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 Tue, Apr 28 1992 Date: Tue, 28 Apr 92 05:41:28 EDT Message-ID: 04-28 0000 DECISIONLINE: Technology USA TODAY Update April 28, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network EDUCATIONAL SOFTWARE IMPROVING: New educational computer programs are blossoming with color and graphics, singing, talking and reading to children - and perhaps most important, leading them to think and to create. Today's programs are "a reasoning, interactive framework for teaching important subjects," says Marion Blank, author of The Parent's Guide to Educational Software (Microsoft Press, 1991, $14.95). (For more, see special Education package below.) COMPAQ'S REVENUE PLUNGES: Compaq Computer took a severe hit in the personal-computer price war Monday. The USA's third-largest PC maker said first-quarter net income crashed 60% to $45 million from $114 million in 1991's first quarter. Worse, revenue dropped 19% to $783 million. Compaq CEO Eckhard Pfeiffer, who succeeded Compaq co-founder Rod Canion last year, sees U.S. PC shipments growing only 5% and 7% this year. TALK OF RECOVERY IS QUIETED: Compaq's poor results in the first quarter dampened any talk of a recovery in personal computer sales this year. Despite showing double-digit first-quarter growth in PC sales, IBM isn't making much money in PCs and is reportedly negotiating to buy cash-strapped Northgate Computer, a maker of low-cost PC clones. IBM FACES CHALLENGES: IBM Chairman John Akers told shareholders Monday that the computer giant's turnaround is on track after a disastrous financial performance last year. But Akers said the company faces tremendous challenges: "Our success rests on our ability to change the attitudes so deeply embedded over the years in our company," he said at the company's annual stockholders meeting. AIRPLANES GETTING VIDEO SCREENS: High-tech video screens are being installed on some airplanes. Passengers press buttons on the armrest or video screen to choose movies and other programs from various channels. Interactive features let passengers order drinks and food, make hotel and rental-car reservations, or get flight information. One of the makers, BE Avionics, sees a potential $300 million a year market. GM SUBSIDIARIES DO WELL: General Motor's non-automotive subsidiaries reported stronger first quarter earnings Monday, which analysts say bodes well for GM's overall results out Tuesday. GM Hughes Electronics earnings jumped 20% to $181 million. Electronic Data Systems, GM's computer services unit, said earnings rose 25% to $133 million from a year earlier. DEC TO PAY FOR RESTRUCTURING: Struggling computer maker Digital Equipment Corp. says it expects to take a charge against earnings this quarter of up to $1 billion to pay for a restructuring that will include thousands of job cuts. Since 1989, DEC has cut or announced plans to cut 20,000 jobs. Though published reports have said 10,000 more jobs will be cut this year, DEC says a firm number hasn't been decided on. BORLAND TO TAKE ANOTHER CHARGE: Software maker Borland International said after the stock market closed Monday that it is taking a $30 million charge against earnings to cover costs related to the takeover of Ashton-Tate. That brings total charges related to the Tate takeover to $146 million and created a loss of $26.9 million, or $1.05 a share, for Borland in its fourth quarter. Borland fell 3 1:4 to $45 1:2. SYNERNETICS ADDS ROUTERS: Synernetics Inc.'s new family of high performance bridge:routers, called Interplex 800, are designed to connect to local and wide area networks. The Interplex 800 bridge:routers are available as two standalone units, supporting either four or eight media adapter modules. A configuration that supports one FDDI network and two Ethernet networks costs $17,950. LANIER INTRODUCES FAX SERVER: Atlanta-based Lanier Worldwide Inc. has introduced the Lanier LINK facsimile network servers that allow users to transmit documents from their computer with a single keystroke. Up to 10,000 facsimile numbers can be stored and transmissions can be delayed to help reduce long-distance phone charges. The Lanier LINK is compatible with almost any computer system. SPECIAL PACKAGE ON EDUCATION: TWO-YEAR-OLDS CAN USE COMPUTERS: Parents and teachers say that even children under 2 years old have a natural attraction to computers, and an almost instinctive grasp of the basics. "We have some very young computer experts here now," says Kandie Demarest, whose Dolphin Day Care, a small family center in Hayward, Calif., offers computer time to the kids. Demarest started one child on the computer at 18 months. COMPUTERS ARE SEEN AS PLAY: For preschoolers, computers are pure playtime. But parents realize that they're also helping ensure their children will feel at ease with technology as they grow. "By junior or senior high, they should be computer-literate or they'll be increasingly uncomfortable with activities in later life," says Marion Blank, author of The Parent's Guide to Educational Software. EDUCATIONAL SOFTWARE SALES UP: This year, more than 1 every 4 U.S. households will own a computer, according to industry figures. The number of home computers sold in the U.S. increased more than 16% last year, to an estimated 6.4 million. Educational software sales, in the midst of recession, rose a robust 25.6% in 1991, to about $216 million, according to figures from the Software Publishers Association. (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