IBM WORKER DENIES LEAKING REPORT OF NEW PC

       (April 12) In Boca Raton, Fla., a lab specialist with  IBM  says  it
    was  her estranged husband, not she, who divulged secrets about the new
    Project Polaris for an advanced IBM PC, and she wants her job back.

       Her husband has admitted to the Boca Raton News that he  leaked  the
    report  to  PC  Week  magazine,  but denies her allegation that he also
    called IBM security to report that  she  had  leaked  the  information,
    which  led  to her dismissal.  The IBM employee, Anne D.  Cascella, was
    fired after seven years with IBM following  PC  Week's  publication  of
    items about Project Polaris in its March 4 and March 11 issues.

       Editors  there told the Associated Press they received two telephone
    calls from a man who called himself only Polaris and claimed  to  be  a
    disgruntled  IBM  employee  in  Boca Raton.  The editors said they used
    other sources to confirm enough details to verify his reports.

       Cascella's estranged husband, Tony Cascella, now says  he  was  that
    source,  and  that, according to AP, "he gleaned the information he fed
    the  magazine  from  conversations  with  customers   at   a   computer
    accessories  shop he had owned until recently and from conversations he
    overheard at Boca Raton bars.  He said he  didn't  know  his  wife  was
    working on the project."

       He  said he leaked the information because he was angry that IBM had
    refused to sell  him  a  computer  dealership,  and,  "Without  an  IBM
    dealership,  a  computer  store  is  nothing.  I took it to heart." His
    store closed last month.  IBM isn't discussing Mrs.   Cascella's  case,
    but  AP  says she was interviewed last week by an IBM investigator from
    New York as part of the  company's  "Open  Door"  policy  which  allows
    ex-employees to appeal to the company's highest levels.

       --Charles Bowen
^
       INMOS GETS BOOST FROM U.S.  COMPANY

       (April  12)  LONDON  --  Inmos, a British microchip company owned by
    Thorn EMI, is getting a "turbo charge" from U.S.   supercomputer  maker
    Floating  Point  Systems.   The  U.S.   company  will  be using Inmos's
    Transputer chip at the core of its latest machine.

       The Transputer is the possible basis of British development in fifth
    generation   computing.   The  chip  incorporates  a  CPU,  memory  and
    communication capabilities all on one  piece  of  silicon.   Transputer
    chips  can  be  linked  together  to  create a true parallel processing
    environment.

       This announcement comes as a  welcome  boost  for  Inmos,  which  is
    expected  to  lose  more  than  $30 million in its financial year which
    ended last week.

       Floating Point's T Series  of  supercomputers  uses  the  transputer
    chips in their parallel architecture.

       Although  the  transputer  is  being  used  in a number of the EEC's
    Esprit projects and private research, this is the first  time  a  major
    firm has thrown its might behind the chip.

       Inmos  expects  to be able to "break even on a month-by-month basis"
    for the next 12 months -- probably fueled mainly by  this  last  order.
    The  new machine also is the first supercomputer to be based on reduced
    instruction set computer (RISC) principles, which are at the  heart  of
    the transputer.

       Competing  head  on  with  Cray,  Control  Data  and  newcomer Chopp
    systems, the T Series is modular.  It can have between eight and  4,096
    nodes  offering  between  one  and 61 Gflops (thousand million floating
    point operations a second).  The basic eight-node, one Gflop system  is
    expected to cost less than $7.5 million.

       "We realized that to compete we needed massive parallel processing,"
    says Bruce Jones, Floating Point marketing  manager.   "The  transputer
    has  on-chip  communications  and  memory  which  boost  the  speed  of
    operation and memory access." By using standard components and software
    (it  runs  Occam  --  Inmos's  three  year  old  programming language),
    Floating Point has been able to keep down developments  costs,  a  move
    which other supercomputer manufacturers are expected to follow.

       "We  will  sell  the  most  powerful  machine available today," says
    Jones, "and for some time to come."

       --Ben Knox
^
       (April 12)

       -:- Peachtree Software Inc.  will unveil  its  new  data  management
    software  --  Peachtree  Data  Query  (PDQ).   PDQ will use Peachtree's
    Business Accounting System Database to perform queries, prepare  custom
    reports and transfer data to spreadsheets.

       -:-  TDK  Electronics Corp.  will announce plans for a new line of 2
    1/2- and 2-inch floppy disks.

       -:- Classic Technology Inc.  will introduce its AT Multiuser  system
    for the IBM PC-AT.  The system will offer full PC-DOS compatibility and
    true multiuser/multitasking operation.

       -:- Trade Ventures International, an import/export trading  company,
    will  introduce  several  PC  add-on  boards  manufactured  by Computer
    Elektronik InfoSys of Bodenheim, West Germany.  According to  TVI,  the
    move  marks  one  of  the  first  entries of West German-made PC add-on
    products into the U.S.  market.

       -:- Visionics Corp.  will announce EE Designer, a  fully  integrated
    electrical  circuit  design,  logic simulator and printed circuit board
    layout package for the IBM Personal Computer.

       -:- Persoft Inc.  will  announce  SmarTdrm  240,  a  DEC  VT240  and
    Tektronix 4010/4014 graphics emulator.

       -:-  Other  companies scheduling product and marketing announcements
    include  Quadram  Corp.,  Zenith  Data  Systems  Corp.,  Novell   Inc.,
    Burroughs Corp., Checkmate Technology Inc and Televideo Systems Inc.

       (April  10)  Spring  Comdex,  the  year's  biggest personal computer
    industry trade show, will meet in Atlanta from April 28 through May  1.
    Online  Today  will  have  complete  on-scene  coverage each day of the
    event.

       -:- NEC  Home  Electronics  will  unveil  MultiSync,  a  intelligent
    monitor  that  is  compatible with all three IBM color graphics boards.
    The firm will  also  introduce  its  new  8300  Lap  Top  Computer  and
    associated software.

       -:- Theos Software Corp.  will announce the release of its new THEOS
    286-Virtual Mutli-User operating system and will  unveil  a  new  THEOS
    capability that runs single-user computers under THEOS 286-V.

       -:-   Multimil   Inc.,  a  manufacturer  of  "smart  cards"  (credit
    card-sized computers), will introduce the Smart Card  Development  Kit.
    The kit, which will help companies to incorporate smart card technology
    into their own products, includes a computer interface and software for
    an Apple IIe or IBM Personal Computer.

       -:- Star Micronics Corp.  will announce two new impact printers.

       -:-  Electronic  Systems Technology will unveil its new Quest series
    of portable wireless computers.   The  computers  are  based  on  NEC's
    portable  computer  and  feature an internal, wireless battery-operated
    modem.  A standalone wireless modem -- the Esteem Model 85 -- will also
    be introduced.

       -:-  Heurikon  Corp  will  introduce  the HK68/V20 -- a single-board
    microcomputer for  UNIX  and  real-time  applications.   Based  on  the
    Motorola 68020, the HK68/V20 is designed for applications requiring the
    performance of a 32-bit microprocessor.  Heurikon will  also  introduce
    its   new   LINK/X   Real-Time   Development   System,  which  provides
    bi-directional  communication  between  UNIX  and  multiple  processors
    running under the VRTX real-time executive.

       -:-   Core   International   Inc.    will   unveil  a  new  line  of
    high-performance disk drives.

       -:- Howtek Inc.  will unveil what  it  terms  "a  revolutionary  new
    ink-jet  printer."  The  printer reportedly employs patented technology
    that  gives  it  the  ability   to   produce   near   offset   quality,
    high-resolution,  multi-color  graphics and text.  The unit is expected
    to sell for under $2,000.

       -:-  Datapro  Research  Corp.   will  announce  three  new reference
    services.  The first, PC Communications, will cover the integration  of
    personal  computers  with  mainframes, other microcomputers, local-area
    networks  (LANs)  and  online  information   services.    The   second,
    Communications   Alternatives,   will  cover  fiber  optic,  satellite,
    microwave, infrared  and  other  high-tech  communication  media.   The
    third,  Reports on Software, will provide in-depth reports on mainframe
    and minicomputer software.

       -:- Symbiotic Technologies Inc.  will introduce Electronic  Zen,  an
    artificial intelligence-based computer game.  The game uses concepts of
    fractal geometry to enable users  to  converse  with  their  computers.
    Electronic Zen responds differently to each individual user.

       -- John Edwards
 ^
       IBM SHOWS EXPERIMENTAL PC

       (April  8)  IBM  recently unveiled an experimental personal computer
    that transcribes sentences from  human  speech.   The  New  York  Times
    reports  that the voice recognition system transcribes sentences from a
    5,000 word vocabulary and  is  97  percent  accurate.   As  usual,  IBM
    refused  to  discuss  if  it was planning to market the unit or much of
    anything else.  -- John Edwards

       IBM'S MAINFRAME-ON-CHIP READY NEXT YEAR?

       (April 6) Ulric Weil, an analyst with the Gartner  Group,  a  market
    research  company,  is telling industry insiders that IBM may introduce
    its mainframe-on-a-chip computer sometime next year.  That's  the  good
    news.    The  bad  news,  according  to  Weil,  is  that  even  such  a
    revolutionary computer cannot help IBM reach its average annual  growth
    goal of 15 percent.  -- John Edwards

       LOW-COST TANDY AT ON WAY

       (April 4) Reports circulating around the industry have Tandy looking
    very hard at the possibility of introducing a low-cost  alternative  to
    both  the  IBM  PC-AT  and  its  very  own Model 3000.  The 80286-based
    machine would reportedly come with fewer gizmos than  the  Model  3000,
    but  could  be expanded into a full-fledged high-end system.  Tandy has
    taken a similar approach in the past with its PC-type machines, so such
    a move would not be unprecedented.  A Tandy spokesman had no comment on
    the rumor.  -- John Edwards

       AT&T TO UNVEIL UNIX-BASED SMART SYSTEM PROGRAM

       (April 3) AT&T is expected to market a Unix  version  of  Innovative
    Software  Inc.'s  Smart  System software later this month.  The program
    will enable a user to exchange data files with the Smart  System  under
    PC-DOS  either by swapping floppy disks or by communicating over AT&T's
    Starlan local area network (LAN).  The software will be  for  use  with
    AT&T's 7300 personal computer.  -- John Edwards

       SUPER BERNOULLI BOX ON WAY

       (April  2) Iomega Corp., the Roy, Utah-based company that brought us
    the Bernoulli Box, will unveil the Bernoulli Plus this summer.  The new
    mass-storage  system  will include an 80 megabyte hard-disk with one or
    two 20-megabyte Bernoulli-type floppy disks.  The unit will be targeted
    at  local-area network (LAN) applications, providing network users with
    fast, centralized storage and backup  capabilities.   Craig  Burton,  a
    vice  president  of  LAN vendor Novell, confirms that the two companies
    have worked together on the project.  -- John Edwards

       WANG PORTABLE PC TO BE RELEASED

       (April 2) According  to  a  System  Engineer  in  Wang's  midwestern
    region, the computer manufacturer's new portable PC is nearing release.
    Scheduled for shipment to  customers  in  September,  the  new  machine
    features  an  8086  chip  and  full IBM compatibility.  Running MS-DOS,
    version 3.2, the computer features 512K of memory, a 30MB hard disk and
    a  built-in  modem  that  can  run  at 1200 or 2400 baud.  Powered by a
    four-hour, rechargeable battery or through an AC source,  the  unit  is
    approximately  15  by  15  inches  and  weighs  less than 12 pounds.  A
    backlit LCD monitor can be disabled so that a standard Wang monitor can
    be  connected for office use.  Both monitors use an 80 column by 25 row
    display.  A  built-in  thermal  printer  completes  the  complement  of
    peripherals.   A  base  unit  is  tentatively priced at $1,250 although
    various options can run the price up near $2,000.   Among  the  options
    expected  to  be popular are memory upgrades to 1Mb and an NLQ mode for
    the printer.  Wang reportedly chose Brother to be the manufacturer  for
    he new computer.  --James Moran

       ASHTON-TATE'S PRODUCTS TO SUPPORT IBM PC CONVERTIBLE

       TORRANCE,  Calif.,  April  2,  1986 -- Ashton-Tate today announced 3
    1/2-inch diskette versions of dBASE III  PLUS,  Framework  II  and  the
    MultiMate  Professional  Word  Processor  Series 3.3 for the new IBM PC
    Convertible.

       The Ashton-Tate products will be available in  the  second  calendar
    quarter  of  1986  to  run  on  both  the  IBM PC Convertible and the 3
    1/2-inch IBM External Diskette Drive also announced today  by  IBM  for
    the  IBM  Personal Computer, Personal Computer XT and Personal Computer
    AT.  Initially, these 3 1/2-inch  diskettes  will  be  offered  through
    IBM's normal distribution channels for Ashton-Tate products.

       The  new products will be priced the same as versions for the IBM PC
    and PC compatibles -- $695 for dBASE III PLUS  and  Framework  II,  and
    $495  for  MultiMate Series 3.3, which will be the first in a series of
    MultiMate products available for the IBM PC Convertible.

       "Ashton-Tate sees a significant market for our products  created  by
    this  new  category  of computers, which should grow substantially with
    IBM's entry," said Edward M.  Esber Jr., president and chief  executive
    officer  of  Ashton-Tate.   "Our  products  are  ideally suited for the
    independent  professionals  who  will   benefit   from   lap-top   type
    computers," added Esber.

       dBASE  III  PLUS, the successor to industry-standard dBASE III, is a
    powerful yet accessible database management system that  provides  both
    stand-alone and multi-user capability in a single package.

       Framework  II  is  an  enhanced  version of the Framework integrated
    package that combines a faster, larger and  more  powerful  spreadsheet
    with an advanced word processor.

       MultiMate  word  processing systems include MultiMate Series 3.3 and
    MultiMate Advantage, word processors for the corporate market.