Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!americast.com!usa-post Newsgroups: usa-today.tech From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: tech Thu, Apr 2 1992 Date: Thu, 2 Apr 92 05:44:59 EST Message-ID: 04-02 0000 DECISIONLINE: Technology USA TODAY Update April 2, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network IBM CUTS PRICES: IBM took the next step in the personal computer price war Wednesday. It has reduced prices from 20% to 31% on its 35SX and 40SX models. For example, the suggested retail price of IBM's 40SX-045 model was reduced to $1,965 from $2,845. Actual selling prices should be even lower. NASA BUDGET BILL HAS TWO TIERS: The House oversight committee set up a two-tiered budget bill to cover NASA Wednesday. The first tier includes top-priority projects that will be funded if the Appropriations Committee simply signs off on the Bush administration's $15 billion request for NASA in the 1993 budget. The second tier consists of projects the oversight committee would like to see funded if the NASA budget is larger. (For more, see special NASA package below.) CABLETRON FINDING SUCCESS: Cabletron Systems' revenue was up 60% in fiscal 1992. Its intelligent hubs, a networking product, went up 58%. First Boston analyst Paul Johnson says revenue form the hubs will continue to rise, as much as 30% for the next couple of years. Cabletron has about 35% of the intelligent hub market, up from 10% in 1989, and could grab 45% by 1995, Johnson says. DATA GENERAL TO CUT 1,000 JOBS: Data General seems to be in trouble again. The computer firm said Wednesday it is cutting 1,000 of its 8,100 workers. Data General was forced to layoff thousands of workers in the mid-1980s. Despite the success of its open systems, Data General says it may post an operating loss for the quarter ended March 28 even without including a $46 million charge for the layoffs. VERMONT UNVEILS DISK DRIVE: Vermont Research Corp. has developed what it says is the fastest and lowest cost solid state disk drive for RS:6000 series computers. The K2 Series 1000 provides input:output (I:O) rates in excess of 600 I:Os per second. That is 20 times faster than the fastest mechanical disk drive available from IBM or any replacement disk manufacturer, the firm says. Prices start at $11,940. ZEOS TO USE CYRIX PROCESSOR: ZEOS International, Ltd. Wednesday introduced the ZEOS 486SLC-25 desktop personal computer. It is based on the new Cyrix Cx486SLC Microprocessor. The ZEOS 486SLC-25 is available in a wide variety of standard as well as custom configurations. The new system is scheduled to begin shipping in late April. HUGHES GAINS NAVY DEAL: A unit of Hughes Aircraft Co. has been selected by the U.S. Navy to provide up to 4,300 workstations on a contract that could be worth $175 million over 4 years, the firm said Wednesday. Partners with Hughes on the program are BTG Inc. and Hewlett Packard. The workstations will be used on combat ships, submarines and land-based laboratories and for electronic intelligence requirements. PHILIPS, MOTOROLA MAKE DEAL: Philips Electronics N.V., of the Netherlands and Motorola Inc. of the USA have announced a cross-licensing agreement which includes patents for digital cellular radio communication systems. The agreement covers several standards, in particular European GSM (Group Special Mobile), PCN (Personal Communication Network) and US-TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access) presently knows as IS-54. BOARD TO ADD NEW FORUM: New York Personal Computer Users Group said it will add a IBM OS:2 Version 2.0 forum for end-user information exchange to its electronic bulletin board. Users may contact the NYPC bulletin board at 212-679-NYPC. The NYPC is the fourth largest computer users group in the nation with 60 special interest groups. The NYPC information line is 212-533-NYPC. SPECIAL PACKAGE ON NASA: APPROPRIATIONS YET TO BE SET: Lawmakers presented their own version of the 1993 NASA budget Wednesday, splitting the package into two sections: Programs for which they have money, and those for which they would like to have money. The House subcommittee on space has spelled out guidelines for how NASA will spend its money. But the Appropriations Committee has yet to determined how much money the space agency will get. SPACE STATION A TOP PRIORITY: The House oversight committee decided that the Space Station Freedom should be considered one of NASA's top-priority projects. It would put $2.25 billion of the 1993 NASA to keep development of the project on track. Also among the top priority projects: The National Aerospace Plane; an advanced X-ray astrophysics lab; and development of the Cassini probe to explore Saturn. ADVANCED MOTOR ON SECOND TIER: The Advanced Solid Rocket Motor was among the projects that were given a lower priority by the oversight committee. It is being developed as a new engine for the space shuttle. Also rating only a second-tier slot in the budget bill was funding for continued development of the Earth Observing System, a network of satellites that would help scientists study the planet's environment. TIERS SEEN AS POLITICAL STUNT: By moving some popular items into the bill's lower tier, the subcommittee is gambling that Appropriations Committee members who support the projects will be more likely to divert money from other domestic programs to boost NASA funding. "People may accuse us of being shrewd and cunning and resourceful," said Rep. Jim Bacchus, D-Fla., a member of the subcommittee. "But that's OK." (End of package.) Technology Editor: Ed Kelleher. (1-919-855-3491) Making copies of USA TODAY Update (Copyright, 1992) for further distribution violates federal law. This article is copyright 1992 Gannett News Service. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM