Subject: COMDEX Report #1 From: rickk@edge.ercnet.com (Rick Koelz) Date: Tue, 25 Apr 1995 02:04:54 -0500

Sender: owner-online-news@marketplace.com
Precedence: bulk
Status: RO
X-Status: A

COMDEX/Windows World #1

I have been inspired by Tom Vassos and Jacqueline Fortin's reports from Web
World to try to do a report from COMDEX and Windows World.

COMDEX Atlanta isn't as big as Las Vegas but it's big enough, almost too
big... over 100,000 attendees, 1,100 companies in 5,000 booth units.  It
takes days to "see" this show.

But, before we get to the show floor... you get a name badge in the mail
but you have to get a plastic badge holder before you can get in the
show... long lines.  With your badge holder you get a 400 page printed
guide and two diskettes from FolioVIEWS containing the Program & Exhibits
Guide (Windows version that won't wrk on my PowerBook).

The keynote speaker today was Bert Roberts, Chairman and CEO of MCI... I
didn't get there in time to attend that session but the major announcement
coming out of that session was MCI's venture with the National Science
Foundation launching a very high speed Backbone Network Service (vBNS)
between the nation's five leading supercomputing centers... sounds like
Internet II to me.  Bill Gates is the keynote speaker tomorrow, I'll be
sure to make that one.

Windows World is about 40 percent of the show, I spent almost all my time
today walking the floor in that area. The three biggest booths there are
Microsoft, Novell and Lotus. Microsoft's booth/area is the size of a
football field.... two large presentation areas that were filled at every
session I saw.  Windows 95 (W95) overview about every two hours.

There was a 15 minute session on the Microsoft Network (MSN)... most of
this presentation was about the Internet part of the network that will be
out "by the end of the year". MSN is an integrated part of W95 and the
Internet is an integrated part of MSN... very easy to use, hard to tell
where the operating system stops and MSN or Internet starts... It's gonna
be hard to beat when it arrives... very easy to use.  Another interesting
feature of MSN is an online clip art database... search for the piece of
art you need and drag it to your desktop... Oh, by the way, that will be 25
cents added to your bill.  If you don't have the Encarta CD ROM, don't
worry you can execute the one that's on the MSN and it looks and acts just
like it was in you machine. W95 with Microsoft Network is going to change
the way online services are used and it's seamless integration into the
operating system is going to be a real advantage for MSN.

Microsoft announced Microsoft Plus!, a companion software package for the
W95 operating system designed to enhance the look and performance of W95
based PCs. It also includes a bonus Internet Jumpstart Kit. Microsoft Plus!
contains System Agent technology and disk utilities that work behind the
scenes to keep the user's PC running at peak performance... described as
"mag wheels and chrome trim for W95".

Microsoft also demonstrated CD Plus (looks like "plus" is going to be the
new buzz word, at least for Microsoft). CD Plus is a new CD form(at) that
combines CD audio and CD data... They showed/played a Bob Dylan CD that,
when inserted in a W95 PC, played the audio and offered several text
options at the same time - liner notes, biography, words to songs, etc.
These CDs play just like normal on standard CD players.

I spent some time looking at Novell's GroupWare products.  In additions to
their GroupWise product (previously Wordperfect Office) they have
resurrected In Forms... it jumped from version 1.3 to 4.1.  The GroupWare
set also includes the new version of Collabra Share.  I don't think they
bought the company, but the product is in a Novell logo box.  Looks like
these GroupWare products are going to try to take on Lotus Notes.

The items given out at booths or presentations are always interesting.
Novell is giving out 8 oz. bottles of Mt. Olympus Spring Water to those who
sit through their presentations. Interchange Computing (Ziff-Davis/ATT
online service) is giving out beta versions of it's software interface to
it's service. Microsoft is giving out a preview video tape of its W95
TrainCast series. SusTeen Inc. is handing out bags to hold the stuff you
pickup during the show... the problem is that these bags are about two feet
wide and anyone who has one is bumping into everyone around them (reminds
me of a Three Stooges routine)... they are too big to use, would be like
carrying a footlocker around on a strap... bad idea.

MCI announced a new version of its networkMCI BUSINESS, which  includes
messageMCI, infoMCI, conferenceMCI and internetMCI.  So far MCI wins the
prize for the most unique booth - an 18 wheel truck.  Oddly enough, the
booths here are so big this one is dwarfed by its neighbors... The area
around the truck is a collection of one-on-one demo stations that are not
identified and poorly staffed... The truck can hold about 10 to 15 people
at once (hands-on demos of networkMCI) which is too small for a show with
100,000 attendees.

I saw a nice new personal color ink jet printer by Epson... called the
Stylus COLOR Ink Jet Printer.  Prints at 720 and 360 dpi, and is "out of
the box" ready for PC or Mac. Costs about $500.

NaviSoft is conducting hands-on demos of its browser, InternetWorks.  This
is the browser that America Online is going to use.  The demos use AOL. The
beta version is available from BookLink Tech or online
(ftp://ftp.booklink.com/beta).

I got to see a demo of Microsoft's Bob... awful simple... too simple to try
to use in a business environment.

There's lot's more, but I've gotta quit now and get some sleep.  I want to
be wide awake for Bill Gates tomorrow!  I'll send you more tomorrow,
hopefully.



From owner-online-news@marketplace.com Fri May  5 23:28:53 1995
Received: from marketplace.com by cnj.digex.net with SMTP id AA16815
  (5.67b8/IDA-1.5 for ); Fri, 5 May 1995 23:28:49 -0400
Received: (from majordom@localhost) by marketplace.com (8.6.12/8.6.12) id TAA07627 for online-news-outgoing; Fri, 5 May 1995 19:12:19 -0600
Received: from mail02.mail.aol.com (mail02.mail.aol.com [152.163.172.66]) by marketplace.com (8.6.12/8.6.12) with ESMTP id TAA07621 for ; Fri, 5 May 1995 19:12:16 -0600