And not a personal computer in sight: Xerox bobbled a brilliant computer vision in the 70's. It's trying again with 'ubiquitous computing.' (Xerox Corp.'s Palo Alto Research Center)(includes related articles on the history of PARC and on the close linkage planned between PARC and parent company, Xerox) (company profile)

Article Abstract:

Xerox Corp's Palo Alto Research Center (PARC), already a significant entity in computer industry history, is revitalized as a new vision of the future of office computing takes hold. Computers, it is thought, will disappear into the background, but they will be everywhere. Ubiquitous computing will characterize the office of the future, could revolutionize how work in an office is done and would replace today's desktop-computing approach, which has not worked very well. Desktop computers are blamed for many repetitive stress injuries, and desktop machines have not significantly increased productivity. Researchers at PARC believe that the answer involves getting rid of keyboards and replacing them with more convenient office tools such as electronic pencils and pads. Xerox failed to take advantage of PARC's research in the 1980's. Now, Xerox might get a second chance.

Computer and Office Equipment, Computer industry, Technological forecasting, Product development, Industrial productivity, Office automation, Productivity, Strategic Planning, Company Profile, Future of Computing, Xerox Corp. Palo Alto Research Center

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After a domestic shakeout, U.S. drive makers face Japan

Article Abstract:

Dozens of disk-drive companies have started in the San Jose area, in California, and such companies have faced relentless competition to lower costs and improve performance. Last year, 1989, saw a shakeout in the industry. Conner Peripherals, Maxtor Corp, Quantum Corp and Seagate Technology exploited new products and markets, but Micropolis Corp had losses, and Miniscribe Corp and Priam Inc sought bankruptcy protection. Some say the US disk drive industry is vulnerable to Japanese competition. Sony of Japan has already won a significant share of the US market, and analysts say other Japanese competition will enter the market. George Scalise, chairman of Maxtor, suggests a disk-drive research and development consortium to keep the US ahead of Japan. New, smaller products are appearing, and another generation of even tinier drives is expected for 'palm-top' computers.

Innovations, Product information, Disk drives, International competition (Economics), Hard disk drives, Maxtor Corp., MXTR, Industry Analysis, Outlook, Competition, Japanese Competition, Miniaturization, Hard Disk Drive, Winchester Disk, Conner Peripherals Inc., International Business Machines Corp. Almaden Research Center

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New way to store more data; AT&T describes breakthrough in Lab

Article Abstract:

AT&T Bell Laboratories Inc announces a breakthrough in data storage technology that will provide 300 times more storage space than magnetic storage media and 100 times more space than CD-ROM. The new storage technology is similar to currently used magnetic technologies, but utilizes laser light and fiber optics to achieve a data density of up to two billion bits per inch. Potential applications for the data storage technique include high-definition television and other multimedia uses. Bell Laboratories officials believe that usage of the technology will become widespread and could potentially develop into a $40 billion industry. An industry observer notes that while most innovations of this kind occur in Japan, AT&T and Bell Laboratories will be able to give US companies an edge in developing products utilizing the technology.

T, Product introduction, Forecasting, Memory management, Data storage media, Computer storage device industry, Performance improvement (Computers), Lucent Technologies Inc. Bell Laboratories, Applications, Storage Media, New Technique, Storage Capacity, Performance Improvement

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