FROM BYTE COMES BIX
            ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
            BYTE  is  the  worlds  leading   high-tech   microcomputer
         magazine.   Its  readers collectively posess more information
         about personal computers and related topics  than  any  other
         group  in  the  world.   BIX  is  BYTE'S brand new Electronic
         Information Exchange, a  computer  conferencing  system  that
         puts  you  in  touch  with  BYTE  readers  and other computer
         enthusiasts on a daily basis.

            YOU and BIX
            ~~~~~~~~~~~
            BIX goes far beyond electronic bulletin boards to give you
         all  the advanced features of true computerised conferencing.
         It's  the  first  major  system  dedicated  to  microcomputer
         information.  These are the features:

            *  You  can  join ongoing discussions about your favourite
         computers,  programming  languages,  operating  systems,  and
         applications  programs,  exchange  information, ask questions
         and offer opinions.

            * You can read what others have already entered, add  your
         own thoughts and download information.

            *  You  can participate when it's convenient for you, from
         home or office or while you are travelling.

            * You can also get electronic mail with BIX,  putting  you
         in  direct  private  contact  with BYTE editors and BIX users
         everywhere.

            CUSTOMISE BIX TO MEET YOUR NEEDS
            ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
            As a BIX user, you select only the conferences and  topics
         which  are  of  real  interest  to  you.   You may join a new
         conference or leave an old one at any time  you  want.   Each
         time  you  log  on to BIX, you're immediately notified of any
         electronic mail messages waiting for you, and you  see  which
         of  the conferences you've joined have had new activity since
         the last time  you  logged  on.   BIX  keeps  track  of  your
         interests.

            With   BIX   you're  an  active  participant  in  a  giant
         microcomputer information exchange.

            A DETAILED LOOK INSIDE BIX
            ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
            The BIX  software  was  developed  at  the  University  of
         Guelph,  Ontario.   It  is  both easy to use and powerful and
         brings people into focussed discussions of shared  interests.
         The  quality  of interaction is so good that the transactions
         read like  lively  face-to-face  discussions  and  yet  often
         contain  valuable technical information.  Participants can be
         on the other side of the street or on the other side  of  the
         globe,  and  have  conversations with one another even though
         they may not be on line at the same time.

            Here are just some  of  the  conference  topics  currently
         available:

            COMPUTERS:  BIX will have major areas on computers such as
         Apple,  IBM,  Hewlett  Packard,   Tandy,   Commodore,   AT&T,
         Televideo,  Atari,  DEC,  S-100  bus,  supermicros,  and many
         others.  Even if yours is a very  specialised  machine,  they
         can  set  up  a  conference so you and your fellow owners can
         exchange information.

            PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES:  The areas of programming languages
         will  include  Ada,  APL,  assembler, BASIC, C, COBOL, FORTH,
         FORTRAN, LISP, Logo, Modula-2, Pascal, Prolog, Smalltalk, and
         more.   If you want to talk about something more exotic, such
         as Nial or Occam, just ask.  If there's sufficient  interest,
         They'll quickly set up a new conference for you.

            CHIPS:   BIX  will  include conferences on semiconductors,
         including microprocessors,  coprocessors,  disk  controllers,
         graphics chips, RAMs, ROMs, EPROMs, EEPROMS, and others.

            PERIPHERALS:  Some conferences will discuss printers, disk
         drives, add-in  cards,  modems,  displays,  data  acquisition
         devices, and other peripherals.

            OPERATING  SYSTEMS:   BIX will cover MS-DOS, PC-DOS, CP/M,
         UNIX, Pick,  Apple  and  Tandy  DOSes,  and  other  operating
         systems.

            APPLICATIONS  PROGRAMS:  Conferences will be available for
         discussing word processors, database managers,  spreadsheets,
         graphics packages, statistical packages, and other programs.

            NEW TECHNOLOGY:  Leading edge topics that keep you abreast
         of the  latest  most  interesting  developments  in  computer
         related  technology  can  be  discussed  here, The conference
         topics  will  be  continually  updated  to  reflect  what  is
         happening in recearch.

            GRAPHICS:    You   will  find  conferences  on  animation,
         controller   chips,   displays,   printers,   plotters,   and
         standards.

            ARTIFICIAL  INTELLIGENCE:   Conferences in this field will
         include expert systems,  knowledge  representations,  machine
         learning, and AI languages.

            FROM BYTE:  Listings of programs described in the magazine
         will be available for downloading.  Conferences here will let
         you  interact  directly  with  BYTE  staff  members  and find
         expanded  versions  of  your  favourite  sections  of   BYTE,
         including  Event  Queue, What's New, Books Received, Software
         Received, Clubs and Newsletters, and Microbytes.

            ISSUES AND ARGUEMENTS:  Many topics  of  professional  and
         social  importance  will  be  discussed  in conferences here.
         Some of them are computers in  education,  computers  in  the
         office,    ethics   and   computing,   social   issues,   and
         telecommunications policy.

            THE BIX HARDWARE
            ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
            BIX  runs  on   a   series   of   networked   Arete   1200
         microcomputers   which   were   designed  for  I/O  intensive
         operations and run ARIX, Atete's version of UNIX system V.

            Phase one of BIX started in Boston and used an Arete  1200
         to support 88 simultaneous users.  The performance goal is to
         have any BIX member's communication  (conference  comment  or
         private mail message) available to appropriate parties within
         a few seconds.

            Phase  two  linked  three  Arete  1200s  to  support   250
         simultaneous  users.   Each machine maintains fully redundant
         database  copies.   Updates  are  broadcast  to   all   three
         machines.   A  process  running  on  each  will carry out the
         updates.

            Phase three is where things get  really  interesting.   In
         this  phase  the network will become transparent.  Arete will
         provide an operating system  interface  that  allows  BIX  to
         access  files  on  any machine in the network as if the files
         were in one system.  If Arete succeeds in networking 12 to 15
         machines  in  a  way  that  provides  access  to files on any
         machine within a few seconds, the time-sharing scene will  be
         altered  forever, and BYTE will have succeded in building BIX
         while remaining true to its microcomputer heritage.

            Phase four will build the system above  1000  simultaneous
         users !

            WHAT BIX COSTS ....  HOW YOU PAY
            ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
            One  time  registration  fee.   BYTE  subscriber  $25
                                              Non subscribers $39

               BIX Hourly Usage Fees            (Boston Local Time)

                    OFF PEAK TIMES                  PEAK TIMES
            (6pm - 7am + weekends & hols)      (7am - 6pm weekdays)

                           $9                           $12

            Payment:

            BIX  is available either by direct PSTN call to the USA or
         via PSS using the TYMNET service.  BIX and any TYMNET  charge
         are  billed  through  either  a VISA or MasterCard.  No cash,
         checks or money orders are accepted.

            LOG ON INSTRUCTIONS and REGISTRATION INFORMATION
            ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
            Before   You  Call  BIX:   Have  your  credit  card  handy
         (VISA/MasterCard) before you log on.  You will not be  billed
         for  the  time  you spend on line registering for BIX.  If at
         any time  during  the  on-line  process  you  decide  not  to
         register for BIX, just hang up.

            HOW TO LOG ON TO BIX:
            ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
            Using public switched telephone network (PSTN):

            Set  your  computer's  telecommunications program for full
         duplex using 8-bit words, no parity, and 1 stop bit, OR 7-bit
         words,  even  parity, and 1 stop bit.  You may use either 300
         or 1200 baud.

The BYTEnet numbers are as follows:
                                   Boston:         (617) 861-9797
                                   Chicago:        (312) 642-6365
                                   Los Angeles:    (213) 489-4629
                                   San Francisco:  (415) 982-2151

            At the first prompt, type  "bix"  and  a  carriage  return
         (CR).  You're now on-line with BIX.

            Using packet-switched network (PSS):

            BIX   is   on   the   TYMNET  PSS  TYMNET's  Data  Network
         Identification Code (DNIC)  is  3106  The  BIX  network  user
         address (NUA) on TYMNET is 00157878

         To  call BIX via PSS therefore, you enter the following NUA:

                 UK PSS  -        A9310600157878
                 EIRPAC  -         0310600157878

          The following banner will appear:

         LDS   LEXINGTON DATA SERVICES ON LINE

         BIX login:

 You type "bix" at the login prompt and the following  banner appears:

         = =  BYTE COSY 3.1.2.  ==         ; followed by the BIX logo.

            REGISTRATION:
            ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
            Once on BIX, you will be asked to enter your name.  Since
         this will be the your first time on the system, enter "new"
         and a carriage return.  This will take you to a special
         section where you enter the information they need to register
         you as a BIX user.  Follow the on-line prompts and supply the
         information requested.  BIX lets you re-enter data if you
         make a mistake.

            When  you've  completed   your   registration   BIX   will
         automatically  take you to a special "Learn" conference where
         you'll get a  quick  tutorial  on  how  to  use  the  system.
         (Typing "help" or "?" at any prompt while you are on BIX will
         give you an immediate review of available commands.)

            If you have  trouble  logging  on  to  BIX  call  the  BIX
         Customer  Service  Line on 1-800-227-2983 8:30 - 4:30 eastern
         time weekdays.

            Information source credits:
            BIX information brochure, BYTE magazine and BIX itself !