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 Thu, Aug 13 1992 Date: Thu, 13 Aug 92 05:17:49 EDT Message-ID: 08-13 0000 DECISIONLINE: Technology USA TODAY Update Aug. 13, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network WORKSTATION PRICES ARE FALLING: The price war in personal computers is spreading to one of the most profitable parts of the computer industry: High-powered workstations. Prices for desktop workstations, which are used mostly by researchers and scientists, are tumbling almost as fast as PC prices. The average price has slipped from $23,000 in 1987 to $16,500. By 1996, average prices are expected to drop to $5,200. (For more, see special Workstation package below.) BOARD SAYS R&D UNDERFUNDED: The USA spends too little money on research and development in industrial science and technology, and what it does spend isn't used effectively, the National Science Board said Wednesday. An NSB report calls for more non-defense R&D spending as defense spending is cut. Domestic R&D spending slowed from average annual growth of 7.5% from 1980 through 1985 to 0.4% the past six years. USA TRAILS JAPAN, GERMANY: The National Science Board said Wednesday the USA trails Japan and Germany, its strongest competitors, in non-defense research and development spending as a percentage of gross domestic product. In 1989, Japan spent 3% of its GDP on non-defense R&D vs. the USA's 1.9%. JUSTICE DEPTARTMENT OKS SALE: The U.S. Justice Department told Hughes Aircraft Co. that it won't block the company's purchase of General Dynamics Corp.'s missiles division, Hughes said Wednesday. The decision clears the way for Hughes and General Dynamics to close the $450 million transaction, which will give Hughes a $2 billion presence in the domestic missiles industry. BUSINESS BASIC VERSION 5.0 OUT: Bluebird Systems said Wednesday its 5.0 version of MicroShare Business BASIC is now available. It is designed to provide a new level of compatibility with other Business BASICs, including those from MAI:Basic Four, Thoroughbred and Basis. The 5.0 version features a myriad of new system and language enhancements, Bluebird says. INFORMIX OPENS MEXICO OFFICE: Informix Software Inc. says it has opened an office in Mexico City. Informix provides information management solutions to a variety of industries in Mexico. Informix also plans to open an office in Brazil in late 1992. Infomix is headquartered in Menlo Park, Calif. WINDPOWER AGREEMENT REACHED: Idaho Power Co., Portland General Electric Co., PacifiCorp and Puget Sound Power & Light Co. have reached an agreement to work together with U.S. Windpower on the Pacific Northwest's first large-scale wind-generating project, the companies said Wednesday. The project will be located in Rattlesnake Hills, near the Tri-Cities in Benton County, Wash. Construction could begin as early as 1994. U S WEST TO SELL CISCO ROUTERS: U S West's Advanced Communications Services business unit and Cisco Systems said Wednesday they have signed an agreement which will allow U S West to market Cisco's bridge:routers to its customers. U S West will market Cisco's products in conjunction with its new data transport service offerings, which include frame relay, SMDS, transparent LAN service and private line. HDTV TO BE USED AT CONVENTION: Delegates and guests at the Republican National Convention next week in Houston will get a chance to see high-definition television in action. Using the system being developed by AT&T and Zenith Electronics Corp., major activities will be captured by a HDTV camera. The pictures will be displayed live on prototype wide-screen HDTV monitors in a viewing area in the Astrodome. MAIL CALL NORM TO BE UPDATED: The X.400 Application Program Interface Association (XAPIA) is recruiting vendors and messaging providers who are willing to work together to provide a Common Mail Call set that will replace existing standards. Common Mail Calls help move electronic mail between different platforms and environments. XAPIA member companies include AT&T, Banyan Systems and Microsoft. SPECIAL PACKAGE ON WORKSTATION: MARKET GROWTH IS SLOWING: The price of workstations is falling. One cause: slower growth in the market. This year, workstation sales will reach $10.1 billion, up 14% from 1991. That's a slowdown from 1991, when sales grew 20%. In 1989, sales grew 21%; in 1988, 38%. FIRMS DON`T BUY WORKSTATIONS: Workstation makers have failed to lure commercial customers such as banks and retail stores from personal computers and mid-range computers. International Data Corp. says only 6% of workstation users are commercial firms. That means workstation makers must battle each other for existing customers, such as engineering firms or defense contractors, which are demanding lower prices. H-P, IBM MAKING GAINS: Price cuts are helping Hewlett-Packard, which has 18% of workstation sales, and IBM, which has 8%, gain ground on industry leader Sun Microsystems, which has 39%. "If H-P or IBM sells 100 systems to one customer, they make little money but gain control of an account from Sun," says Vicki Brownof International Data Corp. PCS COMPETE WITH WORKSTATIONS: Workstation are getting competition from personal computers. Today's top of-the-line PCs are as powerful as low-end workstations. Early next year, Intel will introduce its P-5 chip, which will make a $5,000 PC almost as powerful as a $15,000 workstation. (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