European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 18, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 12 the stars and stripes computers tuesday May 1.8, 1993 Apple computer demonstrated a prototype macintosh computer last week powered by a new Power pc 601 microprocessor running at 80 Megahertz a setting a performance record Tor personal \. Computers. A a. The fastest microprocessors currently used it personal computers a the 486 microprocessors from Intel a operate at 66 Mhz. Apple plans to incorporate the speedier Power pc microprocessor into its macintosh line of personal. Computers beginning in the first half of next year. The Power pc 601 a designed in conjunction with ism and Motorola a is a reduced instruction set computer based microprocessor. That Means it can accomplish the same tasks As conventional microprocessors with fewer instructions which at the most Basic level of computing consist of pulses of electricity. The company said it has made significant Progress in developing Power pc based Apple macintosh personal computers since ism delivered the first Power pc 601 Sample chips in september 1992. The company a presentation on the prototype Mac with the new Power pc processor demonstrated its ability to run existing macintosh software without modifications. The company also announced support from 11 leading software developers a including no. 1 Microsoft and Claris a leading Developer of macintosh products who arc committed to writing new versions of their application software to take advantage of the greater Power available in the Power pc processor. The announcement was apples first major report on the status of inc macintosh Power pc since announcing the adoption of the risk Chip As. Part of the Apple ism Motorola technology Alliance in october 1991. Vlasi technology inc. Introduced a Chip set for personal computers that manages Power usage helping make the machines More Energy efficient. The company a eco hip vl82c483 system controller fits around a 486 microprocessor and puts ail Idle computer into a sleep Mode that conserves Energy. The computer returns to full function when a key is pressed. A fall of our Chip sets As we go on will have this capability a said James it Fiebiger president of san Jose based Vlasi. Vlasi said volume production will begin in the fourth Quarter. The system will Cost pc makers about $22 each in quantities of 10,000. Demand for More efficient computers has grown As companies review their Energy costs. A fractal design introduced fractal design /x2, an add on to fractal design Painter 2.0. The new program increases Speed and eases the tasks of artists and graphic designers who visually orchestrate multiple graphic elements the company sail. It is available for Apple macintosh and will be available for Microsoft windows in june. Both versions will retail for $149, the company said. For information Telephone the company at 408-688-5300 or by fax at 408-6888836. The address is 335 Spreckels dr., Aptos Ca 95003. A a corp., the wot id s largest computer dealer has Laid off 220 people or More than 8 percent of its work Force. A i rom sic i Juuls something to talk about scientists perfecting system allowing users to voice commands by Boyce Rensberger the Washington Post Victor. Zug would like to Cany out a meaningful conversation with his computer. The computer scientist at the Massachi setts Institute of technology says most people would like a computer to do. More than respond slavishly to the comp Terese com stands typed in or the cutesy icons a clicked they would really like to speak to their machines in natural English. They would like the computer to understand what they mean ask questions if it does no to and then do what is wanted. It is just such systems that Zug and his colleagues at several research centers arc working to perfect and that they demonstrated last month at a symposium sponsored by the Pentagon a advanced research projects Agerico at the National Academy of sciences. Already on the Market Are systems that act As electronic stenographers. You dictate and the machine figures out each word As you speak it you must pause after each word and displays it on the screen. The devices arc used by people who can talk but not Type either because of a disability or because they must do other things with their hands. But such systems done to really a a know what they Are printing on the screen in the prototype stages however Are devices that approach the machine equivalent of understanding. They not Only recognize different voices without training out know the vagaries of English syntax Well enough to figure out what you mean from Many different ways of saying the same thing. If they done to understand or done to have enough information to act they ask you relevant questions. A show me the flights from Pittsburgh to Boston a Wayne Ward of car Nogic Mellon University said to his research groups prototype system which contains a database of airline fares and schedules. Quot there arc 13 flights a the synthetic voice replied displaying the same sentence on the screen. A when arc you leaving Pittsburgh a a in the afternoon a Ward answered whereupon the machine displayed Only those flights. Though a simple enough task for human brains the interaction called for considerable sophistication in the computer. For example it had to know the meaning of Quot from and a a to to be Able to ask when Ward wanted to leave Pittsburgh. Instead of a in the afternoon Ward could have said a after 12�?� or a not in the morning Quot or a around 2 or 3�?� or any number of other possibilities. the systems versatility Ward spoke in a rambling disorganized Way typical of humans but not computers a i want to go to Detroit and i want to leave from Pittsburgh and i want the cheapest the machine understood. But it Isnit perfect. Once when wad asked Quot can i use frequent flyer Miles a it understood the sentence As a tonight frequent flyer miles.�?�. Zuets group at Mit has taken the Sas. Susan Harris technology still further. Instead of its own data base of airline information Zucks machine can dial up easy Sabre an online reservation service operated by american airlines that is usually accessed the old fashioned Way a by making choices on a series of on screen menus. Simply by having a meaningful conversation with his computer Zug can find the flights he wants make the reservations Ana Bill the fare to a credit card. Similar technology has been adapted for use in mites bilingual voyager a system intended to help visitors find their Way around Cambridge mass. Quot where is the Marriott a one can ask the machine whereupon it displays a map of Cambridge with the hotel highlighted. A where is the nearest chinese Rostau rant a the software has a built in function that keeps track of context and knows that the user Means Quot nearest to the it shows the location traces the Mosur direct route and pops up a Label with the name address Ana phone number. Speech recognition technology is not just a gimmick said Janet Baker a founder of dragon systems of Newton mass. She noted that As computers shrink to a a palmtop size and smaller keyboards become useless. Quot no one wants to enter data by ism takes a step up with ps-1 line ism personal computer co., apparently rejoicing in its new Freedom from bureaucratic meddling has revamped its entire line of ps-1 computers for Home and Small business users. All of the new models introduced May 3 Are based on Intel i486 microprocessors and include features that previously were available Only on More expensive machines. Suggested prices for the new desktop and a mini Tower systems Range from $1,199 to $2,999 and include an assortment of software. The company also added three new models to its is note notebook family including one with a color screen but they will not be available for a month. Power pcs Are popular in business because they sit upright taking less desk space and leaving More room for expansion cards and extra disk drives. L he appearance of a Tower design and in my a wholesale shift to the i486 microprocessor Are just two of Many signals that the ps-1 line is no longer considered a Junior member of the ism pc family. Some of the new ps-1 models also have features like local bus video for faster graphics the fastest processors available from Intel corp. As Well As a path for upgrading to Intel a next generation processors next year modems that can work with facsimile documents As Well As data files and fancier monitors. In the past ism officials have conceded the ps-1 was deliberately shortchanged in All these areas in an Effort to keep it from harming sales of the More profitable ps-2 Premium line. The is is were saddled with Dinky processors inferior graphics and Mon Peter h Lewis tors smaller hard drives limited upgrade possibilities and other annoyances. While ism was Busy guarding itself from internecine Competition rival culpa Nies stole the Market with better machines. When ism pc was granted operating Independence last year it vowed to act like other pc companies Many of which have Strong segmented product lines. Quot and True to their Promise they be done a six month product Cycle turnover basically achieving parity with other Industry Standard pc systems a said Richard Zwitch Renbaum research manager Lor pc hardware at International data corp. Of Framingham mass. A a do he is is Are now generally priced right and worthy of consideration.�?�. In general the is is Are aimed at Novice pc users Small business and Home office customers who want a computer that is useful right out of the Box and experienced computer users who want something More than a no frills pc but something less costly than a ps-2. A and just because people have not used a l c before in dog not mean that they need a Low Power Model any More than a first time Driver needs a Golf Eart in. Stead of an automobile. The ps-1-models differ from in my a mainline ps-2 and is a a Point Tom up tors in three main ways in the amount and Type of software that comes with each machine in the places where ps-1 models Are sold and in the level of service and support offered to the users. The is is come with Microsoft Dos 6.0, Microsoft windows 3.1, Microsoft works for windows ism and Microsoft corp. May have had a bitter divorce but they know a Good business Deal apparently As Well As Prodigy and America on line which offer via Modem services ranging from electronic mail to technical support. All come ps-1 tutorial software that trains new users to become productive in a Short time. Buyers also can select one extra software package from among these choices quicken win fax Lite Calendar creator plus address Book plus the new print Simp Grammatik or amaze daily planner. Service and support arc of particular importance to most Home office and Small business customers because they usually do not have Access to technical experts in the office. For most routine problems ps-1 owners can use the built in Modem to Contact America on lines electronic support system 20 hours a Day. Of course the Modem is of no use if the computer does no to work. In that Case the is is come with a 12-month warranty that guarantees that if the computer stops working a replacement will be delivered to the owners Home or of lice within 48 hours. _ the warranty applies across the whole product line ranging from entry level pass with a 25-Megahertz i486sx Chip and an 85-megabyte hard disk drive to a monster i486dx2, 66-Megahertz system with 340 megabytes of storage and eight megabytes of system memory. A
