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Examines the state of electronic commerce in December 1997. Catalog servers, which encourage consumers to shop the Internet; Increase in requests for catalog servers, according to Michael Marquardt of Internet Operations Center, a Detroit, Michigan reseller; The danger of seeing this trend as a gold rush; The extreme programming needed, given the demand; Tools available; Contact information. INSETS: New opportunities.;Catalog-server basics..

Discusses the improvements made to Microsoft's BackOffice as of November 1, 1997. Reactions of resellers; Why resellers see the Windows NT/BackOffice package as an attractive one-stop shopping alternative to buying different applications from different vendors and coping with integration hassles; Details about the BackOffice bundle; A catalyst for growing popularity of BackOffice applications; Development advantages; Vendor contact information. INSETS: Helping Pink Jeep see more green.;New stuff in next BackOffice..

Discusses telephone long-distance rates for businesses. The savings offered by Frame Relay as the universally accepted standard; The savings offered by Internet Protocol (IP); How frame relay moves blocks of data across wide area networks; The evolution of speech quality; Recommendations. INSETS: Saving with frame relay.;Hopping the networks..

Focuses on computer telephony integration (CTI) and how resellers and system integrators are profiting. Boom in corporate CTI; Complexity of CTI; Integration of corporate data store with the CTI system; Small and medium-size businesses opening CTI practices; Comments from many in industry; Future of CTI; Contact points. INSETS: What the major switches offer.;When will JTAPI grow up?..

Cites several instances in the United States when trouble was caused by unreliable software. Ways for software developers to minimize mistakes in delivering a reliable program; Need for a stable design; Division of tasks; Avoiding shortcuts; Reasons for fouling up programming project; Piling on the features; Inadequate testing. INSETS: How to build reliable code, by Oliver Sharp.;Five easy steps toward disaster.;Make quality job 1, by John Montgomery..

Presents the results of a test on 70 color monitors or video display terminals. Image quality rankings; Ease of use; Features; Power consumption; Monitors for general business, spreadsheets and graphics and complex graphics and presentations; Sceptre CC-615GL from Sceptre Technologies Inc.; F560iW from Nanao USA Crop.; NEC Technologies Inc.'s 6FGp; More. INSETS: How to use this guide.;Energy stars burn dimmer.;Two important quality gauges.;Terms.

Rates 50- and 66-Mhz 486DX and 486DX2 systems using DOS, Windows and Unix operating systems. Trends in design; Features, functions and accessories; Model; Ease of use; Price; Winners and runners-up; Advice and recommendations; Manufacturer; Contact information. INSETS: Unsafe at any speed?;How to use this guide.;Made to order.;Disk caches: Where to put your memory.

Discusses the Java Database Connectivity (JDBC) specification released in early 1996. Major relational database management systems (RDBMS) vendors that ship JDBC drivers with their database products, including IBM and Oracle.; The use of Oracle as a primary RDBMS for Web-hosting services by the Internet and New Media Division of systems integrators EDS; Company contact information. INSETS: JDBC driver quartet;What do Java developers want?.

Discusses products designed to improve sales-force automation. The potential of wireless technologies; New hardware and software to allow salespeople access to important information; Wireless phones that are taking the place of computers; Connecting smart phones to Web servers; Unwired Planet's UpLink technology, which is based on handheld device markup language, a knockoff of hypertext markup language.

Reviews Oracle8, with Oracle's data cartridges, implementations of relational database management systems (RDBMS) extensions. Ways in which Oracle has encouraged early cartridge development; Reseller wariness; Step-by-step guide; Contact information.

Focuses on serial real-time communications system (SERCOS). Purpose and advantages of SERCOS; Background on its development; Diagram showing techniques of wireless integration; Drawbacks; Number of companies that offer SERCOS products and systems-integration services. INSET: Help for the SERCOS-challenged..

Opinion. Discusses the use of custom middleware among resellers for the financial industry. Why some resellers are developing unique products to deliver custom and fast-changing information analysis applications; Major trends in the financial community being followed by some resellers; The role of deregulation in the brokerage, banking, and insurance industries; How middleware addresses real-world problems. INSETS: Financial-industry solutions.;Offi-the-shelf..

Explores the reasons why asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) and its connection-oriented approach is more beneficial than the traditional connectionless networks like Ethernet and token ring networks. What the ATM virtual circuit means for bandwidths of transmission; Why there is hope that corporations may yet find use for ATM; LAN emulation specification; Key components of things to consider when specifying ATM switches and adapter cards, as well as software.

Focuses on the integration component of computer telephony integration (CTI). How the hardware, software, and integration techniques for CTI are maturing; The role of end-user applications; The roles of traditional, public, and telephone-switching functions; How CTI applications are becoming more varied.

Introduces a series of articles that describe how to choose the right data warehouse for a business enterprise. Two factors that have combined to help data warehouses proliferate, which are the recognition of the benefits of on-line analytical processing (OLAP), and more powerful server hardware and software as a result of the growth of client/server computing; Other details.

Introduces three stories in the November 1996 issue of `Byte' magazine concerning three different microprocessor designs for the desktop CPU market. Sun's Java chips; The chips designed by Intel; The efforts of PowerPC alliance.

Introduces a series of articles on asynchronous transfer modes (ATM). Why in 1996 and beyond ATM is worthy of consideration for near-term networking strategies; Changes in switches and adapter cards; Availability of hardware; Problem of the lack of a standard Application Programming Interface (API).

Looks at the development of eye tracking systems for use as input devices for computers. Benefits of eye tracking; Eye tracking as the start of noncommand interfaces; Basic components of eye tracking systems.

Looks at the possible evolution of graphical user interfaces (GUIs) for software. Combination of the best aspects of GUIs and Web browsers in developing GUIs; Addition of virtual reality (VR) features; Interactive dialogue between computer and user with eye-tracking technology.

Focuses on the use of the narrowband Personal Communications Services (NPCS) for two-way paging. SkyTel NPCS network; Motorola's Tango paging device; American Paging Co.'s American Paging.

Focuses on cellular phones with built-in modems. Air Communications' AirCommunicator; AirGo Communications' Phone System; Pacific Communications Sciences Inc.'s PAL phone.

Explains the concept of agents and intelligent software used in solving and facilitating human tasks and problems. Interoperability as the greatest potential of autonomous software; Agent software ability to establish a lingua franca for the network to enable full-featured program exchange between computers; Differences in agent software implementation and other computer programs.

Informs about the latest developments in computerized facial recognition, speech and character recognition and handwriting recognition.

Offers suggestions for computer users who need a computer printer for presentations output. Print quality most important issue; Speed also an important consideration; Black-and-white high-quality output with laser printers; Prices; Types of printers to consider for color output; QMS 860 offers top speed and quality; Low-cost Epson Stylus 800; Canon BJC-800 the best color printer; More. INSETS: Trust your eye.;The problem of color..

Presents a chart of the features of 126 printers tested by the `Byte' Lab. Manufacturer and printer model; Speed; Quality rating; Price; How to get more information; Byte Best winners include Mannesmann Tally Corp.'s MT 360, Epson America Inc.'s ActionLaser 1000, Hewlett-Packard Co.'s LaserJet 4M and others.

Discusses the issues a computer user should consider when buying a printer for graphic arts jobs. Types of graphics output printers are used for; Color needs; Guidelines for balancing resolution, color capability and cost; LaserMaster Unity 1200XL the best overall printer; Epson Stylus 800 the lowest-price printer; Dataproducts Jolt PS the best color printer; More. INSETS: New from XLI: High res, low price.;Does your printer need a hard disk?.

Presents an overview of a `Byte' guide to 126 printers. Tests of the printers designed to help users pick the best one depending on what kind of printing they do; Recommendation criteria; How to use the guide; Essential components of ink-jet, dot-matrix and laser printers; Details.

Discusses the issues to be considered when choosing a printer for word processing jobs. What printers for word processing should be capable of; Trends in word processing printers; Comparing speed and print quality; Confusing nature of the two types of resolution available; Hewlett-Packard LaserJet 4M best overall for speed and quality; Low-cost Epson Stylus 800; QMS 860 offers highest print quality; More. INSET: Are built-in fonts better?.

Discusses computer telephony integration (CTI). CTI servers that work with a PBX; New ways to wall off or encapsulate telephone switches; Xantel's Connex server, which captures communication and routes voice to the PBX and all other data to a TCP/IP local area network (LAN); Benefits of this set up; Attempts to make the PBX part of a centralized service center.

Reviews the computer software The Cartoon History of the Universe. Price; Vendor contact point.

Focuses on the use of components in computer software. Comments from David A. Fisher; Goals of National Institute of Standards & Technology's program.

Evaluates IBM's ThinkPad 701C subnotebook. Split keyboard offered; Use of Intel 486DX2/50 processor; Closest competitor; Advantages offered by the split keyboard feature; Screen features; Audio and telephony features.

Presents a procedure for evaluating CD-ROM drives. Consideration of sequential throughput, random access; CPU utilization, text searching and video playback; Determination of ease of installation.

Discusses the criteria used in testing several Pentium-based computers with speeds ranging from 60 to 100 MHz. Performance; Configuration; Ease of use. INSET: Ease of use..

Discusses the criteria used by `Byte' magazine in its evaluation of Ethernet adapters. Requirement; Performance; Application tests; Usability.

Features `Byte' magazine's criteria in testing printers in its May 1994 issue. Performance; Print quality; Features; Test configuration; Contributors.

Evaluates the TravelMate portable computer from Texas Instruments. Description; Features; Price.

Discusses issues computer owners should consider when purchasing a printer for CAD applications. Wide-range of output devices required; Individual requirements for each CAD application; Importance of paper size; Color printers; QMS 860 the best overall CAD printer; Epson Stylus 800 the lowest-priced computer; Okidata ML 590 the best color printer; Details.

Discusses the issues a computer owner should consider when buying a portable printer. For use with a notebook computer; Size and speed considerations; Printing methods; Lexmark IBM 4070 IJ the best overall portable printer; Eastman Kodak Diconix 701 P the lowest-priced printer; More.

Discusses issues a computer user should consider when buying a printer for workgroups. Laser printers; Ease with which the printer can switch emulations; Emulation-sensing technology; Identifying print jobs; High price of network printers; HP LaserJet 4Si MX the best overall network printer; Dataproducts LZR 1560 the lowest-priced printer; More. INSET: How to connect your network printer..

Describes some good and bad features of computer output printers tested by the `Byte' Lab. User-friendly features of the HP LaserJet 4M; Samsung Finale 8000's manual; Paper tray on the Sharp JX-9600PS; Difficulties in adding memory to the Panasonic KX-P4430; Drawbacks of the Seikosha America LT 20's manual; Details.

Discusses the issues computer users should consider when buying a printer for spreadsheet output. Ability to handle oversize paper; Flattering hard copy; Benefits of laser printers; Epson ActionLaser 1000 the best overall printer; Canon BJ-200 lowest priced; More.

Discusses the issues a computer user should consider before buying a printer for desktop publishing programs' output. Print quality the most important consideration; Speed; Why only PostScript printers should be considered; QMS 860 offers best overall print quality and speed; Low-cost Epson Stylus 800; Typeset-quality output from the LaserMaster Unity 1200XL.

Answers questions about Windows printer drivers that computer users should consider before purchasing one. When a Windows driver is necessary; Where to find an updated driver; Problems with a variety of drivers; Importance of trying all Windows printer drivers before choosing one; Details. INSET: Separated at birth?.

Discusses the type of printer needed to produce multipart inventory reports, invoices or shipping labels. Dot-matrix printer required; Speed and efficient paperfeed mechanism necessary; Other requirements; Prices; Mannesmann Tally MT 360 printer offers highest speed; Okidata ML 590 the lowest-priced printer for multipart forms; More.

Describes the nine tests that comprised the `Byte' Lab's printer test suite for speed and quality of computer printers. Each test designed for a specific purpose; Performance tests including text tests, a graphics test and font-rendering test; Print quality tests; Features and usability tests; `Byte' Printer Benchmarks configurations.

Offers a look at how the `Byte' Lab built a testing facility and conducts computer evaluations. `Byte' the first to develop benchmarks to rate computer performance; New versions of test suites upcoming; Technical expertise of testing editors; Importance of application-level testing; New format for keeping readers informed of the `Byte' Lab's testing methods and technological issues.