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NCR ceased production of its much anticipated Warehouse Manager inventory control software, which is designed to monitor thousands of units in large inventories, to allow engineers to examine and work out major bugs. NCR said the system, which was to keep prices up-to-date, issue warnings when inventory is low, bring up inventories within seconds and balance books monthly, was not adequately tested and did not function as expected in actual business settings. Of the 40 $180,000 Warehouse Manager packages NCR sold, not one worked as expected. Over 2,000 lawsuits are pending against NCR, including one filed by industrial hardware supplier Hopper Specialty Co of NM. Hopper Specialty was looking at inventory-centered software packages and Warehouse Manager's salient feature was that its decisive components such as hardware, software and terminals would be serviced under NCR's auspices.

There have been a number of computer-related products that looked promising at the time of their introduction but soon proved technological failures. One such product was Apple's first microcomputer, the Apple Lisa, named after the founder's daughter. Lisa was introduced in 1983 and offered an easy-to-use interface and outstanding graphics. The system, however, processed data slowly and was priced too high at $10,000. Apple further developed the system and eventually introduced its popular Apple Macintosh microcomputer. Sharp Electronics introduced its Wizard electronic organizer in 1988 and was beset by complaints from users about the systems' tiny input keys and untraditional keyboard layout. The company has since redesigned the keyboard and added more memory to the product. One computer-related breakthrough that probably will not be commercially used in the future is the Dvorak keyboard. The Dvorak keyboard speeds up typing, but faces stiff opposition to users accustomed to the qwerty keyboard layout.

Hand-held data communicators receive a restrained reception from users. Apple's Newton MessagePad sold 50,000 units in the first month, but sales have since dropped to about 7,500 units a month. AT and T's Eo device has been selling at only 1,000 units a month since Mar 1993, and the Tandy/Casio Zoomer has experienced weak sales as well. Technologists and marketers claim that the companies producing these personal digital assistants (PDA) are selling technically flawed, expensive devices that lack essential abilities, such as wireless communication. Apple's John Sculley hyped the Newton for a year before shipping the device, causing inflated expectations among customers. The engineers of the Eo device incorrectly assumed that users would want to enter large amounts of data with a stylus rather than a keyboard. The handwriting-recognition software has proved problematic for both Apple and AT and T.

A legal niche is forming as computer technology becomes more pervasive. There are more opportunities for clients to seek damages from malfunctioning computer systems, since computer technology is used for an increasing number of purposes. Car accidents, medical misdiagnosis and incorrect accounting and inventory lists are some ramifications of failing computer systems. The opportunity for technology to malfunction is greater now than it was in the early 1980s, according to computer-litigation specialist Clyde 'Buzz' H. Wilson, Jr. Boston plaintiffs' lawyer Bruce Bierhans thinks that the majority of litigation is going to center on computer performance in the 21st century. Most cases now involve companies blaming faulty software for lost profits.

The computer industry often ships faulty initial versions of software and hardware that have bugs or problems, despite the wide use of beta testing. When the first versions of new products are released, they usually possess the number zero at the end of the official title. Users would be wise to wait until a second or third version is released, usually indicated by a version number 1.1, 1.0a or 1.01. The consumer demand for new products may have caused software publishers and hardware vendors to rush the development of new products. Some users may not know that the problem they experience can be fixed with an update or maintenance release, but most companies will offer free bug-free versions if requested.

Software programs are often conceived in the spirit of innovation, but emerge as useless expenditures for consumers. Lightyear Inc's $500 Lightyear program was supposed to help workers make difficult decisions. Users input various factors of their decision and the computer produces bar graphs analyzing the user's feelings toward the decision. Launfal Software's Win-A-Lot! product was designed to help users win the California lottery with a mathematical formula. The Puma RS Computer Shoe contained a microchip that users' home computers could read after they finished jogging. Harvard psychologist Timothy Leary's Mind Mirror lets users travel through an 'interactive odyssey' and 'rock out at the Punk Rock Bar.' Softsync Inc's $30 The Computer Mechanic was designed to help auto neophytes determine the source of their auto problems. Additional software titles are discussed.

Apple Offers Free Case To Prevent Powerbook Battery Damage 04/02/92 CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 APR 2 (NB) -- Apple says it is offering a free case to protect the replaceable […]

DSC ISSUES ANOTHER RELEASE ON ITS STP PROBLEMS 07/15/91 DALLAS, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1991 JUL 15 (NB) -- DSC Communications, still trying to put the best face on a bad situation, […]