Article Abstract:
The success of US technology in the weapons systems used in the Persian Gulf war leads many people to ask why the US cannot repeat that success in commercial electronics fields. Many analysts maintain, though, that those weapons are not necessarily that sophisticated. Nor does the technology used to develop them automatically translate into commercial applications. Many of the weapons used in the Gulf were created using ten-year-old technology. Developing a weapon often takes eight to 15 years, so the technology is often outdated by the time the weapon is in service. While it was true that at one time cutting-edge military technology eventually led to commercial uses, commercial pressures now dictate that technology is developed for non-military applications first, finding its way into military weapons systems at a later date. This process may increase Japan's competitive advantage.
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Article Abstract:
Steven Jobs of Next Inc announces four new microcomputers that are built around the Motorola Inc 68040 microprocessor. The new machines are the Nextstation, which costs $5,000 for the black and white model and $8,000 for the color version, the $8,000 Nextcube and the $14,000 Nextdimension. Jobs indicates that the company has already received orders for 15,000 machines, which is about twice the number of machines the computer maker has sold since it started in 1988. Next has made improvements over its first model, which was criticized for being too slow and expensive, by replacing the slow optical disk with a magnetic hard drive and by offering lower-priced models. Analysts are saying that it will be almost impossible for Jobs to repeat the success he had at Apple and Jobs indicates that the main challenge for the company will be to convince the market that it is a competitor.
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Article Abstract:
Next Inc reports sales of 8,000 workstations in the 1st qtr of 1991. The company hopes to sell 50,000 computers for the year. Next sells microcomputers combining engineering workstation power with desktop microcomputer ease of use. Next's first line of products, introduced in 1988, had high prices and offered unsatisfactory performance. New Next computers are more powerful and lower-priced, although they are still proprietary systems. Next has changed its marketing strategy from exclusive sales through Businessland retail stores to marketing through 25 other computer stores, direct sales and distribution via value-added resellers. The company reports that 60 percent of its sales are to corporations while the balance is made up by academia.
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