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, May 14 1992 Date: Thu, 14 May 92 05:42:12 EDT Message-ID: 05-14 0000 DECISIONLINE: Technology USA TODAY Update May 14, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network IBM PUTS PRESSURE ON MICROSOFT: After five years of miserable failure, IBM has finally started to catch up with archrival Microsoft. The software giants are battling over the latest PC operating systems, software programs that control PCs. The newest versions - IBM's OS:2 and Microsoft's Windows 3.1 - are similar in that they use on-screen symbols rather than typewritten commands to run PCs. (For more, see special IBM package below.) SATELLITE IS RESCUED: Three astronauts teamed up to grab an elusive communications satellite Wednesday in a historic rescue 225 miles above Earth. It was the first time three astronauts walked in space at the same time. With Comsat-6 wobbling just six feet above the bay of space shuttle Endeavour, the spacewalkers waited until each could grasp struts on the underside of the satellite before pulling it in. COMMITTEE PASSES DEFENSE BUDGET: The House Armed Services Committee approved, 47-8, a $274 billion military budget Wednesday. The measure would allow production of all 20 B-2 stealth bombers President Bush wants, but under a strict $44 billion cost limit. It would also cut Bush's $5.4 billion request for Strategic Defense Initiative anti-missile research to $4.3 billion, deleting most money for space weapons. INTEL CUTTING PRICE OF CHIP: Intel is cutting the list price of its 486SX microprocessor chip in half in the third quarter. Intel says the new price will help reposition the 486SX as the entry-level chip of choice in the market. Bought in quantities of 1,000, the 486SX will sell for $119, down 58% from the current $282 price. Intel says its next generation chip, the 586 will be introduced late this year. EPSON CUTS PRICES ON PCS: Epson America said Wednesday it cut the price of its desktop and notebook personal computers by an average reduction 28%. Epson's family of desktops includes the following Equity models: 286 PLUS, 386SX PLUS, 386SX:16 PLUS, 320sx PLUS, 386SX:20 PLUS, 386:33 PLUS and 486SX:25 PLUS. Notebooks include the NB-SL:20 and NB:SL-25. COMPUTER DELAY COSTS JOBS: Eight employees at American Airlines parent AMR have lost their jobs after the surprise discovery of problems on a $125 million project to develop a computer reservations system for hoteland car rental industries. Work on the CONFIRM system jointly owned by an AMR subsidiary, Marriott, Hilton Hotels and Budget Rent A Car was due to be ready by June 30. Problems will cause an 18-month delay. PHOENIX TO BUY SYNTREX: Syntrex Incorporated said Wednesday Phoenix Technologies Inc. will acquire all of the assets and rights to the Syntrex business. The transaction is scheduled to close at the end of May 1992. Syntrex has been operating under Chapter 11 since June 28, 1991. Syntrex is a network systems integrator. Phoenix provides support for networks of on-line transaction processing. CHICAGO ONLINE AVAILABLE: Chicago Online, a joint venture between America Online Inc. and Tribune Company, is now available to personal computer owners. This first local edition of the America Online interactive information and entertainment service will feature Chicago-area news, sports, and information about local entertainment and activities as well as classified advertising from the Chicago Tribune. VOICE PROCESSOR FITS IN EAR: Macintosh developers who use voice processing as part of their applications now have a new way to capture voice commands. Norris Communications' Ear Phone fits in a user's ear. It transmits and receives voice input without an exterior microphone by relying on proprietary bone-conductive technology developed and patented by Norris Communications. Available in June, it will cost under $150. SPECIAL PACKAGE ON IBM: IBM OFF TO STRONG START: The battle between IBM's OS:2 and Microsoft's Windows 3.1 is closer than expected. Customers bought 1 million copies of Windows 3.1 last month, a record. Microsoft has sold 2 million copies of Windows the past 6 weeks. Wednesday, IBM's top PC executives told analysts and reporters in New York that the computer giant sold 200,000 copies of OS:2 2.0 last month. IBM HAVING SUPPLY PROBLEM: For the year, analysts expect Microsoft to sell 12 million copies of Windows. IBM hopes to sell 2 million to 4 million copies of OS:2. IBM says it's still having trouble supplying OS:2. Many software retailers still don't stock it. The Egghead Software store at 420 Lexington Ave. in New York got six copies last week. They were gone in an hour. The first big shipment is due Friday. OS:2 SALES IMPRESS ANALYSTS: Micrsoft says the supply problem could hinder IBM's sales. "If they've sold 200,000 copies, you should be able to find a copy in a computer store," says Steve Ballmer, a Microsoft senior vice president. Still, some analysts are impressed with OS:2's early success. "OS:2 will have a tremendous impact on corporate computing," says Tim Bajarin at Creative Strategies International. (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. 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