTRODUCING THE TOSHIBA DYNA
INK.
[Toshiba has] a much
better infrastructure
for providing support
than some other pen
computer companies.
-Tim Bajarin, President/Creative
Strategies Research International Inc.
lnfoworld,'Nov.2,1992
[The Dynapad is] a nice system,
has a good feel and [Personal
Computer Memory Card
International Association] cards,
and at that low weight, it's much
more the kind of thing people are
going to need in the field than
something like the ThinkPad.
~-)anet Cole, Dataqitest Analyst
Computeruvrld, Nov. 2, 1992
I've been saying that [a pen
computer] needs to be small, W
rugged, and able to run 386 ' f
or better^ ,^.
- Mel Hinton, Senior Engineer/Public
Service Electric and Gas Co.
lnfoworld,Nov.2,1992
Amazingly,
we've even been able
to incorporate two
PCMCIA slots for
expandability.
PAD T1 OX
Leave it to Toshiba engineers to create a pen
computer that has left an indelible impression on
the computer world.
Presenting the acclaimed Dynapad T100X.
It's almost as if, for the first time, someone
actually considered how people would use a pen
computer. And designed it from there.
For starters, it's phenomenally light, weighing
in at 3.3 pounds. So you can carry it for extended
periods in the field without your arm falling off.
But don't be fooled into thinking that it's a
lightweight. Because it boasts a 25 MHz Am386"
low-voltage processor. Offers 4MB RAM — expand-
able to 20MB. And comes with a 40MB hard disk.
The screen is equally impressive. We pur-
posely designed a large 9.5-inch transreflective
screen so it's easy to view whether you're in a
pitch-black tunnel or out in the field in the blind-
ing sunlight.
We were no less painstaking with the ergo-
nomics. At 10.6" x 8.3" x 1.5',' the T100X is very
easy to hold. The weight is well balanced. There
are no sharp corners. And we've given you both
a top-view silo, so you can see if you have your
pen, and the option of tethering the pen.
And like every computer we make, our
T100X offers a variety of Toshiba innovations.
Like our MaxTime" power management system,
which offers such features as AutoResume and
AutoSave. So you get the maximum out of every
battery charge.
To learn more, call the toll-free number below
for the location of your nearest Toshiba reseller.
Because as you can see from the quotes to the
left, this is one pen that's already made its mark.
In Touch with Tomorrow
TOSHIBA
1-800-457-7777
© 1993 Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc. AH products indicated by trademark symbol are trademarked and/
or registered by their respective manufacturers. PC Week quote copyright © 1992 Ziff Communications Company.
We took pains
to ensure our
Dynapad is perfectly
balanced. Thus
making it easy to hold
in either arm and in a
variety of positions.
At33pounds,
it's truly one of the
few pen computers
where employees
won't get fatigued
carrying it.
We gave our pen a
transreflective display
screen so it can be
used in a variety of
different locations and
lighting conditions
(underground, at night,
in broad daylight).
Circle 1 56 on Inquiry Card.
NEWS
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
EO's Personal Communicator Ushers In a New Era
Much as the Macintosh represented a
conceptual leap forward for person-
al computers, so too does the Personal
Communicator 440 from start-up EO. EO
has changed the definition of a mobile
computer, uniting the functions of a hand-
held organizer with a cellular telephone,
both running under an intuitive pen-based
user interface (see "Communications Gets
Personal," February BYTE).
In BYTE's first hands-on evaluation of
the Personal Communicator 440, 1 looked
at a machine that breaks with the past in
more than just conception: It is the first
system built on the AT&T Hobbit RISC
chip, a 3.3-volt CPU that offers fast per-
formance with low power consumption.
It also runs Go Corp.'s PenPoint operating
system, ported to the Hobbit. EO has guts
to eschew compatibility with the Intel/Mi-
crosoft and Mac standards, but the com-
pany sees communicators as a separate
market from portable PCs.
Available this spring, the 440 sports a
unique design with no keyboard and a dis-
tinctive set of "ears" on either side of the
screen. These ears contain I/O ports, a
speaker, and a microphone. The 1 -inch-
thick unit measures 1 1 by 7 inches without
the ears: with one 4-hour nickel-cadmium
battery, it weighs 2K pounds.
The system uses a 20-MHz Hobbit chip
and ships with 8 MB of ROM (containing
PenPoint and 10 bundled applications) and
4 MB of RAM. Using standard 88-pin
JEDEC memory modules, you can expand
the RAM to 8 or 12 MB through a small
door on the front; the preproduction unit
I evaluated was loaded with 12 MB. An-
other door on the front contains a PCMCIA
slot (Type 2, Level 2), which you can use
for nonvolatile removable storage or oth-
er peripherals. My evaluation model also
included the optional fax modem and $800
cellular-phone handset.
The 440 makes a nice pen-based per-
sonal organizer with a built-in PIM (per-
sonal information manager) and note taker,
but the system doesn't come into its own
without the phone. The 440 diverges from
earlier pen-based systems in its tight inte-
gration of communications. The bundled
GoFax, GoMail, and address book make it
easy to send documents from within any
program, and the built-in sound lets you
attach voice annotations to documents.
Much of this capability comes from
PenPoint, whose notebook metaphor and
gesture interface make the 440 remark-
ably easy to use. The object orientation of
PenPoint allows transparent sharing of data
between applications.
The software I ran was a beta release,
but it had few bugs and the performance
was perky. The bundled programs and ap-
plets — which include MiniNote (for writ-
ing in digital ink), MiniText (for entering
text via handwriting recognition), EO Calc
(a paper-tape calculator), and Pensoft's
Personal Perspective (a scaled-down ver-
sion of the company's PIM) — were pow-
erful yet amazingly easy to use.
In fact, the 440's intuitiveness demon-
strates how far user-interface design has
come. I had only a few minutes of training
on the basic gestures, yet I barely cracked
a manual to use the system. I wasn't able to
try the tutorial because it wasn't ready, but
I liked being able to get context-sensitive
help simply by writing a question mark
over the area in question.
The Personal Communicator 440 is well
designed and feels solidly built, and I
found the nonreflective LCD screen easy
to read. Perhaps for the first time in pen
computing, a company has got the details
right. AT&T has even gotten into the act.
As a major investor in EO, AT&T will sell
the 440 and 880 under its own name.
EO is only the first player in an expect-
ed wave of mobile devices that integrate
computing and telephony. Over the next
year, you can expect competition for EO
and AT&T, but all new arrivals will have
to be judged against the high standard set
by the Personal Communicator 440.
— Andy Reinhardt
THE FACTS
Personal Communicator 440
(price not available at press time)
EO, Inc.
800A East Middlefield Rd.
Mountain View, CA 94043
(415)903-8100
fox: (415) 903-8190
Circle 1 168 on Inquiry Card.
PowerExec EL Notebook: More for Less
If our review of the AST PowerExec
notebook ("AST's PowerExec Goes
Modular," January BYTE) caught your
eye, but you found the price a bit sleep,
AST has something new for you — the
PowerExec EL. The EL stands for "en-
try level," and with a list price of $1745, it
may appeal to cost-conscious notebook
users. Thai's what AST is hoping for, any-
way. Philip Osako, AST portable systems
marketing product manager, says that the
EL is targeted at small businesses and peo-
ple who need a notebook to supplement
their office system.
AST is not alone in offering attractive-
ly priced notebook packages. Compaq and
Toshiba, among others, offer modestly
priced 386 systems. But for the purely
price-sensitive shopper, the EL, at press
time at least, leads the pack.
Like the higher-priced PowerExec, the
preproduction EL I saw is a roadworthy
notebook. It weighs in at almost 6 pounds
and uses a nickel-cadmium battery pack.
Its base price includes an Intel 25-MHz
386SL processor, a coprocessor socket,
a 60-MB hard drive, a 1.44-MB floppy
drive, 2 MB of RAM, and one each of
serial, parallel, monitor interface, key-
board/keypad connector. Type 2 PCMCIA
slot, and expansion bus ports. For a $2295
list price, you can get a 120-MB hard drive,
4 MB of RAM, Windows 3.1 , and AST's
SmartPoint trackball.
With the list price of the PowerExec at
$2395, just what do you give up when you
52 BYTE ■ MARCH 1993
Our new color printer
not only looks great on
it looks great on paper.
The eye
when it sees black
and white.
The eye
when it sees color.
True, the brilliant color produced by the new Tektronix
Phaser® 200 is captivating. But the price is equally attractive.
And though we've become the award-winning leader in
color printers by frequently outdoing the c \Jj
competition, this time ^s|
we've even outdone our-
selves. Introducing our
newest business work
group color printer.
The Phaser 200 is compatible with virtually any business
software and can print two colorful pages per minute. No,
not two minutes per page— two pages per minute. And
even at a speed like that, it still manages to print eye-catch-
ing color on common laser paper or transparencies using a
separate input tray for each. You select the medium you
want at your computer keyboard. And it switches automat-
ically from user to user just as easily, using its parallel, serial,
AppleTalk,™ or optional EtherTalk™ and Ethernet™ ports.
It has all the advantages of a laser printer. True Adobe
PostScript™ Level 2, networkability, Pantone* colors, speed
and price. (Did you notice it's only $3695, slightly below
unheard of?) And when you add to that extremely high
materials capacity and sparkling TekColor™ output — not just
any color, but the indisputably best color in the business—
you've got something even better than our previous best.
Which is quite a feat.
So stop by your nearest Tektronix dealer or call us at
800/835-6100, Dept 28Jforafree
output sample. For faxed infor- ,-- — "5%>. ; f
i i i i i ii i m
i
mation call 503/682-7450,
ask for document / 1223.
You won't find another
business investment that
looks this good on paper.
Tektronix
/
Phaser is a trademark of Tektronix, Inc. PostScript is a trademark of Adobe Systems, Inc. All other marks are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.
Circle 1 52 on Inquiry Card.
Circle 78 on Inquiry Card.
Images in your Computer
from Video or full page Scanners. Boost your productivity in
DeskTop Publishing, OCR and Multimedia applications.
ColorSnap PC
Professional. REAL
TIME, video image cap-
ture, full screen. 16.7
million colors & gray-
scale. Use any NTSC/PAL video source,
camcorder, live TV, still video, VGA, SV-
GA supported, files saved in standard for-
mats. Free Aldus PhotoStyler. Video-for-
Windows compatible. Digitize movies at 30
frames/sec. Hundreds of applications. De-
mo disks available. $599.00
Life View Encoder
Record your computer pre-
sentations to video or display
to any TV monitor. NTSC or PAL 249.00
Color 6000
600 dpi. full page, sheet-
fed color (24-bit) scanner
Complete with Color Im- $595 .00
age Processing Software and WordScan
OCR s/w. HP ScanJet emulation driver..
Color 3000, 300 dpi unit, $495.00
ArtiScan 1200 dpi
$1795.00
1200 dpi,desk-top, fast (SCSI),
24-bit, flat bed, color scanner.
True hardware resolution, su-
perb picture quality, color-gray'
scale. Free linage Processing
software. 600 dpi model $975.00, 800 dpi,
$1289.00. Optional X-Ray, Slide Scanner
($545.00). Twain univ. driver with all mod-
els. OCR software.Recognita, $159.00 -
WordScan, $99.00. Best magazine ratings.
PageReader 300
Full Page, 300 dpi Scanner
complete with OCR
WordScan software &
line-art Imager software!! HP-ScanJet em
ulation driver hence compatible with any
OCR package. Fast! Reads avg. page in <10
sec. With Recognita, add $159.00 - 9600
fax/modem send/rec, add $99.00. Ideal in
any office for text, AutoCad drawings, fax etc
Call/fax forCatalog on MultiMedia DeskTop Video
Systems and Image Transfer Systems
30-day return guarantee. I year warranty. Major credit cards. Resellers Welcome.
Computer Friends, Inc. - 14250 NW Science Park Dr. - Portland OR 97229 Founded
Toll Free 1-800-547-3303 - tel. (503)626-2291 - fax (503)643-5379 1982
PRICES HARD TO MEET - SERVICE HARD TO BEAT! World Wide Inquiries Promptly Filled
NEWS
get an "equivalent" EL? First, unlike with
the PowerExec, you cannot upgrade the
processor and there is no 64-KB cache.
Second, there is only one PCMCIA slot
with the EL. The 9^-inch-diagonal, 640-
by 480-pixel resolution VGA display is
different, too. It provides 64 shades of
gray, but it's not quite as bright aid doesn't
offer as much contrast as the one on the
PowerExec. Finally, the AC adapter takes
a bit longer to recharge the battery pack.
AST says that the nickel-cadmium pow-
er pack will last about 3 to 4 hours be-
cause the EL has the same heuristic pow-
er management system as the PowerExec.
In fact, with the exception of the differ-
ences noted, this EL is a PowerExec. The
long list of options includes a nickel-met-
al-hydride battery pack, RAM modules
(the EL expands to 20 MB), PCMCIA-
based modems, Ethernet and SCSI adapt-
ers, and passive- and active-matrix color
displays.
The PowerExec EL is a good example
of the more-for-less, Windows-capable
hardware trend so prevalent with desktop
systems. Other examples of this move to-
ward affordability in notebooks are sys-
tems from Toshiba, Compaq, and a few
others that are full-featured competing
notebooks at similar user-attractive prices.
For example, the Compaq Contura 3/25
Model 84/w+ comes with an 84- MB hard
drive and 4 MB of RAM. It can be had for
a street price of about $1900. Notebooks
such as the PowerExec EL show that "en-
try level" doesn't have to mean starting at
the bottom anymore. ■
— Gene Smarte
THE FACTS
PowerExec EL
with 2 MB of RAM, a 60-MB hard
drive, and a monochrome display,
$1745
with 4 MB of RAM, a 120-MB hard
drive, Windows 3.1, and a Smart-
Point trackball, $2295
display upgrades (done at factory):
passive, $1 169; active, price not
available at press time
AST Research, Inc.
P.O. Box 19658
Irvine, CA 92713
(800) 876-4278
(714)727-4141
fax:(714)727-9355
Circle 1 169 on Inquiry Card.
54 BYTE • MARCH 1993
Circle 144 on Inquiry Card.
P )mj)jmjMH PcJicuitii
GO
WATCOM SQL Developer's
Edition
by WATCOM
Complete client/server development tool
allows you to develop and deploy single-
user standalone applications, and to devel-
op applications for use with the Network
Server Edition. Includes: Single-user
database server; ACME application develop-
ment system; Embedded SQL C/C++ preprocessor;
libraries for WATCOM C, C/386, MS/C ++ and BC/C++.
List: $395 Ours: $299
FAXcetera* 1683-0010
HUGE
SELECTION AT THE
RIGHT
PRICE!
CALL TODAY
1
3S6MAX
$64
Label Master
$429
Baler
$399
Lahey EM/32 5.0
$1,015
Bar Code Library
$350
mini Ed Tools
CALL
Borland C++
$319
MKS Learning UNIX
$99
C Windows Tlkt. 386
$179
MKS Toolkit
S239
C++/Views
$449
MS C/C++
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C-DOC Professional
$269
MS FoxPro
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CAD/CAM Products
CALL
Multi-Edit Professional
$139
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Clipper
$499
object-Menu
$269
CodeWright
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Opt-Tech Sort/Merge
$119
dBASEIV
$499
Paradox 4.0
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dBFast Windows
$395
PGL
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dGT-Unlirnited Runtime $499
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Dr. Switch-ASE
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ED for Windows
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WATCOM FORTRAN 77/38
6 $719
Essential Graphics
Chart™ for Windows
by South Mountain
Software
■ "
lilts
Essential Graphics Chart for Windows lets you
turn your data into charts and graphs that
make an immediate visual impact. Features
include; DLL-works with any Windows API
compatible language, 2D bar, 3D bar. legends
for all chart types, real-time charts, tine perspeclive and rotational capability.
No Royalties.
List: $399 Ours: $299
FAXcetera # 2089-0017
CA-dBFast Windows 2.0
by Computer Associates
The complete stand-alone dBASE/Xbase
development language for MS Windows.
Create fast, powerful, easy-to-use graphi-
cal applications. Over 200 extensions to
the dBASE III PLUS language and
includes an interactive editor, compiler,
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tures, and more!
List: $550 Ours: $395
FAXcetera # 1004-0003
Dan Bricklin' s Demo II
by Lifeboat Software
Experience for yourself why 30.000 people
have made Demo II 3.0 the leading tool for
producing program prototypes, demonstra-
tions, and tutorials. Demonstrate commercial
software to potential customers without ship-
ping live software. Produce effective tutorials
that interactively teach products. Create
Computer Based Training for a fraction of the cost of dedicated CBT
authoring software.
List: $249 Ours: $215
FAXcetera # 0233-0003
Q+E Database Library
(QELIB) 1.1
by Pioneer Software
A set of Dynamic Link Libraries prowling
a common call level interface for developer
tools such as Visual Basic. ToolBook,
Actor, Smalltalk, C, C++, etc. and most
macro language products to access data from Oracle. SQL Server. Sybase. EE
Database Manager. DB2. Netware SQL. dBASE. Paradox. Excel, and text files.
List: $399 Ours: $359
FAXeefera* 2625-0003
Microsoft Windows for
Workgroups
Considering how easy it is to use MS
Windows™, imagine what MS Windows™ for
Workgroups can do for an entire group. Such
as information sharing among many PC users
that can lead to even better, more collabora-
tive work. Printer sharing that uses hardware
resources more efficiently. And schedule
management that improves efficiency.
Workgroups List: $249 Ours: $175
ADD-On List: $ 79 Ours: $ 61
FAXcetera # 1269-0042
FORWORKGROUPS
MediaDeveloper
by Lenel Systems
Create multimedia-enabled applications
with MediaDeveloper and ObjectVision. It is
THE Multimedia Development Toolkit to
integrate sound, images, animation and
full-motion video into Windows applications. Includes media and
device control for multimedia peripherals including CD-ROMs. VCRs
and laserdisc players: support for major animation, video, audio and
graphics formats: a multimedia database; OLE server: and many DLLs.
MediaDeveloper List: $595 Ours: $449
w/Object Vision 2.1 List: $745 Ours: $499
w/ ObjectVision 2.1 Pro List: $1090 Ours: $749
FAXcetera # 1005-0302
oftmare tha
Sizzles!
WATCOM C/386 9.0
by WATCOM
WATCOM C/386
Develop and Debug 32-bit applications for
extended DOS. Windows, and OS/2 2.0 with
the most complete 32-bit C development
package available. Includes the royalty-free
D0S/4GW DOS extender by Rational
Systems, components from MS Windows
SDK, compiler, linker, debugger, profiler,
plus numerous development tools. Supports
other industry standard 32-bit DOS extenders. Create
Applications for AutoCAD or embedded systems development.
List: $895 Ours: $599
FAXcetcra # 1683-0001
ADS
Visio
by ShapeWare
Now everyone can create professional-quali-
ty graphics! Straightforward stencils,
designed for everyday business drawings
and technical diagrams, provide all the
shapes you need. Whether you're creating
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grams, org charts, programming flow charts, or
your own custom drawings, Visio has a stencil of shapes that will make
your job easier. GET A $79 VISIO PROGRAMMER'S STENCIL FREE
WITH EACH COPY OF VISIO YOU ORDER!
List: $299 Ours: $225
FAXretera* 1006-2801
WindowsMAKER
Professional 4.0
by Blue Sky Software
Next generation of industry standard C/C++ develop-
ment tool for Windows. The easiest fastest way to cre-
ate Windows apps. just point and click. New architec-
ture uses Switch-It™ Code Generation Modules for
generating ANSI C, MFC++. or OWL C++ code among
others. Award-winning Visual Prolotyper lets you test
the look & feel and make changes on the fly. TmeCode
technology ensures the user code is preserved during code regeneration.
Generates Windows .EXE w/fully commented C or C++ source.
List: $995 Ours: $695
FAXatem # 2602-0003
j ■ x • in n
_f THE MONTH
Visual Basic for Windows
by Microsoft Corporation
The fastest way to program for Windows just
got faster. When you need to create a
Windows application quickly, nothing offers
the sheer productivity of Microsoft Visual
Basic 2.0 Standard Edition. A visual develop-
ment environment, flexible programming lan-
guage, and fast runtime execution make this
the shortest route to full-featured Windows
applications. The Professional Edition includes messaging and data
access capabilities, a wide variety of add-on tools, and more.
Standard Edition List: $199 Ours: $139
Professional Edition List: $495 Ours: $337
FAXcetcra* 1269-0039
ED-The Programmer's
Editor for Windows
by Lifeboat Software
A full-featured Windows-based program-
mer's editor is here! ED is setting the stan-
dard with features like background compi-
lation, automatic code indenting and com-
pletion, hypertext function/procedure
lookups, "smart" language-specific edit-
ing, a fast "C" extension language. Windows
Toolbar, unlimited undo and redo, keyboard macros and remap-
ping, and emulation of popular DOS editors.
List: $269 Ours: $199
FAXcetcm # 0233-0011
CA-Clipper 5.2
Competitive Upgrade
by Computer Associates
Yes, the newly released CA-Clipper version
5.2 is being offered to Xbase language
product owners at the low retail price of
$199. This competitive upgrade is avail-
able for a short term only! What a great
opportunity to get the power of CA-Clipper.
at a super price!
List: $199 Ours: $149
FAXcetcra* 5400-0001
SB£Sf|
CA-Clipper
MS Visual Basic for DOS
Draw forms and controls, write event-pro-
cedures, use and create custom controls-in
DOS! Create all-new apps or combine with
existing C/C++ or Pascal code. Highly com-
patible with VB/Win for multi-platform
development. Even run existing MS Quick
Basic/Basic PDS code! Includes a native
80 x 86 compiler that creates 100% stand-
alone .EXE files, 386 code generation.
MOVE overlays, an integrated ISAM and much more!
Standard Edition List: $199 Ours: $139
Professional Edition List: $495 Ours: $325
FAXcetera # 1269-0039
Janus/Ada Compiler
by R.R. Software
Janus/Ada for DOS: the power and reliabili-
ty of Ada, priced for everybody! You get a
full, validated implementation of Ada-com-
piler, linker, royalty-free runtime libraries,
multiple memory models, environment,
tools, and even a tutorial. And R.R. Software
supports you with 12 years of Ada experi-
ence and know-how. Now's the time to use
Janus /Ada.
List: $129 Ours:
FAXcetem# 1876-0001
$115
VhJM^MmM 'PohAufobi
®
MetaWare High C/C++
by MetaWare, Inc.
MaljiWere' !Ui
MetaWare, Inc. announces its newest prod-
uct! The 32-bit High C/C++ compiler version
3.0 is a true compiler, not a C to C++ transla-
tor. "Incremental Strengths" let you specify
the level of C++ compilation, allowing you to
migrate from C to C++, one C/C++ block at a
time. Included is a C++ tailored source-level
debugger and a 32-bit Application
Development Kit for Windows. MetaWare offers a full line of multi-lan-
guage, multi-platform compilers for professional software developers.
List: $795 Ours: $669
FAX«tcra# 1590-0008
VMData
by PocketSoft, Inc.
VMData for Windows is a DLL that manages up
to 128 MB of dynamic data. Eliminates annoy-
ing slowdowns commonly seen in 386
Enhanced Mode when programs use large
amounts of dynamic data, and eliminates out-
of-memory problems in Standard Mode.
Provides superior run-time performance and
ensures that your program is a good citizen
under the Windows environment.
List: $495 Ours: $359
FAXcctcm* 1987-0005
lWjiiiT
VMDattS
WinGEN
by Buzzwords International
Converts ObjectVision .OVD to Source Code!
Make the title bar disappear and run your
application at compiled speed. WinGEN
produces code for Windows versions of a. )' ia e e mt
dBASE, C/C++, and Turbo Pascal.
Supported engines include: Paradox Engine. Sequiter Codebase, POET.
Raima, Faircom c-tree, Sybase, Novell Btrieve, Novell Btrieve with
SQL/XQL Manager, OLE & DDE/DDEML, and Q & E.
List: $149 Ours: $79
FAXcetem* 1873-0002
DataBoss
by Kedwell Software
Relational database application generator. Use
to develop complete applications with menus,
forms, browse tables, memo fields, reports and
more. Includes sophisticated screen painter;
field definition template for defining field charac-
teristics, indexes, data files and their relations;
WYSIWYG report designer; generator engine and
skeletal files. Generates structured C/C++ or
Pascal source code. No license or runtime fees.
List: $695 Ours: $499
FAX«tcra# 3758-0001
Multi-Edit Professional
by American Cybernetics
A richly featured, easy-to-use program-
mer's text editor. Multi-Edit's flexibility
and sheer power combine to provide you
with unparalleled productivity. Features
include: intuitive user interface, mouse
support, syntax highlighting, cross
directory multiple file search AND replace, color templates, + much
more! Finally, a text editor that thinks like a programmer! Free demo
disk available.
List: $199 Ours: $139
List: $295 Ours: $259
FAXcetera# 1846-0001
Jtt
SVS C 3 /FORTRAN-77
by Silicon Valley Software
Version 2.8.2
SVS C3/FORTRAN-77 runs in and creates 32-
bit executables for use with MS Windows 3.x
as DPMI executables. Compiler, development
tools and applications are DMPI conforming
and support most VCPI requirements.
Extensive graphics and scientific function library is included.
Executables are run-time royalty free.
List: $395 Ours: $356
FAKcetm* 2863-0001
PROTOGEN 3.0
by ProtoView
Development
NEW VERSION! The industry
standard for code generation and
prototyping Windows applications.
Develop the user interface of your
application using Visual prototyping
methods. ProtoGen generates expert
level, commented code for ANSI C, Microsoft NT Win32. All generators
included! User Coders preserved from one generation to the next. It's
easy and fast.
List: $99 Ours: $95
FAXccttra # 2553-0002
rri I M •/■! J k i 1 d il :Mci i
PRICES!
(Call for details)
• order call: 800-445-7899
orporate (CORSOFT): 800 422-6507
FAX: 908 389-9227
International: 908 389-9228
Customer Service: 908 389-9229
For more information on the
oducts feat
• All prices are subject to change without notice.
Circle 102 on Inquiry Card.
NEWS
WHAT'S NEW
SYSTEMS
SPARC-Based
Portability
A portable workstation
based on the 50-MHz
Sparcengine LX board from
Sun Microsystems, the
BriteLite LX is 1 00 percent
compatible with Sun hard-
ware and software, according
to RDI Computer. The So-
Jaris 32-bit distributed envi-
ronment is preinstalled.
Features of the BriteLite
LX include a Colorplus ac-
tive-matrix TFT (thin-film
transistor) LCD, which offers
256,000 colors and 64 levels
of gray. Standard memory is
16 MB (expandable to 96
MB), and hard disk storage is
450 MB. Ports include a
SCSI-2 connector, an
audio/attachment unit inter-
face port, and a bidirectional
programmable parallel port.
Price: $15,995.
Contact: RDI Computer
Corp., San Diego, CA, (619)
558-6985; fax (619) 558-
7061.
Circle 1075 on Inquiry Card.
Modular Power
Fits in Your Hand
A hand-held PC geared for
rugged use, the modular
DAT300 features a remov-
able data-cassette hard disk.
You can use the cassette —
available with from 256 KB
The BriteLite LX puts SPARC power into a portable
workstation.
to 2 MB of SRAM (static
RAM) or flash EPROM and
as a 20- or 40-MB micro hard
disk — like a floppy disk to
exchange data and programs.
Other modules include a
removable battery pack, a
plug-in radio interface for
wireless communications,
and a plug-in impact mini-
printer. The unit is C-pro-
grammable in Windows. You
can access the removable data
cassettes, as you
would a normal
hard drive, directly
from your desktop
PC's parallel port.
Price: $1350
(1,889,325 lira)
and up.
Contact: 4P.s.r.l.,
Padova, Italy, +39
498 700474; fax
+39 498 700943.
Circle 1076
on Inquiry Card.
Configuration
Choice
The expandable DT486
DLC-40 system is avail-
able in desktop, minitower,
and medium-tower models.
The system has a basic con-
figuration of 4 MB of RAM
(expandable to 32 MB on the
motherboard), dual floppy
drives, an 80-MB hard drive,
a Super VGA color card and
monitor, a keyboard, DOS
5.0, and a serial mouse.
Upgrades for the system
include 120-, 170-, 200-, and
340-MB hard drives, a 2.5-
MB IDE cache controller,
and a Windows accelerator
VGA card. You can also add
Windows 3.1 and a 256-KB
cache-memory module.
Price: Basic system, $1299.
Contact: Diamond Tech-
nologies, Inc., Irvine, CA,
(800) 989-7253 or (7 14) 252-
1008; fax (714) 252-1508.
Circle 1077 on Inquiry Card.
Desktop Power
Packer
The small-footprint Image
466/66i runs at 66 MHz
internally and 33 MHz exter-
nally. The system has 4 MB
of SIMM RAM, expandable
to 36 MB on the system
board, and 128 KB of ROM.
NEC's implementation of
local-bus video technology,
ImageVideo, is a dedicated
video bus that operates at 33
MHz. ImageSync automati-
cally synchronizes the system
to the optimum frequency of
one of NEC's MultiSync FG
series of monitors. The sys-
tem has four 8-/1 6-bit ISA
expansion slots and four
drive bays.
Price: With a 120-MB IDE
hard drive, $2501; with a
240-MB IDE hard drive,
$2677.
Contact: NEC Technologies,
Inc., Boxborough, MA, (508)
264-8000.
Circle 1078 on Inquiry Card.
Multiuser System
Alpha Microsystems' mul-
tiuser AM- 1600LC runs
on the company's proprietary
operating system, AMOS,
and is based on a 25-MHz
MC68020 processor. Four
memory slots accept 1- or 2-
MB memory modules for ex-
pansion (up to 8 MB).
The system is available
with the company's optional
Virtual Personal Computer
technology, which lets you
execute DOS programs with-
out a DOS workstation.
Price: With 2 MB of RAM,
four serial ports, one parallel
port, a 120-MB SCSI hard
drive, and a tape streamer for
backup, about $7624 (£4830).
Contact: Alpha Microsys-
tems (GB), Ltd., Maidenhead,
Berkshire, U.K., +44 628
822120.
Circle 1079 on Inquiry Card.
58 BYTE • MARCH 1993
NEWS
WHAT'S NEW
A D D - I N S
The SCSI-2
Advantage
The SiliconAdvantage
SCSI-2 host adapter cards
provide synchronous data
transfer rates as high as 10
MBps and asynchronous rates
as high as 7 MBps. Able to
perform complex SCSI-2
command sequences without
software intervention, the
cards automatically handle all
command-queue responses
from the SCSI devices, in ad-
dition to sorting and reorder-
ing commands.
Other features of the cards
include scatter/gather, en-
hanced virtual memory per-
formance by off-loading disk
I/O tasks from the operating
system, connect/reconnect
support, and slow cable mode
for noisy environments. The
cards support up to 49 SCSI
devices via use of logical unit
numbers. Optional driver
support is available for oper-
ating systems such as DOS,
NetWare, OS/2, Windows,
SCO Unix, and Solaris. The
software interface is ANSI
CAM (common access
method) compliant.
Price: ISA card, $495; Micro
Channel card, $795.
Contact: Atto Technology,
Inc., Amherst, NY, (716)
688-4259; fax (716) 636-
3630.
Circle 1086 on Inquiry Card.
Up the Resolution
The LazerSetter PCL Plus
provides 600- by 600-dpi
resolution in PCL (Printer
Control Language) mode on
Hewlett-Packard LaserJet II,
IID, III, and HID printers.
The optional LazerTrax
PostScript-compatible inter-
preter can boost resolution to
1200 by 1200 dpi.
A controller card that plugs
into the optional I/O slot of
the printers, the LazerSetter
PCL Plus is based on the
960SB/16 RISC processor.
On-board RAM provides fast
SiliconAdvantage cards boost data throughput in SCSI-2
systems.
processing without your hav-
ing to add additional memory
to your printer.
Price: $795 and up.
Contact: Bolder Systems,
Inc., Boulder, CO, (800) 967-
0973 or (303) 938-9949; fax
(303) 449-4005.
Circle 1087 on Inquiry Card.
A New View
for PowerBooks
Applied Engineering's
BookView Imperial
pseudostatic RAM and video
adapter card plugs into the
memory-expansion slot on
the motherboard of the Apple
PowerBook to let you con-
nect the notebook to large
color monitors. The card,
which has 6 MB of RAM,
provides 8-bit color and lev-
els of gray. It supports stan-
dard and full-page VGA, Ap-
ple monitors, NTSC, and
overhead projectors.
Price: $11 16.
Contact: Applied Engineer-
ing, Dallas, TX, (800^554-
6227 or (214) 241-6060; fax
(214)484-1365.
Circle 1088 on Inquiry Card.
DSP Boards
Three data acquisition boards
use a DSP (digital signal pro-
cessor) chip to give you the
power of signal processing on
your desktop system.
complete DSP subsys-
& tern based on AT&T's
DSP3210 chip, the Qw3210-
SA signal analysis board has
136 KB of high-speed SRAM
(static RAM) (expandable to
more than 2 MB) and a dual-
port RAM interface between
the PC and the DSP. The
board provides 32 MFLOPS
of processing power.
Each of the two channels
in the board's analog I/O sub-
section has a 200,000-sam-
ple-per-second 16-bit A/D
and D/A converter; a differ-
ential-input, programmable-
gain instrumentation am-
plifier; and optional
programmable-cutoff analog
filters. Software included
with the board is a C interface
library and Resmon, a mem-
ory-resident DSP program
that sets up the hardware, re-
ports on errors, and provides
task-switching services.
Price: $2995 .
Contact: Quanlawave, Marl-
borough, MA, (508) 48 1 -
9802; fax (508) 624-0942.
Circle 1089 on Inquiry Card.
The DSP_400 and
DSP_MOD boards, based
on AT&T's DSP32C chip,
provide 25 MFLOPS of pro-
cessing power and have up to
8 MB of zero-wait-state on-
board memory. Each board
has a 12.5-MHz, 32-bit paral-
lel port for direct data trans-
fers to the on-board memory
without tying up the AT bus
on your PC.
Each board comes with a
complete software package
that provides everything you
need to begin developing
DSP applications. The DSP_
400 uses individual memory
chips, and the DSP_MOD
uses memory modules.
Price: $950 each.
Contact: Symmetric Re-
search, Kirkland, WA, (206)
828-6560; fax (206) 827-
3721.
Circle 1090 on Inquiry Card.
Sound Out
Your PC
A sound board that auto-
matically adapts to dif-
ferent voices and accents, the
Cyber Audio Card lets you
assemble your own vocabu-
lary of voice commands. The
card maintains an active 125-
word vocabulary.
The board includes digital
audio recording and playback
on two mono channels or one
stereo channel at 1 1 to 44
kHz and 8- or 16-bit resolu-
tion. Other features include
compression/decompression
as high as 4 to 1 at a 22-kHz
sampling rate, a MIDI inter-
face, compatibility with
SoundBlaster and Adlib, and
an on-board stereo mixer for
three stereo channels or six
mono channels.
Price: $395.
Contact: Alpha Systems
Lab, Irvine, CA, (714)252-
01 17; fax (714) 252-0887.
Circle 1091 on Inquiry Card.
MARCH 1993 'BYTE 59
NEWS
WHAT'S NEW
CONNECTIVITY
Manage
Networked PCs
Intel's LANDesk software
tools provide simplified
management of desktop PCs
and related services on
Novell NetWare 3.x LANs.
The tools include LANDesk
Manager, LANDesk Protect,
and LANDesk Inventory
Manager.
LANDesk Manager pro-
vides a single control point
for all local network manage-
ment solutions. The program
lets you remotely view a
workstation or file-server
screen; query for system in-
formation; control the key-
board and mouse; and make
changes to the system, such
as moving or copying files,
rebooting, and executing pro-
grams. LANDesk Manager
also displays statistics such as
packet traffic, error rates, and
utilization.
LANDesk Protect continu-
ously scans all network traffic
to detect and isolate more
than 1900 PC viruses, includ-
ing common strains, self-en-
crypting stealth viruses, and
polymorphic (i.e., mutation
engine) viruses. LANDesk
Inventory Manager generates
a summary of the hardware
and software resources on the
network to help you manage
upgrades, maintenance, con-
tracts, and licensing com-
pliance.
Price: LANDesk Manager,
$1295 per server; LANDesk
Protect, $995 per server;
LANDesk Inventory Man-
ager, $595 per server.
Contact: Intel Corp., Santa
Clara, CA, (408) 765-8080;
fax (408) 727-2620.
Circle 1092 on Inquiry Card.
14,400-bps
Notebook Modem
The Smart One 1442 PCM-
CIA modem from Best
Data Products provides note-
book PC users with high-
The LANDesk software tools provide LAN administration
functions such as node management, network and application
monitoring, virus protection, accounting, troubleshooting,
capacity planning, remote control, and inventory.
speed, error-corrected data
transfer and faxing capability.
Using built-in CCITT
V.42bis and MNP level 5
data compression and
V.32bis error correction, the
modem lets you achieve ef-
fective throughput rates of up
to 57,600 bps even on dial-up
lines, as well as full send-
and-receive fax capability at
14,400 bps. In addition, the
Smart One 1442 PCM-CIA
operates in full background
mode for uninterrupted
operation.
The modem's fax features
include broadcasting of mul-
tiple files to various fax ma-
chines; the ability to view,
rotate, and print incoming
faxes; and time-scheduled
transmission. You can keep
data and fax numbers in a
flexible phone book, and
handy logs record fax and
even error reports.
Price: $599.
Contact: Best Data Products,
Inc., Chats worth, CA, (818)
773-9600; fax (818) 773-
9619.
Circle 1093 on Inquiry Card.
Antivirus Utility
for NetWare
Fifth Generation Systems'
Untouchable Network
NLM (NetWare loadable
module) detects and recovers
viruses on NetWare
386-based file servers. The
package employs integrity
checking on the file server to
detect viruses without relying
on frequent virus signature
updates.
A patented virus-removal
technique guarantees safe
restoration of recoverable in-
fected files, including those
hit by new, unknown viruses.
The package also features
on-line scanning of com-
pressed and archived files
and seamless integration of
Untouchable Network NLM
for detection and recovery
of viruses at individual
nodes.
Price: $995 per server.
Contact: Fifth Generation
Systems, Inc., Baton Rouge,
LA, (504) 291-7221; fax
(504) 295-3268.
Circle 1094 on Inquiry Card.
Workgroup
Connectivity
With Powerfusion for
Workgroups, Unix re-
sides as a peer partner in the
Windows for Workgroups en-
vironment. The package sup-
ports Unix, DOS, Windows,
and Windows for Work-
groups users and provides
three connectivity solutions:
plug-and-play operation; sup-
port for Windows for Work-
groups orphans, such as IBM
XTs and ATs and Unix; and
low memory overhead.
Powerfusion for Workgroups
allows network users to share
resources such as disks, print-
ers, keyboards, screens, and
CD-ROMs.
Price: DOS and Windows
users, about $100 per work-
station; supported Unix
clients, $100 each.
Contact: Performance Tech-
nology, San Antonio, TX,
(210) 349-2000; fax (210)
366-0123.
Circle 1095 on Inquiry Card.
PCMCIA Wireless
Adapter
A wireless LAN adapter,
the RangeLAN/
PCMCIA fits the specifica-
tions of the Type II PCMCIA
credit-card-type slot. Using
spread-spectrum technology
over a range of up to 800 feet,
the adapter can operate at a
data rate of 242 Kbps. The
RangeLAN/PCMCIA adapter
provides a wireless network-
ing solution to portable users,
allowing them to easily set up
an "instant" LAN without ca-
bles or to extend an existing
LAN to hard-to-reach places.
The RangeLAN/PCMCIA
comes with drivers for popu-
lar LAN operating systems.
Price: $595.
Contact: Proxim, Inc.,
Mountain View, CA, (415)
960-1630; fax (415) 964-
5181.
Circle 1096 on Inquiry Card.
60 BYTE • MARCH 1993
Why some software sejjs
more than others. «
Success. All software
developers strived for
it. Now, Don Gall
P was on top of the
world. Software
protection made all
the difference.
Especially in
Europe and Asia.
Sales were four
times better than
before. He is the
founding father of
Sentinel — the guru of
software success.
Struggling Software Sales
One day, trekking
through the coffee fields of
Java, Don ran into his old
college buddy Simon Seagull.
"Don, my sales are well below
expectations." Simon
explained his plight. "My
software should sell like
yours, Don!" Yet despite
critical acclaim Simon's
company SimonSays
Software, teetered on a
financial tightrope. "What's
your secret, Don?"
They spent hours
analyzing potential problems.
They looked at everything.
The Key to the Problem
Finally, Don leaned back and
asked the assumptive question,
"What about protection?"
Are you using Sentinel?"
Nervously, Simon sipped his
coffee. His hands shaking
as his eyes darted the room.
"No. I didn't think I needed
to."
Don's chair slid
out from under him
and he crashed to the
floor. Amazed in
disbelief, Don cried,
"You What?!"
Grabbing his tattered
scrapbook, Don
pulled out photos of
his travels. "Ever
been to Seoul?
Prague? Anywhere?
Ten bucks will buy
you anything even
bootlegged copies of software
Don's Road to Success
Thumbing through the
scrapbook, Don shared his
experiences. "Back in the
'80s, I was in your shoes -
beaten, battered and bruised.'
Simon listened. "Then, after
a heart breaking
trip around the
world, I called
the Software
Publishers
Association (SPA).
"I could hardly believe it.'
They told me developers lose
billions of dollars each year.
Why? Illegally copied
software. "In some countries
there are nine pirated copies
for each legal copy sold."
Simon was disgusted, "It's just
not fair."
"That's why I committed
myself to solving the piracy
problem." Simon's eyes lit
^\ up. "The dongle!" he
shouted. Don
^ corrected him,
"Not just any
dongle— the
dongle that paved the
road to success for over
10,000 developers worldwide
— Sentinel."
Successful Developers
Use Sentinel
Don pulled a stack of letters
out of his gunny sack. "All
of these people tell the same
story." Don read about a
successful developer from
California who swears she
wouldn't be in business
without Sentinel. Another
company says
protection costs less
than litigation, plus
they don't have to
spend time and money $
i supporting illegal users.
Others confessed they
wouldn't market products
internationally without
protection.
The hours flew by, story
after story, Simon learned
Don Gall's secret. To succeed
is to protect. To protect is to
secure with Sentinel.
Most Advanced and widely
Used Dongles in the World
Backed by the world leader in
software protection, Rainbow
Technologies, the Sentinel
Family of hardware keys is
the most diverse and
comprehensive selection
available. For DOS,OS/2,
Mac, Windows, LAN, UNIX
and others. They're simple to
install, and are the most
reliable and compatible
available.
Rainbow offers just-in-
time delivery and the largest
technical support and
engineering staff in the
software protection industry.
Call Don Gall today
for a free copy of "The
Sentinel Guide to
Securing Software."
Or better yet, ask
him for a low cost
1^ Sentinel Evaluation kit
today - complete with a
working dongle!
CALL
800/ 852-8569
FOR YOUR FREE GUIDE TO
SECURING SOFTWARE
SEIUinEL
Securing the future of software
When you need a dongle, you need Sentinel.
The only dongle Don Gall will use.
^.RAINBOW
T ECHH0L0GIES
9292 JERONIMO ROAD, IRVINE, CALIFORNIA 92718 ■ 714/ 454-2100 ■ fax 714/ 454-8557
International offices are located in the United Kingdom, Germany and France.
Circle 1 38 on Inquiry Card (RESELLERS: 1 39).
microsoft
windows
comfatible
The Muffin Of P
1984
The Luggables
■ 35 pounds
class CPU
I512KRAM
1 Floppy drive
I No hard drive
I AC only
I Monochrome display
$4000 to $5000
Laptops
pounds
80286-clas.s CPU
RAM
ve
20MB hard drive
1.5-hour battery
display
$4500
You've been wrestling with over-sized, over-priced
portables for nine long years! Now Gateway 2000 emerges
from the struggle and introduces the missing link in the
evolution of portable computing. It's the HandBook, a perfect
combination of portability and functionality for all on-the-go
Homo Sapiens.
The HandBook is a real PC in a revolutionary new form.
Not a notebook, not a palmtop, the HandBook is the first
fully-functional PC in a truly portable, handbook-sized form.
You can easily take the HandBook anywhere because this
new species measures a mere 6x10 inches and weighs only
2.75 pounds, yet it runs over 5,000 of your favorite DOS
applications. You aren't stuck buying and learning proprietary
"card" programs when you have a HandBook.
The exclusive auto-resume feature enables the HandBook to
work like no other PC you've ever seen. Auto-resume allows
you to suspend the computer's operation for moments or weeks
at a time, and then return to your work right where you left off
- in seconds, and at the touch of a button.
With the HandBook you get 40MB of hard disk capacity to
easily and quickly store all your DOS programs and files.
The quiet and comfortable touch-type keyboard allows you
ortable Computing.
1990
The Notebooks
■ 6 lo 9 pounds
■ 80286 or 80386SX-class CPU
■ 540K RAM
I Floppy drive
■ 20 to 40MB hard drive
■ 2 lo 3-hour battery
■ CGA or VGA display
$2900 to $4500
Today
The HandBook
■ 2.75 pounds
■ C&T CPU. 286-clus
performance
■ 1MB RAM
■ 40MB hard drive
■ 4.5-hour battery
■ 640 x 400 backlil display
■ Auto-resume feature
$1295
to type as fast as you can on your desktop keyboard.
The HandBook' s 640 x 400 resolution backlit screen can be
read in virtually any light and is large enough to display full
80-column lines of text, so you can use the HandBook
whenever and wherever you need to. And the HandBook gives
you all this with up to 4.5 hours of life on a replaceable battery.
The Gateway HandBook was designed specifically for you
- today's on-fhe-move computer user. Once you get your
hands on a HandBook, you'll struggle no more with a
Neanderthal artifact
The HandBook was named one of the year's
"Best of What's New" products by Popular
Science magazine and received BYTE
magazine's Award of Distinction.
r
GATEWM2000
"You've goi a friend in the business. "
800-846-2000
610 Gateway Drive • P.O.Box 2000 • North Sioux City. SD 57049-20
605-232-2000 • Fax 605-232-2023
©1992 Gateway 2000, Inc., HandBook is a trademark of Gateway 2000, inc. All other brands and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.
WHAT'S NEW
NEWS
PROGRAMMING SOFTWARE
Windows
Charting Tools
A collection of graphics
and user-interface rou-
tines, the Windows Charting
Tools package helps C and
C++ programmers add scien-
tific, engineering, and busi-
ness graphics to their applica-
tions. The package for
Windows 3.1 provides dialog
boxes, high-resolution printer
support, and Clipboard and
metafile support. It also in-
cludes a library of C func-
tions that you can use to cre-
ate charts such as line, area,
scatter, and group plots; hori-
zontal and vertical bar
graphs; floating bars; error
bars; open-high-low-close
plots; and pie charts.
Windows Charting Tools
let you combine multiple
chart types, data objects, and
x and y axes in the same
graph. You can set axes for
linear and logarithmic scal-
ing, and you can label axes
with numeric values in deci-
mal and scientific notation or
with user-defined strings.
You can output your charts to
Windows-supported printers.
Price: $400; with source
code to the Quinn-Curtis
Charting DLL, $800.
Contact: Quinn-Curtis,
Needham, MA, (617)449-
6155; fax (617) 449-6109.
Circle 1 102 on Inquiry Card.
Wireless Network
Applications
You can add wireless ca-
pabilities to your new or
existing applications with
Motorola's WaveGuide 2.0
connectivity tool. WaveGuide
provides a consistent API that
lets you build applications for
multiple wireless data net-
works in a DOS or Windows
environment with minimal
code changes. The Wave-
Guide API provides a high-
level C-language interface
that is independent of the un-
Piogram flwland C++ ■
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2e+03
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With Windows Charting Tools, you can edit chart
characteristics such as graph position, plot attributes, axis
parameters, fonts, and data.
derlying wireless network
protocols and modem inter-
faces. WaveGuide 2.0-based
applications allow two-way
data communications over
ARDIS and RAM, two popu-
lar wireless networks that
transmit data using radio-
packet technology.
Price: $1495.
Contact: Motorola, Inc., Ra-
dioWare Solutions, Schaum-
burg,IL, (708) 576-1600; fax
(708) 576-0710.
Circle 1 T 06 on Inquiry Card.
Mac Error
Detection
StratosWare offers ver-
sions of its error detec-
tion and prevention product,
MemCheck for the Macin-
tosh, for the Think C and
MPW C environments. Re-
quiring no source code
changes, MemCheck detects
errors such as memory over-
writes and underwrites, mem-
ory leaks (i.e., failure to free
allocated memory), and heap
corruption. MemCheck oper-
ates transparently, appearing
only to report errors with ex-
act file and line-number in-
formation in the source code.
MemCheck for the Macin-
tosh can detect failures in
memory allocation routines,
failures in many resource op-
erations, and invalid opera-
tions on unlocked and purged
handles, as well as the inap-
propriate use of nonresource
handles in Resource Manager
traps. You can switch Mem-
Check on or off at run time,
link it out via the Production
library, or compile it out with
no source code changes.
Price: $179.95 each; bun-
dled, $239.95.
Contact: StratosWare Corp.,
Ann Arbor, MI, (313) 996-
2944; fax (313) 747-8519.
Circle 1 103 on Inquiry Card.
Windows Program
Generation
Microlex says that its
GUIDE (GUI Develop-
ment Environment) tool pro-
vides all the Windows pro-
gram-generation facilities
you need in one system. The
package lets you create com-
piled programs in a fourth-
generation-language environ-
ment, and it can handle future
Windows developments such
as Windows for Pen Comput-
ing, Windows NT, and multi-
media.
Offering Novell NetWare
compatibility, GUIDE pro-
vides features such as entity-
relationship database design
tools, a menu designer, and
form- and screen-design
tools. Other features include
interactive multidimensional
graphics, comprehensive font
and color-palette controls,
bit-map sequencing, an inte-
grated table and spreadsheet
tool, and report generation
and project management fa-
cilities.
Price: Four-user version,
about $18,300 (£12,000).
Contact: Microlex pic, Der-
by, U.K., +44 332 290630;
fax +44 332 290624.
Circle 1 104 on Inquiry Card.
Unix Productivity
Tool
WithiXBuild2.1,you
can build, prototype,
and test OSF/Motif-based
GUIs for software applica-
tions, independent of the un-
derlying application. Inter-
faces that you build with
iXBuild are run-time inde-
pendent and can run on most
Unix platforms. The package
includes a graphical WYSI-
WYG editor, a set of Motif
widgets; automatic interfac-
ing to existing databases;
graphical editing functions,
which include a Search Edi-
tor for positioning, sizing,
cutting, pasting, copying, in-
serting, and deleting elements
of your work; context-sensi-
tive on-line help; and dynam-
ic testing facilities. You can
also extend iXBuild 2.1 with
user-defined widgets and re-
sources (i.e., attributes).
Price: First user license,
$4500.
Contact: UniPress Software,
Inc., Edison, NJ, (908) 287-
2100; fax (908) 287-4929.
Circle 1 105 on Inquiry Card.
64 BYTE • MARCH 1993
Since when is Raima
first in Co
Database Deve
Raima Database Manager was the database of choice in the
; First Annual Windows World Open. The competition featured in-
novative 'custom applications built with Windows development
took Three of the seven winners, and two of the finalists, used
Raima Database Manager to solve their critical application needs.
For professional developers like yourself, Raima products offer:
• High performance: unmatched application speed.
• PortflbJ/^-raifeonDOS^mdow^OS/l/UN^VMS^QNX.
• Royalty-free distribution; increase your, profits.
• Source-code availability: total programming flexibility.
• Affordable. pricing: starting at just $395.
;' ■-.•• Language support: ANSI C, C++, arid Visual Basic.
Listen to what some of our customers say about pur products:
"No other products matched Raima for the' price"
James Lisiak, developer, Chevron
"Raima provided us with speed, flexibility, and joydlty-free dis-
tribution which Allowed us to meet ani exceed our customers' needs."
Dave Cooper, developer, Atlantic Research Corp,
(subcontractor, Naval Electronic Systems Engineering Activity)
"Database Manager gave us the edge we needed to handle large
amounts of data quickly and efficiently within Microsoft Windows..."
Kelly Patrick, developer, PHHFantus
If you're looking for an award-winning application development
tool, give us a call. And discover the Raima advantage.
Raima Database. Manager The high-performance dbms
Raima Object Manager .jite object storage- class Ubmnj
Raima Corporation IbiB NW Sammamish Rd, Suite 200 Iasaquah,,WA98027 (206)557-0200 Fax: (21
Circle 1 37 on Inquiry
Co[Utrighiri992 Raitmi Ct>rporath«. All-rights reserved.
- *, EY33WA
33 Windows World
Play to win in the "City of Winners"...7j&^,
It's two world-class events happening side by
side in Atlanta... and the year's first opportunity
to go to the cutting edge in computer and
communications technology.
• More than 1,000 exhibiting companies with thousands
of exciting new products!
• Plus dedicated Technology Showcases on Network
Computing, Multimedia, Mobile Computing,
UNIX®/Open Systems, OEM Sources, and Office
and Imaging Systems!
• 75,000-plus attendees... including over 5,000
international delegates from more than 70 countries!
• The rollout of Windows NT— plus a world of new
Windows applications!
• "Featured Country" program highlighting Canada!
• More than 100 separate educational conference
sessions on the latest technology, business and
distribution issues!
• Keynote addresses from Bill Gates of Microsoft and
James Cannavino of IBM... plus "CEO Perspectives"
from Robert Palmer of DEC and Jim Manzi of Lotus!
If you play to win in the computer industry,
there's only one place to go this spring—
COMDEX and WINDOWS WORLD in Atlanta!
:|HbL ^^
Don't miss the
next COMDEX and
WINDOWS WORLD!
FAX: (617) 449-2674
Hotels fill up fast— reserve
your accommodations today!
YES! I want to see it first at COMDEX and WINDOWS WORLD!
□ Send information on attending, including hotel and travel savings.
D Send information on exhibiting.
n ©C@mi>IH7Spring , 93
The world's #1 computer and communications marketplace for resellers and corporate decision makers.
□ !ffiWlNDOWS\W)RLD'93
The official conference and exposition on Windows computing. Produced in cooperation with Microsoft.
May 24-27, 1993
Georgia World Congress Center • Atlanta, Georgia USA
Name.
8LKCA
. State.
Zip/Postal Code.
Telephone.
. Country.
. Fax
Fax 617-449-2674 or mail to: The Interface Group, 300 First Avenue, Needham, MA 02194-2722 USA.
I
«1993The Interlace Group • 300 First Avenue, Needham, MA 02194-2722 USA. Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. UNIX is a trademark of UNIX System Laboratories, Inc., a subsidiary of AT&T.
Circle 93 on Inquiry Card.
NEWS
WHAT'S NEW • S C I E N C E / E N G I N E E R I N G SOFTWARE
Scientific
Graphics
Grapher for Windows cre-
ates presentation-quality
x,y graphs for scientific and
engineering applications.
Graph types include line,
symbol, bar, and open-high-
low-close graphs. You can
add vertical and horizontal
error bars, with complete
control over their line style,
width, and color.
The program provides au-
tomatic or user-defined axis
scaling, tick marks, labels,
and legends. You can choose
from linear, logarithmic,
exponential, power, spline,
polynomial, and running-
average curve fits, with an
unlimited number of curves
and fits on each graph. The
program supports multiple
axes per graph, and you can
plot several graphs on a page.
Built-in drawing tools let
you place rectangles, circles,
areas, or points anywhere on
your graphs. You can use the
text editor to create text
blocks with superscripts, sub-
scripts, and mathematical
formulas and symbols.
Price: $199.
Contact: Golden Software,
Inc., Golden, CO, (303) 279-
1021; fax (303) 279-0909.
Circle 1 1 14 on Inquiry Card.
Project
Visualization
The CVpvs project visual-
ization system for Sun,
DEC, and Hewlett-Packard
systems provides a virtual
walk-through of large-scale
3-D CAD projects so you can
see the structure and appear-
ance of the project from
every angle. Spatial orienta-
tion features let you move
forward, backward, left, right,
up, and down, as well as turn
and orbit. They also control
zooming, the point from
which a view originates, and
the direction of your gaze.
A 2-D scientific graphics package, Grapher for Windows
supports up to 32,000 data points per curve.
In mechanical and manu-
facturing environments, the
CVpvs software lets you in-
spect complete assemblies,
subassemblies, and individual
components by manipulating,
communicating, and animat-
ing a large-scale design. The
CVpvs program lets you in-
terrupt display graphics, ver-
ify or query nongraphics
model attributes from an ex-
ternal database, add notes and
labels, and measure dimen-
sions and distances.
Price: $8925.
Contact: Computervision
Corp., Bedford, MA, (617)
275-1800; fax (617) 275-
2670.
Circle 1 1 1 7 on Inquiry Card.
Exploratory Data
Analysis
The latest version of Data
Desk, exploratory data-
analysis and graphics soft-
ware for the Mac, works with
an unlimited number of cases
and adds multivariate general
linear models, nonlinear
smoothers, automated slider
tools, summaries by cate-
gories, derived variables, and
random subset sampling. Fast
calculations let you quickly
pursue several analysis paths,
and Data Desk 4.0 links all
plots and analyses, so you can
move from one to another to
visualize your data in differ-
ent ways.
A Linear Model Outline
organizes the decisions you
need to make to perform lin-
ear model analysis, as well as
the results that linear models
compute. An Overview table
gives a summary of results
from the analysis, so it is easy
to identify factors with strong
effects, factors with little or
no effect, and factors whose
effects are not consistent.
Price: $595.
Contact: Data Description,
Inc., Ithaca, NY, (607) 257-
1000; fax (607) 257-4146.
Circle 1 1 16 on Inquiry Card.
Mathematical
Modeling
Ideal for technical special-
ists, VisSim is an interac-
tive program for mathemati-
cal modeling, animated
simulation, real-time control,
and analysis of dynamic sys-
tems. The Windows software
offers more than 70 linear
and nonlinear mathematical
function blocks and six
integration methods.
To visually solve complex
differential equations, you se-
lect the blocks representing
the standard procedures re-
quired, wire them together,
and run the simulation. Vis-
Sim's function blocks cover
most arithmetic, Boolean,
transcendental, linear and
nonlinear, integration, and
signal-processing operations.
Price: About $755 (£495).
Contact: Adept Scientific
Micro Systems, Ltd., Letch-
worth, Hertfordshire, U.K.,
+44 462 480055; fax +44 462
480213.
Circle 1 1 1 5 on Inquiry Card.
The Engineer's
Companion
If you are involved in the
mechanical design of struc-
tures for supporting, bracing,
and containment, then The
Engineer's Companion may
interest you. More than 100
engineering calculations let
you design and analyze tor-
sional and thermal deflection
and stress; contact deforma-
tion and stress between
spheres, parallel and crossed
cylinders, and spheres and
cylinders on plates, as well as
in sockets; beam-column in-
stability; stress in curved
beam sections; and mechani-
cal and thermal stress and
expansion in pressurized
cylinders and spheres.
For most calculations, you
can evaluate equations for a
single set of values, tabularly
display or plot them over a
range of a variable, or plot
families of curves based on a
continuous range of the vari-
able and stepped over a range
in a chosen parameter.
Price: $199.95.
Contact: Dynacomp, Inc.,
Webster, NY, (716)265-
4040.
Circle 1 1 18 on Inquiry Card.
68 BYTE • MARCH 1993
The UltraLite Autograph
is just one of the many
innovations NEC has
brought to portable
computing. Others
include the first
active-matrix color
notebook, the first
color laptop and
the first portable
Docking Station™
,n
**
«k
W
After you see our performance
*
you'll want our Autograph.
Applause and standing ovations. That's how people are reacting to NEC's new
UltraLite Autograph!" The UltraLite Autograph is a tablet computer that's designed
to provide uncompromising performance anytime, anywhere. At just 3.9 lbs., and
a mere 1.2" thin, this lightweight delivers heavyweight performance. The Autograph
is loaded with advanced features like a powerful i486™SL processor. 40 or 80MB*
hard disk drive. A full complement of standard ports. Local bus video for dazzling
video performance. A high-quality VGA transflective screen display for clear view-
ing indoors and outdoors. Two PCMCIA slots for easy installation of peripherals
like fax modems and local area network cards. And programmable HotZone™ icons
that work like function keys to allow quick, easy access to frequently used func-
tions. And there's an optional keyboard that has been customized for portable use.
It comes with plenty of battery life, thanks to its 3.3-volt design that gives users
significant battery life improvement depending on usage (3-5 hours with a stan-
dard NiMH battery and 6-10 hours with a double-capacity battery pack). And the
Autograph can run either Windows™ for Pen Computing™ or PenPoint™ software.
NEC's UltraLite Autograph. You'll give its performance rave reviews. To find out
where you can see the Autograph, call us at 1-800-NEC-INFO (in Canada,
1-800-343-4418) and we'll tell you where you can sign on the bottom line for one.
Because it is the way you want to go.
•80MB available 1st quarter 1993.
Circle 11 7 on Inquiry Card.
Nobody gives you
as ZEDS At any
Everybody is talking price, price, price. Now ZEOS is
talking price, price, price and features, features, features!
Right now, you get more features at lower prices from
ZEOS than from anyone else!
TAKE A REALLY CLOSE
LOOK AT WHAT YOU GET:
■ VESA-standard local bus video — the fastest video
.performance available anywhere. PC
Magazine said the ZEOS 486DX2-66
"shattered our previous record. . .by nearly
fourfold." Now the dazzling video perfor-
mance that rated #1 with PC Magazine
can be yours!
I Local bus IDE hard
drives. Now we've made
your hard disk drive data
throughput over twice
as fast with local bus IDE! Dell doesn't
have it; few others do either. ZEOS does.
You do.
■ You get eight expansion slots, including
two that support VESA-standard local
bus devices with bus mastering. Expand-
ability with local bus performance in mind!
■ Twin cooling fans. A ZEOS quality
extra to help protect your long-term
investment. One cooling fan just isn't enough to cool any
modern PC, particularly at such high speeds. That's why
ZEOS gives you two.
■ "An array of features to make a user's mouth water. "
— PC Magazine. Such as stronger cases, high-capacity
power supplies with built-in surge suppression, floppy
drives by Teac, and so much more.
■ Award-winning 24-Hour-A-Day Toil-Free Technical
Support. We were the first to offer 24 hour support — years
ago. Even now, few offer it 'round the clock. But with
ZEOS you get it, 365 days a year.
■ On-board SCSI for only $49. Add
SCSI devices (such as CD-ROM)
now or later and you get high per-
formance on-board SCSI, cheap.
"The stand-out was the
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72 BYTE • MARCH 1993
USER'S COLUMN
JERRY
POURNELLE
CD-ROM Secrets
It has been a frantically interesting month. I finished
Prince of Sparta, A Novel of Falkenb erg's Legion
by Jerry Pournelle and S. M. Stirling (Baen Books)
two days ago. By the time you read this, you will be
able to buy copies, which is astounding. Jim Baen
takes my Word for Windows text, translates it to Xy-
Write for prepping, pours it into Ventura Publisher, and
prints out page proofs. Copyediting corrections are fed in.
The book is then formatted, printed out with the LaserJet
in Baskerville typeface, and photoreduced to proper page
size. Go buy a copy and compare: I'll bet you the print
quality will be as good as that of any other paperback
original you'll find.
I did Prince of Sparta in Microsoft Word for Win-
dows (W4W for short). Steve Stirling did a partial Word-
Perfect draft from my outline. Then I used Mastersoft's
Word for Word to convert his files to Q&A Write format,
which is what I use for creative writing; but this time
the first job was extensive editing of Stirling's draft,
which is a great deal more easily done in W4W. I piped
everything through Word for Word again, converting
files to the Word for DOS format because Word for Word
doesn't recognize W4W files. However, W4W reads
Word for DOS files.
Amazingly, everything went fine. On a 486/33, W4W
is very fast. While I get frustrated by some of its arcane
command structure, I am getting used to it; and it is very
powerful. I can keep an entire book in W4W, use book-
marks at each chapter beginning or critical scene, and
jump around like nobody's business. If I want to be sure
of a character's name or make global changes, search
and replace is very fast over the whole novel.
Jim Baen is a publisher, but he is also one of the best
editors I've worked with. I'd PKZip each newly finished
chapter and use ZMODEM protocol to squirt it up to
BIX at 9600 bps with the USRobotics Courier HST
V.32bis modem in about a minute; the whole book took
under 5 minutes. Jim would download the latest version
from BIX and upload editorial comments. I could then
make editorial changes, such as expanding a scene to
explain an apparent plot glitch or character inconsisten-
cy, and use search and replace to find the exact spot
where a change was needed. Sometimes we'd work by
telephone.
Toward the end, I was creating a new chapter de novo
every two days. I would not have finished the book on
time without W4W; and it wouldn't be typeset and in
bookstores in such a short time without desktop pub-
lishing capability. Little computers are wonderful.
Integrating a CD-ROM
drive with Windows for
Workgroups can be tricky
CD-ROM and Workgroups
I say I've been using Windows, but actually I am using
Windows for Workgroups, henceforth W4WG; and it's
not quite the same thing.
The primary difference is network capability. With
W4WG going, I can periodically squirt off a copy of my
work to another machine, which makes for great peace of
mind. Writers tend to be paranoid about losing text, and
I don't really feel that work is saved until there are mul-
tiple copies on multiple ma-
chines; W4WG makes that easy
to do.
On the other hand, I nearly
went nuts getting the CD-ROM
drive to work with W4WG.
The good news is that I did suc-
ceed.
My CD-ROM system ran
fine with Windows 3.1. I was
using a Corel driver card and
software and a Toshiba CD-
ROM drive, and all was well;
but when I shifted to Windows
so I could use W4WG, any at-
tempt to access the CD-ROM
while I was in Windows would
lock up the machine. The infu-
riating part was that everything
worked just fine as long as I
was in DOS; but as soon as I
got into Windows, accessing
the CD-ROM drive locked
things tight. I could recover
from the lockup by doing Ctrl-
Alt-Del, which would get me
back to the program manager;
but it certainly wasn't accept-
able not to have a CD-ROM
drive.
Then things got worse. I did something, I forget what,
to CONFIG.SYS, and this time I was able to get the CD-
ROM going in Windows. Joy. I told File Manager to
share that CD-ROM drive on the network and went over
to another machine on the network and accessed the CD-
ROM. More joy. And then came disaster.
I got an error message I had never seen: SERIOUS
DISK ERROR. Other mysterious things happened, and
not even hardware reset worked. I had to turn the ma-
chine stone-cold off, and when I rebooted, CHKDSK
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said my disk was a mess. That was cured
by my rebooting with a floppy disk — if
you haven't made a bare-bones (no CON-
FIG.SYS and no AUTOEXEC.BAT) boot
floppy disk for your system, go do it right
now! Then I let Norton Disk Doctor do its
thing. I could boot up again, but now, any
attempt to access Windows failed. Up
would come the Windows logo, then my
wallpaper (I like EGYPT.BMP), and then
that hourglass would sit there, and nothing
would happen. Not good.
I went back into CONFIG.SYS and RE-
MARKed out every reference to the CD-
ROM drive, rebooted, and tried again. This
time Windows told me that my swap file
was corrupt, and did I want to erase it?
Certainly, said I. It then said that it was
impossible to share the E (CD-ROM)
drive, and did I want that shared on start-
up in future? No, no, a thousand times no;
and that fixed things so that I could access
Windows again. Of course, it still didn't
get me a CD-ROM drive.
By this time I was talking to half a doz-
en Microsoft people who were eager to
help, but nothing helped. The problem was
passed upstairs to a senior Microsoft tech-
nical-support official, who said, "Ah, we
know about that one. He's got to use the
new MSCDEX.EXE that comes with
W4WG, and it must have the /S switch in
the command line that loads it." Alas,
while those are both important points, I
was already using the new MSCDEX and
W4WG Setup had automatically added
the /S option in the AUTOEXEC.BAT
file.
Be Relentless
I got a lot of advice from other technical-
support people, but nothing worked. Time
for my never-failing remedy, the relent-
less application of logic.
Start with when it last worked. That was
under Windows 3.1, and I had carefully
made no needless changes while convert-
ing to W4WG; so what changes had I
made? One of them was obvious: I had
added the Intel EtherExpress board that
comes with the W4WG Starter Kit. Be-
fore I did that, I'd used Dariana's Win-
Sleuth Gold to determine what port ad-
dresses and interrupts were in use and print
out a report. This is one of those programs
that you don't use often, but when you
need it, you need it bad.
This time, though, I hadn't needed Win-
Sleuth: the Intel Softset program looks for
any conflicts and then reprograms the net-
work board to an unused address and in-
terrupts. It's very painless. I used Win-
Sleuth Gold to have another look, and yep,
it could see the EtherExpress board just
fine, and it was indeed located in what
WinSleuth reported previously as unused
locations.
It didn't look as if there were hardware
conflicts; still, the first step in relentless
logic is to remove all possible conflicts,
so I removed the Sound Blaster card. No
joy. CD-ROM worked in DOS, but it
locked up in W4WG.
Next step: edit CONFIG.SYS to RE-
MARK out all references to network driv-
er software and run Softset again. When
you do that, Softset sees the existing card
and assumes that its current interrupt and
address are in use; so it finds new ones
and reprograms the board accordingly.
Thus, if I were accidentally stepping on
something already in use because Softset
hadn't seen that the first time, this proce-
dure, by relocating the board, should have
cured that problem.
No joy. Symptoms unchanged. In fact,
it made no difference whether I let CON-
FIG.SYS load the network drivers or I left
them REMARKed out; meaning that it
might not be the network that was caus-
ing the problem.
OK, it wasn't hardware. Microsoft tech-
nical support told me thousands of people
were successfully using W4WG with CD-
ROM, so it wasn't inherently impossible.
Simplify the software, then. First thing,
remove QEMM-386, the Quarterdeck
memory manager, and stop loading things
into high memory, and see if that works;
and in fact it did.
The only trouble was that I now had
about 400 KB of memory. While that's no
problem for people who use Windows ap-
plications exclusively, about half the pro-
grams I run are DOS applications, and
most of them want a lot more than 400
KB. Games, in particular, want upwards
of 570 KB to run properly. Some Win-
dows users get around that by rebooting
the machine using a separate bare-bones
CONFIG.SYS that doesn't load any TSR
programs; then they play games and run
other memory-hog programs in DOS. That
doesn't appeal to me. I want big DOS ses-
sions under Windows.
I reloaded QEMM and did more exper-
imenting. I won't report all the tedious
work that was involved. The result was
that I found the secrets, some as a result of
tips from Stafford Williamson of Quarter-
deck's technical-support group and some
by working on my own. Here, published
for the first time anywhere, is the secret
for CD-ROM under W4WG while retain-
ing 600 KB of memory for DOS sessions
under Windows.
The Secret
The secret of success is that in W4WG
you can load MSCDEX into extended
74 BYTE • MARCH 1993
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6 1992 Para Systems, Inc., 1455 LeMay Drive,
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USER'S COLUMN
memory (the /E switch works fine), but
you must not let QEMM load MSCDEX
high. I know that won't be clear to every-
one, so I'll give details.
Set up your system without QEMM and
get it running properly with the CD-ROM
in DOS. Now install W4WG (if it wasn't
already installed). When all that's done,
you'll have about 400 KB of memory.
Now, working in DOS, install QEMM and
let its Optimize program do its thing. You
may or may not need to do some memory
exclusions. In particular, nearly every sys-
tem will need the line X=B000-B7FF to
exclude some video areas from being used
by QEMM; and if you have a caching disk
drive controller or other SCSI device, you
will need to exclude its address area as
well.
The next time you boot up your system,
you'll probably get some loud complaints.
Microsoft Windows Setup generally au-
tomatically installs its SMARTDRV cach-
ing program with double buffering. Dou-
V
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ble-buffered SMARTDRV comes in two
parts: a chunk that's loaded by CON-
FIG.SYS and another that's loaded by
AUTOEXEC.BAT. It's the CONFIG.SYS
part that's causing the problem; that can't
be loaded high, but Optimize will have a
try at it.
The remedy is simple. Look into CON-
FIG.SYS (I use the little editor that's built
into Norton Commander for this sort of
thing). If you see a line that begins DE-
VICE=:\QEMM\LOADHI.SYS, gives a
couple of parameters, and continues
:\WINDOWS\SMARTDRV.EXE /DOU-
BLE_BUFFER, delete parts of that line
so that it reads DEVICE=:\WINDOWS\
SMARTDRV.EXE /DOUBLE_BUFFER.
You can also move the altered line up
above the line that loads QEMM in case
you need to use Optimize again.
Once that's done, it doesn't hurt to put
the statement DBF=2 into the QEMM com-
mand line.
Now reboot. You shouldn't receive any
more complaints, and your CD-ROM
ought to work fine in DOS. Test to be sure
it does. However, if you enter W4WG and
try to access the CD-ROM drive, it will
probably lock up (although it would work
just fine in Windows 3.1). Even if it does
not, don't take chances: exit Windows and
edit AUTOEXEC.BAT.
In there you will find a command that
begins :\QEMM\LOADHI and then has
some parameters, continues with :\WIN-
DOWS\MSCDEX.EXE /S /V, and then
has some more stuff. There may or may
not be a /E in there after the MSCDEX.
If there isn't one, put one in there. Now
edit the line so that all traces of the QEMM
attempt to load high are gone; that is, delete
until the line begins :\WINDOWS\
MSCDEX.EXE and do not change any-
thing after the MSCDEX except to add /E
if needed. The /S is also needed, but I pre-
sume that W4WG's Setup will have added
it automatically.
Now reboot. Your system should have
something over 590 KB of DOS memory,
and your CD-ROM will work fine in both
DOS and Windows.
I don't want to take up the whole col-
umn with this, so I'll explain what's going
on another time.
Adding Network Resources
You might think that a writer has no need
for networked computers, but that's not
so. One major reason I want a network is to
access resources that I simply can't pack
onto my main system. In particular, 1 want
the Pioneer read/write optical cartridge
drive (files written to a glass disk are pret-
ty safe), a WORM drive (files burned into
a good WORM drive are nearly eternal),
76 BYTE • MARCH 1993
Circle 96 on Inquiry Card.
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Backpack requires no cards.
Backpack is 30% smaller
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Backpack can backup at a
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Backpack is a QIC 80 compat-
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Backpack is available in 3.5"
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Visual Basic for DOS
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PRO $495 $339
Standard $199 $139
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ProtoGen 3.0
by Protoview
NEW VERSION! The industry standard for
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Considered the easiest and fastest way to create
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FastFaxts 2001-006
Distinct TCP/IP for
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(SDK) LIST: $495 PS Price: $439
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Visual Basic for Windows 2.0
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When you need to create a Windows application
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Standard $199 $139
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FORTRAN $395 $375
FastFaxts 1958-048: (C), 1958-050:
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The PKWARE Data
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The PKWARE Data Compression Library
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to any device or area of memory. Only 35K of
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Compatible with MSC, BC++, TC, TP 6.0,
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FastFaxts 3043-01 1
To Order Call
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Intelligent design permits read-through record and file locks
Applications run quickly and reliably, even as networks evolve
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Free Distribution of
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• Multiuser CA-Clipper applications
require NO licenses, NO runtime fees
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Capacity
• Procedures per application: unlimited
• Functions per application: unlimited
• Array size: 4,096 elements per dimen-
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• Expanded Memory use: to 32 MB
• Virtual memory: up to 64 MB (main
memory, expanded memory, hard disk
space); up to 16 MB of object memory
(character strings, arrays); up to 9 MB (main memory, expanded
memory) for database buffering
Supplied Database Driver
(DBF Format)
• 1 billion records per data file
• 1,000 fields per record
• Over 200 open data files (limited to file handles)
• 15 active indexes per open data file
• Character fields (fixed length): 65,536 characters
• Numeric fields: 30 digits, precision up to 16 significant digits
• Support for logical fields (true/false)
• Date fields: 01/01/0100-12/31/2999
• Memo fields (variable length): 65,536 character's
System Requirements
CA-Clipper 5.2 requires an IBM PS/2. AT, XT, PC or its compatibles; 640K RAM; expanded memory
requires UM 3.2 or higher; hard disk required for development; DOS 3. 1 or higher; works with all
networks compatible with DOS 3.1 or higher.
For a limited time only!
Clipper users can upgrade to version 5.2 for only $139- A competitive
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manual cover to 617-749-2018.
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Mention Code BY393
I
1-800-421-8006
USER'S COLUMN
and the Pioneer six-pack CD-ROM Mini-
changer.
I had the Pioneer R/W optical drive and
the Minichanger in a SCSI daisy chain run
by a Corel interface card. They were run-
ning fine, but as a test, I had, with some
help from Alan Rogers ("arog" on BIX),
converted that machine to run under DR
DOS 6.0. It worked fine, and I so reported,
but networking a DR DOS machine into
my Windows system was not something I
would get done in time for this column.
Converting back turned out to be hard-
er than you'd think, because DOS 5.0 gen-
erally comes as an upgrade, not as a stand-
alone product. Somewhere I suppose there
are floppy disks of the original DOS that
came with that 486 machine, but this is
Chaos Manor: the chances of finding them
are about nil.
The solution was to boot with a bare-
bones DOS floppy disk that contains
SYS.COM, use Norton Commander to
find and delete all the hidden system files
in the machine's root directory, and use
the SYS command to install the system
from the boot floppy disk. I could then re-
boot from the hard disk and use the Mi-
crosoft DOS 5.0 and Windows upgrade
package to complete the job.
Next I restored the original CONFIG
.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT so that the
machine would access the optical and CD-
ROM drives. That turned out to be a te-
dious job, but eventually I had it done.
Moreover, when I brought up Windows
and opened File Manager, there were
drives D (the optical drive), and E, F, G, H,
I, and J, the six CD-ROM drives on the
Minichanger. Joy.
At this point I confess a lapse of faith.
Remembering the problems I had with
converting my main system with one CD-
ROM to W4WG, I was so certain I was
going to have real problems connecting
up to a system with six CD-ROMs and an
optical drive that I sent off E-mail to the
long-suffering Microsoft PR people, who
must pretend to like putting up with my
problems, and a copy to the Corel people
in case I needed help from them. Inciden-
tally, when it comes to systems integra-
tion, Corel has always proved to be a tower
of strength. They really understand SCSI
and other peripheral devices and how to
make them work with both DOS and Win-
dows.
Having confessed my breach of faith, I
proceeded to open the machine and insert
the EtherExpress board, run Softset and
let it choose where to set the board, connect
the Ethernet cable and terminator to the
new machine, and install W4WG.
When that was done, I tested nothing: I
entered Windows, opened File Manager —
and Lo!, there were all my assets, and they
all worked. When I told the system to share
them (CD-ROM as read only, the Pioneer
drive as read and write), it made no com-
plaint. I then put Microsoft Bookshelf into
one of the six CD-ROM slots, went over
to my main machine, and proceeded to in-
stall Bookshelf across the network.
It works wonderfully. It's a little slow-
er than what I can get with the Bookshelf
disk in the CD-ROM drive connected to
my local machine, but that's probably
because my local drive is faster than the
Pioneer Minichanger. That, incidentally,
is about to change. At Comdex, Pioneer
showed me a new Minichanger that is so
blazingly fast I can hardly believe it, and
I'm supposed to have one about the time
you read this.
And in any event, what I've got now is
Good Enough, and the installation was
harder to describe than to do. Once you
...Shop the Shop.
Janus/ Ada for Windows
by R. R. Software
Janus/Ada for MS Windows is a complete
implementation of Ada for Windows.
Windows Applications can be developed in
Ada when the Toolkit is used with the
Janus/Ada PDS. Hosted on 80386 and 80486
platforms, the Windows toolkit with PDS
includes: royalty-free runtime libraries, Ada-
sensitive editor, Ada make utility, Ada syntax
checker and pretty printer, Full Chapter 13
support including C interfacing, assembler,
and tutorial.
LIST: $900 PS Price: $849
FastFaxts 586-061
Q+E Database Library
by Pioneer Software
Q+E Database Library provides complete
database connectivity to Windows and OS/2
applications using Dynamic Link Libraries.
QELIB can read, insert, update, create or
delete database records for the following data-
base formats: Btrieve, dBASE, DB2, Excel files,
INGRES, NetWare SQL, Oracle, OS/2 DBM,
Paradox, SQI/400, SQLBase, SQL/DS, SQL
Server, Sybase, Tandem NonStop SQL, text files,
andXDB.
LIST: $399 PS Price: $339
FastFaxts 2137-012
But wait, there's more: Bargains galore!
LIST
PS
• After Dark for Windows
50
28
• Blinker
299
269
• Borland C++ 3.1
495
319
• BTricve for DOS
595
399
• Carbon Copy 6.1
199
165
• Clarion Prof. Developer 2.
i
845
469
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795
499
• DESQview 386
220
149
Call the
P
ro
gr
■ UCt
like
I con
• DR DOS
• LapLink Pro
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• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Windows 3.1
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• Norton Utilities
Programmer's Shop today:
Mention Code BY393
Call FastFaxts for product information any time,
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Get free information on all of our more than 10,000 products any time you
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MA 617-740-2510
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• Credit card orders processed only when product is shipped • All prices subject to Chang.
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The only Windows statistics
package you'll ever need.
NEW
SYSTEM® for WINDOWS
#1 for DOS and Windows
Rated "the best general-purpose
statistics program" for the PC by
Software Digest"', SYSTAT for DOS
is now joined by SYSTAT for Win-
dows. This addition to the SYSTAT
family takes full advantage of
Windows, with pull down menus,
dialog boxes, sizable windows, and
the ease of use you expect in a
Windows package.
SYSTAT for Windows runs in
standard and 386 enhanced modes
and can take advantage of Win-
dows advanced memory manage-
ment. No matter how large or
complex your analysis is, you can
use SYSTAT.
SYSTAT delivers a balance of
power and simplicity. It lets you
analyze and manipulate data
with a comprehensive range of
advanced statistical procedures,
and present your results with
stunning graphics.
Just point and click
SYSTAT is a full-fledged Windows
application. Just point and click.
SYSTAT's QuickStat™ buttons give
you simple, single-click shortcuts
to common statistical analyses.
More statistics, from the basic
to the most sophisticated
A full range of univariate and
multivariate statistics-from t tests
to multidimensional scaling. With a
few clicks you can turn most sta-
tistics into graphs and perform:
■ multiway crosstabs with log
linear modeling
■ nonparametric statistics
■ principal components and
factor analysis
■ cluster analysis
■ time series
■ nonlinear estimation
■ correlation matrices
■ means, effect, and dummy
models
■ post hoc tests
SYSTAT offers the most
advanced multivariate general lin-
ear model available for Windows.
The most graphics
No other statistical or graphics
package can produce all the scien-
tific and technical graphs that
SYSTAT can-nor surpass its ease of
use. Graphics capabilities include:
■ histograms
■ single, multiple, stacked, and
range bar graphs
■ single and grouped box plots
■ stem-and-leaf diagrams
■ pie charts
■ scatterplot matrices
■ 3-D data and function plots
■ contour plots
■ control charts
■ maps with geographic projections
■ Chernoff faces
■ complete color spectrum
■ log and power scales
■ confidence intervals and ellipses
■ linear, quadratic, step, spline,
polynomial, LOWESS, expo-
nential, and log smoothing
A compatible family of products
Whichever you choose -SYSTAT
for Windows, SYSTAT for DOS or
both-you'll enjoy the most power-
ful statistics and scientific graphics
software available for the PC.
For more information, special
offers for current users, and demo
disks, call:
708-864 : 5670
For Windows circle 1 50,
For IBM/DOS circle 151.
SYSTAT
For more information call or write: SYSTAT, Inc., 1800 Sherman Avenue, Evanston, Illinois 60201-3793. Tel: 708.864.5670, Fax: 708.492.3567
Australia: Hearne Marketing 61.3.8661766, BeNeLux Countries: Oasis 31.3402.66336, Denmark: Agrolab 45.64.406575, France: Deltasoft 33.76.418508,
Germany: STATCON 49.55.4272075, Italy: PiSoft 39.587.213640, Japan: HuLinks 81 .33.5902311, Malaysia: Dagang Teknik 6.03.719.8299,
New Zealand: Hoare & Assoc. 64.78.562675, Spain: AdrJLink 34.3.4590722, Switzerland: Fritschy & Partner 41.31.215151, SYSTAT UK: 44.81.4620093
© 1992 SYSTAT®, Inc. Software Digest Ratings fleportttS May, 1991. Software Digest is a registered trademark ot NSTL, Inc.
USER'S COLUMN
have a W4WG network running, adding
assets to it really is simple.
LAN Alternatives
The major advantage to W4WG is the
simplicity. You can set it up quickly, and
you don't have to know about network
management to use it. However, there are
limits to what W4WG can do (it won't,
for example, run on a 286 machine). Much
more on that another time, but you should
be aware of alternatives.
One is to install Novell NetWare and
run W4WG on top of it. That works, but
there are disadvantages, two chief ones
being that it costs money and you end up
with limited DOS memory.
The other is not to use W4WG, but use
regular Windows and Artisoft's LANtas-
tic for Windows. This has the added ad-
vantage that you can network in Artisoft's
Central Station, which is a network hub
without computer to which you can plug in
your laptop and other assets for sharing
ARE YOU SPENDING
TOO MUCH TIME
DRAWING FLOWCHARTS?
YOU NEED FLOW CHARTING '"3.
livery day, professionals worldwide save time
and money using Flow Charting 3. It's fast,
efficient, easy to use, and always produces
presentation-perfect charts and diagrams.
With Flow Charting 3's built-in flexibility,
you can create customized charts using a
variety of shapes, lines, and text —
placed where you want them.
Plus, Flow Charting 3 is now available in a
LAN version. Making it easy to share files and set
up work groups for specific projects.
And it's backed with free technical support and a
90-day no-risk guarantee. So if you're spending too
much time drawing charts, call for a free demo and
see for yourself what makes Flow Charting 3 the
best-selling flowcharting software.
See your dealer today! Or for a
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1-800-525-0082, ext. 112
International: 408-778-6557, ext. 112
a
PATT0N&PATT0N
Software Corporation
Irademark of Novell, Inc.
Excellence in charting the flow of ideas!
Patton & Patton Software Corp. 485 Cochrane Circle, Morgan Hill, CA 95037
across the network. Another advantage is
that you can hook up LANtastic for Win-
dows and LANtastic for the Mac, thus net-
working the different platforms with some-
thing a lot faster and better than AppleTalk.
I have all the Artisoft products, and I'll
set up a LANtastic network as soon as I
have a bit of time. This is indeed the Year
of the LAN, and I expect to be doing a lot
of LAN development and testing before
it's over.
Creative's Multimedia Upgrade
There hasn't been a lot of multimedia soft-
ware, but I think the flood is about to be-
gin. Even if it doesn't, there are a lot of
good reasons to upgrade your system by
adding a CD-ROM drive, and if you don't
have a sound board, you're missing some-
thing.
Of course, you can add a CD-ROM
drive to any SCSI device string, and there
are a dozen sound boards ranging from
expensive professional systems down to
swap-meet el cheapos. For that matter, Mi-
crosoft has come out with a new Windows
sound system. Interestingly, the Microsoft
sound board has no joystick port: the prod-
uct manager claims they consulted busi-
nesspeople, and the overwhelming opinion
was that business purchasers would pay
extra not to have a game port. One won-
ders what that means; after all, you can
control most games quite nicely with a
mouse....
Anyway, one simple way to add multi-
media capability is to get the Creative Labs
Sound Blaster Multimedia Upgrade Kit.
This comes with a CD-ROM controller
on a Sound Blaster Pro card, an internally
mountable CD-ROM drive, a MIDI adapt-
er kit, all kinds of software, lots of books
about the software, and a bunch of CD-
ROMs, including Windows 3.1, various
sound stuff, Microsoft Works, Microsoft
Bookshelf, and Sherlock Holmes, Con-
sulting Detective. The software includes
Macromedia's Authorware Star and Ac-
tion programs, and they're actually pretty
nifty for ginning up multimedia presenta-
tions.
The instructions for installing the Sound
Blaster Pro are complete. The board comes
set to IRQ (interrupt request) 7 but tells
how to set it for other possibilities, in-
cluding IRQ 10. Since nothing I know uses
IRQ 10, and I might one day want to add
something that uses 7, I set mine for 10.
Otherwise, I used the default settings.
Sound Blaster Pro comes with an installa-
tion disk that includes a test of whether or
not the board is working: just click, and
music plays. No problem, so now it was
time to install the CD-ROM drive.
I already had a Corel card and CD-ROM
82 BYTE • MARCH 1993
Circle 122 on Inquiry Card.
Numbers.
TravelMate 1 " 4000 WinSX™ or WinDX™
• 486 SX/25MHz or 486 DX/25MHz
• 4MB RAM std. (20MB max.)
• 120MB HDD
• 5.6 pounds
$2,799/$3,299 SRP*
TravelMate 4000 WinDX2™
•486DX2/50MHz
• 8MB RAM std. (20MB max.)
• 200 MB HDD
• 5.6 pounds
$3,899 SRP*
TravelMate 4000 WinSX COLOR
•486SX/25MHz
• 4MB RAM std. (20 MB max.)
• 120 MB HDD
• 6.3 pounds
$3,699 SRP*
TravelMate 4000 WinDX2 COLOR
• 486 DX2/40MHz
• 8MB RAM std. (20MB max.)
• 200MB HDD
• 6.3 pounds
$4,499 SRP*
Texas Instruments comes
on strong with the widest
selection of powerful 486
notebooks at incredible
prices. From 25MHz to
the world's most powerful
50MHz notebook in a 5.6-
pound package, there's a
TI TravelMate just for you.
Take a look at these
numbers. You get superior
486 performance with an
extraordinary three to five
hours of battery life. On our
color models, you get 256
simultaneous brilliant colors
on a large 9.4" display. All
these numbers add up to
outstanding performance
and value.
There's one more
tant number. For
more information
and the dealer
nearest you, call
1-800-527-3500.
lmpor-
la
MICROSOFT®
WINDOWS™
READY-TO-RUN
*
Texas
Instruments
TravelMate, WinSX, WinDX and WinDX2 are trademarks of Texas Instruments, The Ready-ro*Run logo Is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. The Intel Inside logo is a trademark of Intel Corporation.
*Manutacturcr's Suggested Retail Trice. Dealer prices may vary.
© 1992 Tl 76574
Circle 1 53 on Inquiry Card.
USER'S COLUMN
drive, and you have seen what I had gone
through trying to get it working with
W4WG, so I was a bit reluctant to change;
but what the heck, it was only a couple of
hours' work, and whatever happened I'd
get a story for the column, so I yanked the
Corel card and started in.
There were two problems: the instruc-
tions said, "refer to the instructions that
came with your CD-ROM drive." There
was another instruction sheet, but that got
lost in the chaos. That turned out not to be
a problem: it was obvious where the ca-
bles connected, and they were keyed so
that it was impossible to attach them the
wrong way.
The second problem was a bit more se-
rious: there is no mounting hardware with
the drive. It does come with four tiny drive
screws, but there are no mounting rails,
nothing to hold the drive in the drive bay.
Some computers come with lots of extra
mounting hardware, but my Cheetah 486
didn't. I managed a kludge that permitted
me to install the drive, but be warned, if
you get Creative's kit, be sure you have
hardware to mount an internal drive in
your computer.
That done, I ran the CD-ROM installa-
tion program. That is, there is a program on
the Creative disk entitled INST-CD.EXE,
and having lost the instructions, that
seemed reasonable. It wouldn't work: the
program would get ready to install and
then suddenly announce that it couldn't
find SBPCD.SYS.
This was odd, because I could see that
SBPCD.SYS was on the installation flop-
py disk. Then I noticed a file called CD-
DRIVE. BAT, and sure enough, running
that did the job. The CD-ROM was in-
stalled. I rebooted, and I could read the E
drive.
Since Sherlock Holmes comes with the
Creative package, that looked like a good
test program. So I put in the CD-ROM,
logged on to E, got a directory to be sure I
was properly reading the CD-ROM, and
ran SHERLOCK.EXE. The system trun-
dled for a moment and announced that
I had no compatible sound card. Then it
dumped me back to DOS.
It seemed very odd that a program bun-
dled with the Sound Blaster Pro card, and
running on a CD-ROM drive controlled
by a Sound Blaster Pro card, would be un-
able to find the Sound Blaster Pro card. I
tested the card, both with its test program
and with a couple of games, and there was
no problem.
Eventually, I wondered if changing the
IRQ from 7 to 10 had anything to do with
it. I pulled the sound card and moved the
jumper; and Lo!, up came the Sherlock
Holmes game. Apparently the game de-
signers hard-coded the interrupt, and no
one at Creative has tested Sherlock Holmes
with a Sound Blaster Pro set to IRQ 10.
Sigh. I left mine set to the default IRQ 7 so
that I could fool around with the Sherlock
Holmes game, but that's not really very
satisfactory.
Once I was sure that the CD-ROM was
working in DOS, I let Optimize do its thing
and then fixed AUTOEXEC.BAT so that
MSCDEX.EXE wasn't trying to load high.
That gives me 598-KB DOS sessions un-
der Windows; and the CD-ROM works
just fine, both on my local machine and
shared across the network. It's a good, fast
drive, and having the CD-ROM drive
mounted internally certainly saves space.
My friend Rich Heimlich, who does game
testing, says that the Creative CD-ROM
and Sound Blaster Pro boards are com-
patible with more games than any other. If
you want to upgrade to multimedia, this
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84 BYTE • MARCH 1 993
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' CT Magazine, May 1990.
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Circle 63 on Inquiry Card.
Circle 143 on Inquiry Card.
USER'S COLUMN
is a good way to do it, and in fact the in-
stallation is simpler than describing it has
been. Recommended.
Power Japanese
Want to learn Japanese? If so, Power Jap-
anese looks like what you need. You get
some flash cards, a dictionary, 15 high-
density 3M-inch disks of software, a sound-
converter gizmo to attach to your printer
port, a set of headphones, some exercise
books, a dictionary, and instructions.
I don't know Japanese, and at my age
I'm not likely to learn a new language, so
I'm not sure I'm competent to judge the
effectiveness of this as a learning tool. It
seems to do what you'd want it to: it shows
you how to draw and pronounce different
Japanese characters, both katakana and
hiragana, and has workbooks for you to
practice doing those in. It will also show
you on-screen other styles of Japanese, in-
cluding classical Ming. Meanwhile, the
program talks to you. Hear the words, and
see it written out on-screen.
The speech adapter is small enough that
you would have no trouble with it on a
portable machine, so instead of watching
bad movies and drinking too much on your
next flight, you could be learning Japanese.
Learning a new language is more de-
pendent on the determination of the learn-
er than on the instruction method, and I'm
not at all sure that if you're serious about
learning Japanese, you won't be better off
getting human instruction; but if you'd
like to try it on your own first, this looks to
be the way to do it. With those caveats,
recommended.
From Space to Dinosaurs
If you ever wonder what's the point of
multimedia, get one of the Knowledge Ad-
venture products. I've previously written
about two of their products, Knowledge
Adventure and Science Adventure; now
they've got two more, Space Adventure
and Dinosaur Adventure. Both are won-
derful, combining beautiful VGA images,
interactive maps and diagrams, and all
kinds of other great stuff. I cannot imagine
any kid in the world who wouldn't want to
spend hours playing with either of these
programs. Heck, / like playing with them.
You don't need a CD-ROM drive for
Dinosaur Adventure. You do need a good
bit of hard disk space and a sound board:
Sound Blaster Pro works just fine. If you
don't have a sound board, these programs
alone justify installing one. Knowledge
Adventure is a candidate for a big Orchid
and a Chaos Manor User's Choice Award,
and it gets a highly recommended rating.
This is what educational software ought
to be.
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The Compleat AI
This is a CD-ROM in ISO-9660 format
(meaning it is readable by PCs, Macs,
Amigas, Unix systems, and almost any-
thing not coal-powered) with hundreds of
AI and related programs. Want source code
to a dozen versions of the Eliza program,
including one you can put on your BBS
to talk to people? An artificial-life pro-
gram? Expert-system builder? Neural-net-
work builder, including source code to
simulate a cockroach brain? It's all here,
and more, in FORTRAN, Prolog, Lisp,
and even BASIC. There are also hundreds
of articles about AI and related matters
and tutorials on using many of these pro-
grams. It's the most complete collection
you're likely to see anywhere.
Steve and Susan Chance Rainwater, the
principals of Network Cybernetics, told
me about this as they drove me to the air-
port from a speaking engagement a few
months ago; this project is more a labor
of love than a profit-making venture. In-
cidentally, they're OS/2 and Ami Pro en-
thusiasts. Clearly, you can get CD-ROM
systems running with OS/2, even if I've
had rather bad luck with it myself.
If you have any interest whatever in AI,
natural-language processing, neural net-
works, artificial life, or related subjects,
get this disk, for either yourself or your
users group; you won't be disappointed.
Recommended.
Trantor MiniSCSI
This product, the T348 MiniSCSI Plus, is
darned near perfect. It consists of a cable to
connect your parallel port to any SCSI de-
vice, such as an external hard drive or CD-
ROM; software to install the MiniSCSI;
and a needless cable to connect your print-
er to the MiniSCSI cable so that you can
print when you're not using the parallel
port for SCSI. That last cable is needless
because any old Centronics printer cable
will do; but the FCC requires them to fur-
nish this expensive thing because using
your own cable might result in some ra-
dio noise detectable 10 feet away. Your
tax dollars at work.
Installing the software is absurdly sim-
ple. In my case, I wanted to put the T348
MiniSCSI Plus on my Gateway Hand-
Book: this wonderful little portable com-
puter can access its floppy drive only
through the parallel port, so it would be
an interesting test. It turned out to be sim-
ple: I created a directory called FOO,
copied the floppy disk to it, replaced the
floppy drive with the MiniSCSI cable con-
nected to a Toshiba CD-ROM, logged on
to FOO, and did an automatic installation.
That's it. In seconds, I was reading the
CD-ROM drive.
What else can I say? It works, it's easy
to install, and it's another candidate for a
Chaos Manor User's Choice Award. Rec-
ommended, continued
MARCH 1993 • BYTE 87
USER'S COLUMN
Winding Down
The computer books of the month are both
from Sams. First, Gary Entsminger's Se-
crets of the Visual Basic Masters (Sams,
1992). An understanding of Visual Basic is
important to everyone working much with
Windows, since more and more Windows
programs have hooks to interface with it.
This is an excellent intermediate-level
book on writing, debugging, and error-
proofing Visual Basic programs.
Second, John M. Goodman's Memory
Management for All of Us (Sams, 1992).
The most complete exposition on memory
management I know of is in Quarterdeck's
manuals for QEMM and Desqview. Un-
fortunately, they are great for reference
but unreadable for learning. Goodman's
book takes a difficult subject and gives
you considerable understanding of it.
Reading this wouldn't have solved my
CD-ROM/W4WG problem, but knowing
what's in this book gave me the approach
I needed. If you wonder what the differ-
ences between 386Max and QEMM are,
this is the book that will tell you, and a lot
more.
The book of the month is Graham
Fuller's The Democracy Trap: Perils of
the Post Cold War World (Dutton, 1991).
Fuller is a former diplomat and intelli-
gence officer, and he has some of the clear-
est views on the subject of foreign policy
I've seen since Stefan Possony stopped
publishing.
The game of the month is Quantum
Quality Productions' Battles of Destiny.
Think of this as Empire died and, if not
gone to heaven, then at least to heaven's
anteroom. The perfect improvement to Em-
pire hasn't come, but this one is a valiant
attempt. There are some frustrations in the
user interface, but if you want to handle
enormous armies and try your hand at
air/land battle planning, this will do it. A
second game of the month is MicroProse's
Ancient Art of War in the Skies, and while
you can play arcade sequences if you like,
the fun part to me is strategic.
As is usually the case, I've still got a
huge pile of really good stuff here and no
space to write about it. I love it. Next
month, a pile of new CD-ROMs and more
about networking, including alternatives
to W4WG. ■
Jerry Pournelle holds a doctorate in psy-
chology and is a science fiction writer who
also earns a comfortable living writing
about computers present and future. Jeny
welcomes readers' comments and opin-
ions. Send a self-addressed, stamped en-
velope to Jerry Pournelle, do BYTE, One
Phoenix Mill Lane, Peterborough, NH
03458. Please put your address on the let-
ter as well as on the envelope. Due to the
high volume of letters, Jerry cannot guar-
antee a personal reply. You can also con-
tact him on BIX as "jerryp."
ITEMS DISCUSSED
Ancient Art of
War in the Skies $59.95
MicroProse Software, Inc.
180LakefrontDr.
Hunt Valley, MD 21030
(800) 879-7529
(410)771-1151
Circle 1 153 on Inquiry Card.
Battles of Destiny $59.95
Quantum Quality Productions, Inc.
1046 River Ave.
Flemington, NJ 08822
(908) 788-2799
Circle 1 1 54 on Inquiry Card.
The Compleat AI CD-ROM $129
Network Cybernetics Corp.
4201 Wingren Rd., Suite 202
Irving, TX 75062
(214) 650-2002
fax: (214) 650-1929
Circle 1 1 55 on Inquiry Card.
Dinosaur Adventure $49.95
Space Adventure $99.95
Knowledge Adventure, Inc.
4502 Dyer St.
La Crescenta, CA 91214
(800) 542-4240
(818)542-4200
fax:(818)542-4205
Circle 1 1 56 on Inquiry Card.
Power Japanese $389
BayWare, Inc.
1720 South Amphlett Blvd., Suite 205
San Mateo, CA 94402
(800) 538-8867
(415)312-0980
fax:(415)578-1884
Circle 1 157 on Inquiry Card.
QEMM-386 6.0 $99.95
Quarterdeck Office Systems, Inc.
150 Pico Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90405
(800) 354-3222
(310)392-9851
fax:(310)314-4217
Circle 1 158 on Inquiry Card.
Sound Blaster Multimedia
Upgrade Kit $799.95
Creative Labs, Inc.
1901 McCarthy Blvd.
Milpitas, CA 95035
(800) 998-5227
(408) 428-6600
fax:(408)428-6611
Circle 1 159 on Inquiry Card.
T348 MiniSCSI Plus $229
Trantor Systems, Ltd.
5415 Randall Place
Fremont, CA 94538
(800) 872-6867
(510)770-1400
fax:(510)770-9910
Circle 1 160 on Inquiry Card.
Ventura Publisher $795
Ventura Software, Inc.
15175 Innovation Dr.
San Diego, CA 92128
(800) 822-8221
(619)673-0172
fax:(619)673-7562
Circle 1161 on Inquiry Card.
Windows for Workgroups $249.95
Windows for Workgroups
Starter Kit $849.95
Word for Windows 2.0 $495
Microsoft Corp.
1 Microsoft Way
Redmond, WA 98052
(800) 426-9400
(206) 882-8080
fax: (206) 936-7329
Circle 1 162 on Inquiry Card.
WinSleuth Gold 3.04 $169
Dariana, Inc.
5241 Lincoln Ave., Suite B5
Cypress, CA 90630
(800) 892-9950
(714)236-1380
fax: (714) 236-1390
Circle 1 163 on Inquiry Card.
88 BYTE • MARCH 1993
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COVER
STORY
FEATURE
Smarter
E-Mail
Is Coming
Rebuilding your business processes to take advantage
of E-mail promises dramatic productivity gains
ANDY REINHARDT
Forget for a moment the confusing alphabet soup of E-mail acronyms. Look
past the gateways, switches, and battles over APIs. Despite these hurdles, it's
only a matter of time before E-mail is as pervasive and easy to use as the tele-
phone system.
Once E-mail nirvana arrives, huge changes will occur. Organizations that have
already implemented enterprise-wide E-mail find that it flattens the management
hierarchy, improves project tracking, and speeds time to market for new products
or services. E-mail's greatest benefit, however, goes beyond ad hoc exchange of in-
formation among employees: Messaging is the foundation for a new wave of work-
group software packages that will alter traditional work structures and could dra-
matically boost productivity.
"Mail should not be thought of as an application," says Eugene Lee, director of
product planning for mail software vendor Beyond (Cambridge, MA). "It's an en-
abling technology."
After years of wrangling with complicated client/server technologies such as
RPCs (remote-procedure calls), users and developers are discovering that E-mail's
store-and-forward, network-independent messaging provides many of the same
capabilities for a fraction of the cost and complexity (see the text box "The Mes-
saging Model" on page 92). In effect, messaging enables a type of do-it-yourself dis-
tributed computing.
"People tend to think of mail today as messages sent between people, but that's
just the tip of the iceberg," says John Rymer, an analyst with the Patricia Seybold
Office Computing Group (Boston, MA) and the editor of the Distributed Comput-
ing Monitor. E-mail can also be used for communication between people and pro-
cesses — known as virtual users — or even among processes themselves; in fact,
Rymer says, most communication between applications will ultimately use E-mail
transports.
Applications that will build on the messaging infrastructure include multimedia
mail, fax routing, database access, scheduling, and document sharing (see figure 1).
Perhaps the most promising avenue is the broad category known as work flow,
which encompasses information routing, task automation, and decision support.
"We've spent millions of dollars on E-mail," says Larry Quinlan, the manager of
LAN services for the accounting firm of Deloitte & Touche (Atlanta, GA), "and you
can't get a good return on investment from simple messaging alone." Organizations
90 BYTE • MARCH 1993
PHOTOGRAPHY: ELLE SCHUSTER fc) 5993
MARCH 1993 • BYTE 91
E-MAIL
The Messaging Model
To facilitate interoperability among
mail systems, vendors are de-
coupling the front-end mail client
from the back-end mail server.
Most packages today, such as cc:Mail
and Microsoft Mail, supply both the
client and the server in a single box and
use their own proprietary message
transports.
The exception is Novell (Provo, UT),
whose MHS (Message Handling Ser-
vice) has used a client/server architec-
ture with a published API for more than
five years; Novell doesn't market an
MHS client, leaving that instead to
companies such as Da Vinci Systems
(Raleigh, NC) and Beyond (Cambridge,
MA).
The implications of this shift are
twofold. First, breaking the link be-
tween the client and server lets cus-
tomers use whatever combination of
front and back ends they choose. Sec-
ond, an open interface exposes the mail
transport for use by applications other
than a mail client; conventional pro-
ductivity packages (e.g., word proces-
sors and spreadsheets) will be able to
talk directly to mail engines, and new
types of workgroup applications can
be built on top of the mail transport.
It is often cheaper and easier to im-
plement distributed computing with
messaging than with client/server RPCs
(remote procedure calls). RPCs use live
"virtual circuits" between applications
and require expensive equipment such
as high-speed routers and private Tl
phone links for WAN (wide-area net-
work) implementations.
"The bottom line is that people want
a simple method of routing informa-
tion, "says Rick Bohdanowicz, direc-
tor of messaging for Novell. E-mail is
cost-effective, he says, because users
can implement their own schemes using
off-the-shelf software, modems, and
dial-up phone lines.
Store-and-forward is a good mech-
anism for remote access, because it
places less of a burden on field systems
and communications links than does a
client/server architecture. LAN man-
agers concerned about network band-
width also appreciate that using mes-
saging instead of virtual circuits frees
up network resources for time-critical
tasks.
Messaging can also play a role in
connecting desktop systems to host pro-
grams, says John Rymer of the Patricia
Seybold Office Computing Group
(Boston, MA). For example, you could
communicate with a system not de-
signed for the distributed world by giv-
ing it an interface for messaging.
Compared to the hard-wired design
of client/server programs, Rymer says,
the more generic messaging interface
can prove to be a vital asset in today's
climate of corporate mergers and di-
vestitures. "If you're a corporate de-
veloper, you need to build applications
that can interface easily to new sys-
tems," he adds.
BUILDING E-MAIL AWARENESS
User agents
Mail-enabled applications
i >< £
Message store (data)
Work-flow engines (process)
A A A\
, l ,
Directories
Distributed database
This boundary
keeps moving up
Distributed-mail backbone
The routed network
Local-area plumbing
Wide-area plumbing
Network infrastructure
Figure 1: The messaging architecture of the future will let
mail-enabled applications and messaging agents communicate
interchangeably with message stores and work-flow engines.
This layered design permits users to use the networks, mail
services, and front ends of their choice.
that use E-mail find that it quickly becomes a vital part of their in-
formation structure. E-mail is the "de facto mechanism" for mov-
ing files at the Social Security Administration (Baltimore, MD),
says Jan Hoffman, director of intelligent workstations and LAN
engineering. The agency has a network of 15,000 PCs running
NetWare and cc:Mail. A fax server routes incoming and outgo-
ing faxes, and staffers use E-mail to update databases. Future
projects may include tracking and monitoring letters and the use
of digital signatures for approving documents.
Companies such as Beyond, Action Technologies (Alameda,
CA), and Reach Software (Sunnyvale, CA) are creating tools to
electronically control the flow of data and forms around organi-
zations. These "rules engines" capture existing business pro-
cesses or stimulate users to pioneer new, more efficient proce-
dures.
The results can be staggering. Most business processes have built
up over the years without the advantage of modern technology. By
applying both workgroup technology and modem organizational
theories, says Walter Ulrich, a director of the consulting firm
Arthur D. Little (Cambridge, MA), "businesses can move decision
making down to the people who have immediate contact with
customers and cut cycle times by up to one-third."
Building on E-Mail
Analysts expect LAN-based E-mail use to grow explosively over
the next few years. Market-research firm The Yankee Group
(Boston, MA) estimates that the number of LAN E-mail users in
the U.S. rose 60 percent last year, from 5.9 million to 9.4 million,
and will climb another 60 percent this year to 15.1 million users
92 BYTE • MARCH 1993
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E-MAIL
E-MAIL GROWTH
Number of users
in millions
40
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
Figure 2: The number of E-mail users in the U.S. is expected to
climb 60 percent this year over last year's levels; by 1995, the
user base could reach 38 million. Accurate worldwide figures
for E-mail are not available. (Source: The Yankee Group)
(see figure 2). By 1995, the figure could climb to 38 million.
Meanwhile, the number of messages transmitted within Fortune
2000 firms in North America will surge from 6. 1 billion in 1993
to 14.3 billion in 1995 (including both private E-mail and public
services, such as MCI Mail and EasyLink), says the trade group
the Electronic Mail Association (Arlington, VA).
The size of the potential network E-mail market is limited by
the penetration of LANs. Only 42 percent of the estimated 47
million personal computers in the U.S. are connected by LANs,
says market researcher Dataquest. That figure is projected to
grow to 52 percent by 1996.
In the short term, the greatest problem facing enterprise-wide
mail is that most of today's mail packages won't talk to one an-
other (see "Mixed Messaging" on page 136). User woes include
the inability to link different packages across heterogeneous net-
works and the thorny problem of how to synchronize distributed
directories of network and mail users. For many, the best solutions
are gateways from companies such as SoftSwitch (Wayne, PA)
and Retix (Santa Monica, CA) that interconnect different mail
platforms. In the long term, the emergence of mail standards
(i.e., APIs, file formats, transports, and directory services) will ease
the need for gateways (see the text box "Standards Coming, But
Slowly" on page 96).
Aetna Life and Casualty Insurance (Hartford, CT), for exam-
ple, has 36,000 employees on five E-mail systems — IBM PROFS,
DEC All-in- 1, cc:Mail, and Microsoft Mail for DOS and for the
Mac — down from nine systems a few years ago. Kevin Ryan, di-
rector of E-mail services, says the firm uses a SoftSwitch mes-
saging backbone to connect the different systems internally and
X.400 gateways to talk with outside companies, primarily large
policyholders. But managing the system isn't easy. "E-mail di-
rectories are still cumbersome, overly complex, and not well un-
derstood by users," Ryan says. A company as large as Aetna has
a lot of people coming and going. "You've got to propagate [di-
rectories] out to all post offices and keep all those changes in
sync," he says. It's a labor-intensive process.
Until standards are in place, MIS managers must struggle to
patch together disparate systems or force all employees to use the
same software. The latter is nearly impossible for many organi-
zations. Workgroups have already settled on different mail pack-
ages, and the MIS department must also support public services,
such as MCI Mail or CompuServe, and legacy host-based mail
packages, such as PROFS or All-in- 1 .
Integrating different software and services is technically pos-
sible. "It's just that some things are difficult or expensive," says
consultant Amy Wohl of Wohl Associates (Bala Cynwyd, PA).
"The real hurdles are administrative."
E-Mail Applications
The types of applications that can capitalize on the E-mail in-
frastructure fall into two groups: mail-enabled (or mail-aware) pro-
grams (e.g., spreadsheets or word processors that also access
mail services) and messaging-centric programs built specifical-
ly around E-mail transports and store-and-forward messaging.
A few packages, such as Software Publishing's Professional
Write Plus, can already talk directly to mail services through
custom interfaces. Now, by virtue of standards, such as Mi-
crosoft's MAPI (Messaging API) and the VIM (Vendor-Inde-
pendent Messaging) interface from a rival group headed by Lo-
tus Development (Cambridge, MA), developers can add mail
access to any program. In the near term, the most common mail-
enabled programs are likely to be versions of shrink-wrapped
packages such as WordPerfect, Lotus 1-2-3, Excel, and Free-
lance Graphics. "It sounds simple," says analyst Mike Ffeylin of
market researcher Creative Strategies Research International
(Santa Clara, CA), "but [mail-enabled versions of familiar soft-
ware] are what users want right now."
When Windows applications support mail APIs, for example,
you will be able to select Mail from the File menu in the same way
you choose Print. A compose-mail dialog box will pop up in the
application, along with fields for addressing, priority, and other
options. When you send the message, the spreadsheet or word pro-
cessing file is automatically attached. In Windows and Mac sys-
tems (and with some DOS packages), the recipient can then
launch the creating application directly from the mail attach-
ment; if the application isn't available, many mail clients provide
a means to view the file.
By tapping into messaging transports, mail-enabled programs
will also be able to communicate with each other, much as they
do now through virtual-circuit mechanisms such as DDE, OLE,
and Apple Events. "We're very keen on doing mail-enabled ap-
plications," says Deloitte & Touche's Quinlan. The real reward,
he says, comes from the ability to move data among applica-
tions. For example, Deloitte & Touche provides electronic meet-
ing registration. Built using cc:Mail's import/export facility, the
application lets auditors sign up for company seminars via E-
mail. The company also provides automated audit software to
its field staff, which uses E-mail to exchange audit workpapers.
By hiding the mail capability within the application, Quinlan
says, auditors can exchange data without being computer jocks.
Building on the foundations of VIM, cc:Mail, and Notes, Lo-
tus plans to enhance its applications suite with workgroup ca-
pabilities, says Irene Greif, director of workgroup technologies.
For example, the mail-enabled 1-2-3 for Windows 2.0, expected
lo ship early this year, will include technology called Version
94 BYTE • MARCH 1993
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E-MAIL
Standards Coming, But Slowly
An industry executive once quipped
that there was no clearer sign of
the failure of E-mail than the suc-
cess of the fax. People needed a
fast, standardized way to exchange data
and were willing to sacrifice the benefits
of editable documents for the one-touch
convenience of a fax.
Today the situation has improved,
but it will be years before standards are
established that make E-mail as easy
to use as the phone or the fax. The
charge toward standards is being fought
on three fronts: mail APIs, transports,
and file formats. A fourth category —
directory services — is so complex that
proprietary solutions may continue to
dominate for the rest of this decade.
Easy Access
The fight over mail APIs has garnered
the most attention, perhaps out of pro-
portion to its long-term importance. Mi-
crosoft touts the Windows-based MAPI
(Messaging API), parts of which have
already been added to Windows for
Workgroups, while Lotus (Cambridge,
MA) and others are promoting the cross-
platform VIM (Vendor-Independent
Messaging) API. Apple offers OCE
(Open Collaborative Environment), but
it also intends to support VIM. Novell
(Provo, UT), IBM, and Borland (Scotts
Valley, CA) back VIM, too.
The mail API battle has generated
open hostility among the camps, but
many observers view it as a red her-
ring. "It doesn't matter what the mail
API does," says Eugene Lee of Beyond
(Cambridge, MA), "as long as I can run
my application on your mail server."
The premise of MAPI is similar to
that of the Windows printer architec-
ture: It's an intervening layer that ab-
stracts the behavior of the device on the
other side of the interface (see figure
A). MAPI specifies a series of 60 oper-
ating-system calls that invoke common
mail actions such as send, receive, and
mailbox management. A DLL performs
the client mail services and interfaces
to mail engines through what Microsoft
calls the SPI (Service Provider Inter-
face). Consequently, any MAPI-com-
pliant Windows application can talk
through the DLL to any SPI-compliant
mail engine. Hewlett-Packard, Word-
Perfect, DEC, SoftSwitch, Novell, Ban-
yan, and AT&T have already committed
to MAPI-enabling their mail engines.
Microsoft is shipping a subset of
MAPI, known as Simple MAPI, in
Windows for Workgroups, but it works
only with the Microsoft Mail engine.
The complete MAPI subsystem, known
as Full MAPI, will operate only in Win-
dows for DOS and Windows NT, and it
won't be bundled with any operating
system until late this year.
VIM takes a different approach. In-
stead of a set of routines that ship with
the operating system, VIM is a speci-
fication for directly accessing mail en-
gines from various client environments.
Lotus will offer implementations for
Windows and OS/2 clients talking to
the cc:Mail engine, but other parties
will have to provide VIM hooks for
their respective engines or client envi-
ronments. For example, Apple is ex-
pected to support OCE for Mac-only
users but enable VIM access from the
Mac for users who want to address
other mail engines on other platforms.
Lotus promises to provide a subsys-
tem to remap VIM calls to a MAPI
back end, thus allowing VIM-compli-
ant applications to talk to MAPI mail
engines. Also, Microsoft and VIM sup-
porters joined forces in a group called
the XAPIA (X.400 API Association),
which is creating a set of multiplatform
Common Mail Calls that offer capa-
bilities analogous to Simple MAPI.
But Suzan Fine, the MAPI product
manager at Microsoft, argues that when
standards are made generic enough to
work across platforms, they forfeit rich-
ness and specificity. She says that de-
velopers writing complex messaging-
based applications such as BBSes or
work-flow systems will probably choose
to work within a single environment,
such as Windows with Extended MAPI.
This offers them advanced features, such
as folder management, while still al-
lowing access from non-Windows sys-
tems via XAPIA.
Microsoft's main criticism of VIM,
that it is too firmly tied into the cc:Mail
engine, rings hollow as long as MAPI
works only with Microsoft Mail. For
the balance of 1993, software develop-
ers will rewrite their applications to one
or both of the mail APIs, and users will
eventually be able to invoke mail ca-
pabilities from within their programs
without giving a thought to what en-
gine lies in the background.
Free E-Mail
The inclusion of Simple MAPI in Win-
dows for Workgroups points to a con-
troversial result of separating mail
clients and servers. To an increasing
extent, the client will become a stan-
dard part of the operating system. Mi-
crosoft and Apple are moving in this
direction. "What this means is that basic
E-mail is free in the long run," says Be-
yond's Lee. In the future, he says, ven-
dors will have to compete based on ad-
vanced features such as Beyond's rules
engine, which helps users route E-mail
and cope with message overload.
Not everybody agrees that the oper-
ating system is the best place for the
mail client, however. Novell argues that,
as a network function, mail needs to be
cross-platform. Analyst Mike Heylin
of Creative Strategies Research Inter-
national (Santa Clara, CA) says that in-
tegrating E-mail into the operating sys-
tem could discourage innovation by
third parties. "Personal computing is
not a monolithic structure," he says,
"and Windows is starting to look more
and more monolithic."
Servers and Formats
VIM and MAPI do not address the is-
sue of mail engines talking to one an-
other. The solution is likely to come
from international standards, specifi-
cally X.400, which defines a universal
mail-transport protocol. Until now,
X.400 hasn't been widely adopted for
PC LAN-based mail systems, because
it is complex and vendors were already
committed to proprietary transports.
The protocol is more widely applied
outside the U.S., where there is greater
demand for international standards.
People use X.400 mostly for mail
backbones. Through a gateway such as
96 BYTE • MARCH 1993
E-MAIL
MAPI VS. VIM
MAPI
VIM
Figure A: Microsoft's MAPI and Lotus's VIM specifications offer top-level APIs that let applications talk to mail back
ends. In the Windows-only MAPI, the layer interfaces to mail engines via drivers, while in the cross-platform VIM, the
layer is actually part of the engine itself.
the Retix OpenServer 400, mail mes-
sages are translated from their native
format into X.400 and then back to the
same or a different format on the other
side. But native X.400 mail servers are
growing in popularity; for example,
Microsoft is developing an X.400-based
mail server for Windows NT.
Not everybody agrees that X.400 is
the ultimate solution. Consultant David
Ferris calls it the "lowest common de-
nominator" and projects that it will be
three to four years before X.400 be-
comes attractive. In today's market, he
says, customers often decide that they
are better off using proprietary mail
switches from SoftS witch (Wayne, PA)
or DEC (Maynard, MA).
Even if you use X.400 natively or as
a backbone, you face yet another prob-
lem for which no clear solution is in
sight. "If the protocol situation is OK,
and you've carefully unified the APIs
and mail services, you still have to deal
with incompatible file formats," says
Nina Lytton, president of the consulting
firm Open Systems Advisors (Boston,
MA). "This is the big smoking gun."
For example, Lytton says, efforts are
under way to standardize Windows and
Mac calendar formats in group schedul-
ing programs. But these efforts aren't
cross-platform, nor do they address ac-
cess to Unix- and host-based calendar-
ing systems. However, some vendors
offer point-to-point file conversions,
such as between Microsoft Schedule+
and IBM PROFS calendars.
One technology that may ease the
file-format problem is Adobe's (Moun-
tain View, CA) Acrobat, a portable doc-
ument format that renders WYSIWYG
documents correctly across platforms.
Acrobat will make it possible to dis-
tribute complex documents via E-mail
to users on an incompatible system.
But while it provides accurate docu-
ment display, its files won't be editable
in initial releases of the software. You
will still need file converters to collab-
orate on projects across platforms.
Directory Assistance
Most mail systems use incompatible
naming conventions and addressing
schemes. Naming inconsistencies mean
that sometimes messages crossing gate-
ways get lost and aren't delivered. To
make matters worse, many LANs can't
share their user directories with the mail
systems that ride on top of them, which
means that lists of LAN and mail users
must be separately maintained and pro-
pagated throughout the network.
Help is on the way. NetWare 4.0 will
replace the server-based Bindary user
directory, which requires manual propa-
gation from one server to another, with
NetWare Directory Services, an open,
networkwide, self-propagating user di-
rectory. For users of earlier versions of
NetWare, Novell will also offer NetWare
Global Messaging, an NLM (NetWare
Loadable Module) implementation of
MHS (Message Handling Service) that
taps into the Bindary. Banyan will also
target pre -NetWare 4.0 customers with
a port of its directory services, StreetTalk,
to the NetWare environment.
The long-term solution to directory
services is another international stan-
dard, called X.500, that codifies direc-
tory structures and provides a way for di-
rectories on linked systems to find and
query each other. X.500 is even further
from wide-scale implementation than
X.400 because it is complex and poses
unresolved problems, such as how to
limit the extent of a distributed search.
Most analysts don't expect X.500 to be
widely adopted until the late 1990s. Mi-
crosoft plans to use X.500 natively in
its Windows NT-based messaging serv-
er, but many other mail and network
software companies are taking a wait-
and-see attitude.
MARCH 1993 -BYTE 97
E-MAIL
The Vines Advantage
JON UDELL
Vines users view the chaotic mail
situation that prevails on most PC
networks with Olympian detach-
ment. They have enjoyed seamless
global E-mail for eight years, thanks to
Banyan's (Westboro, MA) legendary
distributed name service, StreetTalk. As
a result, Vines' modest 8 percent share
of the PC network market includes sev-
eral of the world's most sophisticated
wide-area installations. "We see a lot of
Fortune 1000 customers who use Vines
as a backbone, with pockets of NetWare
at the department level," says Robert
Hankin, director of marketing for
CCOM Information Systems (Iselin,
NJ). CCOM's HelpLine is a mail-en-
abled help desk application that supports
Vines mail, cc:Mail, and Microsoft Mail.
When an operator logs a call, Help-
Line automatically mails the user a call
reference number and then follows up
with additional messages as the opera-
tor researches the problem. Running
on Vines, HelpDesk exploits the fact
that a user's StreetTalk ID is both a
network address and an E-mail address.
That identity eliminates the directory
synchronization woes so vexing to ad-
ministrators of other PC networks.
Moreover, Vines' mail system exhibits
a simplicity and robustness that so far
eludes the Unix mail systems to which
it is distantly related. "The mail engine
and transports just work, without any
fuss, on local- and wide-area networks,"
says Ted Kull, project manager for sys-
tems engineering at the Educational
Testing Service (Princeton, NJ).
Has Vines, with its superb mail ser-
vices, fostered a rich set of mail-enabled
applications? Ironically, not yet. In part,
that's because Banyan only recently re-
leased its Intelligent Messaging mod-
ule, which offers message compression,
restartable transmission, multithreaded
processing, and network management.
These features make Vines mail an ef-
ficient handler of not only interperson-
al message traffic but also the huge file
transfer load that companies like Com-
paq were placing on it. Mostly, though,
Vines users, like their Novell counter-
parts, are tire-kicking Reach Software's
Workman, Beyond's BeyondMail, and
Lotus's Notes, looking for ways to mod-
el organizational paper flow and trans-
form it into mail-enabled software.
Some Vines developers have built
custom forms-routing applications us-
ing the Vines gateway API, which, un-
like the mail client API, can access all
users' mailboxes. LANshark Systems
(Reynoldsburg, OH), a developer of
Vines utilities, has exploited the gate-
way API to build simple information
servers that receive mailed requests for
information and mail back files or the
results of database queries. Because the
data repository (e.g., a Paradox data-
base) is not typically mail-enabled, this
kind of application requires homegrown
protocols and polling of shared direc-
tories. When mail awareness is as com-
mon as DDE support, says Scott Shar-
key, president of LANshark Systems,
you will see several more systems of
communicating applications built on a
mail substrate.
Sharkey is skeptical that Banyan's
promised support for VIM (Vendor In-
dependent Messaging) and MAPI (Mes-
saging API) will smooth the way for
Vines developers. "It would be like
looking at the world through a peri-
scope," he says. Neither API accom-
modates the richness of StreetTalk.
Users of Vines 5.5, for example, can
attach a wealth of attributes to each item
in the StreetTalk database. That means
an application that encodes the rule
"send a copy to Joe's supervisor" can
look up the boss's name at run time.
Until the APIs and directory services
catch up with Vines, Sharkey plans to
continue developing two versions of his
software: one that fully exploits Vines
and one for the rest of the world.
Sharkey may not have to wait long.
The Vines ENS (Enterprise Network
Services), which shipped last Decem-
ber, brings StreetTalk and the Vines
mail APIs to NetWare 2.x and 3.x. Im-
plemented as a dedicated Vines server,
a NetWare VAP (value-added process)
or NLM (NetWare loadable module)
and a small DOS TSR program, Vines
ENS threatens to steal the thunder of
Novell's (Provo, UT) forthcoming Net-
Ware 4.0. Automatically synchroniz-
ing StreetTalk with the NetWare bind-
ery, ENS gives existing NetWare 2.x
and 3.x installations the unified net-
work view that would otherwise require
an upgrade to NetWare 4.0.
Some Vines services may even run
better on NetWare than on Vines. For
example, the optional Intelligent Mes-
saging module can use high-perfor-
mance NetWare threads for its multi-
threaded message processing. Moreover,
while mail-aware applications will need
to be rewritten to exploit 4.0' s new API,
Sharkey says that his Vines applications
run on ENS today as is. It's a smart
move on Banyan's part, and one that
brightens the future of mail-enabled soft-
ware on NetWare LANs.
Jon Udell is a BYTE senior technical
editor at large. You can contact him
on BIX as "judell."
Manager, formerly code-named Chronicle, that facilitates shar-
ing worksheet data.
Version Manager provides a new format for spreadsheet cell
ranges that lets users import and export them as objects with at-
tached properties such as version number, author name, and as-
sumptions. For example, a colleague could mail a range object,
not to your personal in-box, but to 1-2-3 's in-box, from which the
application would fetch it and incorporate it into a worksheet.
For workgroups, Version Manager lets you publish cell ranges
into the Lotus Notes database, where they become separate entries.
Greif says this will let groups work in parallel on spreadsheet
projects while taking advantage of Lotus Notes features — data
replication across servers, security, and the ability to sort and
view messages by criteria such as author or region. The payoff
comes for projects that require consolidating spreadsheets. Greif
says, "Instead of waiting for everybody to finish and then doing
98 BYTE • MARCH 1993
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E-MAIL
a massive roll-up, you'll be able to see incremental changes."
The same model could be applied to Ami Pro documents or
Freelance Graphics slide shows, but Lotus hasn't committed to de-
livery dates for workgroup-enabled versions of these packages.
"Our goal is to do more than just mail-enable our products," says
Greif. "We want to build on the communications infrastructure by
using both mail and databases."
Borland (Scotts Valley, CA) is keeping quiet about its E-mail
strategy, but it is known to be developing a software architecture
that will support an upcoming line of workgroup applications.
Called Object Exchange, or OBEX, the architecture is built on
BOCA (Borland's Object Component Architecture), which builds
on the company's InterBase database engine. Borland will likely
use VIM as the interface between applications and mail services.
As with other vendors' products, Borland's mail-enabled ap-
plications will let users send messages without exiting to a sep-
arate mail client. But the company's ultimate ambition is to har-
ness mail as a medium for IAC (Interapplication Communication).
The link to InterBase suggests that Borland has set its sights on
work flow.
Meetings, Meetings
The leading category of messaging-centric applications is group
scheduling and calendaring, which lets you plan meetings and al-
locate the use of resources such as conference rooms or audio-
visual equipment. Microsoft's Schedule-i-, shipped as a part of
Windows for Workgroups, may help grow the market, which
is already addressed by PowerCore's Network Scheduler, Da
Vinci's Coordinator, Futurus's Team, On Technology's Sched-
uleMaker, and Attachmate's ZipOffice.
While scheduling seems an ideal application for store-and-
forward messaging, not everyone sees it that way. Campbell Ser-
vices' (Southfield, MI) OnTime for Networks relies on Banyan
(Westboro, MA) Vines RPCs to ensure the real-time response
needed to reach quick consensus (see the text box "The Vines Ad-
vantage" on page 98).
"Message-based scheduling systems today don't do a good
job of handling conflicts," says Anik Ganguly, vice president of
product development at Campbell Services. However, OnTime
does support a store-and-forward transport, because many Vines
users can't afford the full-time WAN (wide-area network) links
necessary for a true client/server system. Messaging also serves
remote users who dial in to collect and send mail and then read and
respond off-line.
Another promising application for messaging is user notifi-
cation; for example, Texaco (Tulsa, OK) uses E-mail to coordi-
nate employee activities when a tanker pulls into port. A series of
synchronized actions must occur among oil terminal workers,
ship crew, salespeople, and headquarters; the company uses the
mail system to send automatic assignments and updates to em-
ployees. The goal is to reduce the po-
tential for costly mistakes and sea-
port overtime charges of $10,000 per
hour, says consultant David Ferris of
Ferris Networks (San Francisco, CA).
User notification can also advertise
job openings, company events, or
changes in personnel policy.
Fort Howard (Green Bay, WI) has
instituted an application that uses
messaging to remotely manage the
laptops that its field sales force uses.
Rob Williams, a personal computer
analyst for the firm, says that by us-
ing BeyondMail rules scripts and
O
O
o
o
o
o
o
purchase-order processing
travel expense reports
sales-lead routing
sales-proposal creation
document management
field sales-force automation
non-real-time database access
DOS batch files, he can upgrade software in the field, change
menu screens, and distribute new E-mail directories. Williams
broadcasts mail containing codes that trigger BeyondMail rules
running on the laptops. The rules uncompress the attached batch
file, execute it while piping the screen to a DOS file, and send a
message back with the screen-capture file attached. Williams
can verify that the update has succeeded, or he can diagnose and
fix any failures.
Work Flow
Among the many potential applications for E-mail, the one that
has sparked the most interest — and could provide the biggest
payoff — is work-flow automation. Datapro Research (Delran,
NJ) says that work-flow software will be a $250 million market
this year, while related hardware and software sales will amount
to $1.6 billion.
Work-flow packages digitally replicate existing business pro-
cesses that involve routing paper or forms among employees
(see figure 3). By using electronic forms riding on E-mail trans-
ports, users save paper, boost efficiency, and add intelligence to
data distribution. But equally important, according to a Datapro
report, organizations look to work flow as a means to reinvent the
way they do business and create new structures.
"The whole way we work and manage will change," agrees
Tom White, president of Action Technologies. "Work flow lets
your work become more decision-related and less paper-related."
A frequently cited example of work flow is in processing travel
expense reports. In such a system, an employee fills out an elec-
tronic expense form that is automatically routed to his or her
manager for approval. After that, the form goes directly to ac-
counting, or if the expense level is high enough to require addi-
tional approval, it is sent to the manager's boss. The routing of the
form follows preprogrammed rules, typically described graphically
or with scripts or both.
Other basic work-flow applications include purchase-order
and invoice processing, vacation and leave requests, creation of
sales proposals, engineering change orders, and editorial pro-
duction flow. Beyond's Lee says that the company uses its own
software for an automated sales-lead routing system. Names are
entered into forms and sent to a virtual user acting on behalf of the
firm's Paradox database. From the "application mailbox," Be-
yondMail's rules engine retrieves a message, extracts data values,
and imports them into Paradox.
Work flow is a subset of groupware, which also includes
shared-information systems such as Lotus Notes (see "Collabo-
rative Computing" on page 1 12). The difference, says Esther
Dyson, editor of the industry newsletter Release 1.0, is that Lo-
tus Notes is a fundamentally passive system that makes no effort
to track who gets what information or what they do with it, where-
as work-flow systems play an active role in disseminating data to
the people who need it. She adds that
^ intelligent routing is based on a com-
bination of rules, events, and time.
Dyson divides the universe of
work-flow applications into two cat-
egories: scripted work flows (also
known as forms-based or E-mail-
based routing) and work-flow tools
that enforce process integrity. Into
the first category she places Beyond-
Mail and Reach Software's Work-
man; in the latter category, she calls
Action "the conceptual leader." Says
Dyson, "Action alone understands the
relationships that underlie the flow
Work-Flow Applications
100 BYTE -MARCH 1993
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Screen 3: Action 's Workflow Management System is server-
based, which allows easier tracking of workflow. It includes a
work-flow designer and an applications builder for connecting
workflows into external applications, such as E-mail
or databases.
for PC LANs, LaserData (Tyngsboro, MA) plans to resell Ac-
tion's tools starting in the second half of this year, and it is also
incorporating work-flow technology into a document management
system set for release by the third quarter. Rodney Rogers, vice
president of engineering for LaserData, says Action's advantage
is that the work flow and task status are monitored and controlled
by a central database. "Coded into its design is the knowledge of
what is to be done," he says. By comparison, client-based prod-
ucts offer less control. "Nothing [in client-based systems] tracks
the state of completion of tasks," he says. "This can be built, but
it's part of the application, not the underlying work-flow en-
gine."
Another Action customer is Verimation AB, a Swedish mak-
er of PC LAN and host-based E-mail systems and a pioneer in de-
veloping intelligent electronic forms and routing systems for
106 BYTE • MARCH 1 993
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E-MAIL
The
Time
Has
Come...
...to send for the latest
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It lists more than 200
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108 BYTE • MARCH 1993
mainframes. Adam Sroczynski, president ofVerimation's U.S.
subsidiary, says that his company chose Action because its fea-
tures met customer demand for process management capabili-
ties. "I don't think you can take BeyondMail very far in terms of
reengineering your business," he says. "How can you manage
and improve a process that's controlled by the user? You need a
more top-down approach."
Sroczynski says that work-flow customers typically have two
demands. First, they want a tool that helps to improve processes,
find bottlenecks, and reduce cycle times. Second, "they want to
remove the definition of routing from the form application itself
and put it into a server process so that they can replicate those
functions elsewhere." Verimation is shipping an E-mail pack-
age called Memo LAN that incorporates Action tools for creating
ad hoc work flows; in the third or fourth quarter of this year,
new releases will add Action's front-end work-flow design and
management tools, as well as the ability to access the Action
work-flow server from a mainframe.
In addition to Beyond, Reach Software, and Action, other
players in the work-flow software market include HP, Recogni-
tion Equipment/Plexus (Dallas, TX) (which supplies the Unix-
based technology used in NCR's Processlt work-flow system), and
Workhorse (Dublin, Ireland). Keyfile (Nashua, NH) and FileNet
(Costa Mesa, CA) market work-flow-oriented document-image-
processing systems, while JetForm (Ottawa, Ont.), Da Vinci Sys-
tems, and Delrina (Toronto, Ont.) offer forms-routing packages.
The recently merged PowerCore (Manteno, IL) and Finansa
(London, U.K.) plan to deliver a work-flow package in the third
quarter, and Microsoft is rumored to be developing a work-flow
capability for Windows, code-named Calvin and Hobbes. In the
host world, IBM's OfficeVision/VM and DEC's All-In-1 offer
mail management and forms-routing capabilities.
Users Lead the Way
At many firms, says consultant Ferris, the people installing E-mail
are technical-support staff more focused on making the hard-
ware and software work than on its potential for reducing costs or
enabling new applications. Without the involvement of senior
information executives, he says, the investment in E-mail in-
frastructure may not be fully harvested.
Fortunately, says Reach Software's Spies, a growing number
of customers are realizing that messaging applications afford an
opportunity to reengineer their businesses. "This whole thing is
being driven by users who have needs and are looking for solu-
tions," he says. "Instead of having something foisted on them
by vendors, this is a rare instance where users are way ahead."
Messaging is becoming the foundation of a new information in-
frastructure, because it's simple and cheap compared to other
techniques for IAC and distributed computing. The pending ar-
rival of mail-enabled applications will expose users as never be-
fore to E-mail's power as a data distribution medium. The next
step is to implement work-flow automation.
Best of all, messaging and work flow build naturally on the
most important resource of all — human capital — by giving em-
ployees tools to do their jobs better. "You don't even have to ex-
plain this stuff to people," says Nick Rudd, the chief information
officer for advertising agency Young & Rubicam (New York). "It
mirrors the reality of what they deal with every day." ■
Editor's note: Also contributing to this story were BYTE senior
news editor Tom Halfhill, senior technical editor Jon Udell, and
news editors Dave Andrews and Ed Perratore.
Andy Reinhardt is BYTE's West Coast bureau chief. You can
reach him on BIX as "areinhardt. "
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112 BYTE • MARCH 1993
ILLUSTRATION: STEVEN LYONS «-, 1993
STATE OF THE ART
COLLABORATIVE
COMPUTING
Computer-aided teamwork will change your office culture forever
JEFFREY HSU AND TONY LOCKWOOD
Collaborative computing is a catchphrase for a new
body of software and hardware that helps people work
better together. A collaborative system creates an en-
vironment in which people can share information
without the constraints of time and space.
Network groupware applications link workgroups across
a room or across the globe. The software gives the group a
common, on-line venue for meetings, and it lets all members
labor on the same data simultaneously.
Collaborative applications include calendar management,
video teleconferencing, computer teleconferencing, integrat-
ed team support, and support for business meetings and group
authoring. Messaging and E-mail systems represent the most
basic type of groupware.
"I hear of new groupware products every day," says David
Coleman, conference chair of Groupware '93, a trade show to
be held this August in Palo Alto, California. Coleman ex-
pects to list more than 400 products from over 250 companies
in a catalog scheduled to be published later this year.
Sales of workgroup software are soaring, according to
WorkGroup Technologies (Hampton, NH). Sales for 1992
were $1.3 billion worldwide; this year, projections call for
$1.93 billion in worldwide sales.
No Commander Datas
The best that any of these products can do is to put text, data,
and graphics together in an integrated groupware package,
creating what's known as comprehensive workgroup support.
For example, Instant Update from On Technologies (Cam-
bridge, MA) is a product for the Mac that lets you create and
manipulate tabular data as well as import graphics into your
documents. Some packages, such as GroupSystems from Ven-
tana (Tucson, AZ), provide transparent access to other ap-
plications residing on your server.
Although an integrated groupware system allows you to
bring supporting applications and information into your col-
laborative environment, some researchers, such as Robert
Johansen from the Institute for the Future and Mark Stefik
from Xerox's PARC (Palo Alto Research Center), hope to
extend this support by bringing in artificial team members
that can interact with a workgroup. These expert-system and
AI technologies provide you with software entities called
agents that constantly rummage through information ware-
houses, seeking the data that you need. These info-houses are
part of your collaborative work
environment and are continu-
ally fed new information from
the workgroup and other data
streams that you develop. Like
parts constantly arriving at a
busy factory, data flows non-
stop into your info-house. The
agents serve as receiving clerks,
routing data to you and your
workgroup.
"In the short run, it's more
likely that, instead of a Com-
mander Data [the android on
the TV show Star Trek: The
Next Generation], you're go-
ing to have an information re-
finery that will be a part of your
collaborative work environ-
ment," says Johansen. "You
would have individual agents,
programmed by team mem-
bers, pulling out that informa-
tion they want."
Designed to Help
There are three fundamental
aspects of collaborative sys-
tems: common task, shared
environment, and time/space.
The first measures the extent
to which the members of a
Collaborative Computing
BY JEFFREY HSU AND TONY LOCKWOOD
112
Hitting Warp
Speed for LANs
BYMARKA.CLARKSON
123
Better Than Being There
BY TOM YAGER
129
MARCH 1993 • BYTE 113
COLLABORATIVE COMPUTING
TYPES OF COLLABORATIVE INTERACTION
Face-to-face
Occurs at the same
time and place.
Asynchronous
Occurs at different times
but at the same place.
Distributed synchronous
Occurs at the same time
but at different places.
Distributed asynchronous
Occurs at different times
and at different places.
Workgroup interaction can occur in the following dimensions of time and space:
face-to-face , same place at different times, same time at different places, and
different times and places.
workgroup can work on the same task. If
the system allows many people to work
on the same task, it ranks high on the com-
mon-task spectrum (e.g., a software de-
sign system that lets programmers inter-
act frequently in real time on a module of
code).
A strong shared-environment system
keeps you informed of what a project's
condition is, what your coparticipants are
doing, and what atmosphere or setting is
supported. An E-mail system that simply
sends messages back and forth isn't high
on the shared-environment scale. How-
ever, an electronic classroom — with its
emulation of traditional classroom settings,
including blackboard windows, lists of
students, and questions/responses — rates
much higher.
Time/space collaborative systems fo-
cus on the time and place of the interaction
(see the figure). Face-to-face, or synchro-
nous, interaction is at the same time and
place. Asynchronous interaction occurs at
one place at different times. If the inter-
action is at the same time but at different
places, it's distributed synchronous inter-
action. And interaction at different places
and times is distributed asynchronous in-
teraction.
System Types
E-mail, computer-teleconferencing, real-
time-teleconferencing, and video-telecon-
ferencing systems all help to create or to
support electronic meetings. Meeting en-
vironments are created through text and
graphics on computer terminals or via au-
dio and video transmitted from one loca-
tion to another. Computer-teleconferencing
systems (e.g., BIX and CompuServe) rep-
resent an extension of the messaging and
E-mail system models.
Real-time teleconferencing — such as
Team Workstation, a research system de-
signed by Hiroshi Ishii of the Nippon Tele-
graph & Telephone's Human Interface
Laboratories (Kanagawa, Japan) — is an
example of distributed synchronous inter-
action. It allows participants in different
locations to interact.
Another approach to real-time telecon-
ferencing places a single-user application
in a computer-teleconferencing environ-
ment. Information is exchanged among
multiple users using a protocol that deter-
mines who has the floor at any given time.
Unlike computer teleconferencing, in
video teleconferencing, video and audio
connections link meeting rooms or net-
worked workgroups. Participants can see
and hear other members of the dispersed
group (see "Better Than Being There" on
page 129).
Electronic whiteboards, or live boards,
electronically mimic the whiteboard that
you find in many conference rooms. In
this working environment, each member of
a workgroup has a terminal on which to
work and can broadcast results to everyone
else's screen.
Xerox PARC developed an advanced
electronic whiteboard that uses a projected
LCD. Each participant in a meeting gets
a stylus that allows him or her to write on
the whiteboard from anywhere in the
room. Xerox has connected the system to
a network and has even used it to connect
remote sites (see "The Electronic White-
board," July 1992 BYTE, page 166). At
this writing, Xerox is in the process of
setting up a commercial unit to sell the
system.
Notable Technologies (Foster City, CA)
recently announced Shared Whiteboard,
communications software for Go Corp.'s
PenPoint operating system that creates a
real-time connection between two pen sys-
tems. It uses a phone line to transmit graph-
ics and text between remote locations. A
second phone line is needed for voice com-
munications. David Larson, Notable Tech-
nologies' vice president of sales and mar-
keting, says the company is working on a
version that will allow more than two users
to participate. continued
114 BYTE • MARCH 1993
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COLLABORATIVE COMPUTING
Instant Update uses arrows to indicate updated documents. In the foreground, you
see who made changes and when. (Screen courtesy of On Technology)
Collaborative Writing
Multiuser editors and group-authoring sys-
tems are able to bring a workgroup's col-
lective input to bear during the creation
and editing of a document. Such collabo-
rative systems can be either real-time or
asynchronous.
If the authoring system is real-time, it
lets several participants edit a document
at the same time by parceling out logical
segments of the document to members of
the group. The system controls the read/
write access to the various segments (e.g.,
the Group Writer facility in GroupSys-
tems).
Asynchronous editors, such as Instant
Update, store both the original text and
the reviewers' comments. This allows a
document manager to evaluate all com-
ments before making final changes (see
the screen).
Thomas W. Malone, director of the MIT
Center for Coordination Science (Cam-
bridge, MA) and developer of the research
collaborative systems Information Lense
and Oval, sees group-authoring systems
evolving beyond document creation/edit-
ing systems. Malone envisions workgroups
collectively creating knowledge networks
that describe real-world objects or ideas.
The networks would connect those ideas
and objects and use hypertext-like links
to represent the relationships and depen-
dencies among the items. "These knowl-
edge networks will be viewable through
a variety of displaying and summarizing
tools," says Malone. "They will be share-
able across global networks and readable,
browsable, and searchable" by you and
your computer.
Conversational structuring, used in Co-
ordinator II, an asynchronous groupware
application published by Da Vinci Sys-
tems (Raleigh, NC), allows the structure of
a workgroup's conversations to be devel-
oped and used during what is normally an
unstructured meeting. You can see at a
glance those messages that are most ur-
gent.
Coordinator II comes with seven con-
versational paradigms (e.g., an informal
note, an action proposal, and a what-if sce-
nario) and prompts you to put your mes-
sage into one of them. But it's fluid: Your
responses need not follow the original mes-
sage's paradigm. For example, you could
reply to a what-if message using a for-
your-information response.
This approach works well for Woods
Wire Products (Carmel, IN), according to
Robert L. Bogue, its LAN/wide-area net-
work manager. Woods Wire Products, a
manufacturer of electronic components
and telephone accessories, uses Coordi-
nator II to keep in touch with its offices
Workgroup Goals
and Tasks
• generate ideas
• develop action plans
• refine data, graphics, and text
• make decisions
• negotiate solutions
in Canada, Mexico, Europe, and the Far
East. "The conversation types that Co-
ordinator II comes with are the basic build-
ing blocks of business communications,"
Bogue says. "I have not encountered any
deficiencies in the conversation structures
provided."
Group Decision Making
GDSSes (group decision support systems)
are designed to facilitate face-to-face meet-
ings (see the text box "The Public Reacts
to GDSS" on page 118). They provide
tools for decision structuring, idea gener-
ation, voting, and ranking. GDSS meet-
ings are frequently conducted by a facili-
tator.
GDSSes have three feature levels, but
individual systems can have features in
more than one level. Level 1 emphasizes
the improvement of communication, idea
formation and discussion, and messaging.
Tools for Level 1 include messaging, screen
viewing, rating/ranking scales, agendas,
and voting.
For example, VisionQuest, which was
developed by Collaborative Technologies
(Austin, TX), provides an agenda struc-
ture that a workgroup can use to collab-
orate on documents and to generate, pri-
oritize, and evaluate ideas. VisionQuest
allows comments on ideas to be anony-
mous, and it manages all communications
and document proceedings.
Level 2 systems incorporate the strengths
of decision-support modeling and group-
decision techniques to enhance the sys-
tem. Examples of these techniques include
project planning and control/operations
research tools such as CPM (critical path
method) and PERT; probability and deci-
sion-tree software; and statistical features
and decision techniques that are designed
to solve complex, unstructured problems
and to help to coordinate information ex-
change in asynchronous problem-solving
groups.
When equipped with its optional Ad-
vanced Tools, GroupSystems V provides a
Level 2 environment on desktop comput-
ers linked by an Ethernet or token-ring
LAN or in a specialized meeting room (see
the photo). An outliner lets a group analyze
ideas by constructing an eight-level out-
line. Its Idea Organization facility lets a
workgroup build a list of ideas or cate-
gories and attach or import unstructured
comments to any item on the list. You can
rearrange, edit, and consolidate items and
comments. Its group matrix feature helps
establish relationships between rows and
columns in a matrix format. Ventana's
TeamGraphics, which runs on Microsoft's
Windows 3. 1 or Windows for Workgroups,
features collaborative design of graphical
116 BYTE • MARCH 1993
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COLLABORATIVE COMPUTING
The Public Reacts to GDSS
JAMES D. GANTT AND CATHERINE M. BEISE
When was the last time you en-
joyed a meeting and looked
forward to your next one? Sur-
prisingly, these sentiments were
expressed by the participants in sever-
al tests of GDSS (group decision sup-
port system) software.
Early in 1992, we tested reactions to
GDSS for the U.S. Army. Test-group
sizes ranged from six to 20 members.
Participants represented military (20
percent), government (23 percent), and
civilian (58 percent) organizations.
About one-third of the people were
members of minorities, and one-fifth
were women. Computer literacy levels
ranged from none to expert. Partici-
pants were connected by a LAN run-
ning GroupSystems V software from
Ventana (Tucson, AZ). GroupSystems
provides anonymous, real-time, text-
based interaction for workgroups.
We collected quantitative data and
open-ended comments from partici-
pants. Participants used a five-point
scale to rate their reactions; 5 was the
highest score (see the table).
Our posttest interviews indicated that
the less computer literate found GDSS
meetings more effective than did their
high-powered colleagues, perhaps re-
flecting lower expectations on the part
of the former. More participants com-
mented on GDSS's speed and effi-
ciency than on anything else. And an
additional benefit cited was the way
GDSS forces a structure on meetings.
Participants believed that learning
GDSS was a barrier. But many felt that
it would be beneficial after frequent use.
Some participants initially feared us-
ing a computer, but they overcame this
trepidation, perhaps in their desire to
join in the discussion. Others felt in-
teraction was limited by the system's
structure. The meeting facilitator's skill
affected whether the GDSS system
structure was viewed negatively or pos-
itively.
One of our more interesting sessions
involved members of an academic de-
partment with a reputation for raucous
meetings. At the end of their test, they
were amazed: They had reached a con-
sensus on a touchy curriculum issue
with everyone participating but with
no one yelling in anger.
In most groups, the participants be-
lieved there was a benefit to the level
playing field offered by anonymous
communication. But this was put to
the test by a group of managers. A gen-
tleman in the group began to type his
messages in uppercase, perhaps to dif-
ferentiate himself from others. To his
frustration, someone else opted to do
the same. We don't know if these ac-
tions were deliberate, but one group
member said, "I need to know who
made a comment to evaluate it."
Overall, our test results indicate that
people react positively to GDSS. Its
ability to provide anonymity seemed
to increase everyone's participation.
More important, groups are more like-
ly to achieve consensus and commit to
following through on action plans de-
veloped at a GDSS meeting.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The authors thank Rick Watson and
Alan Dennis of the University of Geor-
gia for their contributions.
James D. Gantt is the director of group-
ware research at the U.S. Army Re-
search Laboratory in Atlanta, Georgia.
Catherine M. Beise is an assistant pro-
fessor of information systems at West
Georgia College and a member of the
staff at the Army's research laboratoiy
in Atlanta. You can reach them on BIX
do "editors."
PUBLIC REACTIONS TO GDSS
A test group of individuals ranging from computer novices to experts
reacted favorably to a GDSS trial run by the U.S. Army. Participants
rated each category on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the most
favorable rating.
Willingness to use GDSS tools again 4.4
Task accomplishment 4.3
Even participation 4.2
Satisfaction with process 4.1
Satisfaction with outcome 4.1
Good outcome 3.9
Commitment to results 3.8
diagrams, graphical what-if brainstorm-
ing, and a group whiteboard to share text
and ideas.
Level 3 systems, which are in the de-
velopmental stage, automate group com-
munications patterns. They allow you to
select and arrange meeting rules and in-
clude such tools as an automated coun-
selor and Robert's Rules of Order.
Lotus Notes
Notes from Lotus Development (Cam-
bridge, MA) is a different type of collab-
orative system, but its effects are far-reach-
ing. "Lotus legitimized groupware with
its introduction of Notes," says Group-
ware '93 's Coleman.
Notes can best be described as a group
communications environment that lets you
access and create shared information. It
gives your workgroup E-mail, distributed
databases, bulletin boards, text editing,
document management, and various ap-
plications development tools, all integrat-
ed into an environment with a graphical,
menu-based user interface. "It's the Swiss
Army knife of tools," says Tim Deagan,
manager of the services tools development
118 BYTE • MARCH 1993
Discover why FoxPro, Clipper,
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There is a good reason why
• your database language was
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COLLABORATIVE COMPUTING
Workgroups connect with each other from remote sites via a LAN or meet in special
conference rooms, as pictured here. (Photo courtesy ofVentana Corp.)
group at Dell Computer (Austin, TX).
Deagan's group at the time, the R&D
department, was among the first Notes tak-
ers at Dell, where it flourished. However,
Deagan says, other department managers,
especially those responsible for cost con-
tainment, were hesitant to spend the money
(i.e., license fees of $395 per user) for a
tool that seemed to many not to have a
clear mission.
MIT's Malone also sees this as a prob-
lem for Notes. "Precisely because Notes
is so general, it is often hard to understand
at first what it is useful for," says Malone.
Notes has gained acceptance at Dell,
says Deagan, finding uses in such diverse
areas as database development, training,
and quality control. But it was a long jour-
ney: "You have to lure people to Notes," he
says. "Its versatility has kept Notes above
water, but its versatility smothers it."
Windows for Workgroups
Windows for Workgroups integrates group-
ware into the network environment. It gives
you E-mail; group scheduling; real-lime
conference facilities; network-monitoring
utilities; and file, printer, and Clipboard
sharing (see "Windows for Workgroups,"
November 1992 BYTE).
The Windows GUI is an important part
of Windows for Workgroups. Its ClipBook
Clipboard sharing facility lets you cut,
paste, and share pages of data, such as
when you transfer pages of information
directly into someone's Clipboard. The
Schedule-H feature helps you plan meet-
ings on-line by merging prospective at-
tendees' schedules, finding a suitable time,
and mailing out invitations.
Brian Howden, a technical specialist
working for the British Columbia Min-
istry of Forests (Victoria, BC, Canada),
says that his organization is conducting
pilot programs to determine if Windows
for Workgroups will solve some of the
ministry's connectivity and API problems.
At the ministry, more than 1500 desktop
computers run Windows. Dozens of LANs
provide shared resources for these and oth-
er types of computers, and an IBM main-
frame provides ministrywide E-mail. En-
suring connectivity among all workstations
and peripherals is a costly and ongoing
problem. But Windows for Workgroups
supports the Windows Open Services Ar-
chitecture, so it provides out-of-box stan-
dard APIs for applications development.
"Anything that provides a standard API is
attractive to us," Howden says.
If Howden is apprehensive about any-
thing in Windows for Workgroups, it's that
the groupware has its own mail applica-
tion, which could disturb the ministry's ex-
isting E-mail service. Unless the ministry
migrates to Microsoft Mail, Windows for
Workgroups mail could "entice users to set
up noncompatible islands of E-mail with-
in our organization," says Howden (see
"Smarter E-Mail Is Coming" on page 90).
Cultural Challenges
Collaborative systems can meet stubborn
resistance when they are introduced in a
company, because they challenge the or-
ganizational culture with a new means of
communication. "Groupware moves a
company from a very hierarchical struc-
ture to one where each individual's input is
accepted regardless of sex, race, or office
status," says Harold I. Gallagher, CEO of
Collaborative Technologies.
Some managers have problems with this
because collaborative systems can upset
a company's unique environment for get-
ling work done. You must take this into
account when planning your collaborative
information system. "The collaborative
environment adds a new, on-line culture
to your organization," says John Dono-
van, an analyst with Workgroup Tech-
nologies. As manager, your "challenge is
to define that culture so that you have a
more effective organization."
But the higher you climb in a com-
pany's organization, the more you can en-
counter resistance to collaborative comput-
ing, says Bernard DeKoven, a management
consultant based in Palo Alto, California.
DeKoven argues that the monetary incen-
tive systems of upper management are of-
ten disincentives to sharing ideas and data,
because personal information is an indi-
vidual's powerbase. "If you don't ac-
knowledge the incentives for competition
that exist in your organization, any effort at
creating a collaborative system will be sab-
otaged" by office politics, says DeKoven.
Groupware and collaborative efforts are
most successful at the lower levels of an
organization, says DeKoven. Lower-ech-
elon employees are used to workgroup
projects, have fewer incentives for com-
petitive behavior, and usually are so dis-
empowered that they prefer to wrap their
comments, ideas, and suggestions in ano-
nymity, says DeKoven.
DeKoven has worked with several com-
panies that have successfully integrated
collaborative systems into their environ-
ments. Mostly, they've been companies
that have adopted flat organizational struc-
tures, where everyone has access to infor-
mation, and high-tech companies, where
workgroups are the norm. In more tradi-
tional businesses, collaborative systems
succeed best when they spread above and
below from middle management, accord-
ing to DeKoven.
But "the technology is not going to drive
the cultural changes," says DeKoven. "As
long as there are incentives for competition
and control, people will use groupware
only to further their individual goals."
For collaborative systems to be truly
successful, you must change the way you
operate. According to Groupware '93's
Coleman, collaborative systems can pro-
vide that incentive to change: "Often peo-
ple perceive their value to a company as
their expertise, and if they share that ex-
pertise, they've lost their value. But fre-
quently it turns out to be the other way
around — their coworkers find out just how
valuable they are to the company." ■
Jeffrey Hsu is a computer consultant and
a professor of information systems at Mont-
clair State College in Upper Montclair,
New Jersey. You can reach him at JHSU
on MCI Mail. Tony Lockwood is a BYTE
technical editor. You can contact him on
BIX as "lockwood. "
120 BYTE • MARCH 1993
R E L E S S
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STATE OF THE ART/Collaborative Computin;
HITTING
WARP SPEED
FOR LANS
High-speed networks promise the performance that collaborative computing needs — at a price
MARK A. CLARKSON
Brian Lyles, a researcher at Xerox
PARC (Palo Alto Research Cen-
ter), designs collaborative appli-
cations of the future in areas such
as scientific visualization, desktop tele-
conferencing, and advanced document
management. The feasibility of these ap-
plications depends on the resolution of
formidable problems.
LANs provide limited data-carrying ca-
pacity (i.e., bandwidth) — 10 Mbps on an
Ethernet and 4 to 1 6 Mbps on a token-ring
network. But collaborative applications
require moving huge data sets that can
overwhelm a network's bandwidth. For
example, broadcast-quality video, even at
20-to-l compression, requires a 6-Mbps
data transfer rate. At that rate, a 10-minute
broadcast represents half a gigabyte of
data, the equivalent of five sets of the En-
cyclopaedia Britannica.
The applications that Lyles envisions
involve continuous streams of high-qual-
ity audio and video data. "We're not going
to settle for one stream of video to the
desktop. We have applications that use
many streams," says Lyles.
To make matters worse, LANs such as
token-ring and Ethernet networks are
shared-media networks. They allow only
one conversation to take place at a time.
And their bandwidth must be shared by
all the users on a network.
Shared-media networks work best with
short bursts of data (e.g., E-mail messages).
In a client-server environment, for example,
a number of workstations might share the
same server. Because the server can talk
to only one workstation at a time, it scarce-
ly matters that the conversation takes place
over a shared-media LAN. A network that
primarily handles E-mail traffic will do
ILLUSTRATION: STEVE LYONS ©1993
MARCH 1993 • BYTE 123
HITTING WARP SPEED FOR LANS
ONE POSSIBLE CONFIGURATION OF A WAN
Figure 1 : LANs connect to each other over a backbone network. In this example, FDDI, a 100-Mbps optical-fiber network,
provides the connection. Backbone networks can be connected to each other via a variety of private and public services,
including leased lines and satellite links.
just fine at token-ring speeds, but shared-
media networks are not good at handling
continuous data streams, like those created
by a video teleconference.
Collaborative computing presupposes
more interactive use of networks than just
providing a medium for E-mail traffic.
Much of the use is workstation-to-work-
station (many-to-many) rather than client-
server (many-to-one).
Because you might want to collaborate
with someone across town or across the
Pacific, your LANs must be connected to
each other, and your bandwidth demands
grow with every step. To link the slower
10-Mbps LANs, you use the faster 100-
Mbps backbone networks. And to tie these
together into a WAN (wide-area network),
you use an even faster network, say some-
thing with a 1-Gbps or higher data transfer
rate (see figure 1).
Although today's networks are too slow
for advanced collaborative applications, a
number of network-bandwidth boosters
are coming into their own and may pro-
vide solutions to the problem. These tech-
nologies include FDDI (Fiber Distribut-
ed Data Interface), ATM (Asynchronous
Transfer Mode), and switching hubs.
Video a Problem
"Video is the data type that will force the
commercial networking business to come
to grips with the bandwidth issue," says
Jim Long, president of Starlight Networks
(Mountain View, CA), a maker of video
software for Ethernet networks.
Video is a key component of the next
generation of collaborative applications,
whether for desktop videoconferencing,
training, or visualization. Other data (e.g.,
CAD drawings and true-color scanned im-
ages) may gobble up great chunks of net-
work bandwidth, but none so voracious-
ly as video.
"Video is not only huge, but it's con-
Advanced High-Speed
Networks
The Promise:
• variable bandwidth on demand
• new kinds of workgroup
applications
• studio-quality desktop audio
and video
The Reality:
• incomplete standards
• three to 10 times more expensive
• possible software incompatibility
tinuous," says Long. Unlike a still image,
which is finite and will be on the network
for a short time, video just keeps coming.
Single frames of broadcast-quality video —
with compression — are about 12 KB each,
and a new frame is shipped 60 times a sec-
ond. Meanwhile, other devices sit idle be-
cause the network hasn't any bandwidth
to spare for them. "Even a low-grade tele-
conference," says Long, "sends more data
over your network in an hour than it has
ever seen before." Studio-quality video re-
quires 10-Mbps or faster data streams,
which overwhelms a typical LAN.
Token Ring on Steroids
How do you increase your bandwidth? One
way is to switch to a faster network, such
as FDDI. "FDDI is really a token ring on
steroids," says Long. Like token-ring net-
works, FDDI passes data around a ring, but
its bandwidth is 100 Mbps, far faster than a
token-ring or Ethernet network. For exam-
ple, at 100 Mbps, you could ship this article
around a network 1000 times a second.
But FDDI has problems. It's a new net-
work with new protocols, and your soft-
ware may not run on it. FDDI is also 10
times more expensive than an Ethernet
network. Pricing for adapter cards starts
at around $1000; Ethernet cards begin at
about $100.
If FDDI is too expensive, how about
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Circle 84 on Inquiry Card (RESELLERS: 85).
HITTING WARP SPEED FOR LANS
Rolling the DICE
DICE (Distributed Interactive
Collaboration Environment) is a
research project under way at
the National Center for Super-
computing Applications (Champaign,
IL). DICE allows researchers — who
may be physically far apart — to col-
laborate on large visualizations, which
they can all view and with which they
can all interact simultaneously. Sev-
eral people can steer and control the
parameters of the visualization.
The project was conceived as an en-
vironment in which to develop appli-
cations that exploit gigabit networks.
Although the image processing and
number crunching in DICE run primar-
ily on supercomputers, the interactive
user interface and the graphical output
run on workstations.
Sending a continuous stream of high-
definition images can consume more
than 500 Mbps of bandwidth for each
workstation viewing the simulation.
"Nothing has been geared up to sup-
port these speeds," says DICE author
Jeff Terstriep. "Every step you take,
you hit another bottleneck."
As fast as computer speeds have in-
creased, network speeds have grown
faster. "All of a sudden, we've got a
network that's faster than the VME
bus that these workstations are built
around," says Terstriep. "Even super-
computers don't necessarily have as
much I/O speed as you'd like. It's a
challenge."
For a network to support an ad-
vanced, interactive, collaborative en-
vironment, says Terstriep, it must be
fast and exhibit low latency — outgo-
ing data must not sit at your worksta-
tion, waiting for an opening in net-
work traffic. Without low latency, the
value of a fast network diminishes.
One intent of DICE research is to
develop methods of efficiently moving
large data sets on networks. DICE uses
a message-passing system designed to
move scientific data sets that range in
size from 8 MB to 2 GB (e.g., multi-
dimensional arrays of data) through
various pipelines. It uses both high-
bandwidth and low-latency networks,
splitting the message to achieve the
highest performance possible.
For example, the handshaking and
control information has low latency. It
doesn't require the high data transfer
rate that a 2-KB by 2-KB by 24-bit im-
age requires. DICE sends the hand-
shake information through an Ethernet
or FDDI (Fiber Distributed Data Inter-
face) network and the image through
a high-performance parallel-interface
network. DICE ensures that these mul-
tiple networks operate in harmony and
that the operation is transparent to the
application and to the end user.
"Current high-speed networks have
relatively high latency. I think you'll
see ATM take over, because it offers
very low latency at very high band-
width," says Terstriep.
But better machine architectures are
needed to exploit gigabit networks.
The speed at which you can read and
write to the RAM on your worksta-
tion becomes an issue.
"You find you can't afford to copy
data from the user space to the oper-
ating system, to the networking card,
and out on the wire," says Terstriep.
All those copies take time and CPU
cycles, and at gigabit speeds, time is
precious.
speeding up your existing LAN? Grand
Junction Networks (Union City, CA) is
developing a product called Fast Ethernet,
which is an Ethernet standard that matches
FDDI's 100 Mbps. Also, IBM has report-
edly pushed Token Ring to 64 Mbps.
The idea behind such pumped-up ver-
sions of familiar networks is to preserve
your investments in network wiring and
software while boosting network capacity
to meet increased demands. But these so-
called fast LANs are up to three times more
expensive per installation, although they
are far less expensive than FDDI.
In addition, all these fast networks —
including FDDI — have flaws that may
prove fatal over time. For example, none
guarantee real-time data delivery. When
audio and video are shipped as separate
data streams, it's important that they ar-
rive at the same time. The question be-
comes: Will 100 Mbps be enough?
"Some people say 100 Mbps is plenty of
bandwidth," says Steve Krause, a tech-
nology analyst at SRI (Menlo Park, CA),
an independent research institute. "But
when Ethernet was introduced, people said,
'Ten megabits! No one will need more
than this.' " Krause believes that as appli-
cations become more LAN-intensive they
will need more than 100 Mbps.
Near-Unlimited Bandwidth
If 100 Mbps is not enough, there is a way
to achieve almost unlimited bandwidth:
switching. To understand switching, think
about making a telephone call. You dial
my number. I answer. We talk. In effect,
we have a dedicated line linking us. In
fact, our telephones are connected through
one or more switches — universal connec-
tions — and can be similarly connected to
any of millions of other telephones across
the U.S. Millions of other telephone con-
versations are going on concurrently with
ours. Even though the telephone lines have
a low bandwidth, the capacity of this huge
switched network — its aggregate band-
width — is astronomical.
In a shared-media LAN, the aggregate
bandwidth is the same as the peak band-
width of the individual lines. For exam-
ple, an Ethernet's aggregate and peak band-
widths are both 10 Mbps. Thus, adding
nodes to your network increases its load,
but not its capacity.
The aggregate bandwidth of a switched
network is equal to the peak bandwidth of
each line times the number of lines going
into the switch divided by two. For exam-
ple, 100 10-Mbps lines equals 0.5 Gbps
(i.e., 100 x 10 Mbps h- 2 = 0.5 Gbps).
"That's why I like switched technology
like ATM," says Xerox PARC's Lyles.
"Switched networks tend to have an ag-
gregate bandwidth that is much higher
than their peak bandwidth." When the
ATM standard is finalized, says Lyles,
ATM should provide sufficient bandwidth
for most collaborative applications.
ATM is isochronous (i.e., real-time) and
provides high bandwidth on demand. Be-
cause it's a packet-switched network, it
divides data into small clusters, called
packets; moves them around the network;
and reassembles the packets at their desti-
nation. ATM lets you mix and match chan-
nels of varying bandwidths and data types
(e.g., video, data, and voice). You can have
150-Mbps, 600-Mbps, and 2.4-Gbps links
on the same network. "ATM allows you to
stop asking, 'What video quality can I get
over the network?' and start asking, 'What
video quality do 1 want?' " says Lyles.
Some companies, such as DEC (May-
nard, MA), are developing ATM LANs.
But the technology is sophisticated and
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HITTING WARP SPEED FOR LANS
CONVENTIONAL AND SWITCHED ETHERNETS
Server Server Server
30 workstations
Server Server Server
Data stream 1
I pi "l I °l I bi i a ibi I Bl Bl Bi i a;
10 workstations
1 workstations
10 workstations
Figure 2: In a conventional Ethernet network with three file servers shared among 30 workstations, only one conversation can
take place at a time. With a three-by-three switch added to the network, you can have three conversations on the network at once.
expensive — about $6000 per connection,
says Howard Salwen, president of Proteon
(Westborough, MA), a company that makes
networking equipment and plans to deliv-
er its first ATM-based products late this
year. Given its cost and that the standard
has yet to be finalized, ATM will probably
not be a major player in the desktop arena
for at least five years — pundits are reluc-
tant to guess exactly how long. "ATM is a
wonderful technology," says Salwen, "but
it isn't soup yet."
Ethernet for Everyone
Switched-hub technology is already be-
ing added to Ethernet. It can turn a single
Ethernet into an Ethernet for every net-
work user (see figure 2). The upgrade is
simple: You replace the old hub in your
wiring closet with a new one. Instead of
100 people sharing 10 Mbps, you have
100 people sharing 1 Gbps. You haven't
restrung any wires. You are still using the
same adapter cards and software as be-
fore. And it's still Ethernet.
"This could mean a new life for Ether-
net," says Avi Fogel of Lannet (Hunting-
ton Beach, CA), a manufacturer of LAN
hardware products. "It's no longer a shared
medium — it provides each user with band-
width on demand up to the full capacity
of the network."
EtherSwitch from Kalpana (Santa Clara,
CA) adds ATM-like packet switching to
existing Ethernet LANs. It is similar to
ATM in that it's a packet-switched tech-
nology, says Larry Blair, Kalpana' s vice
president of marketing. EtherSwitch is in-
tended to boost throughput between desk-
tops and servers.
Seeq Technology (Fremont, CA) adds
another dimension to switched-hub Ether-
net. Its 80C04 LAN-controller chip set
provides Ethernet with two-way, or full-
duplex, capabilities. Normally, Ethernet
networks are one-way — only one node at
a time can transmit, and a node cannot re-
ceive data while transmitting. By enabling
full-duplex, the 80C04 doubles Ethernet's
bandwidth to 20 Mbps (i.e., 10 Mbps to
send data, and 10 Mbps to receive data).
A switching hub is about an order of
magnitude more expensive than standard
Ethernet, say $700 versus $70 per con-
nection, but you preserve a significant part
of your network investment. The Ethernet
switched-hub approach is so powerful,
says Starlight Networks' Long, "that many
networking companies are abandoning
FDDI for the desktop."
Ethernet may become the ubiquitous
connection between computers and periph-
erals. "Ethernet could become the RS-232
of the nineties," says Long.
FDDI Squeezed
"Ninety-five percent of all computer users
will do just fine for the next five years
with 10 Mbps," says Long. "Shared servers
and backbone networks — that's the arena
where the battle for high-speed networks
will take place first."
"It's hard to justify investing in a 100-
Mbps ATM or FDDI for the desktop,"
says Lannet's Fogel. "But what if you can
find a way at well under $1000 per user
for each user to have a full, dedicated 10-
Mbps network available? That's a different
story."
For those that need 100 Mbps to run the
advanced collaborative applications that
Lyles is dreaming up in Palo Alto, what
will the LAN of choice be? FDDI? Not ac-
cording to SRI's Krause. "FDDI is in dan-
ger of being squeezed out of the desktop
marketplace by faster Ethernets and token
rings from below and ATM from above."
Most experts agree that the eventual
winner in high-speed networks of all sizes
will be ATM. According to Proteon's Sal-
wen, ATM delivers bandwidth on demand;
synchronous delivery of voice, video, and
data; and the possibility of seamless con-
nection between public and private net-
works (because it's a global standard).
"We can do lots of things with ATM that
we haven't been able to do before," says
Salwen. ■
Mark A. Clarkson is a freelance science
writer living in Wichita, Kansas. You can
reach him on BIX c/o "editors. "
128 BYTE • MARCH 1993
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539
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183
209
410 436 462 488 514
540
566
767 793 819 845 871 897
923
1124 1150 1176 1202 1228 1254 1280
! 54 80 106 132 158
184
210
411 437 463 489 515
541
567
768 794 820 846 872 898
924
1125 1151 1177 1203 1229 1255 1281
• 55 81 107 133 159
185
211
412 438 464 490 516
542
568
769 795 821 847 873 899
925
1126 1152 1178 1204 1230 1256 1282
i 56 82 108 134 160
186
212
413 439 465 491 517
543
569
770 796 822 848 874 900
926
1127 1153 1179 1205 1231 1257 1283
! 57 83 109 135 161
187
213
414 440 466 492 518
544
570
771 797 823 849 875 901
927
1128 1154 1180 1206 1232 1258 1284
: 58 64 110 136 162
188
214
415 441 467 493 519
545
571
772 79B 824 850 876 902
928
1129 1155 1181 1207 1233 1259 1285
1 59 85 111 137 163
189
215
416 442 468 494 520
546
572
773 799 825 851 877 903
929
1130 1156 1182 1208 1234 1260 1286
I 60 86 112 138 164
190
216
417 443 469 495 521
547
573
774 800 826 852 878 904
930
1131 1157 1183 1209 1235 1261 1287
1 61 87 113 139 165
191
217
418 444 470 496 522
548
574
775 801 827 853 879 905
931
1132 1158 1184 1210 1236 1262 1288
i 62 88 114 140 166
192
218
419 445 471 497 523
549
575
776 802 828 854 880 906
932
1133 1159 1185 1211 1237 1263 1289
| 63 89 115 141 167
193
219
420 446 472 498 524
550
576
777 803 829 855 881 907
933
1134 1160 1186 1212 1238 1264 1290
i 64 90 116 142 168
194
220
421 447 473 499 525
551
577
778 804 830 856 882 908
934
1135 1161 1187 1213 1239 1265 1291
• 65 91 117 143 169
195
221
422 448 474 500 526
552
578
779 805 831 857 883 909
935
1136 1162 1188 1214 1240 1266 1292
I 66 92 118 144 170
196
222
423 449 475 501 527
553
579
780 806 832 858 884 910
936
1137 1163 1189 1215 1241 1267 1293
i 67 93 119 145 171
197
223
424 450 476 502 528
554
580
781 807 833 859 885 911
937
1138 1164 1190 1216 1242 1268 1294
I 68 94 120 146 172
198
224
425 451 477 503 529
555
581
782 808 834 860 886 912
938
1139 1165 1191 1217 1243 1269 1295
; 69 95 121 147 173
199
225
426 452 478 504 530
556
582
783 809 835 861 887 913
939
1140 1166 1192 1218 1244 1270 1296
: 70 96 122 148 174
200
226
427 453 479 505 531
557
583
784 810 836 862 888 914
940
1141 1167 1193 1219 1245 1271 1297
i 71 97 123 149 175
201
227
428 454 480 506 532
558
584
785 811 837 863 889 915
941
1142 1168 1194 1220 1246 1272 1298
: 72 98 124 150 176
202
228
429 455 481 507 533
559
585
786 812 838 864 890 916
942
1143 1169 1195 1221 1247 1273 1299
I 73 99 125 151 177
203
229
430 456 482 508 534
560
586
787 813 839 865 891 917
943
1144 1170 1196 1222 1248 1274 1300
1 74 100 126 152 178
204
230
431 457 483 509 535
561
587
788 814 840 866 892 918
944
1145 1171 1197 1223 1249 1275 1301
i 75 101 127 153 179
205
231
432 45B 484 510 536
562
588
789 815 841 867 893 919
945
1146 1172 1198 1224 1250 1276 1302
I 76 102 128 154 180
206
232
433 459 485 511 537
563
589
790 816 842 868 894 920
946
1147 1173 1199 1225 1251 1277 1303
77 103 129 155 181
207
233
434 460 486 512 538
564
590
791 817 843 869 895 921
947
1148 1174 1200 1226 1252 1278 1304
Inquiry Numbers 234-408
1 Inquiry Numbers 591-765 1
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1 Inquiry Numbers 1305-1479
234 259 284 309 334
359
384
591 616 641 666 691
716
741
948 973 998 1023 1048 1073
1098
1305 1330 1355 1380 1405 1430 145
I 235 260 285 310 335
360
385
592 617 642 667 692
717
742
949 974 999 1024 1049 1074
1099
1306 1331 1356 1381 1406 1431 1456
• 236 261 286 311 336
361
386
593 618 643 668 693
718
743
950 975 1000 1025 1050 1075
1100
1307 1332 1357 1382 1407 1432 1457
: 237 262 287 312 337
362
387
594 619 644 669 694
719
744
951 976 1001 1026 1051 1076
1101
1308 1333 1358 1383 1408 1433 1458
i 238 263 286 313 338
363
388
595 620 645 670 695
720
745
952 977 1002 1027 1052 1077
1102
1309 1334 1359 1384 1409 1434 1459
| 239 264 289 314 339
364
389
596 621 646 671 696
721
746
953 978 1003 1028 1053 1078
1103
1310 1335 1360 1385 1410 1435 1460
! 240 265 290 315 340
365
390
597 622 647 672 697
722
747
954 979 1004 1029 1054 1079
1104
1311 1336 1361 1386 1411 1436 1461
I 241 266 291 316 341
366
391
598 623 648 673 698
723
748
955 980 1005 1030 1055 1080
1105
1312 1337 1362 1387 1412 1437 1462
: 242 267 292 317 342
367
392
599 624 649 674 699
724
749
956 981 1006 1031 1056 1081
1106
1313 1338 1363 1388 1413 1438 1463
: 243 268 293 318 343
368
393
600 625 650 675 700
725
750
957 982 1007 1032 1057 1082
1107
1314 1339 1364 1389 1414 1439 1464
| 244 269 294 319 344
369
394
601 626 651 676 701
726
751
958 983 1008 1033 1058 1083
1108
1315 1340 1365 1390 1415 1440 1465
I 245 270 295 320 345
370
395
602 627 652 677 702
727
752
959 984 1009 1034 1059 1084
1109
1316 1341 1366 1391 1416 1441 1466
! 246 271 296 321 346
371
396
603 628 653 678 703
728
753
960 985 1010 1035 1060 1085
1110
1317 1342 1367 1392 1417 1442 1467
1 247 272 297 322 347
372
397
604 629 654 679 704
729
754
961 986 1011 1036 1061 1086
1111
1318 1343 1368 1393 1418 1443 1468
i 248 273 298 323 348
373
398
605 630 655 680 705
730
755
962 987 1012 1037 1062 1087
1112
1319 1344 1369 1394 1419 1444 1469
| 249 274 299 324 349
374
399
606 631 656 681 706
731
756
963 988 1013 1038 1063 1088
1113
1320 1345 1370 1395 1420 1445 1470
1 250 275 300 325 350
375
400
607 632 657 682 707
732
757
964 989 1014 1039 1064 1089
1114
1321 1346 1371 1396 1421 1446 1471
! 251 276 301 326 351
376
401
608 633 658 683 708
733
758
965 990 1015 1040 1065 1090
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377
402
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759
966 991 1016 1041 1066 1091
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403
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735
760
967 992 1017 1042 1067 1092
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379
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611 636 661 686 711
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761
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612 637 662 687 712
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3
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co a-
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STATE OF THE ART/Collaborative Computing
BETTER THAN
BEING THERE
Desktop video teleconferencing could change how you do business
TOM YAGER
Companies labor under primitive no-
tions when it comes to transacting
business. Employees commute to
and from offices, spend countless
wasted hours on airplanes and in hotel
rooms, and generally make bad use of time
because people insist on doing business
face-to-face.
Telephones help, and fax machines and
modems help more, but these limited tech-
nologies support only one form of com-
munication at a time. Business leaders are
reluctant to buy into telecommuting be-
cause they understand that true commu-
nication hinges on the full range of human
contact: expressions, sights, and sounds.
Yet bringing people together for meetings
is costly, both in time and money.
Big outfits like IBM and AT&T are ap-
plying technology to solving this problem.
They're using expensive satellite-based
video-teleconferencing systems to create
"virtual meetings" with people in multi-
ple locations. But those without massive
resources are in a bind; even scaled-down
video-teleconferencing systems cost tens
of thousands of dollars. Perhaps more im-
portant, they don't offer a complete solu-
tion: You still have to go to the video-tele-
conferencing center.
Why can't video teleconferencing be
something you do from your own desk,
just like making a telephone call? That's
the objective of many companies working
on desktop video-teleconferencing solu-
tions. The technology has a long way to
go before it's practical, but today's solu-
tions suggest plenty of reason for hope.
Say What You Will
Today's teleconferencing technology falls
into one of three categories: voice or data
ILLUSTRATION: STEVEN LYONS "1993
MARCH 1993 -BYTE 129
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BETTER THAN BEING THERE
Photo 1 : The
PictureTel video-
teleconferencing
system.
(Photo courtesy
of PictureTel)
only; voice and video; and voice, video,
and data. Everyone is familiar with the
first category; it has been around for years
in the form of telephone conference calls —
an uncontrolled exchange with notorious-
ly poor quality.
Combining voice and video is advanced
technically when compared to an ordinary
telephone call. But most commercial video
phones support only one video and audio
connection (with a maximum of two par-
ticipants). That's too limited for most busi-
ness uses.
Once you add the ability to pass binary
data with the voice and video, the possi-
bilities are limited only by communica-
tions-channel bandwidth, data compres-
sion, and applications software (see "Hitting
Warp Speed for LANs" on page 123).
With the right application, you can start a
meeting with a colleague in another office
and, without making another call or break-
ing the conversation, send the colleague a
document containing a color chart simply
by dragging the document into the appro-
priate folder icon. In addition to that one-
shot use of a data channel, you are able to
have a constant binary data stream passing
other information, such as the data stream-
ing to and from sensory I/O devices (see
the text box "Being Here and There" on
page 132).
Video
Teleconferencing
• integrates data, voice, and video
• can be used by workgroups
• can reduce business travel
expenses
• speeds decision making
• is migrating to the desktop
To enhance your productivity, a tele-
conferencing solution must at least pro-
vide the benefits available in an in-person
meeting. You want to be able to distribute
a written agenda or a proposal for consid-
eration, scribble on an electronic white-
board, or even pound on a virtual table to
get attention. Without electronic equiva-
lents for the things that happen in a face-to-
face meeting, teleconferencing comes up
short. But more than that, if a computer's
going to be involved in the process, you
expect it to let you do things better than
you can in person.
Both Sides Now
Video teleconferencing is a new spin on an
old idea. A dial-up computer service's chat
mode is a bottom-rung, mulliparticipant
teleconference. Participants talk through
keyboards instead of with their voices.
More serious versions of text telecon-
ferencing are in widespread use. For ex-
ample, the U.S. Army Missile Command at
the Redstone military base in Alabama
uses GroupSystems, a text-based telecon-
ferencing system from Ventana (Tuscon,
AZ). This system links participants in
graphically managed meetings. Files can
be shared among participants, and the sys-
tem's group-writing feature lets them mark
up and comment on shared documents.
Meetings can be for brainstorming, vot-
ing, and alternative evaluation, according
to Danny Washington, one of the system's
implementers. External participants can
dial in and participate in meetings.
In general, Washington believes that
electronic meetings are adequate replace-
ments for in-person encounters and that
they may be better than face-to-face meet-
ings for large numbers of people. Wash-
ington's group plans to add video capa-
bility to its electronic-meeting system, but
the text-based side will be maintained.
Others at Redstone use MediaMax from
CAD
From the beginning of time, we have tried to express ourselves through graphics.
In the begin-
ning of time
people had
to use primi-
tive design
tools for
creating any
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BETTER THAN BEING THERE
Being Here and There
DAVID H. MITCHELL
Tele-presence is like the old-time
radio broadcasts in which actors
re-created the actions of a distant
event, except that with this tech-
nology you are a part of the action.
With tele-presence, you can be in your
office in San Francisco and with your
colleagues in London at the same time.
Tele-presence uses virtual-reality
technology to simulate objects, people,
sounds, and worlds (see photo A). You
are hooked to your computer through
tactile-sensor-equipped gloves and
head-mounted displays (see photo B).
Your computer (an Amiga 4000 or a
Sun Sparcstation 2 is muscular enough)
brings to life events in a distant, virtu-
al world using databases or real-time
objects and sounds.
Modem-to-modem links or a packet
network convey the distant event's
essence to you. High-speed (i.e., 19,200
bps) modems are sufficient for two
users. ISDN channels are recommend-
ed when large amounts of data must be
moved quickly for true tele-presence.
"With the proliferation of broadband
ISDN, virtual worlds will be able to be
shared over the phone lines," says Dave
Blackburn, founder of The Virtual Re-
ality Institute (Santa Monica, CA).
The output from the digital databases
of real objects and sounds are sent to
your head-mounted display, depicting
scenes such as the one in photo A. Your
senses are immersed in an illusionary,
yet sensate, world.
These databases are key: They min-
imize the amount of information that
has to be sent to you through your com-
munications pipeline. "With a tele-pres-
ence database, you simulate virtual re-
ality without having to pass horrendous
amounts of data back and forth," ex-
plains Clint Woeltjen. a virtual-reality
Photos A and B: Photo A (above) is
a virtual model of San Francisco.
Photo B (right) shows a man wearing
tele-presence equipment.
(Photo courtesy ofSenseS Corp.)
researcher and developer.
Photo B shows a man wearing a
head-mounted display and a tactile-sen-
sor-equipped glove, with which he is
reaching out to manipulate a remote
object. The roller panels underneath his
wheelchair measure direction and ve-
locity, which are used to create a view-
point in his virtual world. As the man
moves, his viewpoint of the world he's
seeing changes.
Today, this equipment is as rare as it
is expensive. A typical setup like this
requires remotely operable hands to
manipulate objects, two-way micro-
phones for conversations, and stereo-
scopic TV cameras so that you can see
what's going on. Costs can start at more
than $100,000 per user.
In spite of the high costs, tele-pres-
ence's proponents are increasingly op-
timistic. Programs that let you design
custom databases of real-world objects
are already beginning to show up on
the market. For example, the World-
ToolKit from Sense8 (Sausalito, CA)
gives you a set of C functions that you
use to build interactive, 3-D, real-time
graphical simulations. WorldToolKit
runs on IBM ATs, Sun Sparcstations,
mid Silicon Graphics Indigo computers.
It costs $3500.
Tele-presence is "going to be on-line
by the end of 1 993 in several large cor-
porations," says Mike J. Donahue, pres-
ident and CEO of Ono-Sendai (San
Francisco, CA), a start-up company
specializing in virtual-reality products.
Industry insiders anticipate that the first
generation of mass-market, affordable
tele-presence sear will enter the market
in 1994.
David H. Mitchell is president of the
Diaspar Virtual Reality Network (La-
guna Beach, CA), an on-line system
devoted to providing an experimental
platform for virtual-reality develop-
ment.
VideoTelecom (Austin, TX) for video meet-
ings. This conferencing system works with
DOS-based PCs and ISDN connections to
manage multiple-participant video telecon-
ferencing. Tim Bell, a communications of-
ficer, finds that MediaMax is able to han-
dle five or six participants simultaneously
before the group's size becomes unman-
ageable. Participants see color images of
each other, accompanied by audio, and
they can pass around data through the
ISDN link. "The productivity gains are
tremendous," says Bell. The video allows
them to exchange graphical information
and to see facial expressions.
Redstone conference members have to
trek to specially equipped video-telecon-
ferencing rooms. There are no plans to
equip every desk with video, but offices
big enough for small meetings may be set
up for video teleconferencing, says Bell.
132 BYTE • MARCH 1993
Circle 97 on Inquiry Card.
BETTER THAN BEING THERE
Alison Raffalovich, marketing commu-
nications manager for VideoTelecom, cred-
its her company with pioneering the type
of video teleconferencing that is being
adopted by emerging desktop products.
The MediaMax system that is in use at
Redstone operates over any digital link
(telephone and satellite links are preferred)
with a bandwidth of 56,000 bps or higher.
MediaMax is not a desktop solution — at
least not yet. Some VideoTelecom cus-
tomers wire multiple rooms and cart the
gear from one location to another, says
Raffalovich.
With each site costing from $35,000 to
$80,000 to equip, it's likely to be some
time before MediaMax or something of
its ilk lands on your desktop. But when
video-digitizing and compression/decom-
pression chips become less expensive, stan-
dards for passing large amounts of data
through networks are solidified, and ISDN
becomes more available, VideoTelecom 's
strategy should map well to a desktop or
small-group environment.
To Your Desktop
The goal shared by those with a stake in
video teleconferencing's success is to make
a video call as simple to place as a tele-
phone call while retaining all the benefits
that high-speed digital channels offer. As
with most things, there's more than one
worthwhile approach.
PictureTel (Danvers, MA) is shunning
the low end of the market, preferring in-
stead to sell smaller systems that equal the
quality of their conference-room gear (see
photo 1). "People need systems that de-
liver good-quality video in a 5-inch win-
dow or a 27-inch boardroom monitor,"
says Ron Taylor, manager of media rela-
tions for PictureTel. The company's least
expensive system costs about $20,000 and
requires an under-the-desk processor unit,
but future plans call for personal computer
board-based systems and stand-alone video-
phones.
PictureTel's goal, according to Taylor,
is to ensure complete cross-product com-
patibility. Video-teleconferencing systems
"must have a certain level of quality and
performance that makes them more than a
toy," says Taylor. PictureTel will eventu-
ally compete in the low-end market, but
for now it seems content to take the high
road.
If Taylor's predictions are correct, Pic-
tureTel has plenty to look forward to. He
estimates that the worldwide video-tele-
conferencing market will be worth about
$7 billion by 1997, with 30 percent to 40
percent of those dollars invested in desktop
systems. Because desktop solutions cost
less, the share of the market occupied by
desktop systems will be closer to 80 per-
cent, says Taylor.
In the meantime, Northern Telecom
(Research Triangle Park, NC) is explor-
ing the market with its own full-featured,
card-based desktop video-teleconferenc-
ing system. Best known as a supplier of
corporate telephone equipment, Northern
Telecom has long enabled companies to
meld their data and voice networks. The
advent of ISDN (and its counterparts, such
as Switched 56) paved the way for North-
em Telecom to extend its connection mod-
el to a dial-up video-teleconferencing sys-
tem that it calls Visit.
With all its options, Visit equips a PC or
a Mac to manage both video teleconfer-
encing and ordinary voice telephone calls
(with voice mail). After connecting with
another Visit-equipped computer, Visit
produces a resizable window displaying a
gray-scale moving video of the person
you're calling. You also see your own im-
age, which lets you keep yourself proper-
ly framed. Both participants can bring up
drawings and documents in a shared work
space, and Visit has annotation tools for
simultaneous markup and written com-
ments. In addition, two-way file transfers
are supported.
Visit dynamically manages the data
channel. When nothing else is going on,
the video and audio occupy the channel's
full bandwidth, delivering 8 to 14 video
frames per second, depending on the size
of the viewing window and the transmis-
sion medium. Once you initiate a file trans-
fer or do something in the shared work
space, Visit multiplexes the channel, trim-
ming the video frame rate and giving the
freed bandwidth to the nonvideo activi-
ty. If you want faster file transfers, you
can put your video window on hold —
whatever you're not doing makes every-
thing else go faster.
Visit works with a PBX, which solves
one of video teleconferencing's diciest
problems: how to get connections to mul-
tiple desks (see the figure). Rather than
investing in ISDN or Switched 56 for ev-
ery desk in the company, you have to buy
only enough technology to support all si-
multaneous video users. Visit communi-
cates with a PBX to allocate line resources
and route them to the appropriate desk. It
doesn't require a Northern Telecom PBX,
but its capabilities are said to be enhanced
by the pairing.
Jeff Benson, Northern Telecom's mar-
ket development manager, says that Visit
offers robustness, low cost, ease of use,
and performance. The per-seat cost of
$3899 (this does not include the expense
of the computer or the hardware for the
telephone connection, which adds from
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MARCH 1993 • BYTE 133
BETTER THAN BEING THERE
A TYPICAL VIDEO-TELECONFERENCE SETUP
VGA monitor
Video
processor card
Caller 1 Video input Video input Caller 2
VGA monitor
Network card
Telephone/
speakerphone
Standard telephone lines
In video teleconferencing, your images are captured by computer-mounted cameras. Video processors digitize and compress
images, which are transmitted over a network bidirectional!)' . Audio travels via telephone lines or through your network.
$300 to $1500) seems to bear out at least
the low-cost portion of that claim.
Benson is not optimistic that Visit or
something like it will run on an ordinary
voice-grade telephone line. Although he
allows that modem and compression tech-
nology might advance far enough to make
it possible, "the real answer has more to do
with market requirements than technol-
ogy." Users, he says, expect a video-tele-
conferencing link to deliver good-quality
video and snappy performance for data-
sharing exercises. Thus, even though they
cost more, digital-grade transmission lines
will be the favored pipeline for systems
like this.
No Longer on Hold
The future of video teleconferencing looks
bright. The rush of interest in multime-
dia is driving the development of custom
hardware and software to digitize and com-
press video signals. And video telecon-
ferencing is helping to drive the prolifera-
tion of ISDN in the U.S. Assuming the
future will offer accessible digital tele-
phone connections and inexpensive video-
processing hardware, how far can this tech-
nology take us?
Brett Boston, president of Group Solu-
tions (Atlanta, GA), a teleconferencing
consulting firm, sees the limited imple-
mentation of ISDN as a barrier to wide-
spread acceptance of teleconferencing, "but
only in the U.S. — Europe is already there."
Small private carriers are already build-
ing fiber loops through major U.S. cities. In
addition, cellular communications will
soon gain enough bandwidth for high-
speed data transfer and possibly for low-
speed video, he says.
Another impediment to the acceptance
of teleconferencing is the lack of confer-
ence-capable environments and applica-
tions. Of the popular computer operating
environments, only the X Window Sys-
tem is inherently able to provide the sup-
port for the networked user interface that
teleconferencing and groupware require.
"More vendors have to put better hooks
in their software so stuff works together
over a network link," says Boston.
Boston believes that Unix will win out
because it already supports most of the
cooperative attributes that other environ-
ments are struggling to acquire. A Unix
application, whether text or graphical, can
be run almost effortlessly through any
kind of digital data link. It's a short hop
from there to the connection of multiple
parties in a shared session.
But the biggest problem has nothing to
do with technology. "People are just now
learning to use voice and electronic mail,"
says Boston. "Groupware is damn scary
for some because it is, by design, quick
and completely democratic." That goes
against the cultural philosophy of most
managers, who are accustomed to central
decision making and waiting for paper-
work and travel arrangements.
On the other hand, success is often de-
termined by the speed with which a com-
pany can make key decisions. Video tele-
conferencing has the power to reduce or
eliminate paperwork delays and commut-
ing and travel time and offers the potential
of reducing operating costs by making
an employee's work location irrelevant.
"Within seven years," says Boston, "there
won't be any companies with 3000-per-
son staffs all in one place." ■
Tom Yager is a multimedia consultant and
the author of The Multimedia Production
Handbook for the PC, Macintosh and
Amiga (Academic Press, forthcoming).
You can contact him on BIX as "tyager"
or on the Internet at tyager@bytepb .byte
.com.
134 BYTE • MARCH 1993
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Circle 66 on Inquiry Card.
SOLUTIONS FOCUS
/Multiplatform E-Mail
MIXED
MESSAGING
HOWARD EGLOWSTEIN
AND BEN SMITH
Multiplatform w f you want to build a multiplatform
. . . . I internetwork mail system today, you
internetwork mail links have three basic ch y oices ^ y ym
diverse network Clients I can establish a Unix network and use
.A. standard Unix mail protocols. Second,
you can mix and match client modules for
each platform with vendor-supplied gate-
ways and third-party mail routers. Or, third,
you can set up an integrated mail system
designed with multiplatform internet-
working requirements in mind. Unix mail is a viable solution, but it's one that
doesn't readily lend itself to extensive existing PC or Mac networks. For a look at
the state of Unix E-mail, see the text box "The Unix Mail Story" on page 148.
(Our cover story, "Smarter E-Mail Is Coming" on page 90, explores how E-mail can
automate workflow.)
It's the third category, single-vendor mail systems, that we've focused on in this
article. We've reviewed E-mail systems that are part of a family of products that
promise a full solution to the complex problem of internetwork E-mail. In a shrink-
ing world, where communicating with dissimilar systems at various sites is an
everyday requirement, these systems look particularly attractive.
We've selected five E-mail systems that provide both multiplatform client sup-
port and a generous allotment of external gateways. Lotus Development's cc:Mail
is a network-based system that relies on a shared-file network connection to share
mail among Macs, PCs, and Unix systems. Da Vinci Systems' Da Vinci eMail
provides client support for PCs and Macs through Novell's MHS (Message Handling
Service). Microsoft Mail comes in two flavors, a Macintosh network version (which
connects Macs and PCs through AppleTalk) and a PC network version (which
connects similar clients through shared files). We tested the PC network version only.
CE Software's QuickMail is an AppleShare-based mail system that supports Mac
and PC clients. Finally, WordPerfect Office works through various networks and sup-
ports many different workstation platforms. The table presents details of client
support and lists other features of each product.
Naturally, all these interconnections and all this rampant interoperability create
a testing challenge. Our test setup included a battery of Macs and PC compatibles,
136 BYTE • MARCH 1 993
PHOTOGRAPHY: RICHARD WAHLSTROM & 1993
BYTE
ACTION SUMMARY
WHAT MULTIPLATFORM E-MAIL IS
Multiplatform E-mail systems offer
support for clients on various
operating systems and network
platforms and provide extensive
gateway links to other E-mail
systems.
LIKES
Gateway connections to virtually
every mail system; good user
interfaces common among
platforms.
DISLIKES
Client support is uneven on
different platforms, and some
client user interfaces are poor.
Configuring and connecting mail
systems is very complex.
RECOMMENDATIONS
For a wide range of client
platforms and for connecting to
the most diverse systems, cc:Mail
excels. For Mac-specific
applications, QuickMail is the
best choice.
plus a few Unix workstations, all con-
nected over a mixed Ethernet and Local-
Talk network. Cayman Systems' Gator-
Box CS provided the connection between
LocalTalk and Ethernet, and a NetWare
3.11 file server running NetWare NFS and
NetWare for Macintosh provided a com-
mon shared-file system. For wide-area
connections, we relied on three Hayes V-
Series Ultra (9600-bps) modems.
Each E-mail system that we tested used
these resources in a different way; we dis-
cuss the configurations in the individual
product descriptions. We also describe
what it's like to set up, administer, and use
each E-mail package in a mixed-client,
mixed E-mail configuration.
There's one piece of the internetwork
E-mail puzzle that these systems, for all
their flexibility, don't totally address —
the issue of multiprotocol mail gateways
and mail backbones. We get into that sub-
ject, with some hands-on experience with
Retix Open Server 400, in the text box
"Gateways and Backbones" on page 146.
Gateways are likely to become more
important as more companies install E-
mail systems. At the very least, having
gateways in place can save you from hav-
ing to dial into several commercial sys-
tems each day to pick up all your mail.
And a fax gateway would allow anyone
in your department to send and receive
faxes from his or her desk.
continued
MARCH 1993
YTE 137
MULTIPLATFORM E-MAIL
FEATURES SUMMARY: MULTIPLATFORM E-MAIL
Gateway support and user-interface features are the concerns we concentrated on
during our review,
but security and
configuration issues are
also critical. (• = yes; O = no.)
cc:Mail
Da Vinci eMail 2.0
Microsoft Mail
QuickMail 2.5
WordPerfect
for PC Networks 3.0
Office 3.0
Configuration
Workstation environments
Mac, DOS, Windows,
Mac, DOS, Windows,
Mac, DOS,
Mac, DOS Mac, DOS, Windows, SunOS,
Open Look, OS/2
OS/2
Windows
SCO Unix, Interactive
Unix, DEC VMS
Requires dedicated mail server
O
O
Mac only
• '
Conferencing
•
O
O
AppleTalk clients only
O
On-line conferencing
O
O
AppleTalk clients only
Mac networks only
Remote-user access
•
•
•
Mac or terminal
PCs only
Mail-center forwarding
•
•
•
•
•
Message creation
Text editor
•
•
•
•
•
Graphics editor
•
o
O
O
O
Custom forms
Third party
o
•
Mac only
Voice mail
Third party
•
Mac only
Mac and Windows only
Attachments per message
20
Unlimited
Unlimited
16
100
Message priority levels
3
3
5
5
3 2
Return receipts
•
•
•
•
•
Message receipt
Audio alert
Mac, DOS, Unix
All clients
All clients
All clients
All clients
Pop-up
Mac, DOS, Unix
All clients
All clients
All clients (icon)
All clients
TSR/INITsize
32 KB (Mac), 17 KB (DOS)
4 KB (DOS)
42 KB (Mac), 12 KB (DOS)
96 KB (Mac), 9 KB (DOS)
7 KB (DOS), 76 KB (Mac)
View attachments
•
Launches application
Text only
O
Launches application
Administration
Read any message
O
O
O
O
Delete any message
O
O
•
•
•
Purge old messages
•
o
•
•
O 3
Message tracking
o
O
•
•
Security
Message encryption
•
•
•
•
Administrator can access mail
•
•
o
External mail can be restricted
•
•
•
Gateways
MHS
Optional
Native transport
Optional
Third party
Optional
X.400
Third party
Third party
Optional
Third party
Optional
Fax
Optional
Third party
Optional
Third party
Optional
SMTP
Optional
Third party
Optional
Third party
Optional
MCI Mail
Optional
Third party
Optional
Through script
Optional
EasyLink
Third party
Third party
O
O
Optional
AT&T Mail
Optional
Third party
o
Through script
O
CompuServe
O
Third party
Through script
O
SprintMail
Optional
Third party
o
Through script
o
DEC All-in-one
Third party
Third party
o
Third party
o
IBM PROFS
Optional
Third party
Optional
Third party
Optional
IBM DISOSS/SNADS
Optional/third party
Third party
Optional
Third party
Optional
Banyan Vines Mail
Third party
Third party
O
Third party
O
VMS Mail
Third party
Third party
Third party
O
User-definable
O
o
•
O
Others X.25 networks, GE Quick-Comm,
Microsoft Mail for
Microsoft Mail
OfficeVision/VM,
Wang VS, Lotus Notes,
AppleTalk
Verimation Memo
Voice/ PBX, Telex
Price
Open Look, $895 4
DOS Starter
Microsoft Mail Server
1 user, $199
5 users, $495
Mac, Windows,
(10 users), $499
(10 users), $695
5 users, $399
OS/2, $495'
DOS/Windows Starter
5 users, $395
10 users, $599
DOS, $295"
(10 users), $799
20 users, $1349
50 users, $2499
10 users, $345
5 users, $249
100 users, $5500
100 users, $4699
25 users, $845
30 users, $1299
500 users, $22,500
1 -user add-on, $99
100 users, $3295
100 users, $2999
(All clients included
cc:Mail Remote for
1000 users, $19,999
in server price)
Mac or DOS, $295
MacAccess
MCI Mail gateway, $1295
(5 users), $395
cc:Mail Router, $1295
SMTPLink, $2995
Notes:
1 Dedicated server required if more than one post office.
2 There are 27 priority levels for Mac clients.
3 Connection server queues only.
4 Prices are per post office.
138 BYTE • MARCH 1993
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RISC processor and optional EtherTalk® NetWare,® or a host of other network support make it sleek, fast, and capable.
It has everything you've asked for in a desktop printer— high resolution, PostScript™ Level 1 and 2 compatibility,
HP PCL® and HP-GL® emulation, and up to 1 1x17/A3 output. It's fast, compact, compatible with all major platforms,
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Circle 98 on Inquiry Card (RESELLERS: 99).
MULTIPLATFORM E-MAIL
Screen 1 : cc:Mail' s DOS interface (left) is straightforward after a little
practice. After you select a message from your in box, cc:Mail displays
the message and presents you with the Action menu. From here you can
reply to, delete, or file the message.
cc:Mail
In the BYTE Lab's last re-
view of E-mail systems
("Please, Mister Postman,"
March 1991), we found a lot
to like in cc:Mail 3.15. We judge the latest
cc:Mail, now under the auspices of Lotus
Development, to be much improved. In
addition to the DOS, Mac, and Unix
clients, we also tested an alpha version of
a client for the OS/2 Workplace Shell (see
the text box "E-Mail from the Workplace
Shell" on page 142).
The central cc:Mail engine remains un-
changed. On either Mac or PC servers,
cc:Mail uses a shared file area on your net-
work for mail exchange, providing BBS
and user-to-user communication. All net-
work users access the same mail database,
and cc:Mail relies on file locks to control
the mail system. We tested cc:Mail in a
NetWare environment to make Unix con-
nectivity easier, but the system should
work just as well with an AppleShare file
server.
You buy cc:Mail in a "platform pack,"
which consists of an administration pack-
age, client software for any one platform,
and the ability to create one user, the sys-
tem administrator. To add more users to
your mail system, you buy user packs that
add another 10, 25, or 100 users. The ad-
ministrator copies serialized data from the
pack disks to expand the system's capa-
bilities.
The administration utilities are much
better than they were in the older version,
and they're now available for either Mac or
PC platforms. Most of the user
interface (see screens 1, 2, and
3) is unchanged. The Mac inter-
face has clear, easy-to-follow
icons to lead you through creat-
ing and reading your mail. The
DOS version mimics the Mac's
functionality through a menu
system. Once you've spent some
time with the DOS interface, it's
Screen 2: With cc:Mail for the Mac
(left), clearly labeled icons are the norm.
The second window shows the buttons
used to prepare new messages. Even the
user directory uses icons to show you
the location of each user. The large
mailboxes are local LAN users; the
smaller ones are users at another post
office. The blue postal drop box is
another post office — in this case, an
Internet mail gateway.
■ ■WiM
m~wi i "
perfectly usable — it's not a
Mac, but not much can com-
pare to a good Mac interface.
The Windows client soft-
ware is brand new. While it has
some attributes of the Mac ver-
sion, there are a few important
differences. Lotus's influence
shows in the incorporation of
Smartlcons in the Windows in-
terface. "Smart" is something
of a misnomer, though, because
the icons themselves are small
and obscure. The Mac interface has fewer
icons and a word or two under each icon to
describe its function. The Windows Smart-
Icons are simply clumped together in a
single row, with no label, leaving you to
guess what they might mean.
The system administrator manages a
system directory, which is the complete
list of all users and post offices available to
system users. Users can be local (they have
mailboxes on the LAN), remote (they have
no mailboxes but call in using remote soft-
ware), or remote via a post office (their
mailboxes are not on this LAN but on an-
other). The administrator adds users by
name and assigns each a mailbox or a re-
mote address.
Perhaps the most powerful feature of
cc:Mail is its wide variety of external gate-
way support and the ease with which your
local users can send external
mail. The cc:Mail gateways are
typically programs that run on
dedicated PCs on your network.
Wnen you address mail to a gate-
way, the gateway machine picks
it up, readdresses it, and sends
it out via modem, network, or
whatever mechanism is appro-
priate.
Subiactl Re Tharfc, fw II* manual
P.i0<«j|fla.rn JjTj D BcCCK* J2.1JSZ Z2BPI*
Screen 3: The Windows user interface
(above) has many features in common
with the Mac screen, but it suffers from
extensive reliance on obscure icons.
For example, cc:Mail's SMTPLink gate-
way provides transparent two-way access
to the worldwide Internet mail system. In
the cc:Mail directory, the gateway appears
as the post office "SMTPLink." Suppose
that your site and ours are both equipped
with cc:Mail and an SMTP gateway but
don't have a direct cc:Mail connection. If
you wanted to send mail to us at BYTE,
you'd simply select the SMTP post office
and, when prompted, enter the address as
letters@bytepb.byte.com. The SMTP gate-
way sees the message, retrieves it from
the network, and forwards it to the local
mail relay (you need an existing Internet
mail link to use the gateway). The Internet
brings the mail to our link, bytepb.
The bytepb link sees the message and
forwards it to our SMTP gateway via TCP/
IP. Our gateway sees the incoming mes-
sage, recognizes the addressee as a cc:Mail
user, and places the message in our cc:Mail
mailbox. A similar mechanism provides
for dial-up cc:Mail-to-cc:Mail post office
communication, communication between
140 BYTE • MARCH 1993
A chain is
as strong
as its
weakest
link.
Picture your Hardlock™ key as a bike lock, and
the accompanying software routines used to
implement the copy protection as the chain.
You can own the best lock that money can buy,
but that lock is useless if the chain is weak.
Introducing HL-Crypt, a major breakthrough
in copy protection. HL-Crypt is not just a shell
or simple conditional response checker. Using
our proprietary Patcher Technology, HL-Crypt
encrypts and binds the application to your
Hardlock™ device. HL-Crypt features many
protection modules that secure the application
against piracy, reverse engineering, and
debugging, to name a few.
Picture HL-Crypt as an ironclad chain. The only
ironclad chain in the industry today. For more
information, call
1-800-562-2543
L-Crypt
The Fortified Protection Linker
for Hardlock
I
SERVING THE oOFIWANE INDUSTRY ZINC!
270 Lsiiiijpion ■Drive
Buffed o Grc
W9
Phone 70
SiT 708/308-0313
For International information circle 86, For Domestic information circle 87 on Inquiry Card.
MULTIPLATFORM E-MAIL
E-Mail from the Workplace Shell
JON UDELL
*
Testing cc:Mail in the C
BYTE Lab gave us ?*?
the opportunity to ex-
plore an alpha version
of cc:Mail's OS/2 2.0 client
(see screen A). We ran the
client on an IBM PS/2
Model 90 running OS/2 2.0,
which was connected to our
NetWare host via the Net-
Ware requester for OS/2
and an SMC (Standard Mi-
crosystems Corp.) Ether-
Card Plus Elite/A Ether-
net adapter. We found that
cc:Mail for the OS/2 Work-
place Shell (the client's of-
ficial name) lives up to its
lengthy title — it is one of
the first applications we've
seen that truly exploits the
WPS (Workplace Shell).
Because the cc:Mail folder is a stan-
dard WPS folder, you can use the nor-
mal Control-Shift-drag procedure to
"shadow" the objects it contains (i.e., an
in box, public and private mailing lists,
a folder list, and a message template) to
the desktop for quick access. But just
dragging these objects to the desktop,
without the Control-Shift modifier,
achieves the same result, because ob-
jects in the cc:Mail folder exhibit shad-
owing as their default drag behavior.
This is just one example of the useful
customization available through the
WPS API. If you check the cc:Mail
folder's "work area" option (another
standard feature of WPS folders), the
shell will retain the state of your
cc:Mail objects and restore them —
opening and placing windows as need-
ed — when you reopen the folder.
As with the Windows cc:Mail client,
o
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J£K!L__. :.J^ ( ' ..._ .!>.!■>
Jon Udell
ft To: Jon Udell
To: Jon Udell
To: Jon Udell
a To: Jon Udell
Jo To: Jon Udell
U To: Jon Udoll
1Z-1fl-!l2
12-11-92
12-11-9?
12-11-92
12-11-92
12-11-92
12-11-92
!!i;ii!;"
ft CCMAIL
LiCliiauctinp. scllnda
jitColwell, Susan
.^Conners, Hike
^Cole. Ray
■A Oavies. Klrlij
isDIenl, Stan
j. [njmfjnds, Jell
ledman. Rich
Screen A: cc:Mail provides excellent WPS integration
including "mail-enabling" of the desktop.
each of the cc:Mail folder's child win-
dows presents a row of Smartlcons that
make nearly every function locally
available. However, right-clickable con-
text menus localize control even fur-
ther. In Windows you create a new
folder by way of the MDI (Multiple
Document Interface) parent's File/Cre-
ate Folder menu option. Under OS/2,
the folder list floats free of a containing
MDI parent; you create a new folder
by right-clicking and choosing Create
Another. You can also reorder any of
the list-style displays (messages, fold-
ers, addresses) by clicking at the top of
the column that you want to be the pri-
mary key.
Drag-and-drop behaviors abound in
the OS/2 cc:Mail client. To add a user
to a private mailing list, you drag an
entry from the address book and drop it
onto the list. To move a message from
the in box to a folder, or be-
tween folders, you drag and
drop. This internal drag-
and-drop capability resem-
bles that of the cc:Mail
Windows client. But the
OS/2 client goes further:
There are various drag-and-
drop operations that extend
past the boundaries of the
cc:Mail folder and the ob-
jects it owns. To mail some-
one a file, you can drag a
file icon from a folder and
drop it on a message tem-
plate. (The Windows ver-
sion can in principle accept
drops from File Manager,
but currently it does not.)
Or you can drag individ-
ual messages to the desk-
top or to other WPS fold-
ers, where they can freely intermingle
with data objects that represent ordi-
nary files.
You can also drag a cc:Mail mes-
sage template from the Templates fold-
er. The resulting customizable object
acts as a new kind of private mailing
list that can contain boilerplate text and
attachments and can accept dropped
files. Moreover, cc:Mail makes the en-
tire WPS mail-aware: Every file ob-
ject's context menu offers a "cc:Mail
It!" option that invokes a message tem-
plate containing that file as an attach-
ment. It's a pleasure to see the WPS's
rich programming model exploited to
such good effect.
Jon Udell is a BYTE senior technical
editor at large. You can reach him on
BIX as "judell" or on the Internet at
judell@bytepb.byte.com.
cc:Mail and MCI Mail, or communication
between cc:Mail and a long list of sup-
ported systems.
When you travel away from the office,
you'll want a copy of cc:Mail Remote for
either DOS or the Mac. It has essentially
the same interface as the local version, but
it allows you only to read new messages.
You can't access the BBSes or stay on-
line while you write your replies. When
you make a connection, Remote snags
your new messages and sends out any
you've written; you read your mail off-
line and post your reply to your portable's
hard drive.
Sending a reply to a new cc:Mail mes-
sage requires two connections: one to re-
ceive the message and one to send back
the reply. Although this might be the most
cost-effective way to handle remote mail,
it would be handy if cc:Mail allowed you
to stay on-line and respond. That way, you
could avoid having to establish two con-
nections, continued
142 BYTE • MARCH 1993
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CO/Session ACS' easy-to-use selection menu lists all
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remote control software and select the network PC you
want to control — even PCs without attached modems. You
can run that PC as if you were sitting at its keyboard — to
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Use shared modems to dial out from
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Use CO/Session ACS to connect to bulletin boards, online
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CO/Session is a registered trademark of Triton Technologies Inc. Other products are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.
Circle 1 57 on Inquiry Card.
MULTIPLATFORM E-MAIL
Da Vinci eMAII - I UN S
File Edit Message Folder Options Help
irVStlESskSI
dling Lists
Create message
3 aaeo ;. I - ^
Screens 4 and 5: Da Vinci
eMail provides an excellent
Windows user interface (left).
It includes tools for
composing messages,
selecting addresses, and
other common functions.
Da Vinci MacAccess (below)
provides Mac clients with
access to MHS-based Da
Vinci eMail.
Da Vinci eMail 2.0
Da Vinci eMail relies on NetWare MHS
as its mail carrier, so it's inherently a
PC-centric mail package (see screen 4).
However, Da Vinci provides support for
Macintosh clients through Da Vinci
MacAccess (see screen 5), a Mac MHS
client.
Relying on a specific network configu-
ration limits the applicability of the sys-
tem, but it also greatly simplifies its
installation and maintenance. Exploiting
MHS also gives you the advantage of not
requiring a dedicated mail server. Of
course, as with all the DOS E-mail sys-
tems, you will need separate computers
for each gateway.
Da Vinci eMail's Windows user inter-
face is very good. It includes all the stan-
dard tools for composing messages, se-
lecting addresses, searching the mailbox
» File Edit MiliI
■ ■ ■ - (T)
or folders for messages, and building per-
sonal mailing lists. You can include en-
closures with your messages; Da Vinci
gives you a long list of predefined scripts
for launching applications associated with
enclosures. If your Windows system can
record voice messages, you can easily at-
tach voice components (i.e., .WAV files) to
your E-mail messages. Da Vinci for Win-
dows can also send strings and Clipboard
contents as E-mail messages through DDE.
There are two E-mail DDE request com-
mands: one that finds the current user
name, and one that brings up the address
list.
The Windows client also includes pre-
defined forms (e.g., While You Were Out
slips). These forms make an excellent ad-
dition to standard mail. Unfortunately,
there are two critical drawbacks: First, you
can share forms only among
Windows clients (DOS and
Mac clients see only the text),
and second, you can't define
your own forms.
When you send a message,
you can request a return receipt
(Da Vinci calls this "Certified
Mail"). This forces the recipi-
ent's E-mail post office to send
you a message when the ad-
dressee reads the message or
deletes it without reading it.
Under DOS or Windows,
Da Vinci eMail notifies you of
incoming messages through a
separate application that peri-
odically checks your mailbox for new mail.
Da Vinci MacAccess clients get notifica-
tion only when they make connection.
Da Vinci eMail has long excelled in
ease of use for both users and adminis-
trators. Mail gateway support is outstand-
ing; MHS-based, Da Vinci eMail offers
easy access to other mail systems through
a long list of third-party MHS gateways.
tead Hail in ipifiae! 9
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H STORAGE DIMENSIONS
MARCH 1993 'BYTE 147
MULTIPLATFORM E-MAIL
The Unix Mail Story
You may have noticed that the E-
mail systems we reviewed for this
Solutions Focus are either PC- or
Mac-based systems. Where then,
you might ask, are the Unix E-mail sys-
tems? The answer is: where they have
always been — bundled with the oper-
ating system.
There are commercial third-party E-
mail systems for Unix, but the most
common type of Unix E-mail product is
merely an enhanced E-mail user agent,
the front-end mail component used for
sending and reading mail. The under-
lying routing and transport parts of the
system remain untouched. Even the
most elaborate Unix user agents (e.g.,
Next Computer's E-mail, Asterix's E-
mail, Z-Code Software's Z-Mail, and
Alfalfa Software's Poste) use standard
SMTP transports.
E-mail is such an integral part of the
Unix world that well-established stan-
dards are more easily accepted. This
isn't to say that routing and transport
components can't be improved on or
enhanced. The most commonly dis-
tributed routing component for Unix,
Sendmail, is an obnoxious kludge. To
understand and respect Sendmail, you
have to appreciate that significant pails
of Unix have grown through accretion
of academic endeavors rather than pur-
poseful commercial design.
Sendmail was developed as an ex-
perimental project that was distributed
and accepted because it fulfilled a need.
Understanding and modifying Send-
mail's addressing and routing rules is
more akin to playing Adventure than
to building a structured rule table.
On the other hand, MMDF (the
router distributed with SCO Unix) is a
very flexible and well-organized sys-
tem that offers better security and
organization than Sendmail. What
MMDF lacks is the simplicity of adding
connections that Sendmail (and its lit-
tle brother, Smail) offers. With MMDF,
you have to edit and rebuild tables
every time you add a new connection.
With Sendmail and Smail, you just add
the new sites to standard tables.
It's only when you add a new land of
connection to Sendmail that you end
up getting lost in its twisty little pas-
sages, all alike. And it's with this aspect
of E-mail — communication in a het-
erogeneous E-mail world — that Unix
mail systems have the most difficulty.
Unix E-Mail Transport
The most common transport mecha-
nism is a temporary asynchronous com-
munication link established through
UUCP. This mechanism is the most
consistent with the "store-and-forward"
model of E-mail. Messages bounce
from machine to machine as systems
establish connections. The second most
common transport mechanism is via an
IP network connection using SMTP.
The use of UUCP and SMTP for E-
mail is governed by RFC 822, a mes-
sage-format specification. RFC 822 in-
dicates that the message header and
body can consist only of 7-bit ASCII
characters. But next to PC-based E-
mail systems that allow binary enclo-
sures, Unix mail systems that adhere
to RFC 822 seem dated. Users want to
send sound and video clips, as well as
spreadsheet, word processor, and desk-
top publishing files. To stay within
RFC 822 guidelines, any binary files
must first be converted to a 7-bit print-
able character equivalent. Once a mes-
sage is received, it must be converted
back (traditionally by the programs
uuencode and uudecode). Most E-
mail user agents that provide for binary
enclosures automate this process.
The other Unix approach is not to
send the binary file at all, but just a file
that notes where the binary file is lo-
cated and appropriate methods for re-
trieving it from the sender's comput-
er. This is the approach that is taken
by MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail
Extensions), an emerging standard for
attaching enclosures.
One great advantage to MIME is that
no files are sent until the recipient ex-
plicitly requests them. Since these files
can be very large, there is a substantial
saving of resources when the attach-
ment isn't retrieved. The other advan-
tages are that existing routing and trans-
port mechanisms need not be changed.
Only the user agents have to deal with
the details. Older user-agent programs
can still be used: If you receive a
MIME message with a non-MIME-en-
hanced user agent, you can retrieve the
attachment manually by using the hu-
man-readable instructions that are part
of the MIME message body.
Internet and OSI
If the Internet can make up for its only
real E-mail weakness (binary attach-
ments) with MIME, does it need the
complexity of X.400 messaging? This
is a hotly debated question. After all,
the Internet is the great mother of all
electronic-message backbones.
But it is the success and growth of
the Internet that makes it look to OSI
(Open Systems Interconnection) stan-
dards. The Internet addressing scheme
is too limited; the Internet is running
out of addresses. As long as users are
protected from the complexity of X.400
addressing, there is no reason not to
implement X.400 gateways on all In-
ternet systems. With X.400 addressing
and MIME, Unix E-mail will be as
flexible as the rest of the E-mail world.
system administrator the most control over
user access.
As an administrator, you assign rights to
users as you create them. Some users in
your organization may not need to create
mail, only receive it, or vice versa. Or you
may decide to restrict Urgent mail priority
to senior management or to keep some
staff from sending mail externally. No oth-
er package we reviewed gives you this
level of control.
Also new in this version is an automat-
ic directory update feature. On a set sched-
ule, Microsoft Mail can automatically ex-
change user directories with other post
offices. This can come in handy if you're
working with people who are on the move
(e.g., senior engineers who might spend a
few weeks at each of your R&D centers).
You don't have to burden your mail ad-
ministrator with making all the address
changes. In cc:Mail, the only other package
with this feature, it comes as an extra-cost
option. continued
148 BYTE • MARCH 1993
I
&
Down
to Earth.
m
wm,
UNIX is changing the world of computers,
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UNIX is a registered trademark of UNIX System Laboratories, Inc.
S MULTIPLATFORM E-MAIL
m
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Circle 1 25 on Inquiry Card
(RESELLERS: 126).
« File Edit OuickMail
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Date: 12/14/92 9:25 AM
To Howard Eglowstein
From: Bin Freston
Vour widget arrived. Please call with delivery tnsirucilor
Screens 8 and 9: QuickMail
for the Mac (left) and for
DOS (below) use a similar
command structure. The Mac
version provides labeled icon
push buttons, while the DOS
version uses a character-
based interface. The DOS
functions appear in roughly
the same place on the screen.
Both versions can share
forms that you create with the
Mac-based forms editor.
QuickMail 2.5
if E-mail can be called fun,
CE Software's QuickMail
(see screens 8 and 9), a Mac-
based mail system, neatly fits
the description. Macintosh
clients use AppleTalk proto-
cols to communicate directly
with the dedicated Mac mail
server. The mail server stores
messages; it's also where you
install gateway software and
physical connections to other
networks.
If you need PC clients, you can add
them to the AppleTalk network with a Lo-
calTalk card or create a separate post of-
fice (a "mail center") to handle the PC side
of the network. With mail centers, DOS
clients access a shared file area on a serv-
er that's accessible to the Mac mail server
(in our test environment, a NetWare serv-
er running NetWare for Macintosh). The
DOS mail center acts as a gateway be-
tween the shared file area and the Mac-
based mail server. You end up with two
separate mail systems, which means that
your messages may be delayed crossing
platforms.
More important, the two mail centers
maintain their own separate user lists. If
you set up Bill as a user on the Mac mail
center and Ted as a user on the DOS mail
center, Bill can't read his mail from a DOS
client and Ted can't read his from a Mac.
By running the Mac clients over Ap-
pleTalk, QuickMail can take advantage
of the direct user-to-user link and provide
real-time conferencing. From
your Mac, you can get a list of
other active Mac QuickMail
users on your LAN. Select from
the list, and you're in a Quick-
Conference, where everything
you type appears immediately
on the other users' screens. It's
not a replacement for a face-to-
face meeting, but it's better than
waiting for an E-mail reply, and it sure
beats walking across the building to find
somebody. Unfortunately, (file-based) PC
clients are reduced to second-class citi-
zenship, as QuickConferences work only
on Macs.
For remote access, QM Remote gives
Mac users the same mailbox access they
enjoy from the LAN. You can read any
message and reply to it while still on-line.
CE Software doesn't offer a DOS version
of its remote package but goes one better
by providing character terminal access. If
you dial into the server via generic com-
munications software, you get a simpli-
fied ASCII interface. Any remote user with
an ID and a password can send and re-
ceive mail without special software.
As with Microsoft Mail, QuickMail's
gateways give you good control over ex-
ternal mail. The mail server can display a
list of messages in the send queue and
give you the choice of canceling any mes-
sage or returning it to the sender. We also
liked QuickMail's catchall gateway, QM-
Script, which allows you to de-
fine a script to parse your way
through any mail system with an
ASCII interface.
We have used QM-Script as
a gateway to handle BIX mail,
and we also spent a few days try-
ing to get it to handle our Opus
BBS system. The prompts from
an Opus BBS are pretty typical
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OpenServer 400 works in conjunction
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With OpenServer 400, your LAN-
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I
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Retix is a registered trademark and The OPENNetworking Company and OpenServer 400 are trademarks of Retix. ALL-IN-1 and VMS are trademarks of Digital Equipment Corporation.
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MULTIPLATFORM E-MAIL
for BBS systems, and it seemed simple
enough to set up QM-Script to handle the
menu system. Alas, it turned out to be
trickier than we thought. A number of the
user prompts look similar from menu to
menu, and the QM-Script string-matching
utilities had some difficulty distinguish-
ing between some of the prompts.
Also, QM-Script doesn't offer any sort
of debugger for testing out a new script.
You can put comments in the script that
get written to a log, but we would have
liked an interactive debugging mode. We
never were able to get the QM-Script-
to-Opus BBS gateway completely ironed
out. Still, QM-Script offers a flexible gate-
way alternative that is not matched in other
mail packages. QuickMail and QM-Script
represent a good solution to any application
that requires linking proprietary messag-
ing systems.
1 WPMail - LANLABiBfNJS
File Edit View Mail Folders lools Font Window Help
Benjamin Smith 12/138 1.1 :ZA limit of ottachmen
•.esitoi.cier Envelopes:. .■ 2
Benjamin Smith :. . 12/82:14;2 ,<%&ttachmerif
Benjamin Smith 1 2/02 i A:A An attachment -
Create Mail List
Screens 10 and 11:
WordPerfect Mail, the E-mail
component of WordPerfect
Office, runs on a host of
systems. The Windows (left)
and Mac (below) clients are
shown . With WordPerfect
Office, Mac clients enjoy
many capabilities that don't
extend to other platforms.
I itaji Maine Given Name ] .Department
WordPerfect Office 3.0
WordPerfect Mail is the base compo-
nent of WordPerfect Office, an all-
around groupware package for Mac LANs,
PC LANs, VAX (VMS) systems, Sun-4
and Sun Sparcstations, and SCO Unix sys-
tems. The WordPerfect Office mail host
runs on all these platforms, and WordPer-
fect Office includes gateways connecting
each of them. WordPerfect also offers gate-
ways to Unix- (SMTP) and VMS-based
E-mail.
On the PC network side, you administer
E-mail through a complex collection of
menu-controlled forms and DOS scripts;
WordPerfect Mail is difficult to install and
configure. The only saving grace is Word-
Perfect's excellent technical-support crew,
who can walk you through all the nuances
of this system.
In contrast, WordPerfect Office is easy
to install and configure on Mac networks.
The interface to the administration tools
is very similar to that of AppleShare Ad-
min, right down to the icons. But build-
ing the Mac-to-PC LAN mail gateway
is a complex, difficult process, again main-
ly because of the problems with the PC
LAN configuration.
Surprisingly, WordPerfect
Mail for Windows (see screen
10) has the prettiest user inter-
face of any client on any E-mail
system we looked at. You can
forget about all the unfathomable
function-key combinations and
convoluted procedures of the
WordPerfect word processor.
The Windows client has the eas-
iest and most flexible window widgets and
gadgets: resizable, movable, tear-off re-
port labels for reports and lists; drag-and-
drop selection lists; and hypertext-based,
context-sensitive help windows. This in-
terface could well be the flagship for future
WordPerfect products on Windows.
You can send and receive attachments
as well as messages. The mail reader can
launch an application for each attachment
based on file extension, and you can add to
and modify the list of associations. There
is a mail-list manager and message archiv-
ing, as well as folders for holding mes-
sages.
WordPerfect Mail for Windows sup-
ports DDE for Interapplication Commu-
nication. However, WordPerfect Mail's
documentation of DDE limits the
discussion to integration with the
WordPerfect word processor.
WordPerfect Office is not bal-
anced between platforms; in ad-
dition to a nice client interface
of its own, the Macintosh ver-
sion has significant features that
the other versions lack (see
screen 11). It includes a forms
generator, broadcast capability, and the
ability to carry on multiway real-time con-
versations with other Mac clients. You
must observe one caution when using the
broadcast feature: The mail notifier locks
up any operations on the receiving Mac
until it has been cleared.
The varying capability of each client is
unfortunate. It's understandable that the
chat mode doesn't exist on some networks,
but it would be nice if forms
generation were supported at
least on both the Mac and Win-
dows.
The DOS version of Word-
Perfect Mail and Office is the
same old maddening Word-
Perfect world of inconsistent
and incomprehensible menus.
This interface fronts the Unix
version, too, with the addition-
al aggravation of a nonstandard
terminal-naming scheme and
weird screen controls.
One very nice feature of all
the clients (even the DOS and
Unix versions) is status track-
ing for outgoing mail. You can see if mes-
sages have been received, read, or deleted.
What WordPerfect Mail lacks most sig-
nificantly is a mechanism for automatic
mail handling (e.g., an automatic reply
when you are on vacation).
First-Class Mail
Choosing one of these systems over the
others requires a bit of study. If your or-
ganization is already using an E-mail sys-
tem, that should form the foundation for
your choice. Gateways from one system
to another aren't always available, and in-
stalling universal backbones and multi-
protocol mail routers is a very complex
task.
If you're not using an E-mail system
now, look around and see if you could ben-
efit from store and forward. Even small
workgroups can gain productivity through
the off-hours and remote communication
that E-mail offers.
Despite their multiplatform flair, most of
these systems are better on some platforms
than others. If you can live with a Mac-
centric mail server, choose QuickMail. It
doesn't offer a lot for DOS users, and its
152 BYTE • MARCH 1993
^rhdesallthecabks,
of 9S *T1 pes and Macintoshes l^^^^^TfteHP LaserJet
.supports WhW.» ^^ nn^egtSandtbetir
■f •' "■**:.
71
Unt
■CJ
$399
LaserJet and H?
16 serial, A po
7 port
DOt H4seria\,lj«« ^
10 port
[\0 serial)
10 port
(10 serial)
$599
$699
*Also compel
blc
withUPPaWJ
PXL300 '
SAN
DIE'
GO __Pacific
ithe
LaserJet
nd Design^ Plot"*
ludes
the price
* 'j'i. All other irailc names referenced are (he Iraderoarks or regisiered trademarks of lite respective manufacturer EUROPEAN OFFICES; England Tel 0800 51 5511, Fax (44) 442
236540: France Tel Oi 9865 09. Fas 1531 1 39 OS 20 41: derma)' Tel 0130 SI 3885; Ireland Tel 13531 01 475609, Fax (3531 01 475608; Switzerland Tel (ill 22 341 26 50, Fax (ill 22 341 06 82; Belgium Tel 078 111292;
Neltatads Tel 06 0222065, '■ 1992 Pacific Daia Undoes, Ine.
MULTIPLATFORM E-MAIL
reliance on the mail server as a gateway
is limiting. Still, on-line conferencing is a
great feature, and QuickMail's remote ac-
cess and QM-Script are far better than any
similar features we've seen.
If mixed-client platforms and internet-
working are truly crucial components,
choose between Microsoft Mail and
cc:Mail. Our choice is cc:Mail. It supports
all the major platforms, offers gateways
to just about everything, and garners sup-
port from dozens of third parties. ■
Howard Eglowstein and Ben Smith are
testing editors for the BYTE Lab. You can
contact Howard on BIX as "heglowstein"
and on the Internet at howard@hyteph
.byte.com. Ben is the author of UNIX Step-
by-Step (Howard W. Sams, 1990) and
UNIX E-Mail and Usenet News (Howard
W. Sams, forthcoming). You can contact
him on BIX as "bensmith" and on the In-
ternet at ben@bytepb.byte.com.
A MESSAGE
ALL
VI
OUT ON
MAIL-IT
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ran
E5 fr»
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tin. lis«>ttlj;mt SauMHitn
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«»».;'! Si? is«; n,:ui-ij Umnttmt
PC to UNIX E-mail
for Windows 3
Interested in an easy-to-use email package
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COMPANY INFORMATION
cc:Mail, Inc.
(division of Lotus Development
Corp.)
(cc:Mail)
2141 Landings Dr.
Mountain View, CA 94043
(415)961-8800
fax:(415)961-8400
Circle 1 273 on Inquiry Card.
CE Software, Inc.
(QuickMail 2.5)
1801 Industrial Cir.
West Des Moines, IA 50265
(800) 523-7638
(515)224-1995
fax:(515)224-4534
Circle 1271 on Inquiry Card.
Da Vinci Systems Corp.
(Da Vinci eMail 2.0)
4200 Six Forks Rd.
Raleigh, NC 27609
(800) 328-4624
(919)881-4320
fax:(919)787-3550
Circle 1272 on Inquiry Card.
Microsoft Corp.
(Microsoft Mail for PC Networks
3.0)
1 Microsoft Way
Redmond, WA 98052
(206) 882-8080
fax: (206) 936-7329
Circle 1274 on Inquiry Card.
Novell, Inc.
(NetWare MHS 1.5)
122 East 1700 South
Provo, UT 84606
(801)429-7000
Circle 1 275 on Inquiry Card.
Retix Corp.
(Retix Open Server 400)
2401 Colorado Ave.
Santa Monica, CA 90404
(310)828-3400
fax:(310)828-2255
Circle 1 276 on Inquiry Card.
WordPerfect Corp.
(WordPerfect Office 3.0)
1 555 North Technology Way
Orem, UT 84057
(800)451-5151
(801) 225-5000
fax:(801)222-5077
Circle 1277 on Inquiry Card.
154 BYTE • MARCH 1993
Circle 158 on Inquiry Card.
Mathematics
The Complete Solution
For technical Computing
□ Algebra and Calculus
Integrate [x/ (a + Expfx]), x]
x Log[l + — ] PolyLogU, -
2 a a
Simplify[D[%, x] ]
3 Numbers
250]
N[sqrt[Pi]
1.712453850905516
145182797549456
789852911284591
738544665416226
236152865724422
787068462037698
173028950826228
300174639015351
1852340186
1 Graphics
H Symbolic Programming
log[x_ y_] :■ log[x] + log |
log [a b c A 2 d]
200, Mesh->False]
When it was released in
1988, the New York Times
wrote that Mathematica "fun-
damentally alters the mechan-
ics of mathematics." Four
and a half years later, with
several hundred thousand
scientists, engineers, stu-
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medical researchers, and
others using the system,
Mathematica is firmly es-
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environment for techni-
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Starting Out
When you first get start-
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But it is a calculator that
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log[d]
Flexible Programming
The easy-to-use language that is built
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Technical Information:
Numerical computation with unlimited precision integer, real, and complex numbers. Exact symbolic computation Wide
range of mathematical functions, including hypergeometric special functions, number theory functions, statistics. Nu-
merical and symbolic matrix operations. Numerical and symbolic equation solving, root finding, integration, differential
equations, optimization. 2D and 3D color graphics, animation, and sound generation. Graphics language for representa-
tion of arbitrary structures. Output in standard PostScript. Data importing and exporting. External program linkages. Full
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work operation supported. Journal, newsletters, more than 30 books on Mathematica available. Add-on packages; free
MathSource electronic resource. Versions: Microsoft Windows • Macintosh • MS-DOS • NEC PC • SPARC • DEC RISC,
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for simple calculations, but has the
power to let you create even the most
sophisticated programs. And with
the Notebook concept pioneered by
Mathematica, you can create interac-
tive documents that mix text, graph-
ics, animations, and sounds with live
formulas and programs.
A Range of Applications
Whether you design airplanes, solve
quantum field theories, analyze med-
ical experiments, or just want to do
your algebra homework, Mathematica
provides a unique environment for
solving your problems.
And you can run your same Mathe-
matica programs without change on
everything from Macintosh and PCs
(with or without Windows) to Unix
workstations and supercomputers.
To get the latest information call:
1-800-441 -MATH
Extension 400
Wolfram Research
Wolfram Research, Inc.
100 Trade Center Drive, Champaign, IL 61 820-7237, USA
+1 -21 7-398-0700; fax: +1 -21 7-398-0747; email: info@wri.com
Wolfram Research Ltd.
Evenlode Court, Main Road, Long Hanborough, Oxon 0X8 2LA, UK
444-(0)993-883400; fax: +44-{0)993-883800; email: info-euro@wri.com
Representatives in over 30 countries; contact main office.
'e1992 Wolfram Research. Inc. Mathematics is a
trademark of Wolfram Research. Inc. Mathematica is not associated with Mathmiiatica Inc., Mathematics. Policy Research, Inc., 01 MaihTech, Inc. All other product names mentioned are trademarks af their producers.
For Macintosh information circle 166, For IBM/Compatible information circle 167, For UNIX information circle 168 on Inquiry Card.
^ REVIEWS
HARDWARE
A New Resolution
for Desktop Lasers
G. ARMOUR VAN HORN
Although the 300-dot-per-inch laser
printers of the last several years
were a dramatic improvement over
the dot-matrix and daisy-wheel
printers that preceded them, the
increasing sophistication of graphics used
in business have made them seem slow
and coarse. To solve these problems, new
600-dpi laser printers have come to market
with better resolutions than typical laser
printers, but with price tags that keep them
within the range of general office budgets.
In this roundup, I look at five such print-
ers. All of them offer true 600-dpi resolu-
tion, multiple interfaces, multiple PDLs
(page-description languages), and high
base memory configurations at prices rang-
ing from about $2200 to $4600 (see the
table on page 158).
Three of these units — the Dataproducts
LZR-965, the Hewlett-Packard LaserJet
4M, and the QMS 860 Print System — are
good choices for small workgroups using
both Macintosh and DOS/Windows sys-
tems, because they offer three active ports
ready to respond to users over parallel, se-
rial, or AppleTalk connections. The QMS
860 accepts simultaneous print jobs from
its three ports. At 10 pages per minute, the
Lexmark LaserPrinter 4029 lOAand 10P
printers offer the fastest engine-speed rat-
ings in the test group.
A Graphic Difference
None of these printers was designed specif-
ically to serve the needs of graphic artists,
although most artists will be delighted with
the results. These printers won't threaten
imagesetters for reproduction work that
includes photographs, but documents com-
prising text, line art, and screen captures
can be published economically with speed
and minimal loss of quality.
The geometry of the 600-dpi grid al-
lows for both a finer halftone dot when
printing photographs and more gray levels.
Most 300-dpi printers offer a choice of 53-
or 60-Iine-per-inch halftones, with more
gray levels and belter appearance coming
from the lower value. These values were
replaced by 71 and 85 lines with these
higher-resolution units, and the 71 -line
screen offers a less-visible dot structure
and greater tonal range than 300-dpi print-
ers using a 53-line screen. The higher
screen value still sacrifices too much tonal
range for photographic images, but the
less-apparent dots would be useful for il-
lustrations with multiple gray values or
graduated tints of small range. Graduated
or radial fills that extend over large areas
still need the extra gray tones that come
with the larger dot size.
A 600-dpi engine creating 71 -line
halftones should be able to produce 72
gray tones; 53-line screens from a 300-dpi
printer have 33 possible tones. Imagesetters
operating at 2540 dpi can create all 256
possible PostScript grays with screens of
over 200 lines per inch.
The Performance Penalty
The BYTE Lab ran a complete suite of
compatibility and performance tests that
consisted of a custom version of the Genoa
Technologies suite (see the graph on page
160). The results are indexed on the 300-
dpi LaserWriter IINTX, so longer bars in-
dicate better performance. Because these
printers stock more processing power to
deal with higher-resolution output, the per-
formance penalty for better quality is min-
imal.
In other tests, I strung all the printers
on a LocalTalk network attached to my
Mac SE/30 and a 386-based PC running
Farallon Computing's PhoneNet Talk PC.
I sent documents to each printer from a
typical range of applications: Word, Free-
Hand, and PageMaker on the Mac; and
Word for Windows, Excel, CorelDraw,
and FoxPro on the PC.
There were copious minor problems
with device driver files, but each manu-
facturer said it was working to eliminate
them. At press time, Adobe had published
a new standard for PPD (printer page de-
scription) files to support PostScript Level
2, which Hewlett-Packard had dutifully
followed but most software doesn't prop-
erly support yet. Adobe had not yet re-
leased its Level 2 drivers, and three of
these printers support Level 2. The QMS
860 has three selectable options for Post-
Script support. Printing with Level 2 se-
lected almost doubled the time to print a
tabloid page, but color images would not
print with Level 1 selected. The promised
speed advantages of Level 2 presumably
will require the final drivers. In most cases,
either the manufacturer or I came up with
a reasonable workaround.
All PostScript Level 2 printers will pre-
sent some of these problems for the next
156 BYTE • MARCH 1993
PHOTOGRAPHY: PAUL AVIS © 1993
BITE
ACTION SUMMARY
several months, possibly years, until com-
plete support for Level 2 becomes com-
monplace. One Level 2 feature, cached
forms, will allow blank forms to be down-
loaded to the printer. The computer will
then send the specific data for an invoice or
purchase order along with a request for a
specific form, drastically cutting down on
the network traffic. Until all Level 2 fea-
tures are widely supported, printer drivers
and PPD files will probably need to be up-
dated frequently.
The HP LaserJet 4M and the QMS 860
both use new Canon P270 engines rated
at 8 ppm; the Dataproducts LZR-965 uses
a Sharp engine rated at 9 ppm; and the
Lexmark 10A and 10P are built on Lex-
mark's own 10-ppm engine. That said,
these ratings are generally irrelevant. They
come into play only on the very simplest of
pages, or when printing multiple copies
of a single page. In daily use, the speed of
a laser printer depends on the performance
of the CPU on the printer's controller.
By the same token, I am mostly ignoring
life-expectancy ratings for toner and other
consumables. The actual rate depends on
your images, and the estimates from the
manufacturers are not strictly comparable.
Dataproducts LZR-965
Based on Dataproducts' history in the
large-computer market, I expected more
of an industrial feel to the LZR-965. In re-
ality, this was the smallest and lightest
printer of the group. With the paper tray at
the bottom of the unit, the only protrusions
during normal operation are the cables, of
which there can be several.
WHAT 600-DPI LASER PRINTERS ARE
Laser printers with true 600-dpi
resolution supported in the
enqine, not via software
algorithms.
LIKES
Print quality is clearly superior
to that of 300-dpi printers, but
prices are in the same range
as lower-resolution printers.
DISLIKES
These printers can't match
imagesetters for reproduction
work that includes photographs.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Choose the LaserJet 4M for
image quality and ensured
support for third-party add-ons,
consumables, and drivers.
The rear panel on the LZR-965 is very
clean, with connectors for an external SCSI
drive, an RS-232 serial port, Centronics,
and LocalTalk, all of which are active un-
til a print job is sent to one of the ports.
The printer ships with 8 MB of memory,
expandable to 16 MB, and it contains the
Weitek 8200 RISC chip. Running at only
7.5 MHz, the chip was specifically de-
signed for printers, so the LZR-965 per-
forms acceptably even when printing com-
plex graphics. Although I did not test this
printer with an external disk drive, my ex-
perience is that even a small drive attached
to a printer — when loaded with the most
commonly used fonts — can dramatically
speed printing.
The LZR-965 is built around a Sharp
engine, the only model in this review to
use multiple consumable cartridges. The
documentation has clear diagrams for set-
up, and a 20-minute VHS cassette covers
first-time setup, including installing the
photoreceptor drum, developer unit, toner
tray, toner collector, and fuser roll cleaner.
The first four of those parts are combined
in the other printers tested, as they have
been in all Apple LaserWriters and HP
LaserJets. The individual components
should reduce the operating cost of the
printer, as the drum has a life expectancy
of 50,000 pages; the other printers call for
replacement or exchange of the toner car-
tridge when the toner runs out, typically
after 3000 to 5000 pages.
continued
MARCH 1 993 • BYTE 157
DESKTOP LASERS
600-DPI PERFORMANCE
All the printers reviewed include true 600- by 600-dpi resolution suppoi
the most commonly used fonts, can dramatically speed printing.
Dataproducts HP HP
LZR-965 LaserJet 4 LaserJet 4M
ted in hardware
Lexmark
4029 10A
. A SCSI drive,
Lexmark
4029 1 OP
when loaded with
QMS 860
Print System
Price
$2995
$2199
$2999
$2799
$2499
$4595
RAM (min./max.; MB)
8/16
2/34
6/22
5/9
5/9
12/32
CPU
Weitek 8200
at 7.5 MHz
Intel 960
at 20 MHz
Intel 960
at 20 MHz
Motorola 68020
at 16.7 MHz
Motorola 68020
at 16.7 MHz
Intel 960
at 25 MHz
SCSI drive support
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
Interfaces
LocalTalk,
RS-232,
Centronics,
SCSI drive
RS-232/422,
Centronics
LocalTalk,
RS-232/422,
Centronics
LocalTalk
RS-232, LocalTalk,
Centronics RS-232,
Centronics,
SCSI drive
Emulations
PostScript Level 2,
HPPCL4
HPPCL5+ 1
PostScript Level 2,
HPPCL5+'
PostScript
PostScript,
PCL5,
IBM PPDS,
PCL4,
HPGL standard
HPGL/2 optional
PostScript Level 1
and Level 2,
HPPCL4, HPGL
Page sizes ('Standard)
Letter*, legal,
executive,
statement
1 Vsttor* lew C4|
A4, executive
A4, executive
Letter*, legal,
A5
Letter*, legal,
A5
HNHik' i tt * WBHSk
legal, tabloid*,
A3, A4, A5,
A6, B5, B6, executive
Fonts
35
45 2
80
39
39
39
Paper
16- to 21 -pound
bond, 250 sheets 3
16- to 36-pound
bond, 350 sheets
16- to 36-pound
bond, 350 sheets
200 sheets
200 sheets
16- to 36-pound
bond, 350 sheets
1 PCL 5 enhanced with TrueType rasterizer.
- 35 Intellifont faces, 10 TrueType.
From cassette; 1 6- to 31 -pound stock from manual feed slot.
Hewlett-Packard LaserJet 4M
The newest member of the LaserJet family
was the first to arrive, and it set my ex-
pectations for the other printers. It also
earned a Best Printer honor in the 1992
Best of Comdex/Fall awards sponsored
by BYTE and the Interface Group (see "A
New LaserJet, a New Standard," De-
cember 1992 BYTE). I received the 4M
printer, which includes LocalTalk and
PostScript built-in, but the table also lists
information on the standard LaserJet 4.
The printer opens so that you can easi-
ly install the toner cartridge without having
to contend with any glaring or obtrusive la-
bels or release buttons. A small lever ex-
tends from the paper tray to the front, in-
dicating the level of paper remaining in
the tray. The design was so clear, so obvi-
ous, that the first page of 600-dpi text
rolled out of the printer 7 minutes after I
opened the box, and I never referred to the
documentation. (When you need detailed
information for configuring options, setting
up the printer for DOS applications, or
maintenance, the manuals are clear.)
The I/O ports — including LocalTalk,
Centronics, and RS-232 — are clearly la-
beled and accessible, and all are active.
The LocalTalk interface is installed in the
MIO (modular I/O) port and can be re-
placed by interfaces for Ethernet, Token
Ring, TCP/IP, and EtherTalk from HP,
and third parties are sure to support other
specialized network options.
HP's Resolution Enhancement Tech-
nology, first introduced on the LaserJet
III, is even more dramatic when applied
to a true 600-dpi image. The edge quality
of text from this printer is the sharpest I've
seen. Unfortunately, this only applies to
line art and has no impact on the quality of
halftones.
Font support is very strong: the stan-
dard model comes loaded with 35 Intelli-
font (HP) and 1 TrueType typefaces; in
addition to these 45, the 4M includes the
standard 35 PostScript typefaces. An in-
dustry-standard cartridge slot adds sup-
port for the substantial library of font car-
tridges developed for past LaserJets.
Lexmark LaserPrinter 4029
10A and 10P
IBM's Lexmark unit was the first of this
group to market; Lexmark should have
waited until an industrial designer could
be brought into the process. Attention to
the way printers are used would have war-
ranted substantial redesign. This unit is
just not attractive — especially when com-
pared to the others. Three contrasting col-
ors were used in such a way as to empha-
size every lump and protuberance. The
printer's ivory body is about the same size
as the LZR-965 's, but the elements that
protrude from the shell cause it to take up
more space than the LaserJet 4M.
Inattention to the design process didn't
stop with the appearance. This is the only
printer in the test that required the manual
158 BYTE • MARCH 1993
■ . . .
An ARCHIVFCompany
"Does Maynard 8
really otter the
MaynStream 9 4 GB
DAT tape system
at a 2 GB price?"
"Yes."
"And MaynStream
systems come with
software that supports
DOS, Microsoft*
Windows, OS/2; and
NetWare NLM*?"
"Yes!'
"I know I can
depend on toll-free
support and 48 hour
repair/replacement 1
for any MaynStream
system."
Enough said.
For product literature, including your
free Networking Disaster Prevention
Information Kit, call 1 800 755-0535.
For specific sales or product
assistance, call 1 800 845-3125.
Maynard m
^F MICROSOFT
WINDOWS.
COMRflBLE
Novell
Professional
Developer
Maynard, a division of Archive Corporation • Marketing Communications * 36 Skyline Drive • Lake Mary, FL 32746 • FAX (407) 263-3638 ■ (407) 263-3500 (USA) • 44-494-473-434 (UK)
Maynard and MaynStream are registered trademarks oi Archive Corporation. 'All other products herein mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective corporations.
'Domestic U.S. Only.
Circle 104 on Inquiry Card (RESELLERS: 105).
DESKTOP LASERS
600-DPI PERFORMANCE
Dataproducts LZR-965
HP LaserJet 4M
Lexmark 4029
QMS 860
| Spreadsheets
I Drawing
Word processing
0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
Index
2.0
2.5
3.0
0.6 0.9
Index
The First-Page Index tests how fast a printer can produce short memos and letters. The Application Index tests common jobs
from popular spreadsheets, drawing and design packages, and word processors. Tests are indexed on the LaserWriter IINTX,
which has an index of 1 for each test; longer bars indicate better performance.
for basic use. The Lexmark printers share
one unusual feature: The toner cartridge
is shipped installed. After lifting the print-
er from the carton, you open the printer
and withdraw a laminated foam pad that
prevents vibration from damaging the toner
cartridge or the contacts with the printer.
This almost compensated for the need to
attach various feed and delivery guides.
The LocalTalk interface plugs into the
Centronics connector, receives power from
a separate connector, and is lashed to the
itheuw0£
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DESKTOP USERS
back of the printer housing like freight on-
board an oil tanker. The 10A version, in-
tended for Mac users, supports only Local-
Talk; the 10P, intended for DOS/ Windows
users, supports only Centronics and RS-
232. While the 10P supports PCL (Printer
Control Language) 4 and HPGL (Hewlett-
Packard Graphics Language), neither of
these is available on the 10A. Mac users
aren't likely to miss PCL, but CAD and
sign-making applications can make good
use of HPGL in a laser printer prior to run-
ning full-size plots.
Printing from the Mac required more
attention than with the other units, even
though this printer is driven by a 16.7-
MHz Motorola 68020 that has been in use
in laser printers for several years. Rather
than use the LaserWriter driver to allow
printer options to be chosen when print-
ing, a DA (desk accessory) is used to con-
figure the printer. Using this slow CPU
could have been justified if easy backward
compatibility had been the goal, but there
seems to be none.
During my evaluation cycle, Lexmark
dropped the lOA's price by $1200, putting
it a little below the LZR-965 and the Laser-
Jet 4M. The slow printing speeds, awk-
ward use, and lack of multiple PDLs in
the Mac configuration suggest that this
printer should be priced with personal laser
printers instead of with these workgroup
printers.
QMS 860 Print System
The QMS 860 is priced at $4595, 50 per-
cent above the other printers in this review
and over twice the price when in the test
configuration. However, it offers imme-
diate value: This printer can satisfy some
formidable printing needs.
The new Canon LBP-BX engine sup-
ports tabloid (11- by 17-inch) paper at 4
ppm, and letter size output at 8 ppm. The
base memory configuration is 12 MB, with
expansion to 32 MB possible. My testing
was done with 28 MB installed, although
the formal benchmarks were run with the
base configuration.
All four printers included warnings not
to lift the printer out of the carton without
help. At 50 pounds for the QMS 860, it
would be wise to obey the warning. Al-
though I did need the manual to install the
additional RAM and paper tray, I was able
to print without it.
As with the other printers, the primary
paper tray slides into the bottom of the
printer from the front. The test unit came
with the 500-page letter-size tray, which in-
stalls below the printer in a special feed
module. These options attach without tools
and are only difficult to install if you insist
on doing it alone. After installing the sec-
ond tray, I ignored the upper and lower
feed cassette choice in the printer driver,
and the printer correctly determined the
proper tray automatically.
Along with the large-format printing,
this unit stands apart on the basis of its
operating system, QMS Crown. Based
on the Intel 960 RISC processor running
at 25 MHz, QMS Crown can accept si-
multaneous printing jobs from the three
Introducing the Image Xpert 1000.
Windows 1 '* output that looks
like a million at a price
that looks like a typo.
XLI's new desktop printer just pushed the
PC publishing revolution into overdrive.
For less than the price of most new genera-
tion 600 dpi printers, the Image Xpert 1000
delivers 1200 dpi for text and graphics, plus
an incredible 2400 dpi equivalent with 256
gray levels for halftones, all on a single
page. Type prints crisp and clean; photos „
show amazing detail. That means businessX
and professional users at all levels can now
produce high resolution plain paper mas-
ters and proofs without outside services , /
saving time and money.
The Image Xpert 1000 is the first laser ~
printer to incorporate XLI's acclaimed
LaserPix 5 0, the image controller
board with patented SUPER LGA™
technology that has taken the world
of Windows desktop imaging by storm.
Circle 218 on Inquiry Card
(RESELLERS: 219).
Before you spend a dime upgrading your
output, call us for the whole story on how
the competitively-priced Image Xpert 1000
can produce high resolution documents for
your application. 1-800-433-8040
CORPORATION
SUPERIGA is a trademark of XL1 Corporation. Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
XLI Corp . , 800 West Cummings Park,
Suite 6650, Woburn, MA 01801.
HOW DO YOU GET
A JOB WITHOUT
EXPERIENCE?
AND HOW DO YOU
GET EXPERIENCE
WITHOUTAJOB?
Most young people have one
answer to this problem. They avoid it
until they're out of college. But they
could be getting solid work experi-
ence while they're still in college. With
your company's help. And ours.
We're Co-op Education. A nation-
wide program that helps college
students get real jobs for real pay,
while they're getting an education.
But we can't do it without you.
Those real jobs have to come from
real companies. Like yours.
For more information on how
you can participate in this valuable
program, write Co-op Education,
Box 775E, Boston, MA 02115.
Not only will you be giving students
a chance to earn money and pick up
the most valuable kind of knowledge,
you'll be giving yourselves a chance
to pick up the most valuable kind
of employee.
Co-op Education.
You earn a future when you earn a degree.
ell A Public Service ofThis Publication ©1987 National Commission for Cooperative Education
DESKTOP LASERS
standard interfaces. Adding a network in-
terface board does not require removing
or disabling any of the three standard ports.
Utilities are included that allow the in-
stalled memory to be configured as buffers
for each port, font caches, or, with appli-
cation support for PostScript Level 2, logo
and form storage. If one or more SCSI
hard drives are installed for font storage,
the controller can be programmed to use
space on the hard drive as additional print
spooling.
This system features an intermediate
page-description format that is more com-
pact than the bit maps that printers ulti-
mately generate. Information received as
PostScript, PCL, or HPGL from the com-
puters is inteipreted and converted to this
display-list format and queued for print-
ing, increasing the speed at which jobs can
be accepted and enhancing the capacity of
the printer's installed RAM. Once the print
job has been converted to the QMS dis-
play-list format, the generation of the bit
maps can then take place at the printer's
rated engine speed. This will allow multi-
ple-copy printing of collated sets without
the time penalty other printers suffer, as
the computer normally sends the complete
sequence of pages several times when col-
lated output is required.
The QMS 860 includes the basic 35
PostScript fonts, plus the Helvetica Con-
densed family.
The Remaining Field
One printer that was intended to be part
of this comparison is the NewGen Turbo
660 PS, which uses the AMD 29000 pro-
cessor and the same engine and case as
the QMS 860. NewGen was unable to
solve my concerns about print quality in
time for this review and withdrew the
printer from the market until final debug-
ging was accomplished. I expect that it
will have printing characteristics very sim-
ilar to the QMS 860, without the multi-
tasking interface system, and should be
available for a price roughly midway be-
tween the tabloid 860 and the letter-size
printers I reviewed here. I recommend tak-
ing a good look at this printer when it is re-
leased.
True 600-dpi printers are also expect-
ed soon from such vendors as Calcomp,
Xante, and LaserMaster.
Final Resolutions
I can't recommend the Lexmark printers.
These models simply aren't competitive
with other available models at the same
or similar price levels.
The LZR-965 is fast, sharp, and com-
pact. It supports hard disk storage to facil-
itate rapid printing as your type collection
162 BYTE • MARCH 1 993
Wuw Stowing M k
Dgfilfij 1 I x to Ton]
See us at CeBIT
Hall 6, Booth B63
NewGen's B Series
11" x 17" Paper Format
Automatic Paper Sensing
Resolution Up To 1200 dpi +IET
When it conies to productivity nothing
works harder than the B. That's because
NewGen's B Series was designed to deliver
the value and quality that experienced
PostScript® users demand.
The affordable B Series wide format laser
printers offer you powerful Ethernet
capability, innovative paper handling,
and the sharp graphics and high resolu-
tion that have made NewGen famous.
Call us today for more information at:
1-800-756-0556
i in
in ■
ill
newgen
llll
I II
II I
IIII1H
mill
I II
17580 Newhope Street, Fountain Valley, CA 92708
Telephone 714-641-8600 • Fax 714-641-2800
© 1992, NewGen Systems Corporation. All trademarks and registered trademarks are of their respective companies.
Circle 1 1 8 on Inquiry Card (RESELLERS: 119).
DESKTOP LASERS
No Wild, No Wildlife
The California desert tortoise is
losing ground. Its young are
being crushed by motorcycles and
off-road vehicles. Sheep and cattle
grazing are diminishing an already
scant supply of food while mining
and road building are destroying
the tortoise's natural habitat.
The fact is that the tortoise
population has declined as much
as 90% over the last fifty
years. This drop is a
true biological indicator
of how severely the des-
ert ecosystem is at risk.
The Sierra Club works to save
wildlife by saving the wilderness.
We have a history of victories.
And, we believe with your help,
the three-million-year-old
desert tortoise can win back its
native turf.
For information on how you
can help:
Sierra Club
Dept. DT
730 Polk Street
San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 776-2211
grows beyond the 35 fonts in ROM, and
you'll be able to store forms on a hard
drive when that component of PostScript
Level 2 is implemented.
If you need to print tabloid pages, the
QMS 860 offers print speed barely slower
than the LZR-965 and the LaserJet 4M. It
also offers the greatest flexibility in mem-
ory, interfaces, emulations, and paper han-
dling.
Overall, my vote goes to the LaserJet
4M. It is flexible and offers the best image
quality of the group. It also will be sup-
ported by a host of third parties offering
supplies and enhancements in addition to
HP's offerings, and very few software ven-
dors will omit drivers and other support
for this model. ■
G. Armour Van Horn is a writer and
graphics consultant based in Freeland,
Washington. He can be reached on BIX
as "vanhorn."
COMPANY INFORMATION
Dataproducts Corp.
(LZR-965)
6219 De Soto Ave.
P.O. Box 746
Woodland Hills, CA 91365
(818)887-8000
fax:(818)887-4789
Circle 1 229 on Inquiry Card.
Hewlett-Packard Co.
(LaserJet 4 and LaserJet 4M)
Direct Marketing Organization
P.O. Box 58059
MS511L-SJ
Santa Clara, CA 95051
(800) 752-0900
fax: (208) 344-4809
Circle 1230 on Inquiry Card.
Lexmark International, Inc.
(LaserPrinter 4029 10A and 10P)
740 New Circle Rd. NW
Lexington, KY 40511
(800) 358-5835
(606) 232-2000
fax: (606) 232-2380
Circle 1231 on Inquiry Card.
QMS, Inc.
(860 Print System)
1 Magnum Pass
Mobile, AL 36618
(800) 631-2692
(205) 639-4400
fax:(205)633-0013
Circle 1 232 on Inquiry Card.
164 BYTE- MARCH 1993
Train for a High-Paying Career
as a Computer Service
Technician
NEW!
486sx/25 MHz
computer, 80 meg
hard drive!
Only NRI, the leader in hands-on training for 78 years,
could give you training this complete, experience this
practical. You actually build a powerful 486sx/25 MHz
computer system — including an 80 meg hard disk drive
— all the while gaining the hands-on skills you need to
service today's sophisticated computers with confidence!
Over 220,000 jobs! That* s what the Department of Labor forecasts for
computer service technicians by the year 2005, a 38% increase over today's
level. For you, that means tremendous opportunity if you have the training and
the skills to get into this high-paying, top-growth Geld.
Now you can cash in on this opportunity — full-time, part-time, or in a
computer service business of your own — once you've mastered electronics
and computers the NRI way.
NEW! Get inside a 486sx/25 MHz computer system . . .
and experience all the power and speed of today's
computer technology!
Now NRI includes a powerful new 486sx/25 MHz mini-tower computer system
as the centerpiece of your course to give you hands-on training with state-of-
the-art computer technology. You build this
1 meg RAM, 32-bit CPU computer from the
keyboard up, plus you now go on to install an 8(
meg IDE hard disk drive to complete your total
computer system. But that's not all!
You also learn to diagnose and repair
IBM-compatible computers with the remark-
able diagnostic hardware and software
included in your NRI training. See the other
side for more details about this exciting NRI
training breakthrough.
Understanding you get
only through experience
You need no previous background in elec-
tronics to succeed with NRI. You start with
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microcomputer concepts.
Best of all, you learn by doing —
performing hands-on experiments with your
NRI Discovery Lab and digital multimeter, then
actually building and testing the powerful
486sx/25 MHz computer system you train with
and keep.
Your incomparable hands-on training includes all this:
NRI's Discovery Lab you use to design and modify circuits, diagnose and
repair faults • Hand-held digital multimeter with "talk-you-through" instruc-
tions on audio cassette • Digital logic probe that lets you visually examine
computer circuits • A state-of-the-art 486sx/25 MHz computer, featuring a 32-
bit 80486sx CPU, "intelligent" keyboard, and 1.2 megabyte, high-density 5-1/4"
floppy drive • 80 meg IDE hard disk drive you install internally • 64K ROM, 1
meg RAM • MS-DOS, QBasic, and Microsoft Works software • Ultra-X
diagnostic package including R.AC.E.R. plug-in card and QuickTech menu-
driven software for fast, professional troubleshooting • Reference manuals,
programming guidelines, and schematics.
Learn at home in your spare time, backed by your
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With NRI, you learn at your own convenience in your own home. No class-
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Get all the facts from NRI's Of NRI hands-on
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^>
SEND CARD TODAY FOR FREE NRI CATALOG!
Schools
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Check one free catalog only
Microcomputer Servicing
TV/Video/Audio Servicing
Industrial Electronics & Robotic
Basic Electronics
Computer-Aided Drafting
m
For career courses
approved under GI Bill,
i I check for details
Computer Programming
Desktop Publishing & Design
PC Applications Specialist
Programming in C++ with
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Name
(please print)
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Get In-Demand Computer Servicing
Skills With NRI "Hands-On" Training
You set up and perform electronics
experiments and demonstrations
using your NRI Discovery Lab. You
even interface the lab with your 486sx
computer to "see'" keyboard-
generated data.
After you build this digital logic
probe, you explore the operation of
your computer's 101-key, detached
"intelligent" keyboard and its
dedicated microprocessor.
You install the 1.2 meg, 5-1/4" floppy
disk drive, learning disk drive opera-
tion and adjustment. Later, you
dramatically improve your compu-
ter's data storage capacity by instal-
ling a powerful 80 meg IDE hard drive.
You learn to quickly diagnose and
service virtually any computer prob-
lem with the extraordinary R.A.C.E.R.
plug-in diagnostic card and
QuickTech diagnostic software,-,^
included in your course.
NEW!
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computer, 80 meg 4
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NRI training is so complete, hands-on mastery
is "built-in"
No other training — in school, on the job, anywhere — prepares you
so thoroughly for today's money-making opportunities in computer
service. And only NRI builds meaningful training around the kind of
powerful computer system you'll be called on to service and repair in
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As you assemble your 486sx/25 MHz mini-tower computer
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Your NRI training now includes a remarkable diagnostic package
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You'll use the Ultra-X RAC.E.R. diagnostic card to identify individual
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support chips. Experts call the RAC.E.R. card the easiest to use, most
powerful tool for PC troubleshooting available today!
With your QuickTech diagnostic software package, also from Ultra-X,
you'll go on to test the system RAM and such peripheral adapters as parallel
printer ports, serial commmunications ports, video adapters, and floppy and
hard disk drives.
This ingenious diagnostic package is
just one more way NRI's real-world, hands-on
training gives you both the knowledge and the
professional tools to succeed as today's in-
demand computer service technician.
NO POSTAGE
NECESSARY
IF MAILED
IN THE
UNITED STATES
POSTAGE WILL BE PAID BY ADDRESSEE
nf Schools
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Washington, DC 20078-3543
I„I.IIIm.IIm.Im,II„L.II„I,LI„I„II,I„I,I
FREE catalog tells more . . .
send today!
Send the postage-paid card today for NRI's big
free catalog that gives all the facts about NRI
computer training. See for yourself how NRI
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growing opportunities for skilled computer
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If the card is missing, write to NRI at
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Schools
McGraw-Hill Continuing Education Center
4401 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20008 mi
ftnl
IBM is a registered trademark of In tern alio mil Buslnes
Machines Corp. RAC.E.R. and QuickTech are registered
trademarks of Ultra-X, Inc.
Card 101
REVIEWS
APPLICATION
How to Deal with Taxing Questions
KATHLEEN LARIVIERE AND STAN MIASTKOWSKI
TaxCut STRA01 12
File Edit yiew Forms Tax Tools Window
The approach of April 15 is looked upon
with much fear and loathing in the
U.S., as yearly income tax returns are
due to the IRS. If you're a typical taxpay-
er — an hourly or salaried worker with per-
haps a house and a few investments — tax-
preparation software can help in a big way.
These programs guide you through the
procedure of calculating your taxes and
filling out IRS forms, help you make sure
you get what refund is due you, and keep
you from filing an incomplete form.
We looked at four families of tax-prepa-
ration programs for DOS, Windows, and
the Macintosh: Meca Software's Andrew
Tobias' TaxCut for DOS, TaxCut for Win-
dows, and TaxCut for the Macintosh; Par-
sons Technology's Personal Tax Edge and
Personal Tax Edge for Windows; Intex
Solutions' Tax Solver (for Excel, Lotus
1-2-3, and Symphony); and ChipSoft's
TurboTax for DOS, TurboTax for Win-
dows, and MacInTax. Prices range from
$49 to $80.
At their heart, all these tax-preparation
programs are actually spreadsheets using
complex links to interrelate numbers and
calculations from various IRS forms,
schedules, and worksheets. These interre-
lationships are a big advantage of tax soft-
ware. You don't need a calculator; most
numerical calculations are done for you,
and most packages have a pop-up calcu-
lator. The programs automatically enter
calculated numbers in the correct locations
on the related forms, schedules, and work-
sheets. This capability alone is almost
worth the price of admission.
Because there are so many individual
items that go into the preparation of a tax
return, taxpayers can easily miss common
deductions that reduce the tax they owe. To
maximize the return, the best of today's
tax-preparation programs use a step-by-
step interview technique — much like what
would happen if you sat down with an ex-
perienced tax preparer. This on-line inter-
view approach isn't perfect, but it goes a
long way toward making the preparation of
your taxes less headache-provoking.
After using one of these packages, you
end up with a completed tax return. In-
stead of filling out printed IRS forms, these
programs use printer graphics (laser or
dot-matrix) to create a finished package
that the IRS will accept in lieu of its own
Screen 1 : Andrew
Tobias' TaxCut,
available for DOS,
Windows (shown
here), and the
Mac, features an
easy-to-use
interview process,
although you can 't
see the forms as
you answer
questions.
Help |
fei^t^m
FILING JOINT RETURN: Do you inlend to file a Hjj
return with your spouse? [Almost always; answer 'Yes,"
here.)
Your Response:
Yes
No
JOINT RETURN
TAX TIP: If you ate married and living together, you
almost always come out ahead by tiling jointly [and
answering "yes," here). For example, the total tax on two
taxable incomes [after deductions) of $20,000 each, filed
separately, is always larger than the tax on one $40,000
income filed Jointly.
But you should consider filing separately [and
answering "no'T If:
• You and your spouse lived apart during the last 6
months of 1902 [you may be entitled to file as
Return to fax l : opM \
lack Up
Next Explanation
Help
forms. With a complex return, the package
can run to many pages.
Because the IRS will not release all the
necessary tax forms until around the first
of the year (after this article went to press),
we used the prerelease version of each
package. All the companies offer early
versions that taxpayers can use for plan-
ning and then ship final versions to cus-
tomers during lanuary.
We tested the packages as if we were
three hypothetical taxpayers: two had rel-
atively simple returns, and one was slight-
ly more complex (with self-employment
income). All the scenarios involved several
gotchas — common yet often-missed in-
come and deductions that can make a sub-
stantial bottom-line difference on tax lia-
bility.
Filing Electronically
The best tax-preparation packages also
offer you the option of filing your return
electronically, sending it via modem (or
by mailing a disk), but not directly to the
IRS. Because of security considerations
and other requirements, the IRS does not
encourage individual taxpayers to become
"direct transmitters." Instead, you send
your return to an IRS-authorized service
bureau, which then transmits it to the IRS.
(Technically, it is possible to become au-
thorized to file returns directly, but it re-
quires a special 4800-bps modem and a
testing process. It's simply not worth the
trouble for an individual taxpayer.)
Electronic filing costs extra (costs vary
by package, usually $10 to $20), and these
packages allow electronic filing only if
you have a refund coming to you. The bot-
tom line is, you'll get your refund weeks
earlier. If you owe money, you'll have to
find a professional who handles balance-
due returns electronically, or simply mail
your return in the usual manner.
Andrew Tobias' TaxCut
Meca Software's TaxCut carries the mon-
iker of well-known financial planner and
BYTE
ACTION SUMMARY
■ WHAT TAX SOFTWARE DOES
It guides you through the task of
preparing income tax returns.
■ LIKES
Interview techniques (usually)
help you avoid mistakes
that can cost you money;
programs perform automatic
calculations; links with forms put
numbers in the right places.
■ DISLIKES
All programs require some
tax knowledge, but thafs a function
of the complex U.S. Tax Code.
Some low-cost packages don't give
enough help or explanation.
■ RECOMMENDATIONS
TurboTax and MacInTax are the
best designed and most
comprehensive. TaxCut and
Personal Tax Edge are also fine,
especially in their ability to import
a wide range of data.
MARCH 1993 • BYTE 165
DEALING WITH TAXING QUESTIONS
Personal Tax Edge (BETA) - [Untitled]
File Edit fteturn guide View Tools Window Help
Screen 2: Parsons
Technology' s
Personal Tax
Edge has a useful
too/bar and allows
you to see forms
as you answer
questions. It's
available in both
DOS and
Windows (shown
here) versions.
author Andrew Tobias, who's involved in
the design of the program. TaxCut is ac-
tually one of the oldest of the personal tax-
preparation programs, and it's now avail-
able in versions for DOS, Windows, and
the Mac.
Internally, all three versions are virtually
identical, with, of course, slight differ-
ences in the look and feel for each plat-
form. Not surprisingly, the graphics-ori-
ented interfaces for Windows and the Mac
result in tax forms that look like the real
thing on-screen. But the text and details
are identical across the three versions.
Of the packages we looked at, TaxCut
has by far the most informative interview
process (see screen 1). Its friendly tone
and positive approach almost make prepar-
ing your taxes a pleasure — almost. As you
go through the interview process, TaxCut
keeps you informed of what it's doing and
why. For example, it tells you what form
it's filling in and shows the calculations,
points you to further information (e.g., ad-
vantages of filing a joint return), and gives
you progress reports on how much of the
return you've filled out. TaxCut also al-
lows you to jump easily between the form
and the interview. Particularly handy is a
mini-worksheet that appears between the
lines of the form you're working on, giv-
ing handy tips and information on what's
been calculated and where the numbers
came from. In a complex tax return, this
can be useful indeed.
TaxCut's interview process isn't per-
fect. One of our test returns included a
scholarship, but the interview never asked
about it. If you go directly to the 1040 line
7, where this information would be en-
tered, the program essentially ignores that
scholarship income exists; TurboTax, on
the other hand, asks specifically about it.
TaxCut's failure to flag scholarship in-
come resulted in a miscalculation that (in
our test) would have cost the taxpayer an
additional $150 of unnecessary tax liabil-
ity. (It can be fixed, but only if you know
how.)
Not surprisingly, TaxCut is tightly in-
tegrated with Managing Your Money. If
you've used that package to keep track of
your finances throughout the year, Tax-
Cut will import the files, do the calcula-
tions, and place the right numbers in the
right places. Except for very complex sit-
uations, it makes tax preparation almost
automatic. TaxCut also imports files from
Quicken, Microsoft Money, CheckFree,
TurboTax, and the TXF (Tax Exchange
Format) used by popular accounting pro-
grams.
TaxCut's on-line help is very useful,
but it fell down on describing inventory
and accounting methods used by small
businesses, providing a simplistic (and in-
complete) explanation. And the definition
of handling bad debt was misleading.
TaxCut features almost every possible
form, schedule, and worksheet you'll ever
need — about 95. But it balked at filling in
page 2 of Form 2210, which covers cal-
culating the penalty for underpaying esti-
mated tax. This is not an unusual form for
self-employed individuals, but TaxCut re-
fused to calculate it, with a message saying
it's "too complex." Other packages han-
dle it with no problems.
You can electronically file your finished
TaxCut tax return, with or without a mo-
dem. (If you don't have a modem, you can
send a disk to the service bureau.) Either
way, it costs $19.95.
Personal Tax Edge
Personal Tax Edge from Parsons Tech-
nology is available for both DOS and Win-
dows. Because of its newness, we focused
our testing on the Windows version (see
screen 2). The interface is clean, and the
forms and instructions are easy to read,
even on a standard 640- by 480-pixel VGA
screen.
PTE has a unique approach to the in-
terview process compared to the other
packages we reviewed. Other packages do
not show you the forms until you're done
with the interview; PTE shows you the ac-
tual forms and source documents as they're
being filled out. This is a handy way of
keeping track of your progress.
On the negative side, PTE's interview
isn't as comprehensive as the others. In
some cases, PTE assumes that you have
enough tax knowledge to know where to
go. For example, while filling out Sched-
ule C (business profit and loss), line 10,
the program leads you directly to the re-
lated Form 4562 (depreciation), but it gives
you no help on how to fill out the form
correctly.
PTE ties in most directly with Parson's
MoneyCounts financial package, and it
will also handle data from Quicken, Man-
aging Your Money, Microsoft Money, and
ASCII text. The program has about 70
forms, schedules, and worksheets. You
Screen 3: Tax
Solver from Intex
Solutions has a
selection of 147
linked forms,
schedules, and
worksheets
available for
Lotus 1-2-3 and
Symphony, as well
as Microsoft Excel
(shown here).
7 M1JTO I
File £dit Formula Format fiata Options Macro Window help
laiigiHi^ii^s i ai^ fBT/iAraiMswa piTOiwi
1040_E3.XL5
1040_E4XLS
10.40_ESC.XLS
1040_F.XLS
1040_F2.XLS
1Q40_F3.XLS
1040_F4.XLS
104Q_RXLS
I04Q_SE.XLS
1G4Q_SES.XLS
1040_YR.XLS
$1 040A.XLS
1040AJ XLS
1040A_2.XLS
1040A_3.XLS
104QDI.AG.XLS
1040ES.XLS
1040EZ.XLS
1040INST.XLS
1Q4QWKSTXLS
1G-10X.XLS
111SXLS
SOPEN ME.XLM
Schedule E (Form 1040) - Su^-iemenhil Income and Loss (3)
Schedule E (Form 1040) - Supplemental Income and Loss (4)
Schedule EIC (Form 1 040) - Earned Income Credit
Schedule F (Form 1040) - Prolrl or Loss From Farming (!)
Schedule F (Form 1 040) • Prolil or Loss From Farming (2)
Schedule F (Form 1040) - Profit or Loss From Farming (3)
Schedule F (Form 1 040) • Prolrl or Loss From Fanning (4)
Schedule R (Form 1 040) - Credit tor the Elderly or 1he Disabled
Schedule SE (Form 1040) - Self -Employment Tax
Schedule SE (Form 1 040) - Spouse -Self -Employment Tax
Comparison (Form 1 040) - Prior Year Comparison
Form 1040A - U S Individual Income Tax Return
Schedule 1 (Form 1 040A) - Interest and Dividend income for Form 1 040A Fliers
Schedule 2 (Form 1 040A) - Child and Dependent Cwe Expenses for Form 1 040A Filers
Schedule 3 (Form 1 040A) - Credit tor the Elderly or the Disabled for Form 1 040A Filers
Diagnostic (Form 1040)
Form 1 G40ES - Estimated Tax tor individuals
Form 1 040EZ - Income Tax Return tor Single Filers Wrth No Dependents
Form 1040 IRS Instructions
Worksheets (Form 1040)
Form 1040X - Amended U. S. Individual Income Tax Return
Form 11 16 - Foreign Tax Credit
ijteody
166 BYTE • MARCH 1993
There's Sound...
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And There's SoundMan™.
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SoundManl6 delivers sound so real, 85% of the time people can't tell the difference from live sound.
That's because it's packed with the absolute latest in sound board technology: up to 16-bit/44KHz
record/playback, Yamaha OPL-3 stereo synthesis 20-voice chip, 1 00% Sound m-^ —
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|P - quality sound available, for all your games and applications, in Windows'" ** • *
and DOS. From Logitech, the peripherals leader. At your dealer, or call LUI/iTluH
1-800-231-7717. TM/® Trademarks belong to their respective owners. The SeDSeWare™ Company
Circle 1 00 on Inquiry Card (RESELLERS: 101).
DEALING WITH TAXING QUESTIONS
TurboTa
mmm
BH
File Edit Options Window Help
1 E,s y s,=p | |>| 1? I I *| ;
Interview Statement B |Div. 1): Dividend Income
Topic: [income |*|
Sub Topic |Dividends jij
1 Stop [
Piease enter the amounts of ordinary dividends, capital gains distributions, end
nontaxable distributions shown on your Form 1 099-DIV from .
Ordinary Dividends 1
13
-1
Capita! Gain Dist. [
Nontaxable Dist. |
Payer Name
<*>
t:omifii:e
Capital
Gain
l>t3tributiori3
M
Nort-Publicm Traded
Mutual
Fund
Investment
Expenses
<0
in
ESOP
! i.L-.i---!(j Traded
u."
(c)
Ordinary
Dividends
W)
Nontaxable
Distributions
Return
of Cspi/s!
m
-
i
r
i 1
i
2
u
i
3
M
i 1
i
Lli
1
5
n
n
l
6
i
n
i
7
r
o
!
8
i i
L
Screen 4:
ChipSoft's
TurboTax is
the most
comprehensive
tax-p repa ration
package. It's
available in DOS
and Windows
(shown here)
versions.
MacInTax is its
equivalent for
the Mac.
can also file forms electronically through
PTE for only $10.
Tax Solver
This package, also designed for the expe-
rienced tax preparer, is an unusual animal.
It's the only package we looked at that
doesn't stand alone. Different versions of
Tax Solver are available for Microsoft Ex-
cel, Lotus 1-2-3 (DOS or Windows), and
Lotus Symphony.
To use Tax Solver, you need to know
how to use the related spreadsheet pack-
ages, and the more you know about them,
the better. Tax Solver also has the largest
selection of forms: 147 (see screen 3). Es-
sentially, Tax Solver is a collection of
linked spreadsheets that take up about 4
MB of disk space.
Tax Solver is recommended for the ex-
perienced number cruncher who is also
comfortable with taxes. It doesn't have an
interview form, and it doesn't import from
other tax or financial programs (unless
they export to spreadsheet formats). And
there are no help screens for any of the
schedules.
The advantage of Tax Solver is that you
can use the advanced what-if capabilities
of the underlying spreadsheet. The other
packages reviewed here have worksheets
for looking at alternative tax scenarios,
but they don't have the extensive conjec-
tural capabilities of Excel or 1-2-3.
TurboTax and MacInTax
ChipSoft's TurboTax is available for DOS
and Windows (see screen 4); MacInTax
is for the Mac. Both programs offer an ex-
tensive and helpful interview process, al-
though they tend to assume some knowl-
edge of tax law. For example, they rightly
ask if you have any "nominee interest,"
but they don't explain what that is.
TurboTax and MacInTax also offer the
most comprehensive final review of your
tax return of any of the packages reviewed
here. They are chock-full of hints and sug-
gestions, including steps you can take to re-
duce your tax liability during the next year.
Both offer electronic filing (via modem or
disk) for $19.95.
TurboTax and MacInTax neglect to give
you a running update on your tax liability
until you're done with the entire interview,
unless you specifically switch to the forms.
And they import data only from Quicken
and TXF formats.
Despite minor shortcomings, TurboTax
and MacInTax stand out among the pack-
ages here in their ability to handle virtual-
ly any tax situation. The packages effort-
lessly and correctly calculate even the most
complicated of tax returns. They offer ex-
tensive help and hints on advanced tax
matters and even point you to IRS publi-
cations for further reading.
ChipSoft is the only company here that
also sells versions of its programs specif-
ically designed for professional tax pre-
parers. In fact, if you prepare your return
with TurboTax and bring it to profession-
al preparers who use the pro packages,
they can import your return and check or
complete it for you.
Taxing Choices
For taxpayers who want to spend the least
amount of time dealing with Uncle Sam
(and aren't interested in becoming tax ex-
perts), any of the packages offering inter-
views are logical choices. TaxCut's inter-
view process is thorough, but it has some
limitations for complex returns. And while
TurboTax' s interview has its drawbacks,
it's most effective and accurate for all types
of returns. Interview-type programs are
most effective when used with the financial
management packages whose data they
can import. That can eliminate the dread-
ed Shoebox Syndrome as you sift through
piles of receipts as the tax deadline nears.
While the DOS versions of these pro-
grams are just as functional, we recom-
mend that PC users buy the Windows ver-
sions: They put on-screen what looks like
an actual IRS form, which is definitely
helpful. And surprisingly, we found that
the Windows versions were just as fast as
their DOS counterparts.
A dose of reality: Because of the com-
plexity of the U.S. Tax Code, the more
complex your tax situation, the less cut-
and-dried the "answers" are. Like law,
taxes require interpretation and opinions,
dependent on "facts and circumstances,"
as the IRS likes to say. Given any com-
plex situation, all these packages could
deliver slightly different bottom lines based
on the interview. Programs like we've re-
viewed here are designed for the vast ma-
jority of taxpayers and are no substitute
for a one-on-one interview with a real tax
professional. ■
Kathleen LaRiviere has over 14 years' ex-
perience as a tax professional; she owns
and operates a tax practice in Peterbor-
ough, New Hampshire. Stan Miastkowski
is a BYTE consulting editor and a free-
lance writer specializing in computer tech-
nology. Both can be reached on BIX c/o
"stanm " or via MCI Mail at 530-9979.
ITEMS DISCUSSED
Andrew Tobias' TaxCut for DOS,
TaxCut for Windows, TaxCut for
the Macintosh $50
Meca Software, Inc.
(203) 256-5000
fax: (203) 255-6300
Circle 1225 on Inquiry Card.
Personal Tax Edge,
Personal Tax Edge for
Windows $49
Parsons Technology
(319)395-9626
fax:(319)393-1002
Circle 1 226 on Inquiry Card.
Tax Solver for Excel,
Tax Solver for 1-2-3, Tax Solver
for Symphony $79.95
Intex Solutions, Inc.
(617)449-6222
Circle 1 227 on Inquiry Card.
TurboTax for DOS, TurboTax for
Windows, MacInTax $79.95
ChipSoft, Inc.
(619)453-4446
Circle 1 228 on Inquiry Card.
168 BYTE -MARCH 1993
REVIEWS
SYSTEM
Compaq Stakes Out
Both Ends of the Server Spectrum
BARRY NANCE
When it comes to the network server
market, one size most definitely does
not fit all. One shop may require
nonstop operation, another excellent I/O
performance for a large LAN, and a third
high-speed processing for a database serv-
er. And some companies just need reason-
able performance at a reasonable price.
Compaq has addressed both ends of the
server spectrum with two recent server in-
troductions. The Systempro/XL (see the
photo) is a high-end, dual-processor system
with fault-tolerant and management fea-
tures; Compaq's new ProSignia is a new
low-end, single-processor server.
I tested both servers for speed in two
environments. In my lab, I alternated be-
tween Ethernet and Token Ring to con-
nect up to eight workstations. For a larger-
scale test, I used a battery of 50 PCs on
16-Mbps Token Ring to give the XL and
ProSignia servers more of a workout. I
used the BYTE LAN Benchmarks (for
NetWare and Unix) to measure perfor-
mance on NetWare 3.1 1 from Compaq
and SCO Unix 3.2.4. Figure 1 shows re-
sults for varying workstation levels on a
Token Rina network.
In the following sections, I'll discuss
performance and reliability aspects of the
XL. You'll find details on the ProSignia in
the text box "You're Not Going to Pay a
Lot for This Server," page 172.
Inside the XL
The XL is based on Compaq's new Tri-
Flex system architecture, which Compaq
designed to be upwardly compatible with
Intel's entire family of fast CPUs. A natu-
ral extension to Flex/MP, TriFlex sepa-
rates system operations among the 64-bit
processor bus, the 128-bit memory bus,
and the 32-bit EISA bus. The TriFlex
DataFlow Manager coordinates the work
of EISA adapters and the CPU, providing
a 267-MBps path to and from main mem-
ory. (For comparison, the IBM Model 295
operates at 200 MBps.)
DataFlow Manager is Compaq's solu-
tion to a performance problem that some-
times plagues bus-master adapters. Ironi-
cally, as a bus-master adapter uses more
memory bandwidth, it reduces the CPU's
ability to access main memory during in-
struction fetch cycles. According to Com-
paq, the DataFlow Manager lets proces-
1 il'J 1 J ACTION SUMMARY 1
■ PRICE
■ WHAT THE SYSTEMPRO/XL AND
PROSIGNIA ARE
Systempro/XL (with SCSI, four
The XL is a new high-end server
550-MB hard drives, dual
with fault-tolerant features. The
486/50s, 1 6 MB of RAM, Token
ProSignia is a fast, low-cost server.
Ring), $22,014
ProSignia (with SCSI, one 550-
■ LIKES
MB hard drive, one 486DX2/66,
Fault tolerance and excellent
1 6 MB of RAM, Token Ring),
capacity on the XL; low cost but
$6097
good performance on the ProSignia.
■ FOR MORE INFORMATION
■ DISLIKES
Compaq Computer Corp.
No hot-swap capability for the XL;
P.O. Box 692000
multiprocessing practical only on
Houston, TX 77269
Unix networks.
(800)345-1518
(71 3) 370-0670
■ RECOMMENDATIONS
fax:(713)374-1740
Both servers fit their niches well.
Circle 1223 on Inquiry Card.
The Systempro/XL features dual
processors and advanced system
architecture for high performance.
sors and EISA bus-masters access main
memory simultaneously more than 70 per-
cent of the time.
The XL can accept an optional second
processor board. The two CPUs in my re-
view unit were 50-MHz 486s, but Com-
paq says that the XL's 64-bit processor
architecture will readily accommodate In-
tel's future high-speed CPUs — Pentium
and beyond. The XL's processor boards
also add 256 KB of two-way set-associa-
tive, write-back cache.
NetWare can take advantage of the large
CPU cache, but it can't make use of the
second CPU. Novell says it's still in the
design stages of multiprocessor support
for NetWare and that SMP (symmetric
multiprocessing) support may appear in a
subsequent release of NetWare 4.0 late in
1993. Until then, you'll find the dual -pro-
cessor architecture most useful in an ap-
plication or database server running SCO
Unix with MPX (multiprocessor exten-
sion) or Banyan Vines SMP.
The XL comes bundled with a new
Compaq network interface card. The Net-
Flex dual-physical-layer-protocol adapter
MARCH 1993 • BYTE 169
COMPAQ SERVERS
BYTE NETWORK BENCHMARKS
NETWARE
Sequential I/O
UNIX
Sequential I/O
4 8 12
24
Nodes
48 " 4 8 12 24 48 4 8 12
Nodes
ProSignia | Systempro/XL Systempro/XL (2 NICs)
24
Nodes
Figure 1 : NetWare benchmark results
show that both servers are fast but that
the Systempro/XL has considerably
higher capacity than the ProSignia. The
XL shows no degradation at all with two
NICs installed. It ran in a dual-
processor configuration on the Unix
tests, but because I/O is such a
significant component of the BYTE Unix
Network Benchmarks, the XL doesn 't
show much benefit.
Figure 2: The
Systempro/XL
shows a linear
increase in
processing power
when adding an
additional CPU
running Dhrystones
under MPX.~
MP PERFORMANCE
30,000
Dhrystones
25,000
2 CPUs
—
20,000
15,000
- 10,000
5000
I 1 CPU 1
Systempro/XL
170 BYTE • MARCH 1993
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TWO POWERBOOKS GREAT AND SMALL
BYTE MACINTOSH BENCHMARKS
Power Book 180
PowerBook Duo 230
Mac llci
Mac llfx
Mac Classic II
0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 2 4 6 8 10 12 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0
Index Index Index index
PowerBook 180
PowerBook Duo 230
Mac llci
Mac llfx
Mac Classic II
i worse Battery Life Better ►
PowerBook 180
PowerBook 230
^ m
PowerBook 145
PowerBook 170
5 10 15 20 25 30 35 2000 4000 6000 8000 10.000
Index
BENCHMARK SUMMARY
30 60 90 120 150
Minutes
PowerBook 180
PowerBook Duo 230
Mac llci
Mac llfx
Low-level performance
CPU index 2.60
FPU index 10.68
Disk index 1 .47
Video index 2.00
2.70
2.22
1.38
2.14
2.18
2.66
1.04
2.17
3.36
4.10
1.51
2.68
Application performance
Word processing index 2.76
DTP index 1 .81
Database index 2.50
Development index 2.19
Graphics applications index 2.63
Scientific index 4.46
Spreadsheet index 5.54
Overall application index 21 .91
2.90
1.86
2.59
2.27
2.63
2.67
3.02
17.93
2.99
1.80
2.67
2.06
2.63
4.33
5.98
22.47
4.39
2.44
3.46
2.83
3.63
6.81
8.52
32.08
Mac Classic II
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
7.00
Dhrystone
5555
6250
5555
10,000
2000
All machines were tested using System 7.1 . Except for the Dhrystone and battery-life tests, all results are indexed, and higher numbers indicate better performance. For each indexed
test, a Mac Classic 11 = 1. Comprehensive test results and detailed configurations are available for all machines on request.
The 33-MHz PowerBook 180 and PowerBook Duo 230 are about 20 percent faster than a 25-MHz Mac llci in some operations.
the needs of all but the most demanding
users.
Both computers' screens were bright
and clear, but I especially enjoyed the crys-
tal sharpness of the 180's active-matrix
display. As for the Duo, there are a lot of
little features to like: the LED in the Caps
Lock key, the easy-to-reach Power On but-
ton (it's by the keyboard rather than in the
rear), and its going into sleep mode when
you close the lid. However, its smaller, re-
cessed trackball takes some getting used to.
The trackball got mixed reviews among
other BYTE editors.
Which computer should you choose?
That depends on what you need on the
road, and your working style. I have to ad-
mit my bias toward the complete, self-con-
tained system represented by the Power-
Book 180, and I can't praise the display
enough.
There's a lot to like about the Duo 230's
smaller size and lighter weight. Neverthe-
less, its lack of a floppy drive scares me.
While the Duo Floppy Adapter and exter-
nal SuperDrive are a good solution, it re-
quires keeping track of too many little parts
on the road. If the Duo 230 had a built-in
floppy drive, I'd like it a lot better. As it is,
I'll stick with the PowerBook 180. ■
Tom Thompson is a BYTE senior technical
editor at large with a B.S.E.E. from Mem-
phis State University. You can contact him
on BIX as "tomjthompson " or on the In-
ternet at tomt@bytepb.byte.com.
176 BYTE • MARCH 1993
REVIEWS
APPLICATION
Visual Basic for Windows Gets a Face-Lift
TOM YAGER
Until the arrival of Microsoft's Visual
Basic for Windows, programmers had
to spend hours learning complex de-
velopment tools just to work in Windows.
Visual Basic simplified working in Win-
dows and gave the rewards of custom
programming to even occasional pro-
grammers. However, its limited feature
set was deficient for some, particularly
when a large application needed to be cre-
ated. At those times, many programmers
were forced to write portions of their pro-
grams in C or another language.
The latest release, version 2.0, removes
many but not all of the original version's
limitations. Improved performance and
new capabilities make custom Windows
programming easier than ever. However,
Visual Basic still lacks some pieces that I
consider important, including a native-
code compiler.
Greater Magnitude
I tested Visual Basic for Windows 2.0 on
three machines: a Toshiba T2000SX lap-
top (a 16-MHz 386SX), an ALR Flyer
32LCT with a 66-MHz 486DX2, and a
Uniq file server with a 50-MHz 486. I
spread the testing around to get a feel for
the new Visual Basic's performance. How-
ever, I did most of my test work on the
laptop because I wanted to see how Visu-
al Basic's changes played on a system with
minimal display resolution and color depth,
limited CPU speed, and relatively limited
memory (5 MB). If Visual Basic 2.0 could
make it there, it could make it anywhere.
The first thing that struck me about
Visual Basic 2.0 was its magnitude. I
installed the Professional Edition, which
occupied about 22 MB of disk space
and took close to an hour to load on the
T2000SX. The installation lets you selec-
tively leave out parts of the package and
does a fine job of comparing and display-
ing required and available disk space.
The appearance of Visual Basic 2.0 has
changed noticeably (see the screen). Most
obvious is Microsoft's ubiquitous toolbar.
The toolbar is where the old properties
combo box pair used to be; Visual Basic
1 .0 users might find the change a little con-
fusing at first. Properties are now man-
aged through a floating window.
1 wasn't sure I'd like the new setup un-
til I loaded a project I created in the old
I'.IUim.l'JHI
File _ Edit XView Run Ogfaug Options Window
(SB [a
Send Massage
Visual Basic 2.0
sports a new tool
bar and floating
window, where
you can see
multiple
properties at once
and change
properties for
multiple selected
controls.
Message Tel j c ° m ''° 1
Add Recipient \r\* .
IS
:liSbJ
LabJ
\ v- jCombol
Name
Sorted
Style
Tablndex
TabS lop
■ Default
Combol
False
0- Dropdown Combo
i
#define TIMER_INT //use timer interrupt for test,
//since we know it's active
extern unsigned int counter;
main ()
(
Setint (TIMER_INT) ; // set interrupt vector
printf ("\nPress any key to exit . \h\n") ;
while (ikbhit {) )
printf ("\ncounter - %u", counter) ) ;
Restoreint ;
Listing 3: This small subroutine takes the values in AL
andBL and puts them in a trace buffer each time it
is called until the trace buffer is full. AL andBL were
chosen arbitrarily for the sake of illustration; any
desired variables or tokens can be written. You can use
a circular buffer if needed.
TRACE_BUFF_SIZE
BYTES PER WRITE
EQU
EQU
4000
2
trace_buff db TEST_BUFF_SIZE DUP (OFFH)
trace_buff_ptr dw OFFSET trace_buff
trace_buff_end dw (OFFSET trace_buff +
TRACE_BUFF_SIZE - BYTES PER WRITE)
@curseg
ends
.CODE
;Enter with first byte of data to be stored in AL
;and second byte in BL; keep writing data until
;buffer is full.
trace_data:
push di ;DI used as index into trace buffer
mov di, [trace_buf f_ptr]
cmp
di, [trace buff end]
Dae
no more
mov
[di] ,al
inc
di
cmp
di, [trace buff end]
jae
no more
mov
[di],bl
inc
di
mov
[trace buff ptr],di
no more:
pop
di
ret
;Get place in trace
; buffer
;Make sure don't overrun
;Make sure don't overrun
dcurseg
BYTE • MARCH 1993
Everyone
makes claims.
We make sure.
When the industry wants
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And because of the respect we've
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SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED
accurate idea of the order of events. Older
chips (e.g., the 8086) don't let you trace on
the interrupt, so sometimes source debug-
gers are not an option even for simple
problems. Also, source debuggers don't
usually help find problems related to the
use of the interrupt hardware.
So what's a programmer to do? It would
be nice if you could buy ICEs (in-circuit
emulators), which provide all sorts of neat
things, such as trace buffers, that can tell
you exactly what instructions were exe-
cuted in which order. However, ICEs can
cost well into five figures. Most individu-
al programmers and even small compa-
nies can 't afford such equipment.
Tricks of the Trade
I started writing ISRs on machines with
very primitive debugging capabilities, and,
painful as those early experiences were, I
learned some tricks that I still use, even
when I have sophisticated hardware and
software available to assist in debugging.
The examples in this article are for Intel
microprocessors, but the principles apply
to almost any environment.
The first and most important technique
I use is no stranger to believers in modular
programming. The strategy boils down to
this: Divide and conquer. There are three
basic areas of difficulty common to most
ISRs: dealing with the interrupt mecha-
nism itself (both the hardware and the op-
erating system), getting access to your
data, and debugging the actual functional
code that runs on the interrupt. If you can
get each of these three areas working in-
dependently, when you combine them you
will have to worry only about problems
introduced by their interaction.
Typically, there are four parts to dealing
with the interrupt mechanism: telling the
system to call your code when an inter-
rupt happens, catching the interrupt when
it occurs, returning control to the system,
and making sure the normal interrupt vec-
tor is restored when your program exits.
Wherever possible in dealing with the
interrupt mechanism, use operating-sys-
tem services to avoid the need for debug-
ging. For example, in MS-DOS, you can
write directly to the interrupt vector table
to set up your interrupt, or you can use
INT 2 1 h services to get and set the vec-
tor. Programmers who decide to write di-
rectly to the interrupt vector table create
programs that will not work as expected
under environments like Windows, which
runs in protected mode and virtualizes
memory. Save yourself trouble down the
line, and do it the right way from the start.
The best debugging is the debugging you
never have to do.
Next, write an ISR that consists of the
absolute minimum of instructions — just
a return, if possible. Remember to use the
right kind of return; on Intel systems, the
mnemonic is IRET. On IBM PCs and com-
patibles, you will also need to send an End
Of Interrupt signal to the interrupt con-
troller. (See listing 1 for a complete, if
tiny, ISR skeleton for the IBM PC.) Then
write the code needed to set the appropri-
ate interrupt vector to point to your ISR.
Even if you can't use your source debug-
ger on the ISR itself, you should be able to
use it to double-check that you're passing
the correct address and selecting the correct
interrupt.
Now run the code. If nothing seems to
happen, you probably got it right. Next,
try loading in another program. If the sys-
tem crashes, you almost certainly changed
the interrupt vector successfully. Now you
must change it back to the original vector
before exiting your program.
continued
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UNIX and OPEN LOOK are registered trademarks oF UNIX System Laboratories. Inc. Microsoft is a registered trademark and Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED
If your tiny program crashes, you have
to find out whether the problem lies with
the way you are altering the interrupt vec-
tor or with the ISR itself. Usually there is
some way you can find out whether your
ISR is being executed — for example, by
writing a character directly to screen mem-
ory, if your ISR is being called, then the
problem is almost certainly in the code be-
ing executed in the ISR. Double-check to
make sure you have saved every register
you use, including the flags if the micro-
processor doesn't save them; triple-check
to make sure you have restored all registers
in the proper order. If you are calling a
function in a high-level language, make
sure all registers get saved before the call
and restored after the call. Better yet, elim-
inate all calls to external functions until
you are sure they are not the source of the
problem.
It is realistic to expect to have to reboot
frequently while getting your first ISR run-
ning, especially while working on setting
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up the interrupt mechanism. If you don't
have to reboot quite a few times on your
first ISR, you're doing a lot better than I
did on my first one.
The Next Step
Once your program can set up and restore
the interrupt vector and execute an inter-
rupt without crashing, the worst is over.
Now you can start working on the second
area of basic difficulty: accessing your
data.
With the old 8-bit processors, it was
easy: Memory was limited to 64 KB of
absolute address space. Both 16- and 32-bit
processors usually use some form of rela-
tive addressing — for example, segment-
relative addressing on the Intel chips or
address register-relative addressing on
Motorola chips. Motorola chips offer the
option of absolute addressing, but there
are penalties in both code size and execu-
tion speed, so most systems use relative
addressing.
The trick is getting your data's base ad-
dress (usually referred to as the segment or
selector with Intel microprocessors). When
you enter an interrupt, the only registers
you can count on are the ones that point to
the current instruction. There are two ways
of getting a base data address: You can
store it at a known absolute address or at a
known offset to the current instruction.
Storing something at an absolute ad-
dress is fine if you are sure you're the only
one that will ever be using the system.
That leaves out almost all PCs. since, even
if you are not actively multitasking, you
have to make sure you don't step on the
operating system or a TSR program. In
fact, this option is mainly viable for em-
bedded systems.
Fortunately, storing the data at a known
offset from the ISR's first instruction is
relatively simple. The exact details vary
with different chips and compilers, but
listing 1 shows one way (of several possi-
ble ways) to accomplish this under MS-
DOS.
The next step is to make sure that your
ISR works and that you really can get at
your data. Listing 2 shows a small test pro-
gram, again for MS-DOS, that simply in-
crements a variable on each interrupt, with
some mainline code that prints the vari-
able to the screen. If the variable is being
incremented, your code is correct; if not,
make sure you're using the correct base
data address.
Sometimes it's hard to tell whether there
is a problem with the base data address or
whether your ISR is simply not being ex-
ecuted. In this situation, here is a useful
trick: Set up your ISR to replace an ISR
that you know is being called (on a PC,
192 BYTE • MARCH 1993
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SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED
the timer interrupt is ideal). If nothing
changes, you are probably missing the
data. If the data is now being accessed, the
interrupt that you were using before is not
being generated.
At this point, note what you've accom-
plished: All the interrupt-related issues
have been isolated (well, most of them;
more about that later), and you can pro-
ceed to the third basic area — debugging
the functional code — without worrying
about the interrupt.
Defensive Programming
Several other common trouble spots are
best dealt with through defensive pro-
gramming. First, since the interrupt oc-
curs asynchronously, you must be abso-
lutely certain that you save and restore all
registers. Normally, you make assump-
tions about registers: For example, AX (or
DO) is not preserved across function calls.
Interrupts are a different story. They can
happen at any time, between any two in-
structions, and if they trash a register, the
irs Tut best
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results are unpredictable.
Second, on most systems, especially
IBM PCs, interrupt code needs to execute
quickly and get out of the way. Several
problems can occur when one interrupt in-
terrupts an ongoing interrupt; the most se-
vere is a system crash, but none of them
is fun. Avoid complex calculations (e.g.,
floating point) during interrupts. Pass the
values to the mainline code to do the slow
stuff. If possible, avoid high-level lan-
guages and stick with assembly language
for ISRs. You'd be surprised at just how
inefficient C can be.
Again, practice defensive programming.
Debugging the problems that arise from a
slow ISR can be difficult, so avoid the sit-
uation. There's still a place for tight, fast
code, even in this power-glutted age.
I find it useful to write the functional
code for an ISR so that it can be called
from mainline code. In this way, I can step
through it before it is running on the in-
terrupt, to catch bugs and side effects when
it's still easy to do so. Just make sure that
your code is not also being executed by
the ISR while you're stepping through it
from mainline code, or you'll hopelessly
confuse your debugger.
Other Snags
Usually, once the basic pieces of your ISR
are working correctly, you're finished.
Sometimes, however, problems arise in-
volving coordination between the ISR and
the mainline code. The ISR may access a
variable before it is set to the correct value,
or the mainline code may alter the vari-
able before the ISR has a chance to do
what it needs to do with the old value.
These concurrency problems can be very
hard to debug, and source-level debuggers
don't always help, because they can alter
the order of events. I suggest two tech-
niques for solving these classic real-time
bugs.
Say you need to know the value of a
variable during the first execution of the
ISR. Simply have the ISR copy the vari-
able into another memory location, and
have the mainline code display the copy.
Even if you don't have an ICE, you can
roll your own software trace buffer. Set
up a circular buffer, and write data and to-
kens to it that you can examine later to see
just what happened during interrupt pro-
cessing. You can often find subtle order-of-
execution problems by carefully examin-
ing this buffer. You can use the buffer to
accumulate information during process-
ing, and then you can print it to the screen
or write it to disk and examine the infor-
mation at your leisure. Listing 3 demon-
strates this technique.
I recently used this technique while I
194 BYTE • MARCH 1993
Circle 147 on Inquiry Card.
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SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED
was writing a Windows device driver. I
could step through the code and every-
thing would work fine, but when the code
ran in real time, something went awry. The
code was complex: Data was passed to the
driver in a series of buffers of varying
sizes, copied in small chunks into other
buffers, and then sent via interrupt-driv-
en DMA to a peripheral board. Both the
mainline and interrupt code used the key
functions, and everything had to happen
in the right order. It was impossible to tell
the order of execution by any convention-
al means, so I added a software trace buffer
and wrote tokens to it that indicated the
order in which functions executed. Once I
had the tokens to examine, finding the
problem was simple.
Debugging Tools
My emphasis in this article has been on
worst-case debugging — routing out the
nasty little critters when normal techniques
won't help. If your equipment allows you
to use a source-level debugger, then by all
means do so. You can find some fairly in-
expensive hardware and software tools
that will help, too. I work almost entirely
on IBM PCs, so the list I give here won't
help much if you work on Macs or Sun
workstations, but it may give you some
ideas.
One of my favorite tools is the breakout
switch, which causes an NMI (nonmask-
able interrupt). You need software that
patches the NMI vector to point to debug-
ging code; then, when the machine hangs,
you can hit the switch and find out what
code was executing. Periscope makes a
great hardware/software combination with
a breakout switch that lets you pop into
any executing code.
Both Periscope and Nu-Mega provide
software that — when running on a 386 or
higher processor with adequate RAM —
performs many of the functions of an ICE,
including complex breakpoints and trace
buffering of code that has executed. This
kind of tool is almost indispensable if you
write a lot of ISRs. Nu-Mega also sells a
tool that will spot out-of-bounds memory
accesses. That's handy for finding unini-
tialized pointers in mainline code and ISRs
alike.
If you have the money, Periscope also
makes a board that contains a trace buffer
that errant code can't overwrite. With this
board, you have almost all the function-
ality of a true ICE at significantly lower
cost.
A true ICE lets you do more than just
buffer instructions. It can also keep track of
exactly what is happening on the bus and
at selected other points in your system.
However, most of the time you will not
need this information for debugging ISRs;
it's mainly needed for hardware develop-
ment.
The time will come, though — no matter
what debugging hardware and software
you own — when you won't be able to find
a way to trace the problem through ordi-
nary means. That's when you need to ap-
ply the fundamental rule of dividing the
problem into its component parts and then
use your ingenuity to find out what is go-
ing wrong. ■
Editor's note: The complete listings for
this article are available in electronic for-
mat. See page 5 for details.
Thomas Jeffries is president of Singing
Electrons, a Lope:, Washington, company
specializing in developing multimedia au-
dio tools and products. You can reach him
on BIX as "(Jeffries."
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Which computer guru
founded Dial-a- Joke?
■ •
Now's your chance to stump the
experts with the most intriguing, funny,
just downright strange computer trivia you can think of.
It's the 1993 Computer Bowl, being held on May 14, 1993
in San Jose. California. Two teams made up of industry
notables go head to head in this grueling competition.
The examiner is again Bill Gales (who on his days off runs
a small company in Washington state). So submit as many
questions as you want, but do it soon — only a select
number are chosen. If we use one. we'll list you in the
1993 Computer Bowl program and you'll get a videotape
of the whole event. Send your questions — and answers
— in advance to: The Computer Bowl Project Manager.
The Computer Museum, 300 Congress Street, Boston,
MA 02210. And think hard. Mr. Gates is waiting.
For sponsorship and
ticket information, call
(617) 426-2800 x346
Answer: Let's |ust say he co-founded
another company named after fruit.
impute
Bow/
196 BYTE • MARCH 1993 Circle 220 on Inquiry Card (RESELLERS: 221).
/
UNDER THE HOOD
ROGER C. ALFORD
CD-ROM
Inside and Out
Technology advancements, new standards, and im-
proved software are propelling CD-ROM toward
widespread acceptance among personal comput-
er users. But while the impact of CD-ROM tech-
nology is clear (see "Start the Presses," Febru-
ary BYTE), the underlying technology and standards can
be confusing. Knowing how typical CD-ROM drives
work and what standards such as ISO 9660 and CD-
ROM XA (Extended Architecture) mean should help
anyone who's shopping for a CD-ROM drive.
CD technology was developed in 1976, the result of a
joint effort between N. V. Philips of the Netherlands and
Sony Corp. of Japan. This led to the 1982 Red Book
specification for CD audio, which defined media size
and characteristics, physical data layout on the disc, error
correction, disc rotation speed, and other parameters.
The potential application of CD-ROM technology as a
high-capacity, low-cost medium for read-only data stor-
age resulted in the 1983 Yellow Book CD-ROM speci-
fication. While the basic technology remains the same
as that for CD audio, CD-ROM data requires greater data
integrity: A corrupt bit that's not noticeable during audio
playback becomes intolerable with computer data. In ad-
dition to the Red Book CIRC (cross-interleaved Reed-
Solomon code) standard for audio CDs, the Yellow Book
specification dedicates more bits for EDCs (error-detec-
tion codes) and ECCs (error-correction codes).
Other CD-ROM specifications have followed, in-
cluding the Green Book CD-I (Compact Disc Interac-
tive) specification, which al-
lows for interleaved audio and
video data, and the upcoming
Orange Book specification,
which governs the new CD-R
(CD recordable) drives.
Here's how CD-ROM
drives work, how CD-ROM
discs store data, and
what the standards mean
CD-ROM Basics
A standard CD-ROM disc measures 120 millimeters
(4.72 inches) across and has a 15-mm (0.6-inch) spin-
dle hole in the center and a thickness of 1 .2 mm. Unlike
conventional disks, which have concentric circular tracks
divided into sectors, CD-ROM discs have a single spiral
track, as a record does, that starts near the center and
spirals outward (see figure 1). This 3-mile-long track is
divided into equal-length sectors, or blocks. The track
width is about 600 nanometers wide, and adjacent turns
of the spiral track are about 1600 nm apart, for a density
of about 16,000 turns per inch.
Data on the spiral track is in the form of small, variable-
length, 120-nm-deep depressions called pits and inter-
vening flat areas called lands. The CD-ROM's read
head — an optical assembly with a low-power gallium
arsenide laser and a photodetector — reads the pits and the
lands. The assembly directs the laser beam through a
one-way reflective mirror to the disc's surface (see figure
2). The lands reflect light from the laser; the pits dis-
perse it. The reflective mirror redirects the returning light
to a photodiode. continued
ILLUSTRATION: J. W. STEWART <■> 1993
MARCH 1993 • BYTE 197
BYTE
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The BYTE Reprint
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Reprints can serve as
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UNDER THE HOOD
CD-ROM VS. MAGNETIC
Sector 1
S^tor 2 ; Sector se of *- ''°'
Z Sector
Sector 3
Sector 4
Track Track 1 Track 2 Track 3
Figure 1 : CD-ROM discs use a continuous spiral track that has sectors of equal
length (left). Magnetic hard disks organize data into concentric circular tracks and
divide the tracks into sectors of varying sizes (right). This design has a marked effect
on performance.
The disc itself consists of a transparent
polycarbonate substrate onto which the
manufacturer impresses a pattern of lands
and pits. A reflective aluminum or alu-
minum-alloy film covers the substrate, fol-
lowed by a coat of protective lacquer and
the vendor's label (see figure 3). The drive
reads the disc from the bottom, through
the polycarbonate substrate. This tough
plastic material, which is also used for bul-
letproof windows, is unharmed by expo-
sure to direct sunlight.
CD-R
Probably the most exciting — and certain-
ly the most technologically advanced —
area of recent CD-ROM development is
CD-R. Philips and Sony laid the founda-
tion for this technology, which was intro-
duced under the guise of the Orange Book
(Part 2) specification. Also called CD- WO
(write once), CD-R lets you write data to a
specially manufactured writable disc. Any
standard CD-ROM drive can read such a
disc.
The Orange Book specification also in-
cludes a provision for appending infor-
mation to a CD-R disc that already has
information written on it, displacing the
standard CD-ROM-mastering requirement
that all information must be available from
the start and applied to the disc simulta-
neously. Currently, however, a standard
CD-ROM drive can read only the first ses-
sion on a CD-R disc; subsequent sessions
must be read on the CD-R drive that was
used to create the disc.
A writable CD-R disc consists of the
same polycarbonate substrate and spiral
groove that are present on standard CD-
ROM discs. But instead of having an alu-
minum coating, the groove on a CD-R disc
is covered with an organic-dye recording
layer, followed by a layer of gold and a
lacquer coating. Once the lacquer layer is
scratched, the dye and gold layers on CD-
R discs are more susceptible to damage
than the aluminum layer on conventional
CD-ROM discs.
Dye selection is critical to the success-
ful operation of CD-R. The dye must ex-
hibit the same nominal 70 percent reflec-
tivity as the lands on standard CD-ROM
discs, and it must be laser-alterable to a
nonreflective (i.e., light-dispersion) state.
Long-term stability is also important, since
discs in the hands of consumers are sub-
jected to scratches, temperature extremes,
and exposure to direct sunlight.
The components of a CD-R drive read/
write head are essentially the same as those
of a standard CD-ROM drive head. The
CD-R head, however, has a higher-pow-
ered laser for burning data pits. The laser
power required varies with the disc's ro-
tational speed. To perform faster write op-
erations, the disc must spin faster; thus, it
requires a higher-power laser with shorter
pulses. CD-R drives use the laser in low-
power mode to read discs.
The preformed groove on a writable CD
disc — which is 600 nm wide and 100 nm
deep — is used for tracking purposes. Since
the virgin state of the dye-on-gold is re-
flective (like CD-ROM lands), the laser is
used to alter the dye so that it disperses
light instead of reflecting it. This creates
areas that look like CD-ROM pits. This
■f\a.ru6i/&(
^>
They're exactly the
same, but somebody
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the one on the right.
When you use illegally copied software, you're committing ■■ DOS and Macintosh'," comprehensive auditing software, a video
a federal crime and risking a fine of up to $100,000. How can ■•■ (I and procedures for establishing and enforcing a policy that will
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Harvard Graphics ami ScreenShow arc registered trademarks of Software Publishing Corporation.
feu Need
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UNDER THE HOOD
approach allows the drive to create a disc
that, optically speaking, has the same lands
and pits as a standard CD-ROM disc and
thus can be read by an ordinary CD-ROM
drive. While the CD-R head assembly has
more components, the path from laser to
photodiode is essentially the same as for a
standard CD-ROM drive.
Data Organization
The lands and pits on a CD-ROM disc do
not represent ones and zeros. The reason is
complex to explain. Briefly, each bit re-
quires about 300 nm of length along the
spiral track. Thus, if a sector had 2048
data bytes consisting of all zeros or ones,
then it would have a pit or land measuring
4,915,200 nm or longer. The CD-ROM
drive would have to maintain a precise
clock that ticked at an interval representing
300 nm in distance so the next bit could be
read at the right time. That's virtually im-
possible with today's technology.
Instead, designers limited the length of
the pits and lands to a specified range. This
ensures that a transition from one to the
c,
'D-R is the
most exciting and
technologically
advanced area
of recent CD-ROM
development.
other occurs frequently enough for the CD-
ROM drive to derive a clock. The drive
uses this clock to count the number of bits
a pit or land represents, as determined by
its length. The bits are stored on the disc in
RLL (run length limited) format — the
same self-clocking approach used for stor-
ing data on most hard disks.
Each transition on a disc between a land
and a pit represents a one, and each non-
transition represents a zero. The minimum
practical length of a pit or land is 3 bits
(900 nm); the maximum is 11 bits (3300
nm). It's important to note that the 3-bit
minimum precludes having two consecu-
tive one bits (i.e., two back-to-back tran-
sitions). In other words, you must have at
least two, but not more than 10, zero bits
200 BYTE • MARCH 1993
UNDER THE HOOD
THE CD-ROM DRIVE HEAD ASSEMBLY
Standard CD-ROM drive
CD-R drive
Photodiode
r-i__r~i_rl
. ' ■ -~
■Disc
Collimator lens
Objective lens
One-way
reflective
mirror
Quarter-wave plate
Photodiode
Cylindrical
lens
Laser
Collimator lens
si Objective lens
Polarizing
beam splitter
Grating
Condenser
lens
Laser
Figure 2: In standard CD-ROM and CD-R drives, a laser beam passes through a one-way mirror or polarizer and a set of lenses
on its way to the disc. Reflected light passes through the lenses and is redirected to a photodiode.
between one bits.
However, a byte of data stored on disc
might have combinations of eight ones
and zeros that violate the 3-bit minimum,
and multiple consecutive bytes could result
in bit patterns that exceed the 1 1 -bit up-
per limit. To solve this problem, CD-ROM
drives use an encoding scheme that con-
verts data bytes into 14-bit patterns called
channel bits. A 14-bit binary value pro-
vides 16,384 bit patterns; more than 256 of
these meet the requirements for the CD-
ROM encoding format. A one-to-one cor-
relation is then made between each of the
256 binary patterns represented by an 8-bit
byte and 256 of the channel bits that meet
the CD-ROM formatting requirements.
This method, called EFM (eight-to-14
modulation), requires a lookup table to
correlate the 14-bit patterns on the disc to
their 8-bit data values.
While the use of these 14-bit codes gen-
erally supports the criteria for CD-ROM
data storage, it also creates a potential
problem. When you place multiple 14-bit
codes consecutively on disc, it's possible
to violate the run-length limits where the
codes meet. To alleviate this problem, three
merging bits are placed between each 14-
bit code to ensure that no run-length vio-
lations exist.
Standard CD-ROM sectors consist of
2352 bytes organized as shown in figure 4:
12 bytes of synchronization data, followed
by a 4-byte header, 2048 bytes of error-
corrected data, and a 288-byte segment
for ECCs/EDCs.
The sector header consists of three sec-
tor-address bytes and a mode byte. Three
sector modes are defined for standard CD-
ROMs. A mode sector contains all zeros
(this sector might represent a blank area
in a line-art image). In mode 1, a sector
contains 2048 bytes of data plus 288 bytes
of ECCs/EDCs. Mode 2 sectors contain
2336 bytes of uncorrected data. If you use
the last 288 bytes for data instead of
ECCs/EDCs, the amount of data per sector
increases to 2336 non-error-checked bytes.
This is normally reserved for data that is
insensitive to occasional errors, such as
CD-ROM DISC COMPOSITION
Protective layer
Reflective
aluminum layer
Pregroove
PC substrate
CD-ROM
CD-R
Protective layer
Reflective
gold layer
Dye recording layer
Pregroove
PC substrate
Figure 3: In a standard CD-ROM disc, a manufacturer impresses a pattern of lands
and pits into a transparent polycarbonate substrate, which is backed with a reflective
aluminum fdm, a coat of lacquer, and the vendor's label. The drive reads the disc
from the bottom, through the substrate. The substrate layer on a CD-R disc is coated
with an organic-dye recording layer, a gold layer, and a lacquer coating.
MARCH 1993 -BYTE 201
UNDER THE HOOD
CD-ROM SECTOR ORGANIZATION
0-11 13-15 16-2063 2064-2351
Synchronization
(12 bytes)
Header
(4 bytes)
Data
(2048 bytes)
ECC/EDC
or data
(288 bytes)
2352 bytes
Figure 4: A typical CD-ROM disc sector can contain either 2048 bytes of error-
corrected data or 2336 bytes of uncorrected data. Dispensing with error correction
(which is recommended only for more tolerant audio or video data) expands the disc
capacity by more than 50 MB.
digitized audio and video data. For sensi-
tive data, mode 1 error detection is very
effective: The likelihood of an undetected
error is about 10'" , or about 1 bit per 2
quadrillion CD-ROM discs.
As with audio CDs, CD-ROM discs are
generally made using a 60-minute spiral
consisting of 270,000 sectors. These discs
can, however, be made using up to a 74-
minute spiral, with 333,000 sectors. The
additional 14 minutes are located on the
outer 5 mm of the disc. This area is the
hardest to record well and keep clean, so it
is often left unused.
Manufacturers cite widely varying CD-
ROM disc capacities. It all depends on
whether they are using 270,000 or 333,000
sectors and how they perform the calcu-
lations. A 270,000-sector CD-ROM disc
with 2048 bytes (2 KB) of corrected data
per sector has a capacity of 552,960,000
bytes. Some manufacturers round this off
to 552 MB or divide by 1 KB (1024 bytes)
and round it off to 540 MB. The correct
method is to divide by 1 MB (1,048,576
bytes), for a total of about 527 MB of er-
ror-corrected data. If you use uncorrected
sectors (2336 bytes per sector), the capac-
ity increases to 601 MB. Using 333,000
sectors per disc, the 681,984,000 bytes on
an error-corrected disc add up to 650 MB
of usable storage, or 742 MB without error
correction.
ISO 9660
While the Yellow Book specification now
exists to detail the low-level organization
of sectors and data on a CD-ROM disc,
early CD-ROMs were fraught with sys-
tem-level incompatibilities because no
standard existed for a file structure or high-
er-level data organization. In response, an
ad hoc group of companies, known as the
High Sierra Group, defined today's de fac-
to CD-ROM file-format structure.
The High Sierra format quickly became
the standard for CD-ROM data storage
and established a high level of intersys-
tem compatibility for CD-ROM discs. The
ISO adopted it in 1988, with minor modi-
fications, as ISO 9660. ISO 9660 is the
least common denominator for CD-ROM
discs. It offers interoperability at the ex-
pense of platform-specific file-system fea-
tures, such as the Mac's data and resource
forks.
A new standard, called the Frankfurt
specification, will eventually augment the
Orange Book specification. It will support
Unix, OS/2, Macintosh, and Windows NT
file-system conventions, as well as incre-
mental update (i.e., multisession) capabil-
ity for CD-R drives. It won't, however, be
compatible with today's CD-ROM soft-
ware.
Drive Mechanics
The data bits on a CD-ROM disc must
pass under the read head at a constant rate,
known as CLV (constant linear velocity).
Because the sectors on the outer and in-
ner edges of the disc are the same length
(see figure 1), achieving a CLV requires
changing the rotational speed of the disc as
the head position changes. As the head
moves farther away from the center, the
rotational speed slows; if it didn't, the bits
on the outer edge of the disc would go past
the read head about three times faster than
those near the center. In contrast, conven-
tional hard disks operate at a constant an-
gular (i.e., rotational) velocity, or CAV;
as a result, the physical sector sizes grow
longer as the tracks get farther from the
center.
The CD-ROM optical head assembly
stays a relatively long (1-mm) distance
away from the disc, virtually eliminating
the possibility of a head crash. The read/
write heads of conventional hard disks, in
comparison, float a fraction of a micro-
meter over their disk platters — more than
2000 times closer.
While head crashes are rare, dust is a
problem for CD-ROM drives. The guts of
a CD-ROM drive are exposed to the out-
side world each time the user inserts or re-
moves a disc. Accumulating dust on the
optical head assembly can reduce the ef-
fectiveness of the laser or the photodiode
and can cause drive performance to dete-
riorate or even fail.
Some drive vendors use double doors
to minimize the entry of dust into the drive.
Others incorporate an automatic laser lens
cleaner that dusts off the optical head as-
sembly each time the user ejects a disc.
Not all CD-ROM drives have a dust-pro-
tection mechanism, however.
Drive Performance
The performance of a CD-ROM drive is
measured in access time, which is the av-
erage amount of time it takes the read head
to reposition itself to a new location on
the disc and start reading the data. Older
drives required as much as a second or
longer to perform this operation, while
modern drives accomplish this task in well
under 400 milliseconds.
Most CD-ROM drives share the same
nominal 150-KBps data transfer rate to
conform with the Yellow Book's 75-sec-
tor-per-second data read-rate specifica-
tion. This makes access time all the more
significant in differentiating the perfor-
mance of CD-ROM drives — much more
so than with conventional hard disks.
CD-ROM drive access times are very
large (i.e., slow) when compared to the
sub-20-ms access times of most hard
drives. The sheer bulk of a CD-ROM op-
tical head's assembly is one limiting factor.
Hard drive read heads are small and light,
while the laser, lenses, and other CD-ROM
head-assembly hardware make it difficult
for a CD-ROM's optical head to move
quickly.
A more significant performance obsta-
cle is the drive's variable rotation speed.
The rotation speed must change depending
on the sector being read and its position
relative to the center of the disc. The drive
might hit the brakes to slow the disc speed
to access data at the outer edge of the disc
and then go full tilt to access data on an
inner track. This whipsaw effect — chang-
ing disc speed and then waiting for the
desired speed change before a read can
occur — is the single greatest contributor
to a CD-ROM drive's relatively slow ac-
cess time.
To accommodate multimedia applica-
tions, drives with faster data transfer rates
have appeared on the market in the past
year that offer nearly double the standard
150-KBps rate. Multidisc subsystems offer
nearly four times the standard data transfer
rate. continued
202 BYTE • MARCH 1993
Take the Lead with DataFle,
DATA
Object-Oriented 4GL
Application Development Environment
DBMS
Australia 61 -3-699-7044
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Spain 34-1-402-2298
Sweden 46-300-19530
Tallinn 7-0142-238035
United Arab Em. 97-12-331-885
United Kingdom 44-71-729-4460
Prices may vary by country, DalaFlex is a
registered trademark of Data Access Corporation.
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Time Saving Benefits of DataFlex:
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Call 1-800-451 -FLEX for complete
DataFlex information and the dealer
nearest you.
DATA ACCESS
Miami, FL USA
305/238-0012
For information via CompuServe: GO DAC
Circle 81 on Inquiry Card
(RESELLERS: 82).
UNDER THE HOOD
Faster data transfer rates are accom-
plished by spinning the disc faster; thus,
these faster drives must incorporate hefti-
er motors to quickly accelerate and decel-
erate the rotation speed of the disc at these
higher rpms. Typically, these drives also
support the conventional 75-sector-per-
second read rate for backward compati-
bility for playing audio CDs.
To create a smoother — and effectively
faster — data transfer rate, some CD-ROM
drives incorporate a RAM cache. This al-
lows read-data buffering while the drive
sends data to the host processor.
Mixed Media
While standard CD-ROM discs can mix
text, audio, and video, synchronization is
often disappointing because the data isn't
interleaved. One of the first enhanced in-
carnations of CD-ROM to address this
problem was the 1986 Philips/Sony CD-I,
or Green Book, specification.
Unlike standard CD-ROM drives, which
Comolete. Powerful
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Support for third-part) TCP/IP
Token Rine drn
I ew SmarTerm for Windows clearly puts more VT text and graphics
emulation power and ease at your fingertips. Corporate support features
include a toolbox, button palettes, trace and remapping utilities, scripting,
keyboard mapping, and customizable-help. SmarTerm 340 for Windows
provides outstanding ReGIS, Tektronix, and sixel graphics capabilities.
SmarTerm, connecting users worldwide, is also available for VT320 and
VT340 emulation using DOS.
Persoft, Inc. 465 Science Dr. P.O. Box 44953
Madison, WI 53744-4953
Call toll-free 1-800-EMULATE Fax (608) 273-8227
European Headquarters World Trade Ctr. Beursplein 37
Box 30237 3001 DE Rotterdam The Netherlands
Phone +31 10 405.3560 Fax +31 10 405.5073
persofr
CONNECTIVITY SOLUTIONS
DOS • Windows • Ethernet • Token Ring
©1992. Persofl, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Person unci SmarTerm are registered trademarks of Persofl, Inc. All other trademarks mentioned arc properties of their respective owners. Rev. 1 1/92
operate as a computer peripheral, CD-I
specifies a complete system, with an in-
tegrated computer and NTSC output. One
of its most significant enhancements over
standard CD-ROM technology is the abil-
ity to interleave audio and video informa-
tion for synchronized playback. CD-I de-
fines a CD-ROM drive's mode 2 sector
type with an 8-byte subheader to support
additional data types, including interleaved
audio and video data.
CD-I calls for a Motorola 68000 pro-
cessor using the OS-9 RTOS (real-time
operating system). The use of an RTOS is
necessary to achieve the functional con-
currency that is the key to CD-I operation:
audio output, video output, and disc ac-
cesses occurring simultaneously.
CD-I also incorporates the MPEG
(Moving Pictures Experts Group) video
compression standard. With an MPEG
decompression chip operating in a CD-I
drive, video data can be decompressed and
sent to the host processor on the fly. Com-
pressing video data frees up storage ca-
pacity and effectively increases the play-
back data transfer rate by outputting more
decompressed pixels per sector than a stan-
dard uncompressed sector can hold. CD-I
does not currently support audio com-
pression.
DVI
DVI was originally developed by General
Electric/RCA' s Sarnoff Labs and ap-
peared, like CD-I, in 1986. Intel bought
the technology in 1987 and announced an
Intel/IBM joint venture to exploit the tech-
nology in 1989.
DVI is a computer-based peripheral. It's
not a complete system, but it is otherwise
similar to CD-I. DVI supports interleaved
audio and video data for synchronized
playback and incorporates video data com-
pression. Running on 80x86-based PCs
prevents DVI from using the OS-9 RTOS
found in CD-I. Instead, DVI uses its own
real-time executive that takes over system
resources to accomplish audio-/video-/disc-
access concurrency.
Intel developed a special 750 video pro-
cessing chip set that performs real-time
video compression and decompression op-
erations for IBM's 750-based DVI con-
troller board, the ActionMedia H The IBM
board can both play and develop (i.e., pre-
master) DVI applications.
Intel is working on a special version of
its 486 processor that supports DVI. The
availability of the new device was uncer-
tain as this article went to press, but it
might be on the market by the time you
read this. Such a device could allow more
economical DVI computers to be produced
without external plug-in boards like IBM's
204 BYTE • MARCH 1993
Circle 127 on Inquiry Card.
EXCEED THE LIMITS OF
X TERMINAL EMULATION
Turn your PC into
an X station.
WithHCL-eXceed/W
PC X server software,
Hummingbird allows you
to live in two worlds :
DOS/MS-Windows and
X Windows/UNIX.
Imagine being able to
move both text and images
between UNIX hosts and your
DOS PC. It's as simple as
copying and pasting from
one window of your PC screen
to another.
Discover other innovative
capabilities of HCLreXceed/W.
■ Launch Pad menuing facility
■ Telnet and FTP applications
■ Xll R5: support for scalable
fonts, font servers,
XDMCP security
■ Xstart — X client program
starter
■ Xtrace — protocol tracing
facility
■ single window and multiple
window mode
■ supports 15 different TCP/IP
transports and DECnet
■ supports up to 16 million
colors
■ plane mask support
X Development Tools
HCL-eXceed/W
now includes the Xlib, Xt
intrinsics, Xaw and Xmu
libraries. This introduces a
whole new dimension to PC
X servers. Now you can
use your PC as a low-cost
workstation to develop and
run X applications. You
can also give other PCs
and workstations access
to these applications over
the network.
HCL-eXceed/Wfrom
Hummingbird. It's far more
than X terminal emulation
for PCs. And it's one of
the family:
HCL-eXceedPius-A
DOS-based X server with a
local window manager that
supports EGA, VGA and
SuperVGA.
HCL-eXceed HiRes - The
same as "Plus" but it also
supports 8514A, XGA and
TIGA 2 high resolution
graphic standards.
HCL-eXtend — UNIX host-
based X clients for accessing
DOS services.
HUMMINGBIRD
COMMUNICATIONS LTD.
For the name of your closest reseller, please contact:
2900 John Street, Unit 4, Markham, Ontario, Canada L3R 5G3
Telephone: (416)470-1203, Fax: (416)470-1207
In Europe: 37-39 rue de Vermont, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland
Telephone: 41 (22) 733 18 58, Fax: 41 (22) 734 14 79
Circle 89 on Inquiry Card.
UNDER THE HOOD
ActionMedia II.
DVI supports FMV (full-motion video)
at frame rates of up to 30 frames per sec-
ond, at 5 12 by 482 pixels per frame. With
video compression, a maximum of 72 min-
utes of high-quality FMV (or the equiva-
lent amount of audio) can be placed on a
single disc. With adequate processing
power, DVI is also capable of supporting
24-bit color images at 1024 by 768 pixels
and 30 fps.
CD-ROM XA
Philips, Sony, and Microsoft introduced
CD-ROM XA in 1988. CD-ROM XA de-
fines Microsoft's Level 2 standard for CD-
ROM and multimedia applications. Like
CD-I, CD-ROM XA supports interleaved
audio and video data that can be played
back in sync, but without the OS-9 RTOS
requirement.
CD-ROM XA maintains the standard
CD-ROM ISO 9660 file structure and
2048-byte error-corrected sectors. As with
CD-I, you can add header information to
support additional data types and inter-
leave audio and video data. CD-ROM XA
also supports up to 16 parallel audio chan-
nels.
CD-ROM XA does not yet support vid-
eo compression, but it does support audio
compression using ADPCM (adaptive dif-
ferential pulse-code modulation). It sup-
ports four different audio-quality levels
that trade off storage space for quality and
allow the storage of up to 19 hours of au-
dio on a single disc. To support the com-
pressed audio data, either the CD-ROM
XA drive or its controller must have an
ADPCM chip that decompresses the data
as it is read from the disc. CD-ROM XA is
not yet widely supported.
Photo CD
Kodak's Photo CD is an interesting appli-
cation of CD-R technology. The Photo CD
system can compress and store up to 100
high-quality photographs digitally on a
single disc.
Photo CD uses the same file format
structure as CD-I and CD-ROM XA. To
produce Photo CD discs, your local photo
lab must purchase a Photo CD system.
Photo CD discs are readable on CD-
ROM XA and CD-I devices with the
appropriate software. They are not read-
able, however, on a standard CD-ROM
drive. Kodak will also offer its own stand-
alone Photo CD reader.
In addition, Kodak has developed its
own variation on the CD-R disc. Its discs
are similar to other writable discs, but Ko-
dak adds an additional UV-curable dura-
bility coating on top of the lacquer layer to
increase durability.
The Future
As the price of an entry-level CD-ROM
drive has dropped into the $200 range,
CD-ROM discs have increasingly become
the preferred medium for distributing ev-
erything from operating systems to mul-
timedia applications. The advent of CD-
R drives that have price tags of less than
$10,000 is accelerating this trend by low-
ering the cost barriers to publishing CD-
ROM discs.
Understanding CD-ROM drive designs
and the evolving standards is a good place
to start if you're looking for the right CD-
ROM drive for your needs. ■
Roger C. Alford is a BYTE consulting ed-
itor and president of Programmable De-
signs, a Michigan-based electronics de-
sign firm. You can reach him on BIX as
"rogera. "
DATA COMPRESSION LIBRARIES™
PKWARE's* Data Compression Libraries™ allow software developers to add data compression
technology to software applications. The application program controls all the input and output
of data allowing data to be compressed or extracted to or from any device or area of memory.
• All Purpose Data Compression Algorithm Compresses Ascii or Binary Data Quickly with
similar compression achieved by the popular PKzip software, however the format used by
the compression routine is completely generic and not specific to the PKZIP file format.
• Application Controlled I/O and memory allocation for extreme flexibility.
• Adjustable Dictionary Size allows software to be fine tuned for Maximum Size or Speed.
• Approximately 35K memory needed for Compression, 12K memory needed for Extraction.
• Compatible with most popular Languages: C, C+ +, Pascal, Assembly, Basic, Clipper, Etc.
• Works with any 80x86 family CPU in real or protected mode. $295.00
• No runtime royalties.
RUNNING OUT OF EXPENSIVE DISK SPACE?
PKzip can help! PKzip compresses your files to free up disk space and reduce modem
transfer time. You can compress a single file or entire directory structures with a single
command. Compressed files can be quickly returned to their normal size with PKunzip.
Software developers can reduce the number of diskettes needed to distribute their product by
using PKzip. Call for Distribution License information.
I
The included PKzip utility lets you store
compressed files as a single self-extracting
.EXE files that automatically uncompresses
when run. Only $47.00
9025 N. Deerwood Dr.
Brown Deer, Wl 53223
(414)354-8699
Fax (414) 354-8559
206 BYTE • MARCH 1993
Circle 131 on Inquiry Card.
IF LOGIC ALONE DOESN'T
CONVINCE YOU TO USE
PROGRESSJHEN HOW ABOUT
A LITTLE PEER PRESSURE?
1991 DATAPRO
1992 DATAPRO
DBMS USER SURVEY
PROGRESS
SOFTWARE SYBASE INFORMIX INGRES FOCUS ORACLE
Reliability
B.3
8.7
8.9
6.1
7.7
7.9
Ease of Use
3-1
8.2
8.2
8.2
7,9
7.6
Ea6e of Install/Upgrade
8.9
8.0
8.8
7.8
8,1
6.3
Price/Perform Return
9.1
8.3
8.5
7,9
8.1
7.4
FUNCTIONALITY
Flexibility
8.8
8.6
8.4
8.4
7.6
Interface Capabilities
8.9
8.4
8.1
8.7
7.4
Comprehensiveness
9.1
8.8
8.8
8.3
8.7
76
User Friendliness
7.7
8.3
8.1
7.5
7.0
OS Compatibility
96
8.4
8.9
9.0
8.8
7.5
PRODUCT SUPPORT
Documentation
9.0
8.2
8.6
7.4
6.2
6.8
Vendor Training
7.9
8.0
7.9
7.6
6.7
Problem Response
Time
7.5
7.2
6.8
6.4
6.2
Quality of
Vendor Support
9.0
7.8
7.5
7.4
6.9
7.2
Frequency of
Releases
8.5
7.5
6.7
6.9
7.7
7.2
Response to User
Request
8.8
7.5
7.8
7.6
7.0
6.5
OVERALL
SATISFACTION
9.3
8.7
8.5
8.3
8.0
7.6
Compiled from the latest Datapro reports on DBMS/Computer System Series Software
available for each product listed (for Informix, see Informix/SQL). All results are those of
actual users of the product as surveyed by Datapro.
1991 VARBUSINESS
1992 VARBUSINESS
DBMS REPORT CARD
PROGRESS
SOFTWARE BORLAND
PRODUCT FEATURES
1 992 VARBUSINESS Software Report Card reprinted with permission.
Ease of use
.
6.87
6.80
6.00
Memory requirement
7 25
6.30
6.14
5.11
Ease of programming
8.87
6.74
6.79
6.37
Ability to manipulate dala
8.73
7.24
7.14
7.07
Sorting capabilities
8.59
7.24
7.21
7.58
Provision for software security
8.00
6,23
7.00
6.70
Report writing capabilities
7.64
6.54
6.59
6.50
Ease of use of interface
8.13
6.89
6.85
6.50
Software integration capabilities
8.09
6.92
7.20
6.15
Ease of data retrieval
8.89
7.26
7.65
7.04
Satisfaction with product
profitability
7.98
6.61
6.79
5.19
Overall quality of product
3.87
6.97
7.35
6.71
PRODUCT FEATURES AVERAGE
8.32
6.82
6.96
6.41
SUPPORT FEATURES
Provision for customer support
? ::n
6.73
6.10
5.44
Charges for training time
6.91
5.79
5.56
4.71
Provision for technical support
7.57
6.14
6.00
5.15
Provision for marketing support
7.04
5.97
5.33
4.04
Documentation & product
information
8.62
7.03
6.57
6.00
Frequency of updates & revisions
7.75
6.26
6.05
5.74
SUPPORT FEATURES AVERAGE
768
6.32
5.93
5 18
OVERALL AVERAGE
3.11
6.65
6.62
6.00
For the second consecutive year, Progress ment system that gives you the flexibility to
resoundingly swept all 18 categories of the build and implement high performance
VARBUSINESS Report Card. And for the fourth applications independent of platforms and
year in a row, Progress came database systems. It even
out on top in the Datapro sur- LJLJf jf -j/"^fr~^0*S lets you deploy any applica-
veys. Once again, users rated SOFTWARE t ' on ' n k° trl multi-use 1 " an d
Progress superior to com- client/server environments. But
petitors on everything from strength of product don't take our word for it. Listen to a source
to quality of service and support. Which is only far more convincing. Your peers. For survey
logical, since Progress is the one develop- results or a test drive, call 1-800-4 Progress.
THE APPLICATION DEVELOPER'S CHOICE.
Progress applications are fully portable across the broadest spectrum of hardware platforms, operating systems, network protocols and user inter-
faces. So many, in fact, that we had to list them here in small type: aix,™ ctos, hp/ux,™ Novell* nlm, osf/i,® os/2,* os/400,™ unix® ultrix,™ vms,™
XENIX,® MICROSOFT* WINDOWS,™ X WINDOWS,™ DECnet,™ LAN MANAGER,™ neTBIOS,™ NOVELL* SPX/lPX, TCP/lP and SNA APPC LU 6.2. Also,
Progress lets you process information in other databases, including AS/400, c-isam,' u ct-isam,™ oracle, Rdb, and rms.
Circle 132 on Inquiry Card (RESELLERS: 133).
SOFTWARE CORNER
BARRY NANCE
Automatic
NetWare Log-Ins
Excuse me for hacking this month,
but I have good reason. I needed to
better understand the dialogue that
occurs between Novell's LOG-
DM.EXE and a NetWare file server.
I had to find out how to build a program
that would log in a PC to a NetWare file
server automatically, without human in-
tervention.
With some disassembly of the NET-
X.COM program and some help from
Terje Mathesen's NETWARE.PAS code
from the lans conference on BIX, I untan-
gled the rather convoluted sequence of
events that occurs when the file server ver-
ifies your log-in password. This month's
Software Corner entry is LOGON, a Net-
Ware log-in utility with Pascal source
code. LOGON.PAS is written in Turbo
Pascal, and you can compile it with Turbo
Pascal 3.0 or higher.
LOGON.COM accepts three parame-
ters — server name, user ID, and password.
On the version that I actually used for au-
tomatic logging, these parameters are hard-
coded into the executable file. It almost
goes without saying that treating the pass-
word as a command-line parameter is a
bad idea security-wise. However, the Soft-
MAC/Tom Thompson
How to log in
to NetWare from
your programs without
user interaction
ware Corner version of the program ac-
cepts these parameters so you can use it
as is; you should strongly consider modi-
fying my code and embedding your log-in
parameters directly into source code.
Much of LOGON.PAS deals with up-
percasing strings and handling the differ-
ences between Pascal strings and the zero-
terminated strings the file server expects.
LOGON.PAS also locates the entry in the
server name table located in NETX.COM
corresponding to the server name you spec-
ify. This lets LOGON set the correct pre-
ferred server before beginning the log-in
sequence.
Both NetWare's LOGIN and my LOG-
ON rely heavily on NetWare's undocu-
mented FileServiceRequest ( ) func-
tion. Subfunction 17hof FileService-
Request ( ) returns an encryption key that
LOGON uses, along with a table of en-
cryption keys in the Pascal source code,
to encode the password for verification by
the file server. Subfunction 18h of File-
ServiceRequest () actually performs
the log-in. If by chance you run LOGON
against an older version of NetWare (or
the NetWare shell) that doesn't support
encrypted passwords, LOGON reverts to
using the LoginToFileServer ( ) func-
tion that's documented in the DOS tech-
nical reference to NetWare system calls.
LOGON.PAS doesn't perform any drive
mapping, nor does it attach to additional
servers. For the unattended workstation I
set up with an automatic log-in, I didn't
need extra drives or servers beyond the
defaults that NetWare provided. If you
would like to map drives or attach to
servers from within your code, you may
want to get either Novell's DOS reference
or my Network Programming in C (Que,
1990).
With the LOGON.PAS source code,
you should be able to create unattended
applications that can log in to any Net-
Ware server. While the source code re-
veals how the NetWare encryption se-
quence works, you can't use it for breaking
encrypted NetWare passwords. ■
Industrial-Strength Text Editing
BBEdit is a freeware text editor written by Rich Siegel that
started life as a bare-bones text editor (hence the name).
However, BBEdit has evolved into an industrial-strength text ed-
itor offering numerous features found in commercial software.
BBEdit can open multiple files, compare differences between
files, and search multiple files for text strings. For lengthy mul-
tifile searches, the search operation runs in the background,
and it pops up a notification dialog box when it's done.
The editor window can display the time the file was last
saved, and you can click on several icons to print a file, save it,
change the quote style, or lock the text. When you save a file,
you can choose the type of line breaks. For all these features,
BBEdit takes up only 200 KB on disk and uses only 300 KB of
RAM. (You'll have to allocate more RAM to work with bigger
files.) BBEdit is an ideal companion for PowerBook users.
UNIX/Ben Smith
A Viewer for X Images
If you have an X Window System-based GUI and work with
images, you need xv. This is a shareware graphical image
viewer and translator for X systems.
You may already have xgif , the GIF file viewer that's often
distributed with X. But there are some limitations to xgif. As
John Bradley (the author of both) says: "xv probably wouldn't
have been written were it not for all the abuse [I received] about
the shortcomings of xgif."
Version 2.21 of xv will display GIF, PBM, PGM, PPM, XI 1
bit map, and PM images on up to 32-bit X displays. You can cor-
rect color mapping, adjust gamma correction, rotate and crop im-
ages, and change the aspect ratio. Then you can save out to
any supported format. The only shortcoming to xv is that it
works with images at screen depth; in other words, if you have
an 8-bit system, even 24-bit images will be saved at 8 bits.
Editor's note: Software Corner highlights public domain, freeware, and shareware programs. The programs are available
electronically. See "Program Listings" on page 5 for details. We solicit your contributions. We pay $50 for any program we use.
Write to: Software Corner, BYTE, One Phoenix Mill Lane, Peterborough, NH 03458.
208 BYTE • MARCH 1993
BEYOND DOS
BRUCE D .
SCHATZMA
Next-Generation OLE
Although OLE has begun to change
the way we build and use Win-
dows software, its first incarnation
hasn't been trouble-free. You can
create systems of communicating
applications, but doing so is not always
seamless or intuitive. In OLE 1.0, there
are several nuances and rules that users
don't understand. Moreover, it stores and
transmits object data inefficiently, so per-
formance is not optimal. For developers, its
large API and state transition logic make
adding full OLE support to Windows ap-
plications a difficult task.
The forthcoming OLE 2.0 solves the
first two of these problems. However, to
make OLE-compliant applications more
intuitive and faster, developers will be ex-
pected to digest a more complex program-
ming model.
As usual, Microsoft is claiming that
OLE 2.0 is an evolutionary technology.
Although it's true that OLE 2.0 applica-
tions will talk to OLE 1.0 applications,
OLE 2.0's long-term impact really will be
revolutionary. It encourages a document-
centered model in which you focus pri-
marily on your data, not on applications.
When you're driving, you keep your eye
on the road, not on the controls. OLE 2.0
aims to make computing a similarly natu-
ral, goal-directed activity.
New Features
For users, the most obvious new feature
is in-place activation. That means you can
double-click on an embedded object and
edit or "play" the object without leaving
the current window. The user-interface
controls of the containing document's win-
dow merge with appropriate controls (i.e.,
menus, buttons, palettes, and toolbars) of
the object's server application. When the
embedded object loses focus, its server's
controls vanish and the containing win-
dow reverts to its original appearance. This
feature finally provides seamless integra-
tion of communicating applications.
OLE 2.0 supports in-place activation
only for embedded objects. Double-click-
ing on linked objects results in the stan-
dard OLE 1.0 behavior — you are sent to a
separate application window to interact
with the object. Why? Links to an object
may exist in more than one document. By
requiring a separate window for editing,
the system gently reminds you that own-
ership of the object extends beyond the
boundaries of the current document.
Also new in OLE 2.0 is an enhanced
drag-and-drop capability that works be-
tween or within application windows (or
anywhere else a drop is accepted). Be-
cause OLE 2.0 supports nested objects,
you can also drag objects into or out of
other objects.
Another feature enables an OLE 2.0 ap-
OLE 2.0 is faster and
simpler for users, but it's
trickier for developers
• '";■.'■ K . ;■_
&■
OLE 2 |
M i crosofi
El
plication to define a callable interface to
certain internal functions that it chooses
to export. Thus, you'll be able to control
such an application from another program
or a systemwide script language. The idea
isn't a new one. Among today's Windows
applications, those that can act as DDE
servers are frequently controllable by DDE
clients. Hewlett-Packard's NewWave de-
fined a more formal API for doing this
kind of thing. Microsoft is betting that the
OLE 2.0 mechanism will find broader sup-
port than the NewWave API did.
As with NewWave, there will be de-
grees of support for OLE 2.0. You will
have to learn to be discriminating when
an application advertises OLE 2.0 com-
pliance.
Still to Come
A number of features are described in the
OLE 2 specification that will not be avail-
able in OLE 2.0. These include the fol-
lowing:
• an extended layout mechanism that
supports irregularly shaped objects,
not just rectangular ones
• property negotiation, so that an object
can adapt its properties to those of its
surrounding container
• string searches and spelling checks
that "tunnel" inside objects within
compound documents, and even with-
in objects embedded in other objects
Tuning the Engine
OLE 2.0 has a new linking model that
overcomes some of the limitations that are
inherent in OLE 1 .0. This model enables
links to objects that exist only as embedded
items in a document and are not stored as
separate files. In OLE 1 .0, you can link
only to an object that lives in its own DOS
file.
The new linking model also improves
the persistence of links; that is, there are
more ways to copy documents without
breaking links. In OLE 1.0, objects are
ILLUSTRATION: JAMES KACZMAN C6) 1993
MARCH 1993 • BYTE 209
Circle 92 on Inquiry Card.
Rack & Desk
HANDS ON/BEYOND DOS
for muni
Chassis
XT/AT/286/386/486
llllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
Integrand's unique packaging design uses
modular construction. We have 3 basic
models for ISA/EISA bus computers. Over
90 interchangable modules allow you to
customize them to nearly any requirement.
We make drive enclosures and rackmount
keyboards too. Integrand offers high
quality, advanced design hardware and
strong support. Why settle for less ?
Rack & Desk Models
Accepts Most Motherboards and Passive
Backplanes
Doesn't Look Like IBM
Rugged, Modular Construction
Excellent Air Flow & Cooling
Designed to meet FCC
204 Watt Supply, UL Recognized
200 & 300 Watt Supplies, UL, CSA, TUV
Reasonably Priced
iM00
Rackmount
Keyboards
Three Models: Drawer, Shelf, and Panel
Reasonably Priced
Call or write for descriptive brochures, prices
or applications assistance:
INTEGRAND
8620 Roosevelt Ave. • Visalia, CA 93291
209/651-1203
FAX 209/651-1353
We accept VISA and MasterCard
IBMX7/AT JM IBM • 28&3BmB6 7M INTEL Drives and compute' boards not included.
referenced by way of absolute hard-coded
path names that aren't updated when docu-
ments move around within the file system.
In OLE 2.0, a link persists if only the con-
tainer document moves, the relative path
between the container and the source ob-
ject stays the same, or the container and
object source file are located in the same
directory.
To enable this primitive form of link
tracking, OLE 2.0 invents a new object
reference known as a moniker. A moniker
is a pointer to an object, and it can be
dereferenced whenever the object needs
to be located. It's like the path name/object
name of OLE 1 .0, but it's extended to let
applications reference objects nested with-
in other objects. Monikers also support the
ability to create interobject links within a
document.
Moniker dereferencing works automat-
ically, which simplifies the use of monikers
from the programmer's perspective. Once
you have an object's moniker, you can
find it — even if it's nested several levels
deep within another object.
Although the new linking model is an
improvement, OLE 2.0 does not guarantee
unbreakable links. That's a hard problem
to solve efficiently because there are so
many permutations involved with com-
bining, nesting, and moving objects with-
in a global namespace spanning directo-
ries, local file systems, and networks.
Future technology will attack this prob-
lem, but don't expect a solution anytime
soon.
OLE 2.0 also provides an optimized
storage model that offers much more effi-
cient use of RAM and better performance
than OLE 1 .0. In this new model, an object
(or even part of an object) can be loaded
from disk into memory only when you
want to edit or manipulate the object. In
OLE 1 .0, all objects in a compound docu-
ment load into memory in their entirety,
regardless of whether you want to activate
them.
The new storage model will cut down
on RAM usage and significantly speed up
the loading of large compound documents
containing many objects. It also follows
a transactional model that can commit or
roll back edits that you make to an object.
Associated with this storage model is a
new file format known as a docfile. Each
docfile is actually a "file system within a
file," and part of its structure was mod-
eled after the DOS FAT (file allocation
table). In addition to the application-spe-
cific contents of the file, docfiles there-
fore contain object hierarchy information
that lets any application identify and enu-
merate all objects contained in the file.
They also contain an extended set of file
properties (e.g., the file's author and a de-
scription of its contents).
OLE 2.0's performance will also bene-
fit from the ditching of DDE as its IPC
(interprocess communications) mecha-
nism. Instead, OLE 2.0 uses a localized
RPC (remote procedure call) protocol (in
the spirit of Windows NT) to boost the
throughput.
The Price of Progress
Naturally, Microsoft had to allow for back-
ward compatibility with applications sup-
porting OLE 1 .0. To accomplish this, OLE
2.0 applications must implement a simple
version-negotiation protocol that enables
them to determine whether an object was
created by an OLE 1 .0 or OLE 2.0 server.
To an OLE 2.0 client, an OLE 1.0 object
simply appears as an OLE 2.0 object that
does not implement any of the new OLE
2.0 features. Because of this, OLE 1 .0 ob-
jects don't require any special treatment
or handling, and they can be freely mixed
with OLE 2.0 objects in the same docu-
ment.
Unfortunately, OLE 2.0 doesn't offer
developers the simple and intuitive model
that it offers users. Programmers com-
plained that OLE 1 .0 was not easy to im-
plement, and the situation has only wors-
ened. The OLE 2 specification is over 330
pages long, and there are nearly 270 func-
tions in the API. It will take several weeks
of solid work before even highly qualified
programmers begin to feel comfortable
with the programming model. OLE V.O
veterans will have a head start, but there is
a lot of new ground to cover for even the
most seasoned developers.
The ball will really start rolling when
there are class libraries and development
tools that can encapsulate the OLE 2.0
functionality. Such tools and libraries will
greatly simplify OLE 2.0 programming
and encourage less advanced developers
to take the plunge into OLE development.
Complexity notwithstanding, a number
of programmers have been actively coding
with the OLE 2.0 SDK (Software Devel-
opment Kit). The first generation of OLE
2.0 applications could be available as ear-
ly as this summer. It will take time for
ISVs (independent software vendors) to
fully exploit OLE 2.0, though, so you
shouldn't expect to see a large number of
applications until the first quarter of 1994.
By then, the move to document-centered
Windows computing should be in full
swing. ■
Bruce D. Schatzman is an independent
systems consultant in Bellevue, Washing-
ton. You can reach him on BIX do "edi-
tors. "
210 BYTE • MARCH 1993
Unleash Your 486!
NDP Fortran is now six years old, yet people
still call with 486 performance questions re-
lated to their use of 16-bit compilers. There-
fore, we decided this was a good time to
remake the case for 32-bit tools and lan-
guages.
To get full access to a386or486 requires that
it be placed in 32-bit protected mode. This is
done by 32-bit operating systems and some
Extenders. Running in 32-bit protected mode
increases the 486's segment size from 64
Kbytes to 4 Gigabytes and breaks the 640K
DOS barrier. This makes it possible to access
386, 486 and i860 Compilers
Microway's NDP family of 32-bit compilers
generate globally optimized mainframe qual-
ity code that runs on the 386, 486 and i860.
They require the use of 32-bit operating sys-
tems such as OS/2, UNIX, Xenix, Solaris,
Coherent DESCview/X and DPMI and VCPI
DOS Extenders.
NDP Fortran ,m is a full F77 with F66, DOD,
VMS and MS extensions.
NDP CIC tm ++ includes a full C compiler that
runs in both K&R and ANSI modes plus a C++
compiler that is Release 2 . 1 compliant.
NDP Pascal'" 1 is a full ISO Level 1 Pascal with
BSD extensions that can interface the NDP C
runtime libraries.
NDP Language Pricing
Coherent versions use the Coherent tools and
supportthex87family $295
MS-DOS versions include a VCPI virtual
memory DOS Extender, a DPMI interface
layer, support for the x87 and Weitek
coprocessors, NDPLink, NDPLib and GREX -
our DOS graphics library. The 486 version
adds 486 code generation, royalty free DPMI
and VCPI plus ClearView, Microway's sym-
bolic debugger.
386 Release $595
486 Release $995
OS/2 releases include x87 support, a Work-
Frame interface and our 486 extensions.
These tools work with the IBM Linker. CIC++
includes the portions of the IBM Tool Kit
needed to interface the PM API's
$695
UNIX/Xenix 386/486 use the native tools on
the system in question. V.3 and V.4 versions
are available $1195
DESQvlew/X $1195
Coprocessors
Weitek 4167 25/33 $350/$795 3167$200/250
Cyrix D8733/40..$99/129 S87..$79 EMC$250
Intel 387SX. .$80 387DX. .$85 287..$80
OverDrive25MHz$475..33MHz$675
arrays larger than 64K using the 486's 32-bit
"flat" model, which runs 2 to 4 times faster than
the huge model employed by 1 6-bit compilers.
32-bit tools also simplify ports. Programs writ-
ten for mainframes often assume that integers
and pointers are 32-bits long or depend on bi-
nary representations, especially when written
in Fortran 66 and C. Our 32-bit NDP compilers
eliminate porting headaches by providing the
extensions you need to recompile your VMS,
VS, Crayand MScodes. Wealsosell the IMSL,
NAG and VAST II tools that frequently get
bundled with mainframes.
i860 Supercomputers
QuadPuter-860The world's most cost effec-
tive Supercomputer, the QuadPuter comes
with four modules each of which has an i860
and two megabytes of local memory. The
modules sit on an EISAbase board that can be
purchased with 8 or 32 megabytes of shared
memory. Five QuadPuters have an aggregate
throughput of a gigaflop! The card comes with
one NDP language plus MAX-860.
From $9995
Number Smasher-860 our ISA card can be
purchased with 8/32 megabytes of memory
running at 33 or 40 MHz. Options include EISA
and ISA Fifos, a P version with built-in Fifos for
distributed parallel processing and a 24-bit
graphics buffer. The card includes one NDP
Language plus OS860. From $3995
NDP Fortran-860 along with our CIC++ and
Pascal utilize advanced scalar code genera-
tion techniques designed to optimize the
i860's RISC performance. The languages run
on DOS, UNIX, OS/2 and i860 UNIX V.4
Workstations $1995
PPS-860postprocessing scheduler, takes as-
sembler outputand converts scalaroperations
into pipelined. It also reschedules using dual
instructions. Scalar speed ups in the range of
10to40%areproduced $595
VAST-II from PSR is the same vectorizer that
is used with Cray's $1495
AT Accelerators
FASTCache-X86/Plus' M — The 'Windows
Solution"- easily converts your 286 based PC
into a 386/486 powered workaholic. The board
takes up a slot in ATbus designs and has sock-
ets for up to 1 6 megabytes of DRAM. It plugs
into your 286 using a cable. The PS/2 version
has no memory. All boardshave a 1 6Kfour way
cache and run at 25 MHz. Two processors are
available, including the Cyrix CX486SLC.
From $399
Before you give up on your486, give us a ring.
Whether you are looking for the 5 megaflops
your 486 produces by itself, the 1 2 megaflops it
delivers with a Weitek 41 67 or possibly the 80
megaflops we can coax out of our Number
Smasher-860 , you owe it to you rself to contact
our excellent Tech Support Staff today.
Microway has had the answers to your PC
performance problems since 1 982!
Phone:(508)746-7341
Fax: (508)746-4678
486 Workstations
A Microway BlackTower is the ideal solution to
your486 needs. They feature industrial grade
American power supplies, heavy duty cooling
and easy access. All motherboards are care-
fully burned in before shipping and equipped
with heavy duty power connectors. Our BX
Towers are ideal for use as desktop worksta-
tions, file servers, RAID servers and
CAD/CAM stations. They were originally en-
gineered to house i860 arrays, which fre-
quently get attached to SUN Networks as
computational servers. We customize each
system with the OS of your choice, including
UNIX, OS/2, DOSand Windows. The base sys-
tems listed include case, 4 MB, tactile
response keyboard, supply, floppy andmouse.
The B 2 T is our tall tower, the B is a larger box
that features front and side hinged panels. All
but the 386 system use industrial supplies and
the B 3 is available with a 1 2 slot EISA channel.
Tosee why Microwaysystems have earned an
international reputationforoutstanding design,
price/performance, value and reliability, ask
for our BX Series Catalogue.
386BT"-40 ISA64K Cache
486B 2 T-33 ISA64K "
486B 2 T-33EISA256K "
486B 2 T-50EISA256K "
486B 3 -50EISA256K "
200W$1395
250W$2495
250W$3395
250W$3995
350W$4495
486B 0l -66EISA512K&12Slots350W$5495
386, 486, i860 Libraries
NDP IMSL Microway compiled and validated
version of the IMSL mainframe libraries, avail-
able forthe386/486 and i860 $2,000
NDP NAG Microway compiled and validated
NAG Workstation library, available for the
386/486 and i860. 386/486 $995,
i860 $1495
KUCK & ASSOCIATES hand coded i860
libraries. DSP library does 1 024 real FFT in 500
microseconds! DSP..$750 BLAS..$500
LAPACK and BLAS vectorized, sources in-
cluded. 386/486 $295i860 $495
Microwa
Technoloav vou can count on!
Research Park, Box 79, Kingston, MA 02364 USA (508) 746-7341 FAX (508) 746-4678
Kingston-Upon-Thames, U.K., 081-541-5466 Spain /Portugal 351-1-604-049
Germany 069-752023 Greece 30 12915672 Italy 02 7490749 Japan 047 423 1322 Poland 22-414115
If your board doesn't say Quatech Inc.,
you may be missing something...
II
$H
1
I
; - 19
M
Ask a Quatech sales Engineer to show you
the value of quality, service and support.
•Quatech manufactures a complete line of data acquisition, communica-
tion, and Micro Channel boards for the PC AT/XT, PS/2 and compatible
computers.
•Quatech's user friendly software drivers enable our full featured adapters
to support most popular operating systems.
•Quatech's adapters are backed by our free on-line technical support.
Made
in
U.S.A.
For a free catalog call: 800-553" 1 1 70
International: Australia/lnterworld Electronics 03-563-7066, Canada (Western)/! nterworld VCR
604-984-41 71 (Toronto office 41 6-51 3-7027), England/Diamond Point International 634-722-
390, Finland/Lab Hitech OY 358-0-804-2522, France/Elexo 33-1 -69302880, Germany/Jupiter
Electronic Systems 06181/75041, Israel/RCM Ltd. 972-03-5447885, Italy/N.C.S. Computer
Italia 0331 /770-01 6, Netherlands/ACAL Auriema 040-81 6565, Korea/Sam Boo Enterprise Co.
82-2-538-4001 , Spain SANTA Barbara SA 34-3-203-991 6, Singapore Bliss Services Pte Ltd
(65) 338-1 300.IBM PC-XT, AT, PS/2 and MicroChannel are registered trademarks of IBM Corp.
CT3 QUATECH
662 Wolf Ledges Parkway
Akron, Ohio 44311 U.S.A.
216-434-3154
212 BYTE • MARCH 1993
Circle 136 on Inquiry Card.
UY IT THROUGH BVTE
Mail Order Hardware/Software Showcase
The latest offerings from
vendors supplying
products of all leading
manufacturers at extremely
competitive prices.
214
This categorized four-color display
section makes it easy to find
Hardware and Software products from
a wide variety of manufacturers
and suppliers.
235
Buyer's Mart
From Accessories to Laptops
to Word Processors, you can
easily find the dealers you are
looking for in this directory of
products and services.
HI 244
ILLUSTRATION: SUSAN KINGSBURY
The Cost of 48B Power is Falling Fast.
AND LODESTAR'S VALUE KEEPS GOING UP:
CONSIDER THESE
EISA FEATURES: We've
carefully designed a 32-bit
processing solution that breaks
through the ISA bottleneck
while rncrintaining downward
compatibility with a 16-bit Bus
for a peak data transfer rate of
33 MB/sec, Six, true, fully blown
EISA Bus Mastering slots plus
two EISA slave slots so you
can be assured your EISA
mastering add-on cards
will work for you (typical
8 slave slots won't).
LODESTAR'S bus mastering, intelligent
expansion cards with their own I/O
processors operating in parallel with the
main CPU, frees up your load on the CPU.
Bus throughput is improved by imple-
menting direct memory access (DMA)
and bus masters.
Its speedy performance capability
provides you with an ideal solution for a
wide range of demanding applications,
like CAD/CAM/CAE, formidable
database management, image process-
ing, artificial intelligence, desktop
publishing and in the environments of
network and multiuser systems.
_k*i29a
486-SX Workstation
486-SX/20
■4MB fast RAM expandable to 32MB
■85MB 15ms IDE hard drive w/cache
"1:1 interleave 2H/2F IDE controller
■ 1.2MB 5.25' & 1.44MB 3.5" floppy-
drives
■16-bit 1024x768 SVGA card
w/lMBRAM
■14" 1024x768 0.28mm dot pitch
SVGA color monitor
■2 serial. 1 parallel & 1 game port
■MS DOS 5.0 8< MS Windows 3. 1
■Enhanced 101-key keyboard
■High resolution serial mouse
■Mini-vertical case
486-SX/25 $1339
— Bk l Dim
486 ISA Dataquest
486/33
■64K ultrafast write-back cache SRAM
•4MB last RAM expandable to 32MB
■ 130MB 15ms IDE hard drive
W/64K cache
■Teac 1.2MB 5.25" & 1.44MB 3,5" floppy
drives
■16-bit 1024x768 SVGA card
w/lMBRAM
■14" SVGA 1024 non-interlaced 0.28mm
dot pitch color monitor. VESA 72Hz
flicker-free display
■2 serial, 1 parallel 8t 1 game port
■MS DOS 5.0 & MS Windows 3. 1
■Enhanced 101-key keyboard
■High resolution serial mouse
■Desktop case
^1899
486LB WINstation
486-DX/33
■2 32-bit Local Bus expansion slots
for 32-bit power expandability
■64K ultrafast write-back cache SRAM
■Built-m 487 math coprocessor & 8K
cache in the CPU
■4MB fast RAM expandable to 32MB
■ 1 30MB 1 5ms IDE drive W/64K cache
■High throughput Super IDE Caching
Controller. Reduces average disk seek
time to 0.2ms
■Teac 1.2MB 5,25" & 1.44MB 3.5" drives
■ 32-bit Local Bus S3 Graphics Engine
w/lMBVRAM. Up to 1280x1024
resolution 8c 32.768 colors
■14" 1024x768 non-interlaced
28mm dot pitch SVGA monitor,
VESA 72Hz flicker-free display
■ 2 serial, 1 parallel 8; 1 game port
■MS DOS 5.0. Windows 3,1 8: mouse
■Enhanced 101-key keyboard
■Mid-vertical case
486-DX2/50 $2039
486-DX/50 $2139
486-DX2/66 $2289
_ fk*315&
486 EISA CADstation
486-DX/33
■256K utrafast write-back cache
SRAM. Provides better hit-rate.
■Built-in 487 math coprocessor 8: 8K
cache in CPU
■8MB fast RAM
•213MB 13ms IDE drive w/64K cache
■Highiihroughput Super IDE Caching
Controller. Reduces average disk seek
time fp 0.2ms
■Teac 1,2MB 5.25" 8r 1.44MB 3.5" drives
■32-bit^VGA card w/ 1MB RAM. Up to
1280S024 lesolution 8; 65,674 colors
■ 17" Award Winning Viewsonic 7 SVGA
monitor, flat screen up to 1280 x 1024
resolution & 76Hz ultra high refresh rate
■2 serial, 1 parallel 8; 1 game port
■MS DOS 5.0, Windows 3.1 & mouse
■Enhanced 101-key keyboard
■Desktop or mid-vertical case
486-DX2/50 $3299
486-DX/50 $3409
486-DX2/66 $3559
Some of our most astute customers
are buying today, upgrading tomonow.
To maximize the useful life of their systems, our customers depend on
us. No need for them to unplug an obsolete system. They're using the
power they need today and, with their LODESTAR StarFlex Series, they'll
be upgrading simply, painlessly. LODESTAR'S unique StarFlex CPU
sockets are built right into the system. Upgradable all the way from
386DX to 486SX or 486DX, at any clock speed.
They keep coming to us because most other "upgradable" systems
require purchase of a special CPU module board. This causes some
performance loss due to speed adjustment. And they couldn't rely on
those vendors being there when they needed to upgrade. Nor could they
rely on sky-rocketing prices. So they've been calling LODESTAR.
Now Our Customers
Are Getting It All -
Value, Features
andPrice.
11
;»->.*^IK.;i»> nw .-:r.v.t,:,.|.-.., .■
How thousands of out customers are
BUYING DIRECT
When they buy from us, they're
buying directly from the factory.
So they get more value with each
purchase, and are always assured
their system is backed directly by the
people who assembled it.
— Ck MU03
386-SX Workstation
386-SX/25
■2MB RAM expandable to 32MB
■85MB IDE hard drive w/cache
■ 1:1 interleave 2H/2F IDE controller
■1.2MB 5.25' & 1.44MB 3.5" floppy
drives
■16-bit 1024x768 SVGA card j
w/IMB RAM £
■ 14' 1024x768 0.28mm dot pita* '
SVGA color monitor
■2 serial, 1 parallel & 1 game port
■MS DOS 5.0 8c MS Windows 3,1
■Enhanced 101-key keyboard
■High resolution serial mouse
■Mini-vertical case
386-SX/33 $1099
- Iffw k. I fcuJ
386-DX Workstation
386-DX/25
■4MB RAM expandable to 32MB
■ 130MB 15ms IDE hard drive
w/64K cache
■ 1:1 interleave 2H/2F IDE controller
■1.2MB 5.25" 8c 1.44MB 3.5" floppy ■
drives
■ 16-bit 1024x768 SVGA card
w/IMB RAM
■ 14" 1024x768 non-interlaced
0.28mm dot pitch SVGA monitor
■2 serial. 1 parallel 8: 1 game port
■MS DOS 5.0 & MS Windows 3.1
■Enhanced 101-key keyboard
■High resolution serial mouse
■Desktop or mini-vertical case
386-DX/33 $1339
386-DX/40 $1379
Your Assurance of
Complete Satisfaction
OUR RISK-FREE GUARANTEE
Look for your comprehensive, written guarantee
when you take delivery of any LODESTAR system. This
industry-acclaimed, FIVE WAY Personal Warranty proves our
willingness to stand behind everything you buy from LODESTAR.
CALL FOR YOUR FREE COPY; we'll fax or mail it immediately. Use the
LODESTAR FIVE-WAY GUARANTEE as your shopping guide; compare and
question the others before ordering.
THESE PRICES
GUARANTEED
THROUGH
APRIL 30, 1993
- ffiwkr — I UWW
StarFlex 3/486C
386-DX/25
■CPU upgradable to 386DX, 486SX,
486DX. 486DX2. Up to 66MHz
■64K ultrcrjast write-back cache SRAM
expandable to 256K
■4MB fast RAM expandable to 32MB
■ BOMB 15ms IDE drive W/64K cache
■1.2MB 5.25" 8c 1.44MB 3.5" drives
■ 1MB SVGA non-interlaced color card
■ 14" 1024x768 non-interlaced
0.28mm dot pitch SVGA monitor.
VESA 72Hz flicker-free display
■ 2 serial, 1 parallel 8c 1 game port
■MS DOS 5.0. Windows 3.1 8c mouse
■Enhanced 101-key keyboard
■Desktop or mini-vertical case
386-DX/33 $1429
386-DX/40 $1459
486-DX/33 $1639
486-DX2/50 $1839
486-DX/50 $1949
486-DX2/66 $2099
We Won Again.
And you enjoy the benefits.
In their latest survey ol QUALITY
CONTROL, proven by this
nationwide provider of warranty
services, LODESTAR again has
earned their raring EXCELLENT.
SHIPMENT WITHIN 48 HOURS
Every system is individ-
ually pretested and
bumed-in for 72 hours
prior to shipment.
We have the right
system for you. If it's not
already configured, we'll
customize it.
Systems can be
upgraded to include
optional cache, RAM,
more hard disk capacity,
larger monitor and a host
of other enhancements.
LodeStar
COMPUTER
GOVERNMENT, SCHOOL AND CORPORATE
ORDERS WELCOME. TO RECEIVE YOUR FREE COPY
OF OUR PRODUCT CATALOG, JUST CALL.
1-800-875-3818
All speculations subject to change without notice. 2-Year Parts Warranty applies to advertised LodeStai systems only.
Money Back Guarantee does not include shipping & handling, and all returns must be shipped pre-paid & in reasonable
condition. Please call to coniirm all warranty details Photography is for illustration only No surcharge on VISA, MasterCard
& Discover. Purchase orders are accepted on approved credit. California orders add 8-25% sales tax. All product names,
trademarks and registered trademarks are the property ol their respective companies. © 1992 LodeStar Computer Corp.
Circle 204 on Inquiry Card.
"YOU MADE US A LEADER."
18539 East Gale Avenue
City of industry, California 91748
Telephone: 1-818-810-3818
Tech Support: 1-800-875-7569
Fax: 1-818-810-5928
Open Hours:
Mon-Fri: 7am-7pm (PST)
Sat: 9am-4pm (PST)
HARD
DRIVE
SUPER
PRICES
$CALL
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PORTA1LE HI (PLCCl
P0RTA1LE IN I PC 1 1
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4UB MOO
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1MB UOO 71
4MB MOO 2fi
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LLUNHG EDGE DLI 3S6SX
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SAMSUNG HO IE MASTER 3465-
SAMS1JMG NDTTLMASTTLR 3KS-
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2MB MOO |
SAMPO N1SXIS
TANDY 2121 3171
TUUP LAPTOP
4MB UOO
lEDS Kj1300t
4030. 15, INOIGO RPC,
4MM, SERIES 200. 100.
4D SERIES 100, 200. 100
16MB KIT HU1C18S
ANYWHERE
2MB CARD I120HX
4MB MDD 1240796O
2MB KIT 9100023008
1 100.25. 33
4MB KIT 91D0O23CO4
16MB KIT 9148623004
$200.
386/486-256K Cashe no CPU
1250
OHE BOARD SOLUTION
386/486
386/486^4K Cache no CPU
3860X-25 CASHE W/CPU (180
386DX-33-64K CACHE W/CPU 199
386DX-33-256K CACHE W/CPU 249
386W40-64K CACHE W/CPU 210
386OX-40-256K CACHE W/CPU 260
486DX-33-64K CACHE W/CPU 490
486DX-33-256K CACHE W/CPU 540
486DX-50-256K CACHE W/CPU 749
$195
— I III UN i ■
S]MMply-RAM , 'brlbiR ; .Ml. : = 6i7^-r-,.Y l .i
hi !iu ita Duma rein m aim W i Unwn smg
SIMMply-RAM" hrteFSUl w****w
: -.iiafer::'jT :; -.-a3.-M™;'Vy!:ij : .-ii-.:.:',-j- 5,95
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•cajkif mv"KHe«xitniimitoa^SiippiHUti1tnaM(ifLIU4Dca4nOed
MMMntB $108
RAMpATl-f/w'" Up W 16MB ol rumor, Hj(<4iO[ilmsifOlSMM16-M
~" ■-kNUM 4 uwWKl man- 5,45
■ X MOON
1MB X 1-80NS
IMBX 1-70NS
1MBX 1-60NS
256KX1-150NS
256KX1-120NS
256KX MOONS
T95 256 X 1-80NS .1.80 64 K X 4-1 ;
4.20
4.25
4.70
1.50
1.55
4-80NS
4-80NS
4-80NS
256KX 1-70NS
256K X 1-60 NS . 2.
256KX4-100NS . 4.
256K X4-80NS . 4,
256K X 4-70NS . 4.
256K X 4-60NS . 4.
21.00 DIPP
21.00 STATIC ZIPP
21.00 ZIPP
64K X 4-100NS
64 K X 4-80NS
64KXM50NS
64KX M20NS
64KX MOONS
2S6K X 1 -STTATIC RAM
AAA2B00P-0B (256x1) 2.65
AAA2BOOP-07 256x1 . 2.85
AAA2800P-06 256x1 . 3.05
H23H
VISA
FOR MEMORY PRODUCTS NOT LISTED, CALL FOR PRICES AND AVAILABILITY
PURCHASE ORDERS FROM GOVERNMENT AGENCIES - UNIVERSITIES - FORTUNE 2000 FIRMS - CALL 1-215-922-4650
u «« lanl .i.n».. NEVER A SURCHARGE ON CREDIT CARDS OPEN SATURDAY 10-6 «"«•"» ■■»«■ -»«
TECHNICAL SUPPORT ORDERS ONLY TOLL FREE FAX
1-215-922-4640 1 -800-457-6937 1 -215-922-01 1 6
ALL CREDIT CARDS ARE VERIFIED FOR FRAUDULENT USE.
ORDER TOLL-FREE FROM ANYWHERE IN THE USA OR CANADA. CALL FOR CURRENT PRICES AND VOLUME DISCOUNTS. PRICES AND AVAILABILITY SUBJECT TO CHANGE ORDER LINES OPEN B DAYS
MINIMUM ORDER 50.00.USA SHIPPING S HANDLING: AIR J12.0O-AIR OVERNIGHT S18.0O-COD ADD S4.0O.PA RESIDENTS ADD 7% SALES TAX-PREPAID ORDERS CALL FOR CONFIRMATION-ALL RETURNS REQUIRE RMA# AND ORIGINAL INVOICE
CANCELLED ORDERS AND RETURNS FOR CREDIT SUBJECT TO 25% RESTOCKING CHARGE-RETURNED MERCHANDISE MUST BE IN NEW CONDITION AND RECEIVED WITHIN « DAYS FROM I INVOICE DATE SORRY NO : REFUNDS I AFTER II I DAYS
SHIPPING AND HANDLING CHARGES NOT REFUNDABLE-INTERNATIONAL ORDERS WELCOME-APO-FPO ORDERS WELCOME P.O.'S ACCEPTED FROM GOVERMENT AGENCIES/UNIVERSITIES/FORTUNE : 2000 COMPANIES-SUBJECT TO APPROVAL'
ALL MEMORY PRODUCTS ARE THIRD PARTY. ALL TRADEMARKS ARE THE PROPERTY OF THE RESPECTIVE OWNERS* ALL WORLDWIDE TECHNOLOGY PRODUCTS ARE 1007. GUARANTEED AND COME WITH LIFETIME WAHMim EXCEPT
30 DAY WARRANTY ON CPU CHIPS AND 1 YEAR WARRANTY ON MOTHER BOARDS *
WORLDWIDE TECHNOLOGIES
437 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106
Customer Service 21 5-92a-4640
216 BYTE • MARCH 1993
Circle 205 on Inquiry Card.
Rack Mount Computers - Motherboard or Passive Backplane
Use external monitor
Up to 6 drives
[
FFF^
t
8.75" high
Mono or color monitor
Up to 5 drives
[
8.75" high
Rack Mount Monitors
10" mono or color
monitor
- HiajMIi •
: 1
■UlttUU B .
8.75" high
14" mono or color
monitor
12.25" high
Rack Mount Keyboards
Drawer mounted
keyboard
A *
1.75" high
Drawer for desk top
keyboards
3.5" high
14" color monitor
Up to 3 drives
12.25" high
Enclosure for most
desk top monitors
C
14.0" high
-"■* : .
Vertical-mount, sealed
membrane keyboard
^^^ffl
KEEEgX
5.25" high
Rack Mount Printer
Dot matrix printer with
industrial rating
12.25" high
Call for our other Rack Mount computer
and "enclosure only" product offerings.
RECDRTEC, INC.
1290 Lawrence Station Road, Sunnyvale CA 94089
Tel. [408] 734-1290 Fax: [408] 734-2140
1-800-729-7654
Circle 202 on Inquiry Card (RESELLERS: 203).
MARCH 1993 • BYTE 217
SmartCaehe Plus: the grow-as-you-go
approach to SCSI controllers
START WITH THE BEST...
DPT's entry level SmartCaehe Plus board offers
unrivaled price/performance for single-user
systems. It features ISA or EISA bus mastering,
and universal SCSI disk compatibility for all PC
operating systems. SmartDriver software
supports SCSI-2 peripherals like tape and
optical drives. ,
NOW ADD CACHING!
Get DPT's award-winning caching technology in
a plug-in module! Move up to disk caching
speed without investing in a new controller. With
an integral 512K cache, the module provides up
to 5X performance gains for workstations, ;
power users, and small multiuser systems. , -
ADD MORE USERS, ADD MORE CACHE!
Plug in a 2 MB or 4 MB memory module and
accommodate up to 18 users from a single card
slot. Ideal for medium-sized networks or
multiuser systems.
HOW ABOUT DISK MIRRORING?
DPT's SmartCaehe mirroring module provides
100% disk fault toleranceby simultaneously
writing all data to a second "mirrored" drive. No
more data loss or costly system down-time due
to disk failures. And unlike software mirroring'
schemes, fault tolerance is achieved with no
performance penalties. "
PLUS STILL MORE CACHE,
AND THEN SOME...
Cable over to DPT's 4 MB Cache Expansion Card,
then grow your system to 16 MB by adding more
plug-in memory modules— enough power for
64-plus users! . ..
DPT has your solution— no matt'er.how
you grow. Performance, compatibility and
upgradability make SmartCaehe Plus the
only SCSI controller you'll ever need. For
details, contact Distributed Processing
Technology, 140 Candace Drive, Malt-
land, FL 32751. Phone (407) 830-5522;
FAX (407) 260-5366. ■■,
Circle 1 95 on Inquiry Card (RESELLERS: 1 96).
Speed that Excels
4E
The power, reliability and price of
Kaiyo computers make them stand
out among other leading computer
systems. Thanks to the Local Bus
VGA design, Kaiyo offers you the
best performance, especially in the
CAD and windows environments.
Rated by Chip Magazine of
Germany as its January "Tip of the
Month", Kaiyo enhances video
performance by more than ten-times
that of normal VGA display. In
utilizing a full 32-bit CPU bus.
Kaiyo's local bus design lets VGAs
operate at the processor's clock speed.
This versatile series includes a com-
prehensive range of PCs guaranteed to
meet the needs of all your customers.
It features up to 66 MHz 80486DX2
EISA bus microprocessors so they'll
never be at a loss for computer power.
Incorporating the most advanced
Visit us at:
HANNOVER FAIR"/ CEBIT '93
Booth #2, A18-D17
Mar. 24-31. 1993
microprocessor technology, Kaiyo
has among the smallest, yet most
powerful compact desktop computers
in the world.
But don't just take our word for it.
Over the years, our Group has
established a strong base of over 190
active customers in 46 countries.
We're particularly strong in Western
Europe, especially Germany. And our
sales in Eastern Europe have increased
by over 74% over the last year.
Team up with us- long-term business
partner that support you every step of
the way.
The Power in PCs
The Intel Logo is a trademark of Intel Corporation
(All brand names are registered trademarks of their respective owner.)
Ocean Office Automation Ltd.
Head Office: Ocean Office Automation Ltd.
4th & 5th Floor, Kader Industrial Building. 22 Kai Cheung Road. Kowloon Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
Tel: (852) 3051800 Telex: 52289 OCCOM HX Fax: (852) 799 2398 (5 lines)
U.S.A. Office: Ocean Information Systems, Inc.
12155 Mora Dr. Suite 6, Santa Fe Springs. CA 90670, U.S.A.
Tel: (213) 946 5888 Fax: (213) 946 0929
For US Enquiry-Call Toll Free: 1 -800-32-KAIYO (52496)
Circle 21 3 on inquiry Corel (RESELLERS: 214).
MEMORY ...
YOU JUST CAN'T DO WITHOUT IT.
Picture this:
You bought a new software package. You try it out on your computer and soon find yourself working for hours on
a sophisticated graphic design. While scrolling through your worksheet, it feels like you are moving through
pudding. Your hard disk has a tough time trying to catch up. You then try to print, but the laser printer's buffer is
full. You reset it, try again, and find that it spits out only part of your beautiful graphic...
No problem!
We'll take it from here. With our JetRam™ line that supports the leading brands of laser printers and PcRam™
line that upgrades your Notebook, Laptop or Desktop computers, Transcend can help solve your memory
problems.
What you get from our memory upgrades
■ Life time warranty on all our products
■ Full memory lines support a variety of brand
names of laser printers and PCs
■ High quality at a reasonable price
■ Easy-to-install
Office hours: 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Mon. to Fri.
"You order in the morning, we will ship in the
afternoon."
PACKARD
TOSHIBA
» Apple
IBM EPSON
Panasonic
QMS
CtJ KUDCBRa txoOwe iNsnwjMlms
SEC SHARP
comma
' All brand names are registered trademarks of their respective c
Your Supplier, Your Partner,
Your Friend.
220 BYTE • MARCH 1993
Transcend Information Inc.
104 Exchange Place,
Pomona, CA 91768 U.S.A.
TEL: (909) 598-5500
FAX: (909) 598-5050, (909) 598-6050
3FI., No. 465, Chung Hsiao East Road,
Sec. 6, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
TEL: (886) 2-7881000
FAX: (886) 2-7881919, 7889191
Circle 210 on Inquiry Card (RESELLERS: 21 1 ).
MEMORY SALE 4 MEG x 9 * 80NS $124
■ WifclW ■ "•** Im I Villi IN STOCK WITH 5 YEAR WARRANTY! GUARANTEED LOWEST PRICE
SOFTWARE LIQUIDATION
WORDSTML
Wordstar 2000 Rel. 3.5
Hiis is not a misprint! These ore the exact
for ovor $300.00 from our competitors.
We rmve thousands in slock
FOR SALE BELOW
D(5TRIBLfTOR
COSTI UST 5495.00 eo
DEALER5 WELCOME
RETAIL BOXED & FACTORY SEALED
IOO FOB $55 EACH
Mb HARD DRIVE
SALE
cfflseagate
MODEL SIZE SPEED TYPE PRICE
ST225 20MB 65M5 MFM5.25* $149
ST4096 80MB 28MB MFMFullHT $349
ST251-1 42MB 28MS MFM5.25" $239
5T35lA(l B highl ...,42MB 28MS IDE3.5" $179
ST3120A|l"higM. 105MB 18M5 IDE3.5' $269
ST3144A(l"high). 130MB 16MS IDE 3.5" $299
5T3283A (Thigh). 240MB 12M5 IDE 3.5" $489
ST1480N 426MB 14MS SCS13.5" $999
5T41200N 1037MB 15MS SCSI/FH $1499
ST4766N 660MB 15MS SCSI/FH $899
CONNER
MODEL SIZE SPEED TYPE PRICE
CP3000{1' high) 40MB 19MS IDE $169
CP30OB4E BOMB 19MS IDE $228
CP30104(l u high) 120MB 19MS IDE $288
CP30174A|l"high| 170MB 17MS IDE $349
CP30204 209MB 15MS IDE $459
CP3544A 525MB 15M5 IDE $1045
CP3540 540MB 12MS SCSI $1045
Mqpqtor
MODEL SIZE SPEED TYPE PRICE
2585(16 'high] 80MB 17MS IDE $249
7120A[l*h:gh) 130MB 15MS IDE $283
7213A(Th; g h) 213MB 15MS IDE $389
72135(1* KigM 213MB 15MS SCSI $429
LXT340A 340MB I5MS IDE $648
IXT340S 340MB 16MS SCSI $699
PANTHER(FH) 1000MB I3MS IDE $1489
MX1175|FHJ 1500MB 13MS SCSI 51729
FUJITSU
MODEL SIZE SPEED TYPE COST
2622A/S [3.5") 330MB 1 2MS SCSI/IDE $845
2623A/5[3.5 I '| 420MB 12MS SCSI/IDE $899
2624A/S [3.5"| 520MB I2MS SCSI/IDE $949
2266SIFH) 1080MB 14MS SCSI $1449
2652SIFH) 1750MB 11MS SCSI $2699
MICROPOLIS
1624 (HH) 660MB 15MS SCSI $1099
2112(3.5*) 1050MB 10MS SCSI/IDE $1849
1598(FH) 1050MB 14MS SCSI $1599
1548(FH) 174BMB UMS SCSI $2299
1528-15[FHj 1350MB 14M5 *FCSI $1749
1924[FH] 2100MB 1IMS SC5I $3099
LAPTOP & NOTEBOOK HARD DRIVES
60MB 2.5" 15MS $319
85MB 2.5" 15MS $339
130MB 2.5" 17MS $499
Floppy Drives
WE
360K 5.25" WW $29
720K 3.5" ViHT $34
1.2MB 5.25" 'AHT $58
1.44MB 3.5" WHT $58
5.25* MOUNTING $5
Drive Controllers
8811 4 Floppy $9
88it 4 Floppy High Densit). $49
8 Bit 2 Hord Drive* MFM $49
8 Bit 2 Hard Drives RLL $59
16Bil Hard Drive only $24
l6Bil Hard and Floppy I 1 Interface $34
SCSI DTC-3280 (Supports 7 drives] $139
SCSI Adaptec 1542B $224
ESDI DTC62B2-24 $149
IDE Hard and Floppy $29
IDE Hordond Floppy w/O $39
Cobles HordDrive $9
Cables Hard and Floppy $14
MONITOR SALE
14" SVGA 1024X768
With .28 Dot Pitch
$279
SVGA Interface, 1024x768,
512K B xptolMEG
$69
Laptop Memory
Z-Notebook 2MB
8MB
Masterport 386SI, SLC, SLe 2MB
Masterport 386SX 2MB
SupersPort SX; 286e; SlimsPori 2MB
SupenPort 286; 2B6e 1MB
SupersPort 286e; SlimsPort 4MB
TurbosPort386; 386e 1MB
C . omputerPeripheralsjnc
MODEMS
9400 Internal, >h Cord far IBM PC, XT, AT end compoKbles. CCITT
V.22bis, V.22 and Bell 21 2A. Auto dial/Auto answer. Supports
Comm 1 -4/IRQ 2-5, Software included, 539
2400 External, same as above plus LED slalus lighls, requires
serial port, $69
FAX MODEM
9600 BPS Group III Facsimile,
2400 BPS Hoyes Compatible Modem,
True Background Send end Receive,
Menu Driven, Command Line, Normal and Fine Modes,
Hall Cord,
One Year Warranty
$68
VrU 5 llUVNl B0486DX/25 $299
■ I ■ l|4l B0486DX/33 $399
386SX *** B0486 DX/50 $5-10
B03S6 SX/16... $29 386DX 80486 DX-2/50.. $489
B03B6 SX/20... $39 80386 DX/20 . $39 80486 DX-2/66 $699
80386 SX/25... $49 80386 DX/25 . $71 80486 5X/ 2 5 $189
80386 SX/33... $59 80386 DX/33 . $81 804 86 SX/20 $124
IfffnT^fiTt cpu UPGRADES
1 ^^^NoJjYCOfiKWAfSDfi Turn your 286 into a 3861 True
multitasking, background operation
far Windows 3.0, OS/2 and 386 software. 5X/NOW improves
system performance by up to 350%. Available far: HP ES286/1 2 &
ES 8, EPSON EQUITY lie & II+, IBM ORIGINAL AT & X7/286, AGI
l800A,1800B&1800C,ASTPREMIUM286;BRAVO2e6,COMPAO
PORTABLE III, DESKPRO 286, NEC POWERMATE 286+ & POR-
TABLE*, IBM PS/2, 25/286. 30/286, 50. 50Z, 60.
25Mhx SX/HOW . $349
33Mhx SX/NOW $399
486SX 25 $499
486DX 33 $899
intel COPROCESSORS
8088 BASH) MAOWES: 80 244 BASH) AUOJKS: 80384 BASED AUOMi
808735MHz itf 60287-41*1 $29 80387- I6MH1 $49
8087-2 BMHi. $59 B0287-BMHz S39 80387-20MHi ... $59
8087-1 lOMHi $89 60287- lOMHi .... $49 80387-25MHz $49
B0287-XI Hi 8M87-33MHi ..... $7?
Overdrives BQM7-XLT 199 80387-$XI4 $49
B04B65XM/SX20 U99 80387-SX20 $89
B0484SX25«DX25 1599
KUB6SX3JwDX33 $7*9
RAPIDCAD J2W
/• {_ COPROCESSORS
^T*I.!5- AND CPU's
Plug compatible witli Intel, three times faster! 5 year warranty.
CYRIX 83D87-33Mhz $88
CYRIX 83D87-40Mhi $104
CYRIX 83D87-SX25Mhi/SX33 $88
CYRIX 80486DLO25 $148
CYRIX 80486DLC 33 $195
CYRIX B0486SIC-25 $119
Largest selection of Memory! We won't be undersold!
mm PS/2 Memory ,
MODEL # MEMORY
PS/1 and386/SX 2MB
4MB
PS/2 30/286; Adpt Brd 1 497259 51 2K
PS/2 30/286;25/286; Adpt Brd 1497259.... 2MB
PS/2 35SX, LS, 40SX.70-E61 ; 061 ; 1 21
Adpt Brd 6450609; 34F301 1 ; 34F3077
XStotion 120& 130 1MB
PS2 50, 50Z, 55SX, 60, 65SX 2-8MB
2-1 6MB
PS/2 35SX, LS, 40SX, 50Z; 55SX; LS, 65SX.LS;
P70; 70-E61 ; 061 ; 1 21 Adpt Brd 6450609;
34F30ll;34F3077XStalion 120 & 130 2MB
PS/2 70-A2l;A61;B21;B61 2MB
PS/2 35SX, LS, 40SX, 55SX; 55SL; 65LS; 65SX
Adpt Brd 6450609; 34F301 1 ; 34F3077
XSiaiion 120 & 130 4MB
PS2/2 35SX; LS; 40SX 8MB
PS2 7O'sand80's 2-8M8
2-1 4MB
4- 16MB
P5/2 80-A21;A3l;A61 4MB
PS/2 80-041 1MB
PS/2 80-1 11; 311; 121; 321; 081; 161 2MB
PS/2 90; 95 (Install in poirs) P75; 56; 57
(all models) PS/ 1 Pro 386SX M2I23 2MB
4MB
8MB
PS/2 L40SX; N33SX Laptop
IBM Laptops
2MB
.!W!i
8MB
PS2 CL57SX Color Notebook 4MB
With PS/2
wi>ory purclut.
PART* PRICE
92F9935 $78
92F9694 $138
30F5348 $35
30F5360 $89
6450603 $49
1497259 $259
6450609 $308
34F2933 $138
6450129 $289
6450605 $249
34F3077 $289
34F3011 $388
6451060 $198
6450375 $68
6450379 $89
6450902 $90
6450128 $138
6450130 $298
79F0999 $79
79F1000 $134
79F1001 $274
$239
$399
07G1879 $169
07G1880 $239
07GIB81 $399
TOSHIBA Laptop & Notebook Memory
MODEL
MEMORY
8MB CARD
4MB CARD
8MB CARD
4MB BRD
4MB MOD
4MB MOD
T4400 SX, SXC, T6400 SXC, DXC
4MB CRD
6MB CRD
16MB CRD
2MB CRD
4MB CRD
BMBCRD
1 6MB CRD
T5200/T52OOC/T850O
2MB MOO
8MB MOD
MODEL
Portable 111
Memo
MEMORY
512K
Memory
486/33ET 4MB L
16MB 7j
Z-386/20; 25; 33; 33E 1MB Z,
i
Z-386/20, 25; 33; 33E, 486/25E 4MB Z>
Z-248; Z286LP; Z386SX 2MB
4200-M2 $188
4200-M8 $598
3600-ME $49
3800-ME
3800-MK $148
Z-605-1 $99
INTFC
EXP8D
2MB
1MB
4MB EXP
4MB DAGHT
1-2MB
2MB
1MB
/isr
Memory
MODEL# MEMORY PART*
Pre. Exec. Notebook 1MB N/A
4MB N/A
Brovo 3B6-SX, WS/286, 386 2MB 500510-002
4MB 500510-008
Premium 386/25;33;33T
Premium II 386SX/ 1 6;20 IMBw/WPB 500780-003,002
Bravo 4/33; 486/25
Premium II, TE;
Server SE 4/33 2M8w/WPB 500718004
500780-005
Premium II (All)
Premium 386/33T
Premium 386sx/ 16 4MBv//WPB 500780-004
All Premium 386/33T,
486/33T, Server SE 4/33
Brovo486 BMBw/WPB 500780-001
MEC Memory
MODEL MEMORY PARTS
Powermate 286/12; SX/16
and SX/20 2MB Kit
Powormate 386/20; 25 2MB
8MB
Powermate 386/33E, 486/25E 2MB
NEC LAPTOPS
Ultrolilelll,SL/25C 2MB
4MB
Ultralile SL/20. SL/20P 2MB
6MB
ProSpeed 286, 386SX-16 1MB
4MB
ProSpeed 386 2MB
Deskpro 286E; 386-20, 20E; 25; 25E ..
OP-410-8103
APC-H655
APCH656
OP-410-5101
PC4721
PC4722
PC4721
PC4921
PC2121
PC2122
PC312I
PC3122
PRICE
$68
$128
$139
$279
Deskpro 386-20E, 25E 4MB
Deskpro 386/33; 386/331; 486/25;
33L;50L; Systempro 2MB
8MB
32MB
Deskpro 386M,486M, Systempro LT 2-64MB
Deskpro 286N, 386N, 386SX/20, 20N,
Portable 486c, Deskpro M , Systempro LT
Series 129160-001 1MB
2MB
-'.MB
Proline 3/25 & 25Z ..
Essg
PART#
PA8311U
PA831 2U
PA8314U
PA83I5U
PA8306U
PA8302U
PA2000U
PA2001U
PA2002U
PA7135
PAB341U
PA8308U
PAB310U
PA8307U
PA8309U
PA8318U
PA8319U
PA7I37U
PA2006U
PA2007U
PA2008U
PA2009U
PA2003U
PA2004U
PA2O05U
PA2010U
PA8301U
PA8304U
PA8313U
PART*
107331-001
107808-001
107811-001
107332-001
107651-001
507653-001
107654-001
108069-001
108069W71
108071-001
108070001
108072-001
113131-001
113132-001
113634-001
112534001
113645-001
115144-001
116561-001
116568-001.
129160001
118688-001
118689-001
118690 001
128877-001
141738-001
141742-001
PRICE
$99
$99
$298
$895
$125
$209
$375
$799
Laser Printer Memory
1MEG 2MEG 3MEG 4MEG 5MEG
Brother H 8. 8E. 8D. 8V $99 $149 $249
CanonLBP4 $128 $178
Epson Aci.on Loser II $95 $163 $229
Epson 6000, Action LSR $108 $178
Fujitsu 7100 & 7200 $199. . $279
HP Deskjet 500, S00C $59[256K]
HP2, 2D, 3. 3D. 3P. 2P. 2P+ $104 $164
HPIIISI $50 $148
HP Laser Jet 4 $158
IBM loser 4019, d01 9E |3.5MB| $169
IBM Laser 4029 $149
KonicoLP31 10/31 15 $98 ....$159
NEC90.290 $118
NEC 95 $128
OKI400 $99
Pockord Beil PB9500 $125 $178
Panasonic4410/4430 . . $119 $178
Panoson.cd4?0/d4.W 589 $118 $178
Ponosomc 4450 $105
Ponasonic 4455 $139
QMS410 $119 . .$159 $249
SlarLS04 $129. ..$179 $269
StarScript4 $128 ..$178 $258
Tosiba Poge Loser 6 $119 $178
Tl $79.. .$149 $299
TIXL/PSI7/PS35 $59
HP Deskjet $149
More Laptop Memory
MODEL MEMORY PART*
ALRVentura 168.20 1MB 12407980
ALR Venturo 16 & 20 4MB 1 2407970
AT&TSalari 2MB 37650
AT&TSafari 4MB 37651
BondwellB3l0 1MB 2305009100
Commodore 2MB 390850-01
Dcll316,320LT 2MB
Dell NL20 & NL25 2MB 310-3213
Dell212N A320N1N+ 2MB P/IV310-3204
Everex Temoo U. LX20 2MB 00160
EverexCorr.ef 2MB 0026300
EpsonNB3 4MB A8085I1
Grid 1500 4MB 52587
Grid 1450SX 2MB 6200203
Goldstor GS520. 386SX 16 ... 1 MB N/A
Goldstar GS520, 386SX 1 6 4MB N/A
Packard Be '. Mognovox, Mj'buba 1 MB N/A
Packard Bell, Magnovo.. Mlhubd 4MB N/A
Panasonic CF1 70/270/370 1MB N/A
Samsung Notemaster 386b 2MB SNM002
Samsung No'emoster 3865 . 4MB SNM004
Sonyo 17NB 18NB&ZEOS 2MB MBC-N8MEM2
Sharp 6220 1MB CE-621B
Sharp6640 2MB N/A
Sharp 4700MZ 200 . . 1MB CE-471
Sharp 8501 Colwstor 2MB N/A
Tondon NBE 386SX 1MB N/A
Tondon NEE 386SX 4MB N/A
Tl Travelmate 2000, 3000 1MB N/A
Tl Travelmale 3000 . 2MB N/A
Tl Travelmate 4000 4MB N/A
PRICE
$198
$895
$168
$268
$128
$97
$98
$149
$109
Laptop Memory
Conruro Notebook /Laptop 2MB
4MB
$129
$175
Newer Technology
O-SMB 1 6Bll lor 286 and 386, up to 24Mlu, Limm 4.0 and
Extended. Uses Dip chips. Extended and Expanded
OK 2MB 4MB 8MB
$19 $89 $159 $299
O- 1 6MB Lim/EMS 4.0, Expanded and Extended, True EMS 4.0
for any 286, 386 ond 486 w/ up to 33Mhz CPU speed. Uses Simms
OK 2MB 4MB 8MB 16MB
$49 $139 $204 $352 $653
S398
$88
$299
$88
$78
$218
Simm Modules (Call for current prices)
DESCRIPTION 100NS B0NS 70NS 60NS 53NS
256X9 $9 . $10 Sll $15
IMEGX3 $32 $33 $38
1MEG X 9 $29 $35 $37 U& ... $54
4MEGX9 $124. ..$134 $159
1 6MEG X 9 $599
256X36 l MEG 172 P.n] $50
512X36 2MLG (72 Pin] $85. $95
lX36 4MEG[72P,n] $139... $149 $159
2X36 8MEG [72 P.n) $289... $298 $329
4X36 16MEG|/2P.n) $549 .... $579 $619
D-Ram Chips
DESCRIPTION 150NS 120NS 100NS SONS 70N5 60NS
64X4 $1.95 $2.25 $2.45 $2.95
256X1 STATIC $1.95 $2.25
256X1 $1.05 $1.25 $1.40 $1.55 $1.95 $2.20
256X4 $3.95 $4.45 $4.95 $5.45 $5.95
1MEGX1 $2.95 $3.45 $3.95 $4.45 $4.75
IMEGX I STATIC $4.95 $5.25
IMEGX4 $17.00 $20.00 $24.00
CmputerPeripheralsjnc
Memory Boards
For 286, 1 6 Bit, 2MB Expandable to 4MB. (Uses 1 MB x 1 Dips) Works
BratAT + l/OPar5erd-4MEGSll8 OK SI 18 2MEGS184 4MEGS250 with IBM AT, and compatibles. Expanded, Extended, 4.0 Lim compatible
Bo«ar«/aPluiforPS/216Bi!Memoryfcralll&MMCASy S lemi,DOS 3MIG 569
& OS/2 UM EMS 4,0 Support. 2-BMB (uses 1MB Simms). 4MEG 119
2MB-5179 4MB-$279 8MB4399
Compaq SLT/286 1MEGMOD
4MEG MOD
I MEG MOD
2MEGMOD
Compaq SLT386 4MEGMOD
Compaq Lie 286 1MEGBRD
2MEG BRD
4MEG BRD
Compaq Lte 386/20 1MEGMOD
4MEG MOD
Compaq Lie Lile/20, 25 2MEG MOD
4MEG MOD
8MEG MOD
139497001
13949B-001
139499-001
110235-001
110237-001
118303-001
118304 001
118305001
11 7081 001
117081 002
117081-003
121125-001
121125-002
129769-001
129769-002
129769 003
1 6 Bit Memory Boards Below Dealer Cost!
BO^n Memory Boards
Boca AT Plot (Bral 90 uses 1MEG Simms) OK-8MEG Board, 4.0 UM
compatible, Conventional, Expondod & Extended Memory, Supports DOS,
OS/2, LIM/EMS & EEMSOK-S94, 2MEG-S1 59, 4MEG-S228, 8MEG-S358
Brat 80 (uses Dip Chips) $79
PC-47-21 $158
PC-49-21 $488
ZA44 S98
ZA3601 $118
ZA180-64 $134
ZA 180-66 $94
ZA1 80-71 $279
ZA3034ME $86
ORDERS ONLY
800-982-2925
TECHNICAL/CUSTOMER SERVICE/ORDER STATUS:
(702) 294-0204 FAX (702) 294-1 168
FAX ORDERS WELCOME
WE PUROUUI EXCESS INVENTORY! CALL OR FAX UST
Mlg.pi
CONDITIONS: 20i.U<
30
y///^y^/}/>>^}//z
PS/2 Mouse support
available
• Each unit accommodates
from 2 to 8 PCs
• Up to 12 units can
be cascaded
• Mounting kit available
for 19" and 24" rack
installation
Dealer Program Available
Cybex corporation
2800-H Bob Wallace Ave.
Huntsville, Alabama 35805
(205) 534-0011
_ Fax (205) 534-0010 -
PC, PC/XT, PC/AT and PS/2 are trademarks of
International Business Machines Corp.
224 BYTE • MARCH 1 993
Circle 193 on Inquiry Card (RESELLERS: 194).
"The CA
RAVE, Now I
knovvWh'
Jim Scalise finds FastCAD®'s speed and ease of
use gives more than an increase in quality pro-
duction time... "We found other systems diffi-
cult to learn, but FastCAD enabled us to get up
and running in short order. Architects that need
the fastest CAD system have to see this to believe
it. FastCAD really lives up to its name. Without
FastCAD it would be tough to compete and we
wouldn't have time for the extensive
detailed work we consider standard
on all construction documents.
Cy Jim Scalise
Nickels + Scalise Architects
PMsTfofa
Plus, paper storage would be overwhelming and
we'd still have 'draftsman's cramp' in our fin-
gers and graphite on our forearms. After win-
ning two National CAD Drawing Contests and
elating our clients with FastCAD, it's as easy for
me to endorse as it is to use."
If you want to be more competitive, but find
yourself short on time, don't delay! Call
Evolution Computing today for a free-
demo at 1-800-874-4028. Free techni-
cal support for registered users.
^^^^^^^fi^nS^ln^^l^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^*
tuewn
/ ciBlor
f (team
! ampstlbk
agjj IK'Mllill
I^P^Jf compuwr.
jCAD2
the twite
>««r.
m
■GE3S1
HWw
FREE Hands-On Demo^ CalM-800-874-4028
EasyCAD and FastCAD are registered trademarks of Evolution, Cafljputing © 1992 Evolution Computing.
pCsoU**,
Says . . .
Kenosha Computer '
Center offers some of the Best
Buys in Mail Order!
EPSON
LX810
....$169
LQ570
LQ870
$235
$425
FX870
....$265
FX1050....
....$349
LQ1070....
$349
FX1170
....$349
LQ1170....
$569
EPL8000 ...
..$1065
LQ2550....
$849
Action 325
Action 100
)
$189
) 6 PPM,
14 fonts
$689
Action 1500 6 PPM,
PLC5
$889
DFX 5000/DFX ROOfl
£12B3/S?139
Call For Options
Join the thousands of
satisfied customers who
enjoy our combination of
price, service, and speed
of delivery.
KENOSHA
COMPUTER CENTER
SALES LINE OUTSIDE WISCONSIN
1-800-255-2989
Shipping, customer service & technical assistance call
414-697-9595 - FfiX 414-697-0620
VISA, MASTERCARD, AMERICAN EXPRESS ACCEPTED
• No Surcharge on MasterCard
or Visa!
• Kenosha Computer Center is
now in its 6th year!
4$ Texas Instruments
Travelmate 3000-WIIMSX $1749
Travelmate 4000 SX-80mg $2199
Travelmate 4000 WIIMSX 25-120 $2349
Travelmate 4000 W1NDX 120mg $2879
Travelmate 4000 Win SLC/25 $1749
Travelmate 4000 Win DX2/50 $3399
Travelmate 4000 Win SX/25 Color ...$3199
Travelmate 4000 Win DX2/40 Color .$3899
Call For Accessories
OKIDATA
ML320/ML321 S299/S419
ML380/ML590 S219/S419
ML591/ML393 S569/S909
OL 400 Laser/OL 810 $589/$1029
OL 820 Laser/OL 830 S1219/S1279
Okilaser 400 2MG upgrade S1 19
Panasonic,
Office Automation/^^l
\Jr~i
1123/1124i $195/8275
2180/2123 S179/S229
1624/1654 S339/S519
2124/2624 $299/$359
4410/4430 S599/S859
4450i/4451 S1059/S1379
2mg. Upgrade for 4420 81 44501 S139
cc Computers
KCC 386 SX-33 W/1.2MB floppy, 2 MG RAM,
40 MG Hard Drive, SVGA Card & Monitor,
DOS 5.0, Windows & Mouse S1249
KCC 386-DX-40 w/64K Cache 1.2 MG floppy,
4 MG RAM 106 MG Hard Drive, SVGA Card
and Monitor, DOS 5.0, Windows 3.1
and Mouse S1499
KCC 486-DX-33 w/64K Cache, 1.2 MG floppy,
4 MG RAM, 211 MG Hard Drive, SVGA Card
and Monitor, DOS 5.0, Windows 3.1
and Mouse S1999
All KCC systems come with a 30 day money-back guarantee.
Toll-free technical support. One Vear Limited Worranty.
HEWLETT-PACKARD
Laserjet IV w/toner S1399
Laserjet IV M w/toner Call
Laserjet III P w/toner $979
Laserjet II P+ w/toner $809
1 MB Upgrade $69
2 MB Upgrade $99
Deskjet 500/500C $399/$509
Deskjet 550C $729
Deskjet Portable Call
Laserjet III si $3249
4 MB Upgrade $159
Options Call
Canon
BJ10EX $245
360 DPI, 37K Buffer, 142 CPS, 6
fonts, IBM & Epson Emulation
BJ20 $359
Detachable cutsheet feeder, 188
CPS, 360 DPI
BJ300 $329
600 CPS, 30K Buffer, 3 Fonts, Epson
IBM Emulation
BJ330 S555
Wide carriage. Version of BJ 300
BJCSOO $1779
Color Bubblejet, 360 DPI, 7K Buffer,
Epson Emulation LQ2550, 600 CPS,
Built-in auto cut sheet feeder
BJ200 $325
496 CPS, 360 DPI, cut sheet feed,
Epson & IBM Emulation
MEMORY PRODUCTS
2 MB IBM 30-286 $89
2 MB IBM 55SX $89
1 8t 4 MB SIMMS Call
BOCA RAM AT 2 MB $179
4 MB Tl 4000 $199
Ast Premium 4 MB $165
Toshiba, Nee, Zenith, AST, IBM, Compac,
Other Manufacturers & Products Call
LASER PRINTERS
2 MB EPSON ALII $139
2 & 4 MB H-P III $99/$159
2 MB OKI 400 $119
2 MB OKI 830/840 Call
2 MB Panasonic 4450i $125
2 MB Panasonic 4410/4430 $125
Other Models & Manufacturers Call
HOUSTON INSTRUMENTS
PLOTTERS & SUMMAGRAPHICS
DIGITIZERS
Image Maker A&B 11x17 $699
DMP-52C&D 1 Pen $1979
DMP-161 A to D 8 Pen $2749
DMP-162 A to E 8 Pen $3475
DMP-162RAtoE8Pen
Roll Feed $4749
Summasketch II 12x12 $279
Summasketch II 12x18 $479
HARD DRIVES & TAPES
SEAGATE, CONNER & MAXTOR
SEAGATE 120 MB 3144A S279
SEAGATE 245 MB 3283 $399
MAXTOR 120 MB S279
MAXTOR 200 MB S379
MAXTOR 340 MB S639
CONNER 40 MB S189
CONNER 120/170 MB S269/S289
CONNER 200/250 MB S399/S419
MICROSOLUTIONS
40 MB or 100 MB $399/$489
External Parallel port hard drive. Perfect for
Laptops, PS It's 8t XT's.
HARD CARDS
Plus Hard card 50XL S239
Plus Hard card 105 MG S339
TAPE BACK UP
Colorado Jumbo 120 S189
Colorado Jumbo 250 $249
Colorado Tracker 120 Portable ....$339
Colorado Tracker 250 Portable ....$399
Mountain, Maynard, others CALL
MONITORS
Mitsubishi EGA $239
Mitsubishi Diamond Pro 17" $1069
Mitsubishi HL 6955 20" $1779
NEC Multisync III FGX $609
NEC Multisync IV FGX $709
NEC Multisync VFGX $1245
NEC 6FG $2249
Samsung 14" Sync Master 2 $249
Samsung 14" Sync Master 3 $299
Samsung 15" Sync Master 15 $479
Samsung 17" Sync Master 4 $799
KENOSHA
COMPUTER CENTER
2133 91st Street
SOFTWARE
Lotus 2.4/3.1 $299/$359
Microsoft Word for Windows $299
Microsoft Windows 3.1 $79
Microsoft DOS 5.0 $69
DBase IV $419
Word Perfect 5.2 $269
C.A. Cricket Paint $89
C.A. SuperCalc $89
C.A. Simply Accounting $125
C.A. Clipper $495
C.A. BPI Value Pak $359
C.A. db Fast $329
BATTERY BACKUP & UPS
AMERICAN
250/400 $109/$165
450/600 $199/$259
900/1200VX $375/$729
SMART UPS 400 $309
TRIPPUTE
BC 250 $105
BC 400 $159
BC 500 LAN $195
BC 600 LAN $259
BC 900 LAN S359
GRAPHICS CARDS
ATI VGA Wonder XL 24 1MB $149
ATI Graphics Ultra 1MB $279
ATI Graphics Ultra Pro 1MB $439
ATI Graphics Ultra + 1MB $295
Diamond Speedstar 24X W/1MB.S175
Diamond Stealth w/1MB $219
Orchid Fahrenheit1280 $269
Trident SVGA 1MB $79
Monochrome Boards $35
No charge (of MasterCard or Visa. Wa will ship COD on a
cash or cashor's check basis only. Shipping & handling
3%-S6 minimum; AK and HI slightly higher. 15%
restocking charge on returned items. Purchase orders
accepted Irom Fortune 1000, Government institutions,
schools and universities. 2% shipping discount available
on orders over S2000 il prepaid by chock.
Prices and availability
subject to change.
^V Kenosha, Wisconsin 53140
KENOS(HA COMPUTE'
1-800-255-2989
MODEMS & FAX MODEMS
PRACTICAL PERIPHERALS
FAX ME for plain paper fax $169
PRACTICAL PER 9600 INT/EXT ...S199/S229
PRACTICAL PER 14.4 INT/EXT ....$329/S279
HAYES
HAYES OPTIMA 9600 S329
HAYES OPTIMA 14.4 $399
HAYES OPTIMA 14.4 W/FAX $439
HAYES ULTRA 14.4 S619
U.S. ROBOTICS
USR 9600 V.32 bis S469
HST 16.9 Int/Ext $499/$549
USR SPORTSTER 14.4 Int/Ext $309/$309
USR SPORTSTER 14.4 W/FAX $328
USR DUAL STD EXT $729
World Port 96/96 Fax Modem $439
Intel Satisfaxtions Below
iny
Satisfaxtion Fax Modems
200 2400 V.42/9600 Fax $275
400 14.4/14.4 Fax $375
400 ext 14.4/14.4 Fax $419
Faxability Plus $59
80387-SX co-processor $75
80387-DX co-processor $85
Overdrive Upgrade SX20/25....S349/$435
Overdrive Upgrade DX25/33 ...$435/5575
MULTIMEDIA & CD ROMS
Media Fusion 16 $499
SoundBlaster Pro $189
Videoblaster $329
Imports video & audio from VCRs, cameras
and video discs into VGA graphics
Soundblaster Pro
Multimedia Upgrade kit $539
With Soundblaster Pro, midi kit,
CD Rom drive 8t software
NEC CDR 74 w/gallery $629
NEC CD Express $419
NETWORKING
NETWARE 2.2 5 USER $489
NETWARE 2.2 10 USER $1079
NETWARE 2.2 50 USER $2099
NETWARE 3.11 5 USER $589
NETWARE 3.11 10 USER $1359
NETWARE 3.11 50 USER $2699
NE 2000 $139
LANTASTIC 10MPS STARTER KIT $449
LANTASTIC 10MPS ADAPTER $199
LANTASTIC FOR WINDOWS $165
3 COM ETHERLINK II $185
3 COM ETHERCARD $279
INTEL ETHER 16 $119
INTEL ETHER 16 20 PAK $1975
SMC ETHER + ELITE 16 $145
SMC ETHERNET 8 BIT COAX $95
XIRCOM POCKET ADAP COAX $299
XIRCOM POCKET ADAP 10 BASE T $299
CENTER
Circle 557 on Inquiry Card.
Thafslt!
It's an exhibition, with new products, new ideas, and new solutions.
It's a conference, an educational forum which can open your eyes to
new ways of, solving problems. It's a meeting place where you can
exchange thoughts with your peers. It's an industry forum where DEC
can connect to IBM, Mcintosh, Hewlett-Packard and many other
systems. That's it. That's DEXPO and it's your best opportunity to
make your DEC system compatible with the world. DEXPO.
Come see exhibitors and their products at DEXPO Spring '93.
DEXPO Spring is well on its way to filling the Inforum in Atlanta,
GA with the exhibitors you want to meet. They'll be there to answer
your questions, to provide solutions, to help you make your systems
more efficient and your companies more profitable. That's it.
Open Systems Conference debut's at DEXPO Spring '93.
Today's information manager has two things on their mind - increased
productivity and profitablity without added expense. DEXPO has
added a world class conference to open your eyes to new ideas in
making your DEC and DEC compatible products work more effec-
tively together. Topics include:
Achieving Enterprise- Wide Open Systems
A Guide to DEC-Other Vendor Integration
• IBM, HP, Sun, Unisys, Pes, Unix System V
DEC and the Issues of the 90's
• Open Systems
• Operating Systems
• Network Management
•NAS
• Application Development
• DEC's Software Vision
To obtain registration information for DEXPO Spring '93 fill out the
form and return either by mail or fax.
DEXPO Spring
Exhibition & Open Systems Conference
June 8 -10, 1993
Inforum
Atlanta, GA
Fax to: 214/385-9003
Mail to: Registrar
DEXPO Spring
13760 Noel Road, Suite 500
Dallas, TX 75240
Yes, I'm interested. Please send more information on:
( ) Attending ( ) Conference ( ) Exhibiting
Company
Cily/StaleVZip
DEXPO
No one serves the DEC market better, no one can.
Produced by Miller Freeman, Inc.-A member of the United Newspaper Group ©1993 Miller Freeman, Inc.
Circle 555 on Inquiry Card.
MARCH 1993 -BYTE 224NE-3
Basic Systems Include : ~ Motherboard & CPU ~ 101 Enhanced Keyboard -
1 .2 Meg or 1 .44 Meg Floppy Drive - 2 Hard/2 Floppy IDE Controller -
2 Serial/1 Parrel/1 Game Ports ~ Internal Clock Calendar ~ Coprocessor Socket ■
386-16SX NottBook
2Maj RAM 40M«g. ND
1.44 FD $799.00
Special
1024 X 768 SVGA .28
$255.00
Ask About
Our 2 Vaar
Extended Warranty
Panasonic 2124
$299
14' Mono Monitor
14* Mono VGA
M- SVCA (1024X768 .39)
14- 5VCA (1024X768 .28)
14* SVGA (1024X768 .28) N/1
14" Sony 1304
IS" MAS
IS* NEC 3F6X
17* SVQA N/l
17" SONY 1*04
I NETWORKING
NOVELL V3.ll G USER
NOVELL V3.1l 10 USER
NOVELL V3.11 20 USER
NOVELL V3.ll 100 USER
ARCNET 8/16 (STAR)
ARCNET 8/1 6 (BUS)
ACTIVE HUB 4/8 PORTS
; NE-1000 COMPAT (COAX/TP)
. NE-2000 COMPAT (COAX/TP)
MEMORY
1 MEG X 9 70 NS SIMM
256K X 9 70 NS SIMM
A MEG X 9 70 NS SIMM
575
649 -
650
TQ39
i*59
1499
1794
4249
49/89
64/94
79/139
90/110
100/130
JJS WESTERN DIGITAL
NT CO-PROCESSORS
Why Ulta
FLOPPY/HARD DRIVES
1.2/1.44 Mb ID
Satisfied Government &
Corporate Customers
- Pentagon
~ General Electric
- Melon Bank
- Sigma Software
No hassle return Policy
Name brand Parts
- Teae
- Senate
- Intel
- NEC
1 Vr. Parts & 5 Yr. Service
Warranty
48 Total System Burn-In
Piece of mind knowing
the Quality and Reliability
That only a Ulta Computer
Can Bring.
Manufactured Direct to i
you Right here in the
UnlrecTSrates
40 Mb/28 m
80 Mb/18 m
IDS Mb/17 i
170 Mb/15 i
210 Mb/16 i
340 Mb/12 i
S35 Mb/16 i
210 Mb/16 i
340 Mb/16 i
IDE
IDE
■ IDE
a IDE
a IDE
a IDE
$ S3
149
209
236
299
372
675
1019
469
732
KEYBOARDS
101 ENHANCED
101 LITE-ON CLICK
108 FOCUS 2001
1 1 1 FOCUS 8000
130 FOCUS 9000
MOUSE
CONTROLLERS
IDE 2FD/2HD $ 12
IDE 4FD/2HD 29
IDE 2FD/2HD W/2S/1P/1G 20
AT I/O 25/1/IG IS
MFM 2FD/2HD 1:1 40
RI.L 2FD/2HD 1:1 40
Ultra jtor 12F ESDI 32k Cache (ISA) 159
Ultrastor 14F SCSI 64K cache (ISA) 239
Ullrastor 24F 449
Ultrastor 22F/22C ESDI (EISA) 48S/639
Ultrastor ISC IDE Cache (ISA) 199
CD ROMS/MULTIMEDIA
MITSUMI CRMC
TEXEL /W CONTROLLER
SOUNDBLASTER
SOUNDBLASTER PRO
7 CD-ROM TITLES
179
489
199
139-
387SX -26
3B7DX-2S
387DX-33
387DX-40
S 69
69
76
90
SCANNERS
HP SCANJET 2P
HP SCANJET 2C
MODEMS
5 890
1445
2400 B Modsm
9600B SEND/RECEIVE FAX
9600B w/V.32 A V.42 BIS
$ 39
79
229
CASES W/POW'R SUPPLY
Mini Tow*r 200W Digital
Mini D-.k 200W
PS2 Stylo 200W
MldTow»r 200W Digital w/7 Baya
FullTowau 230W w/11 Bay*
Prices subject to change without notice. AH returns must be made in 30 days and accompany an RMA number. Shipping, insurance & COD charges are
extra and non-refundable. All prices reflect a 3% discount for cash. Ulta Computers is not responsible for Typographical or Photographical errors. $3.00
charge for orders under $ 1 00.00. California residents subject to sales conformation. Tech. Support 1 -304-748- 1 89 1 Fax 1 -304-748-0276
224NE-4 BYTE • MARCH 1993
Circle 559 on Inquiry Card (RESELLERS: 560).
FREE On-Site Service
Nationwide For One Year!
.■.■:■
II 1
WIN
©<
m C 7;'l;-.t;
!
386DX 40 64K Cache 4 Meg
486DX 33 256K Cache 4 Meg ...
486DX2 50 256K Cache 4 Meg.
486DX 50 256K Cache 4 Meg ...
486DX2 66 256K Cache 4 Meg.
486 VESA Local Bus
w/24 bit 16 Million true color video.
$1175
$1575
$1625
$1775
$1775
........Add $100
c o ivi r u ~r
f / / / / /
S ■ - :S--- - Jr S •.■■ A ■■■£
R
/
30 Meg hard disk (14.5 ms
.44 Meg floppy drive
.2 Meg floppy drive
VGA 1024 X 768 .28 14" color monitor
SVGA card (trident) 1 Meg
"20 Watt desktop or mini tower
serial, 1 parallel, 1 game, IDE 2HD/2FD
01 -Key enhanced keyboard
1 year parts and 5 years labor
1 YEAR ON-SITE SERVICE
FCC B AND UL APPROVED
One Hollywood Drive
North Grafton, MA 01536
508-839-3289 fax 508-839-6236
800-685-3981
Monday-Friday: 10am-10pm
Saturday: 10am-6pm
Sunday: Noon-6pm
Circle 558 on Inquiry Card.
No
' surcharge '
for credit
cards.
VISA
/
/
**£
Circle 556 on Inquiry Card.
MAGAZINE
| WORLD |
\00
a
ISA-VESA-ISA
A L L
ONE SYSTEM
Poly486-66EV $2750
8 x 32-bit EISA slots with
3 VESA Local Bus
Upgradeable to P24T (586SX)
256K Cache, Option: 512K
8MB RAM, Expandable 256MB
213MB High Speed IDE Hard disk
32-bit VESA IDE with 2MB Cache
1 .2MB and 1 .44MB Floppy Drives
VESA Video Accelerator with 2MB
FAST AND EXPANDABLE
Call for other model and configuration!
800-999-1278
TEL 415-583-7222
FAX 41 5-583-1 974
well
^pwfi .
♦
ADVERTISERS
♦;♦
Run a full- or half-page 4-color ad
reaching a portion of BYTE's U.S. readers
at unbelievably low rates — right here in this section!
Call today to learn more about BYTE's unique Regional
Advertising Section, located in our prominent Buyer's Guide.
♦
(603) 924-2651 or (603) 924-2637
224NE-6 BYTE- MARCH 1993
P- The Superstore with Super Deals!
Hard
Drives
Western Digital
High performance
"Caviar" series with V
height. Cache Flow IM and 32K buffer.
AC280 80Mb 1" 3.5" 14ms IDE... .Call
AC2120125Mb 1" 3.5' 14ms IDE... .Call
AC2200200Mb V 3.5- 14ms IDE.... Call
AC2340340Mb 1" 3.5" 14ms IDE ....Call
Maxtor
7080A 80Mb 1" 3.5" 15ms IDE.... Call
7120A 120Mb 1" 3.5" 15ms IDE.... Call
LXT213A213Mb 1" 3.5" 15ms IDE.... Call
MX12401.2Gb 1" 3.5" 15ms IDE.... Call
Panther 1.2Gb SCall Panther 1.7Gb Call
Conner Peripherals
30104 120Mb 3.5" 19ms IDE.... Call
3204 200Mb 3.5" 16ms IDE ....Call
Hard Drive Specials
Seagate ST3283 249Mb IDE 499.95
Samsung 100Mb IDE 299.95
Seagate Wren 340Mb ESDI 599.95
Brand Tech 200Mb IDE 379.95
Call for Quantum, Micropolis, Seagate.
Controllers from Ultrastor, Always, WD etc.
Backups
Colorado
DJ10 120Mb Tape Drive internal .. 199
DJ20 250Mb Tape Drive internal . . 268
Trakker 120Tape Backup 358
Trakker 250 Tape Backup 428
Syauest (with cartridge)
44Mb kit SQ555.SQ400.SQ01 (16 bit) .419
44Mb external 499
88Mb kit SQ51 10, SQ800, SQ01(16bit) 529
88Mb external 629
GrassRoots Floptical
Floptical 21 Mb (external) Call
Floptical 21 Mb (internal) Call
Floppy Disk Drives
Toshiba
ND04DG 360K 5.25" HH PC/XT 59
ND08DEG 1.2Mb 5.25" HH PC/AT ....72
ND3561GR1.44Mb 3.5" HH w/ATKit.,72
ACP
1.2 Mb 5.28". 66 2.88Mb 3.5" Call
1,44Mb 3.5".. ..67 All in One 3.5/5.25 149
Compaq 1/3 ht. Floppy Call
MultiMedia
Creative Labs
Complete all-in-one MPC compatible
upgrade kit includes; Panasonic CD Drive.
Sound Blaster Pro, five CD's, Microsoft
MultiMedia Kit Int/Ext 539/599
Sound Blaster Reg/Pro/ 16 85/148/218
MediaVision
CDPC Subsystem (external) 998
Pro 16 Multimedia System 968
Pro Audio Spectrum 16 194
NEW! MediaVision Fusion CD ext. CD ROM
with Sound. Speaker and 4 CDs: Compton's
Carmen, Ultima, Wing Comm 429
Compton's Encyclopedia CD
Standard version 169
Interactive version, NEWI 249
CD ROM Special
Mitsumi MPC Compatible (inf) 188
input Devices
Advanced Trackman Port ...98
3-button Mouse 14,95 Microsoft
84/101 Keyb... 48/58 Mouse 73
Mouse&Windows 88 Ballpoint 98
Logitech Mouse&Windowsl48
Mouseman 78 Microspeed
Trackman 78 PCTrac 78
Cordless Mouse ..88
Video Graphics Cards
ATI
Graphics Ultra Pro w/lMb/2Mb... 428/518
Graphics Ultra+ w/lMb/2Mb 288/328
Graphics Ultra 51 2K/1 Mb 248/288
Graphics Vantage 5 12K/ 1Mb 188/218
VGA Wonder XL24 w/512K/lMb .. 128/148
VGA Integra 83 VGA Basic 16 65
Diamond
SpeedSTAR Stealth w/ 1Mb 218
Speedsfar 24X24-BitColorw/lMb 165
Orchid Fahrenheit 1280w/lMb ...258
Paradise
Windows Accelerator w/l Mb 178
Chips and SIMM's
RAM Chips I 25
41256-100 256K 100ns DIP 1.49.. 1.35
41256-80 256K 80ns DIP 1.59.. 1.49
414256-80 256Kx4 80ns DIP 4.79 ..4.59
lMb-100 IMbxl 100ns DIP 4.05 ..3.95
lMb-80 IMbxl 80ns DIP 4.49 ..4.39
Call for VIDEO RAMS & CACHE RAMS
Over 20,000,000 IC's in-stock including
We Specialize in 486DX/25 & 33 Upgrades
New Low Prices!
SIMM Memory Modules
lx9-70(3-chip)..,.37 1 X36-70 138
lx9-70(9-chlp)....39 2x36-70 288
4x9-70 129 4x36-70 538
1 x 8-70 (Mac) 36 8x8 (Mac) 324
4x8-80(Mac) 124 16x8(Mac) 408
Advanced Cards
Mono/Color 38/48
EGA 48
VGA (800x600) 53
VGA (1024 x768)512K 68
MGA 0024x768)1 Mb 88
Math Coprocessors
Intel
Cyrix
8087 29 387SX06-25) 73
80287-10 89 387DX (20-33) 88
80387SX (all) 78 387DX/40 108
80387DX (all) .... 85 80287 (all) 78
387SL 78 Overdrive 486DX/33 649
Rapid CAD 249 Overdrive 486SX/25 .489
Memory Upgrades
Notebooks
Compaq Contura, 4MbS 1
Compaq Lite. 4Mb 228
HP95LX Palmtop, 2Mb .. Call
IBM CL57SX. 4Mb 345
Everex Carrier, 2Mb ...
Toshiba T4400, 4Mb 18
Toshiba T6400, 4Mb 18
Zenith Z-Note. 2Mb ....
Laser Printers-"0"K Boards
HP III/IIID/IIIP/I1P/IIP+/II/IID 49.95
Panasonic 4410/30 or 4420/10 .. 69.95/49.95
Oki400 49.95 Oki 800/20 59.95
Oki 830/40 79.95 IBM 4019/29 49.95
NEC 69.95 QMS 410 69.95
Computer Upgrades
AST Bravo 3/25S\ 8Mb S 318
IBM PS/2 90, 95, 2Mb 88
Dell 420/25/33/50SE, 4Mb 208
Call for NEC, HP, Zenith, Leading Edge.
Motherboards
Advanced
286 -12MHz 69.95
3B6SX -25MHz 1 19.95
386DX -40MHz 199.95
486SX -20MHz 199.95
486DX2 -50MHz 699.95
486DX2 -66MHz 999.95
486DX -50MHz Call
Micronics
ISA BUS
486DX/33 W/256K cache 799
486DX2/50 W/256K cache 999
ISA-VLBUS
486DX2/66 W/64K cache 1399
486DX2/50 W/64K cache 1049
MVC4000LB/lMbVideoAdapter 199
EISA BUS
486DX2/33 W/256K cache 1099
486DX2/50 W/256K cache 1449
f
1 D 7MTT(^' l l 5"
(O)
A Dynatech Company
Memory Upgrades ni
S8M
COMPAQ PROLINER
™
Mod 4/33,50 4Mb
158 ■
Mod 3/25 SC.25 2Mb
.89 ■
Call for other models.
' H
COMPAQ, Vte
Shki
Lite, Contura"
2400/9600 w/SFW
,.169
9600/9600 w/SFW
..439
144/9600 w/SFW
...529
TOSHIBA 1
Notebooks'
2400/9600 w/SFW
...169
9600/9600 w/SFW
...439
144/9600 W/SFW
...549
' Cellular ready.
PC6881CSH/^R|
Color
386SL/20
NoteBook
•Only 4.9 LBS.
•2Mb RAM
. 80Mb IHD
$^10095
3199 * also NEW!
6785w/80Mb $ 1799.95
Advanced • with AMD High Performance CPU's
Computers 'plus SEIKOTrinitron Monitors
• OPTI or ACC Chipsets • 1 Year Warranty
• AMI BIOS • Enhanced 101 Keyboard • IDE Interface |
• Free Accounting Software
...all Advanced
Systems include:
advanced computers
486/33 Complete Color System
Includes •
• 486DX/33
w/256k Cdche .
• 4 Mb RAM
• 512K VGA Card
•105MbHardDrive
1.44 Mb Floppy Disk
IDE Controller
101 Keyboard
14" SVGA .28
Color Monitor
ACP's
Sale Price
$ 1499
Call for additional configurations... Local Bus, .-
386SX, 486DX/50 and Seiko Trinitron Monitors
386DX/25 &100Mb HD
Desktop System
2Mb RAM • 100Mb HD • 64K Cache
3.5/5.25 Dual Floppies- SVGA/512K
Mouse • DOS 5.0 ■ Windows 3.1 • Works
Unreal Deal $ ^ AA
at acp m */yy
Hi-speed CD-ROM
Toshiba 2200
FREE Lotus 1-2-3 CD
with purchase. 200ms
ACCESS w/adapter.
386SX/20
Notebook
40 Mb Hard Drive
1 Mb RAM • VGA LCD
$799 $999
Call ACP for Notebooks...
AST • COMPAQ
MITAC • TOSHIBA
BELOW COST!
286/12
80286»3.5" Floppy 1 Mb- 101 Keyboard
$ 269
IBM OS/2
Special Purchase...
04G 1049 OS/2 Extended
w/server. List 1995 ACP 1 159
04G1051 OS/2 LanServer
List 795 ACP 429
04G1091 OS/2 Ext. Admin.
kit. List 165 ACP 97
10G 5999 OS/2 2.0 Upgrade
List 149 ACP 79
All 4 for only $499!
Software Sale...up to90% Off!
of Titles! Now only 9* 5 . 1
CompuServe 9.95 Coinbase
Life & Death 9.95 Computer Comic 9.95
DesertStorm 9.95 Complete Craps 9.95
Personal Biz Base 9.95 Pro Football Analyst . 9.95
Stickbear 9.95 Hdc Window Apps ...9.95
Dvorak on Typing 9.95 30 Min. Negotiator .... 9.95
Bible Trivia 9.95 Retirement Planner ... 9.95
■«J.«IMJf.W.l,J.lfJ/J)M
Intel®
Satisfaction
Model 100 48 FAX/24 Modem 88
Model 200 96 FAX/24 Modem ... 288
Model 400 144 FAX/ 144 Modem 388
TOSHIBA' Notebooks
T1850 386SX-25/80Mb 1899
T1850C Color/80Mb 2835
T4400SX 486SX-25/80Mb 2299
■J C: Windows Accelerator
' ' Increases
"'] Performance!
:i Diamond
Computer Systems, Inc.
Speed Star 24X
...make your 386 perform like a 486
• Windows Accelerator _ _
• 1 5X faster than SVGA ACP
•1Mb RAM onlV
•WD90C31 Chip
• 5 Year Warranty
• 24 bit color for
16 .7 million colors
?165
"HEB-I
New! OPTIMA* 24+FAX 96
Now you can get a 2400bps V.24bis
data modem plus a 9600 bps FAX
with Hayes superior performance
and compatibility. All at a great
price. Also includes SmartCom EZ
and SmartCom FAX software.
OPTIMA' 24 + FAX 96 $ 148
OPTIMA' 96 + FAX 96 368
OPTIMA" 144 + FAX 144 475
SII
Seiko CM 1450 £T'
New low price on — "~
an incredibly sharp
SVGA flicker-free. ^*tr
non-interlaced mjlliscanning
monitor. Features finest quality
Trinitron high-contrast black tube.
.25mm aperature grille and
1024x768 resolution.
CM 1450 14" $ 424
CM 1760 17" (.25mm) 1097
or try Seiko's new 20"
CM 2070 LR 20" 1825
Canon
Canon® Authorized Reseller. . .
NEW LOW PRICES!
BJ10E Portable 5 299.95
BJ200 Inkjet 348.95
LBP-4SX Laser Printer 988.95
BJ330 Printer (B/W) 548.95
BJC 800 (Color) 1895.95
BJC 820 (Color) 2075.95
BJ 300 BubbleJet(B/W) ... 449.95
BJ 20 Portable 328.95
Advanced Computer Products, Inc.
1310 E. Edinger, Santa Ana, CA 92705 • FAX /1 4-558-8849 • Toll-Free 1-800-FONE ACP • Sales 714-558-8813 MMC
Prices subject to change without notice. No surcharge on credit card. Credit cards not charged until we ship. 100% risk free return guarantee! II you are not 100% satisfied jusl return insured within 15 days complete with
all malerials in new resaleable condition with original invoice. ACP will immeOiately exchange product or issue ACP credit less shipping lor lulure purchase. No Returns on soltware Special Purchase
Circle 1 90 on Inquiry Card (RESELLERS: 191).
TRAVEL LI
HAVEL NEAT, TRAVEL SMART...
- Weight less than 1 kg
- PCMCIA 2.0 Interface
- 60 Mb Hard Disk
- 2 Mb RAM
- No adapters needed
• Weight 2.2 lbs. (Bicom and Battery)
• Dimension 8.78" x 6.36" x 1.22"
• True 16 bit AMD Lonestar Processor, 386SX
Class Performance
• 5 "AA" size NiMH Batteries
• 60 MB Hard Disk Drive
• 2MB RAM expandable to 4MB on board and
16MB with memory card
• PCMCIA 2.0/JEIDA standard port for memory card and I/O card
• 640 x 400 resolution LCD screen supports CGA, AT&T mode and
all Windows graphics
• 64-key keyboard
• 1 parallel (bi-directional)/ 1 serial
• External FDD port for optional Floppy Drive
• DR-DOS 6.0, File Transfer Software & Serial Download Cable
• Built-in Personal Data Manager software
• Built-in Programmable Power Management Software
• Universal AC/DC adaptor
• Carrying Case
Options: External Floppy Drive, SRAM Memory Cards, 9624 IC Card
Fax/Modem, Mini-trackball, External Keyboard, extra batteries.
^m MCOMPUTERS
Abe
1-800-336-2280
ABC Computer (USA) Corp.
2531 237th Street, Suite 122, Torrance CA 90505
310-325-4005 Fax 310-325-6369
226 BYTE • MARCH 1993
30-Day Money Back Guarantee
All brand names are registered trademarks of their respective owners.
Circle 1 88 on Inquiry Card (RESELLERS: 189).
If You're Only Using Windows
For Work, It's Time You
Sought Professional Help.
MicroProse Has The Remedy.
Spreadsheets. Multi-tasking. Sales forecasts. It's
enough to drive a Windows user to the laughing academy.
MicroProse has one clear response to the night-
mare of work! FUN!
For 10 years,
we've relieved
computer owners
of workday grief
with spine-tingling
software. We created
F-15 Strike Eagle, a
flight simulation of
America's most powerful
jet fighter. Civilization, a
strategy game that lets you
build an empire. And
Darklands, where you can
lead a band of adventurers
through 15th century Germany.
Now MicroProse is prescrib-
ing this same high dosage of fun
for Windows users. And it all starts
with The MicroProse Entertainment Pack Vol. #1 .
Somebody Call A Doctor!
Our first offering for the
Windows environment is the end-
lessly engaging Dr. Floyd's
Desktop Toys.
Load this package onto your
Windows and the wacky Dr.
Floyd (whose good looks
grace this ad) will escort
you through six wonder-
fully addictive games.
f Games like Snark
Hunt. Web Spinners.
Cryptograms. And KYE.
All designed to trans-
port your thoughts far
away from the daily
grind of work.
So take your shoulder off the wheel
and look for these MicroProse games arriving
soon at your favorite software retailer. And open
your Windows to a whole new world of fun.
/MICROPROSE
ENTERTAINMENT - SOFTWARE
Seriously Fun Software
© 1992 MicroProse Software, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Circle 200 on Inquiry Card.
To get our free catalog, call 1 -800-879-PLAY.
(Mon.- Fri., 8:30 am-5:00 pm EST.)
Or illl out the coupon and mail it to: MicroProse Software, Inc.
180 Lakeiront Drive • Dept. D-10 • Hunt Valley. MD 21030-2245
Name
Address _
City
. State .
.Zip.
NA1
MARCH 1 993 'BYTE 227
HBMO&tt M6M0MI! MEMORY!!
ACER 486SX - 16MB SIMM m x 36)
32MB SIMM(8MX36)
AMI EZ-FLEX - 64MB KITvsimms)
AMIGA 2000 - 16MB SIMM
AST BRAVO 486LC - 16MB SIMM
COMPAQ SystemPro - 32MB MODULE
DELL 486's - 16MB KIT (2 simms)
32MB KIT (2 simms)
MAC llfx - 16MB SIMM
MAC QUADRA 950 - 16MB SIMM
MAC llci,llcx,llsi,QUADRA 900 - 16MB SIMM
MAC QUADRA 700 & SE/30 - 16MB SIMM
NeXT TURBO - 16MB SIMM
SUN IPX,ELC - 16MB SIMM
$ 529.00
$ 1,599.00
$ 2,799.00
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
<3>k
wamc &mw
16MB mi
469.00
469.00
1,199.00
538.00
1,088.00
479.00
469.00
469.00
529.00
469.00
499.00
11
ME-78 S49 4MB
If^r^Zenitb 2-3B6/20; 25; 33 8 33E
1MB ZA3S0OME $49 4MB
Zenith Z-3BESX/2D, 286LP+, Z-LS
2MB Kit 2-605-1
Zenith 4B6/33ET; 25E
4MB ZA4200M2 $189 16MB ZA4200M8 $619
AST
Bravo 386-SX, WS/286, 386
2MB 500510-002 .... $89 4MB
Bravo 3/25S
2MB 500710-004 .... $99 8MB
Bravo 5/33S
'MX 2,,,B 500962-001 .... $75 8MB 500962-002 .. $379
Bravo LC 4/25S, 4/33, 4/33S, 4/50d, 4/66d
4MB 500987-002 .. $159 8MB 500987-005 .. $259
16MB 500987-004 . $499 32MB 50O9B7-005 .. $999
Premium 386/25; 33; 351, Premium II 3865X716; 20; 25
1MB IV/WPB 500780-005; 002 $59
Bravo 4/33; 486/25; premium 4/25; 33TE, Server SE 4/33
2MB SV/WPB 500718-004; 780-005 $119
Power Premium 3/33, 4/33, 4/33S, 4/50d, 4/E6d,
Premium 386/53TE, 486/25, 25E, 25TE, 33, 33E, 33TE,
Premium II 3/25, 33, 486/35, 486SX/20 s Server SE 4/33
4MB 500780-004 .. $159 8MB 500780-001 .. $518
Hewlett-Packard
Vectra 386/16N, 3B6/20N, 3B6/25N PC
2MB D2406A S99 8MB D2404A $319
Vectra 486PC; 25T; 33T; 486S/20; 486/25N; 33N; SON; 66N
2MB D2581A $89 8MB D2152A $309
4MB D2151A or P2156A $169
Vectra 386/2S; 486/2511; 4SE/33U; 486/50U; 486/6611
2MB D2381A $89 8MB D2152A $309
Vectra 486/25N; 486/33N; 486/50N; 486/66N
tSS? 16MB D2676n SS "
PowerMate 286/12; SX/16 8 SX/20
2MB Kit OP-410-8103 $99
PowerMate SX/20
2MB CPU upgrade op-410-8101 S1B9
2M8 Eip. Board OP-410-8102+8103 $209
PowerMate 336/33E & 486/25E
2MB OP-410-S101 $199
DEC
DECstatJon 3 series SX; C; Plus; & 425c
2MB PC4XM-CB $99
DECpc 400ST series
4MB PCTAM-CC $189 8MB PCTAM-CD $299
We stock memory for most rjicontlnued systems!
Laptop & Notebook Memory
m
AST
POwerEiec 3/25SL, 3/25SL-C 4MB $179
16MB $1299
Premium Exec 3B6SX/25, 25C 1MB $69
4MB $129
Compaq
ronton 3/20, 3/25 & 25C 4MB $189
8MB $329
LIE 286 2MB $99
1MB $199
LTE 38ES/20 4MB $199
LTE Lite 20; 25; 25C 2MB $139
1M8 $219
SLI 286 1MB $99
4MB $279
SLI 386S/20 1MB $89
4MB $199
IBM
ThinkPad 300 2MB $159
8MB $459
PS/2 CLS7SX & ThinkPad 700; 700C 4MB $349
8MB $669
N51 Notebook IAIII 2MB $179
4MB $249
L40SX & N33SX Laptop 4MB $135
L40SX 8MB $285
NEC
UltraUte a cellular workstation 2S6F 1MB $139
4MB $369
UltraUte 8 Cellular Workstation 5X720 2MB S179
8MB $599
UltraUte III, SI/25C 2MB $149
1MB S219
UltraUte 51/20, SL/20P 2MB $119
6MB $299
ProSpeed 286, 3B6SX/16 1MB $109
4MB $209
ProSpeed 386 2MB $149
Panasonic
CF-170, CF-270, CF-370 1MB $54
Texas Instruments
TravelMate 2000 j^ 1MB $89
TravelMate 5000, WlnSX J$$2 2MB $79
TravelMate 4000 *fV* 4MB $219
Toshiba
T1000SE/LE/XE; 2000; 2000SX/SXe; 2MB 585
12200 & T1800 Satellite series 4MB $169
BMB $299
T1200XE, 1600, S 3100E 2MB 505
T3100SX, 3200SK, 8 sxc portables 2MB $S5
4MB $149
13200 5MB $149
T3500SL Notebook 2M8 $119
4MB $179
T4400 8 T6400, SX, SXC Notebook 2MB $129
4MB $1B9
8MB $349
T5100 2MB $89
T5200; T5200C S T8500 2MB $92
8MB $299
Zenith
2-Note Notebook {all models) jvJiV 2MB $159
l&^r 8MB $499
2-Sport325S ' 2-6MB $139
2- Snort 420S 8 425S 4MB $189
Mastersport 386SL, SLC, SLe 2MB $99
MastersPort 386SX 2MB $109
SupersPort SX; 2B6e; SllmsPort 2MB $139
superspnrt 286e; SllmsPort 4MB $279
Grid
1450SX 2MB S149
Magnauox or Packard Bell
286 8 386SX Notebook 4MB $179
sharp
PC-6220 Notebook 1MB $109
Sanyo or Zeos
Notebook Memory 2MB $79
Everex
Tempo ix Notebook 2MB $79
Tempo carrier Notebook 2MB S119
H ft %
nKingston
ifi'lll TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
386 & ass Processor
upgrades for your
system!
Now you can use Windows in enhanced mode, get
true multitasking & background operation for
Windows 3.1, OS/2, & other 386 specific software.
Processor upgrades offer dramatically increased
system performance & easy installation & improves
your systems performance by up to 350%.
CPU Upgrades icpu socket!
From 286 to 386SX
25MHZ SX/NOW! $269
33MHZ SXVNOWl $299
Add a math coprocessor for $75
From 386 to 486
25MHZ 486SX7NOW! $029
33MHZ M6DX/NOW! $769
MicroMaster Upgrades (expansion sioti
From 286 & 386 to 486
25MHz 486SX MicroMaster $829
33MHz 486DX MicroMaster $1299
MicroMaster with 32-bit 70ns Memory
25MHZ 486SX With 4MB $999
With 8MB $1179
With 16MB $1519
33MHz 486DX With 4MB $1439
With 8MB $1619
With 16MB $1959
Mfe Megahertz
"^CORPORATION
Laptop & Notebook
FAX/Modems
for AST, Compaq, IBM, Sharp, Tl, Toshiba, Zenith
and many other Laptop & Notebook Systems.
Megahertz modems include:
• Send & Receive Fax capability
• Easy Installation with illustrated user's guide
• software included • Free technical support
• Full 5-year warranty • Hayes compatible
pcmcia 2.0 FAX/Modems with XJACK
14,000bps FAX/iiiodem, cellular, Autosync Scan
24/9600bps FAX/Modem SCall
internal FAX/Modems w/mnp-5 & v.42/v.42bis
14,000bps FAX/Mooem, cellular, Autosync $549
96/96000PS FAX/MOOem $499
24/9600bps FAX/Modem S229
2400bps Modem $149
External Pocket Modems for any RS-232 Serial Port
14,000bps FAX/Modem, Cellular, Autosync $399
9600bps FAX/Modem $339
24/9600bps FAX/Modem $189
Laser Memory
.Compaq PACEMAR0 15 & 20
JSjjX BMB 126361001 ... $329 16MB 126361-001 .. $649
* Hewlett Packard LaserJet Ills! 4, 4M a XL300
4MB C2065A $149 BMB C2066A $299
Mien-Packard Usenet IIP, III, HIP, HID
2MB 55475B $95
4MB 33477B $159
Hewlett-Packard LaserJet II & (ID
2MB 33444B $99 4MB 33445B $159
Hewlett Packard Desklet 500, 500C
2S6K 22707B $59
IBM Laser 4029 All Models
4MB 1185335 $129
canon LBP-4, 4L!te, 4Plos
1MB 563-2230 $119 2MB N/A $169
canon IBP-HI s mil Plus
2MB 563-2350 $249 5MB 563-2360 $299
Panasonic 4410 & 4430
2MB KX-P441 $119 4MB N/A $189
Panasonic 4450I & 4420
2MB KK-P441 $109 4MB N/A $179
oklLaser 400
1MB 70014701 $79 2MB OKI N/A $99
Texas Instruments MicroLaser & XL
1MB 2555739-0001 $49
Epson EPL 6000
2MB IBS401 S99 4MB N/A $169
Epson ActionLaser II, EPL-8000
2MB N/A $169 4MB N/A $259
i Guarantee
Buy with confidence!
First Source international
'The Only Source for Computer Upgrades"
• 50 Day Money Back Guarantee
• 100% compatible in form, fit, & function
• All products user installable
• Installation instructions included
• Toll-free technical support
• Thousands of items in stock
• Manufacturer's warranties
• Corporate PO's, APO/FPO's welcome
• Government & Educational pricing
• International orders welcome
• Special volume pricing
• 24-hour fax line
• same day shipping
> Overnight delivery available
• Visa, mc, AMEX, & Discover accepted
• No surcharge on credit cards
• Call for any Items not listed
• We'll meet or beat any advertised price
Toll free from anywhere
in the united States or Canada
800/046-9866
international
714/588-9866
Facsimile
714/588-9872
Business Hours
Monday-Friday, 8AM-5PM
Saturday, 10AM-3PM, P.S.T
T**/*
Mall orders to:
First Source International, Inc.
36 Argonaut, Suite 140
Aliso uiejo, California 92656 USA
Terms & Conditions
Memory products are third party, manufacturers' part numbers are for
your convenience. Freight charges are non- refundable. A 20% restock-
ing fee will be charged on ail non- defective returns, unopened, &
refused or cancelled orders. Items mustbe returned within is flays with
original documentation & packaging. A Returned Merchandise Autho-
rization number Is required. Prices & availability are suolect to change
without notice, purchase prices at the time of order are final. First
Source international cannot be responsible for errors in typography or
photography. We will beat any advertised price valid only on identical
brands, offer not good for SIMMs or DRAM. Trademarks & registered
trademarks are of their respective companies.
CALL THE UPGRADE EXPERTS TOLL FREE 800/446-9866
Circle 197 on Inquiry Card (RESELLERS: 198).
Circle 209 on Inquiry Card.
You Can Rely on Ralin For all Your PC System Up g rades!
^ODEM UPGRADES §|| ^ iKSM ]Vf PC UPGRADES
Zoom Telephonies
All Zoom modems are backed by a 7-year
warranty and are made in the USA.
2400 bps w/ v.42bis and MNP 2-5
(AMC)
(AMX)
$ 49.00
$ 65.00
2400 bps w/ v.42bis and MNP 2-5
9600 send & 4800 receive Fax
(AFC)
(AFX)
internal
external
$ 59.95
$ 79.95
9600 bps modem w/ v.32, v.42bis, MNP2-5
(VP-V32)
(VX-V32)
internal
external
$199.00
$199.00
14,400 bps modem w/ v.32bis, v.32, v.42bis,
MNP 2-5 and 9600 bps send/receive Fax
(VFP-V32bis*)
(VFX-V32bis*)
internal
external
$229.00
$269.00
2400 bps modem w/.42 bis and MNP 2-5,
9600 bps send and 4800 bps receive Fax
PKT Pocket/Fax Modem
$ 99.00
•WINFAX software option available for $15 if purchased with VFP-V32bis or VFX-V32bis modem.
Call a corporate sales expert today and find out how Ralin can maximize
your purchasing dollars by upgrading your existing computer equipment.
Ralin stocks: • Motherboards • SIMM Memory • Controllers • Printers • Monitors
Hard Drives • MPC Products • Computer Cases • Keyboards and much more
CALL 1-800-752-9512
Ralin Policies
• Prices arid availability subject
to change.
• Purchase orders are accepted,
subject to approval.
• We do not charge your card
until order is processed.
Incomplete returns are
subject to a service charge.
All returns other than
exchanged items incur a 10%
re-stocking fee.
To insure your shipment arrives when you need
it, Ralin uses only the most reputable modes of
transportation available:
SHL— lupsi
^^OFUnWKX EXPRGS5 -
Philips CDD-462 BK $325.00
• External MPC CD-ROM and CD Audio player.
• Kodak Photo CD compatible
• 680 Meg.
Dealer Inquiries Welcome.
Purchase Orders Accepted.
International Orders Welcome.
15
'fixo^
WE ACCEPT:
I© MM
WHOLESALERS, INC.
P.O. Box 450, Orchard Park, NY 14127
Hours: 8:00 am to 6:00 pm Mon-Fri
Customer Service: 716-674-6267
Fax: 716-674-2108
Local Printer Sharing
PARALLEL
DEVICE
LCX-1000 1Mb $595
4 serial I/O, 57,600 bps
2 parallel in, 2 parallel out
LC-512Kb $495
4 serial I/O, 19,200 bps
2 parallel in, 2 parallel out
Many New Features!
LC Jr.-256Kb $239
Up to 115,200 bps
4 serial in, 1 parallel out
LC-41PAS $90
Smart-switch
4 in / 1 out, all parallel
Requires no power supply
SPPS $60
Up to 115,200 bps
Serial / Parallel Converter
Requires no power supply
PB-42PP-256Kb $250
4 in/ 2 out, all parallel
Upgradable to 4Mb
Logical Connection, Inc.
4660 Portland Road NE #108
Salem, OR 97305-1697
Customer Support:
(503) 390-9375
FAX: (503) 390-9372
800-238-9415
Circle 212 on Inquiry Card.
MARCH 1993 • BYTE 231
CRD RT THE
SPEED OF THOUGHT
PLAIN TALK ABOUT YOUR NEED FOR SPEED
AND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ISA, EISA AND VL-BUS
ISA transfers
data up to 3MBIsecond
on an 8 bit wide da tabus
FHSTEH:
EISA offers 32MBI "~"\
second transfer rates
on a 16 bit wide databus
FASTEST: « ^ J
NAGA's VL-Bus 1 '"
system is capable of
transferring raw data on
a 32 bit wide databus at the
rateofWMBIsecond
SVSTEM BOTTLENECKS
CHUSE LENGTHV REDRAWS
Redra ws take a long time because
data displayed on your monitor is
bottlenecked. The databus,
periphera Is an d CPU a ren 'l
operating on the same Imnd-
width—ihe number of hi Is a ble to
passthrongh tlwsystem's narrowest
bottleneck— causing delays.
Vou've looked at a
zillion ads.lt seems
like everyone's
selling the same thing. You
want the fastest 486 or 386
available at the lowest price.
And now, everyone's talking
ISA, EISA and VL-Bus™.
And how much more speed
you need.
CRD. IMAGING OR
GRAPHIC DESIGNERS:
WORM SO TIMES FASTER
RND SMARTER.
For CAD, imaging or graphic
design users, VL-Bus' speed
advantages are incredible!
Without all the wasted time
spent waiting for screen
redraws, you'll work up to 50
times faster— and smarter.
VESA'" VL-Bus, transparent
to operating systems and soft-
ware, is tndy the new standard
of performance— which more
than 120 manufacturers of
systems, chipsets and periph-
eral boards have adopted for
their most powerful products.
'lij
MICROSOFT*
WINDOWS..
CouovnniJ-
NRGR S QURUTY
COMMRMEHT TO VOU
2-Year Warranty on ALL
Components
Lifetime 1)00 Number for
Service tY Support
FREE! 12-Month On-Site
Service Contract*
Next-Day Replacement Part
Warranty
45-Day Money-Back Satisfaction
Guarantee— No Questions
Med
24-Houi' BBS Technical Support
CRD ELITE SOLUTION
486-0SH/VL
- Intel 80486 Processor
(Integrated Math
Coprocessor)
COD SOLUTION
40G-VL
Intel 80486 Processor
(Integrated Math
Coprocessor)
8MB RAM (exp. to 256MB) - 8MB BAM (exp. to 32MB)
256K RAM Cache
(exp.to512K)
210MB <15ms IDE
Hard Disk
64K RAM Cache
(exp. to 256K)
210MB <15ms IDE
Hard Disk
Teac L2&L44 Floppy Drive - Teac L2&L44 Floppy Drive
- 32 Bit VL/IDE I/O
Controller
- 32 Bit VL-Bus 2MB
- 20" Flat N/I SVGA
(1280x1024)
- 101 Enhanced Keyboard
- Vertical Case with 250W
Power & 2nd Fan
■ CalComp 12x12 Digitizer
- CAD SOFTWARE BUNDLE
486DX-33 MHz S 3.695
486DX2-50MHz $3,795
486DX2-66MHz $3,995
- 32 Bit VL/IDE I/O
Controller
- 32 Bit VL-Bus 2MB
- 15" Flat M SVGA (1280x1024)
(For 17" monitor, add S500)
■ 101 Enhanced Keyboard
- Vertical Case with 250W
Power & 2nd Fan
■ CalComp 12x12 Digitizer
- CAD SOFTWARE BUNDLE
486DX-33MHz $ 2,695
486DX2-50MHz $2,795
486DX2-66MHz $2,995
FREE! OVER R S1.200 VRLUE
CRD SOFTWARE SOLUTION
WrTH ANY CRD VL SVSTEM!
■ Autodesk Generic CADD 6.0':
PC Magazine's Editors' Choice
CAD package for superior 2D
CAD design, layouts and
drawings.
- Silver Screen 2.2: a true 3D CAD
and solid modeling software
solution.
■ AutoPaek Tutor for AutoCAD:
an interactive tutorial for
beginning and advanced
AutoCAD ver. 11 or 12 users.
'Cimm.rriJ !.ti.,1ij_: /..../
' '/I'-mniilJi mi-.ilr 'in < Un Uu-ir.i.i&s l(« ihim liiu
NA7A
Systems Corporation
Smart Computer.
Smart Solution.
Smart Choice.
1520 West Mineral Road
Tempe. AZ 85283
te locatiims. InlA is a in:d-:ir.i:rl: tif inul 0^jr'rntui:i Other Imind mimes tin iniiieijuirksi'f their nsj-vtiiv companies.
pit'ilAiiut nnlim Prices do not include shipping or applicable sates tax.AuitJAllini ni-istef.
Canon
CEIlTROmCS
# CITIZEN" CCZXSR
CREATIVE LABS INC.
CUmS Dataproducts
HHHDBSD Dyson
EPSON" EXABYTE
FACIT ^1 FUJITSU
^ GRAHAM MAGNETICS
GENSCGSvl
ii£l PACKARD ISSl
i'MTGMr ^ Kama
3M M. TALLY
maxelL MICROSOFT
Wlaslrwa NEC
OCLI OKIDATJV
Olivetti OLYMPIA
OTC PACIFIC DATA
Panasonic
§ Polaroid qms
Quma IBKgfflur
Free HPGL convener SA704 $ 599
t- . 7n4 Drives two motors up lo 6 amps
ttk^\ - Call (613)359-1029
FAX (613)359-1147
). BOX I Hit, El GIN
. CANADA K0G IE0
/ A \ STKADA
\3
Gmm
GMM Research Corporation
Other PC/AT & PS/2 8530 based products available.
Extremely competitive pricing, :
(714)752-9447 Fax (714)752-7335
1 8092 Sky Park South - Unit E, Irvine CA 9271 4
Circle 341 on Inquiry Card.
Light-Speed Serial Communications
PCSS-8FX Intelligent Serial Coprocessor ~
Better than
IMbyte/second t
transfer rate. f
No load on Host ..
Processor!
• I/O Mapped - No' '
host memory used.
NEW - Supports DMA transfer.
Faster than Dual Ported Memory!
' Looks like IBM Uart with Huge QUEUE!
• 8 ports per card. RS-232, 422, 48S.
CTKK. INC. • DEVELOPMENT HARDWARE & SOFTWARE • P.O. Box 2310
Bay St. Louis. MS 39521-2310 USA • Mississippi & Technical Support 601-467-8048
Fax: 601-467-0935 • OEM & Dealer Inquiries Welcomed!
ORDER
TOLL-FREE
800-282-4835
TEK
236 BYTE- MARCH 1 993
Circle 342 on Inquiry Card.
Access your old PC's disks
from your new PC
Introducing: Infill. StOr!
InfiniStor™ from Infinicon™ makes your old PC's disk drives appear to be
internal to your newer PC. What's more, those disks will perform almost
as fast as if they were mounted
inside. InfiniStor consists of a pair of
half-size add-in cards (one for your
old PC and one for your new one), a
thin 12 ft. cable (which can be
increased to 50 feet or more), and
easy-to-use software which takes
less than 10 minutes to install.
And you'll get Super PC-Kwik'" InfiniStor Add-In Catds and Cable
disk caching software (to speed things up even more) and Stacker™
file compression software (to double the size of your old PC's hard disk),
both bundled FREE with InfiniStor.
Oilly$129§5 (introductory offer)
Warning! InfiniStor is not a network product, and as such Infinicon
cannot promise that you will encounter the typical network software
installation difficulties. Furthermore, you won't have to deal with the usual
cabling problems, and you won't have to become a master of complexity.
InfiniStor uses only 4K bytes of memory, appears transparent when in
use, and is compatible with all your favorite software (including Microsoft
Windows'" and computer networks). And if you're not totally satisfied,
just return it within 30 days for a complete refund on the purchase price.
For info or to order, call toll-free: (800) 374-3880
VISA- MasterCard- AMEX F S:lloi)37oS
INFINICON • 15 North 100 East, Suite 106 • Provo, UT 84606
Circle 389 on Inquiry Card.
LET YOUR COMPUTER DO THE TALKING!
Integrated
Voice/Fax Mail
integrates major voice/fax applications plus
program control into one full-featured' high
performance software. PC -AT/386/486 based.
Menu driven. Easy to use. Full support for
Rhetorex, New Voice, Dialogic, TTI and Intel
voice and fax hardware. Supports up to 24
voice lines and up to 8 fax lines.
Hardware + Software <£ Q C f\
4 voice lines package starts at V./ --J"
Tel: (818) 368-6132 Fax: (818) 368-7859
SigmaTech Software
24 hours demo lines: 818-368-4566 or 818-368-8848
10801 Bismarck Ave, Northridge, CA 91326 USA
(Resdlcrs/Dealers/OEMs/Privcite labels are welcome)
I Auto-Attendant
I Unlimited Audiotex
I Voice Mail
I Call Processing
I Telemarketing
I Fax Mail
I Fax-on-Demand
I Fax Broadcasting
I Party/Chat lines
I Talking Yellow pages
Circle 380 on Inquiry Cord (RESELLERS: 381).
\
Multi-Line Voice Mail Plus.
> VAX ON
DEMAND
FAXON DEMAND • VOICE MAIL
CALL PROCESSING • TELEMARKETING
VOICE PLUS gives you professional VOICE MAIL & AUTO TRANSFER while il
pounds out Fax'd Hard Copy non-stop 24-hours a day. Give it lo them - NOW!
Complete Package with Hardware and FAX Software. 2 year warranty.
Requires PC/AT/386/486.
VOICE PLUS only S69S
Basic Voice Mail from $295
(Devolper/OEM package specials)
(VISA-MC-AMEX-COD)
For Sales and Information Call:
1-800-685-4884
510-522-380'FAX: 510-522-5556
TALKING TECHNOLOGY, INC. ^
1125 AllanticAve.. Alameda. CA 94501/.
Circle 359 on Inquiry Card.
Computer Systems
AT Systems in ROM
r /
Run DOS in ROM
Develop code on a PC. Use
'C and standard PC tools.
Burn DOS and .exe code in
ROM. Run disk-less on our
battery-backed single board
computers.
PC Compatible
Our CPU cards are PC com-
patible. They run all PC soft-
ware and drive standard PC
expansion cards (VGA, A/D,
etc.) on a passive backplane.
For Catalog Call 303-444-7737
or fax 303-786-9983
655 Hawthorn Avenue, Boulder CO 80304 USA
CPU Card
KS-6
KS-3
Base price
$299
$224
CPU chip
V53
V40
Equivalent to
286
186
Runs PC code
yes
yes
Bus
AT
XT
Max DRAM
4M
512K
Max ROM
2M
512K
Max SRAM
512K
256K
Serial ports
5
3
Parallel ports
2
2
Real clock
yes
yes
Flop, Keybd.
no
yes
Size
4 . x8 .
4"x6"
Power 5v
400mA
250mA
We provide comp
ment ROM basec
lete support
PC system
oimple-
>. Devel-
opment kits with;
>ourcecode
samples
and DOS utility c
isk are avai
able.
KILA
Circle 350 on Inquiry Card.
GLOBAL INDUSTRIAL
PBQDUCTS AND RESOURCES
RELIABLE, RUGGED & INTEGRATED
A 10714" VGA Color Industrial
Workstation
A 17" Rack Mount Monitor
Enclosure with Touch Screen
A286/386SX-33/386DX-40
/486DX2 All-in-one Slot
Board Computer
A All -in-one EISA bus CPU
Card
A Dual Drive RAM/ROM/FIASH
Disk
A 1 9" Rack-Mount Chassis with
14 Slots
A6-Slots heavy-duty Node
Chassis
MfTAC @
MITAC Inc.
16TH FL., 51 SEC. 3.MING SHENG E. RD.,TAIPEI,TA1WAN,R.0.C
TEL:886-2.501.5180 FAX:886-2-50M979
$ RHINO IU.S.A DISTRIBUTOR) „__„.,„„
101 N. ALLOY DRIVE FENTON.MI 48430, U.S.A
TEL1-8O0-648-2248 FAX:313-750-1836
iQJEsaa
HALL 9 -STAND B16
Computer Systems • Data Acquisition • Disk & Optical Drives
Rackmount Solutions
RACKMOUNT COMPONENTS - QTY 25 PRICING
Rackmount Chassis 1 9x7 ,- x1 7" $1 83
Rackmount VGA Monitors $531
Rackmount Monitor Shelf $113
Rackmount Keyboard Shelf $88
RACKMOUNT PLATFORMS - Qty 1 Pricing
RMS486-33EISAS1799 RMS386-40 $814
RMS486-33 $1443 RMS386SX-25 $693
1 J
200W Power Supply, Motherboard, 1.0MB Memory,
IDE, FDC, 2-Ser, Par, 1 .2MB or 1 .44MB Floppy Disk
Drive, 1 Year Warranty
RACKMOUNT CHASSIS - 15 Models up to 20 Board Slots
SLOT CPU BOARDS - 486, 386. 386SX
RACKMOUNT MONITORS - Super VGA and Monochrome
RACKMOUNT CABINET - Modular from 21" to 96" high
HW MAUEY
TECHNOIOCY IMC.
- «l»JSMffiSS8B!S" aatt
2468 Armstrong Street, Livermore CA 94550
(510)447-2030 FAX: (510) 447-4559
Circle 370 on Inquiry Card.
FREE, 288 PAGE
DATA ACQUISITION CATALOG
IBM PC/XT/AT, PS2, MICROCHANNEL
COMPUTERS AND COMPATIBLES
•A/D Boards
•Signal Conditioning
•Communication
•PC Instruments
•Scientific Software
KEITH LEY
METRABYTE
I T I O N
«**£>>
SEND TODAY FOR YOUR FREE
CATALOG OR CALL 1-800-348-0033,
FAX: 508-880-0179
Circle 353 on Inquiry Card.
The Intelligent Solution For Data Acquisition
DAP2400e™ Data Acquisition Processor'
ANALOG I/O
DIGITAL I/O
• Inputs to 312K samples per second
•Outputs to 3 12K samples per second
• Simultaneous last input/output
FFTanclFIR-flltering
Digital Signal Processing at 16 MIPS
20 MHz CPU with DRAM to 1024K
32 MHz DSP with SRAM to 96K
DAPL™ Operating System
• 100+ standard commands MlCROSTAR
• Custom commands in C ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^W
Laboratories:/
_ „™ , , , 2265 116th Avenue NE
Send for FREE catalog and demo diskette. Bellevue, WA 98004
Or call us at (206) 453-2345. FAX (206) 453-3199
Circle 354 on Inquiry Card.
H ^.p (ftrfftlpg
PS/2 50 50z 55sx 60 70 80 P70
INTERNAL DRIVES - May be used as a high performance replacement or to co-exist with original
IBM drive. Compatible with DOS 3.3, 4.01. 5.0. OS/2 2.0 and Novell. Includes IDE or SCSI-2
mictochannel controller, hard drive, mounting kit. ribbon & power cable, manual, and hardware.
85mb, 17ms, Internal Western Digital IDE Drive Kit $449
125mb, 15ms, Internal Maxtor IDE / SCSI Drive Kit $543/5565
200mb, 15ms, Internal WD IDE/Maxtor SCSI Drive Kit 5669/5699
340mb, 13ms, Internal Maxtor IDE / SCSI Drive Kit $969/5979
512mb, 12ms Internal Fujitsu IDE / SCSI Drive Kit $i,3l3/$l,369
1.05gb, 10ms Internal Microplus SCSI Drive Kit $2,184
PS/2 Model 25, 30, 30-186 \ eternal SCSI doves available twm 125 mb to t.75gd. Includes
32mb/42mb Hard Drive Kit S207/S243 SCSI-2 controller external case '.villi drive installed and conligured.
85mb/t25mb Hard Drive Kit $329/$423 | 6' SCSI cable. Free drivers tor CD-Rom drives or Novell 286 & 386
i IVPTl I
■■iylfSJiili-li
1 -800-487-2538
Tel: (516) 981-9473 3g "Jf"
Fux: (516) 981-5038 l°," k °,"
•Itl f ll/i m Mfr f
Circle 385 on Inquiry Card. Circle 386 on Inquiry Card.
MARCH 1993 • BYTE 237
I
m
I
Disk & Optical Drives • Diskettes/Duplicators
MiniSCSI^^-^
HIGH PERFORMANCE
PARALLEL-TO-SCSI ADAPTER
"> Transform Your
C Parallel Port -
Connect up to 7 SCSI
devices to your
parallel port and still
use your printer!
Up to twice as fast as our original
MiniSCSl.theMiniSCSI Plus
lets you run a CD-ROM, tape drive,
SCSI hard disk, SyQuest, Bernoulli or
other SCSI device from almost any
parallel port. For most notebook
users, it's the only way to use SCSI
CD-ROMs and tape drives. Plus, its
integrated cable makes it a snap to
move and share SCSI devices
between desktops and notebooks.
Call For Details!
800-872-6867
(800-TRANTOR)
Tranlor Systems, Ltd.
5415 Randall Place
Fremont, CA 94538-3151
TEL: (510) 770-1400 • FAX: (510) 770-9910
1992 Trantor Systems Ltd MmiSCSI and MiniSCSI Plus are
trademarks ot Trantor Systems L Id. All other product names are
trademarks ot their respective companies.
Circle 369 on Inquiry Card.
m
STAND ALONE
DISKETTE
DUPLICATOR
OVER 300 DISKS PER HOUR
5.25" and 3.50" Models
SIMPLE AND FAST FROM $1799 US
UOQAHIC
TEL: (416) 602-9270
FAX: (416) 602-9279
Circle 330 on Inquiry Card (RESELLERS: 331).
238 BYTE • MARCH 1993
Keyboards • Laptops & Notebooks • Multimedia
Money Back Guarantee & 1 Yr. Warranty
Popular
Space-Saver
Keyboard
$98.00
Saves 609E desk space. Foot-
print 27.3 x 15.2 cm. 100 hill-
travel tactilly responsive keys. Standard left-right spacing for easy touch
typing. IBM XT/ AT PS 2 compatible. Many language versions available.
Call Toll Free To Order: 1 -800-DATALUX
B^BB^BBS SB B'^B' 155 Aviation Dr.-Winchester, V A 22602
mm ^ m »^»»»^.^* Te] T.703-662-1500-FAX 1-703-662-1682
- VISA, MC, AmX - Auto-FAXed Specs FAX 1-703-662-1675
Circle 337 on Inquiry Card.
Universal
Keypad for
Portable
Computers
Available in Ivory or Black
Boost data entry speed, accuracy and convenience
with Genovation's Micropad,™ the innovative
numeric keypad for portable computers.
TO COMPUTER
A
▼
TO PRINTER
(800) 822-4333
17741 Mitchell, North
Irvine. CA 92714 USA
TEL (714) 833-3355
FAX (714) 833-0322
Is the unhandy numeric section of your
portable computer's keyboard dragging you
down?. ...Give your productivity a boost by
using our Micropad. The ergonomically
designed Micropad is ideal for spreadsheet
and accounting applications that require fast
and accurate entry of numeric data.
The Micropad attaches to the parallel port
of any MS-DOS computer while providing a
clean pass through connection to the printer.
Power usage is negligible. Lightweight and
compact, the Micropad is fully programmable
and is also available with connectors to fit
keyboard and serial ports.
GENOVATION
u
Circle 340 on Inquiry Card.
Desktop Video
Motion Capture
VGA-TV Converter
1 Real-time S motion video
capture
1 8, 16. 24-bit color
1 DOS S Windows support
' S-VHS & Composite input
' Free development kit
• Sound Blaster compatible
USS299
Sharp & Flicker-free
TV & Monitor display simultaneously
S-VHS & Composite output
Windows support
MRVP/NTSC also tor Mac
Hor. Over/Under-scan switch
US$149 (MR VV Plus)
US$349 (MR VP)
DISPLAY RESEARCH LABORATORY
^^^_ Capital Automation inc.
VISA Tel.:1-800-CAPITAL
Fax: 704-596-9595
International inquiry:
lnt'ITel.:(852)420 1165
Int'l Fax:(852)415 2739
Circle 391 on Inquiry Card (RESELLERS: 392).
Multimedia • Memory/Chips/Upgrades
Monitors & Terminals • Printers/Plotters
^ Make Your Image Fly !
...to Everyone Worldwide.
©
VIDEO Conferencing by VidCALL '
Conferencing via Modem. VideoBlaster & Camera
Receive Motion Video Calls via Modem Only
Full Support for Local-Area-Networks
\^
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Circle 374 on Inquiry Card (RESELLERS: 375).
MARCH 1993
BYTE 241
Engineering/Scientific • Data Acquisition
Database • Mathematical/Statistical • Programming Languages/Tools
If you work with DATA.
DADiSP is for you!
Collect, analyze, and display
data in a multi-window graphical
environment
Point and Click menu driven
operation
Data reduction and editing
Series and scalar math
Matrix math
Statistics
Peak analysis
FFTs and Convolutions
Digital filtering
XY plots
3-D/4D graphics
Spreadsheet environment to
create programs and templates,
without any programming
DADiSP is currently in use in engineering, laboratory data
collection, matrix processing, manufacturing, science, signal
processing, chemical and mechanical applications in automo-
tive, aerospace, defense, medical, and other industries.
CALL 1-800-777-5151
for your free DADiSP Trial Kit for SUN, HP, IBM, NeXT,
DEC, Concurrent, and Silicon Graphics workstations, and of
course, PCs under Windows 1 ".
A Wv/ \ dsp
v ^Hulfl^r Development
^H^B^r Corporation
One Kendall Square
Cambridge, MA 02139
tel: 617-577-1133
fax: 617-577-8211
Circle 339 on Inquiry Card.
IEEE 488 and
VXIbus Control,
Data Acquisition,
and Analysis
1993
....pi •» «■■■
I
Data Acquisition and Instrument Control
Free 1993 catalog of measurement and instrumentation
products for PCs, workstations, and more. Features new
LabVIEW software for Windows and Sun, and
LabWindows. Describes IEEE 488.2 interfaces, plug-in
data acquisition boards, VXIbus controllers, DSP
hardware and software, and signal conditioning
accessories. Training classes also detailed. Includes
tutorials and glossary.
National Instruments
6504 Bridge Point Parkway, Austin, TX 78730
(512) 794-0100
(800) 433-3488 (U.S. and Canada)
Fax (512) 794-8411
242 BYTE • MARCH 1 993
Circle 355 on Inquiry Card.
dBASE Data Entry
7
B
9
CLEM1
F1
F2
4
5
6
DELETE
F3
F4
1
2
3
J -lii'
F5
F6
S1
S2
L
F7
F8
The TransTerm 5 is a work station data entry/display terminal
for on-line shop floor data collection into PC/AT/PS-2 systems.
The unit is one of a family of such terminals which feature LC
displays for operator prompting and data entry via sealed touch
keys or an optional barcode scanner or badge reader
(Code39,UPC+). A multi-terminal network controller (up to 250
stations) and a dBASE IV compatible software package are also
available. System costs start below $300 per station. Options
include display backlighting, barcode scanning, counter inputs,
control output.
computerwise:
302 N. Winchester • Olathe, KS 66062
913-829-0600 • 800-255-3739 • FAX 913-829-0810
Circle 335 on Inquiry Card.
PCTfcX
Typesetting Software
/"
Xv z dt
X-tY
=£
-rV
This complete typesetting system makes
your books, manuals, articles, & math formulas
look their best!
For a FREE CATALOG & DEMO DISK, call 41 5/388-8853
Personal Tr*, Inc. 12 Madrona Street Mill Valley, CA 94941 Fax: 41 5/388-B865
Circle 357 on Inquiry Card.
BASIC Compiler 8051/52 & Derivatives
BXC Version 4.0 New Release!
• 100% BASIC-52 compatible & in line assembly
• Full floating point, integer, byte and bit variables
• Compatible with any RAM or ROM memory mapping
• Compile BXC program into CALLable subroutine
• Compile program to coexist with BASIC-52 interpreter
• DS/5000 chip support and extensions
• Dynamic length variables and many string functions
• Advanced run-lime error trapping & buffered serial I/O
BXC51 $295
Call now! 508-369-9556 or FAX 508-369-9549
[1
Binary Technology, Inc.
P.O. Box 541 • Carlisle, MA 01741 2
Circle 332 on Inquiry Card.
Programming Languages/Tools • Utilities • Windows II Windows
J^P\j Complete APL system $60.
J Ken's new APL for teaching and research.
Shareware and documentation $24. Source $90.
NEW! True Windows 3.1 versions.
GUI programming for APL and J
Iverson Software Inc.
33 Major St., Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 2K9
Phone (416) 925-6096 Fax (416) 488-7559
y
Circle 378 on Inquiry Card.
PC Diagnostics and
System Information
QAPIllS Over 3 Million users
□ New Version 4.7 now includes Reachout Host remote control
software and Novi" Scan virus detection software
□ Both novices and expert PC users can quickly solve common
computer problems
□ Reports hardware configuration,
interrupts, perfonnance
benchmarks and more
□ Includes LAN features for
networked PC support
and management
For More infonnation call:
1-800-DIAGSOFT
Also from DiagSoffc QAP/ksAVDV for tuning and troubleshooting Windows'
and QAPlus/FE" for power-users and sendee/support professionals.
Available from r'.ii^lri'.id Disatunt Softvv.iru, t omp USA, 15iz Marl, Try's l-'kvtn inics and oilier line resellers.
DiagSoft, Inc., 5615 Scotts Valley Drive, Suite 140, Scotts Valley,
California 95066 ■ 1-408-438-8247- FAX 1-408-438-7113
' Suggested Retail: $159.95
Circle 338 on Inquiry Card.
Programming for Microsoft Windows
doesn't have to be a Pane fw
object-Menu provides an object-oriented architectural
framework for your C++ application with a dazzling look and
feel. Seamlessly port your product between DOS graphics and
Microsoft Windows using our interface objects. Our intuitive
architecture and natural programming syntax increase your
productivity more than you ever thought possible. Our goals
are to simplify GUI design for the novice while providing the
power and flexibility needed by an expert.
7 Mountain Rd, Burlington MA 01803
Tel: (617)273-0421 Fax (617)270-4437
. BBS (617)270-9552
Ella Edit Iools Objects Orjllor
Toolbar contains tools
for creating real-time I
display screens with
animated graphics
Charts and graphs show
changing data as (he
changes occur
Knobs and buttons
allow operator*
interface and control
^llll B ^ B i^||^,
Privycr Sp»«<
■ XL.
& To Shipping 3fc
Units In atocK
Real time means you see changes as
they occur, not after the fact. VISION
provides you with the real-time
information needed for success in
today's quickly changing business
climate.
VISION includes all software needed
to immediately start monitoring PC
performance, network performance,
and changes in dBase files.
VISION displays dynamic data
from DDE-enabled Windows
applications. Examples include:
• Microsoft Excel
• Lotus 1-2-3
• Borland Quattro Pro
• Visual BASIC
• databases
• accounting packages
List Price Intro
Realtime VISION $395 $99
Developer's Edition $995 $495
(for royalty-free distribution of applications)
1-800-TRY-LABTECH
(508) 657- 5400
FAX (508) 658-9972
Circle 351 on Inquiry Card.
IS THERE A DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE?
Nominee Compute Choice Award
Best Adult Discovery Software
WINDOWS VERSION
o Dr. Schueler's Home Medical Advisor gives
updated info on diseases, injuries, medical tests,
drugs, poisons, nutrition, diets, fitness, and health/
travel tips.
• Q/A format analyzes your symptoms, shows you
anatomical displays, and makes over 400 diagnoses.
• Hypertext and SCAN features make finding any
topic FAST.
• Low cost updates to all registered users.
• Developed by over 40 physician specialists.
Available in WINDOWS or DOS versions $99.95 Retail
WINDOWS Special: $79.95
DOS Special: $69.95
To order, Call: 1-800-788-2099, Dept. B
or see your software dealer
PIXEL PERFECT ▼ IMC.
1 0460 S. Tropical Tr.
Merritt Island, FL 32952
WMP I ©
Circle 348 on Inquiry Card (RESELLERS: 349). Circle 371 on Inquiry Card.
MARCH 1993
Y T E 243
THE BUYER'S MART
A DIRECTORY OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
THE BUYER'S MART is a unique classified section or-
ganized by product category to help readers locate sup-
pliers. Each ad has Inquiry numbers to aid readers re-
questing information from advertisers.
AD FORMAT: Each ad will be designed and typeset by
BYTE. Do NOT send logos or camera-ready artwork.
Advertisers should furnish typewritten copy. 2"x1'/e" ads
can include headline (23 characters maximum), de-
scriptive text (300 characters is the maximum
recommended) plus company name, address, tele-
phone and fax number. 2"x2Vb" ad has more space for
descriptive text (850 characters is the maximum recom-
mended).
DEADLINE: Ad copy is due approximately 2 months
prior to issue date. For example: November issue
closes on September 8. Send your copy and payment
to: THE BUYER'S MART, BYTE Magazine, 1 Phoenix
Mill Lane, Peterborough, NH 03458. For more infor-
mation call: Margot Gnade at 603-924-2656.
FAX: 603-924-2683.
RATES (Jan. 1993)
3-5
6-11
12
13
issues
issues
issues
issues
2"xiy."
1 ad
$663
$636
$557
$530
2 ads/issue
-
-
530
504
3 ads/issue
-
-
504
477
V'tVh"
1 ad
$1,326
$1,272 $1 !
$1,060
2 ads/issue
-
-
1,060
1,008
3 ads/issue
-
-
1,008
954
ACCESSORIES
BAR CODE
BAR CODE
RADIOACTIVE?
Plot it on your PC with The RM-60 RADIATION MONITOR
Serial or printer port. Delects: ALPHA ■ BETA • GAMMA • X-RAY.
MicroR, 1000 times the resolution of standard geiger counters.
Excellent for tracking RADON GAS. Find sources. New: Version 2.9
+ WINDOWS. Plot: • Background • Cosmic Rays • Clouds • Foods
Call/Write (or PC MAGAZINE review. • TSR • GM Tube
VISA/MC/EURO Phone orders. Not satisfied? Full refund.
800-729-5397 or Tel/Fax: (302) 655-3800
Aware Electronics Corp.
P.O.Box 4299. Wilmington. DE 19807 $1 49.50
KEYBOARD, VIDEO, MOUSE, AUDIO
Extend signals from PC with EXTENDER
Split signals with COMPANION/PC EXPANDER
Switch signals among PCs with COMMANDER
Boosts signals up to 600 feet. Control up to 96 PCs
with one keyboard, monitor and mouse.
CYBEX CORPORATION
2800H Bob Wallace Ave.. Huntsville, AL 35805
Phone: 205-534-0011 Fax: 205-534-0010
Bar Code Readers
For PC, XT, AT, PS/2, Macintosh
and Serial Terminals
>■ Attaches as 2nd Keyboard or to any ADB port
>- Reads 2of5, 128, UPC/EAN, Code 39, etc.
>■ External or internal attachment on PC
>■ Wand, CCD, Slot Badge, Magstripe or Laser
> Two Scanners per Reader
> 100+ Configurable Options
>• 2 Year Warranty, 30 Day $ Back Guarantee
>- Direct From Manufacturer
>■ Top Rated by Independent Review
V Complete with Laser Scanner -$1399
>■ Complete with Stainless Steel Wand - $399
Worthington Data Solutions
Swiss Office 3004 Mission Street
Rijtistrasse 6 Santa Cruz, CA 95060
CH 9050, Appenzell Switzerland 408-458-9938
071 87 51 17 FAX
071 87 51 15 Phone 800-345-4220
BAR CODE PRINTING SOFTWARE
• MS/PC DOS Systems • Import/Export ASCII tiles • 9
& 24 pin dot matrix • H-P LaserJet/Plus/Series II
■ Menu-driven or Memory Resident • Most Label Sizes
• Multiple Densities • Variable Graphic Heights • Code
39, I 2/5, UPCA/E, EAN 8/13, 128, 93,11, MS1/PLES-
SEY, POSTNET (ZIP+4).
AMERICAN MICROSYSTEMS
2190 Regal Parkway, Euless, TX 76040
(800)648-4452 (817)571-9015 FAX (817) 685-6232
BAR CODE "SPECIALS"
Wedges/Portables/Multi On-Line readers with HP wands
Spectra-Physics lasers S899. PSC & Symbol in stock
3" CCDs S468. Mag stripe encoders/readers S1485
Software: print bar codes S99 & read bar codes S159
P.O.S. - cash drawers S199/receipt printers $399...
30-day $S Back / 1 Year Warranty "Spanish Dept. available
OEIWVAR/Dealer discounts
BARCODE INTERNATIONAL SYSTEMS
9190 Palm Canyon Drive, Corona, CA 91719
(7141 277-1917 • (800) 653-4252 • FAX: (714) 277-1005
Inquiry 701.
Inquiry 703.
CUSTOM KEYBOARDS AND TERMINALS
Engineering, Development and Production
• Point-of-Sale • Special purpose • Harsh environment
• Access control • Data collection • Operator input
• Unique • Industrial • Any interface, key style or size
• No minimum quantity required
GENOVATION, Inc.
17741 Mitchell North, Irvine, CA 92714
(800) 822-4333 (714) 833-3355 FAX (714) 833-0322
Inquiry 702.
BAFKCODE
Labeling Software
On EPSON, IBM, OKI, or LaserJet. Easy
WYSIWYG design. Any format/size. Up to 120
fields per label. 18 text sizes to 3" -readable at
100', AIAG, KMart, Sears, MIL-STD, Pennys, 2of5,
128, UPC/EAN, Code 39. File Input & Scanned
PCX graphics - $279. Other programs from $129.
Worthington Data Solutions
(408) 458-9938
800-345-4220
I. T. S. Bar Code Solutions
Bar codes are easy using our FULL line of readers & printers.
They plug and play with your existing CPU/printer/terminals/
software systems in your otfice. store, truck, factory or
warehouse. ITS' bar code DOS programs print on matrix or
laser printers. 30 day refund. 1 year warranty. OEM/VAR/
Deafer discounts.
International Technologies & Systems Corp.
655-K North Berry St., Brea, CA 92621 - Western USA
13 Welwyn Court, Richmond, VA 23229 - Eastern USA
(800)228-9487 (714)990-1880 (804)741-6725 (FAX) 990-2503
Inquiry 704.
Portable Reader
Simple, Powerful, Easy-to-use
>■ AA Battery Operated, with backup coin battery
>■ 2 x 16 Supertwist LCD Display
>- 32 Raised Rubber Keys
> Real-time Clock Built-in for Date/Time Stamps
>■ 2 Built-in Inventory Programs
>■ 3 User Defined Programs, & 3 User Data Files
>- Wand, CCD, or Laser Scanner Input
>■ Doubles as Non-Portable Reader
> Serial Interface and Keyboard Interface
>- Reads 2of5, UPC/EAN, 128, Code 39, etc.
>- Uploads with furnished Programs or Xmodem
>- 64K Complete with Steel Wand - $799
Worthington Data Solutions
Swiss Office 3004 Mission Street
Rutistrasse 6 Santa Cruz, CA 95060
CH 9050, Appenzell Switzerland 408-458-9938
071 87 51 17 FAX
071 87 51 1 5 Phone 800-345-4220
BAR CODE READERS
Keyboard emulation for PC/XT/AT & PS/2s, all
clones and any RS-232 Terminal. Transparent to
your operating system. Available with Steel
wands, Lasers, Slot & Magstripe Readers. Same
day shipping. 30-day money-back guarantee.
One-year warranty. Reseller discounts available.
AMERICAN MICROSYSTEMS
2190 A Regal Parkway, Euless, TX 76040
(800)648-4452 (817)571-9015 FAX (817) 685-6232
PORTABLE BAR CODE READER
Battery operated, handheld reader with 64K RAM, 54 key
keyboard, real-time clock, 2X16 LCD display, and built-in
calculator. Supports WAND, CCD, and LASER. Built-in
program generator supports multiple programs and
data files. Interfaces to PC & PS/2 keyboards. RS-232
terminals, and HAYES compatible modems. 30-DAY
MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE.
AMERICAN MICROSYSTEMS
2190 A Regal Parkway, Euless, TX 76040
(800)648-4452 (817)571-9015 FAX (817) 685-6232
EASY BAR CODE PRINTING
The leader in PC Postal bar coding software now provides
same easy & flexible barcoding for Code 39.
n BARZ_OUT - PC memory resident wilh easy menu
select & load. Use with your current programs.
D MAKE_BARZ - Easy menu creation of bar code labels.
Save $70 - Limited Time Offer - Both S1 29
30 day SSBACK (Call about UNIX, WINDOWS, Other Codes.)
POSTSAVER SYSTEMS
2731 S. Adams Rd. STE 102, Rochester, Ml 48309-3103
(800) 879-6820 (31 3) 299-5050 FAX (313) 299-5052
Inquiry 705.
PC BAR CODE SPECIALISTS
Bar code readers designed for fast, reliable, cost-
effective data entry. They emulate your keyboard, so
data looks just like it was typed in! Choose from
stainless steel wand, laser gun, CCD, and magnetic
stripe scanners. Also, powerful label printing
software. Great warranty. Generous reseller
discounts. 30-DAY MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE.
Seagull Scientific Systems
15127 N.E. 24th, Suite 333, Redmond, WA 98052
1-800-758-2001 206-451-8966
244 BYTE • MARCH 1 993
BAR CODE
COMMUNICATIONS
DATA RECOVERY
DATA INPUT DEVICES
Bar Code, Magnetic Stripe Readers & SmartCard Encoder/
Reader for microcomputers & terminals, including IBM PS/2
& others, DEC. Macintosh, AT&T, CT, Wyse, Wang. All
readers connect on the keyboard cable & are transparent !o
all software. UPC & 39 print programs, magnetic encoders,
& portable readers are also available.
TPS Electronics
4047 Transport, Palo Alto, CA 94303
41 5-856-6833 Telex 371 -9097 TPS PL A
1-800-526-5920 FAX: 415-856-3843
Inquiry 706.
VARIANT MICROSYSTEMS
BAR CODE READERS DELIVER
WAND/LASER/MAGNETIC CARD CONNECTIVITY
• Keyboard wedges (Internal/External) lor IBM PC/XT/AT,
PS/2, and portables
• RS232 wedges for WYSE, Link, Kimtron terminals
• Bar code and label printing software
• Full two-year warranty
• 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
• Extensive VAR/Dealer Discounts
46560 Freemont Blvd., Suite 206 / Freemont, CA 94538 / (51 0) 440-2870
800-666-4BAR FAX: (510) 440-2873
Inquiry 707.
X.25, HDLC, SDLC, BSC
SDLA card and software provides 'plug-in' synchronous link
support for PCs which is inexpensive, easy to use and robust.
Coprocessor architecture ensures reliable communications
under any operating system at line speeds to 180kbps.
Packages include protocol analyser, test and development
software. OEM enquiries welcome.
Full function SNA emulation packages also available.
Sangoma Technologies Inc.
(416) 474-1990 1-800-388-2475
Inquiry 712.
COMPUTER BOOKS
COMPUTER BOOKS at a discount
We specialize in ADVANCED books for developers,
programmers, computer professionals, and academics.
15% discount. Latest books from over 50 publishers.
Free catalog. UPS & international shipping. Personal
service. MC/VISA/AMEX. CompuServe' 70007,1333.
GO CBK Windows, C++, O/S 2 2.0, UNIX, Mac, OOP
CompuBooks
Rt. 1 , Box 271 -D, Cedar Creek, TX 7861 2 USA
800-880-68 1 8, 5 1 2-32 1-9652 voice & FAX
Inquiry 713.
COMPUTER INSURANCE
Ontrack
DA TA RECOVE RY
• Professional service recommended by major
hard drive manufacturers • Expertise in virtually
every operating system & media storage device
• 24-hour support with weekend, priority, & on-site
service available • For fast, successful results, call:
CA: 1 -800-752-7557 • MN:1-800-872-2599
2400 Main Street, Suite ZOO, Irvine CA 92714
6321 Bury Drive, Eden Prairie MN 55346
Inquiry 718.
Now vs^e're
Ontrack in
London, too.
ONTRACK DATA RECOVERY
EUROPE, LTD.
0800-24-39-96 • 44-81-974 5522
Surrey House. 34 Eden St.. Kingston upon Thames. Surrey KT1 1ER U.K.
Inquiry 719.
PCB & SCHEMATIC CAD-$195
"EASY-PC" for single -sided and multilayer boards to
17"x17" with up to 1500 ICs including surface mount.
Phenomenally fast and easy to use. Over 13,000
copies sold. Needs PC/XT/286/386 HERC/CGA/
EGA/VGA. Output to laserjet/inkjet/dot matrix printer,
pen-plotter, photo-plotter and NC Drill. Not copy
protected. V1SA/MC/AMEX welcome. For full info circle
inquiry # or contact us directly.
NUMBER ONE SYSTEMS LTD.
Harding Way, St. Ives, Huntingdon, Cambs, England, PE17 4WR
Tel: 011-44-480-61778 Fax: 011-44-480-494042
Inquiry 708.
INSURES YOUR COMPUTER
SAFEWARE Computerowner's coverage provides
replacement of hardware, media and purchased
software. As little as $49 a year covers accidents,
theft, power surges and more. One call does it all.
TOLL FREE 1-800-848-3469
SAFEWARE, The Insurance Agency Inc.
PO Box 0221 1. 2929 N. High St., Columbus, OH 43202
Inquiry 714.
CAD/CAM
COMPUTER SYSTEMS
TAPE DATA RECOVERY
DC2000 • 1/4" Cartridge (AS/400)
TEAC ■ 4mm DAT
8mm EXABYTE ■ DEC TKxx media
1/2" Tape ■ 3480 8,3490
Whatever the Hardware, Software & Problem...
if there is data on a tape we will recover it.
TEL 1800-392-5373 FAX: 405-321-2741
TEL 44+ (0) 734-890042 FAX: 44+ (0) 734-890040
Vogon Enterprises Ltd.
Unit 5, Forrest Court, Oaklands Park, Fishponds Road,
Wokingham, Berks., RG11 2FD, England
Inquiry 720.
DATA/DISK CONVERSION
CONTOURING MOTION CONTROL
FROM A PRINTER PORT! *„ . Q
Indexer LPT" software 5>jt*ry
NEW VERSION 3 visa/mc
• Controls up to six step motors simultaneously.
• Linear and Circular Interpolation.
• New features to accommodate machine control.
• Easy-to-use DOS device driver. Super Manual.
• CAD-CAM interface available.
_ Corporation. 1422 Arnold Ave.
Ability Systems ^v, pa 19001 (215) 657-4338
' J FAX: (215) 657-7815
Inquiry 709.
CAT-SCANNERS
LOW- LOW- LOW
Computer Systems/Notebooks/Network Solutions
I BM- Apple-Compaq- AST- A LR- Eve rex- Sot hers
SURAH 386/486 ISA/EISA-AMI/Mylex Motherboards
• CD ROMS • Tape Backup • Pocket FAX Modem LAN
Cards * Hard Drives/Floppy Drives ■ Memory/upgrades
• DRAMS, SIMM Modules • Laser Printers/Scanners
• Plotters & Digitizers • Software
OIIDAU !n/s 44912 Osgood Road. Fremont CA 94539 i/S/1
OUnAn InC. Phone:(510)651-5101 Fax:(510)651-5241
1-800-543-1001 Nationwide Orders
Inquiry 715.
CROSS ASSEMBLERS
THE#1 CHOICE
in disk & tape conversion
for many leading corporations, government agencies,
law firms, and companies in every industry-world-wide.
Free test • Satisfaction guaranteed
Graphics Unlimited Inc.
3000 Second St. North, Minneapolis, MN 55411
(612)588-7571 FAX: (612) 588-8783
1-800-745-7571
Inquiry 721.
INPUT SLIDES & NEGATIVES
with FOTOVIX lll-S
New high-resolution S-video version of Tamron's popular
35mm film to video converter. Perfect for input of film to
any computer equipped with a video capture board. Crop
35mm images with 3x zoom. Color balance and exposure
correction controls. List price S929.00
Tamron Industries Inc.
99 Seaview Blvd., Port Washington, NY 11050
1-800-827-8880
Inquiry 710.
CD-ROM
Cross Assemblers $50
Simulators $100
Disassemblers $100
PseudoCorp
71 6 Thimble Shoals Blvd. Newport News, VA 23606
(804) 873-1 947 Fax (804) 873-21 54
Inquiry 716.
DATA CONVERSION
IBM PC-^TO -f HP FILE COPY
/ New Interface / BDAT2ASCII
Allows IBM PCs, PS/2, compatibles to
interchange files with Hewlett-Packard
Series 70, 80, 200, 300, 1000, (LIF media).
Oswego Software
Box 310 708/554-3567
Oswego, IL 60543 FAX 708/554-3573
CALL FOR A FREE DEMO!
Inquiry 722.
Slmtel MSDOS Shareware CDROM, 640 Meg, Dec. 92 ..$24.95
CICA MS Windows Shareware CDROM, Nov. 92 $24.95
OS/2 Shareware CDROM. Nov. 92 $24.95
Source Code CDROM, 600 Meg, Mar. 92 $39.95
INFO-MAC Macintosh SW. 4000+ files, Aug. 92 $39.95
CDROM Caddies $4.95
WALNUT CREEK CDROM
1547 Palos Verd.es Mall, Ste 260, Walnut Creek, CA 94596
(800) 786 9907 (510) 947 5996 FAX: (510) 947 1644
Inquiry 711.
TAPE CONVERSION & DUPLICATION
• DC2000 ■ 1/4" Cartridge (AS/400)
• TEAC • 4mm DAT
• 8mm EXABYTE ■ DEC TKxx media
■ 1/2" Tape • 3480 S 3490
Mainframe. Mini or Micro - popular or obscure.
Fixed price quote by return. Standard turnaround 24 Hours.
TEL 1 800-392-5373 FAX: 405-321-2741
TEL 44+ 10) 734-890042 FAX: 44+ (0) 734-890040
Vogon Enterprises Ltd.
Unit 5, Forrest Court, Oaklands Park, Fishponds Road.
Wokingham, Berks.. RG11 2FD, England
Inquiry 717.
CONVERSION SERVICES
Convert any 9-track magnetic tape to or from over
5000 formats including 316", 5/.", 8" disk formats &
word processors. Disk-to-disk conversions also
available. Introducing CD-ROM conversions. Call
for more info.
Pivar Computing Services, Inc.
165 Arlington Hgts. Ftd., Dept. #B
Buffalo Grove, IL 60089 (800) Convert
MARCH 1993 • BYTE 245
THE BUYER'S MART
DATABASE
FINANCIAL SOFTWARE
GRAPHICS SOFTWARE
> FOR ft
SUPERBASE 2 *°
800-448-NERD
Inquiry 723.
BrainMaker:
"The most fascinating computer soft-
ware I've ever seen. . .learn about this
stuff." John Dvorak, PC Mag. Predicts stocks,
bonds, sales, inventories. Comprehensive
manual. Menus. 12,000 sold. PC or Mac.
Still only S195!
Free Flyer: 800/284-8112, 916/477-7481
California Scientific Software
Inquiry 728.
FLOWCHARTS
3D Render Lib for Windows
3D Graphics Dynamic link library
- More than 300 functions callable from MSC and BC++
- Wireframe. Flat, Phong and Gouraud shading - Renders in any
window or creates own windows - Unlimited number oi colored
Point. Direction and Spot lights - Clipping planes and Double-
buffering - Hierarchical object oriented data storage - 350 pages
long manual.
$450.00 (S1450.00 royalty free distribution)
3rd Floor Graphics Software
P.O. Box 4105, 9701 EC Groningen, The Netherlands
fax: (+31) (0)50 184190
Inquiry 732.
HARDWARE
dBASE, Fox & Clipper from Visual Basic
Get complete database management power
and dBASE, FoxPro and Clipper file com-
patibility from VB Win and VB DOS. Get
CodeBasic! Fully multi-user and only $195.
Comes with a 90 day money-back guarantee.
FREE demo available.
Sequiter Software
#209, 9644-54 Ave., Edmonton, AB. Canada T6E 5V1
Tel (403) 437-241 Fax (403) 436-2999
Inquiry 724.
DIAGNOSTIC
FLOW CHARTING 3
• High resolution print outs...
dot matrix or laser
• Multi-page charts...
portrait or landscape
• Import/export capabilities
• 35 shapes, 10 fonts, 4 line styles
Call for free demo disk!
PATT0N & PATT0N aoo.52MO82ext.1317
Software Corporation 485 Cochrane Dr., Morgan Hill, CA 95037
See our ad on page 82
Inquiry 729.
Pre-0wned Electronics, Inc™
THE Independent Provider, serving the Dealer,
Professional, Corporate, Government, and
Educational Buyer since 1985
APPLE II & MACINTOSH'
SYSTEMS • PARTS » EXCHANGE REPAIRS
Call for a Catalog 800-274-5343
INT'L: 617-275-4600 • FAX: 617-275-4848
205 BURLINGTON ROAD • BEDFORD, MA 01730
Inquiry 733.
"..PINPOINT ANY PC FAILURE."
John C. Dvorak, PC Magazine 6/30/92
Top-rated PocketPOST Power On Sell-Test card
with diagnostic software for ISA/EISA/Micro-
Channel. 180-page book. Hones your trouble
shooting skills. CALL NOW.
DATA DEPOT, Inc.
1710 Drew Street #5, Clearwater. FL 34615
1-800-275-1913
813-446-3402
FAX 813-443-4377
Inquiry 725.
DISK DRIVES
WINDOWS FLOWCHARTER $129
RFFlow 2.0 is a professional drawing tool for
flowcharts & org. charts. Requires Microsoft Win-
dows. 100 shapes auto adjust in size. Diagonal
lines and curves. Auto line routing and re-routing.
Click on a shape to bring up a sub-chart. Move
charts to other apps. via the Clipboard. Call for free
trial disk.
RFF ELECTRONICS
1053 Banyan Court, Loveland, CO 80538
Phone: (303) 663-5767 FAX: (303) 669-4889
FRAMEWORK/FRED
HEWLETT PACKARD
Buy - Sell - Trade
LaserJet ColorPro
DeskJet DraftPro
RuggedWriter DraftMaster
Electrostatic Plotters
• Monochrome and Color
HP 9000 Workstations and Vectras also available.
T. E. Dasher & Associates
41 17 Second Ave.. S. Birmingham, AL 35222
Phone: (205) 591-4747 Fax: (205) 591-1108
(800) 638-4833
Inquiry 734.
HARDWARE/COMPUTERS
21MB 3.5" Floptical Disk Drive
for $399!
EchoDrive SCSI Floptical disk drive not only reads and
writes to 21MB 3.5" Floptical diskettes but also:
• reads and writes to 720K and 1.44MB (loppy diskettes
• runs under DOS, Windows, or on the Macintosh
• is available as an external or internal drive
• provides amazing floppy speed! WOW!
• It's GREAT tor backup, tile archival, and transporting files.
SeCOnd Wave, Inc. • 9430 Research Blvd. 11-260
Austin, TX 78759 ■ (512) 343-9661 • FAX: (512) 343-9663
Inquiry 726.
The Framework Magazine
Framework enhancement programs, 12 issues S29.90
Unlimited Framework and FRED support. Access
undocumented powers of Framework & FRED.
fBase for Framework $190.90
The fastest disk database access in existence. dBase file
Index optimization and compression.
Selections & Functions, Inc.
(617)826-1553
25 Washington Street, Hanover, MA 02339
SC/F0X™ EMBEDDED COMPUTERS
PC Parallel Coprocessor Plug-in Boards: 15 MIPS avg 50 MIPS burst.
using the SC32 32-bil CPU or the 16-bit Harris RTX 2000™.
VME Master/Slave System Controller SBC: 18 MIPS avg 70 MIPS burst.
uses RTX 2000 cpu. SCSI. 2 ser. 1 ptr ports, to 640K bytes.
Stand-Alone Single Board Computers: 18 MIPS avg 60 MIPS burst, 3U
or 100x100mm Eurocard-size using either SC32 or RTX 2000.
Ideal for embedded real-time control, data acquisition, robotics, and signal
processing. OEM software development system included.
SILICON COMPOSERS INC ma 322-8753
208 California Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94306
EDUCATION
GRAPHICS
Inquiry 735.
INDUSTRIAL COMPUTING
LEARN COMPUTERS!
BUILD SOLID COMPUTER USER SKILLS
Approved home study. At last-understand the
PC! Learn word processing, database, spread-
sheets, data communications. Free Literature.
Call Today: 800-223-4542
School of Computer Training, Dept. KB691
2245 Perimeter Park, Atlanta, Georgia 30341
Inquiry 727.
ELECTRONIC MAIL
JK FOR O
HARVARD GRAPHICS ***
800-448-NERD
Inquiry 730.
Complete RealTime Operating System
For your 386/486 PC only
$995 I
• POSIX Compliant • Realtime Tasks
1 Full Networking • Development Tools
• X Windows • Source Available
RTMX-UniFLEX Call: 1-919-493-1451
800 Eastowne Dr., Ste 1 1 1 • Chapel Hill, NC 27514
Inquiry 736.
LANS
ELECTRONIC MAIL-Novell MHS
• Stand alone computers, Laptops, Netware, Lantastic
■ Set up your own hub
• International network
• Workgroups, privacy, use your regular phone line
• S100.00 per computer station - unlimited phone
support and design assistance.
Selections & Functions, Inc.
Call for a brochure (617)826-1553
25 Washington Street, Hanover, MA 02339
Sirlin's CAD ++ ENGINE
' Read and Write AutoCAD DWG and DXF files.
1 Object oriented, modular, database-like access
to CAD data.
1 View, Print (rasterize), Plot (vectorize), and
Pick (interact) modules,
i Available for C/C++ for DOS, Extended DOS,
Windows, Sun and other Unix systems.
Sirlin Computer Corporation
25 Orchard View Dr., Ste 14, Londonderry, NH 03053
Phone: (603) 437-0727 • Fax: (603) 437-0737
Inquiry 731.
LANLINK PROFESSIONAL * PC-MOS
* Use ethemet and/or serial/parallel ports for LAN
connections
* Connect DOS, Windows 8 PC-MOS clients & servers
* Share one PC with up to 33 users with PC-MOS multiuser
DOS
* LAN as low as S99 per node, PC-MOS as low as S33 per
user
THE SOFTWARE LINK
3577 Parkway Lane, Norcross, GA 30092
1-800-766-LINK " (404) 448-5465
Inquiry 737.
246 BYTE* MARCH 1 993
LANS
PROGRAMMERS TOOLS
SECURITY
The $25 Network
Try the 1st truly low-cost LAN
• Connect 2 or 3 XTs, ATs,386s, 486s
• Uses serial ports and null modem cable
• Runs at 1 15K baud - approx 8500 bytes/sec
• Runs in background, totally transparent
• Share disks and printers, etc.
•Needs only 15Kof RAM
Little Big LAN
The most flexible network
• Peer to Peer LAN to 250 nodes
• $75 total software cost, not per node!
• Link via serial, parallel, or Arcnet
• Link via Ethernet or Modems soon
• Mixed mode routing
• Typically only 35K of RAM
Skeptical? We make believers!
Information Modes
P.O. Drawer F, Denton, TX 76202
Tech 817-387-3339 Orders 800-628-7992
Hours 1 -5 Mon/Wed, 9-5 Tue/Thu/Fri CST
Inquiry 738.
INCORPORATE SOUND BUSTER S ADLIB INTO YOUR SOFTWARE
The W0RX programmers toolkit will allow you to easily incorporate
sound and music into your software without having to struggle with
low level code and compatibility problems. Plays back standard
MIDI files and V0C sample files fully in the background. This toolkit
is a linkable library which takes less than 32K of code, and requires
no driver or TSR. Autodetects Sound Blaster configuration. Mo
royalties, and updates are always free. WORX 1.6 for Turbo C,
Pascal and Microsoft C: S49 Resource manager (or WORX
(C only): $29
MYSTIC SOFTWARE
1504 Encinal Avenue, Ste D, Alameda, CA 94501
Voice: (510) 865-9189 Demos/BBS: (510) 865-3856
Inquiry 743.
Boost Your BASIC with ProBas!
or ProBas5 adds 938 new commands to QB/PDS
US' Written in assembly for speed
eg Gives your programs a professional look
«r Easy to use, money back guarantee, S195
w Other add-ons for BASIC, C & Visual Basic avail.
FREE DEMO Disk AND BOOKLET
TeraTech (800) 447-91 20 xi 030
Dept 1030, 100 Park Ave., Suite 360, Rockville, MD 20850
Int'l +1(301) 424-3903 Fax (301)762-8185 BBS (301) 762-8184
Inquiry 744.
Cop's CopyLock II
The professional software protection with
TRUE Machine Install. Option Board safe.
OS/2, Networks, Windows, and Trace 1020.
LINK Computer
Int'l: + 45 31232350 Fax: + 45 31238448
US/CAN: 800-344-2545 FAX: 408-923-7061
KEY-LOK SECURITY
Piracy survival over 10 years proves effectiveness of
powerful multilayered security. Algorithmic response.
Programmable memory. Very economical. Device
transparent to PARALLEL/SERIAL port, Counters/Real-
Time-Clock, Multi-product/feature licensing. DOS/UNIX/
VMS/etc. Also, access control system and diskette drive
locks.
MICROCOMPUTER APPLICATIONS
3167 E. Otero Circle, Littleton, CO 80122
(303)770-1917
Inquiry 749.
LAPTOP COMPUTERS
SHAREWARE
USED COMPUTERS
MAJOR BRANDS - WIDE SELECTION
IBM - COMPAQ & OTHERS
Computers from $99 Color Printers $1 99
Mono Monitors from $25 CGA Color Monitors $1 29
IBM 5140 LAPTOP $349
IBM PCjr S CONVERTIBLE PARTS & ACCESSORIES
HARD-TO-FIND ITEMS FOR OLDER PCS
FREE CATALOG
COMPUTER RESET
P.O. Box 461782. Garland, TX 75046
Phone (214) 276-8072 & FAX BBS (214) 272-7920
Inquiry 739.
LAPTOP PERIPHERALS
Structograms
Software Documentation made quick ami easy with PANORAMA
■ Structograms (Nassi-Shneidermann) automatically from
the source code in a flash
■ Hlerarchle-trees of modules, procedures
■ Headers of modules, procedures
■ Software-Metrics: McCabe complexity, LOC and more
Available for: Turbo Pascal, C, Modula-2, Fortran-77, PUM, dBase
PANORAMA Standard (Pascal, C, Modula-2): $495
panorama Lite: $295 Wuest Informatik AG
Schuetzenstrasse 11; CH-8245 Feuerthalen; Switzerland
Int'l (+41 53) 29 31 32 FAX: (+41 53) 29 31 43
Call or Fax tor inlormation and free demo.
Inquiry 745.
NEW NEW NEW
Rocket "93" HQ CD ROM
600 megs of High Q. Shareware $39.95+
Latest Shareware on floppies $1 .98 ea.+
Lowest Prices - Highest Quality
Catalog Available
ROCKET SHAREWARE
1-612-934-4775
Inquiry 750.
PROJECT BILLING
LAPTOP PERIPHERALS
NEW LOW PRICES ON:
Battery Powered Printers
Portable Hard Drives
Laptop Expansion Systems
Backlites AND MORE!
Call for free catalog
AXONIX CORPORATION
(800) 866-9797
Inquiry 740.
Client Project
A Time and Billing System that accounts
for charges to over 100,000 projects (or
matters). Regular price $299, current price
with limited time discount $159, demo
available.
Micro Billing Systems, Inc.
1 17 W. Harrison, Ste# 624M, Chicago IL 60605
Tel: (312) 939-1869 Fax: (312) 939-1351
Inquiry 746.
FREE SOFTWARE FOR IBM /CLONES
Try us! Get 5/5.25" or 3/3.5" disks full of the
latest software - FREE! Choose from
General Interest, Games, Windows , Kid's,
Clip Art or Fonts. Pay only a small sen/ice
charge of $2.95 per package. Credit Cards
only. CALL TODAY!
SOFTWARE OF THE MONTH CLUB
(619) 931-8111, EXT. 511
SECURITY
Inquiry 751.
SOFTWARE/ACCOUNTING
Auto Adapters
■ 12V battery systems
• Small package with high efficiency
• Plugs between computer and lighter receptacle
• $99 to $129 • Designed and made in USA!!
In stock for Apple PowerBook (10-30V input), Canon BJ
printer, Commodore, Everex Tempo LX, IBM, Kodak Diconix
printer, Sanyo, Sharp, Toshiba, Zeos
Custom adapters designed for OEMs. Serial interface
cards for Toshiba and Sanyo.
EMPIRE ENGINEERING
California USA
tel 805/543-2816
lax 805/543-2820
Inquiry 741.
LOCALIZATION
FIGHT PIRACY!
• EVERLOCK3.0 *
SOFTWARE COPY PROTECTION
New Option Board Sate-New Remote Registration
New CPU LOCK-CD ROM LOCK and more
• EVERKEY HARDWARE LOCKS •
Az-Tech Software, Inc.
Call for a 201 East Franklin, Richmond, MO 64085
FREE (816)776-2700
Demo (800) 227-0644 fax (816) 776-8398
Inquiry 747.
dBASE BUSINESS TOOLS
•GENERAL LEDGER
PURCH ORD/INVNTORY
• ORDER ENTRY
ACCOUNTS RECVABLE
•JOB COSTING
JOB ESTIMATING
• BILL OF MATLS
SALES ANALYSIS
• PAYROLL
ACCOUNTS PAYABLE
S99/S198ea. + S&H
dATAMAR SYSTEMS
Cred. Card-Check-COD
6969-D Corte Santa Fe, San Diego, CA 92121
(619)452-0044
(800) 223-9963
Inquiry 752.
SOFTWARE/BUSINESS
Software Developers!
Localization Managers!
Now you can manage software
translation more efficiently and simply,
with IDOC's new XL8™ software. Call
for a demo disk today.
ID0C, an International Documentation Company
1-800-336-9898, ext. XL8
Inquiry 742.
THE ULTIMATE SOFTWARE SECURITY
• STOPCOPY family - UNCOPIABLE copy protection
• STOPVIEW software encryption
• NETLIMIT network license metering
• DOS, Windows, Macintosh, OS/2, support
• No source code changes required ■ for ANY of our prod-
ucts in ANY environment
• Our products destroy ALL of our competition
• Call for FREE demo disk, or to discuss our products'
MANYoptions
EBI Computer Systems, Inc.
14105 Heritage Lane, Silver Spring, MD 20906
800/TRY-ABBI • 800/879-2224 • 301/871-1094 • FAX:301/460-7545
Inquiry 748.
DATA ENTRY SOFTWARE
Full featured, heads-down data entry
with two-pass verification, edit language,
operator stats, much more! Designed tor
the PS/2' 1 ', PC, XT, AT or compatibles.
PCs from $395 LAN version available
FREE 30 day trial
Computer Keyes
21929 MakahRd.,
Woodway, WA 98020
Tel
Fax:
USA
206/776/6443
206/776-7210
800/356-0203
MARCH 1993 -BYTE 247
THE BUYER'S MART
SOFTWARE/DATA ANALYSIS
SOFTWARE/GRAPHICS
SOFTWARE/SCIENTIFIC
ADVANCED DATA ANALYSIS...
at a click!
CLICK-X™ software, the most user friendly data
analysis - ever! • Edit Graph/Data • Analyze
• Advanced Math / Regression / Engineering /
Statistics • Import/Export. FREE demo disk.
Custom software available.
SoloSoft
P.O. Box 2548, Stamford, CT 06906-0548
Phone: (203) 977-8161 Fax: (203) 977-8237
Inquiry 753.
SOFTWARE/DATA GRAPHICS
"The Ultimate CAD/CAM/CAE Programming Engine"
Slash your development time, Willi your CAD programming
companion. TG-Professional v.4.0, Ihe most complete C/C++ toolbox
of 2D & 3D geometric routines available lodayl Over 800 routines
including NURBS, DXF, Graphics, Surfacing, Hidden Line, Transforms,
Perspectives, Polygon (Int/Union/Diff), Clipping, Tangenls and more.
Routines for drawing using BGI or MSC Graphics. Full source & 30 day
guarantee. USA $500.00. Use MSC, Borland C/C++. WATCOM C/386
or Metaware High C/C++. Call 1-800-635-7760 or Fax/Phone 214-
423-7288 for free 30 page technical paper.
Disk Software Inc.
1 09 S. Murphy Rd„ Piano, TX USA 75094
Inquiry 758.
Volume Visualization
VoxelBox is a volume Tenderer for Windows.
Volume rendering is the most direct method of
visualizing 3D data. VoxelBox is fast, powerful
and easy to use. It features raytracing, color/alpha
mapping, lighting, keyframe animation support
and much more. Price S495
Jaguar Software, Inc.
573 Main St. Suite 9B, Winchester, MA 01890
(617)729-3659
Inquiry 764.
SOFTWARE/GUI
OPTICAL GRAPH RECOGNITION
(0GR) SOFTWARE
SCAN-X™ software imports, converts and
manipulates data from scanned plots, pictures,
graphs on paper, or captured screens into data files
for comparing/analyzing/plotting/exporting. FREE
demo disk. Service available.
SoloSoft
P.O. Box 2548, Stamford, CT 06906-0548
Phone: (203) 977-8161 Fax: (203) 977-8237
Inquiry 754.
SOFTWARE/ENGINEERING
GUI TOOLKIT ONLY $249
Full source code included
TEGL Windows Toolkit lets you create DOS based GUI apps
that are completely standalone. Over 500 functions. Menus,
mouse & keyboard support, dialogues, and more. Includes
TEGL graphics interface which has drivers for most popular
video modes. Supports most C and Pascal compilers.
Protected mode version is only S499. No royalties.
TEGL Systems Corporation
P.O. Box 580, Stn. A, Vancouver B.C. V6C 2N2
(604) 669-2577 FAX (604) 688-9530
Inquiry 759.
SOFTWARE/MATHEMATICS
NEW! MathViews™ for Windows
MATLAB compatible interpreter for Windows
• Matrix and Array Algebra
• Complex Numbers and Signal Processing
• 2D and 3D Graphics with Clipboard Support
■ Written in C++ /Available for OEM
• Affordable at S295.00
The MathWizards
(61 9) 457-2971 FAX (61 9) 458-5849
Trademarks are the properties of their respective owners.
Inquiry 765.
Mixed Mode Simulation
• NEW IsSpice 3 with • Schematic Entry
Analog/Digital simulation • Extensive Model Libraries
• Draws waveforms as the • Waveform Analysis
simulation runs • Full SPICE programs starting
• PC and Macintosh Versions at $95. Complete systems
• Filler Design from $990.
Call for your Free Demo and Information kit.
P.O. Box 710, San Pedro, CA 90733-0710 /»•*» tcf\tt
310-833-0710. FAX: 310-833-9658
Inquiry 755.
OPERATIONS RESEARCH @ $149
for your IBM or Compatible
LP88-Linear Programs up to 3000 by 15000.
BLPBB-Linear Programs with Bounded Variables.
MILP88-Mixed-lnteger Linear Programs.
MXLP88-Large Model Mixed-Integer LP.
TSA88-Transportation/Transshipment Problems.
NLPBS-Nonlinear Objective Programs.
Student/Oemo-Reduced capacity versions lor students.
Turbo Pascal Units-Object modules for developers.
Eastern Software Products, Inc.
P.O. Box 15328, Alexandria, VA 22309
(703) 360-7600, Fax (703) 360-7654
Inquiry 760.
SOFTWARE/PACKAGING
VT E x Scientific Desktop Publishing
• Equations • Tables • Graphics • Scalable
Fonts • Supports most printers • WYSIWYG
previewer • Foreign Languages • Special
Symbols • Font Effects • Indices • Only $299
"T^X of Tomorrow'-Notices ofAMS, March 1991.
Call now for a FREE DEMO DISK
MicroPress, Inc.
68-30 Harrow Street, Forest Hills, NY
Tel (71 8) 575-1 816 Fax (71 8) 575-8038
Inquiry 766.
SAUNA: 3D THERMAL ANALYSIS
■ Models: PCFJs, plates, heatsinks, enclosures,
multiboard enclosures. • All heat transfer modes:
convection, radiation, conduction • Interactive menu-
driven • Thermal parameters library • Fast "what if":
dimension, mat'l, finish, analyses • Easy to learn & use ■
IBM PC & Macintosh II
Call for free evaluation program
Tatum Labs, Inc.
1287 N. Silo Ridge Drive, Ann Arbor, Ml 48108
313-663-8810
Inquiry 756.
SOFTWARE/GRAPHICS
FREE SOFTWARE
PACKAGING CATALOG
Everything you will neod to Package, Distribute, and Ship Youi
Software!! From manuals and binders to mailers and shippers
LABELS • LABELS • LABELS
For your diskettes, plain or custom printed
dot matrix or laser printer . . . free samples
•••FREE CATALOG"'
Hice & Associates
8586 Monlicello Dr., West Chester. OH 45069
Phone/Fax: 513-777-8586
Inquiry 761.
FREE CATALOG
A great selection of scientific software products
for plotting, non-linear curve fitting, chemical
equilibrium, simulation, statistics, symbolic
algebra, and more. Prices from $150. Call:
1-801-943-0290
MicroMath, Salt Lake City, UT 84121-0550
Inquiry 767.
SOFTWARE/SORT
TIFF, PCX, TARGA, GIF, DIB, BMP, DCX, EPS, WMF, WPG, PICT, JPEG
AccuSoft Image Format Library 3.0
"The most comprehensive raster support library on the market"
Import, export, convert, display, and print all above formats!
DOS 81 Windows versions included in one package. No royalties.
Includes several sample programs with source code. Supports
all languages, Format compatibility guaranteed! G3, G4, TIFF-F,
multi-page images etc. Rotate, scale, color reduction, sharpen
etc. 30 day satisfaction guarantee. S495
AccuSoft Corporation
160 E. Main St., P.O. Box 1261, Westboro, MA 01581
(800) 525-3577 (508) 898-2770 FAX (508) 898-9662
Inquiry 757.
STOCK PACKAGING
to help you
market your software
ask for catalog 92 S
Call 708 390-7744
or fax 708 390-9886
PolyQuick Co.
1243 Rand Road, Des Plaines, IL 60016
Inquiry 762.
SOFTWARE/SCIENTIFIC
OPT-TECH SORT/MERGE
Extremely tast Sort/Merge/Select utility. Run as an MS-
DOS command or CALL as a subroutine. Supports
most languages and file types including Btrieve and
dBASE. Unlimited file sizes, multiple keys and much
more! MS-DOS,Windows $149. OS/2, XENIX, UNIX
$249.
(702) 588-3737
Opt-Teeh Data Processing
P.O. Box 678 - Zephyr Cove, NV 89448
Inquiry 768.
SOFTWARE/VOICE/FAX
Develop CAD/CAM, GIS, A/E/C Products
ON TIME and UNDER BUDGET with the
"CAD/CAM Developer's Kit" Series
The CCDKs are libraries of C functions which support
routines (or DXF input/output, graphical display, line/
arc/ellipse/NURB spline construction/editing, and much more
than can be described here.
Building Block Software, Inc.
371 Moody Street. Waltham, MA 02154
Voice (617) 899-4350 Fax (61 7) 899-4399
COOK EXCEL SPREADSHEETS
XSolver optimizes spreadsheet models using
simulated annealing. It can iind the best solutions
to "what if" problems with multiple solutions.
Requires Windows 3.x and Microsoft Excel 4.0
tor Windows. Only $150.
Exatech Software
6547 N. Academy Blvd. Suite 527. Colorado Springs, CO 80907
(719)599-8727
248 BYTE • MARCH 1993
Inquiry 763.
MULTI-VOICE' TOOLS
Multi-Voice Tools is a complete development Toolkit for Pascal or "C"
to access all Ihe features for most speech processing boards available
today. It helps you write MULTI-LINE VOICE APPLICATION systems in
minutes. A number of programming examples are provided. All
programs and libraries are delivered with source code.
Dialogic. Rhetorex, Pika, VBX: S599. Watson (Single Line): S99. ALSO
AVAILABLE: Fax Programmer's Toolkit ($199). Based on CAS
specifications. Visa/MC accepted.
ITI Logiciel
4263 Cristophe-Coiomb, Montreal. Quebec. Can. H2J 3G2
TEL (514) 597-1692 FAX (514)526-2362
STATISTICS
The AIM Estimator™
Outperforms Neural Nets & Regression!
AIM combines the best of neural nets & regression to automatically
learn polynomial networks that ESTIMATE or PREDICT any numeric
value, such as: prices, probabilities, fuzzy values, inventories,
sensor readings, control settings, and costs. AMYONE can learn AIM
within 30 minutes and quickly achieve more accurate results.
Order $20 Demo Package Today!
AbTech Corporation
508 Dale Ave.
Charlottesville. VA 22903
Tel £04-977-0686
Fax:804-977-9615
Inquiry 769.
NCSS 5.x Series -$125
Easy-to-use menus & spread sheet. Multiple regression.
T-tests. ANOVA {up to 10 factors, rep. measures,
covariance). Forecasting. Factor, cluster, & discriminant
analysis. Nonparametrics. Cross Tabulation. Graphics:
histograms, box, scatter, etc. Reads ASCII/Lotus. Many new
add-on modules.
NCSS
329 North 1000 East, Kaysville, UT 84037
Phone: 801 -546-0445 Fax: 801 -546-3907
Inquiry 770.
PsychStot MAX 2.2 - $59.95
Frequency • descriptives • chi-square • Fisher's exact
test • ttests • multiple regression • weighted &
unweighted ANOVAs • correlation • repeated measures
• intraclass corr • ANCOVA • right-wrong & Likert item
analysis • Cronbach's Alpha • point-biserial ■ corrected
item-total • coprocessor support • ASCII • 25500
variables • satisfaction or money back.
PsychStot
1003 Justin Lane 21 18
Austin, TX 78757 512-451-8152
Inquiry 771.
UTILITIES
PEN PLOTTER EMULATOR
FPLOT turns your printer into an HP pen plotter.
Fast hi-res, no jagged lines. Vary line width, color.
Screen preview - zoom, pan. Works with most
CAD programs. Supports most printers. Requires
DOS 2.1 or higher. S119+S3 S&H. VISA/MC/Chk/MO.
FPLOT Corporation
24-16Steinway St., Suite 605, Astoria, NY 11103
718-545-3505
Inquiry 772.
VOICEMAIL/FAX
FAX-ON-DEMAND
Voice Mail System/Applications Generator
d* C Q C List price for complete Hardware/Software V-Mail
AuJu andF O.D. solution. Dealer inquiries welcomed.
Voice/Fax/Modem card. Windows 3.1 application. Background
operation. Intuititive GUI. Multi-level tree structure configured and
displayed on screen. Configure for Auto-Attendant/Message Center.
F.0.D7 Information Center, message forwarding/paging, fax-scanner,
voice/fax auto-detection, and much more. Call our F.0.0. line to
receive more information instantly by fax.
Edens Technology Corp.
309 W. Beaufort, Suite 8, Normal IL 61761
TEL (309) 862-17D4 FAX/F.Q.D. Demo (309) 862-1804
Inquiry 773.
WINDOWS
HyperPhoto_db - A Hyperlmage/document
management system under MS-Windows™ 3.x
Displays multiple windows of images and documents in true color or with
color matching, Associates text info, images or symbols to any pixel inside
an image. Easily switches from image to image through successive levels of
detail. Finds a point inside an image by entering its name e.g. address,
Organize images and files in a network/relational database. Users can design
their own information templates and search with multiple keys. Include a
powerful editor, File security S Treesearch, Link to clipboard. Pan and zoom
within images. Work with PCX. BMP, I IF, GIF, Postscript file Formats.
Network Vers. Avail. Introductory otter - $185.
Friendly Information Systems, Inc.
34 Bow Avenue, Dedham, MA 02026
(508) 486-0003 or (617) 329-1620
Inquiry 774.
BYTE BACK ISSUES
FOR SALE
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
IBM
IBM
Outlook '92
Windows
Portability
January
February
March
April
May
Issues _
Available June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Special
Issues
Windows - Portability U.S. Delivery $3.00, Foreign Delivery $4.00
1988 thru 1989 U.S. Delivery $3.00, Foreign Delivery $4.00
1990 thru 1992 U.S. Delivery $6.00, Foreign Delivery $8.00, Canada &
Mexico $6.50
European customers please refer to Back Issue form in
International Advertising section of book.
Please indicate which issues you would like by checking (V) the
boxes. Send requests with payment to:
BYTE Back Issues,
One Phoenix Mill Lane
Peterborough, N.H. 03458
(603)924-9281
□ Check enclosed Charge: □ VISA □ MasterCard
Card*
Exp. Date .
Signature .
Name
Address
City.
State
Zip
All orders must be prepaid. Please allow four weeks delivery.
MARCH 1993 -BYTE 249
YOUR DIRECT LINK
ADVERTISER CONTACT INFORMATION
To order products or request FREE information, call advertisers directly or send
in the Direct Link Card by mail or fax! Let them know you saw it in BYTE!
Inquiry No.
Page No. Phone No.
Inquiry No.
Page No. Phone No.
61-62 ABACUS SOFTWARE 95
186-189 ABC COMPUTER 226
401-402 ACER INCORPORATED 88IS-2-3
376-377 ACI/ ACQUIRE 235
190-191 ADVANCED COMPUTER PROD 225
65 ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES 14-15
63 ALADDIN KNOWLEDGE SYS 86
403 ALADDIN KNOWLEDGE SYS 208ISI-2
175-176 ALLMICRO 93
66 AMERICAN POWER CONV 135
67 AMERICAN SMALL BUSI COMP 131
571 APPRO INTL INC 224MW-4
566 APPRO INTL INC 224SO-3
330-331 AXIOMATIC 238
184 AXIS COMMUNICATIONS 255
B
332 BINARY TECHNOLOGY INC
68-69 BITWISE DESIGNS INC
450 BIX
171-172 BLINK INC
465-466 BOCA RESEARCH INC (INTL)
70-71 BORLAND INTL
" BYTE SUB MESSAGE
404 B&C MICROSYSTEMS
242
192
180
109
CHI
13
182
128IS-4
800-451-4319
310-325-6369
886-3-489-3188
186-2-760-2154"
714-558-8813
800-222-9323
800-223-4277
800-223-4277
800-653-4933
800-800-4APC
Depl. A2
918-825-4844
408-732-6091
408-732-6091
416-602-9270
+46-46136130"
508-369-9556
800-367-5906
617-491-3342
804-355-4444
407-997-6227
800-336-6464
ext. 5202
408-730-551 1
405
406
460-461
206
73-74
75
407-408
77
76
78
333
410
334
192
335
186-187
390
79
456
455
170
193-194
411-412
183
81-82
337
336
337
336
413
414
415-416
383-384
551
555
562
565
CATHAY COMPUTER &
TECHNOLOGY 196IST-12 +886-2-506-8929"
CHERRY MIKROSCHALTER
GMBH (INTL)
CHICONY
CITITRONICS
COLORADO MEMORY SYS
COMMODORE
COMPEX INC
COMPUTER ASSOCIATES
COMPUTER ASSOCIATES
COMPUTER FRIENDS
COMPUTER MODULES
COMPUTER QUICK
COMPUTER SYS ARCHITECT
COMPUTERLANE UNLTD
COMPUTERWISE
CONSENSYS CORP
CONTROL CONCEPTS
COREL SOFTWARE
CPS COMPUTER
DISTRIBUTION GMBH
CPS COMPUTER
DISTRIBUTION GMBH
CREATIVE LABS INC
CURTIS INC
CYBERDYNE SYSTEMS/
COMPUTERS UK
CYBEX CORP
CYBEX CORP (INTL)
178-179
196IST-3
228
43
21
120IS-3
38-39
122
54
235
120IS-4
235
223
242
104
235
47
+49-964-318-262"
+886-3-323-5743"
818-855-5688
800-346-9881
800-66-AMIGA
714-630-7302
800-CALL-CAI
800-CALL-CAI
800-547-3303
408-496-1881
415-861-6330
800-753-4CSA
800-526-3482
800-255-3739
416-940-2903"
703-876-6444
800-836-SCSI
164IS-4 +49-40-656-7969"
172IS-4
27
182
188IS-2
224
CIV
+49-40-656-7969"
800-998-LABS
612-631-9512
+49-6174-24749"
205-534-0010"
205-534-0010"
338
417
DALLAS SEMICONDUCTOR 106 800-258-5061
DATA ACCESS CORP 203 800-451 -FLEX
DATALUX CORP (INTL) 238 +44-306-876718
DATALUX CORP (INTL) 239 +44-306-876718
DATALUX CORP (N.A.) 238 800-DATALUX
DATALUX CORP (N.A.) 239 800-DATALUX
DATAMANLTD 180IS-2 +44-0300-21012"
DATAPRO INTL 172IS-1 +44-0628-773628"
DATATRONICS TECH 196IST-11 +886-2-782-0305"
DAVISON-WORTH CORP 240 800-668-2707
DELL COMPUTER CORP (N.A.) CHI 800-626-8260
DELL COMPUTER CORP (N.A.) CIV 800-626-8260
DEXPO/
MILLER FREEMAN. INC 224MW-2 800-87-DEXPO
DEXPO /
MILLER FREEMAN. INC 224NE-3 800-87-DEXPO
DEXPO /
MILLER FREEMAN, INC 224PC-4 800-87-DEXPO
DEXPO /
MILLER FREEMAN, INC 224S0-4 800-87-DEXPO
DIAGSOFTINC 243 800-DIAGSOFT
DIETRICH POS EQUIPMENT 172IS-4 +49-761-5-68-81"
DIGITAL VISION 74 800-346-0900
DISPLAY RESEARCH LAB 238 +852-877-8810"
195-196 DISTRIBUTED PROCESSING TECH 216 407-830-5522
418 DRHUGGLE8
PARTNERGMBH 180IS-1 +49-241-403117"
185 DSP DESIGNS INTL / NASCOM 130 508-975-4392
339 DSP DEVELOPMENT CORP 242 800-777-5151
444 ECG 128IS-2 +31-4937-96808"
419 ELIASHIM MICROCOMP 208ISI-9 +972-4-528613"
ELONEX 72IS-2-3 +44-81-452-6422"
382 ELSIST 240 +39 142 451988"
225-226 EMBARC/ MOTOROLA (N.A.) 121 800-EMBARC4
exl. 350
379 EMPIRE COMPUTECH 239 800-446-1967
420 EUTRON 120IS-4 +39-35-692-229"
554 EVOLUTION COMPUTING 224NE-1 800-874-4028
561 EVOLUTION COMPUTING 224PC-2 800-874-4028
421 FAST ELECTRONIC GMBH
441-442 FIRST INTL COMPUTER
197-198 FIRST SOURCE INTL
188IS-3 +49-89-533-401"
196IST-5 +886-2-717-4500"
230 714-588-9866
422-423 FUTURESOFT ENGINEERING 128IS-4 713-496-9400
386
84-85
340
424
86-87
341
425
342
343
GATEWAY 2000
GATEWAY 2000
GENERAL TECHNICS
GENOA SYSTEMS
GENOVATION, INC
GFK HAMBURG
GLENCO ENGINEERING
GMM RESEARCH CORP
GREY MATTER LTD
GTEK INC
GTEK INC
800-846-2000
800-846-2000
800-487-2538
408-432-9090
800-822-4333
+49-40-231-789"
800-562-2543
714-752-9447
188IS-4 +44-0364-53071"
236 800-282-4635
240 800-282-4835
011,1
62-63
237
125
238
188IS-1
141
236
H
88 HAUPPAUGE COMP WORKS
426 HONEYWELL KEYBOARD DIV
89 HUMMINGBIRD
COMMUNICATIONS
115 800-443-6284
180IS-3 800-445-6939
91 IBM -THINK PAD
110-111 IBM -THINK PAD
345-346 INDUS
389
457
92
427
93
347
INFINICON
INFOMEDIA
INTEGRAND RESEARCH
INTEGRIX INC
INTERFACE GROUP
IOTECH
94 IOMEGA
346-349 ISLAND SYSTEMS
445 ITALIAN SAV AGENCY
220-221 ITERATED SYSTEMS
378 IVERSON SOFTWARE, INC
JAMECO ELECTRONICS
JDR MICRODEVICES
JNL OF OBJ ORIENT
10-11
33-36
241
236
2Q8ISI-8
210
128IS-4
66-67
240
22-23
243
120IS-2
196
243
800-IBM-2YOU
800-IBM-2YOU
X213BYTE
800-843-9377
800-374-3880
+972 52 507 490"
209-651-1203
805-375-1055
216-439-4091
800-777-4045
617-273-0421
+39-323-925208"
404-840-0633
416-925-6096
117
233
PROGRAMMING
K
353
552
557
564
569
350
KEA SYSTEMS LTD 76
KEDWELL SCIENTIFIC 172IS-3
KEITHLEY METRABYTE 237
KENOSHA COMPUTER CTR 224MW-1
KENOSHA COMPUTER CTR 224NE-2
KENOSHA COMPUTER CTR 224PC-3
KENOSHA COMPUTER CTR 224SO-2
KILA 237
351 LABTECH 243
352 LAGUNA DATA SYSTEMS 241
97 LAHEY COMPUTER SYSTEMS 133
148-149 LANDMARK RESEARCH
INTL CORP 103
204 LODE STAR COMPUTER 214-215
428 LOGIC PROGRAMMING
ASSOCIATES
212 LOGICAL CONNECTION
800-831-4242
800-538-5000
212-274-0640
800-663-8702
603-433-4777
508-880-3000
800-255-2969
800-255-2989
800-255-2989
800-255-2989
303-444-7737
800-879-5228
800-859-8856
800-548-4778
800-683-6696
800-875-7568
180IS-1 +44-81-874-0449"
231 800-238-9415
Inquiry No.
100-101 LOGITECH INC
Page No. Phone No.
M
463
459
103
104-105
106
429
372
430
108-109
387-388
344
207-208
107
200
201
354
567-566
440
458
431
121
385
112
437-436
452-453
462
113
MAGIC /MSE
MANNESMANN TALLY
MATHSOFT INC
MAYNARD, AN ARCHIVE CO
MCGRAW HILL NRI (N.A.)
MEDIA CYBERNETICS
MEGADATA
MEMORY SUPERSTORE
MICRO DESIGN INTL
164IS-1
128IS-3
171
159
164A-B
190
180IS-1
239
72IS-4
MICRO SOLUTIONS COMP PROD 77
MICROBIZ
MICROFIELD GRAPHICS, INC
MICRO-INTERNATIONAL, INC
MICROPOLIS CORP
MICROPROSE SOFTWARE
MICROPROSE SOFTWARE
MICROSOFT CORP
MICROSOFT CORP
MICROSTAR LABORATORIES
MICROTECH COMPUTER
MICROWAY
MICROWAY
MINICOM LTD
MINISTRY OF
INDUSTRY AND TRADE
MINOLTA GMBH
MINUTEMAN
MITAC
MKS/ MORTICE KERN SYS
MOTOROLA UDS
MOXA
241
235
222
99
227
229
17
28-29
237
224SO-5
186
211
208ISI-10
208ISI6-7
72IS-1
75
237
193
180IS-4
196IST-11
MULTIVENTURE
MYLEX CORP
196IST-7
18-19
+972-3-751-1901"
+44-0628-527782"
800-628-4223
800-755-0535
800-992-HALO
516-589-6858"
800-800-7056
407-677-8333
815-756-3411
800-637-8268
503-626-9393
800-967-5667
800-395-3748
800-879-PLAY
800-879-PLAY
800-426-9400
800-682-2000
206-453-2345
800-342-6508
508-746-7341
508-746-7341
+972-2-637576"
+972-2-669-388"
+49-511-779089"
214-446-7363
+886-2-509-0979"
519-884-2251
+33-1-4117-4130"
+886-2-910-1231"
+886-2-703-1380"
510-796-6100
N
215-216 NAGA SYSTEMS CORP
114-115 NANAO USA CORP (N.A.)
232
116
355
117
199
NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS 9
NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS 242
NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS 128IDRC1-2
NEC - LAPTOPS 69
NEVADA COMPUTER 221
116-119 NEWGEN SYSTEMS CORP 163
373 NOVASTOR CORP 241
120 NSTL 189
800-568-6242
310-325-5202
800-433-3488
600-433-3488
512-794-0100"
800-NEC-INFO
800-654-7762
714-436-5100
602-396-3616
215-941-9600
213-214 OCEAN OFFICE
AUTOMATION LTD
OLIVETTI
ONTIMEMKT/
KARSTEN PETERSEN
OVERLAND DATA INC
OXFORD ELECTRONIC
PUBLISHING
467
443
356
432
+852-305-1800
219
164IS2-3
172IS-4 +49-40-435-196"
241 800-729-6725
88IS-1 +44-865-56646"
122
123-124
125-126
127
553
558
570
357
128
129-130
371
131
464
556
PACIFIC DATA PRODUCTS
PATTON & PATTON
PC POWER 8, COOLING
PERCEPTIVE SOLUTIONS
PERSOFT INC
PERSONAL SOLUTION COMP
PERSONAL SOLUTION COMP
PERSONAL SOLUTION COMP
PERSONAL TEX
PHAR LAP SOFTWARE INC
PINNACLE MICRO
PIXEL PERFECT/
MEDICAL ADVISOR
PKWARE INC
POLYWELL COMPUTERS. INC
POLYWELL COMPUTERS. INC
PROGRAMMER'S PARADISE
PROGRAMMER'S PARADISE
PROGRAMMER'S SHOP
PROGRAMMER'S SHOP
PROGRESS SOFTWARE
Q
QMS
153
619-625-3593
82
B00-525-0082
exl. 112
49
800-722-6555
150
800-486-3278
204
800-368-5283
224MW-3
800-685-3981
24NE-5
800-685-3981
224SO-1
800-685-3981
242
415-388-8853
85
617-661-1510
6-7
714-727-3300
243
800-788-2099
206
414-354-8699
188IS-2
800-999-1278
224NE-6
800-999-1278
55
800-445-7699
56-57
800-445-7899
78-79
800-421-8006
80
800-421-8006
207
800-4PROGRESS
139
800-422-2769
exl. 2997
250 BYTE • MARCH 1 993
YOUR DIRECT LINK
ADVERTISER CONTACT INFORMATION
Inquiry No.
134
QNX/ QUANTUM S/W SYS
136 QUA TECH INC
358 QUALSTAH CORP
QUANTUM CORP (INTL.)
446-447 QUANTUM CORP (INTL)
135 QUARTERDECK OFFICE SYS
137 RAIMA CORP
138-139 RAINBOW TECHNOLOGIES
209 RALIN WHOLESALERS
202-203 RECORTECINC
140 RETIXINC
141 ROSE ELECTRONICS
223-224
374-375
142
143
380-381
144
434
435
222
145
146
SCEPTRE TECHNOLOGIES
SCIENTIFIC PROGRAMMING
SEQUITER SOFTWARE INC
SIGMA DATA
SIGMA TECH SOFTWARE
S'NW ELECTRONICS
SOFTLINE CORP
SOFTWARE SECURITY INC
STARTECH INT'L
STATSOFT
STORAGE DIMENSIONS
STRADAAUTOTECH. INC
*eNo.
Phone No.
Inquiry
No. Page
No.
Phone No.
191
800-363-9001
147
STRATEGIC MAPPING
194
800-442-8887
ext. 101
174
SUNSOFT
2-3
800-227-9227
212
800-553-1170
173
SUPRA CORP
107
800-727-8647
241
818-882-5822
150-151
SYSTAT INC
81
708-864-5670
198
199
+41-38-337722
+41-38-337722
433
SZKI RECOGNITA CORP (INTL)
89
+361-201-7607"
101
310-392-9851
T
359
TALKING TECHNOLOGY INC
236
800-685-4884
360-361
TECHNOLOGIC SYSTEMS
239
513-644-2230
800-852-8569
800-752-9512
800-729-7654
800-255-2333
800-333-9343
436
TECHPOWER COMPANY LTD 196IST-8
+886-2-753-1940"
231
217
151
8
152
153
155
TEKTRONIX 53
TEXAS INSTRUMENTS 83
TEXAS MICROSYSTEMS 104A-B
800-835-6100
800-527-3500
800-627-8700
154
451
TEXAS MICROSYSTEMS 105
TOPTEK 196IST-9
800-627-8700
+886-2-961-9586"
156
TOSHIBA AMERICA INC
50-51
800-457-7777
210-211
TRANSCEND INFORMATION INC
220
909-598-5500
45
800-788-2878
369
TRANTOR SYSTEMS LTD
238
800-872-6867
241
517-339-9859
370
TRI VALLEY TECHNOLOGY INC
237
510-447-2030
119
403-437-2410
362
TRIANGLE DIGITAL SERVICES
240 +44-81 -558-81 10"
87
800-446-4525
363-364
TRIBAL MICROSYSTEMS
240
510-623-8859
236
54
818-368-6132
800-874-1235
157
TRITON TECHNOLOGIES
143
908-855-9440
88IS-4
718-438-6057
u
128IS-1
203-329-8870
234
619-278-2600
559-560
ULTA COMPUTERS 224NE-4
800-755-7518
175
918-583-4149
158
UNIPALM LTD
154 +44-0223-426868"
147
800-344-4323
UNIXWORLD 148A-B
800-257-9402
235
UNIXWORLD
149
800-257-9402
Inquiry No.
160 VALITEKINC
177 VIDEO MAKER / VITEC
365 VIDEX. INC
161-162 VIEWSONIC
563 VORTEX COMPUTERS
w
439 WALKER, RICHER & QUINN
163 WATCOM PRODUCTS INC
366 WINTEK CORP
166-168 WOLFRAM RESEARCH
205 WORLDWIDE TECHNOLOGIES
367 XELTEK
218-219 XLICORP
164-165 XVT SOFTWARE INC
448-449 ZECKS
ZENITH DATA SYSTEMS
169 ZEOS INTERNATIONAL
368 Z-WORLD ENGINEERING
178-179 ZYXELUSA
ge No.
Phone No.
84
800 VALITEK
127+33-146-29-03-04"
236
503-758-0521
31
714-869-7976
224PC-1
800-548-7839
120IS-1
206-324-0407
25
800-265-4555
241
800-742-6809
155
800-441-6284
S 216
800-457-6937
240
408-524-1929
160-161
617-932-9199
195
800-678-7988
96IST-12
+886-2-280-1351"
72A-H
800-523-9393
70-71
800-423-5891
240
916-757-3737
145
714-693-0808
* Correspond directly with company.
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480-5243
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Ed Ware (603) 924-2664
Larry Levine (603) 924-2637
McGraw-Hill Publications
San Mateo, CA 94403
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FAX: (212) 512-2075
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Seoul 137-030, Korea
50450 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Third Wave Publishing Corp. :
Germany
Wimbledon, London SW19 3RU
Tel: +972 52 586246
Tel: +82 2 5458001
Tel: +60 3 2624592
2ndFI., No. 19-1, Lane 231
Tel: +49 69 71407 140
England
FAX: +972 52 585685
Tel: +82 2 5458002
FAX: +60 3 2624591
Fu Hsing North Road
FAX: +49 69 71407 147
FAX: +44 81 5456294
FAX: +82 2 5498861
Taipei 10445, Taiwan
TELEX: 892191
AUSTRALIA
THAILAND
R.O.C.
SCANDINAVIAN COUNTRIES
Rod Tremain
SINGAPORE
Jack Hu
Tel: +886 2 7136959
Zena Coupe
ITALY
Rod Tremain Media
Derek Ng
Sahaviriya OA Group
FAX: +886 2 7151950
A-Z International Sales Ltd.
Zena Coupe, Amanda Blaskett
45 Pymble Ave.
Stephen Tay
28/1 Prapawit Bldg., Surasak Rd.
I 70 Chalk Farm Road
A-Z International Sales Ltd.
Pymble 2073, Sydney
Third Wave Publishing Corp. Silom, Bangkok 10500
London NW1 SAN
70 Chalk Farm Road
Australia
1123Serangoon Road
, #03-01 Thailand
i England
London NW1 BAN
Tel: +61 2 9983339
Singapore 1232
Tel: +66 2 2360295
Tel: +44 71 28431 71
England
FAX: +61 2 9883424
Tel: +65 296 6166
FAX: +66 2 2365960
FAX: +44 71 2843174
Tel: +44 71 2843171
FAX: +65 298 7551
FAX: +44 71 2843174
JAPAN
TAIWAN
Masaki Mori
HONG KONG
Llwen Lee
Transworld Media Inc.
Candice Lo
Third Wave Publishing Corp
4th Floor, 1-26-6Kamimeguro
Third Wave Publishing
Corp. 2ndFI..No. 19-1, Lane 231
Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153, Japan
Unit 2, 6F Hing Wah Center Fu Hsing North Road
Tel: +81 3 57210761
82-84 To Kwa Wan Road Taipei 10445, Taiwan
FAX: +81 3 57210762
Kowloon, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 764 3830
FAX: +852 764 3857
R.O.C.
Tel: +886 2 7136959
FAX: +886 2 7151950
MARCH 1 993 • BYTE 251
YOUR DIRECT LINK
PRODUCT CATEGORY INDEX
For FREE product information from individual advertisers, circle the
corresponding inquiry numbers on Your Direct Link Card!
To receive information for an entire product category, circle the category
number on Your Direct Link Card!
Category No.
Category No.
Category No.
Inquiry No.
Page No.
Inquiry No.
Page No.
Inquiry
No.
Page No.
HARDWARE
553
PERSONAL SOLUTION COMPUTERS
224MW-3
14
MAIL ORDER
558
570
202-203
436
PERSONAL SOLUTION COMPUTERS
PERSONAL SOLUTION COMPUTERS
RECORTEC INC
TECHPOWER COMPANY LTD
224NE-5
224SO-1
217
196IST-8
190-191
206
192
ADVANCED COMPUTER PRODUCTS
CITITRONICS
COMPUTERLANE UNLIMITED
i
ACCESSORIES/SUPPLIES
225
228
223
417
111
459
448-449
DIETRICH POS EQUIPMENT
IBM -THINK PAD
MANNESMANN TALLY
ZECKS
172IS-4
36
128IS-3
196IST-12
155
154
370
TEXAS MICROSYSTEMS
TEXAS MICROSYSTEMS
TRI VALLEY TECHNOLOGY INC
104A-B
105
237
95
552
557
JAMECO ELECTRONICS
JDR MICRODEVICES
KENOSHA COMPUTER CENTER
KENOSHA COMPUTER CENTER
117
233
224MW-1
224NE-2
362
TRIANGLE DIGITAL SERVICES
240
564
KENOSHA COMPUTER CENTER
224PC-3
ZENITH DATA SYSTEMS
72A-H
569
KENOSHA COMPUTER CENTER
224SO-2
2
ADD-IN BOARDS
169
ZEOS INT'L
70-71
204
199
LODE STAR COMPUTER
NEVADA COMPUTER
214-215
221
376-377
465-466
404
407-408
333
ACI/ ACQUIRE
BOCA RESEARCH INC (INT'L)
B&C MICROSYSTEMS
COMPEX INC
COMPUTER MODULES
235
cm
1281S-4
120IS-3
235
6
353
354
DATA ACQUISITION
KEITHLEY METRABYTE
MICROSTAR LABORATORIES
237
237
209
144
222
559-560
RALIN WHOLESALERS
S'NW ELECTRONICS
STARTECH INT'L
ULTA COMPUTERS
231
54
234
224NE-4
334
COMPUTER SYSTEM ARCHITECT
235
*
NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS 128IDRC1-2
390
455
CONTROL CONCEPTS 235
CPS COMPUTER DISTRIBUTION GMBH 172IS-4
136
QUA TECH INC
212
15
MEMORY/CHIPS/UPGRADES
456
CPS COMPUTER DISTRIBUTION GMBH 164IS-4
65
ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES
14-15
80
CURTIS INC
182
7
DISK & OPTICAL DRIVES
206
CITITRONICS
228
417
DIETRICH POS EQUIPMENT
172IS-4
80
CURTIS INC
182
197-198
FIRST SOURCE INT'L
230
195-196
DISTRIBUTED PROCESSING TECH
218
386
GENERAL TECHNICS
237
424
GFK HAMBURG
188IS-1
84-85
GENOA SYSTEMS
125
104-105
MAYNARD, AN ARCHIVE CO
159
95
JAMECO ELECTRONICS
117
424
GFK HAMBURG
188IS-1
430
MICRO DESIGN INT'L
72IS-4
372
MEMORY SUPERSTORE
239
88
HAUPPAUGE COMP WORKS
115
108-109
MICRO SOLUTIONS COMP PROD
77
210-211
TRANSCEND INFORMATION INC
220
95
JAMECO ELECTRONICS
117
107
MICROPOLISCORP
99
205
WORLDWIDE TECHNOLOGIES
216
344
MICROFIELD GRAPHICS. INC
235
118-119
NEWGEN SYSTEMS CORP
163
452-453
MOXA
196IST-11
129-130
PINNACLE MICRO
6-7
113
MYLEX CORP
18-19
*
QUANTUM CORP (INT'L)
198
16
MISCELLANEOUS HARDWARE
125-126
PERCEPTIVE SOLUTIONS
150
446-447
QUANTUM CORP (INT'L)
199
444
ECG
128IS-2
136
QUA TECH INC
212
222
STARTECH INT'L
234
92
INTEGRAND RESEARCH
210
143
359
SIGMA DATA
STRADA AUTOTECH. INC
TALKING TECHNOLOGY INC
87
235
236
369
TRANTOR SYSTEMS LTD
238
100-101
222
LOGITECH INC
STARTECH INT'L
167
234
451
TOPTEK
196IST-9
8
DISKETTES/DUPUCA TORS
330-331
AXIOMATIC
238
17
MODEMS/MULTIPLEXORS
3
BAR CODING
78
415-416
COMPUTER FRIENDS
DATATRONICS TECHNOLOGY
54
196IST-11
459
365
MANNESMANN TALLY
VIDEX, INC
128IS-3
9
FAX BOARDS/MACHINES
*
JDR MICRODEVICES
233
236
437-438
MOTOROLA UDS
180IS-4
437-438
MOTOROLA UDS
180IS-4
209
RALIN WHOLESALERS
231
4
401-402
COMMUNICATIONS/NETWORKING
ACER INCORPORATED 88IS2-3
10
GRAPHICS TABLETS/MICE/PEN INPUT
173
178-179
SUPRA CORP
ZYXEL USA
107
145
184
AXIS COMMUNICATIONS
255
83
DIGITAL VISION
74
•
ELONEX
72IS2-3
426
HONEYWELL KEYBOARD DIV
180IS-3
18
MONITORS & TERMINALS
225-226
341
342
389
EMBARC / MOTOROLA (N.A.)
GMM RESEARCH CORP
GTEK INC
INFINICON
121
236
236
236
11
406
KEYBOARDS
CHERRY
336
114-115
223-224
DATALUX CORP (N.A.)
ELONEX
NANAO USA CORP (N.A.)
SCEPTRE TECHNOLOGIES
239
72IS-2-3
89
45
429
MEGADATA
180IS-1
MIKROSCHALTER GMBH (INT'L)
178-179
161-162
VIEWSONIC
31
440
MINICOM LTD
208ISI-10
337
DATALUX CORP
238
437-438
MOTOROLA UDS
180IS-4
141
380-381
ROSE ELECTRONICS
SIGMA TECH SOFTWARE
8
236
12
LAN HARDWARE
19
MULTIMEDIA
359
TALKING TECHNOLOGY INC
236
193-194
411-412
CYBEX CORP
CYBEX CORP (INT'L)
224
CIV
455
CPS COMPUTER DISTRIBUTION GMBh
172IS-4
360-361
TECHNOLOGIC SYSTEMS
239
456
170
CPS COMPUTER DISTRIBUTION GMBF
CREATIVE LABS INC
164IS-4
27
5
566
571
COMPUTER SYSTEMS
APPRO INTERNATIONAL INC
APPRO INTERNATIONAL INC
224SO-3
224MW-4
212
104-105
440
123-124
LOGICAL CONNECTION
MAYNARD, AN ARCHIVE CO
MINICOM LTD
PC POWER & COOLING
231
159
208ISI-10
49
391-392
379
88
97
100-101
DISPLAY RESEARCH LAB
EMPIRE COMPUTECH
HAUPPAUGE COMP WORKS
LAHEY COMPUTER SYSTEMS
LOGITECH INC
238
239
115
133
167
405
CATHAY COMPUTER & TECHNOLOGY 19EIS r- 12
152
TEKTRONIX
TOPTEK
53
196IST-9
127
75
COMMODORE
21
13
LAPTOPS & NOTEBOOKS
451
454
CYBERDYNE SYSTEMS /
COMPUTERS UK
188IS-2
188-189
68-69
ABC COMPUTER
BITWISE DESIGNS INC
226
192
177
VIDEO MAKER /VITEC
DELL COMPUTER CORP (N.A.)
cm
460-461
CHICONY
196IST-3
444
DELL COMPUTER CORP (N.A.)
ECG
CIV
128IS-2
441-442
340
FIRST INT'L COMPUTER
GENOVATION, INC
196IST-5
238
20
PRINTERS/PLOTTERS
ELONEX
72IS-2-3
91
IBM - THINK PAD
10-11
417
DIETRICH POS EQUIPMENT
172IS-4
*
GATEWAY 2000
CII.1
110
IBM -THINK PAD
34-35
212
LOGICAL CONNECTION
231
*
GATEWAY 2000
62-63
207-208
MICRO-INTERNATIONAL, INC
222
459
MANNESMANN TALLY
128IS-3
*
IBM -THINK PAD
33
462
MULTIVENTURE
196IST-7
431
MINOLTA GMBH
72IS-1
110
IBM -THINK PAD
34-35
117
NEC - LAPTOPS
69
*
PACIFIC DATA PRODUCTS
153
427
INTEGRIX INC
128IS-4
467
OLIVETTI
164IS2-3
98-99
QMS
139
350
KILA
237
464
POLYWELL COMPUTERS, INC
188IS-2
360-361
TECHNOLOGIC SYSTEMS
239
207-208
MICRO-INTERNATIONAL, INC
222
556
POLYWELL COMPUTERS, INC
224NE-6
152
TEKTRONIX
53
567-568
MICROTECH COMPUTER
224SO-5
144
S'NW ELECTRONICS
54
218-219
XLI CORP
160-161
385
MITAC
237
153
TEXAS INSTRUMENTS
83
215-216
NAGA SYSTEMS CORP
232
156
TOSHIBA AMERICA INC
50-51
120
NSTL
189
563
VORTEX COMPUTERS
224PC-1
21
PROGRAMMABLE HARDWARE
213-214
OCEAN OFFICE AUTOMATION LTD
219
*
ZENITH DATA SYSTEMS
72A-H
413
DATAMAN LTD
1 80IS-2
123-124
PC POWER & COOLING
49
169
ZEOS INT'L
70-71
383-384
DAVISON-WORTH CORP
240
252 BYTE • MARCH 1993
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D. What operating systems are you
function/principal area of
currently using? (Check all that apply)
responsibility? (Check one)
12 Q PC/MS-DOS 15 a Unix
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13 Q DOS* Windows !6QMacOS
I iNarne
2 ^l Programmer/Systems Analyst
14 QOS2 17 □ VAXJVMS
3 3 Adminstration/Management
E. For how many people do you
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6 □ Other
18 □ 1-25 20 Q 51-99
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March 1993 | 86 96 99 \
Product Category
Disks & Optical Drives 7
Multimedia 19 Educational
30 Shareware 42
Information
Diskettes/Duplicators 8
Printers/Plotters 20 Engineering/Scientific 31 Software Duplication 43
Circle the numbers below for
Fax Boards/Machines 9
Programmable Hardware 21 Entertainment
32 Spreadsheets 44
information on the entire cateqory
Graphics Tablets/Mice/
Scanners/OCFt/Digitizers 22 Graphics
33 Unix 45
of products you're interested
n.
Pen Input 10
Taj
e Drives 23 Macintosh
34 Utilities 46
Hardware
Keyboards 11
UPS
24 Mail Order
35 Windows 47
Accessories/Supplies
Add-in Boards
1
2
LAN Hardware 12
Laptops & Notebooks 13
Software
Business
Mathematical/Statistical 36 Word Processing 48
55 Miscellaneous Software 37 General
Bar Coding
Communications/Networking
Computer Systems
Data Acquisition
3
Mailorder 14
CAD/CAM 26 On-Line Services
38 Books/Publications 49
4
5
Memory/Chips/Upgrades 15
Miscellaneous Hardware 16
Communications/Networking 27 Operating Systems 39 Recruitment 50
Data Acquisition 28 Programming Languages/ _ Misce || aneous 51
6
Modems/Multiplexors 17
Database
29 Fools
40
Monitors & Terminals 18
Security
41
Inquiry Numbers 52-233 1
1 Inquiry Numbers 409-590 1
1 Inquiry Numbers 766-947 j
1 Inquiry Numbers 1123-1304
52 78 104 130 156
182
208
409 435 461 487
513
539
565
766 792 818 844 870 896
922
1123 1149 1175 1201 1227 1253 127.
i 53 79 105 131 157
183
209
410 436 462 488
514
540
566
767 793 819 845 871 897
923
1124 1150 1176 1202 1228 1254 1280
| 54 80 106 132 158
184
210
411 437 463 489
515
541
567
768 794 820 846 872 898
924
1125 1151 1177 1203 1229 1255 1281
! 55 81 107 133 159
185
211
412 438 464 490
516
542
568
769 795 821 847 873 899
925
1126 1152 1178 1204 12X 1256 1282
i 56 82 108 134 160
186
212
413 439 465 491
517
543
569
770 796 822 848 874 900
926
1127 1153 1179 1205 1231 1257 1283
I 57 83 109 135 161
187
213
414 440 466 492
518
544
570
771 797 823 849 875 901
927
1128 1154 1180 1206 1232 1258 1284
I 58 84 110 136 162
188
214
415 441 467 493
519
545
571
772 798 824 850 876 902
928
1129 1155 1181 1207 1233 1259 1285
j 59 85 111 137 163
189
215
416 442 468 494
520
546
572
773 799 825 851 877 903
929
1130 1156 1182 1208 1234 1260 1286
! 60 86 112 138 164
190
216
417 443 469 495
521
547
573
774 800 826 852 878 904
930
1131 1157 1183 1209 1235 1261 1287
• 61 87 113 139 165
191
217
418 444 470 496
522
548
574
775 801 827 853 879 905
931
1132 1158 1184 1210 1236 1262 1288
: 62 88 114 140 166
192
218
419 445 471 497
523
549
575
776 802 828 854 880 906
932
1133 1159 1185 1211 1237 1263 1289
| 63 89 115 141 167
193
219
420 446 472 498
524
550
576
777 803 829 855 881 907
933
1134 1160 1186 1212 1238 1264 1290
i 64 90 116 142 168
194
220
421 447 473 499
525
551
577
778 804 830 856 882 908
934
1135 1161 1187 1213 1239 1265 1291
! 65 91 117 143 169
195
221
422 448 474 500
526
552
578
779 805 831 857 883 909
935
1136 1162 1188 1214 1240 1266 1292
: 66 92 118 144 170
196
222
423 449 475 501
527
553
579
780 806 832 858 884 910
936
1137 1163 1189 1215 1241 1267 1293
i 67 93 119 145 171
197
223
424 450 476 502
528
554
580
781 807 833 859 885 911
937
1138 1164 1190 1216 1242 1268 1294
| 68 94 120 146 172
198
224
425 451 477 503
529
555
581
782 808 834 860 886 912
938
1139 1165 1191 1217 1243 1269 1295
| 69 95 121 147 173
199
225
426 452 478 504
530
556
582
783 809 835 861 887 913
939
1140 1166 1192 1218 1244 1270 1296
I 70 96 122 148 174
200
226
427 453 479 505
531
557
583
784 810 836 862 888 914
940
1141 1167 1193 1219 1245 1271 1297
1 71 97 123 149 175
201
227
428 454 480 506
532
558
584
785 811 837 863 889 915
941
1142 1168 1194 1220 1246 1272 1298
: 72 98 124 150 176
202
228
429 455 481 507
533
559
585
786 812 838 864 890 916
942
1143 1169 1195 1221 1247 1273 1299
: 73 99 125 151 177
203
229
430 456 482 508
534
560
586
787 813 839 865 891 917
943
1144 1170 1196 1222 1248 1274 1300
I 74 100 126 152 178
204
230
431 457 483 509
535
561
587
788 814 840 866 892 918
944
1145 1171 1197 1223 1249 1275 1301
i 75 101 127 153 179
205
231
432 458 484 510
536
562
588
789 815 841 867 893 919
945
1146 1172 1198 1224 1250 1276 1302
: 76 102 128 154 180
206
232
433 459 485 511
537
563
589
790 816 842 868 894 920
946
1147 1173 1199 1225 1251 1277 1303
77 103 129 155 181
207
233
434 460 486 512
538
564
590
791 817 843 869 895 921
947
1148 1174 1200 1226 1252 1278 1304
Inquiry Numbers 234-408 |
1 Inquiry Numbers 591-765 |
1 Inquiry Numbers 948-1122 I
1 Inquiry Numbers 1305-1479
234 259 284 309 334
359
384
591 616 641 666
691
716
741
948 973 998 1023 1048 1073
1098
1305 1330 1355 1380 1405 1430 1455
■ 235 260 2B5 310 335
360
385
592 617 642 667
692
717
742
949 974 999 1024 1049 1074
1099
1306 1331 1356 1381 1406 1431 1456
• 236 261 286 311 336
361
386
593 618 643 668
693
718
743
950 975 1000 1025 1050 1075
1100
1307 1332 1357 1382 1407 1432 1457
: 237 262 287 312 337
362
387
594 619 644 669
694
719
744
951 976 1001 1026 1051 1076
1101
1308 1333 1358 1383 1408 1433 1458
: 238 263 288 313 338
363
388
595 620 645 670
695
720
745
952 977 1002 1027 1052 1077
1102
1309 1334 1359 1384 1409 1434 1459
: 239 264 289 314 339
364
389
596 621 646 671
696
721
746
953 978 1003 1028 1053 1078
1103
1310 1335 1360 1385 1410 1435 1460
: 240 265 290 315 340
365
390
597 622 647 672
697
722
747
954 979 1004 1029 1054 1079
1104
1311 1336 1361 1386 1411 1436 1461
■ 241 266 291 316 341
366
391
598 623 648 673
698
723
748
955 980 1005 1030 1055 1080
1105
1312 1337 1362 1387 1412 1437 1462
i 242 267 292 317 342
367
392
599 624 649 674
699
724
749
956 9B1 1006 1031 1056 1081
1106
1313 1338 1363 1388 1413 1438 1463
I 243 268 293 318 343
368
393
600 625 650 675
700
725
750
957 982 1007 1032 1057 1082
1107
1314 1339 1364 1389 1414 1439 1464
: 244 269 294 319 344
369
394
601 626 651 676
701
726
751
958 983 1008 1033 1058 1083
1108
1315 1340 1365 1390 1415 1440 1465
i 245 270 295 320 345
370
395
602 627 652 677
702
727
752
959 984 1009 1034 1059 1084
1109
1316 1341 1366 1391 1416 1441 1466
i 246 271 296 321 346
371
396
603 628 653 678
703
728
753
960 985 1010 1035 1060 1085
1110
1317 1342 1367 1392 1417 1442 1467
i 247 272 297 322 347
372
397
604 629 654 679
704
729
754
961 986 1011 1036 1061 1086
1111
1318 1343 1368 1393 1418 1443 1468
i 248 273 298 323 348
373
398
605 630 655 680
705
730
755
962 987 1012 1037 1062 1087
1112
1319 1344 1369 1394 1419 1444 1469
: 249 274 299 324 349
374
399
606 631 656 681
706
731
756
963 988 1013 1038 1063 1088
1113
1320 1345 1370 1395 1420 1445 1470
1 250 275 300 325 350
375
400
607 632 657 682
707
732
757
964 989 1014 1039 1064 1089
1114
1321 1346 1371 1396 1421 1446 1471
! 251 276 301 326 351
376
401
608 633 658 683
708
733
758
965 990 1015 1040 1065 1090
1115
1322 1347 1372 1397 1422 1447 1472
: 252 277 302 327 352
377
402
609 634 659 684
709
734
759
986 991 1016 1041 1066 1091
1116
1323 1348 1373 1398 1423 1448 1473
: 253 278 303 328 353
378
403
610 635 660 685
710
735
760
967 992 1017 1042 1067 1092
1117
1324 1349 1374 1399 1424 1449 1474
: 254 279 304 329 354
379
404
611 636 661 686
711
736
761
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380
405
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712
737
762
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381
406
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763
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383
408
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715
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9
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BYTE m
PRODUCT CATEGORY INDEX
For FREE product information from individual advertisers, circle the
corresponding inquiry numbers on your Direct Link Card!
To receive information for an entire product category, circle the category
number on your Direct Link Card!
Category No.
Inquiry No.
382
ELSIST
421
FAST ELECTRONIC GMBH
343
GTEK INC
347
IO TECH
*
JDR MICRO-DEVICES
362
TRIANGLE DIGITAL SERVICES
363-364
TRIBAL MICROSYSTEMS
367
XELTEK
368
Z-WORLD ENGINEERING
22
SCANNERS/OCR/DIGITIZER.
567-568
MICROTECH COMPUTER
433
SZKI RECOGNITA CORP (INT'L)
23
TAPE DRIVES
73-74
COLORADO MEMORY SYSTEMS
352
LAGUNA DATA SYSTEMS
104-105
MAYNARD, AN ARCHIVE CO
373
NOVASTOR CORP
356
OVERLAND DATA INC
358
QUALSTAR CORP
160
VALITEK INC
24
UPS
66
AMERICAN POWER CONVERSION
121
MINUTEMAN
123-124
PC POWER & COOLING
240
188IS-3
240
240
233
240
240
240
240
224SO-5
89
43
241
159
241
241
241
84
135
75
49
SOFTWARE
25
BUSINESS
76 COMPUTER ASSOCIATES
345-346 INDUS
457 INFOMEDIA
106 MEDIA CYBERNETICS
387-388 MICROBE
432 OXFORD ELECTRONIC PUBLISHING
122 PATTON & PATTON
147 STRATEGIC MAPPING
433 SZKI RECOGNITA CORP (INT'L)
362 TRIANGLE DIGITAL SERVICES
122
241
208ISI-8
190
241
88IS-1
82
194
89
240
26 CAD/CAM
67 AMERICAN SMALL BUSINESS COMP 131
554 EVOLUTION COMPUTING 224NE-1
561 EVOLUTION COMPUTING 224PC-2
366 WINTEK CORP 241
27 COMMUNICATIONS/NETWORKING
185 DSP DESIGNS INTERNATIONAL/ NASCOM 130
225-226 EMBARC / MOTOROLA (N.A.) 121
422-423 FUTURESOFT ENGINEERING 128IS-4
Category No.
Inquiry No.
30
EDUCATIONAL
61-62 ABACUS SOFTWARE
93 INTERFACE GROUP
MCGRAW HILL NRI (N.A.)
Page No.
95
66-67
164A-B
31 ENGINEERING/SCIENTIFIC
175-176 ALLMICRO
418 DR HUGGLE & PARTNER GMBH
339 DSP DEVELOPMENT CORP
220-221 ITERATED SYSTEMS
148-149 LANDMARK RESEARCH INT'L CORP
103 MATHSOFT INC
443 ON TIME MKT/KARSTEN PETERSEN
374-375 SCIENTIFIC PROGRAMMING
166-168 WOLFRAM RESEARCH
32 ENTERTAINMENT
200 MICROPROSE SOFTWARE
201 MICROPROSE SOFTWARE
33 GRAPHICS
79 COREL SOFTWARE
106 MEDIA CYBERNETICS
114-115 NANAO USA CORP (N.A.)
152 TEKTRONIX
35 MAIL ORDER
63 ALADDIN KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS
410 COMPUTER QUICK
425 GREY MATTER LTD
* PROGRAMMER'S PARADISE
102 PROGRAMMER'S PARADISE
PROGRAMMER'S SHOP
PROGRAMMER'S SHOP
434 SOFTLINE CORP
MATHEMATICAL/STATISTICAL
36
357 PERSONAL TEX
145 STATSOFT
150-151 SYSTATINC
166-168 WOLFRAM RESEARCH
93
180IS-1
242
196
103
171
172IS-4
241
155
227
229
47
190
120IS-4
188IS-4
55
56-57
78-79
80
88IS-4
242
175
81
155
440
MINICOM LTD
208ISI-10
134
135
127
PERSOFT INC
204
140
RETIX INC
151
157
TRITON TECHNOLOGIES
143
40
158
UNIPALM LTD
154
439
WALKER. RICHER & QUINN
120IS-1
332
171-172
81-82
28
DATA ACQUISITION
418
116
NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS
9
425
355
NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS
242
378
NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS
128IDRC1-2
428
29
DATABASE
•
70-71
BORLAND INT'L
13
112
443
77
COMPUTER ASSOCIATES
38-39
335
COMPUTERWISE
242
128
418
DR HUGGLE & PARTNER GMBH
180IS-1
445
ITALIAN SOFTWARE AGENCY
120IS-2
*
463
MAGIC / MSE
164IS-1
132-133
137
RAIMA CORP
65
163
142
SEQUITER SOFTWARE INC
119
164-165
37 MISCELLANEOUS SOFTWARE
443 ON TIME MKT/KARSTEN PETERSEN 172IS-4
38 ON-LINE SERVICES
450 BIX 180
39 OPERATING SYSTEMS
428 LOGIC PROGRAMMING ASSOCIATES 180IS-1
QNX/ QUANTUM SOFTWARE SYSTEMS 191
QUARTERDECK OFFICE SYSTEMS 101
PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/TOOLS
BINARY TECHNOLOGY INC
BLINK INC
DATA ACCESS CORP
DR HUGGLE & PARTNER GMBH
GREY MATTER LTD
IVERSON SOFTWARE, INC
KEDWELL SCIENTIFIC
LOGIC PROGRAMMING ASSOCIATES
MICROWAY
MICROWAY
MKS / MORTICE KERN SYSTEMS
ON TIME MKT / KARSTEN PETERSEN
PHAR LAP SOFTWARE INC
PROGRAMMER'S SHOP
PROGRAMMER'S SHOP
PROGRESS SOFTWARE
WATCOM PRODUCTS INC
XVT SOFTWARE INC
Category No.
Inquiry No.
Page No.
41
SECURITY
63
ALADDIN KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS
86
403
ALADDIN KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS
208ISI-2
175-176
ALLMICRO
93
406
CHERRY
MIKROSCHALTER GMBH (INT'L)
178-179
454
CYBERDYNE SYSTEMS/
COMPUTERS UK
188IS-2
183
DALLAS SEMICONDUCTOR
106
419
ELIASHIM MICROCOMPUTERS
208ISI-9
420
EUTRON
120IS-4
421
FAST ELECTRONIC GMBH
188IS-3
86-87
GLENCO ENGINEERING
141
138-139
RAINBOW TECHNOLOGIES
61
435
SOFTWARE SECURITY INC
128IS-1
43 SOFTWARE DUPLICATION
330-331 AXIOMATIC
45 UNIX
186-187 CONSENSYS CORP
89 HUMMINGBIRD COMMUNICATIONS
112 MKS /MORTICE KERN SYSTEMS
174 SUNSOFT
166-168 WOLFRAM RESEARCH
46 UTILITIES
63 ALADDIN KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS
403 ALADDIN KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS
175-176 ALLMICRO
454 CYBERDYNE SYSTEMS /
COMPUTERS UK
338 DIAGSOFT INC
148-149 LANDMARK RESEARCH INT'L CORP
131 PKWARE INC
146 STORAGE DIMENSIONS
47 WINDOWS
61-62 ABACUS SOFTWARE
425 GREY MATTER LTD
89 HUMMINGBIRD COMMUNICATIONS
348-349 ISLAND SYSTEMS
96 KEA SYSTEMS LTD
351 LABTECH
MICROSOFT CORP
114-115 NANAO USA CORP (N.A.)
432 OXFORD ELECTRONIC PUBLISHING
127 PERSOFT INC
371 PIXEL PERFECT /MEDICAL ADVISOR
147 STRATEGIC MAPPING
48 WORD PROCESSING/DTP
* MICROSOFT CORP
432 OXFORD ELECTRONIC PUBLISHING
433 SZKI RECOGNITA CORP (INT'L)
GENERAL
104
205
193
2-3
155
208ISI-2
93
188IS-2
243
103
206
147
95
188IS-4
205
243
76
243
17
89
88IS-1
204
243
194
28-29
88IS-1
89
Li,
242
109
49
BOOKS/PUBLICA TIONS
203
61-62
ABACUS SOFTWARE
95
180IS-1
414
DATAPRO INT'L
172IS-1
188IS-4
94
IOMEGA
22-23
243
*
JNLOFOBJ
172IS-3
ORIENT PROGRAMMING
128IDRC1-2
180IS-1
*
UNIXWORLD
148A-B
186
*
UNIXWORLD
149
211
193
172IS-4
85
51
MISCELLANEOUS
«
BYTE SUB MESSAGE
182
78-79
555
DEXPO / MILLER FREEMAN,
INC
224NE-3
80
562
DEXPO / MILLER FREEMAN,
INC
224PC-4
207
551
DEXPO / MILLER FREEMAN,
INC
224MW-2
25
565
DEXPO / MILLER FREEMAN,
INC
224S0-4
195
458
MINISTRY OF INDUSTRY AND TRADE
208ISI6-7
MARCH 1993 • BYTE 253
EDITORIAL INDEX
For more information on any of the companies covered in articles, columns, or news stories
in this issue, circle the appropriate inquiry number on Your Direct Link Card. Each page number
refers to the first page of the article or section in which the company name appears.
Inquiry No.
Page No.
Action Technologies
90
1115 Adept Scientific
68
Micro Systems
Adobe Systems 90,
173
Aetna Life and Casualty
90
Alfalfa Software
136
1079 Alpha Microsystems
58
1091 Alpha Systems
59
AMD
26
1224, Apple Computer 40
,90,
1165 173,177
183
1088 Applied Engineering
59
Approach Software
32
Arthur D, Little
90
Asterix
136
1169 AST Research 26,52
AT&T 32, 90
129
1086 Atto Technology
59
B
Banyan
90
1157 Bay Ware
73
Bellcore Labs
24
1093 Best Data Products
60
Beyond
90
1087 Bolder Systems
59
Borland International 26, 90
British Columbia 112
Ministry of Forests
c
Calcomp 156
Campbell Services 90
Canon 156
1273 cc:Mail 136
CCOM Information 90
Systems
1271 CE Software 136
1228 ChipSoft 165
Collaborative 112
Technologies
1223 Compaq Computer 169
Computer Mail Services 136
1117 Computervision 68
Connectix 173
1159 Creative Labs 73
Creative Strategies 90
Research International
Cyrix 26
1272 Da Vinci Systems
Dan Technology
1163 Dariana
1116 Data Description
1229 Dataproducts
Datapro Research
90,
112,136
26
73
68
156
90
DEC 26,37,90,123
Dell Computer 112
Deloitte & Touche 90
Inquiry No.
Page No.
Oelrina Technology 90
1077 Diamond Technologies 58
Dolphin Server Technology 24
1118 Dynacomp 68
E
Educational Testing 90
Service
Electronic Book 32
Technologies
Electronic Mail Association 90
Elonex 26
1168 EO 52
Equipment/Plexus 90
Everex Systems 30
F
Ferris Networks 90
1094 Fifth Generation Systems 60
FileNet 90
Finansa 90
Fort Howard 90
1076 4P s.r.l. 58
General Electric 197
Gentek 177
1114 Golden Software 68
Grand Junction Networks 123
Group Solutions 129
H
HBO
1230 Hewlett-Packard
Honeywell
24
37, 90,
156,209
37
IBM 26,30,90,112,129,
136,169,187,197
1132 Imagine That 177
1092 Intel 26,30,37,60,
187,197
Intelligent Resources 24
InterConsult 32
1227 Intex Solutions 165
Inventa 90
1141 IQ Software 72
J
JetForm
90
K
Kalpana 123
Keyfile 90
1156 Knowledge Adventure 73
Kodak 197
L
Lannet 123
LANshark Systems 90
LaserData 90
LaserMaster 156
1231 Lexmark International 156
Lotus Development 30, 37,
46,90,112
Inquiry No. Page No.
M
1140 Mark of the Unicorn 72
1225 Meca Software 165
Meckler 24
1104 Microlex 64
1153 MicroProse Software 73
1131, Microsoft 24,26,32,37,73,
1162, 90,112,136,173,
1274 197,209
MIT Center 112
for Coordination Science
MIT Press 190
1106 Motorola 37,64,187,183
N
National Center 123
for Supercomputing
Applications
1078 NEC Technologies 58
1155 Network Cybernetics 73
Next Computer 24,136
NHK Broadcasting 24
Nippon Telegraph & 112
Telephone
Northern Telecom 129
Notable Technologies 112
1275 Novell 90,136,216
Nu-Mega 187
N.V.Philips 197
Olivetti 37
Ono-Sendai 129
On Technologies 112
Open Systems Advisors 90
1226 Parsons Technology 165
Patricia Seybold 90
Office Computing Group
1095 Performance Technology 60
Periscope 187
PictureTel 129
Pitney Bowes 1 77
Strategic Information
PowerCore 90
Proteon 123
1096 Proxim 60
Q
1232 QMS 156
1089 Quantawave 59
1154 Quantum Quality 73
Productions
1158 Quarterdeck Office 73
Systems
1102 Quinn-Curtis 64
Inquiry No. Page No.
R
Radius 183
1143 Rational Data Systems 72
RCA 197
1075 RDI Computer 58
Reach Software 90
1276 Retix 90, 136
Samsung Electronics 30
Seeq Technology 123
Sense8 129
Siemens Nixdorf 30
Silicon Graphics 32, 129
Social Security 90
Administration
Softswitch 90, 136
Software Publishing 32
1142 Solea Systems 72
Sony 197
Sony Advanced Systems 24
SRI 123
Starlight Networks 123
1103 StratosWare 64
1167 Sun Microsystems 26,48,
Computer 129
Supermac Technologies 24
1090 Symmetric Research 59
Technological Partner 24
Texaco 90
Texas Instruments 26, 169
1160 Trantor Systems 73
U
1105 UniPress Software 64
Unisys 37
Unix System Laboratories 32
V
Ventana 112,129
1161 Ventura Software 73
Video Telecom 129
The Virtual Reality 129
Institute
W
Wohl Associates 90
Woods Wire Products 112
1277 WordPerfect 32,90,136
WorkGroup Technologies 112
Workhorse 90
X
Xante
Xerox
Y
The Yankee Group
Young & Rubicam
z
Z-Code Software
156
112,123
90
90
136
254 BYTE • MARCH 1993
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MARCH 1993 • BYTE 255
STOP BIT
CLIFFORD A
P I C K O V E R
Fractal Fantasies
Fractals can create an
infinite playing field for
board-game designs
Computer-generated fractal patterns are everywhere
these days. From squiggly designs on computer-
art posters to illustrations in the most serious of
physics journals, interest continues to grow among
scientists, artists, and designers.
Mathematician Benoit Mandelbrot coined the word
fractal in 1975 to describe an intricate-looking set of
curves, many of which were never seen before the advent
of computers, with their abil-
ity to quickly perform massive
calculations. Fractals often ex-
hibit self-similarity, which
means that various copies of
an object can be found within
the original object at smaller
scales. The detail continues for many magnifications,
like an endless nesting of Russian dolls within dolls.
Some of these shapes exist only in abstract geometric
space, but others can be used as models for complex nat-
ural objects like coastlines and blood-vessel branching.
Interestingly, fractals provide a useful framework for
understanding chaotic processes and for performing im-
age compression. The dazzling computer-generated im-
ages can be intoxicating, motivating students' interest
in math more than any other mathematical discovery in
the last century.
When most people hear the word fractal they rarely
think of applications beyond the kinds just mentioned.
Recently, however, I found myself drawn to their use
in game playing. You might like to program software to
play it or simply use a board drawn on paper.
The board for the Fractal Fantasy game consists of a
fractal nesting of rectangles within rectangles intercon-
nected with wiggly lines, as shown in the artwork above.
There are always two rectangles within the rectangles
that encompass them, and the degree of nesting can vary.
Beginners play with only a few nested rectangles,
while grand masters play with many recursively posi-
tioned rectangles. One can imagine tournaments lasting
for days, with breaks only for eating and sleeping. The
playing board illustrated here is called a degree 2 board,
because it has two different sizes of rectangles within
the large bounding rectangle. Beginners usually start
with a degree 1 board, and grand masters have been
known to use a degree 20 board. One player uses white
playing pieces (or stones); the other uses black. Each
player starts with a number of stones equal to two less
than half the number of vertices (i.e., dots) on the board.
For the board here, each player gets 19 stones. With al-
ternate moves, the players begin by placing a stone at
points on the black dots that are empty. As they place
stones, each player attempts to form a row of three stones
along any one of the vertical sides of any square. This
three-in-a-row assembly of stones is called a googol.
When all the stones have been placed, players take turns
moving a stone to a neighboring vacant space along one
of the wiggly or straight connecting lines.
When a player forms a googol (either during the al-
ternate placement of stones at the beginning of the game
or during alternate moves along lines to adjacent empty
points), that player takes any one of the opponent's stones
on the board and removes it from the board. (In some
versions of this game, an opposing stone can't be taken
from an opposing googol.) A player loses when he or
she no longer has any stones or cannot make a move.
Mathematicians and philosophers will no doubt spend
many years pondering a range of questions, particularly
for boards with higher nesting. Computer programmers
will design programs allowing the board to be magni-
fied in different areas, permitting the convenient play-
ing at different size scales. They'll all wish they had frac-
tal consciousness, allowing the contemplation of all levels
of the game simultaneously.
Is there a best opening move or overall strategy? If
the large bounding square has a side 1 foot in length,
what is the total length of lines on the board? If an ant
were to start anywhere on the board and walk to cover all
the lines, what would be the shortest possible route on the
board? How many possible board arrangements are there?
How large would a degree 100 board have to be for the
smallest squares to be seen? How many playing stones
would be used? What length of time would be required to
play such a bizarre game? I welcome comments and dis-
coveries from readers. ■
Clifford A. Pickover is an IBM research staff member
at the IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center in York-
town Heights, New York. His latest book is Mazes for
the Mind: Computers and the Unexpected from St. Mar-
tin's Press. You can reach him on BIX do "editors" or on
the Internet at cliff@watson.ibm.com.
Stop Bit is a forum for informed opinion on personal com-
puting topics. The opinions expressed are those of the author
and not necessarily those of BYTE. Your contributions and
comments are welcome. Write to: Editor, BYTE, One Phoenix
Mill Lane, Peterborough, NH 03458.
256 BYTE • MARCH 1993
DELL CUTS
PRICES
IBM AND
COMPAQ
REACT
WITH A FEW
CHOICE
WORDS.
Th
i3
TH
i4:
When Dell cut prices up to $300 on its new Performance Series,
IBM and Compaq reacted with a few choice words.
The price cuts aren't the only thing that they reacted to; these
systems already offered up to 50% better performance
than our previous systems, and at up to 25% lower prices. Yikes!
EKfciL
800-2744635
WHEN CALLING, PLEASE REFERENCE #UE93.
HOURS: 7AM-9PM CT MON-FRI, 8AM-4PM CT SAT, 10AM-3PM CT SUN.
IN CANADA, CALL 800-668-3021. IN MEXICO CITY, 228-7811.
Qnaruntecs available in USA only fur registered owners of Dell Performance Series systems purchased after 7/1/92. For a
complete copy, please cull our TechFav"' line at l-KOO-950-1329 or unite Dell USA L.P., 9505 Arboretum Bind., Austin
TX 78759-7299. Attention Quarantecs. "Leasing arranged by teasing Group, Inc. *Qii*$ite service provided by BcmcTec Service
Corporation. On-shc service may nor be available in certain remote areas. W1NMARKS test results obtained b\ running WINBENCH
ver. 2.5 ot 1024 x 768. The Intel Inside^ haretpteredtrademrrktmdPendiim, i4S6 ami i3ti6 arc irtklcn\ark of Intel Cnrixmuiim. MS-DOS is
a registered trademark ten! Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Crnporaticm. I INIX is a registered trademark of UNIX System hfamaanes. Inc. in
the United Suva and other countries. FORTUNE 500 h a registered iralcnmrl; of The Time Inc. Magazine Company. Dell disclaims
proprietary interest m the marks and names of others. ©1993 IVI/t lompufcr Corporation, Ailngnts reserved.
Tl-
i4
Th
NEW PRICE
$2,999
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•
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•
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NEW PRICE
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BJHSBsIi'g
[te^*
i4
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MB RAM
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WHEN CALLING, PLEASE REFERENCE #11EC3.
HOURS: 7AM-9PM CT MON-FR1, 8AM-4PM CT SAT, 10AM-3PM CT SUN.
IN CANADA, CALL 800-668-3021 . IN MEXICO CITY, 228-781 1 .