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Focuses on the PCI Hot Plug Specification. Expected availability date; Overview of the system; Purpose of the standard; Elements of the standard.

Features the Zoomer and Newton Personal Digital Assistants (PDA). Capabilities; Applications; Compatibility; Price and availability. INSETS: Zoomer programs mix text and ink seamlessly.;Handwriting recognition at a glance.;Psion speaks out on PDAs, by D.A..

Reports on the efforts to make the screens on notebook computers better in the late 1990s. The way manufacturers can make the screens bigger without increasing the overall width of the computer; The need of stronger plastic which can support the screen's glass covering.

Discusses the Intel Pentium II processor that brings Pentium II power to portable personal computers (PC). Results from tests of several notebooks with the 266-MHz version of the central processing unit (CPU); The agreement of Donnie Oliphant, product marketing manager for Dell's Portable Development Group, that prices for notebook components are declining.

Discusses the results of a survey of Java users that suggests that users place a high value on the computer language's multiplatform capabilities. Level of interest in tools that make Java Beans; What platforms develop and run on.

Discusses the results of a survey of information technology professionals concerning the adoption of network computers (NC). Reasons why some IT professionals do not want to adopt NCs; Factors which make NCs attractive to others; Why it is important to some that workstations be actual personal computers; The importance of the server being able to access Windows applications.

Looks at the legal battles between Sun Microsystems Inc. and Microsoft Corp. over the Java platform. Details of Sun's suit against Microsoft; Microsoft's countersuit; Why Sun is being unfair to Microsoft in that other companies are doing the same thing that Sun is suing Microsoft for; How the battles could actually help the platform.

Discusses microprocessors for Internet-access modems which will make life easier for Internet service providers (ISP). The chips to deliver more communications power in a smaller and cheaper package; The ADSP-21mod870 chip from Analog Devices.

Evaluates the microprocessor WinChip C6, by Centaur. Results of benchmark tests.

Discusses various laptop computers which have been designed for greater power and portability. Categories of mini-notebooks, thin notebooks, and ultrathin notebooks. Toshiba Libretto 70; Hitachi PC Mini-Note; IBM ThinkPad 560X; Mitsubishi Pedion; Weight in pounds; Dimensions; Display size, measured diagonally; Maximum hard drive and random-access memory (RAM); Peripherals; Starting price.

Evaluates the computer Power Macintosh 9600/350, by Apple Computer Inc. Suggestion that the computer performs well thanks to its 350-MHz PowerPC 604e central processing unit (CPU), faster cache and other improvements; Features; Price; Results from Photoshop tests comparing the Apple Power Mac 9600/350 to others; Preview of the PowerPC 750.

Reports on thin servers, also known as network drives or direct-attached storage devices. The features and capabilities of the servers; The benefits of the thin servers being a new type of network-ready-storage products; How the servers are used; Such servers at Creative Design Solution's Plug & Stor.

Informs that Microsoft, Compaq, Intel, and more than 40 other companies expect to finalize the Virtual Interface Architecture (VIA) specification in 1997. Explanation of the specification; Goals of VIA; Microsoft to support VIa in the second version of its Wolfpack clustering technology; VIA to be compatible with asynchronous transfer mode (ATM), Ethernet, Fibre Channel, and other network architectures.

Looks at Microsoft's personal computer (PC) known as the NetPC. How NetPCs differ from PCs; The role of Zero Administration for Windows (ZAW); The goal to reduce the cost of PC ownership; Placement of power management into the operating system; Devices such as OnNow. INSET: The four varieties of Windows PCs..

Focuses on new tools which are becoming available to Web site development teams. The assertion that first generation tools did not address Webmaster's needs; How applications were built in the past; Survey information about the types of employees who make up Web development teams in the late 1990s; Information about Astra, from Mercury Interactive; Views of the senior product manager for tools at Netscape; Microsoft's FrontPage 97.

Looks at the development of call-avoidance software. The software's design to help computer users solve their computer problems by publishing answers on the Web; The amount of money that calls to technical support costs companies; The difficulty in trying to anticipate caller questions when programming; How averting even a small percentage of problems would be an improvement; Other details.

Reports on the plans of Intel to prepare low-cost desktop versions of its Pentium Pro. Code of names of the new processors; Competitors of Intel; Challenges to overcome before the Pentium Pro can make the transition to mass-market desktop personal computers. INSET: Four paths to a less expensive Pentiuim Pro..

Evaluates the first $500 network personal computers (PC). ViewCall America of Atlanta, Georgia, which is field-testing about 1000 network devices called Webster; Criticism and praise that the devices, also known as Web PCs, have received.

Focuses on the slated launching of personal computers (PC) with Intel Corp.'s P6 microprocessor. Significance to PC vendors of Intel's position as a supplier of P6 motherboards; P6 motherboard plans by Intergraph and Hewlett-Packard.

Informs about the introduction of Mac OS-compatible systems in the computer market and looks into the strategies of the companies releasing the Mac clones. Use of different technology for different systems; Information about the various Mac clones. INSET: Mac clone vendors at a glance..

Features the Notes computer software. Server versions available; Capabilities and features; Observations regarding the software. INSET: Notes' strengths and weaknesses..

Discusses the emergence of a new group of communications products designed to improve the efficiency of telecommuters and mobile workers. Wildfire Electronic Assistant, which consists of intelligent communications software running on Pentium-class computer; MSX intelligent switching system from Priority Call Management; MobileWare software for LAN access.

Focuses on business process reengineering (BPR) computer programs. Process-mapping applications; Features; Applications; Feedback from industry executives.

Reports on International Business Machines (IBM) Corp.'s release of a beta version of its upgraded OS/2 for Windows. Target users; Features; Capabilities; Functionality; System performance; Product support; IBM's customization of its operating system for different markets; Use of OS/2 operating system by independent software developers for their products; Questions regarding OS/2.

Focuses on digital signal processors (DSP) in personal computers. Physical description; Functions; Microsoft's software architecture for Windows; Debut of Motorola's PC Media development platform; User benefits; Intricacies of DSP platforms. INSET: TI's breakthrough DSP, by Tom R. Halfhill..

Features the development of Pentium microprocessors by Intel Corp. Price reduction of Intel's 66-megaHertz Pentium processor; Operation frequency of the DX4/100 processor; Capabilities and applications of the Intel 80x86 processor, code-named P6; Schedule of introduction; Processor development of other companies; Factors influencing the pricing of the processors; Forecast on enterprise-computing application.

Features Microsoft Corp.'s Windows Chicago. Positioning as a universal client; Services implemented; Beta testing of the product.

Reports on the 100-Mbps Ethernet competition. IEEE 802.3 committee's decision to proceed with two separate and competing proposals; The 100BaseVG proposal's discarding the traditional Ethernet's CSMA/CD data-transmission technique; Second proposal supported by 17 companies; Grand Junction's FastSwitch; Advice to network administrators; Projected increase in Ethernet installations.

Reports on Apple Computer's decision to support Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) local-bus architecture. Inclusion of PCI expansion capabilities in PowerPC systems; Supplanting of Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) VL-Bus as standard; Effect on peripheral vendors; Release of QuickRing compatible PCI cards; Phaseout of NuBus systems.

Discusses Microsoft's development of a 32-bit version of MS-DOS, codenamed Chicago, which will tightly integrate it with Windows. Goals of the combined DOS/Windows operating system; How Microsoft plans to evolve DOS into Windows; Implications for Microsoft's Windows NT; More.

Reports on Digital Equipment Corp.'s (DEC) first Alpha `PC' system, the Alpha AXP PS. Tower system; Price range; Performance compared to Intel Pentium-based systems; Desktop systems to be released later in 1993; DEC's focus on high-end PC market; Little Alpha-specific design incorporated in the PCs; Benefits of supporting Intel's future PCI bus; More.

Reports the future release of the full Messaging Applications Programming Interface (MAPI) specifications by Microsoft. Statements by various manufacturer representatives; MAPI Software Development Kit (SDK); Integration into Microsoft operating systems; Compliance with X.400 Applications Programming Interface Association (XAPIA); Multiplatform API; Electronic-messaging gateway from Phoenix Systems.

Reports on the efforts of companies such as Laptop Lane and Nortel to provide Internet and business related computer access at airports. Description of Laptop Lanes; Price; The ability to access the Internet through public telephones.

Suggests that the Linux operating system may have a consistent graphical user interface that is easy for even computing novices to use. The problems with graphical versions of Linux and Linux applications, according to Marc Ewing, director of development at Red Hat Software.

Discusses the demand for computer experts in 1998. How the rapid pace of technological development in the computer industry is increasing the demand for people who can use and maintain that technology; Expectations that the acquisition of new technology will increase; Predictions about the number of information technology jobs unfilled by the end of the year.

Presents two graphs showing the top uses for the Internet and for the World Wide Web among small and mid-sized companies in 1997. The growing percentage of companies using the Internet.

Looks at Hewlett-Packard's communications protocol called JetSend. Features and capabilities.

Focuses on thin client computing. Microsoft's Bill Gates acknowledging that customers wants a thin client that is very simple; Microsoft and Citrix collaborating on adding support for Windows terminals to a future version of NT; Operating systems in which WinFrame clients are available.

Presents results of tests of a 300-MHz Pentium II-based personal computer. The tests using a precommercial Tyan Tahoe 2 ATX dual-processor motherboard equipped with the 300-MHz central processing unit (CPU); How the computer ran compared to those with lower MHz.

Spotlights the near-field recording mass-storage technology being developed by theTerastor company. Their expected marketing of various products from this technology in early 1998; How near-field recording works; The prediction that it will replace a host of storage media currently used for a variety of applications, including tape or archiving.

Announces that the amount of venture capital invested in high-technology firms rose to approximately $5 billion in 1996. The firms that attracted the most attention; The firms that have fallen out of favor; Best bet for start-up ventures.

Opinion. Looks at Millennia Software's Email Reader. Its features and capabilities; Price; Contact point.

Opinion. Looks at the DeLorme Tripmate Hyperperformance CPS Navigation device. Features and capabilities; Price; Contact point.

Looks at the response to `Byte' magazine's survey on data warehouse projects. Evidence that data cleansing and coordination among various departments are the most difficult tasks in a project; The need to plan properly and determine what users need.

Discusses an upcoming Internet calendaring and scheduling standard that is on the horizon at the beginning of 1997. Work on a standard which will let certain people browse other people's calendars, schedule meetings and view the open time slots that an individual or organization has; Work of the Internet Engineering Task Force.

Discusses problems with 56-Kbps modem technologies, focusing on one from Rockwell Semiconductor Systems. Rockwell's plan to take advantage of the Public Switched Telephone Network's (PSTN) shift toward becoming a digital network; Problems with equalization and overhead in T1 lines; Questions about standards; Other companies working on similar technologies, including Lucent Technologies, US Robotics and Motorola.

Looks at cybrid CD-ROMs from the Graphix Zone as a possible holiday gift in 1996. The combination of multimedia elements with links to related on-line Web sites; Herbie Hancock Presents Living Jazz; Willie: The Life and Music of Willie Nelson; Bob Marley: Soul Almighty; Contact point; Price; Features.

Reports that Microsoft plans to release an operating system (OS) called Windows CE in the fall of 1996. Windows CE being the OS for hand-held devices; The look and feel of Windows 95; The specifics about Windows CE; The potential cost of Windows CE; Listing of Windows CE highlights. INSET: Windows CE highlights.

Announces that multidimensional-database product vendors are improving their programs' abilities to deliver enterprise-level data analysis. Multidimensional DBMS (MDDBMS) use of specialized data structures; Aggregation of data and its results; Challenging assumptions of large-scale on-line analytical-processing (OLAP) applications. INSETS: OLAP tools tackle tackle bigger tasks;yeah, but. . ..

Discusses the Cyrix 6x86-P200t, Dell Dimension XPS P200s, and Dell Dimension XPS P90c processors. Comparisons between the three models; Tests in application performance with Cyrix being the leader.