Microsoft's big push into electronic 'books.' (books and encyclopedias on compact disks)

Article Abstract:

Microsoft Corp is moving aggressively into the business of publishing data bases, encyclopedias and other reference materials on compact disks. Other electronic publishers are watching with anxiety, believing that Microsoft might use its dual role, as a developer of software used in producing electronic books and as a publisher, to gain unfair advantages. Others fear the sheer size of Microsoft, which recorded more than $1 billion in sales in 1991. The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC), prompted by similar concerns, is investigating to determine whether Microsoft has unfairly monopolized parts of the computer software industry. Peter Black, president of compact-disk manufacturer Xiphias, expresses his concern in a letter to book publishing executives, warning that publishers should be on guard against Microsoft. Microsoft's Chmn William Gates would not comment on Black's letter, but Gates scoffs at the notion that he wants to dominate electronic publishing.

Computer related services, not elsewhere classified, Publishing industry, Microsoft Corp., Electronic publishing, MSFT, Multimedia technology, Multimedia systems, Databases, CD-ROM, CD-ROM disks, Database, Electronic Publishing Industry, Computer Software Industry, Optical publishing

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Digital Equipment to enter emerging technology field

Article Abstract:

Digital Equipment Corp (DEC) and MasPar Computer Corp, Sunnyvale, CA, will jointly sell software developed by DEC to run on MasPar parallel microprocessors. DEC is the first major computer company to enter the 'massively parallel' market. Massively parallel machines are superfast, high-end computers that use at least 128 microprocessors running in parallel. Maspar's product line includes massively parallel computers using between 1,000 and 14,000 processors and costing between $200,000 and $1 million. Such machines, which have become available in the past five years, are classed as supercomputers. The massively parallel market was estimated at $183 million in 1990, but DEC believes that massive parallelism will become a multibillion-dollar business. DEC hopes to encourage a 'common programming environment' for massively parallel computing.

Electronic computers, Computer industry, Software, Contracts, Digital Equipment Corp., DEC, Parallel processing, Strategic Planning, Cooperative Agreements, Massive Parallelism, Software packages, MasPar Computer Corp.

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