Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!tamsun.tamu.edu!mtecv2!americast.com!americast.com!usa-post From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Newsgroups: usa-today.tech,americast.usa-today.tech Subject: tech Tue, Sep 1 1992 Message-ID: Date: 1 Sep 92 08:40:11 GMT Organization: American Cybercasting Lines: 113 Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com 09-01 0000 DECISIONLINE: Technology USA TODAY Update Sept. 1, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network COMPAQ MAKES DESKTOP PRINTER: Compaq Computer entered the desktop printer market Monday with two network laser printers it claims are faster, higher in quality and cheaper than the competition. The Pagemarq 20, touted by Compaq as "the world's fastest all-around desktop printer," lists for $5,499. The Pagemarq 15 is priced at $3,999. (For more, see special Pagemarq package below.) TOSHIBA TO UNVEIL NOTEBOOKS: Toshiba America Information Systems Inc.'s computer unit will unveil a series of affordable notebook computers Tuesday, Bloomberg Business News has learned. Called the Satellite Series, the trio of six- to seven-pound computers based on Intel Corp.'s 80386 processor are priced at $1,799 to $3,299. Toshiba's $1,799 T1800 model features a 60-megabyte hard drive and two megabytes of RAM. INTEROPERABILITY STANDARDS SET: OMNIPoint 1, an organized set of standards, specifications and technologies for achieving open management interoperability, has been completed. It was created through a partnership of 16 major organizations representing users, suppliers and standards-makers from North America, Europe and Asia. The standards will be widely available in October. ACQUISITION IS COMPLETED: A group led by Loral Corp. said Monday it has completed its takeover of LTV's missile and aircraft unit. A $475 million bid by Loral, Carlyle Group and Northrop beat a $440 million bid from Martin Marietta. Loral will control the missile unit while Carlyle and Northrop will split ownership of the aircraft division. MAIL TIPS ARE ON COMPUTER DISK: Businesses can save money on large mailings with tips from the U.S. Postal Service. The USPS is offering a free IBM-compatible computer disk called "The USPS Mail Flow Planning System." To get a disk, call 1-800-238-3150. The USPS Mail Flow Planning System discs will be formally introduced in Washington, D.C. at the National Postal Forum Aug. 30 through Sept. 2. IBM BUYS STAKE IN SOFTWARE FIRM: IBM said Monday it will purchase a stake in Synon Corp., which makes software used to design programs that run on IBM minicomputers. IBM said its ownership in the firm would be less than 10% of its stock. Since 1989, IBM has been selling several of Synon's products, which are used to develop applications software for the computer maker's AS-400 minicomputer line. HAYES, ZENITH SETTLE SUIT: Hayes Microcomputer Products Inc. and Zenith Data Systems Corporation Monday announced they have settled out of court the patent infringement suit involving the Hayes 302 Escape Sequence patent. Zenith said for future sales it would use only modem products which use the patented Hayes escape sequence technology. SILICON TO OFFER GAY BENEFITS: Silicon Graphics Inc. said Monday it will extend employee benefits to same-sex partners in the United States. The workstation manufacturer joins a small group of companies, including Lotus, to offer benefits to gay partners. Gay employees and their partners will have to sign an affidavit documenting that they are "spousal equivalents." CABLE SATELLITE IS LAUNCHED: A cable television satellite that will beam programming to all 50 states was hurled into orbit Monday by a commercial Delta rocket. The 12-story booster rose off its launch pad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 6:41 a.m. ET. The payload - a satellite owned by GE Americom Inc. - was flown into an egg-shaped orbit that ranges from 1,100 miles to 22,221 miles above Earth. SPECIAL PACKAGE ON PAGEMARQ: PAGEMARQ IS LESS EXPENSIVE: Compaq President Eckhard Pfeiffer says the new Pagemarq 20 desktop printer has twice the performance of the popular Hewlett-Packard IIISi printer, but lists for about $1,100 less. He also says the even less expensive Pagemarq 15 provides high performance at a lower price than comparable products from any competitor. COMPAQ MAKES CLONES: Houston-based Compaq is a leading maker of IBM PC clones - machines that use the same software as IBM's personal computers. Compaq is expected to use the printers to go after customers of rivals Hewlett-Packard and QMS. "We're entering one of the fastest growing segments of the printer industry - the network printer market," Pfeiffer says. DEAL IS SIGNED WITH XEROX: Also Monday, Compaq announced a strategic partnership with Xerox International Partners, a joint venture between Xerox Corp. and Fuji-Xerox Ltd. Fuji-Xerox is designing and manufacturing motors for Compaq's printers and will handle final assembly. Compaq also said it licensed Palo Alto, Calif.-based Adobe Systems to produce software for the printers. (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