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Tech Speak

Douglas Bailey & Hiawatha Bray, 09/26/96

Intel inside

There's been talk that low-powered, network-based computers could undermine the demand for traditional desktop machines. But corporate America's best-known paranoiac isn't losing any sleep over the idea.

Andrew Grove, president and chief executive of Intel, the world's leading microprocessor firm, says that to run today's high-powered software, network-based computers will still need such brawny microchips as his company's Pentium.

Grove was in town Wednesday to address the Boston College Chief Executives Club and to tout his new book, ``Only the Paranoid Survive.'' He gently rebuffed the views of Larry Ellison, chief executive of the software company Oracle, which plans to introduce a line of network computers equipped with Internet browser software.

Ellison has theorized that such machines could easily replace traditional computers on many desktops, but Grove has his doubts.

``A modern browser today is the size of Windows 95,'' Grove said. ``The idea that you're going to load a browser each time you do an application would make today's computer boot process lightning-fast by comparison.''

Still, a sale is a sale. Grove said that he'll push to have Intel microprocessors inside Oracle's network computers. ``Our business is to sell microprocessors,'' he said.

Oh Mama

Having been a CompuServe subscriber since early 1983, we can't help but mourn the apparent passing of what was once the world's biggest and best on-line service.

To be fair, it is perhaps too early to administer last rites. But clearly, CIS is in the intensive care ward, high on the organ donor waiting list.

This week, company executives said it was pulling back from a planned big bucks advertising and marketing campaign. Instead, it will concentrate on shoring up its subscriber base, which is leaking like a sieve. (We're not among them yet but the clock is ticking).

In the last quarter, CompuServe lost more than 100,000 subscribers as users bypassed the service for the Internet. At the end of July CompuServe had 3.3 million subscribers compared with more than 6 million for America Online. The company said it plans to focus on distributing discs and CD-ROMS of the new version of its CompuServe Information Manager.

We need the eggs

Egghead Software, which built its retail empire selling software in stores, yesterday started hawking its products on the Internet at http://www.

egghead.com.

The company was offering a Web development tool, Java WorkShop, from Sun Microsystems, for an introductory price of $79. After Jan. 1, the product will sell for $295, according to Egghead. Sun typically sells its products through nontraditional channels but yesterday marked the first time Egghead offered products on the Internet.

Egghead said it will have 200 software titles on line by the end of the year but officials say the move won't hurt in-store sales because its on-line site is aimed at Web developers and not regular consumers.

Clean success

Apple Computer Inc.'s latest update to its operating system seems to have given welcome relief to many users, who say the installation ran smoothly, the memory management of their Macs is much improved and the number of errors and/or crashes has diminished.

Still, not everyone's experience was trouble free. For a comprehensive compendium on System 7.5.5 glitches and gripes, go to the Sad Macs Update Page at http://www.

oakland.edu/landau/sadmacs.

DOUGLAS BAILEY

AND HIAWATHA BRAY

This story ran on page d4 of the Boston Globe on 09/26/96.