Apple, Oracle, Sun, IBM and Netscape sent out their big guns
to outline highly optimistic plans for network computers-and those
plans definitely don't involve Microsoft. Oracle CEO Larry Ellison
predicted greater demand for Internet and e-mail boxes than for
full-scale PCs.
Once at the forefront of the Windows 95 migration, Corel is
getting some versions of its WordPerfect products written in native
Java code. The products will ship later this year-just as network
computers gather momentum, the company says.
Microsoft announced Internet Explorer Administration Kit,
which allows corporate IS managers, ISPs and content providers
to create customized versions of the company's browser.
Convergence technology is gathering steam: A new survey from
CEMA shows almost 82 percent of all adults will watch cable or
network programs on their PC/TV, while upward of 60 percent will
use the same machine for word processing.
One- time online service leader CompuServe, which now trails
rival AOL in membership, plans to wholeheartedly embrace open
standards Internet technology and wean itself off proprietary
architecture.
Wang Labs and Visioneer reached an agreement that will bring
together the former's imaging software for Windows 95 and the
latter's scanning desktop device, the PaperPort.
AST shipped the first fully featured multimedia PC-including
Win95, 486/66 processor, 8MB of memory, sound card, 14.4Kbps modem
and 4X CD-ROM drive-for under $1,000. It's available only from
Wal-Mart.
Microsoft shipped Beta 2 of NT Server 4.0. Meanwhile, Dell
became what it claims is the first vendor to offer a "comprehensive"
upgrade program for customers moving to NT Workstation 4.0-at
no additional charge.