NEWS & VIEWS
p.22 Intel Pushes the 80x86 Envelope
In terms of sheer processing power, Intel is behind the RISC curve. Its next-generation Pentium may only keep the gap from widening. But that may be enough.
[theme : PROCESSORS]
p.24 Apple Opens the Mac OS
After years of carefully guarding its Macintosh system software, Apple (Cupertino, CA) is taking steps to spread the Mac OS to several different platforms.
[theme : OPERATING SYSTEM]
p.28 Video Acceleration in the Fast Lane
Two coalitions, VESA and an Intel-ATI pairing, have offered new graphics standards to speed digital video across the desktop.
[theme : PC VIDEO ACCELERATORS]
p.32 35mm-Size Display Has VGA Resolution
Thanks to Kopin's Smart Slide technology, it may not be long before you can wear a head-mounted display that's about the size of a 35mm slide yet sports 640-by 480-pixel VGA resolution.
[theme : DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY]
p.32 Motif Offers Variation on LCD Theme
Motif says its active addressing offers the best of both worlds - the low cost of passive matrix and the fast response of active matrix.
p.40 New Access Targets Wider Audience
Access 2.0 is what Microsoft wanted Access 1.0 to be: an easy-to-use, full-featured, relational database for Windows.
[theme : WINDOWS DATABASE]
p.252 What's New
RediDockit and DigiDial provide wireless control for your PC; Rapport Script brings object-oriented word processing to Unix; Internet-In-A-Box lets you access the Internet from your PC; and more.
[theme : NEW PRODUCTS]
COVER STORY
p.44 Apple, IBM Bring PowerPC to the Desktop
The first PowerPC systems for the desktop provide many pleasant surprises, especially low price.
[theme : NEW SYSTEMS] [author : Tom Thompson and Bob Ryan]
SPECIAL REPORT : THE RISC DECISION
p.109 Windows on RISC
Emulating Windows on even the fastest RISC workstation might mean disappointing performance.
p.112 Intel, TI Show Off the 486DX4
p.119 Emulation: RISC's Secret Weapon
Emulation is beginning to appear as an integral feature in some new operating systems, and its ambitious goal is to shield users from the incompatibilities of different hardware and operating-system platforms.
[author : Tom R. Halfhill]
p.139 Developing for RISC
RISC development tools must offer more variety and greater ease of use.
[author : Alex Lane]
p.142 Porting to RISC: Not Just a Recompile
p.149 Justifying NT
Available on RISC, CISC, and SMP platforms, Advanced Server and SQL Server make NT a viable choice to provide file and database services to your LAN.
[author : Jon Udell]
p.150 How We Tested SQL Server on NetWare, OS/2, and NT
p.158 SQL Server for NT on CISC and RISC
p.164 LAN Operating-System Testing
STATE OF THE ART
p.74 Object Databases
Object-oriented DBMSes solve the problem of storing persistent data from an object-oriented application.
[theme : OBJECT DATABASE SYSTEMS] [author : Richard Marlon Stein]
p.82 The Object Database Standard
p.85 The Great Debate
To store complex data objects, relational database systems must perform expensive and CPU-intensive transformations because of their simplified storage capabilities. Object database systems and object-oriented programming languages make it possible to store and access such data in an easy, efficient manner.
[author : Craig S. Mullins]
p.99 Objects in Use
The object-oriented approach looks great in theory - but what's it like out in the field? Here's a look at how object database technology is being used in a variety of real-world applications - the reasons, the benefits, the drawbacks, product selection, and wish lists.
[author : Russell Kay]
REVIEWS
p.173 Almost as good as being there (conferencing enhancements)
Microfield Graphics SoftBoard and AT&T DataPort 2001 Multimedia Communicator enhance long-distance teleconferencing.
[theme : COMMUNICATIONS] [author : H. Eglowstein]
p.178 Whiteboarding with Software
p.181 Multiprotocol Print Server
A $695 multiprotocol print server from Axis Communications connects as many as three printers directly to Ethernet LANs, providing equal access to PCs, Macs, and Unix machines. The NPS 550's virtual printer technology simplifies configuration and administration.
[theme : PRINTING] [author : Ben Smith]
p.185 Easier Ethernet
Plug Tut Systems' $99 Silver Streak adapter onto your Ethernet card, and you can string inexpensive, easy-to-install silver-satin phone cord instead of thin Ethernet. The Silver Streak allows full 10-Mbps Ethernet speed over the UTP phone cord.
[theme : NETWORKS]
p.186 Ethernet Cabling Methods
p.188 Verifying Your LAN Cables
p.189 Multimedia Presentations
Time-line-based presentation software can enliven a traditional computer-based presentation with motion, animation, video, sound, and interactive controls. Cryan evaluates the best multimedia presenters for Windows and the Mac.
[theme : MULTIMEDIA] [author : Shelley Cryan]
p.199 Mac Programming Power Tools
Côté finds Mainstay's new C and BASIC programming environments for the Macintosh hard to pigeonhole and harder to resist.
[theme : DEVELOPMENT TOOLS] [author : Raymond Ga Côté]
p.229 NIC Update: 22 New Ethernet Cards
16-bit NICs from Asia, evaluated by the Taiwan-based independent testing lab LANBit Computer.
p.206 Lab Report: 57 PCs That Set the Pace
Should you buy a high-end 486 or a Pentium? We evaluate 37 66-MHz 486DX2 systems and 20 Pentium systems to find the best performers for Windows, Unix, and DOS applications.
[theme : HIGH-END SYSTEMS] [author : S. M. Platt]
p.208 Best Pentiums for Windows
p.210 How We Tested
p.211 Best Pentiums for Unix
p.215 Best ISA 486s for Windows
p.217 Best EISA 486s for Windows
p.219 Best 486s for Unix
p.221 Best 486s for DOS
p.222 Honorable Mentions
p.222 Dubious Achievements
HANDS ON
p.131 Under the Hood: The Power Mac's Run-Time Architecture
Power Mac offer backward compatibility and support for future development.
[author : Randy Thelen]
p.231 Some Assembly Required: Developing Applications in Perl
This widely supported public domain language can easily solve many general programming problems.
[theme : PROGRAMMING] [author : Tom Christiansen]
p.237 Beyond DOS: Essential Reading
A look at four recent books on Windows NT, Win32, and OLE 2.
[theme : PROGRAMMING] [author : Jon Udell]
OPINIONS
p.241 Pournelle: What's Hot, What's Not
It's time once again for the annual User's Choice Awards from Chaos Manor.
[author : Jerry Pournelle]
p.41 Books and CD-ROMs: Internet Resource Guide
Thousands of Internet listings, government information on CD-ROM, computer design, and repetitive strain injuries.
p.308 Commentary: The First Bug
Exposing the myth of the first bug.
[author : Fred Shapiro]
p.10 Editorial
[author : Dennis Allen]
p.18 Letters
Compression problems, the Richard III-MIS director comparison, and Mac SCSI hints.
READER SERVICE
p.306 Editorial Index by Company
p.302 Alphabetical Index to Advertisers
p.304 Index to Advertisers by Product Category
Inquiry Reply Cards: 304A
p.261 BUYER'S GUIDE
Mail Order
Hardware/Software Showcase
Buyer's Mart
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