In The Computer News

Following the sub-$1,000 PC trend, Canadian software maker Corel said it plans to slash prices on a number of its desktop application package upgrades. The next upgraded version of Corel WordPerfect Suite 8 will roll out at a retail price of $89, down $90 from today's $179, and Corel WordPerfect Suite 8 Professional will ship at a retail price of $179, down $60 from today's $249. These prices reflect the cost for previous owners of the product. The WordPerfect suite bought new costs $395, while the Professional suite goes for $329.

New SmartSuite

IBM subsidiary Lotus Development has begun beta testing the new version of its office application suite. Due for general shipment in June, SmartSuite Millennium Edition will contain new versions of WordPro, the 1-2-3 spreadsheet, Approach database, Organizer personal information manager, Freelance Graphics, and speech recognition technology for 1-2-3 and WordPro. It also includes data sharing capabilities with eSuite Workplace, the company's Java enabled productivity environment for network computers and personal computers. In addition, the new version of SmartSuite features FastSite, a new Web publishing application that allows end-users to take files created in word processing, spreadsheet, and other desktop applications and batch publish them to the corporate intranet.

Large boxes small content

In the first court decision of its kind, a California judge has ruled that software makers may use large boxes to package smaller computer disks without running afoul of a state law that prohibits misleading marketing practices, an attorney involved in the case said.

San Francisco Superior Court Judge Ernest Goldsmith dismissed suits filed against nine software manufacturers, said Claude Stern, an attorney who represented Corel and Mindscape. According to Stern, an attorney at Fenwick & West, the judge ruled that the law proscribing "nonfunctional slack fill" did not apply to software.

Stern added that the ruling was the first time a judge anywhere had considered whether such laws--which are designed to prevent consumers from being mislead by oversized packaging--applied to software. Stern said the ruling was likely to be followed in most other states, which have similar laws on the books.

Internet Field Trip to WINCOM

We are tying to once again have an outing or (field trip if you will) to Wincom which is a Internet Service Provider. There we will get some hands on web surfing and instruction on the that amazing place called internet. This will not be part of a regular Club meeting but a side trip. The night and time of this trip is still not set as of yet, but we need to take names of members interested in attending. There is a limited number of seats as there are only 15 computers and a limit of no more than two at any computer. For more info please contact Larry Ruston