Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!usa-post Newsgroups: usa-today.tech From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: tech Mon, Jun 29 1992 Date: Mon, 29 Jun 92 05:27:36 EDT Message-ID: 06-29 0000 DECISIONLINE: Technology USA TODAY Update June 29, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network DELL TO CUT PC PRICES: Dell Computer Monday will cut prices on its personal computers by up to 20% and launch a low-cost line of fully equipped PCs priced from $1,259. Analysts say the low-price war that started last year when Compaq cut prices could bring PC prices below $1,000 by year end. Dell's new line of PCs uses Intel's 386 and 486 microprocessors. PARTNERS LEAVE AMR SYSTEM: AMR's attempt to develop a computer reservation system for the hotel and car rental industries is near collapse after two major players pulled out last week. Budget Rent a Car and Hilton Hotels - two of AMR's three partners - last week dropped out of the four year effort by American Airline's parent. The third, Marriott Hotels, is considered likely to withdraw. (For more, see special AMR package below.) NEW PRODUCTION LINE TO OPEN: A state-of-the-art production line opens Tuesday at Chrysler's Bramalea factory in Brampton, Ontario. The production line will employee extensive robotics technology to produce the first LH sedans. Bramalea's 201 robots do dirty, dangerous and difficult tasks, such as welding and painting, that used to take dozens of workers - at some risk of injury. WORKERS INVENT SYSTEM: Workers at Chrysler's Bramalea factory have invented a system to monitor electrical systems on the LH sedan as each part is installed along the assembly line. Two ultrasonic sensors move along the assembly line with the car, which passes through six testing sites while being built. If the sensors detect any electrical problem, it is flashed on a test-site computer screen. COMPAQ TO UNVEIL NEW DIVISION: Compaq will unveil a new division Monday to sell its first line of printers. Compaq has not revealed an introduction date for the printers, which feature laser printer technology. David Black, who developed Compaq's desktop and portable PC operations, will be vice president and general manager of the new division, reports Bloomberg Business News. IBM, MICROSOFT CALL TRUCE: IBM and Microsoft will stop feuding over their computer operating systems and will share patents in an effort to avoid lawsuits and allow software to run on both their systems, the firms said Sunday. Computer software manufacturer Microsoft will make a one-time payment of $10 million and $20 million to computer maker IBM. UMI TO TRANSFER MAGAZINES: Information publisher UMI, a subsidiary of Bell & Howell Co., announced Friday a $50 million investment program to put more than 4,000 business and general-interest magazine titles onto electronic formats. The information databases will be used by academic, public, and corporate libraries worldwide to offer users rapid access to full article images, UMI said. SONY, AMD TO TEAM UP: Japan's Sony Corp. and Advanced Micro Devices will join together to develop next generation computer chips, the Nihon Keizai newspaper reports. Bloomberg Business News says the paper reports Sony and AMD will work on chips including a 0.5-micron wide complementary metal-oxide semiconductor. SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS TO BE ADDED: Hewlett-Packard recently announced that its Release 23 of MPE V will contain six of the eight system improvements requested by the INTEREX System Improvement Committee following its 1991 survey. The survey prioritized the system enhancements requested by H-P computer users running H-P's MPE V platform. SPECIAL PACKAGE ON AMR: REIMBURSEMENTS POSSIBLE: AMR is considering reimbursing Hilton and Budget Rent a Car, which were partners in development of the CONFIRM reservation system until dropping out last week, says spokeswoman Karen Cook. They each have invested $125 million in the system since work started on it in 1988. Although AMR is still working on the system it far behind schedule. DELAY HURT PARTNERSHIP: The CONFIRM partnership began unraveling after AMR announced in April that the reservation system, which was to be operational by June 30, had technical problems that would take 18 months to fix. AMR has said even its top people were surprised. Eight managers lost their jobs after an internal audit showed information about the project's true status had been suppressed. AMR NOT GIVING UP: AMR spokeswoman Karen Cook says the company still has 400 people assigned to the project and remains committed to it. But the delays threaten to kill the market for the system. Hotel chains - such as Hilton and Marriott - are improving their own systems. "Our view is it's in our best interest to put our best efforts into developing the Hilton system," says Hilton spokesman Neil Cohen. (End of package.) Technology Editor: Jason Smith. (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