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November 8, 1997
News
It’s time to start thinking about holiday gift items, and I’ve got a great one
for those of you looking for something different. Wacom, the folks who make high-quality
graphics tablets for Mac and PCs, have introduced Pen Partner, an inexpensive (about $80)
PC-only graphics tablet that’s bundled with Corel’s Print and Photo House System
software and lots of clip art. [Explain tablets]. The Pen Partner includes a cordless,
two-button pen, with an erase head [explain] and differs from the more expensive, but
similarly sized ArtPad II (which offers a 4" x 5" drawing area), only in the
resolution of the pad, offering 1,000 lpi, instead of 2,540. According to a FAQ document
on Wacom’s own site, however, the difference for virtually all uses is essentially
indistinguishable. So, if you’re interested in something creative and fun (and
you’ve got an available serial port), check it out.
Speaking of holiday items, games are always a favorite and, of course, there’s a
ton of interesting new games coming out. Macs often get the short of the stick here, but
the folks at MacPlay have made sure that any Mac-based Star Trek fans won’t have to
suffer any game envy with the release of the Mac version of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.
Released earlier this fall for PCs, the $59 game has some pretty serious requirements
however, for both platforms. The Mac version needs an 80 MHz PowerPC or faster, 25 MB of
free RAM and 190 MB of disk space. The PC version needs a 90 MHz Pentium or better, 16 MB
of RAM and 190 MB of disk space. The heavy requirements are due to lots of live action
video that includes footage of William Shatner as Captain Kirk, Walter Koenig as Commander
Chekov and George Takei as Captain Sulu. The game bills itself as the first ever Star Trek
flight simulator. Looks like fun.
Windows 95 and NT users have been able to enjoy IE 4.0 for a while and now, Windows 3.1
users and some Unix users (specifically those who use Sun Solaris) can finally get a
chance to try the new browser. A preview version (that means beta) for Win 3.1 and Solaris
is now available on the Microsoft site. Like the Mac version, these versions don’t
include the complete web integration of the desktop, since that’s essentially an
extension of the operating system, but all the other features and capabilities are
present.
Netscape has a new version of Communicator available, version 4.04, but this time the
reason for the upgrade is some new features. 4.04 adds stronger, US-government endorsed
security and encryption features along with the addition of the AOL instant chat feature
that will let Internet and AOL users send instant messages back and forth to each other at
any time (kind of like e-mail, but it gets to you right away), as well as giving you a
heads up when any of your self-chosen buddies are online.
Low cost PCs are hot and IBM is finally getting into the game with a new line of
sub-$1,000 Aptivas based on the 166 MHz K6 processor. IBM’s new E16 comes with a
166-MHz IBM K6 processor, which supports MMX, 16MB of synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), a 20X
CD-ROM drive, a 56-Kbps modem, and a graphics card. A monitor is extra, of course, and
will bring the total system cost up to $1,200 or $1,300. At the other end of the price and
performance spectrum, IBM has also announced the L71, a $2,499 system based on a 300 MHz
Pentium II, 6.4GB hard disk, 32MB of SDRAM, a DVD (digital versatile disc) drive, a
56-Kbps modem, a graphics card, and a specially outfitted sound system. Again, monitors
are extra.
Speaking of lower costs, Compaq cut prices on its Presario line of desktop and notebook
computers earlier this week, ranging from 15 to 25%. So, for example, their Presario 4824,
which includes a 233 MHz Pentium MMX processor, 32 MB of SDRAM, 6.5 GB hard drive, MPEG2
video, 2xDVD, 56K modem, and JBL speakers, went from $2,399 to $1,799.
As a result of all the interest in low-cost computers, there’s lots of action in
the world of low-cost processors as well. A new chip from Integrated Device Technology, or
IDT, called the WinChip C6, is another Pentium compatible that fits into the Socket 7
architecture and will start showing up in sub-$1,000 computers. The chip, which includes
support for MMX, apparently offers similar performance to 200 MHz MMX processors.
Of course, Intel isn’t just resting on its laurels, either. Apparently the company
is working on a less expensive version of the Pentium II, due for release next year, that
will remove the 512 Kbytes of L2 cache from the Slot One package to reduce costs. Of
course, this will also have a fairly big impact on performance, but the company is trying
to come up with a chip that they can sell to system vendors eager to tap into the huge and
growing market for sub-$1,000 systems. Look for it sometime next year.
In case you missed last week, don’t forget that Apple will be introducing a whole
slew of new systems on Monday based on the powerful new PowerPC 750 chip. The new PowerMac
G3 desktops will range in price from $2,000 to $3,000 and feature 233 and 266 MHz
processors as well as a 66 MHz system bus, which is a big improvement over the 40 and 50
MHz system buses found on previous Macs. [explain]. The company will also be offering a
new high-end PowerBook using the G3 as well. Finally, the company will be announcing a new
direct sales system on Monday that will let you buy Macs directly from the company via the
Internet. It’s apparently not scheduled to go into place until January, around the
time of MacWorld Expo.
Symantec’s Norton group, the folks that create Norton Utilities and Norton
Anti-Virus, have recently added two new products to the fold: Norton CrashGuard Deluxe 3.0
and Norton Uninstall Deluxe. CrashGuard Deluxe, which retails for $39, includes software
that runs in the background and transparently checks for common problems that can lead to
computer crashes. It also includes LiveUpdate Pro and a six-month subscription for
automatically scanning for and retrieving updates off the Internet for any drivers and
applications you have. Uninstall Deluxe, which also retails for $39, is the company’s
entry into the growing uninstaller market. Like its competitors, Uninstall Deluxe can
track software installations and undo any problems they create, as well as clean up
unneeded files off your hard disk and out of the Windows 95 Registry.
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