-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

                          THE v.FAST LANE

                        March 1994 (Issue#4)

                         by Steve Meirowsky

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 - How to contact the author!
 - Disclaimer!
 - When is the next issue?
 - What is the best way to get the next issue?
 - Zoom 28800 BPS v.Fast Modem (Follow-Up).
 - Connection problems between v.Fast and USR modems.
 - Tell me about new v.Fast modems.
 - Tell me about new products and standards.
 - Tell me about products meeting the new standards.
 - Fast IDE standard (Follow-Up).
 - Plug and Play (Follow-Up).
 - Windows for Workgroups 3.11 (Follow-Up).
 - So you think 4 Meg SIMMs are big?
 - New multimedia video processor DSP.
 - New lower cost LCD's for laptops.
 - New software copy theft protection.
 - New infrared connection standard.
 - Does you cat program?
 - Power Windows?.
 - Information highway in the sky.
 - Leave your brain at the door.
 - The mid-east.
 - Toto who?

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

HOW TO CONTACT THE AUTHOR!

- NWIS BBS: (316)262-1829

- Internet Email: steve.meirowsky@nwis.com

- New World Information Service (NWIS) BBS
  P.O. Box 12217
  Wichita, KS  67277-2217

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

DISCLAIMER!

Copyright 1994 by Steve Meirowsky and New World Designs.  All rights
(known and unknown) are reserved worldwide.  You may copy or print
this file only if it remains intact and unedited!  If you would like
to use any part of this newsletter in your newsletter, please contact
me for permission.

You can upload this newsletter into message conferences on most BBS's
since it's not wider than 72 columns!

Also, don't hold me liable for any advice that I give you!  Remember
how much this cost, nothing!  If you do have any problems, I will
reimburse the cost of this newsletter <grin>.

I don't claim to be perfect so there may be mistakes or typos in this
newsletter.  See the end of this newsletter for my BBS phone number.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

WHEN IS THE NEXT ISSUE?

Many people have been asking when to expect the next issue of this
newsletter and the Kansas BBS List.  The answer is every other month!
Expect the next issue toward the end of May 1994.  I am very busy
so I can't make this a monthly thing...  Sorry!

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO GET THE NEXT ISSUE?

The best way to get the next issue of this newsletter is to call NWIS
BBS, 316-262-1829, with a QWK mail reader and always get the "NWD
UUEncoded Files" conference.  I am uuencoding all NWD and NWIS files
into messages into that conference.  All you need to convert the
uuencoded messages is a file called UUEXE521.ZIP.  If you have any
more questions, please read that conference for related messages!

Also, you can download it out of the FILE area as a ZIP file.

This newsletter will exist as a file called VFASTymm.ZIP, where
'y' is last digit of the year and 'mm' is month of the year.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

ZOOM 28800 BPS V.FAST MODEM (FOLLOW-UP)

I still haven't received my 28.8K external modem from Zoom yet!  I
could really gripe about Zoom but I will hold off until next issue.
I have seen a press release that says they will ship in March.
Zoom, you better get those modems to me soon (Hint Hint)!

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

CONNECTION PROBLEMS BETWEEN V.FAST AND USR MODEMS

I, like most of you have been having problems connecting a v.Fast
modem to some USR modems.  My only solution at this point is to
send the "ATF8" command to my Zoom modem before calling a USR modem.
The bummer part is that it means you connect only at 9600 baud.

Unfortunately this is one of those problems you have when living on
the cutting edge of technology!

If someone has a solution to this problem for any v.Fast modem,
please tell me how you are doing it!  If anyone at Zoom or Hays
is reading this, please help!

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

TELL ME ABOUT NEW V.FAST MODEMS

If you know of any new v.Fast modems, please send the information
about it ASAP.  I will list the new products in a future issue!

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

TELL ME ABOUT NEW PRODUCTS AND STANDARDS

If you know of any new products or new standards, please send the
information about it ASAP.  I am especially interested in cutting
edge cool products and not just a minor update to something that is
already out there!  I reserve the right to state it as I see it <G>.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

TELL ME ABOUT PRODUCTS MEETING THE NEW STANDARDS

Last issue I discused several new standards.  Please send me any
information about new products that meet the new standards:

- Fax binary file transfer (BFT).
- VESA sound card BIOS Extension /Audio Interface (VBE/AI).
- Firewire (P1394) high speed serial interface.
- DSP's for Windows 4.0.
- Plug and Play (P&P).
- Fast IDE hard drives.

I will list the new products in a future issue!

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

FAST IDE STANDARD (FOLLOW-UP)

In the previous issue I told you about the new high speed IDE drives.
Users need to beware that all of these new drives are not the same.
Most of them conform to the ANSI mode 3 instead of the better ANSI
mode 4.  Expect the later to be available in 4th quarter 1994.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

PLUG AND PLAY (FOLLOW-UP)

Some of the components that have already arrived include:

June 1993 - Plug and Play for Windows and MSDOS.
Nov. 1993 - BIOS.
Dec. 1993 - SCSI, IDE CDROM.
Jan. 1994 - Parallel port and communications devices.

Support is still to come for: PCI, MicroChannel, PCMCIA, VL-Bus,
ACCESS.BUS, VESA DDC Monitor ID, Chicago, Infrared, and much more.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

WINDOWS FOR WORKGROUPS 3.11 (FOLLOW-UP)

Looks like WFWG is getting more popular.  Like I said, I still
consider it Windows 3.5.  Many of the 32-bit virtual device drivers
in WFWG are supposed to help lay the initial ground work for Win 4.0.
Windows 4.0 is probably around 9 to 12 months away.

There have been some incompatibility problems between WFWG 3.11 and
OS/2 for Windows.  Recently a fix was released.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

SO YOU THINK 4 MEG SIMMS ARE BIG?

Any time you see the letters ISSCC you know something cutting edge
in computers will follow in the same paragraph.  I always look
forward to reading the next International Solid State Ciruits
Conference (ISSCC) overview!

The latest papers given at the most recent ISSCC include: 256 Mbit
dynamic RAMs (how does 256Meg SIMMs sound), 64 Mbit flash memory,
and microprocessors with 64bit wide buses offering throughputs of
several hundred MIPS.

The only bad thing about all this cool stuff is that it isn't here
now!  These papers are either purely theoretical or lab experiments.
You will have to wait 2 or 3 years on the low end and as much as
10 years on the high end for some of these new technologies!

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

NEW MULTIMEDIA VIDEO PROCESSOR DSP

Wow, I just received information about a new digital signal processor
(DSP) known as the multimedia video processor (MVP).  This new chip
from Texas Instruments, TMS320C80, has 2 billion operations per
second (BOPS)!!  All of the following are on one chip: four 32-bit
DSPs, one RISC CPU with integral floating point unit, 50K bytes of
SRAM split into twenty five 2K blocks, and dual video controllers.

This chip was mainly created to support live MPEG, JPEG, H.261, G.728
video compression standards which require a lot of horsepower!

The initial price will be around $1500 and in high quantities in 1995
will be around $400.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

NEW LOWER COST LCD'S FOR LAPTOPS

Anyone who has used a laptop or palmtop computer has see a liquid
crystal display (LCD).  The LCDs with the best "picture" are usually
an active matrix LCD but their main disadvantage is the extreme cost
difference compared to the super-twist nematic (STN) LCD.  The active
LCD's place a transistor at each pixel location, thus in concept they
are very large IC chips.

Motif, from Wilsonville Oregon, has developed a new active-addressed
LCD (AALCD) that uses standard super-twist panels with intelligent
driver circuitry.  The result is a high contrast flicker free display
that can handle full-motion video.  Motif claims 90% of active LCD
performance with only a 25 to 40% cost premium over passive LCDs.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

NEW SOFTWARE COPY THEFT PROTECTION

A new solution to the software copy theft problem will be showing up
in 1994.  The new SoftCop protection is based on using "thumbprints"
of each user's computer configuration so that it will not run on any
other computer without further authorization.

Each floppy or CDROM has a unique security code embedded on it.
When the user installs the software, it will prompt the user to call
an 800 number for an authorization code.  The entire process takes
between 30 and 90 seconds.  Illegal copying will be reported and all
investigations will be handled by Pinkerton Security services.

This new method should stop piracy cold without intrusive measures
that have been judged unacceptable by consumers in the past.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

NEW INFRARED CONNECTION STANDARD

I can see clearly now...

A group of nearly 60 companies (including Microsoft and Apple) will
be adopting a new infrared standard for a low-cost wireless link
between external devices.  These companies belong to the IRDA
(Infrared Data Association) and will complete the standards that
define the physical and protocol layers by May.

Infrared connections will be limited to 3 to 10 feet at speeds of
115.2Kb per second.  This new standard will be useful for non crucial
applications such as synchronizing files between portables and desk
top computers and connections with printers, fax machines, modems,
and other external peripherals.

Microsoft will be providing support in future versions of Windows.
Also, HP and Apple confirmed they would support the new spec in
future versions of their portable products.  Expect to see some new
products by Christmas.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

DOES YOUR CAT PROGRAM?

Here kitty kitty...  One of the new programming languages is called
"C+@" and is pronounced CAT.  Some of the other newcomers that you
might be hearing about are Eiffel, Beta, and Sather.  Also you might
even start hearing more about the old Smalltalk language as well.

The problem is that C++ is not the holy grail that most object
oriented programmers thought it was initially going to be.  I program
in C and C++ and have come to the same conclusion.  C++ is too overly
complicated, is a pain to learn, and is overrated!  Don't get me
wrong, C++ is definitely better than C and many older outdated
programming languages but the bottom line is it isn't enough!

I am definately interested in hearing from anyone that knows anything
about these new languages, especially C+@!!!  The reason is that it
is available as a pre-compiler that emits C code that can be compiled
with most C compilers!  I've heard that it is available on Internet
but the usual question is WHERE ON INTERNET?

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

POWER WINDOWS

Expect Windows NT to be running on a Power-PC machine by the 3rd
quarter of 1994.  It was designed to be portable to other processors.

I think the key Power-PC chip that will give the highest speed 80386
emulation will be the IBM 615.  That chip will have special 80386
instruction emulation added to it.  Target ship date is mid-1995.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

INFORMATION HIGHWAY IN THE SKY

Rumors have finally panned out.  Microsoft and McCall are joining
forces to bring the multimedia information highway in from the sky.
If they can pull it off, they don't have to run any cable except from
the dish on your house to your TV and computer.  Stay tuned...

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

LEAVE YOUR BRAIN AT THE DOOR

Just what you need for you kids <grin>.  Viacom will soon be shipping
"Beavis & Butthead" for the game machines (uh huh huh, that would be
cool).  From Acclaim expect "The Simpsons: Virtual Bart" and "Itchy
and Scratchy" for you favorite game machine.

These will be perfect for your non-mind-o machine (aka Nintendo).

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

THE MID-EAST

Kind of off the subject...  Have you ever thought about the stupid
term "The Mid-West".  Why the heck is Chicago and Cincinnati
considered the Mid-West?  Look at the map of the U.S.  It should
be the mid-east or mostly-east or anything else but not "The Mid-
West".  Find the pin-head that made up that term and slap him
and all those news people around (that would be cool)!

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

TOTO WHO?

Some people have asked me a silly question.  How can you live in
Kansas?  Well thanks for telling me...I'm such a stupid hick...
No smog, no traffic jams, no car-jacking, no big city crime, no
over-priced houses with small yards, no crowded cities, no unfriendly
people, no mudslides, no avalanches, no earthquakes, no volcanos, and
no huricanes.  You better get me that plane ticket quick <G>!

It's not perfect but neither is anywhere else...

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

See ya on the modem highways...

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
