Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.ibd From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: Executive Update Date: Fri, 13 Nov 92 13:07:19 EST Message-ID: <6.1992Nov13.130720@AmeriCast.com> 11/13/92 TITLE Executive Update What A Difference A Year Can Make - Witness Expected Comdex Stars Sean Silverthorne In Mountain View, Calif. In Las Vegas next week#m#cq#m#, users and buyers of technology will consider some big-time bets on the future of computing. Some 130,000 people - including many of the most influential technology buyers in the world - are expected to attend this year's Comdex trade show, the single biggest show-and-tell event in the industry. But if the truth be told, recent Comdex conven- tions have been rather pallid affairs. They reflected the industry's attempts to squeeze every last bit of juice out of In- tel Corp.'s five-year-old 80386 microprocessor and Microsoft Com- puters & Automation Corp.'s 10-year-old MS-DOS operating system. The advances demon- strated at Comdex for the most part were evolutionary, not revo- lutionary. This year promises to be different because those fundamental underpinnings of the PC industry - the microprocessor, the brains of a computer, and the operating system, the software that con- trols the basic functions of the machine - are moving into new generations. The i486 microprocessor is quickly replacing the 386 as the industry standard, and Intel's 586- class chip, called Pentium, lurks around the corner. More computing horsepower means more sophisticated software applications and the ability to han- dle different types of information such as video and sound. On the software front, Microsoft and International Business Machines Corp. are duking it out with new operating systems that process data in 32-bit chunks instead of the 16 bits that previous sys- tems could handle. Here's a look at what this year's Comdex holds in store: Microsoft, Microsoft, Microsoft. The most-spoken name at the proceedings will be that of the Redmond, Wash., software maker. Microsoft will debut its first home-grown database program, called Access. Also of interest will be a new version of FoxBase, a popular database program it acquired earlier this year. But that's the small stuff. Chairman Bill Gates will take every op- portunity to plug Windows NT, an advanced operating system for new high-power PCs. Although Microsoft has a runaway hit in its Windows program, Windows is just a new face on the decade-old DOS operating system. NT, to ship next spring, is a 32-bit operating system built from the ground up. Almost as important for the company will be acceptance of Workgroups for Windows, just- released networking software for collaborative computing. Tech- nology buyers will want to see if the program increases the pro- ductivity of people working together on projects. Chip change. For the last three years, most computer users have been choosing the 386 microprocessor. This Comdex will signal the arrival of Intel's 486 chip as the mainstream choice. Several computer com- panies, including Dell Computer Corp., now sell more 486 comput- ers than 386 models. The Pentium. Intel, based in Santa Clara, Calif., will demon- strate its next-generation microprocessor, the Pentium. The chip is the successor to the 486, offering twice the performance of its predecessor, according to the company. Pentium is slated for a first-quarter release. Subnotebooks. Three years ago, the introduction of notebook computers stole the show. This year's event will showcase a hybrid called the sub- notebook. Whereas traditional notebooks weigh between five and seven pounds, subnotebook machines are under four. Lacking some amenities of regular notebook models, these versions are better travelers. Announcements are expected from Zenith Data Systems Corp. and other vendors, while Dell, Gateway 2000 Inc., Zeos Inc., NCR Corp. and Apple Computer Inc. will show off existing models. Expandable portables. Many portables have one serious drawback: they are not very expandable. There is little room for the expan- sion cards used to increase the capabilities of desktop PCs. That's why computer manufacturers this year will unleash a bar- rage of machines with expansion slots called PCMCIA, after the Personal Computer Memory Card International Association, a standard-setting group. New PCMCIA cards are coming that not only will boost memory but also imbue notebooks with wireless communications capabilities and networking smarts. Pen computers. Companies including IBM, Grid Systems Inc. and start-up Pi Systems Inc. will be evangelizing new pen computers. The products are tailored to specific uses like field sales auto- mation, poll taking and nursing. Other new products. Comdex will be an important show for a number of old names trying to get a foothold with new products. Adobe Systems Inc., the Mountain View, Calif., maker of printing software, will demonstrate a program called Carousel, which al- lows electronic documents to be read and edited on any type of computer, regardless of maker. Borland International Inc. of Scotts Valley, Calif., will talk up its recently released Quattro Pro for Windows spreadsheet and its upcoming database, Paradox for Windows. IBM will try to sustain interest in OS/2, the biggest challenger to Microsoft's operating system dominance with Windows and Windows NT. Also on tap in Las Vegas will be lighter, less expensive color notebooks, a major push in multimedia software and hardware, desktop videoconferenc- ing applications and color printers. Networking will have more prominence than in past shows. This article is copyright 1992 Investors Business Daily. Redis- tribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM