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 Tue, Jun 16 1992 Date: Tue, 16 Jun 92 05:20:20 EDT Message-ID: 06-16 0000 DECISIONLINE: Technology USA TODAY Update June 16, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network MD-12 IS GROUNDED: Defense contractor and commercial-jet builder McDonnell Douglas' attempts to launch a new kind of passenger jet just can't seem to get off the ground. With new orders for the jumbo MD-12 sagging, the company says it will delay the program, though it still harbors hopes for the jet. "We'll be ready to launch (the program) when customers are ready to buy," says spokesman John Thom. (For more, see special MD-12 package below.) HYUNDAI CUTS PRICES: Hyundai slashed prices Monday on its entire line of personal computers up to 40%. For example, the price on Hyundai's 386SX desktop PC was cut 34% to $1,539. Hyundai's cuts follow Compaq Computer's entry into the low-cost computer market. Monday, Compaq unveiled 16 new personal computers, including its first low-cost desktop and notebook PCs. ORACLE INTRODUCES SERVER: Oracle Corporation introduced a technology Monday called a cooperative-server database. the ORACLE7 provides automatic access to all the data on all computers in the network. Automatic data access means that all the data on all the servers is queried and updated in exactly the same way and with the same ease as if all the data were stored on a single server. PROCESSING RECORD BROKEN: Sequent Computer Systems Inc. and Oracle Corp. Monday announced a new performance level of 605.27 transactions per second (tpsA) using the Transaction Processing Performance Council Benchmark A standard, simulating 6,050 users. It was set using a Sequent Symmetry 2000:750 as the server running the ORACLE7 relational database management system. The previous record was 214 tpsA. EMULEX TO DISCONTINUE LINE: Emulex Corp., a supplier of computer networking and data storage management products, Monday said it is discontinuing its line of storage products for Digital Equipment Corp. computer systems. Emulex says it is engaged in discussions with several firms concerning a potential sale of the product line. In the interim, Emulex says it will provide support to its customer base. LOTUS INTRODUCES SMARTHELP: Lotus Development Corp. Monday introduced Multimedia SmartHelp for 1-2-3 for Windows. It is designed to let users easily combine text, sound and animation. "This product is the first tangible example of how multimedia technology should be incorporated into a real business application to add tremendous value," said Lotus' Rob Lippincott. Available now, the retail price is $595. MCI CUTS MESSAGE PRICING: MCI International has announced a new pricing structure for MCI Mail. Under the pricing structure, effective July 1, there will be a base charge of 50 cents per minute, plus an incremental charge for blocks of more than 1,000 characters. On average, message charges will be cut by 8%, MCI says. E-MAIL MARKET IS `EXPLODING': The market for equipment, software and services for electronic mail and voice mail is "exploding," says a new report from Frost & Sullivan. The combined revenues of E-mail and V-mail will jump from $2.9 billion in 1991 to $10.8 billion in 1996, the report says. GTE UNVEILS SMDS PLAN: GTE Telephone Operations has become the first carrier to detail its Switched Multimegabit Data Service (SMDS) deployment and pricing plan. GTE will offer SMDS in the Los Angeles area beginning in October and in additional cities next year. GTE will charge a $700 flat monthly rate on $700 and a one-time installation fee of $1,000. SPECIAL PACKAGE ON MD-12: AIRLINES NOT READY TO BUY: With airlines finding themselves in a pinch, it might be a while before the climate is right for McDonnell Douglas to launch its program to build a jumbo passenger jet, the MD-12. "The airlines are bleeding rather profusely," says Paul Nisbet, analyst at Prudential Securities. Nisbet doesn't expect the MD-12 program to begin until at least the middle of next year. STAFF REDUCTIONS ARE POSSIBLE: McDonnell Douglas spokesman John Thom says the company is reviewing costs and considering staff reductions in the commercial-aircraft division. Peter Aseritis, analyst at First Boston, says he thinks McDonnell might be better off getting out of the commercial aircraft business to focus on its defense business. But even those operations have had setbacks. FIGHTER PROJECT SUFFERS SETBACK: The Wall Street Journal reported Monday that the Pentagon broke congressional rules in approving development of F:A-18 fighter jets. The disclosure is bound to slow a program worth nearly $50 billion to McDonnell over 20 years. Meanwhile, McDonnell had 35 commercial jet cancellations last year and the first quarter of this year, Aseritis says. (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