1998 06 canadian computer wholesaler by The Computer Paper

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'According to the Dataquest June 6, 1997 reporl Accton sold 11,359.000 switch ports resualng In a worldwide marketshare of 30.3%. Accton Technology Corporation. 6 Hughes, Irvlne, CA 92616 USA. 71 4-707-2300, FAX 714-707-2460. Cl 1998 Acclon Technology Corporation. Ag rights reserved.

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E DIT O R ' S D E S K

The pocket is the computer? When we were all just a p u ting strength. For our picks of notable shade younger, comput- e n try PCs, see this issue's CCW Lab Test ers were enormous and on page 34. remote — locked away Teleworkers also need serious sup in "glass houses" in cor- port. Technology support by its very nature porations, sheltered by can seem asomewhat thanklessjob — at large MIS departments, and soothed by best, users are unhappy because they' ve heavy-duty cooling systems. encountered problems with their technolo Of course, today we don't think twice gy. But never underestimate the power of about shoving powerful computers into our positive support. Users who have their briefcasesorour very pockets,taking masproblems handled skillfully, sensitively and sivecomputing power with uswhereverwe quickly can be rapidly transformed into the go. And while polyester and corduroy may epitomized "satisfied customers." Sadly, sadly be making a comeback, the old ways this industry still has a lot of work to do on of central ized, location-bound computing this front. See our special feature on sernever will. vice by contributor Paul Lima: "A Question M oreover, the near-future is destined of Service," page 28. to be just as revolutionary as the near-past. Like most technophiles, many of the But it doesn't take a crystal ball to catch the editors at Canada Computer Paper Inc. are main themes: faster, smaller, more power- rather fascinated technology-wise, with all ful,more pervasive. things smalL On any given day, expect to The over-flogged slogans of t he see us toying with some sort of computing industry leaders echo and herald this trend. device that fits into a briefcase, a purse or a Consider: "Information at your fingertips," pocket. This issue's hardware feature "The networkis the computer," "Where do focuses on handhelds and PDAs. (Please you want to go today?" The phrases may be see "A foothold for the handhelds?" on trite, but the reality is: Computing isn't just page 20, by Associate Editor Jeff Evans.) We' re not alone in our interest in the cate key to our infrastructure, it's well on its gory. I'm amazed to see the number of gen way to becoming integrated into nearly every facet of our lives. eral citizens proudly sporting some sort of This technology is enabling societal handheld computer these days, particularly trends such as telecommuting, or more the Palm Pilot. And with such enthusiasm! aptly perhaps — telework. I had the privi- Their fervency nears only that of the Mac lege of introducing Bob Fortier, president devotees in their heyday. I' ve pondered the of the Canadian Telework Association, at warmth of Palm owners to the line and can the recent Convergence '98 show in only attribute it to an appreciation of a gen Calgary. He defines telework as: "employ- uinely useful computingdevice, further ees performing part or all of their work warmed by the still-undeniable "neat-o from remote locations, usually from factor. What other computer neatly doubles home." According to Statistics Canada, as a Star Trek tricorder? (I'm not kidding more than one million Canadians already you can download the program, complete with telltale beeps!) qualify; and that number is expected to But I don't rule out the Windows CE jump to 1.5 million by 2001. Fortier said half of the jobs in the nation are at least platform. User-friendly enhancements are partly "teleworkable." arriving in the second version of the operThe positive aspects of telework for ating system, and demonstrated thought is employees include flexible hours, freedom going into some of the new products There's still a battle raging in the of residence, less commuting, potential tax benefits, reduced childcare costs and more minds of consumers, pitting power against time with family. Organizations report size and weight. Someday miniaturization more productivity and better morale from will virtually eliminate the idea of trade off' on this front. Meanwhile, it's fascinatemployees,as w ellas reduced overhead. These workers are demanding sophis- ing to watch the manufacturers struggle to ticated technology, in the form of process- deliver the optimal mix of function and ing power, capable peripherals and fast, form. reliable communications connections. Enjoy the issue. ~+ Even the so-called "entry-level" systems Grace Casselman are quiteremarkable for their sheer comEditor 6

CA N A DIAN COMPUTER WHOLESALER June 1998 t t t pgtwwwccwmagcom

Publisher J. David Ritter PubllshomJudy Prangs Harl Singh Khalsa Editor Grace Casselmao (gracee@nemom.ce) Assoc!etc Editor Jeff Evans (jeff@tcpou.corn) l~,-:~ LnbTest Soon Carruthers

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Cintrihuling Wdhm 6 ~ M nett Douglas Gray Stephen Ibaraki Glean J~

GagmanMsrtel Michele McLean Chris Punnett David Tanska

Paul Weinberg Alan Zisman u Stell Sherly Ho Kariu Hsrtwig Jane Kolar Salas Nlonsger Jamie Leighton tcp.ca) (j ernie'@ Controller Linda Lovegrove Accounting Farida Mi Circulation Kbn J Founders Kent. , Chen LiD

ian Computer~ i aler published 12 times a y'ear by Canada Computer Paper Inc Tatoato Nfice

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Fnn subscription to qualincd individuals, tele per year fm ao qualified subsnibers Content s ofCanadian Con@uterWholesaler subjectto copynght,I Material and advertising designed by Canadian Conepute WAolesakr in aliis publication may not le repmduced ia any fere without permission. An rights reservel The opinions expressedia aticles are aot accessarily those of the publisher. Mated in Canada postage paid in vaaoauver B.C 1267698

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L ETT E R S

Fnjitsu IS a player! I was quite disappointed when looking at CCW's April '98 printer feature (page 24), and not seeing Fujitsu listed as one of "The Players." In fact, Fujitsu PrintPartner lasers have received Editor's Choice awards and accolades from two of your sister publications — The ComputerPaper and TorontoComputes. Our products enjoy a reputation for quality and reliability, beginning with the Fujitsu workhorse dot matrix printer family, one of the leading Canadian brands for more than 10 years. Our PrintPartner laser printers continue this tradition, and have quickly become recognized for their attractive price-performance, as well as offering one of the lowest costs of ownership in their category. With even faster and more feature-rich lasers on the horizon, we expect to be a player for many years to come. Irving Frydman national manager, marketing communications Fujitsu Canada Inc. Mississauga, Ont. ifrydman©fuji tsu.ca •

Windows 98can'tbeatthe Mac OS I just read [Alan Zisman'sl column(" Windows 99: A step up, but modestlyso," CCW April, page 52.). Once again, Microsoft is s-I-o-w-I-y improving its operating system, and is also getting farther behind Apple innovations, and real improvement: Mac OS 8.1. Why do peoplew rite somuch aboutaW indows

Don't take customers for granted Iwantedto drop you a note to thank you forthe excellent article"Building Customer Relationships" (CCW January, by Monte Kerr, page 50). I recently started a new VAR business in Abbotsford, B.C., and canattesttothetruththatthe onlywayto compete in this environment is to be extremely cus-

system "update" when there is so little to talk about? You didn't write about the "new" support for multiple displays. You probably already know that this has existed on the Macintosh for a long time. The first Mac I worked on was a llx — with two monitors. This was 10 years ago! Anyway, I totally switched to Macintosh a couple of years ago and since that time, I spend a lot more time using and enjoying the Mac, rather than trying to make a Windows-based machine work

tomer-oriented. This philosophy should be a self-evident truth butwhen you look around atthe variousVARs and computer retailers out there (I won't name names) it's amazing how often the customer is taken for granted.Hopefully our business can take advantage of this need in the marketplace and carve out a niche for ourselves.

properly with a cheesy operating system. But

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again, nobody writes about that.

Michel Dalpe graphi c designer Montreal

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Todd Sauder FulcrumTechnologies Abbotsford, B.C.

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http/Avwwccwmag.ccm June 1998 CANADIAN COMPUTER WHOLESALER 7

I NDU S T RY F L A S H

Sun Microsystems files two inju nctions against Microsoft (NB) — Saying company experts have just finished examining Microsoft's latest implementation of Java in Windows 98, Sun Microsystems Inc.announced requests for two preliminary injunctions based on alleged violations of a Java licensing agreement. Rather than prevent Microsoft from shipping Windows 98, Sun wants Microsoft to

SAtu delivers "fixed cost" 16-week solution SAP Canada Inc., a provider of client/server, business applications for enterprises, is offering a packaged version of its technology, called SAP Accelerated Enterprise and Accelerated Financials. While the SAP average implementation these days takes about eight months, this packaged solution can be implemented in 16 weeks at one fixed cost, said Pat Hickey, director of accelerated solutions for SAP Canada. The exact cost structure hasn' t been announced yet, but it's meant to attract organizations as small as $10 million in annual revenues. SAP's implementation partners for this solution include: ICS, Deloitte & Touche, OmniLogic and IBM, and hardware partners, including IBM, Compaq, Digital and HP.

The luck of the draw! Carol Costello andFrankMulcahy (sales engineer,Computer City, Richmond, B.C.), wereouton the town in LasVegasrecently, courtesy ofCanadian Computer Who/asaler'strip-giveway at Comdex/PacRim.

change Windows 98 to meet an original licensing agreement. Alan Baratz, president of Sun' s Java Software division, said Sun demands: "One, that Microsoft ship Windows 98 with a fully companble version of the Java technology. Or, two, if they continue to ship their incompatible implementauon of the Java technology in Windows 98 that they be required to ship Sun' s Java runtime environment also bundled with that product. Or, three, that Microsoft simply remove any incompatible version of the Java technology from Windows 98." The second preliminary injunction requests that Microsoft's tools for building Java applications be allowed to ship only if those tools create fuuy compatible Java applications. Tom Burt, associate general counsel for Microsoft, said: "Microsoft is in compliance with its contract with Sun. We will establish that in court. The timing of [the] announcement appears to be intended to seize maximum publicity and not oriented towards achieving any justified legal relief."

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LX6 CPU SOFT MENU™- Jumperless Technology • Supports 66, 75* and 83*MHz CPU external clock speeds • Supports Pentium® II 233 - 333 MHz processor cartridge • Intel 440LX chipset supports Ultra DMA/33 IDE protocol, ACPI and AGP 66MHz/133MHz (Sideband) 3.3V device • Four 168-pin DIMM sockets for 3.3V unbuffered DRAM modules support SDRAM, EDO DRAM • Supports up to 512MB MAX. (8, 16, 32, 64, 128MB EDO or SDRAM) and ECC function • ATX Form factor, Four PCI slots, Three ISA slots and one AGP slot

AH6 • CPU SOFT MENU™- Jumperless Technology •Supports 66, 75* and 83*MHz CPU external clock speeds • Supports Pentium® II 233 — 300 MHz processor cartridge • Intel 440LX chipset supports Ultra DMA/33 IDE protocol, ACPI, and AGP 66MHz/133MHz (Sideband)3.3V device • Three 168-pin DIMM sockets for 3.3V unbuffered DRAM modules support SDRAM, EDO DRAM • Supports up to 384MB MAX. (8, 16, 32, 64, 128MB EDO or SDRAM) and ECC function • ATX form factor, One AGP slot, Three PCI slots and Two ISA slots

ITSA • Supports 50, 55, 60, 66, 75*, 83*, 100*MHz CPU external clock speeds • Supports Pentium~ processors and Pentium~ processors with MMX' technology, AMD- K5™ /K6~/ K6-3D, Cynx 6x86™/6x86L™ /6x86MX™, IDT WinChip C6 processors • ALi Aladdin 5 chipset supports Ultra DMA/33 IDE protocol, ACPI and AGP 66/133 MHz (Sideband) 3.3V devices • Two 168-pin DIMM sockets for 3.3V unbuffered DRAM modules support SDRAM, EDO DRAM up to 256MB • ATX form factor, Three PCI slots, Two ISA slots and One AGP slot • PC97 Compliant

AX5 • CPU SOFT MENU™- Jumperless T'echnology • Supports 50, 55, 60, 66, 75*, 83*MHz CPU external clock speeds • Supports Pentium~ processors and Pentium processors with MMX™ technology, AMD-K5™ /K6™, Cyrix 6x86™/6x86L™ /6x86MX', IDT WinChip C6 processors • Intel 430 TX chipset supports Ultra DMA/33 IDE protocol, ACPI and Windows 95 soft off • Three 168-pin DIMM sockets for 3.3V unbuffered DRAM modules support SDRAM, EDO DRAM, and Four 72-pin SIMM sockets support EDO 8 FP modules, up to 256MB • ATX form factor, Four ISA slots, four PCI slots

TX5 • CPU SOFT MENU~- Jumperless Technology • CPU Monitoring Management (EISCA) • Supports 55, 60, 66, 75*, 83*MHz CPU external clock speeds • Supports Pentium~ processors and Pentium~ processors with MMX™ technology, AMD-KS™ /K6~, Cyrlx 6x86™/6x86L~ /6x86MX' M, IDT WinChip C6 processors • Intel 430 TX chipset supports Ultra DMA/33 IDE protocol, ACPI • Two 168-pin DIMM sockets for 3.3V unbuffered DRAM modules support SDRAM, EDO DRAM, and Four 72-pin SIMM sockets support EDO 8 FP modules, up to 256MB • Baby AT form factor, Three ISA slots, Four PCI slots

PXS • CPU SOFT MENU - Jumperless Technology • Supports 50, 55, 60, 66, 75*, 83*MHz CPU external clock speeds • Supports Pentium~ processors and Pentium~ processors with MMX™ technology, AMD-K5~ /K6™, Cyrix 6x86™/6x86L™ /6x86MX" , IDT WinChip C6 processors • Intel 430 TX chipset supports Ultra DMA/33 IDE protocol, ACPI • Two 168-pin DIMM sockets for 3.3V unbuffered DRAM modules support SDRAM, EDO DRAM, and Four 72-pin SIMM sockets support EDO 8 FP modules, up to 256MB • Baby AT form factor, Four ISA slots, Four PCI slots

KNIIP"II<eIIIPleee Veellliilel BX6 • CPU SOFT MENU™ II - Jumperless Technology • Supports Pentium® II 350 — 400 MHz processor cartridge (Based on 100MHz clock), Pentium® II 233 — 333 MHz processor cartridge (Based on 66MHz clock), •

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Macintosh market Quickens, in more ways than one On May 5, Apple Computer Inc. and Intuit Inc. jointly announced that Intuit would continue to actively develop the Mac version of its Quicken financial software Intuit has had a close strategic relationship with Apple for many years (including an Intuit executive on the Apple board of directors), so when it was recently disclosed that Intuit was not planning a simultaneous new M ac version of Q uicken while a n e w Windows versionhad been announced, many observers took this to be a bad sign of slipping third-party developer suppqrt for the struggling Mac platform. Coming at a time when other Apple news was generally upbeat, the Intuit announcement took some of the shine off the "new" Apple Computer Inc. According to Mark Goines, senior vicepresident of Intuit's Consumer Division: "Now, having seen what Apple is planning for c onsumer products, we' re t hrilled t o

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a nnounce renewed s upport f o r the Macintosh." Thisrather cryptic reasoning became easier to understand when, immediately afterward, Apple unveiled its latest generation of new Macs. On May 7, interim CEO Steve Jobs announcedfour new lines ofMacs, led by the iMac — a high-powered consumer desktop PC. The iMac features an interesting "all in one" ergonomic design with a built-in 15-inch monitor, a high-powered "Pentium-toasting" G3 chip, and easy Internet connectivity. Canadian prices are expected to be in the $1759 range. The new PowerBook G3, with full desktop replacement power will start at $3,399. According to Jobs: "These new product lines give people what they want most, a lightning fast notebook and a striking new consumer Macintosh. Apple leads when it expresses its vision through its products, excitingyou and making you proud to own a Mac. "

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According to reports from the U.S., a consortium of the Circuit City Stores Inc. retail chain and the California law firm of Ziffren Britten, Branca and Fischer is aiming to replace the current DVD (Digital Versatile Disk) format with a proprietary Digital Video Express (Divx) format. Divx would be used for entertainment "software" (mainly digitally recorded feature films and videos), and would require a special Divx player. Divx players would come with a built-in modem, and when the user attempted to play a movie disk, the Divx

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player would call a 1-800 number, and requireusers to pay a fee each time they watch a movie. The "rental" fees would be split between the copyright holder of the movie (mainly U.S. film studios and broadcasters) and the partners in the Divx consortium. Divx would tend to assist in copyright protection and also draw increased revenue to the studios. For end-users, the benefits are not so clear. For more information, visit http: //www. di vx. comlpr001. him,[CCW

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Win 98 graphics support will enable video features Canada's ATI Technologies Inc. claims major new graphics display options will be made possible with the release of Windows 98, expected in June. Windows 98 will allow multi-monitor support, but an additional PCI graphics card is required for each extra monitor. Multi-monitor support requires software that has been written to take advantage of this option. Typical applications include professional graphics and animation (where one monitor displays an image, and another is used for menus, tools and other user interface display data), desktop video, games, videoconferencing, DVD video playback, WebTV for Windows, and enhanced television/Web content. According to a recent study by International Data Corp. (IDC), ATI was rated the number one graphics card maker in the 2D/3D graphics accelerator card market, with almost six million graphics cards shipped in 1997. IDC figures indicated a worldwide market for 20 million addin accelerator cards in 1997, which is expected to grow to 29 million in 2002. See

il i Lotus alters channel structure

http: /Iwww. ati tech.corn.

Lotus DevelopmentCanada has announced a series of changes to the structure of the company's reseller and retail channel. For starters, Lotus and IBM Canada channel staff joined forces to streamline the ordering process for shrink-wrapped software. By the end of this year, distribution and retail partners will be able to order all products from a single site. Over the next six months, Lotus says it will be launching a series of incentives for channel partners, with a focus on the retail sector.

Be a virtual ISP with new UUNET Canada program UUNET Canada says it will offer a Virtual Internet Provider (VIP) dial program to allow companies to resell, under their own name, UUNET's Internet dial services to individual users. 'ThroughtheVIP program, companies can offer their customers Internet access services with roaming capability without the responsibility or expense of building and maintaining a network infrastructure," explained Sam Mazzotta, UUNET Canada VIP product manager.

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C ANA D A W A T C H

Ql '98 Canadian PC sales:550 000 Uni ts

Canadian PC sales grow in Q1, consolidation continues According to IDC Canada figures, unit sales astounding 90.3 per cent. A ccording to I D C , "The trend of PC systems increased strongly during 1997, and even more striking was the surge in towards consolidation in the top tier of the Canadian PC sales of the big four PC vendors. Total Ql '98 PC sales were 550,000. Of m a r ket w a s f u r ther t hose, 121,900, or 22.2 per cent were sold by e v idenced in t h e Compaq, 76,400 or 13.9 per cent by IBM, f i r s t quarter. The 61,800 or 11.2 per cent by Dell, 44,300 or 8.1 top five vendors per cent by HP, and 27,000 or 4.9 per cent by now hold 60 per Packard Bell NEC. cent of the marCompaq's unit shipments grew 67.7 per ket, up from 48 per cent in Ql, compared to last year. IBM PC c ent a year ago." These figsales grew by 21.3 per cent. HP's sales grew u res were based on IDC's preliminary April 60.5 per cent, and Dell sales jumped an 1 9 98 estimates. •

Business without boundaries? Many aspects of business in the 21st century will be conducted with an integrated mix of computer, telephony and networking technology. That's "business without boundaries," according to Simon Witts, Microsoft Canada's general manager. He delivered a keynote speech at CTI World '98,describing the Microsoft vision of a convergence or growing together, of telephone and computer technology. Witts quoted a prediction that within five years, five to 10 per cent of all voice traffic will be transmitted over data networks. Microsoft is positioning itself in the centre of the new model of computer-telecom

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convergence, through its Windows NT server technology. In collaboration with partners such as Digital and Northern Telecom, Microsoft is ensuring introperability of the NT version of Digital's Signaling System Number 7 product, DECss7, with the worldwide SS7 standard. The latest version 3.0 of the Windows Telephony Applications Programming Interface (TAPI) will enable voice, data and video collaboration over LANs, WANs and the Internet. The result of all the CTI initiatives underway from Microsoft and its partners will be a rapidly evolving capacity for businesses to integrate telephone functions as part of an overall network solution. IICSI

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by Jeff Evans

s the consolidation of the notebook computer market has increased to the point where IBM, Toshiba and Compaq are eating up over 60 per cent of the Canadian notebook pie — the pressure on the smaller players outside the Big Three has also grown. The message to the little guys: get big or die. Dell Computer Corp., with its direct sales model (increasingly conductedvia the Internet) became a major success story. NEC faced serious pressures on its market share, struggling to maintain it in an ever-fiercer market. Hitachi and Sharp announced major new initiatives in the North American notebook market, with Sharp committing to a major investment in North American manufacturing. Acer, following its absorption of the Texas Instruments notebook line, geared up for its own life-or-death bid to quickly grow its brand share. And Hewlett-Packard, one of the top three in global business desktop PC and workstation sales, has also chosen 1998 as its make or break year in the notebook computer market. HP spent much of 1996 and 1997 quietly developing the technologies, products, channel strategies and support infrastructure for its major bid to become the "other" major brand in the notebook market, along with IBM, Hitachi and Compaq.

Drool Factor, Down Time and Distribution In a strategic alliance with Mitsubishi, HP gained access to leadingedge notebook technology. HP decided that in order to be a serious player, it needed to offer a full range of mobile products, from budget, entry-level models to state-of-the-art, premium business notebooks for power users with big budgets. High-end notebooks from IBM and Toshiba often cost up to $10,000 and have a limited market share. But they often command a larger profit margin than mainstream models, and add a reputation for no-compromise quality and neat features. That's the so-called "drool factor" that attracts power-users and helps to build the reputation of a brand. As well, HP has devoted a great deal of its engineering and manufacturing expertise to addressing one of mobile computing's greatest weaknesses: reliability. According to Doug Garnett of HP Canada,the new line of notebooks have been made rugged enough to achieve up to a 70 per cent decrease in down time due to hardware or software failures. As well, HP is offering extremely comprehensive warranty coverage, both in Canada and internationally, to ensure that if a HP notebook goes down, it will be back in service quickly. HP recently showed off its new line in New York. According to HP representatives, HP sees the new line as offering solutions acrossthe business spectrum, from smallbusinesses to large enterprises. With the new notebook line complementing HP's other established product categories, from printers to scanners, data backup, server, desktop PC and handheld computing solutions, HP can claim to have the most comprehensive product line for the business computing market. For more information, contact http: /Iwww.hp.corn. 16 C A NADIAN COMPUTER WHOLESALER June 1998

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The recent release of a number of new Intel processors has resulted in a flood of new, high-end PC and server products based on the new Pentium II 350MHz and 400MHz processors, and a modest trickle of low-cost "basic computing" business desktops based on the new Intel Celeron chip. As well, the earlier release of mobile Pentium II 233MHz and 266MHz chips has sparked a major refreshing of most notebook makers' product lines. IBM and HP have announced full slates of new business desktops, personal workstations and servers based on the new 350MHz and 400MHz processors. In the consumer field, the initial high cost of the processors will tend to limit the appeal of the latest chips to the premium multimedia segment of that market. For example, on May 5, HP Canada announced the HP Pavilion 8290 PC, featuring a Pentium H 400MHz processor. HP claimed that the Pavilion 8290 was the first 400MHz retail PC to hit Canadian store shelves. With 64MB of SDRAM, a 12GB drive and DVD-ROM drive, the estimated street price of the HP 8290 (not including monitor) is $3,999. Enthusiasm for "basic computing" business desktop PCs equipped with the Celeron processor was muted. A HP representative admitted the company will offer the Celeron-based models for about three months, and then, depending on market response, will decide how much emphasis to continue placing on PCs based on that processor. On the notebook PC front, the new Intel mobile Pentium II was immediately brought to market by all the main PC makers, including IBM, Compaq, HP and Canada's Eurocom. For example, on April 30, IBM introduced three new series of notebooks based on the new Pentium II processors: the midrange ThinkPad 600, starting at $4,399, the high-end ThinkPad 770, starting at $6,499, and the ThinkPad 380XD, starting at $3,999. ICCW I Jeff Evans is Associate Editor for Canadian Computer Wholesaler, based in Toronto. He can b e

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by Graeme Bennett

indows 98 and Conversely, why an AT I beta 2 of NT5, both due this summer, support up to nine monitors connected to a PC — slots and IRQs permitting. Your c u stomers may by dreaming of adding a second video card and monitor for use in Windows 98, but will they be able to get them to work? Following the theme from my April column, I have spent some time performing further tests on m ulti-display options in Windows 98. The results I have obtained are interesting enough to share here and certainly suggest that Microsoft's implementation of this capability is idiosyncratic at best and a tech support nightmare at worst. Thus, if you are in the business of selling PCs and video cards, you should be aware of some of the caveats. First, it should be said that your results may vary. We tested the same graphics cards on two different PCs and had completely different experiences apparently not related to driver or IRQ issues. The fact that a combination of PCI-based Permedia2 and All-inWonder cards worked on a 440FX-based Pentium Pro system with an Asus board, but failed miserably on a 1995-vintage Pentium PC using a Soyo motherboard has far too many variables to categorically conclude that the Soy o board or B IO S i s a t f a ult.

A l l - in-Wonder worked splendidly on tw o o f o u r t e st m achines as a secondary adapter,yetprevented this same Pentium Pro system with a WinFast 2520 adapter configured as the primary display from even booting, remains a mystery. One thing's for sure: The IRQ jumper on the ATI All in Wonder and AIW Pro cards doesn't need to be enabled to allow these cards to access video input signals using the ATI software, but it sure does if you want tohave any success using the Microsoft ATI drivers to access WebTV for Windows. Also, today's 3D-accelerated video cardshave such a wide array of capabilities that the potential for compatibility issues looms large.Take, for example, cards based on the Permedia2 or the ATI Rage Pro chipsets. Both are very popular, yet both yield quite unsatisfactory results in a game such as Microsoft's Monster Truck Madness 2. (It is a very good way todemo the benefits of a Voodoo2 add-on card, though.) Without aVoodoo, Voodoo2 or comparable add-on, the ATI Rage and Rage Pro cards renderthe Monster Truck headlight beams asugly opaque cones.The Permedia2 gets the beams right, but fouls up on the (not) transparent glow effect from headlights and taillights. Assuming that you can get two or more display cards to work correctly in a multi-display Windows 98 or NT 5 environment (NT 4 supports multiple displays using certain

18 C A NADIAN COMPUTER WHOLESALER June 1998

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cards, as well), there is a more serious issue to be awareof.We were disappointed — no, horrified is more like it — to discover that when a second display is active, the 3D graphics acceleration on your primary display is disabled. For example, say you' ve got a Permedia2-basedGraphics Blaster Exxtreme card asyour primary display adapter and install an ATI Rage II-based All in Wonder as your secondary display adapter. When both are enabled, the Graphics Blaster Exxtreme's OpenGL benchmark score (running the X29 benchmark) drops from a blistering 185 frames per second (fps) to the same level as the All in Wonder's laggardly 41 fps. The solution? Disable the secondary adapter in the Display properties dialog when you need 3D acceleration. Unfortunately, this means that games like Flight Simulator 98, which can take good advantage of multiple views, will not deliver optimum performance in a multi-display configuration. All of this suggests that the 3D-accelerated entertainment market won't be especially satisfied with Microsoft's initial attempt at multi-display support. However, business and graphics-oriented users (especially users of p alette-heavy apps l ik e C o relDraw or Photoshop) will be glad to have a solution that will give them a good excuse to ask the bossfor a nice new graphics card and hi-res monitor on their desktops. Demonstrating graphics apps with the menus and palettes on one screen and their work on the other will

T HE undoubtedly pay off for those who make the effort to figure out the problems before their customers do.

enlocatorhtml. Good thing, too. A couple of well-known Apple dealers in Canada bagged it during the last month.

Avoiding the Osborne Effect

Goodbye Doppler, Advantage

On another topic, be prepared for questions As many resellers are already aware, Doppler about upgrades to Windows 98. Microsoft Computers, one of Western Canada's largest dealt with the issue with a special release of and best-known computer retail chains, has Windows 95 in early May. Apparently due to declared bankruptcy. The Computer Paper pressurefrom its channel partners,Microsoft was at the location of the company's head has released a new version of Windows 95 office (along with VTV and a few other peothat includes a free upgrade (or more precise- ple who had been tipped off about the cloly, the customer pays only a nominal shipping sure) as the employees, many of whom were and handling charge) to Windows 98. This, unaware that the closure was coming, filed presumably, is an effort to counteract the outside at 12:30 P.M. on May 1, and a sign "Osborne effect" — the slowdown in system placed on the door said "closed for inventosales that happens when a new product has ry." By the following Monday, a notice that been announced, but has not yet shipped. the company was in receivership was in its Adam Osborne, in the early '80s, saw his place. company go down the tubes when sales of Meanwhile, B .C.-based Advantage Osborne's original "luggable" PC declined sharply after the second-generation model was pre-announced. Be prepared for customer questions about this offer by those buying PCs before the June 25 rollout of Windows 98.

PUN DIT

Computers, another long-time Apple dealer, had its Toronto-based parent company go belly-up. However, a bit of fancy footwork by original owner Bob Cotter ensured that Advantage customers wouldn't be let down. Simply C o mputing, a n other w e stern Canadian Mac dealership, has taken over all of the Advantage repairs and is letting former Advantage customers know that it has their equipment. Simply Computing says it intends to open up its second location in part of the old Advantage site on June 2. Meanwhile, Bob Cotter has started a new venture with a former Advantage employee specializing in networking. Good luck to all. IRW IN Graeme Bennett is Editorial Director for Canada Computer Paper Inc. and a former computer retail er. He can be reached at graeme@tcp.ca.

Apple News! Finally, we' re delighted to see Apple back on >rI~ ' " I<j all,"l j ~II,iJ track,as acting CEO Steve Jobs and Apple p vice-president of worldwide marketing Phil Schiller unveiled the company's new consumer Mac,dubbed the "iMac," on May 6, and demonstrated the system outperforming a Pentium II 400MHz PC. The iMac, housed in a futuristic pod-shaped translucent case and featuring a light-up mouse (weird!) is expected to ship within 90 days, priced starting at US$1299. So, can we be the first to compare it to a New Beetle? As expected, Apple also announced a new series of PowerBook G3 portable Macs, code-named "Wall Street," priced starting at US$2,350. We expect most customers will covet one of the models with an ActiveMatrix (TFT) screen, starting at US$2,999, with luxury-minded Apple fans lusting after one of the high-end models with an 83MHz bus — the fastest yet in a Mac. These babies are decked out in style. The model selling for US$3,899 features a 13.3-inch TFT color screen, while a model with a 292 MHz CPU delivers a 1 4 .1-inch TFT s creen f or US$5,599. Gulp. Fortunately, these units deliver the g oods. Ma cWorld's He nry Bortman says the new 250MHz PowerBook G3 is over twice as fast on the SpeedMark test as the previous midrange model, the PowerBook 3400c/240; and Pentium II-based portables are left, as they say, in the dust. Sl 1 Apple incidentally has a w ay-cool (89 resource locator at ht tp: //buy.apple.corn/ SBs II a

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g o r the time being at least, the contest for the handheld computin < m ;irket h is b een w o n li;inds-clov n by a relatively new player — t he Pilot line of personal organizers I'rom 3Com. But do the l connpei.itors have any hopes oi slov,ing down thc Pilot's

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good for you," was created to do minimal, everyday jobs that a great many people actually want and need to do. The Pilot was designed to help users record and remember important times, dates, names, phone numbers, and communicate easily and directly with larger PCs and eventually even via the Internet. The chief designer of the Pilot carried a Pilot-shaped piece of wood around with him in his pocket during the period when he was thinking about what the Pilot should be designed to do. He • I pretended to use his wooden mock-up for daily i n f o rmation tasks, writing down his " uses" for t h e gadget as they occurred to him. Based I on the notes taken during this "comput• I I • er simulation," the .si • . i s• I • first Pilot was designed to meet common, mundane needs, not to suit a theory of I the future of computing. The r esulting t • I 'I • ' I product emphasized a limited but carefully selected feature set, absolutely idiot-proof • I • • s ynchronization o f data between the Pilot •

computing by embodying the revolutionary concept of a "Personal Digital Assistant," or PDA. This was envisaged as a "smart" device with software to allow it to interact with its user's habits, interests and handwriting to make information storage, retrieval and communication natural and pleasant. Apparently dazzled with their own brilliancehowever,Apple's researchersseemed to lose sight of real-world customer needs. In practice, the Newton MessagePad, especially in its early versions, was expensive, incomplete, frustrating to use, and not very productive. Despite attracting a modest user base of often-devoted fans,the MessagePad fell far shortof Apple's sales expectations. Former Apple CEO Michael Spindler, visiting Toronto about a year after the launch ofthe MessagePad, peevishly informed the assembled Canadian computer press that the s luggish acceptance o f th e M essagePad was the fault of the media. wYou do not understand the Newton technology," he declared. I n e arl y 1 9 98 , A p p l e announced that it was discontinuing development of the Newton technology. Shortly after that, Apple also announced a new handheld computing initiative, which would be "more closely based on Apple Macintosh operating system technology." After the twin fiascoes of the Newton and the stillborn Copland Mac OS, together with all of Apple's other troubles in recent years, it would be a miracle if Apple has any future in handheld computing.

The Little Wooden Computer that Could The Palm Pilot, instead of being developed in Apple's spirit of "trust us: we know what is 22

ket: a phenomenally fast mass acceptance of a new computing platform. Over 143,000 were sold in Canada alone. As the Pilot flew, and the Apple MessagePad crashed and burned, all the other handheld competitors were squeezed into a fairly constricted market space.

The Bandwagon Effect As the Pilot gained credibility, along with a huge user base, it began to attract a large number of

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and the desktop PC, and sufficient openness and flexibility to encourage large-scale development of thirdparty business solutions. The resulting product sold over one million units in its first 18 months on the mar-

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EXCELLE NC E FOR ALL THE WO R LD TO SEE

HAND H E L D S other companies interested in creating add-on products tailored for the Pilot. Over 3,000 registered third-party developers have quickly created a sizable universe of Pilot hardware and software (check out http: //palmpilot. 3com.corn/resourceslshareware.html).These developers, as well as 3Com, hope that this sizable body of add-on products will propel the Pilot into its next surge of sales, as a platform forlarge-scale businesscomputing solutions. IBM has taken on the Pilot as one of its products, renaming it the Word Pad, to offer it as a mobile information solution to its major corporate clients.

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Sharp lines, continued CE for Me? to press on, though s I I I Microsoft, which for the last five years has w ith s i ngle d i g i t seemed to be trying to muscle Apple out of the shares of the market. title of leading industry visionary, came out A parallel market in I • with a competing handheld computing plat- handheld PCs run' • I I form in N ovember 1996, based on its ning various versions s of MS-DOS, Windows Windows CE operating system. Although not • I I intended to be a replacement for a desktop or and Windows NT notebook PC, the Windows CE operating sys- operating s ystems, tem offered a "Windows-like" user interface, continues to be domi• I and a built in suite of business applications nated by Fujitsu. • • • I that were scaled down versions of Word, Big Fleas have Excel and PowerPoint. Microsoft used its influence in the PC little Fleas hardwareindustry to bring araftofPC makers A much, much smaller I I • I •• to the CE table, including Hewlett-Packard, handheld device the REX PC Com• I panion from Franklin Electronic Publishers • I appeared on the market in 1997. Literally credit-card sized, and weighing only 1 .4 ounces, the REX easily fits into a wallet or shirt pocket. It is I I I built around a small ,'d:r' LED screen, a touchsensitive command strip, and a very simpie chipset which stores software, rePhilips, Compaq, NEC and LG Electronics. writeable files, and a •• . I All of these companies came to market with simple graphic user their own examples of handheld computers i nterface to let t he based on the CE operating system. Hewlett- user store and access Packard, with a powerful, fast LX family of names, appointments, memos, addresses and devices, gained the lead in the CE market, with simple schedules. In order to download comabout 12 per cent of North American handheld puter data onto the REX, the REX plugs into sales. A major refreshment of the LX line, the any Type Il PCMCIA/PC Card slot on a notenew HP620LX Color Palmtop PC boasts a book, or into the REX Serial Docking Station, color screen and enhanced speed, memory and a custom made cradle for synchronizing data software. The 620LX has helped cement HP's with a desktop PC. A special Windows CE strong position in the CE camp. Other hand- version of the synchronizing software is even held computers with strong historical follow- available to allow the REX to be used with a ings,such as the proprietary Psion,Casio and Hewlett-Packard Windows CE device. This

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raises the prospect of true scalability for the mobility fanatic: from desktop PC to notebook, to HP handheld, to REX credit-card PC Companion.

The View from the Hill 3Com hopes to sustain the Palm Pilot's growth by introducing new models and expanding into new markets. According to Nick Tidd of 3Com Canada, 3Com is determined to resist

H AND H E L D S

How Long does a Golden Age Last?

full multimedia Web browsing may have to wait a while, with the most demanding tech nologies such as voice recognition even fur ther off in the vapor of future technologies

Is there any point to carrying CE, Psion or other non-3Com handhelds? The short term answer is definitely "yes," wherever the fea tures of the Palm Pilot are inferior to those of the competing devices. For instance, a full powered handheld Windows PC from Fujitsu can b e a ful l y ne t w orkable, MS DOS/Win95/NT compatible computer, run ning real Windows applications with no corn promises on file compatibility, speed or fea tures. A Windows CE handheld or a Psion handheld has a better keyboard for handling moderate amounts of typing, as well as a degree of fil e compatibility with some Windows software. In the long run, though 3Com's competitors will have to push very hard to either match the Pilot on its ultralight, ultra-portable home turf, or invent tech nologiesthat offer even greater convenience portability, and value for money than the Pilot. That will be a tall order. ICCW l

Follow the Money

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the temptation to let the Palm Pilot's feature set "creep" into larger, heavier, more CE-like forms, at least for now. Rather, Tidd sees the competition attempting to become more Palm Pilot-like. (Microsoft floated a prototype "Palm PC" version of a Windows CE handheld several months ago that looked suspiciously similar to a Palm Pilot.) 3Com has a very clearly defined wish list of features that it wants to implement or strengthen in its new Palm models during 1998 and 1999, including wireless connectivity, enhanced e-mail and Internet access. More exotic features such as full color screens and

A new market is opening up for handheld corn puting: the corporate market. It demands fully integrated solutions to meet particular business applications (such as barcode readers and database links for inventory control or auto insur ance adjusting), trained sales staff, and reliable support. For the next couple of years, the best opportunities for resellers in the handheld market will be in selling and supporting complete handheld business computing solutions for small, medium and large businesses The basic handheld hardware will be a relatively small component in the solution selling, compared to the value added by the full packageof products and services required for a professional solution. Software, system integration, communications and networking services and service and support will be the main profit opportunity in handheld computing as it Jeff Evans is Associate Editor of Canadian becomes a part of the mainstream of enterprise Computer Wholesal. erHe is basedin Toronto computingin the year 2000 and beyond and can be reached atj eff@tcpon ca

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No more easy listening. It's time to rock, and roll in the dough. With M eriselling '98, the new money-making version of Softeach. Come in and make your selection — Small Business, Remote/Mobile User Focus Rooms,

OEM, TechTalk or Mac Focus Area. Whatever your area of interest, this show promises to be an enriching experience. This year, instead of a few T-shirts, some pens and a mug (relax, you' ll still get those) take home something you can really use. Unique product news, marketing ideas and selling tips you can take to the bank. Registration opens June 1, 1998, call 1-877-MERISEL, or visit our web site at www.meriselling.corn to register.

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S ERV I C E A N D S U P P O R T

hen a friend of mine bought a generic SVGA monitor from a computer store to replace one that had died, she could not get the monitor to display more than 16 colors. She needed help, but wasn't sure what kind, or where to get it. The problem seemed to bethat her graphics card, Microsoft Windows and the new monitor were not communicating. She didn' t get any useful help from Microsoft (after a long wait on the company's support line). The company that manufactured the monitor didn't even include a phone number with the manual â&#x20AC;&#x201D; boding poorly for postsale technical support. The retailer wanted to "install a new graphics video card that might solve the problem." He needed the computer for four days and the price he quoted seemed exorbitant. So my friend called in an independent home-based computer voodoo-guru. For a modest fee, he identified the graphics card (ATI), logged on to the Internet, hit ATI's Web site, downloaded several updated drivers, installed them, and presto, the monitor displayed 256 colors. The moral of the story: the free-lunch era of lifetime, toll-free hardware and software support has ended. While one-yearhardware warranties and extended warranties abound, consumers and small businesses frequently find themselves in the position where they have to take care of, or find somebody to take care of, their computer technical support needs. Pertinent factors include: a virtual operating system monopoly, a highly competitive hardware industry (with profit margins shaved razor-thin), and growing support-dependent consumer, small office/home office (SOHO) and small and medium enterprise (SME) markets. Combined, they' ve led to the scenarioof less free support and more fee-based support. Microsoft Corp.,for instance, offers free (but not 24-hour) telephone support for desktop applications like Word and Excel (a long distance call for users outside the Greater Toronto area). If users want around-the-clock t I toll-free support, they have to pay for it. Price depends on how many probI lems you want to cover: US$465 will buy a user a 10-problem resolution package that lasts one year.

Service Squabble

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If the problem is with an OEMinstalled version of Windows, with allegedly Windows-compatible software, or if it is hard to diagnose (operatingsystem, software or hardware), then consumers can watch companies squabble over who is responsible for sllpport. The consumers' best bet is to get warranties, guarantees and technicalsupport responsibilities sorted out (and in writing) before buying a computer system or before installing new software. Even then, consumers should considerextended warranty plans or find a reseller with an excellent reputation for troubleshooting and repairing WHOLESALER J une 1998

g.:..s

problems â&#x20AC;&#x201D; no matter who is to blame. Having said that, it is important to point out that many manufacturers don't shirk their support responsibilities. Overall, the computer industry understands that it does not make good business sense to leave users dangling in the wind when it comes to support: witness the consumer backlash Intel Corp. faced a few years ago when it tried to ignore the bug found in its Pentium chip. So, even as companies reduce or deflect support services, they have alsooffered extended warranty plans, encouraged resellers to think in terms of service, support and training, and have upgraded online support services. Microsoft,for instance, offers hundreds of frequently asked Microsoft Office questions and answers as well as product hints, tips and updates online at http: //www.microsoft.corn/Office.

Big Blue does Service Hit IBM Canada's Web site (http: //www.cartibm.corn) and follow the small business link to find a wealth of resource material including frequently asked technical questions, product information and examples of how technology is best deployed in a small business environment. "We' ve been on a path the last couple of years to make our PCs easy to use. We' ve focused on printed and on-line documentation and online tools," says Roy Rivers, marketing manager, consumer PCs, IBM Canada. "We' ve found through studies that consumers want those things to solve problems easily." Both Aptiva and Ambra owners can use diagnostic tools that come with their computers to troubleshoot problems, and they can find technical support information on-line. More than 80 per cent of Aptiva owners subscribe to a free Owner Privileges program. They receive preferred call handling and proactive e-mail hints and tips, as well as

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S ERV I C E warranties. If customers have post-warinformation on free software downloads. Besides on-line support, IBM continues to offer one-year, toll- ranty hardware issues, support staff will free technical support to computer buyers. However, Rivers says it is help diagnose the problem and will refer something "we continue to monitor." While IBM markets extended users to the closest authorized Toshiba warranty plans, the company is also "fully supportive of our retailers service provider — be it a value-added reseller, dealer or service centre. who have their own plans," says Rivers. Dealers are free to offer extended H elpingthe consumer solve problems reduces channel costs, builds loyalty to IBM, and helps differentiates IBM from the competi- warrantiesand on-site service, says Dantas. In addition, Toshiba offers utilition, says Rivers. "And our business partners love it. It helps them sell ties and drivers and technical information product and saves them costs." that users can access on-line. The IBM hardware support foundation applies to commercial Of course on-line support from salesas well,says Ross Sedgewick, manager of channel marketing, IBM Canada. However, there are greater opportunities for business Toshiba and other companies does not partners to secure "a good proportion" of their profits from software, just radiate out from the manufacturer's Web site to the end-user. Most manufacservices, training and support, he adds. Then are also high development, configuration, support and train- turers and distributors use the Web to ing opportunities with networks, intranets, Web server projects and offer vendors and resellers technical supdata back up and recovery. "That is the business partner's role, espe- port, to supply them with up-to-date cially in the small and medium-sized enterprise market," he says. patches and drivers and to keep them informed about new products and pricing. So while lunch may not be as free as D uelling Not e b oo k Service Prog r a m s it once was, there seems to be more supAs part of its strategy to enhance the experience of owning a notebook port information to chow down on. Cttt' computer, Richmond Hill, Ont.-based Compaq Canada has unveiled two new services: a 24-hour on-site repair program and a notebook PC Paul Lima is a Toronto-based journalist warrantyrepair pickup program. who specializes in high technology reporting. He can be reached at The notebook PC warranty repair pickup program is being tiko@idirect. corn. offeredtoowners of Armada 1500, 4100, 7300 and 7700 Seriesnotebook PC products. Customers simply call I-800-OK-COMPAQ to request that their notebook PC be picked up for repair. A courier is dispatched, the unit is picked up, repaired by a third-party contracted with Compaq Canada and returned to the customer within 72 hours. The 24-houron-site repairprogram isa one-year,chargeable warranty upgrade. The repair pickup service option is offered free-ofcharge, and has been added to the base level warranty for products purchased after June 1, 1997. While customers can opt to have notebooks serviced by any of Compaq'sauthorized service resellers across Canada, "there are some products we'd rather have come back to us," such as the 7800 series notebooks, says Christian Chabbal, notebook product manager, Compaq Canada Inc. This program helps the customers but it also helpsresellers, Chabbal says. "Some resellers want to offer support and repairs, others don' t. This gives everyone an option." While a lack of competition in the software industry may have led to a decline in service, increased competition in the notebook industry has led to increased support. Toshiba of Canada Ltd. is investing $1 million to expand its s Markham, Ont.-basedCustomer Service and Support Centre and is expanding its support team from 11 to 18 members. Bilingual staff providesupport for dealers,resellers and end-users. "We are putting the right people with the right knowledge and skills in place to better supportour reseller channels and our end users," says Trevor Dantas, national manager, technical services, Toshiba Canada Information Systems Group. "Better support" includes toll-free help, installed PC Card support and full support for pre-installed operating systems such as Windows 95 and Windows NT (including set up and configuration). Toshiba's support staff are "very fluent" with Lotus and Microsoft applications and will work with customers as best they can to solve Corts oreste sponsors software glitches, especially when it is a case of the software and hardware not communicating. The support, described as "an open policy," is not tied directly to •

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hsspsstwwwuowmag.corn June 1998 CANADIAN COMPUTER WHOLESALER 31

N G TO

Q UE B EC ~F e a t u r e

A unique

et, and opportunily by Gaetan Martel

So you want to do business in Quebec. These ,„among t e factors that motivated both the Swedish It makes sense — the province of Quebeci . nd company Encskpn o select Montreal as the site for its largest largest market in Canada, right after Ontario. But~ vie North Americg P&D base (750 engineers and technicians) ' Italia, the largest telecommunications comdefinitely "DOs" and "DON'Ts" for newcomersWt~he. ~ ~ w h Quebec market. aIy, situated its Canadian headquarters in Montreal. The first and most obvious difference about selling in Hardware manufacturershave their own reasons for Quebec is the main language of business. Your products and favouringQuebec as a base for operations. Here are three examples: The proximity of the American East Coast was services will need to be available in excellent French. As well, Quebec's unique cultural background and obviously an important factor when IBM decided to build a largegeography each present theirown challenges.Quebec plant in Bromont (in the Eastern Townships, close to can be one of the toughest and most challenging markets to Montreal) to assemble and verify more than 90 per cent of work in. The province has some of the strongest govern- North American microchips. Matrox, a leader in graphic mental and private consumer rights' organisations in North cards, exports the bulk of its production and is located in America. An illustration in point: many national agencies Dorval, near Montreal. The French company GemPlus use consumers from regions such as Lac St-Jean asa (http: //www.gemplus fr/), the leading maker of smart cards "benchmark" because they have the reputation of compris- in the world, was attracted not only by the potential U. S. ing one of the most critical populations in the country when market and the bilingual work force in Quebec, but also the faced with new products. For more details on the market, funding and tax incentives offered by the Quebec governsee the bilingual Web site of Quebec advertising agencies ment. Last December, GemPlus announced the opening of at: http: //www.aapq.qc.ca/ for more information on lan- its new North American R&D centre in Montreal. guage and culture issues, consumer patterns, media and The Soft Spot advertising in the province. At the software level, the same incentives were decisive for The Nard Facts the opening in Montreal of a large plant owned by Ubi Soft As in almost any field, size matters in the IT industry. Major hi- (http: //www.ubisofr.corn/),another French company. Founded tech companies find Quebec attractive for a number of reasons. by the five Guillemot brothers, Ubi Soft is the second largest 1. Th ere is a well-educated and bilingual labor pool. European manufacturer of CD-ROMs, and one of the most Montreal boasts four universities: two English and two important companies in the game industry for PCs. French. Of course, Quebec spawned SoftImage (now propertyof 2. Q uebec is close to the East Coast of the United States Microsoft), and Discreet Logic (founded by f ormer SoftImage employees), known for their contributions to the (specifically New York and Boston). making of special effects in such movies asTitanic, Starship 3. T he province has ties to France, a significant member of Troopers and Jurassic Park. the European Union. Investors in IT infrastructure should know that Quebec The multimedia and software industries are indeed very has become a world centre of telecommunications (Teleglobe, active in Quebec, according to the Centre de promotion du for example, has its headquarters in Montreal). In addition, logiciel qubbecois (CPLQ, the "Centre for promotion of Quebec has the largest amount of venture capital available in Quebec software" — http: //www.cplq.org/). Of the 949 IT the country. According to Bernard Coupal, president of the firms in Quebec, 572 are involved in software and multimerisk capital firm T2C2 (http: //www.t2c2capital.corn/), this dia. The current situation of this sector in Quebec is reflected works out to approximately 45 per cent of the Canadian total. in the following figures provided by the CPLQ. DIAN COMPUTER WHOLESALER June 1998

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S EL L I N G T O Q U

Targeted alliances Distribution Cross marketin Financin Transferred technolo ies

43% 21% 14% 12%

Services multinationals in Canada are American, two Montreal companies are among the top 10 Canadian professional services companies: the CGI Group (ranking first) and the LGS Group (ranking third).

But What about Me?

Perhaps you are thinking: "That's all well and good, but my business doesn't even come close to matching the size of companies like those. What can I do?" Actually, there is quite a lot a small business can accomplish in Quebec. Be open to the Ontario market if you plan to do business or settle in a location around Hull. Take advantage of the access to international markets and potential busiMay I Serve You? ness opportunities on the East Coast of the U.S. You' ll gain access to the economic heart of the province IT services is a broad term that basically covers everything except hardware and software. Let's take two examples: tech- by opening an office in Montreal (which has the lowest cost nical support and IT services and analysts. The bilingual of living of any North American city of comparable size). However, do be aware thatQuebec's taxes are,in generresources in Quebec make it easy to establish service centres for North Americaand Europe; Symantec and Hewlett- al, among the highest in North America. As for the provincial Packard have set up in Montreal, and Digital runs in Hull, capital Quebec City: while potential for business in the gov(across the river from Ottawa). ernmental market does exist, it is by far the hardest place in The possibility of trilingual human resources is a reality which to establish a business among the three cities menbecause of the large Hispanic community in the greater tioned. (It's a smaller market, there have been budget cuts, Montreal region. Case i n p o i nt: M a china Sapiens and it's isolated from other large centres. That's not mention(httpt//www machinasapiens.qc.ca/),a software company spe- ing the hard winters!) cialised in grammar and spelling tools recently put out El An example of a successful small business is Camelot Corrector (a grammar and spelling tool for Spanish speakers). Info, the largest computer bookstore in Canada. Established The largest multicultural urban area in Canada aside from about 20 years ago, Camelot Info has locations in Montreal and Quebec City. Vice-president Robert Charbonneau • 0• 0 • • • emphasizes that the key goal of Camelot Info is "service." Your value as a reseller is, in fact, defined by that "extra something" you offer to all your customers. Be sure to define your typical customer, especially if you are planning to target hardwaresales;mar gins are as razor-thin in Quebec as any• Mcelsfiol where else and competition is mean indeed. • Montfis4gle Take the time to do research on the features that make SooNotcl ® Qtsfibec the province different in some ways from the rest of Canada • Mateiche (language and location, for example), and similar in others, Ouhsouah 1544 (such as the IT infrastructure and standard of living). It can • fiee contribute to your success in this era of globalisation. • Auhes Doing business in Quebec can be a profitable and worthwhile venture for companies of any size, but it does require Source: some special effort. IItfil depromotion 4~S 0 Centre du logtclel quebkols, November97 Gaetan Martel is a Montreal-based journalist and Editor Toronto, Montreal has enjoyed the contributions from many of Quttbec Micro!. He can be reached at redaction@ different cultures. This feature fostered the advancement of quebecmicro. corn. Alis Technologies (httpr/twww.alis.corn/), another Montreal•)• • yy a based software company providing multilingual solutions. • hoducets . Consulhng firms Batam, an internationalization library for the Windows plata pa • llelnfng form that works with the Tango 'Net browser, can support • Monuhsctutets more than 90 different languages; many are quite unique (such Rshlles as Khmerand Malay), even when compared to behemoths like •~ Senr ices Microsoft's Explorer or Netscape's Communicator. In the services/consulting sector, the giant DMR looms. It was originally a French-Canadian enterprise (the acronym DMR was created 25 years ago from the names of the three founders — Pierre Ducros, Serge Meilleur and Alain Roy). DMR is now part of the American Amdahl, which was recently acquired by Japan's Fujitsu. It is interesting to note that while the key players of the Branham 25 Top Software &

Actual distribution channels Direct transactions Distributors Alliances VARs A ents

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should handle most entertainment and business needs easily. Certainly, these aren't at the peak of computing power, but that' s not the point. A good chunk of your market is still made up of people who want to get into the computer world for the first time, or purchase a second computer for the family without dropping a ton of cash on the newest and best.

with 16-bit color depth. Performance at higher resolutions is much greater than would have been possible with the 1MB graphics cai'ds common atthe low end of the PC scale a yearor two ago. With the switch to Pentium II as the standard chip, a few things should be noted. Firstly, while the layouts of the motherboards are different from company to company, the connectors on the back of most machines are hardwired into a set configuration, known as ATX. Where older machines had serial and parallel ports (floating hardware The Systems For the purposes of this month's test, we asked vendors to provide us connected to the motherboard with ~ ), t h e ATX layout has the with a Pentium II 233MHz machine with 64MB of RAM. All of the ports connected directly to the board m a standard configuration. The other components were up to the vendor. Most of the systems sent to standard mouse and keyboard ports are now PS/2 style, although the us had similar components, which were about what we expected. mes can certainly use one of the serial ports fof a serial mouse. However, there were a couple of surprises worth noting. Secondly, there's a point of confusion about MMX versus nonThe first was the video cards. Typically, entry-level systems have MMX chips. To clarify: all Pentium II chips are MMX chips. Although been pretty basic, with a functional but not extravagant card. This time some BIOSes will not list "MMX" when the system is booting up, that out, most of the machines that we received had cards with at least 4MB is simply a function of that BIOS, and not an indication of a difference included, and sometimes 8MB. This means that even as entry-level in the chip itself. systems, the machines can handle 1,024 by 768 dpi screen resolution Thirdly, most of the Pennum II systems use 168-pin SDRAM with 32-bit true-color without even blinking. Lower resolution pro- memory exclusively, meaning more flexibility in memory configuravides even better performance. And games are no problem. tion (all those times when you had to put SIMMs into the board in pairs The other surprising thing was that some of the machines are is a thing of the past). In other words, 72-pin RAM generally cannot be starting to ship with Active Desktop pre-installed. How much this transplanted from an older machine, unless the board in the Pentium II affects system performance is unclear. A quick test we did showed system is one of the exceptions that supports both. little difference between benchmarking scores on a machine running To some, all of this information is like saying that a new car Active Desktop compared to the same machine with Active Desktop comes with an engine and a windshield. Still, they' re important points disabled (the test with Active Desktop came up a couple of points to keep in mind when the casual customer comes into your store slower). For the official runs of the benchmarking software, we tested looking for information on upgrading. People moving up from a the systems with Active Desktop running, since they were shipped that Pentium board may simply not have the option of swapping the CPU way, and getting back to work. Even hardware hackers (who tend to upgrade their systems on a The Tests piece-by-piece basis) may find it easier and almost as inexpensive to As always, the systems were tested using the BAPCo Sysmark 32 go for the whole system deal. benchmarking software. Although most of the machines were capable A side note, for those interested, is that all boards continue to ship of handling more depth due to the top-notch video cards in them, the with the Universal Serial Bus port, despite the distinct lack of display resolution for our entry-level tests was set to 800 by 600 dpi, peripherals for these ports.

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Compaq Deskpro 2NO

One of the major players in the industry, Compaq provided us with a slightly modified version of the standard Deskpro 2000 model. Typically, the package sells with 32MB Performance RAM, and comes with a monitor, for just over $2,000. To meet the requirements for this roundup, we had 32MB of RAM added to the configuration, and the monitor removed. The Deskpro stood out from the pack in a few notable ways. While the other systems came with Windows 95 as an operating system, this one came with Windows NT Workstation 4. Hardware-wise, the system was the only one that ships without a modem. On the other hand, the system comes with a Matrox Mystique display adapter hardwired right into the motherboard, a fact that goes a long way to explaining the machine'ssuperior performance. The hard drive, with only 3.2GB, and the CD-ROM, at only 24X speed are respectively less and slower than the same components on most of the other machines. Despite the Matrox adapter being hardwired right into the board, the adapter only comes with 2MB onboard RAM. Sound is courtesy of the ESS ES 1869 card. Considering the choice of NT over Windows 95, the shortcomings in the multimedia department may not even be the issue. The Deskpro seems solidly geared toward business rather than play, and in that regard, it comes through beautifully. The suggested retail on the configuration we tested is $1,992, and the PC comes backed with a three-year limited warranty, with first year on-site.

CA N ADIAN COMPUTER WHOLESALER June 1998 ht tp/twwwccwmagcom

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Comtronic AOpen This time out, Comtronic provided us with an AOpen basic system packed with goodies. Windows 95 came with Active Desktop preinstalled. Composed primarily of Acer and AOpen components, the system comes with an Acer 32X CD-ROM, an AOpen K56flex modem with ring wake-up, and an Acer FX-3D sound card. As for components from other„manufacturers, the machine boasts an impressive 6.4GB hard drive fmm Quanhgn; and not only does it come with the ATI Xpert®Work XL video writh 4MB onboard, the system also features a Diamond Monster 3D card. Although the machine provided moderate performance in some of the benchmarking tests, the street price of $1,698 makes it a bargain, considering the components included with the system. The AOpen comes with a two-year warranty.

• -

Daiwa The system Daiwa provided for entry-level testing has a good mix of components for multimedia (and was, incidentally, the first system we received with Active Desktop pre-installed). At 3.2GB, the Quantum hard drive is one of the few sub-4.3GB drives in this roundup. However, the rest of the components are more than adequate, including a Matrox Millenium II with 4MB, an Aztech K56flex modem, a 32X Panasonic CD-ROM drive, and a SoundBlaster AWE64 card. As a bonus, there's a set of 90-watt multimedia speakers, and a three-button mouse, instead of the standard 2-button model. The system has a street price of $1,699, and is backed by a two-year warranty for parts and labor.

Edge KTX Edge Computer Ltd. built a KTX system with a few differences from the others in the test. Though the other machines were strictly IDE, the hard drive for this machine was a 4.5GB Quantum Viking SCSI product. Both the 56Kbps modem and the 16-bit sound card appear to be KTX's own components. The multimedia speakers that come with this machine are powerful, rated at 500 watts of peak modulated power output, and coming with their own subwoofer. For input, the system comes with the fancier Microsoft Intellimouse, and the Microsoft Elite natural keyboard. The system comes with a Mitsumi 32X CD-ROM drive. With the differences, the only big problem comes in the video card, which is the relatively low-performance Cirrus Logic 5465. As a result, while the desktop graphics were reasonably good, the overall performance of the machine suffered, turning in lower benchmarking scores in almost every category. That said, the KTX does pack a lot of good-quality hardware under the hood, and for those looking for something a bit different, aesthetically speaking, the natural keyboard and speakers' booming bass may be good selling points. The system has a suggested street price of $1,799, and has a two-year parts and labor warranty.

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Elco 'a a,,i

Elco continues its tradition of offering more for less. The machine this month is a full Pentium II 233MHz system with 64MB of RAM, a 3.2GB Fujitsu hard drive, a Liteon 24X CD-ROM drive, a SoundBlaster 16 card, a Harmony K56flex modem, and a Trident$750 CP 3D and TV-out $ p card Believe it or not, the Elco system has a street price of only $1,200, and comes with a one-yeu' pcs and labor warranty. Making.Ws an even better deal is the perfor mance of the machine, which scored in the mid-range of results for this group of machines. Certainly, while some of the components are not the top of the line, the Elco machine provides outstanding performance for the price

Empac Azara Pre-installed with Active Desktop, the Azura also sports a 4.3GB Samsung hard drive a GVC 56K X2 modem, a 24X CD-ROM and a Sound Blaster card, both from Creative Labs, plus an ATI 3D Rage Pro video card with 4MB of RAM. The system comes with a Logitech three-button mouse as a bonus. One complaint about this particular system: Most cases now feature a front-panel design which pulls the power switch down on the case, away from the components on the front that have buttons and controls. At worst, the power switch for the computer may be reasonably close to the floppy eject button, but with the diminishing use of floppies, this isn't as much of a concern. The Azura's power switch is located directly beside the CD-ROM's open/close button, and the "soft" feel of the switch means the user can shut the computer off in the blink of an eye, without even having to press the button deliberately. For that reason, this machine requires a bit more care while reaching for the CD open/close button. The Azura has a street price of $1,758, and comes with a two-year parts and labor warranty.

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Armed with the sneakiest-looking machine of the bunch, Jaba offers up the JBS-6223/002 system this month. The first thing you notice about this machine is the sliding door on the front. When it's closed, it makes the computer look like it's protected by futuristic armor. Press the release button on the top, and it slowly slides down the front, revealing the CD-ROM, floppy and power button. Sure, it's not an essential part of the machine, but it's cool â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and never underestimate the sales potential of cool What's especially nice is that Jaba has backed up the look of the machine with solid components, including a 4.3GB Quantum Fireball hard drive, a 24X Creative CD-ROM and Sound Blaster card, the powerful Diamond Fire GL 1800 Pro video card with 8MB onboard, a U.S. Robotics 56Kbps Sportster modem (with a modem accessory kit), a Logitech three-button ambidextrous mouse, and 120-watt multimedia speakers The street price on the JBS-6223/002 is $1,995, and the machine has a two-year parts and labor warranty.

CA N A DIAN COMPUTER WHOLESALER June 1998 ht t p//wwwccwmag.ccm

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LCf AdvancedTechnology iNETpro Valnell-233 LCF's entry into our test this month comes in the form of the iNETpro ValueII-233. At a $1,560 street price, this machine comes in near the lower end of the price range. Despite that, the iNET still contains a bunch of good components, allowing it to turn in a respectable score in the benchmarking tests. Inside the box is a 4.3GB Quantum hard drive, anATI Xpert@Work XL video card with 4MB RAM, agtipra 56Kbps modem, a Mitsumi 24X CD-

ROM and the Analog Device toute( card ~,9D sourly. The system also comes with Corelperfect Suite '8, aitd ls backed by a three-year parts-and-labor warranty. Definitely a good machine for the budget-conscious.

INynix INycompVantage-91 Mynix Technology Inc. has built the Mycomp Vantage-97 system, which comes with Active Desktop preloaded and a good variety of components. This machine features the brand-spanking-new Matrox Productiva AGP video card, which has 8MB onboard. The Productiva undoubtedly plays a part in the good performance of the machine in the benchmarking tests. The Vantage-97 also includes a number of other high-quality parts, including a 4.3GB Quantum hard drive, a U.S, Robotics 56Kbps modem, and the Creative Vibra 16 sound card. Filling out the system are: a BTC 24 speed CD-ROM, and multimedia speakers. The machine has a street price of $1,750 and a three-year warranty.

%9 CompnPartner Ultra233D Overall

STD's entry in this month's test is an innocent-looking machine, but it certainly compensates for that with high-quality components, high performance, and a greatprice,to boot. Underneath the plain case, the CompuPartner contains a good collection of some of the newest and best components. This includes well-known name brands, like a U.S. Robotics 56Kbps modem, and a Panasonic 32X CD-ROM drive. The system also has a Diamond AGP video card with 8MB RAM onboard, giving the system solid video performance. All of this is rounded out with a 4.3GB Quantum hard drive, an OPTI 3D sound card and multimedia speakers. The CompuPartner has a w arranty good forthree years,partsand labor, and comes in at $1,688.

CA NADIAN COMPUTER WHOLESALER June 1998 i npltwwwccwmag.corn

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Ultinet Inside Ultinet's 233MHz system is a 4.3GB Quantum Fireball SE hard drive, a 32X Toshiba CD-ROM and the Matrox Millennium II video card, with 4MB RAM. Filling out the box are the Sound Pro Wave32 card, a 56Kbps Netlmk modem, and 80-watt multimedia speakers. On the software side, the system comes with a CD package featuring either 550 titles with an encyclopedia, or a seven-title mini-office suite. The Ultinet system has a s'treet prIce of $1,560, and comes with a two-yearwarranty forparts,and five years for labor.

In Conclusion For the most common business and consumer PC applications, computing hardware is running far ahead of the available software. For resellers, this means that a whole new level of customers can now afford to get into computing, which stimulates a PC market that was looking oversaturated and sluggish 18 months ago. On the downside, margins on these entry-level systems tend to be paper-thin, and the temptation to dump "parts of the week" into a box and ship it out at a low, low price can backfire. Unless quality levels are kept up, the result can be unhappy customers, and the rapid disappearance of even a meagre profit on a sub-$2,000 system sale.

Performance Compaq Deakpro 2000 In terms of speed, the Compaq Deskpro 2000 takes the honors, hands down. With the video wired directly into the motherboard, this machine danced around some of the other units on the benchmarking tests. However, with NT 4 installed instead of Windows 95, the system is geared more to the business desktop, and may not be the ideal power machine for everyone.

June 98

Value Eloo Although some of the components are less than cutting edge, it's hard to argue with a Sysmark32scoreof 259 and a street price of only $1,200. While not necessarily the choice for someone who wants a slick multimedia machine for all the latest games, its price makes it a great starter machine.

June 98

Overall STD Compapartner Ultra233D Not only did the CompuPartner system place a solid second in this month's speed tests, it also carries a competitive price. The price is even better when you consider the fact that the components included in the package are all top-notch, boosting system performance and reliability. This makes a great machine for almost anyone. L'M

CA N A DIAN COMPUTER WHOLESALER June 1998 ht t p//wwwccwmag.corn

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httpltwwwccwmag.corn June 1998 CANADIAN COMPUTER WHOLESALER 45

T EC H T A L K

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broader markets. But last winter's explosion of low-cost computers caught Intel by surprise, along

with much of the industry. To a large extent, thesemodels,accounting foras much as 40 per centof theconsumer market,were powered by new-generation CPUs, designed from scratch for low-end machines by Intel's competitors such as AMD, with the K6 processor. Despite a TV ad campaign pushing the "Intel Inside" logo, customers were happy to use something else inside if the price was right. The result is a strategy switch by Intel. Instead of a single CPU line aiming to cover the entire breadth of the market, Intel is now offeringdifferent processorsfordifferent market niches — a processor line for mainstream businessmodels, one for high-end servers, and anotherfor low-cost, consumer markets. On April 15, Intel unveiled the first Celeron processor — its new model aimed at the low-cost mass market. It's a 266MHz model, based on Intel's Pentium II, and like that processor, is designed in a cartridge to fit into Intel's proprietary Slot l. While Celeron is presumably named aftercelerity,an obscure synonym forspeed, the design keeps the Slot 1 design, but drops the cache RAM. The resultis a processor that compared badly to low-cost models from Intel's competitors, and even to the slower Pentium MMX models from Intel that it is meant to replace. PC Magazine, for example, benchmarked a Celeron 266MHz system from Compaq, and found that it ran slower than a typical MMX 233MHz (with 512KB of L2 cache),and in fact, barely outperformed an 46

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„j,~ache back as a way to MMX-166. And while Intel had earlier offer reasonably-resp ' '>Itrformance. claimed that Celeron models would benefit The bett,, rgsponse.for ntla, is to say from their Pentium II heritage with improved "No" to Celeron.' 'gegp at the same multimedia performance, the system tested product launch, Intel tT 11 P entium II offeredpoor 3D performance. Forget about models running at350MHz and 400MHz selling these systems to the game-playing seg- were unveiled, atprices ofU S$609 and $800 ment of the home market! respectively. A 450MHz model is expected in Moreover, while they share Slot 1 July. The CPU speeds represent an increase designs, the motherboards on many Celeron over the previous 333MHz models, but more systems will not be able to handle standard significant is the motherboard chipset that Pentium II cartridges, making them non- they' ll run on. The 440BX chipset runs at upgradeable. By using Slot 1, however, these 100MHz, a significant increase over the systemsareforced to usemot herboard chipsets 66MHz used in existing models. (in this case, the new 440EX) from Intel. Of course, Intel competitors are expectIn order to keep the price low, the ed to respond with their own 100MHz chipset 440EX is limited in other ways. No multi- designs later this year, and the betting says processor support, and only two slots for their Pentium-like models will see even more DIMM memory strips — supporting a maxi- performance improvement from the faster mum of 256MB of RAM. Support for a max- bus than Intel's Pentium 11 designs. imum of three PCI slots limits system These 100MHz bus designs not only expandability (by comparison, the common allow the CPU to run faster, but they speed up 440LX design for Pentium IIs supports dou- operations across the system. This won't be ble the RAM and five PCI slots). the end, of course. At last March's WinHEC While Celeron, with wholesale pricing at conference,keynote speaker Michael Slater US$155, is aimed squarely at the low-end con- predicted 200MHz system busses by 1999, sumer market, users will be better served with running processors atspeeds of up to models based on AMD's K6 (with new models 750MHz. According to Slater, even the new, expected to reach 300MHz and 350MHz this faster 100MHz bus will have a hard time year), Cyrix's MediaGX (moving up to keeping up with upcoming RAM designs, 266MHz and beyond, and offering integrated such as Rambus RDRAM. Lttt multimedia), or the new Centaur processor from Integrated Device Technologies. All three Alan Zisman is a computer journalist and are based on the older Socket 7 technology teacher,living in Vancouver. He can be used by Intel in its Pentium and MMX models. reached atazisman@rog ers.wave.ca.

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by David Tanaka Apparently undaunted by Intel's recent interest in the entry-level PC market, Cyrix Corp. is boasting that its MII 300 microprocessor is about 25 per cent faster than Intel's 266MHz Celeron. The company bases its claim on a WinScore test result of 76 for the MII, compared to 51 for a 266MHz Celeron. And on the ZiffDavis Winstone test, Cyrix says the MII scores nearly as high as a 300MHz Pentium II. Backing up a few months to the spring of this year, Intel Corp., with its PC roadmap, divided the PC kingdom in three. According to Intel's grand plan, the 100MHz bus and Slot 2 Pentium II configurations were to serve the high end, while the Celeron would bring Pentium II technology to the enny-level market. Intel has traditionally paid little attention to the bottom end of the market. However, it was caught in an awkward position of phasing out the Pentium line at a time when the market was suddenly embracing the cheap PC. Its response was to create the Celeron — part of the Pentium II family but without the on-board cache. Cyrix and Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) have been singing a common war song against the Pentium II with its proprietary Slot I design. The MII and AMD-K6 offer comparable performance, the chipmakers argue, while offering further savings by being compatible with existing Slot 7 m otherboard designs. AMD recently announced a two-year foundry agreement with IBM to add capacity for AMD-K6 production. Production there is expected to begin in the third quarter of 1998. Among the brand-name manufacturers that have been using AMD and Cyrix CPUs are Compaq and IBM. IBM's Aptiva E series will use the AMD K6 processors, including a 300MHz version.

"The big question is where the next "magic" price point resides for Cyrixand AMD. Will it be $50 less then g@jljine Intel, or $25Q,:gas?" '*

Also with its eyes on the entry-level PC segment, National Semiconductor Corp. announced in April that it will have a single-chip PC system by mid-1999. National says the single chip will be built around a Cyrix CPU core, and will replace the dozen or so chips that are currently used to build PCs. (National and Cyrix merged in November, 1997.) The chips will be manufactured at a new 0.25micron wafer fabrication plant in Portland, Maine. National says the plant has the capacity to scale the process down to 0.18 micron. National says it is taking a distributed processing approach to chip integration, where different parts of the chip will be optimized to perform specific functions. Hence the chip would have multimedia processorsand communications processors,forexample. The company says that all the major PC functions except for memory and some of the power supply components will be integrated on the chip. Santa Clara, Calif.-based Integrated Device Technology lnc. (IDT) announced in the spring that it had signed a foundry agreement with IBM to use its 0.25-micron, Blue Logic technology to manufacture IDT's WinChip C6 microprocessors. The WinChip C6 was announced in October by IDT subsidiary Centaur Technology Inc. The MMX-optimized chip, which was expected to be shipping by mid1998, is aimed at the sub-US$1,000 multimedia desktop PC market. Evergreen Technologies has announced it will be using the WinChip C6 microprocessor in its MxPro line of Pentium-upgrade processors. These developments mean that a lot of action is taking placeforentry-leveland CPU replacement markets. In terms of new PC production, Intel, Cyrix and AMD now have (arguably) comparable CPU technologies for the sub-$1,000 PC market. This was where Intel's competitors were going to make hay, but already, some vendors are advertising Celeron-powered PCs below the magic $1,000 mark and that's in Canadian dollars. Intel, with its "Intel Inside" campaign, has done an excellent job of capturing consumer mindshare. The pressure will be on PC manufacturers to bring Cyrix or AMD-powered PCs to the market at even lower prices. The big question is where the next "magic" price point resides. Will it be $50 less then genuine Intel, or $250 less? The alternative scenario is the rise of the simplified PC to meet the needs of a less technologically sophisticated buyer. For example, Acer has announced its XC computing appliance concept, where PClike computing devices (albeit with limitations in functionality or expandability) will become available starting at US$199. These will be geared to people less concerned with the innards and more with what it will allow them to do. Acer predicts that the XC will prove to be more popular than the PC within a decade. ICC 1 W David Tanaka is a Vancouver-basedjournalist and Editor of The Computer Paper.He can be reached atdavid@tcp.ca.

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Hitachi Ltd. has announced the development of a new family of ASIC (application specific integrated circuit) chips produced at half the resolutionof current chips.The HG75C series of chips, to be available in June, is built on a 0. 18-micron rule. Hitachi's current HG73C ASIC series is built to a 0.35-micron rule, meaning the smallest gap between circuits and components can be 0.35 microns. The new chips, built to a 0.18-micron rule, halve that gap, meaning chips can be made much smaller, or more can be fitted into the same size package. In addition to the increased density,

Hitachi says the new series offers a maximum clock speed of 400MHz, low supply voltage and one-fifth the power consumption of the previous 0.35-micrometer cell-based IC series. Using this new technology, Hitachi says it is now planning the production of an ASIC product range that includes its SuperH micro processor core, DRAM flash memory and other circuits on the same chip. Customers willbe offered a range of microprocessorcores for use with the ASICs including the SH-3 32-bit RISC processor and the 16-bit H8S microcomputer.

Kao to end floppy disk production

Canadian trade mission reaps $800 mllllen in deals Canada's minister of international trade, Sergio Marchi, was in Hong Kong recently to oversee the signing of $800 million in agreements between Hong Kong and Canadian IT companies. He also visited China. t Other investments were made in sec- t tors such as aerospace, technology, construction, electric power, manufacturing, medical supplies and education. One of t h e d e als wa s b etween Newbridge Networks and New World Telephone Hong Kong for switching and routing equipment for New World Telecom's new ATM network in Kowloon Bay. The network will be designed to connect more than 1,000 people over six floors, and will allow voice, data and video images to be transmitted at speeds of up to 155Mbps. Newbridge claims this will be the first switched routing system in Hong Kong to be built using the Multiprotocol over ATM standard. At the ninth Annual Governor's Dinner of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Marchi said that as dramatic as the increase in trade and investment had been, relations between Canada, China and Hong Kong are just getting started. "As we approach the next century, Canada is looking more and more to the Pacific Rim for our own economic growth," he said. "We recognize that the greatest opportunities of tomorrow are here." Another contract was signed between Recruitex Technologies Inc. of Vancouver with Hong Kong's IMD Ltd., for the distribution of Recruitex Internet personnel recruitment technology products in Asia, Australia and New Zealand. The third was the signing of a memorandum of u nderstanding between Teleglobe Canada and the Hong Kong Joint Institution Job Information Centre. The agreement is for the establishment of an apprenticeship program where recent graduates from seven local universities and colleges will have the opportunity to receive on-the-job training at Teleglobe headquarters in the U.S.

Kao Corp. says it will end production of floppy disks The company, formerly the world's largest maker of floppy disks, ended production in the U.S last year. The move to end floppy production, currently at factories in Japan and Europe, comes after Kao has seen large losses in the market. Stiff competition in the floppy market has pushed the price of a disk down from around 1,000 yen, when Kao entered the market in 1986, to around 100 yen in the mid-'90s to around 20 yen more recently. CCW

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httpttwwwccwmag.cpm June 1998 C ANADIAN COMPUTER WHOLESALER 49

A CCO U N T I N G

in the by Paul Weinberg

On the software front, accounting these days is anything but boring and static. Sales for accounting software packages in the Canadian retail/reseller channels rose by 24 per cent between the first two months of this year, compared to the same period in 1997, says Darrel Ryce,business manager forA.C. Nielsen & Co.'s computer industry services. He suggests thatw ith the preponderance of small businesses, which still use paper ledgers, this huge market is still not fully tapped. But even among existing users of entry-level accounting software, the matter of year 2000 compliance is forcing many clients to take a closer look at their financial management requirements, says Richard Morochove, a fellow chartered accountant (FCA) and president of Toronto-based Morochove k Associates Inc. "Two years ago, nobody was interested in the year 2000 problem. Now, it seems to have penetrated 40 per centof my practice." Also, continuing to make waves is the ongoing competition between the two most popular accounting software brands, which are currently neck-in-neck in terms of current sales in the Canadian retail/reseller channels, reports Ryce. In the first two months of 1998, Intuit Inc. (QuickBooks and Quicken) led the pack with 44 per cent versus 41 per cent for Computer Associates International Inc. (Simply Accounting). Ryce adds that these numbers fluctuate monthly with Computer Associates sometimes placed slightly ahead of Intuit. Meanwhile, BestWare continues to be locked in third place at 11 per cent. Tom Nash, director for the Toronto-based BestWare Canada disputes A.C. Nielsen's analysis, stating that the research misses niche markets where BestWare is strong, such as wholesale distribution. Also, Morochove suggests that Simply Accounting has a larger presence within its install base of traditional loyal users. He attributes this to the product's strong Canadian roots â&#x20AC;&#x201D; it was originally developed by a Vancouver company that was subsequently bought out by Computer Associates. But mediocre sales of less than one per cent in the larger U.S. market led to its neglect by the New York-based software giant. "Computer Associates wasn't doing much with Simply Accounting. The product was stuck in a time warp. For a couple of years, [CA] focused on minor maintenance upgrades," he states. Switching accounting systems is not an easy decision for an end-user and mastering a new product requires 50 to 100 hours of actual use, says Bolton, Ont.-based Tyne Bonebakker, chartered accountant, at Wedgbury, Smith Bonebakker. He therefore finds that Intuit's QuickBooks has been making major inroads into start-up businesses. Many of his clients are former middle managers of downsized organizations that are starting new enterprises from scratch. He attributes QuickBooks' popularity to its ease of use, compared to Simply Accounting, which he describes as "cumbersome." Lee Horigan, senior product manager for Edmonton-based Intuit Canada Ltd., adds that his company has "demystified" accounting. He also notes that at least 40 per cent of the purchasers of Intuit's products mistakenly rely on his company's personal management software product, Quicken, for business accounting. It has attempted to rectify this with the introduction of an intermediary product, Quicken 98 Home and Business. Accounting software was originally designed for accountants and not surprisingly they contain a lot of jargon and approaches best appreciated by this profession. The challenge has been "to balance accounting integrity and ease of use," says John Schoutsen, the Toronto-based vice-president of sales for Accpac International, the division of Computer Associates in charge of Simply Accounting. He concedes that his company "has not moved rapidly" in recent years on additional features for its entry-level product. But Schoutsen asserts that the recently released Version 6.0 of Simply a

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ACC Accounting has met client concerns, including an electronic invoicing feature and a bilingual interface — plain English or in the language used by accountants. One of the potential knocks against Simply Accounting is that a user cannot delete an entry, as opposed to QuickBooks, where one can input the correction and the error disappears without a trace. (MYOB is somewhere in between in terms of this feature). However, Schoutsen at Accpac International argues that good accounting practices must include a complete audit trail, which is why the product records both the original information and the adjustment to avoid confusion and provide a full financial picture for the accountant. While small businesses invariably make mistakes, it is another thing "to monkey around with the books, leading to fraudulent acts," adds Morochove. Unlike other applications like word processing where one brand is the same as the other, each accounting software package differs somewhat in terms of features. This can spark a lot of argument among accountants over which product is preferable. Bonebakker, for instance, likes the large database in QuickBooks, because it allows for multi-year financial reporting. However, Morochove finds that this also slows up the processing of transactions in QuickBooks. "I understand Intuit is addressing this," he says. What has helped Simply Accounting's sales up to now, recalls Bonebakker, is that it was the one accounting product that computer store clerks were most familiar with, even with the presence of other titles on their shelves. But the marketing of QuickBooks on television has changed perceptions at the front counter. "Even the kids in the stores are picking up the realities," he adds. In order to strengthen their foothold in the channels, most of the accounting software vendors will train computer retail staff on the latest products. But rapid turnover in these stores often defeats the purpose of this offering, states Nash at BestWare, who describes this as "the toughest challenge" for his company's business. BestWare cannot afford to pay for well-positioned shelf space in the stores on a year round basis, he said, unlike Intuit, which is able to share its expense among a larger line of products. Nash reports that his industry "is going beyond ease of use." He sees vendors including BestWare adding features to their offerings to address the requirements of neglected niche markets. Small import-export businesses, for instance, could use a multi-currency option, but this is only available in more expensive and robust, mid-range accounting software products, priced in the thousands of dollars and geared for companies with a few hundred employees. Nash sees top-of-the-line versions of all three major entry-level accounting products increasingly containing such features formerly only seen on more sophisticated software. One example of this is the $700 multi-user MYOB Premiere. However, Nash adds that such LAN products are really aimed at small businesses which have outgrown their present accounting systems. Network versions are of not much use to the average modestly sized enterprise, which typically has only one person working full-time on the books. But there is trend towards greater integration of the accounting systems with the rest of the office, says Morochove. Version six of Simply Accounting, for instance, contains links with M icrosoft Office,which allows employees who are notofaccountantsorbookkeepers to take information from the accounting system and create reports in other applications such as Excel and Word. Looming on the horizon for entry-level accounting products laden with new enhancements is the question of how long can they stay in the sub-$200 range. Nash foresees in the near future "a testing of the limits" by Intuit, for instance, with QuickBooks, which he predicts could be as high as $300 down the road. On the other hand, a balancing of interests exists in the buying of accounting software, what Nash calls "elasticity," between the small business owner focused on price and the accountant who worries about the best features and product quality. In the end, the owner is invariably influenced by the recommendation of his financial advisor. Also, it is much easier for the parties if both the end-user and the accountant share compatible accounting systems. jcgw]

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hether you are currently a reseller or thinking of starting your own reselling business — do you have what it takes to accomplish your dreams? Whether people are born with some of the necessary traits or learn them is a topic for a good debate,but what we do know from numerous studies is that successful entrepreneurs tend to share several important personality characteristics. Entrepreneurs are o f ten strong individualists, optimistic and resourceful, and they usually have a high degree of problem-solving ability. They also tend to be self-confident, selfreliant, versatile and resourceful. Additional traits include being objective, realistic, open to change,and looking for and creating opportunities. Here are some other common traits of entrepreneurs:

• Strong goal-orientation. This includes the ability to set clear goals that are challenging but attainable and the ability to continually r e-evaluate and adjust goals to make sure they are consistent with one's interests, talents, and values as well as personal or business needs. Rather than being content with reaching goals, successful entrepreneurs continue setting new goals to challenge themselves. • Persistence. This involves a steadfast pursuit of one's aim; constant perseverance, striving for a goal despite obstacles, and strong determination to reachgoalsregardless ofpersonalsacrifice. • Ability to withstand business reversals without quitting. Though perhaps disappointed, entrepreneurs are not discouraged by failure. They have the ability to use failures as learning experiences, so that similar problems can be avoided in the future, and have the attitude that setbacks are only temporary barriers to goals. This includes a strong capacity to build on successes. • Businessand product/service knowledge. Entrepreneurs must understand basic principles bywhich a business survives and prospers. That means comprehending the role of management and responsibilities of employees to maintain a viable business. Although entrepreneurs must be in control of overall goals, they can't perform each task without help.Awareness of the functions of marketing, accounting, tax, financing, planning and

management, and how to deal with those, is therefore required. They must have a good level of understanding of the product or service.

ideas on a concept in a unique and different way. The entrepreneur must possess powers of both observation and imagination to foresee possible market ideas.

• Willingness to accept calculatedrisks. There must be an ability to identify risks and weigh their relative dangers, with a preference for taking calculated risks to achieve goals that are high, but realistic. This is con-

• Senseof purpose. There must be a feeling of mission to motivate the person to go into business, and the activity must have meaning. The mission may be to make an attractive profit, to sell some necessary and unique product or service,or to develop ideas or skills without the constraints of others' expectations. • Human relations ability. Entrepreneurs have the ability to understand and interact well with people of varying personalities and values. This is important when dealing with employees, bankers, investors, partners, suppliers, or customers and is reflected in characteristics such as sociability, consideration, cheerfulness, cooperation, and tact.

trary to the stereotype that entrepreneurs are gamblers or h i gh-risk-takers; the r i sks involved are often moderate due to the amount of planning behind them.

•Strong desire for independence. There must be a genuine desire to be one' s own boss, free from external direction and control. That takes a sincere willingness and a proven ability to be self-disciplined in sometimes isolated working conditions, and the ability to organize activities to reach personalgoals.Successful entrepreneurs are not usually joiners by nature. They often join only to network: to make business contacts, further their ventures, or obtain useful information to solve problems. • Ability to handle uncertainty well. Entrepreneurs must have an ability to live with the uncertainty of job security. They must face many crises, take risks, and allow for t emporary f ailures w i thout p anic. Successful entrepreneurs accept uncertainty as an integral part of being in business.

• Ability to apply ideas in creative ways. E ntrepreneurshave a strong desire to originate an idea or product, to develop something new, to be innovative, to make something happen, to imprint personality, dreams, and

• Achievement orientation. Entreprereurshave the desire to take on challenges and test abilities to the limit. Because entrepreneurs are objective though, they build a "what if' scenario into the business plan, so that they anticipate problems and develop strategies to surmount obstacles in advance. It is unrealistic to suggest that all successful entrepreneurs possess all the traits outlined. Many of the characteristics are interrelated and not all are necessary for businesssuccess,so do notbe overly concerned if you feelyou do not possess every one of these qualities. The key question is: How significant are the missing traits to your type of

business and your business goals? Identify and understand your personal strengths and weaknesses in the areas of management skills, product knowledge, and expertise. Once you have identified these areas, you are then in a much better position to compensate for weak areas by hiring employees, bringing in partners, or taking further training. zw Douglas Gray, LL.B., formerly a practising lawyer, is a Vancouver-based consultant, speaker and author of 16 best-selling books, including The Complete Canadian Small Business Guide (McGraw-Hill Ryerson), Start and Run a Profitable Business Using Your Computer and S t a rt a nd R u n a Profitable Consulting Business (both by SelfCounsel Press).

httpltwwwccwmag.corn Julle 1998 C ANADIAN COMPUTER WHOLESALER 5 3

T RA I N I N G R E V I E W

by Stephen Ibaraki

t a recent $2,000 course I was attending, an attendee, Jim, asked this question: "Why would you want to use client reservations where the DHCP server always assigns the same IP address to a client?" The seminar leader thought for several minutes. Finally he replied, "I'm not sure. I' ll have to get back to you on that one next morning." During the break, I popped in my CBT Systems CD into Jim's computer. I scanned for the DHCP topics and there was the answer and background information. Jim noted, "Cool, there' s even a simulation where I can try interactive setups! My company has 10 employees requiring this course. That's $20,000. This CD packs the same information and more." A few weeks ago, I bumped into Jim. His company IM. decided that computer-based training was a sensible alter8 INFORMIX' native.He was amazed at the depth of offerings from UNIX, C++, SQL, Visual Basic, Java, Web-Design, Lotus Notes, Oracle, Cisco networking, to the entire office application suite. Computer-based training (CBT) has been around for years, but the old idea has a new face that will be the future Illrrrlilliril of all training. CBT Systems, the world's largest CBT provider, provides courses for a single machine, via a corporate intranet and over the Internet. As the communication bandwidth improves, the courses will only become more interactive. NET5( Arr The graphics and interactive simulations are good and getting better by the day. The actual computer environments are duplicated. Now the classroom is as close as the nearest com- ORACLE' puter. It's possible to catch up with the endless upgrading ii-: this industry requires — on a ferry, in a hotel, or waiting %SLAV for an appointment.

The Format The CBT Systems' courses follow a four-step model: l. Concepts first — giving the underlying theory, 2. Demonstration — showing how the concepts are used, 3. Guiding the learner to apply new concepts, and, 4. Independent practice through simulations and coding exercises. How does CBT Systems compare to instructor-led training at a commercial centre? It really depends. An experienced instructor who really knows the course material, the sidebars, exam tips, 54

CA N A DIAN COMPUTER WHOLESALER June 1998 rr rrpllwwwccwmag.corn

y4;-

T RA I N I N G R E V I E W and class discussions can't be matched. This is especially true in a college environment, where the course extends over several weeks. But with classroom instruction in a commercial setting, there are time limitations. CBT training doesn't have that problem. The CDs provide a better organization than most books and an attention to detail not permitted with time-constrained classroom instruction. Complex areas are fully explained with graphics and demonstrations. Each course is divided into a series of topic areas or lessons similar to the chapters in a book. These lessons begin with a thorough list of objectives and end with a summary. Each lesson is broken down into easily digestible screens, which are often grouped by sub-topic. Throughout each lesson, there are numerous questions to stimulate thought and keep up interest. Often the t echnical detail p resented exceeds classroom instruction. This is especially important if the user is planning to write certification exams. To review, the user can take the lesson exams. The questions are well designed and do consolidate the covered material.

The User Experience

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•

a I

•

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•

I )

•

• •

•

I found the software easy to install and quite intuitive to use. A series of on-screen buttons allow for easy movement forward orback. Users can check their progress or go to any subtopic for review. If they' re on a busy schedule, they can leave a bookmark so they can automatically return to where they left off in a lesson. As faras accuracy isconcerned, I found fewer errors in their earlier courses than their most recent offerings. Their error rating is definitely less than many of the books I reviewed, and instructor-led classes I' ve evaluated.

• •

•

' • •

Practice makes Perfect For every hour spent in the CBT courseware, I recommend you spend two hours on a working system trying out what you' ve learned. You would do the same if you took a regular class or self-studied using books. As an educator, I advise 100 to 200 hours of study for any major topic area. It helps to go through each course three times: once to get an overview; the second time for details; the third pass for mastery and consolidation. Then spend some time on the actual system. For example, to study Unix, find a Unix system to experiment with the various topic areas, and your knowledge will be substantially enhanced.

The CBT Market

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•I

Anyone in the computing industry can benefit. Computer-based training is a particularly cost-effective training alternative for organizations with large training needs. It's also worth considering for motivated and disciplined individuals. The cost is higher than self-study books; so weigh the benefits versus the cost. Download the demos from th e Web si te (httpt/Iwww.cbtsys.corn) to get a look and feel for the software. CCW StephenIbaraki,ISP,is co-convenor of the computing program at Capilano College, which is CIPS, Novell and Microsoft certified. He can be reached at sibaraki@ capcollege. bc. ca. ttttp/twwwccwmag.corn June 1998 CANADIAN COMPUTER WHOLESALER 5 5

1 [ND U S f RY P E R S P E C i I t>' E

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P R O D U CT S

Creative Technology adds powe rful PCI audio systems

Kingston announces PC 1OO-compliant memory

Creative Technology Ltd. has announced two new high-performance PCI audio systems aimed at the quality PC audio market. The Sound Blaster PCI64 has an estimated street price of $149.99, and the Creative Ensoniq Audio PCI sells for $79.99. Also announced was the PCWorks FourPointSurround speaker set, aimed at optimizing the 3D sound projection ability of the PCI64. According to Sim Wong Hoo, CEO and pre~ident of Creative Technology: "These new P«d ucts are the first in a series of upcoming PCI solutions from Creative that will leverage our expertise in audio to deliver truly innova-

Kingston Technology Co. has announced its PC 100-compliant memory module family, designed for the new 100MHz memory bus architecture of Intel's new 440BX chipset. Using 100MHz unbuffered Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory (SDRAM) components, the .' modules will be offered in system-specific configurations of 32, 64 and 128MB densities. Pricesfor modules will range from US$130 to US$635, depending on configuration and capacity. Seehttp:/lwww.kingston.corn. IBM ThinkPad710E .

,; ®

Compaq introduces 14.5-inch flat-panel monitor Compaq Canada Inc. has introduced the 14.5-inch TFT450 Flat Panel Monitor, priced at $2,932, along with two 17-inch CRT monitorsthe Compaq P75 Color Monitor and the Compaq V75 Color Monitor, priced at $972 and $825, respectively. Compaq says it expects to accelerate the transition of the standard business monitor size from 15 inches to 17 inches.

IBM adds

Thin@pads (NB) — IBM Canada Ltd. has introduced the Thinkpad 770E and ED, two new ThinkPad 380XD models, and the ThinkPad 600 line of notebook computers to the Canadian market. Canadianprices forthe ThinkPad 770E and 770ED start at $6,499. The new 380XD mod-

els start at $3,999. P rices for t h e n e w ThinkPad 600 series begin at $4,399.

Connect %Corn Canada has small businessOff ice 3Com Canada of B u r lington, Ont., has a nnounced a 1 0 - user v e r sion o f th e OfficeConnect ISDN LAN modem — an all-in-one access networking solutions for small businesses or home offices with multiple users. 3Com says small businesses can simplify their networking by equipping their 10-user

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tive sound solutions." Since establishing the de facto standard for computer audio with its Sound Blaster line of audio cards, Creative has gone on to developone of the most impressive research and development capabilities in either the computer or consumer electronics industries. The new products reflect this capability, with impressive audio features at a modest price. The new PCI64 offers64 voices of wavetable synthesis, support for two or f o ur speaker output configurations, as well as the new PC Works FourPointSurround. The PCI64 uses very little of th e PCs main processor power, relying mainly on its onboard chipset. Seehttp: //www. soundblastencorn.

office with a $699 OfficeConnect ISDN LAN modem, and a $139 eight-port OfficeConnect Hub 8/TPO.The company has also announced plans to support V.90 56Kbps international standard on the OfficeConnect LAN modem platform, beginning in the second calendar quarter of this year. Visit http: //www.3com.corn.

IBM ThinkPad300XD

Toshiba of Canada refreshes Libretto notebook line

Toshiba of Canada, Information Systems Group (ISG), has unveiled the 2.3-pound Toshiba Libretto 100CT as its next-generation ultra-light system. Priced at $3,999, it includes a 166MHz Pentium processor with MMX technology,a 3.03GB hard drive and shipsAuto Switch surge protector 32MB of RAM. International Office Systems of Richmond, B.C., is shipping The Toshiba Tecra 780DVD notebook the Auto-Switch surge protector, designed to work with has a Pentium II 266MHz processor, and the "sleep" mode in modern PCs. The product 64MB RAM expandable to 192MB. It' s saves energy, plus wear and tear on com- priced at $9,059. p uter equipment. When the CPU i s The Satellite Pro 490CDT ($5,849) plugged into the master outlet, it also includes a 233MHz Pentium II and features switches off peripherals plugged into the a 12.1-inch TFT display. The Satellite Pro three switched outlets. Two outlets on the 4 90XCDT ($6,589) i s p o wered b y a unit provide a continuous power supply 266MHz Pentium II, and boasts a 13.3-inch for anything that might need TFT display. Standard with both systems power all the time. are: 32MB RAM, a 3.82GB hard disk drive, Suggested retail price is and a 20X CD-ROM. $49.95. Call: (604) 303-1100. Seehttp: //www.toshiba.ca. ICCW]

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P EO P L E based in Melville, NY, where he managed the development, testing, marketing and support of all remote communicanons products. D ennis Bennie,chairman ofthe board for Archer, said, in a statement: "Calisi's involvement will help to solidify the snategic partnership between Archer Enterprise Systems and Symantec, as the two companies work togethDitek appoints VP er todevelop products for the growing enterRichmond Hill , O n t .- prise contact management market-place." Prior to his work at Symantec, Calisi based Ditek Software was national manager, system engineers, at Corp., a developer of Unify Corp. and senior program analyst with professionalcomputeraided design and drafting Computer Associates. He earned a bachelor o f c omputer s cience f r o m t h e S t a t e (CADD) software for PCs University of New York and studied execua nd workstations, h a s GeneRoe tive training at the Wharton School of appointed Gene Roe as Business. He has more than 15 years of comvice-president, business development. puter industry experience, and holds several Based in the Manchester, N. H., office, copyrights for software innovation. Roe will be responsible for expanding Ditek's worldwide focus on building relationships PC Docs inc. gets president with developers of geographic information systems (GIS). He will also lead the compa- Toronto-based PC Docs Group International Inc. has announced Brian Zanghi is the new ny's U.S. operations. Roe was thefounder and former presi- president of its subsidiary, PC Docs Inc. The company is a provider of enterprise dent of MPN Components, a digital mapping and global positioning company, bringing 18 document management solutions. Zanghi will report directly to Rubin Osten, chairman and years of experience in the GIS industry to Ditek. He also worked for SoftDesk as direc- CEO of PC DOCS Group International. A three-yearveteran of the company, tor of mapping products, and led GIS projects Zanghi most recently held the position of for the Government of Canada's Department of Public Works and Government Services. vice-presidentof North American sales and He holds a Ph.D. in engineering systems from was akey member of the seniormanagement the University of New Hampshire, a masters team charged with developing and impledegree in civil engineering, and a bachelor of menting PC Docs' business strategy. Prior to thathe was vice-president of Eastern operascience in civil engineering. "Right now Ditek is the one organizanon tions. Zanghi served for several years with that is in an ideal position to capitalize on the Interleaf Inc., another document management rapid changes in the industry, and I look for- vendor, and was with Digital Equipment ward to being part of the company as it expands Corporation for 10 years. Zanghi will focus on the company's into new territory," said Roe, in a statement. worldwide operating plans and marketing strategies, on expense control, and on growing Symantec vie-president profits and revenues from thecompany's new sits on Archer's board Archer Enterprise Systems Inc. (Archer ES) Internet-basedand client/server software. has appointed Christopher Calisi, vice-president of Symantec's Remote Productivity Solutions Business Unit, to it s board of directors. Calisi is currently responsible for the worldwide product development business for Symantec's pcAnywhere, WinFax and ACT. Previously, Calisi served as general manager of Symantec's Remote Access Business Unit

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What actually attracts buyers? by Leslie Anne Arrand and Dianne Lepa Encryption software encompasses such technologiesas fi rew alls,PINs, passwords, cryptographic algorithms and secured gateways. Specifically, encryption refers to the translation of one character string into another by means of a cipher, translation table, or algorithm. The t ranslated information then becomes meaningless to anyone without the decoding mechanism. Encryption is a hot topic.The need to secure your network from both external and internal users has resulted in data security becoming a crucial element in an organization's information technology infrastructure plan. It has become important to all organizations, large and small. Companies involved in the design of encryptionsoftware have been experiencing a boom. With more and more technology companies becoming involved in this growing area of technology, how is a new company going to distinguish itself from its competitors? A recent Branham study of 100 North American companies from many dilferent sec-

Rnnklnl ot Purchnslni Decision CrNerln

tors, including financial, pharServiceandSupport maceutical and healthcare Ease ofUse assessed the need for enterprise-wide security products TechnicalFeatures and services, as wellas deterPrlce mined the awareness of the varSize ofVendor ious vendors in this market One element of the study rated purchasing criteria for enterprise wide security products. Based on a scale of 1 to 5, where "1" is "not at all important" and "5" is "very important," respondents to the study were asked to rate certain criteria relating to purchasing decisions. The following chart displays the results. As in many areas of technology, the most critical element in the decision-making process for purchasing enterprise-wide security products are service and support, followed by ease of use and product support. Technical features are rated fourth. Unfortunately for those companies trying to distinguish themselves by their reputation, brand name is rated the lowest

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last issue, we asked: When it comes to YOUR customers, what is the HIGHEST criterion for their ink-jet purchases?

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among the list of purchasing criteria. New companies will continue to emerge in this excifing sector of the information technology industry, especially when on-line purchasing increases in popularity. In order to be successful in this area of technology, companies will have to develop top-of-the-line products that are backed up with a high level of service and support. The good news is that due to the lower level of importance placed on brand name, the market is open to alL nnII Leslie Anne Arrand and Dianne Lepa are consultants at The Branham Group Inc. in Ottawa (httpr/twww branham ca) â&#x20AC;&#x201D; an international marketing and management consulting Prm with a stated commitment to: "Delivering competitive advantage to the ITindustry. " Phone: (613) 745-2282t orfart (613) 745-4990.

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This issue:

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Advances in CRT display technology have been creeping along, and we' re now seeing larger monitors with good-quality display of images hitting the market at attractive prices.

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Our question to you: For your customers, which is the MOST important concern when it comes to buying a computer monitor? Easy on-screen controls. A very low price. Energy-saving technology. A flat-screen display. A big screen (17 inches or more, diagonally).

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