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Ph: 905-940-3600 Solutions In Computer Distribution Prompt Customer Service Weekly Specials Outstanding Technical Support Sales Personnel 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Mon.-FrI. Full Service Facilities in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver Toll Free Hot Line 1-800-TO-EMPAC Award Winning Systems Cost Competitive Solutions .LafofsDoes Masts Job With Cw Course EjSephin Ibaraki By Sieve Halindu CQMPimRTELEPpU Comput9*Jele(ili9[iy-Strj^s For Prominence ■^^aulV^beri' - ^ les And Demos Graeme BenneSt THE INDUSTRY IN PROFILE The Three Caesars 18 Canada's Eurocom Sees Success' By Jeff Evans ln Notebook Nictie-.i],!!^’^ SyMicMeMcletui.' EYE ON THE INDUSTRY "■ £-Commerce VAR Is A New 8r^ed Of Resellers .22 ' NEWS By David Tanaka i NOTEBOOK COMPUTERS By Michele McLew Big & Small Notebogk Market : Is Active In 1998 24 BOOK REVIEW By Jeff Evans K Creative Collaboration * Or.MskingJheWhoi" Jhe Sum Of Its Paris By Paul Lima ^BUSINESS BASICS 'Show Me The Money! ' The Dynamics Financing 54 E-mail Management, Security Is Ciociaf^^7^^^^“**“ " ■"' ■ WOBKIWqjHEMffB LAB TEST - - - High-End Systems _lY f And ^ftware ! DEpTmm^n 1 The Editor's Desk 6 Letters to the Editor 8 Industry Flash 10 Canada Watch 14 . Asiascape 50 New Products 58 Calendar 61 People 61 Nifty Numbers 62 ir Intel 440LX Pentium‘S II Multimedia Mainboard • Intel A40\X AGPset • Suf^rt AGP • Auto Jumper Yes • Creolive EMU8008 3D PCI Sound Chip on board • Support UltraDMA-33 • ATX Double Decker * SoftPower on/off and modem ring wake-up • CPU auto Zida Technologies Ltd. fan off and temperature monitoring www.zida.com ^Comtronic [http:Wwww.comtronic.ea] 83 Commerce Valley Drive East, Thornhill, Ontario, L3T 7T3 • Tel, 905-881-3606 • Fax. 905-881-6893 Toronto Vancouver Haittax Hamilton Montreal Omwa 905-881-3606 604-273-7280 902-463-8777 905-574-3744 514-731-1223 613-736-7513 EDITOR'S DESK No Holds Barred! 1998 is shaping up to be super-uclive, and this issue of Canadian Computer Wholesaler is no exception. We’ve got acquisi- tions, changing corporate strategies, new presidents, old presidents (Compaq, Merisel, page 6 1 ) and best of all — signif- icant technological advancements. Our cover story this issue, ("High Performance RedefmedP' page 38>, comes direct from our Toronto Lab Tests under the direction of Lab Test Editor Steve Haiinda, where they put the very latest generation of high- powered PCs through their (speedy!) paces. Many of those machines ran on Intel's latest 333MHz Pentium Pro proces- sor — arriving in systems near you, ready to crunch through graphics and compute- heavy graphics applications. If your customers are willing to pay for the privilege of power-packed process- ing — they can see significant processing gains in video imaging, interactive DVD and serious gaming, for example. Compaq gets serious Tbpping the industry news this month was of course Compaq Computer Corp.’s announcement of an US$9.6 billion acquisi- tion of Digital Equipment Corp., creating the second largest computing company, sec- ond only to IBM Corp. This is yet another example of the consolidation trend in this industry: and gives a significant boost to the Winlei platform, further su-engthening the power of the Microsoft-Iniel-Compaq tri- umvirate. Associate Editor Jeff Evans examines the history, relationship and power of these giants, in “The Three Caesars," page 18. Sheer momentum, size, and the apparent warmth between these players bodes for a strong working relation- ship for some time to come. Micro.sofi and Digital themselves have played very nicely together under the banner of their Alliance For Enterprise Computing (AEC), which was just intensi- fied by the launch of AEC li. (Please see “Digital And hficrosqft Reaffirm Enterprise Alliance." page 18.) While Digital is a significant player in both notebook computers and desktop.s — (and don’t forget the massive Kanata, Ont. manufacturing facility); that wasn’t the real appeal of the acquisition for Compaq. Rather. Digital’s penetration into high-end corporate computing markets and the com- pany's impressive service organization are exactly what Compaq needs to be taken seriously at its quest to dominate the spcc- 1mm of computing, and to compete on an enterprise level with IBM. Combine the corporate strength of Digital with last sum- mer’s acquisition of Tandem Computers Inc., and the intended message is clear: Compaq is a serious computing company for serious business. Netscape browsers anyone? Also significant this issue, is Netscape Communications’ announcement that it is providing its Netscape Communicator 4.04 browser free to the market-place. (I down- loaded it myself, and can attest that it has significantly more features, and alas, more crashes than Netscape Navigator 3.) The move is widely held to be a response to the eroding of Netscape's browser market-share, as Microsoft Corp. has been providing Internet Explorer free of charge. Yet, NeLscape is still the darling of the Internet community, endeared by its lough little guy aidtude, not to mention the per- ceived class of porting its browser to 17 dif- ferent computing platforms, including ihc much-loved (among Netizens) Linux. More noteworthy yet, Netscape i.s making the source code for Netscape 5.0 available to developers, a move that is expected to boost third-party development for the browser. Meanwhile, the company is signing up OEMs to distribute the brow.ser with their systems. (Please see “Netscape signs 3,000- plus OEMs...," page II.) Jonathan Tice, the new director of marketing for Netscape Communications Canada Inc. in Tbfonio said there’s “a real opportunity” for Canadian ISPs and system manufacturers to get involved in the distribution of the browser. One can only hope that Netscape con- tinues to have the drive and resources to continue to develop and push the envelope on Internet browsers, as competition is by far the best nteans of ensuring advancement. What do you think? Has Netscape made the right move with this announce- ment? How do you feel about Compaq buying Digital? Drop me a line at gracec@neicom.ca. Of course, it’s only March. Fasten your seatbelts, ladies and gentlemen: some- thing tells me we’re in for quite a ride... H*' Grace Casselinan Editor It Camiyiter lesaier Putilisliei Associate Publishers Editor Associate EdNor Lab Tost Contributing Writers David Riltcr Judy Prange Hari Singh Khalsa Grace Casselman (gracec@nelci)m.ca) icIT Evans (jeff@lcpon.com) Steve Haiinda (.sleve@lcpon.com) Graeme Bennett .Sean Carrulhers Douglas Gray Stephen Ibaniki Paul Lima Michele McLean David Tanaka Paul Weinberg Geof Wheelwright Production Staff Sherly Ho Karin Hartwig Jana Kolar Sales Manager Jamie Leighton (jamie@lcp.ca) Key Account Manager {EastI Tino Wong Account Managers Frank Hoavlun (frdnk@lcpon,com) Account Managers Weng Ng (weng@lcpon.cnm) Conirnller Linda Lovegrove Accounting Farida Aini Circulation Scort Rice Kim Jewison Founders Kent Liqin Chen Li Ding Canadian Computer Wholesaler is published 12 times a year hy Canada Computer Paper Inc. Toronto Office Toroolo, OiiL Canaila M6K .1J8 •M;(4I6) 555-M04 Fnx:(4l6)3X8-8.S74 Vancouver Office Suiie 503-425 CamUl Si. Vancouver, B.C. Canada V6B (iE3 'n:l:(6()4)6UK.:08lt Fin:|604) 608-268* Taipei Office PRISCO Telitffl6-2-27ll-4S.1 Fax: 886-2 2741-5110 Inlemet E-oiull address; ccw^icpfa Wib Silt hiip:r/www.ccwinaj.com I973223IW 6 CANADIAN COMPUTER WHOLESALER March 1998 nrtp/Avmv.c THE POWER OF VISION DIAMONOser/es NEW CSA APPROVED SERIES W/NON FLAMMABLE PANEL LETTERS Satellite more attractive than cable Most computer customers express interest in csbie modems, but many also have cable TV access and realize ^atthe cable companies have s poor record for delivering clear TV signals, or even delivering service without interruption. Many customers already are fed up with cable and have purchased satellite dishes for TV. Direct satellite Internet access — imagine the bandwidth — sounds like the future to me. Glen Ross, owner Brick Technologies, Toronto bhcktech^printca Cable not yot cost-effective In my local aree of rural Nova Scotia...! have explained to my customers that the extra expense of purchasing an Ethernet card and the (cable modem) Internet service — coupled with the fact that the speed is ve^ compatible with POTS-based modems — offers little advantage at this time. Modems come pre-installed on most systems nowadays. On average it costs approximately $54.66 for cable-based Internet per month, tax included and this does not Include the cost of the card itself, as opposed to a basic telephone line being $24.04 and the Internet service costing $26.95 tax included. A greater savings could be obtained if (the customer) intends to use the same telephone line as they have in their homes now. So buyer beware, source before you spend. Neil L Rideout director of research and development SofOvare Engineering Research Company of America, New Waterford, N.S. nrideout@atcon.com Mai^ factors cnicial for aotebooks This is a very tough question that you asked this month. (Reader Poll, page 62). From personal expe- rience, I look for all of these options. I want processing power because when you're spending a large amount of money you don't want to have to replace (the notebook) every year. Screen size end quality Is a definite concern becauseif I'm going to be using the computers fair amount I don't want to be getting severe eyestrain from viewing something that is difficult to read. You don'twantto be carrying something around for hours on end that weighs a lot especially if you have to carry a bhefcase also. Battery life is a concern for users who will be using their computers a fair bit where AC outlets are not readily accessible. You don't want to be switching batteries every hour or two because of a short life battery. Shawn Stemmier, president Stemmier Computer, Brantford, Ont. shann.stemmler@computer4u.com CCW BULLETIN BOARD Looking for a product service or partner? Write to CCW Bulletin Board at E-mail: ccw@tcp.ca fax: (403) 262-7892. Lattars To The EdHor We welcome your letters on industry issues and concerns, as well as your comments on our magazine. We reserve the right to edit your contri- butions for length and clarity. Please write to The Editor at E-mail: ccw@tcp.ca fax: (403) 262-7892. Unit 8-3571 Viking Wavi Richmond, BC. Canada, V6V 1W1 Tel: (604) 273-4660 Fax: (604) 273-7989 1.800-665-1858 8 CANADIAN COMPUTER WHOLESALER March 1998 #1 Monitor Warranty in Canada #1 Rated 21” Korean Monitor by PC World Magazine #1 Rated 17” Overall by NSTL When you buy a Visual Sensations™ monitor, it's backed by the best support and vrarranty In Canada with the KDS Advanced Replacement Express Service. KARES eliminates hctory reoims and dealer swaps by letting customers call KDS direcdy if a Visual Sensadons ever needs service. KDS then rushes them a replacement by Purolator Air delivery, in Canada to do this. Resellers like it because It eliminates them from the post sales cycle. And customers love It because It gives them peace of mind. Of course, there are plenty of other reasons for choosing Visual Sensations. Including the fact that with a complete line of H-, IS-, I7-. 1 9- and 21-inch monitors - plus LCD flat-panel display and touch-screen models - there's one chat's designed and priced right for every application. Because If you're looking for great no one supports you like KDS • does with KARES. KDS Visual Sensations Distributors (600) 68B-3450 Dalwa (8BB) 383-2492 (800)361-2568 Merisel (800)637-4735 (800) 465-1616 Visit our Web Site: www.kdscanada.ca «| &PLAY NDUSTRY FLASH JNDUSTRY FLASH! Cl4rlt will rcor^anli* company a< FileMaker Inc. Apple Computer Inc. has announced its Claris subsidiary will restructure to locus exclusively on FileMaker Pro line of database software. This restructuring will include changing the compiiny name to FileMaker Inc., the divesting of products other than the FileMaker Pro line, and laying-olF approximately 300 Claris employees. Beginning Feb. I, Apple will distribute all Apple-branded software. In addition. Apple will develop, distribute and support the ClarisWorks integrated productivity softwiue. ’^eckard baatt Sun In worldwide workitatlon talcs Hcwlc:: On Jan. 29. Hewlett-Packard gleefully announced iLs claim that after little more than a year of full-scale marketing of Windows NT-based workstations, HP's combined NT and Unix workstation sales had surpassed those of all other workstation vendors, includ- ing the traditional market leader. Sun Microsystems. According to International Data Corp. (IDC) figures. HP sold more than 330,01X1 workstations, compared to Sun's 285,000 units. According to Dave McDonnell of HP (Canada) Ltd., the improved sales of HP’s workstations are directly attributable to a strategy that HP has pursued for more than two years; to push the performance of its workstations by quantum leaps every six months or so. In independent benchmark tests, the latest HP workstations provide markedly heller price/perfomiance than com- peting Sun, Silicon Graphics or IBM worksia- In a demonstration in CCWIv Toronto ofTice. HP showed the 3D muscle of its new Kayak PC NT workstation, using a Visualize fx4 graphics subsystem for real-time 3D per- formance. HP's success is bad news for Sun. which despite an excellent reputation for quality and a large cnicrprisc customer base, .suffered a three per cent decline in units sold in 1997. That, along with the minimal suc- cess of the Java initiative, and Sun's dogged- ly anli- Windows strategy, is causing increa.s- ing concern about the wisdom of its current direction. MotorolA and Chromatk lUtcarch »n planning 5dK/DVO (NB) — Motorola Inc. and Chromatic Research are unveiling plans to jointly develop a single- chip offering combining .‘'6Kbps modem and DVD technology, aiming for stalc-of-thc-arl multimedia home PC.s, priced at under US$ I .(XK). by the end of ihi.s year. Motorola’s Mike Tramaniano and Chromatics' Dave Well said the deal is slated to result in shipment of multifunctional multi- media modem chips integrating Motorola's implementation of K56flex technology to OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) by early in the second quarter of this year. The first version of the chip will be fully upgradeable to V.pcm. with OEMs deciding individually whelher to provide the software upgrade as download.s or by tnher means. i£EN\ (Unified System Diagnostic Manager), a Windows based program with graphic and numeric interface, it is designed and trademark by EPoX, provides EPoX mainboard user the important real-time intormation to monitor and diagnose your system. By virtue o1 the On-Line Alarm/Warning system, it will protect you from the damages due to the irregular voltages from power supply, and to update your system operating characteristics regularly, such as; Various Voltage supplies from power supply / CPU, Speed of the cooling fan and chassis temperature. Equipped with all EPoX Pentium II mainboards (KP6-LA, KP6-LS and EP-61LXA), now you can enjoy the added security of knowing your system status from EPoX for FREE! Please visit http;//www.Bpox.com tor more information about USDM. MNOVE L L e I c n Toronto Headguarters /Td: (90SI 47D-73D1 / Fai (905) 470-7304 Ottawa /Tel: (613) 746-8277 /Fex: (613) 746-8679 Montreal / Tel: (5141 333-6538 / Fa<: (514) 333-6549 Vancouver / Tel: (6041 303-0206 / Fax: (604) 303-0207 'oX is a member ol 4(0’ and Bela Site for VIA TechneiOiies. Iru:. ;e visit http://www.elcosys.coin for more details. 10 CANADIAN COMPUTER WHOLESALER March 199S NDUSTRY FLASH Standard for 56Kbpt modem technology It fln.nL (NB) — The International Telecomiminications Union (ITU) has approved a preliminary stan- dard for 56Kbps modems, according to 3Com. 3Com developed the x2 56Kbps tech- nology, which directly competed with and could not communicate with the K56flcx technology developed by Lucent Tech- nologies and Rockwell International. The standard was approved at an ITU conference in Geneva, Switzerland, officials said. The new ITU standard will be assigned a new V-series number. It was previously called “V.pcm” for "pulse code modulation.” ITU's next step for the new 56Kbps stan- dard is to formally ratify it at another meeting this September. But the final vote is usually just a formality. lUy Manufacturers of modems that have used the 3Com x2 and the Lucenl/Rockwell K56flex technologies have promised software upgrades to the new standard. That same pledge has been made to ISPs and others who have also used the older proprietary 56Kbps technologies, and will use the new standard. Previously, x2 modems could not "talk" with modems equipped with K56flex at 56Kbps-class speeds. In January, 3Com and Lucent Tech- nologies said they would begin testing their respective 56Kbp.s modems to make sure they communicate with each another when using the new standard. New modem products based on the draft standard should be avail- able from both companies within a few months, officials said. ACP (e04) 278-2811 ImpJfmmscp.ct/icf/ Bi Chenbro Avmv.ccMmag.i; March 1998 CANADIAN COMPUTER WHOLESALER 11 INDUSTRY FLASH Symantec denies CyberMedia allegations (NB) — Within hours of being notified of a lawsuit filed against it by CyberMedia Inc., Symantec Corp. issued a formal denial of any wrongdoing. Gordon Eubanks. Symantec's president and chief executive offi- cer (CEO), said; "If you take tbe big picture, what we know now and what's true is that the product was written by an independent company. Zebrasoft. and we licensed it from them,” the executive explained. “We're indemnified in that licence." “We've received a copy of their suit and we're analyzing it. look- ing at each of their claims.” Eubanks continued. "We take matters like this very .seriously and we have a lot of people working late right now. looking at everything about this.” The pnxJuct at issue is Symantec's Norton Uninstaller Deluxe, a utility that monitors program installations and remove,s them later with no unneeded files left behind. It also performs other hard drive “house- keeping" chores. In the lawsuit. CyberMedia alleges the Symantec product conlains program code on which Cybermedia owns ihe copy- right. CyberMedia also named Atlanta-based Zebrasoft as the original developer of the Symantec program. Eubanks said: "We have no reason to believe 21ebrasoft did any- thing to misappropriate CyberMedia technology. We haven't had a long lime to analyzo'il. but Zebrasoft really uses a different architec- ture from what other uninstallers use, to our knowledge." CyberMedia seeks damages and wants Ihe court to keep Symantec from selling the product. It also wants Symantec to recall all copie.s of the Norton Uninstall product from distributors and retailers. Microsoft Network plans beta MS Start page (NB) — Late this year, subscribers to Microsoft Network (MSN) will find Microsoft's on-line experience opening to a new concept and home page called MS Stan. A company spokesperson said; "MS Start will emphasize three concepts, practical, portable and personal." The practical element is based on Microsoft's u.se of the a search engine from Inktomi. The portable piece is accoinplished through Hotmail, a recent Microsoft acquisition, which allows users to send and receive secure E-mail from any device with Web access. For the personal pan of MS Start, users will get “Start Clips.” Short phrases or sentences about a news topic or travel bargain or sales item ba.scd on a user’s customized list will appear. A click of the mouse lakes a user to a Web site to gel a full version of the information. "This is a very early look at something we do not expect to ship until late this year," said the spokesperson. Apple Computer trims American retail presence (NB) — Apple Computer Inc. has received mixed I reviews and raised eyebrows with its termination of retail agreements with Best Buy. Circuit City. Computer City. Office Max and Sears. One analyst said the slralegy was one more act of Apple's “corporate destruction commit- tee.” while another said the announcement was only partially surprising. On a U.S. national level. Apple plans to focus attention on CompUSA’s 148 retail stores. Late last year, the computer hardware and retail superstore chain debuted n new Apple merchandising concept called u "store within a store." Within a certain urea of each store, CompUSA created a small Macintosh store which is serviced by indi- viduals with specific Macintosh training. Digital Equipment unveils 21264 Alpha chips (NB) — Digital Equipment Corp. has unveiled a third-generation Alpha architecture billed as Ihe first to crash the gigahertz speed bar- rier. The news came just one week to the day after the announcement of Digital's merger with Compaq Computer, to form the world's sec- ond largest computer manufacturing firm behind IBM. "The last seven days have been interesting.” acknowledged Harry Copperman, senior vice-president and group executive. Digital Products Division. The new 21264 Alpha architeciure will operate "two to five times faster than any other processor (either now) or on the horizon." according to Copperman. Digital plans to target the new 21264 architecture at four main market,?: data warehousing and data mining servers; “enterprise appli- cations," especially in the area of OLTP (online transaction processing); Web servers operated by ISPs (Internet service providers): and desktop applications in luenos like video, animation, games, and entertainment. Digital is now sampling the 21264 processors among OEMs, but pricing has not yet been announced. Fu{it»u announces three-voft CMOS A/D converter (NB) — Researchers at Fujitsu Ltd. say they have developed the world's fastest CMOS analog to digital (A/D) converter. The chip is capable of a top speed of 400 mega-samples per second, said the company. The speed of the six-bit A/D converter is expected to be put to use to speed up the operations of computers and consumer electronics, such as networking equipment and disk drives. It was produced using a three-layer (one layer of polysilicon and two layers of aluminum) 0.35 micron CMOS proccs.s and require,? a three- volt power supply. 12 CANADIAN COMPUTER WHOLESALER March 1998 wtBVAwvwi a world of computer experience Supercom is an award winning internationai PC product distributor and manufacturer with branches throughout the Unites States and Canada, as weii as other offices in the UK and Far East. We currently operate in over 20 major cities, spanning 3 continents and have built an internationai trade customer base of over 20,000 OEM's, Value Added Resellers (VARs), System Integrators and Computer Dealers. As an established Computer products distributor, we concentrate on high quality technical products and their support, featuring hundreds of manu- facturers and over 1 500 products. Supercom's business is based on high volume, low cost distribution with full service and support for Systems, OEM Components and Peripherals for many of the major manufacturers in the industry. We offer the unique ability to focus on strategic product marketing and market development due to careful channel management and expert technical staff, dedicated to addressing the needs of our dealers. Essentially, we build our success by helping others to succeed. f Soper Quality Computer Product Distributor EXPANDING YOUR HORIZONS Nationwi dSff^l^ ree Inquiries 1-800-949-4S67 CANADA WATCH AST Canada operations slashed AST Canada says ccnaiti funciions have been consolidated with U.S. operations, as staff size is reduced from 54 to 21 employees. Most departments have been reduced in size, says AST Canada, and some, including mariteling have been consolidated with AST USA. Accounting, sales and service, systems engineering and warehou.se departments con- tinue to operate in Canada. "We are focusing our efforts on ensuring that AST maintains a high level of service and support for our Canadian customers," said John Whiinall. general manager of AST Canada. Telecom industry to cooperate on Year 2000 issues (NB) — They may be competing for long-distance dollars, but major Canadian telecommunications carriets are working together to deal with the Year 2000 problem. A group of companies, including the Sienior consortium of regional phone companies, AT&T Canada Long Distance Services Inc., Sprint Canada Inc., two major cable-television companies, and several others have I'ormed the Year 20(X) Telecommunications Industry Forum to deal with the infamoiLs date problem. Some telecommunications equipment, like many computers, will behave strangely when confronted with dates beyond Dec. 31. 1999. because programs have been written with only two digits to represent the year in dates. As a result, the systems may think dales in 2000 ate 99 years earlier than dales in 1999. rather than a year later. The various telecommunications carriers are working to make sure their networks keep running properly through the turn of the century, by correcting software problems and pressing equipment vendors to make sure their hardware will function correctly. PSINet inc. has big consumer Internet plans for iStar (NB) — The acquisition of iStar Internet Inc. will give PSINet Inc. a presence in the consumer Internet access market for the first lime. PSINet Canada has secured more than 70 per cent of Ottawa-based iSlar’s shares in a takeover bid launched a few weeks ago, and plans to make the company private and operate it as a consumer Interne! service provider (ISP). Speaking to a group of reporters during the Internet World Canada show and conference in Toronto, Nadir Desai, president and chief executive of PSINet Canada, said his company will use the iStar brand for its consumer business — a market segment PSINet has not entered in any country other than Canada — and the PSINet brand for its commercial ISP operations. IStar's commercial customers will be moved over to the PSINet service, he said. Desai said PSINet chose to keep the iStar brand because of the recognition it has. He also said part of the benefit to PSINet in acquiring the company lies in the people working for iSiar. Tomken Microcomputer Systems Inc. lei: (905) 625-9889 Computer Products Distributor (905) 625-3302 Unit #9-11, 991 Matheson Blvd. E., Mississauga, ON L4W 2V3 Fax: (905) 625-7280 ■Kill hitii * 1 BiiKu brill Riiii iMfc/aea/ '■'Hs/i’c •ClIlltlllE wilt IBM PC/3B8/ II B ClililiblH li Mill! Siilei I Cases & Power Supplies Speakers & Sound Cards Tapes Cables & Accessories CPU & Memories CPU Coolers & Joysticks Keyboards & Mouses Monitors & Printers Faxmodem & Network Mainboard & Controller FDD, HDD, CD-ROM & Cards IMEC GoldStar CREATIVE m We customize easy-assembly cases for your OEM needs For more information just pick up the phone and call Tomken Microcomputer Systems. (Raseiiers s Dealers only). A professional computer parts distributor for resellers and dealers offers your best choice without hassles 14 CANADIAN COMPUTER WHOLESALER March 1998 ht,p//wmv.cc*^.co Sceptre’s Soundx Notebooks Are: Rated #1 in PC Digest “The Sceptre Soundx 5500 Notebook is the fastest in the review... "Sceptre takes top honors with the Sceptre Soundx 5500. which leaves all the other notebooks in its tracks when running NSTL’s gauntlet of performance benchmarks. This is a very fast desktop replacement with a 233-MHz Pentium* processor, a 13.3-inch XGA display, and a roomy 3GB hard disk drive for storing large multimedia files." NSTL PC Digest, September 1997 Best Buy - PC Portables “The Sceptre Soundx 4500 is an impressive machine...” "Sceptre is selling this computer 1 166 MHz Pentium"' processor with MMX™ Technology. 12.1-inch TFT SVGA display, 2. 1 GB HDD] with 40 MB of RAM... for just under $3,400. which puts it well within the reach of many. This configuration ... de.serves our “Best Buy” rating for the value represented." PC Portables. November 1997 ’C Portables 'M ilium* ^ In head to head comparisons against the likes of Compaq, Hewlett-Packard, Gateway 2000, Micron and Hitachi, to name u few. Sceptre's Soundx notebooks have proven themselves the best. Call now for a distributor near you or check out our web-site for more information. www.sceptre.com 1-888-350-8989 THE FIRST, THE BEST, THE ONLY THE INDUSTRY The Three Caesars by Jeff Evans The receni purchase of Digital by Compaq marked a notch upward iti the progress of the Windows personal computer into the big leagues of the infor- mation technology market- Moreover, this is the emeigence of Compaq as a new giant on the com- puting scene. For much of computing's history, the global IT market was dominated by one company, IBM. chased by a couple of dozen considerably smaller Japanese and American computer vendors and component makers such a.s Digital, HP, NEC and Hitachi, There was a period in the 1970s and early 19805 when it seemed that the Japanese might become dominant in computing, but the Japanese chal- lenge. at least for the time being, has lessened. Instead, with the movement of the personal computer into the bean of enterprise computing, three upstart U.S. com- panie,s have between them come to occupy a position of influence in computing which far outweighs their 'relatively' modest revenues. Microsoft and Intel, makers respectively of the most popular software and CPU chips for PCs, have benefited from a close pan- imei^ Andy GiQt« nership dating back many years. More recently, and especially with the announcement of its acquisition of Digital. Compaq has become the third member of a new American triumvirate which increasingly sets the direction of computing around the world. Compaq to acquire Digital for US$9.6 billion On Jan. 2S, Compaq Computer Corp. announced an agreement to acquire Digital Equipment Corp., and form the secortd largest cpmputing company in the world, second only to IBM Corp. 'This merger gives Digital tremendous reach and credibility in the merket- place," said Digital chairman Robert Palmer, in a statement. "It gives us the scale and resources to make continued investments in cur key technologies end services.' The acquishion was widely held to be the boost Compaq will need to seri- ously compete in high-end corporate environments. Why Not Japan? Many of the Japanese technology firms that seemed poised to crush their American counterparts a decade-and-a-half ago were divisions of even larger industrial conglomcrate.s or trading companies, such as Mitsubishi, NEC or Hitachi. They had the deep pockets and long-term investment strategies to give them an edge in the great game of glob- al high tech competition. However, in spite of the supposed deficien- cies of American industry (short-term investor thinking, unstable cor- porate management and unreliable workforces), America survived the Japanese challenge and has remained the dominant global player in computer lechnology from the inception of the computer in the i940s until now. Part of America's durability in computing is historical, based on the huge budgets for military, intelligence and space research Digital and Microsoft reaffirm enterprise alliance by Grace Casselman While the event may have been slightly overshadowed by Compaq's announcement of the Digital equipment just two days before; Digital and Microsoft brought out their top guns on Jan. 28 in the form of Robert Palmer and Bill Gates to announce an expansion to their alliance. 'Our sllisnce with Microsoft is strong and enduring,' said Palmer, speak- ing at the San Francisco event "It's worked so well, It showcases how two companies should work together in the best interest of their customers." And Gates said tha alliance, which was first struck in 1995, has 'exceeded expectations. Digital was willing to bet on Windows NT. ..(now) the NT momentum is very strong." The two companies rolled out the sequel to their Alliance For Enterprise Computing: called AEC II, with the acceleration of the implementation of NT and BackDftice as a primary goal; leveraging Digital in the "primary irrtegratar’ role. In fact Digital currently has more than two million Exchange seats under contract Digital plans to increase its total of Certif ed Systems Engineers and Certified Solutions Developers from 1,600 to 3,000 by the end of 1993, with at least have of those certified on SDL Server and half focusing on Exchange and Internet technologies. Reuters Holdings pic., is a customer of the two companies. Peter Job, chair- man of tile company, commented: "The two companies are very well placed to give satisfaction. Digital knows how to build hardware for demanding applications, and haa a very large work- force around the world." "Microsoft has recognizad Digital’s ability to deliver services across the entire globe," seid Robert Delbello, Windows NT marketing msnager at Digital Equipment of Canada Ltd. But Digital is also expected to run NT on 32 and B4-processor systems, starting in aarly 1999. The two companies are also collaborating on enabling 64-bit systems to ship with NT 5.0 and SQL Server. John MecDonald, vice-president of marketing for Digital Equipment of Canada, pointed to the growth of Windows NT. "Its the opportunity of the '90s. It represents an opportunity for everybody." Industry analyst Tom Kucharvy, president of Summit Strategies, comment- ed: "There was much substance in this agreement Digital has demon- strated a very strong commitment to Microsoft — especially NT and Exchange, and has generated a lot of revenue. Since both companies ben- efited. they are expanding the rela- tionship. This will be especially impor- tant in light of Compaq's acquisition of Digital, giving Digital (and its demand creation capabilities and servicesi much more credibility In addressing enterprise customers. Digital stats: • 1,600 Microsoft-certified support personnel — more than at Microsoft! • 29 Microsoft Authorized Support Centers • 450 service delivery locations in 100 countries • 3 million seats, have been migrated to NT 18 CANADIAN COMPUTER WHOLESALER March 1998 There’s No Kink Pentium fianlhini|[ In This ARMOUR! WHITE KNIGHT'S new ARMOUR Series of computer systems is a warrior’s dream come true! With great demands to perform, a computer must be well equipped to do battle and to be victorious. The ARMOUR Series boasts a clean, sleek, ergonomic case with only the latest and most reliable components. All ARMOUR Series computers are backed with our 3 Year Parts and Labor Warranty and are CSA approved. Are you ready for battle? We are!! For more information about White Knight systems and components, be sure to call one of our toll free numbers, or visit our website at www.white^night.com. Western Canada: Calgary Office: Eastern Canada: Halifax Office: 1 05-3760 Jacombs Rd., Richmond. BCV6V1Y6 Tel: {604)279-9938 Fax: (694) 279-9902 Calgary, ABT2E6L7 Tel; (403)291-1683 Fax: (403)291-0889 3, Richmond Hill, Ont. Tel: (905) 886-3862 Fax: (905) 886-3090 Toll: 1-300-652-5039 Dartmouth N.S. B3B 1RS Tel: (902) 468-9898 Fax; (902) 468-59SB Toll: 1-800-735-0250 Wkire KMichr DISIRIBUIINC I Corporaiion. THE INDUSTRY programs during the Cold War. Perhaps more uniquely. America has benefited from some of the same social characteristics that are some- times regarded as weaknesses, namely — individualism and lack of 'discipline,' in the sense of refusing to fallow an official master plan for the future of computing. The nerd/enirepreneur culture of Silicon Valley and America's other high tech hot spots has fostered a chaotic, but creative flood of new inventions. It has helped America remain the main innovator of fundamenial new ideas and products, and allowed the U.S. to stay ahead of better-organized but slower to react competitors. Of course, the Japanese still excel at refining tech- nology to yield advanced commercial products. In particular. Microsoft and Intel have benefited from being indiscriminate as to whom they will do business with. Microsoft will directly or indirectly provide Windows to virtually any vendor, and has developed versions to run on such non-Intel platforms as CE, MIPS. PowerPC and Alpha. It has a long history of making software for the rival Macintosh platform. For its part, Intel has fend- ed off competition from 'clone' chipmakers such Cyrix and AMD by innovadng ever faster and culling prices aggressively. Ironically, much of Intel's current strength probably comes from its paranoid obsession with staying ahead of the doners. By driving the prices of its latest Pentium II chips down very quickly, for example. Iniel both boosts demand for its fastest new processors, and makes life much harder for the competitors struggling behind it. However, in spite of the success of the Microsofi/Iniel alliance, what was missing was a PC equivalent to IBM, a single-minded PC company able to sell integrated solutions into the global enterprise computing market. IBM’s PC operation was for many years hobbled in the effec- tiveness of its promotion of efforts political drag from older IBM divisions selling lucrative, high-end mainframe, server and worksta- tion products based on proprietary IBM products. IBM’s PC division, until recently, was also burdened with the need to push IBM’s propri- etary OS/2 product. Compaq, founded in 1982, wa.s never anything but a PC maker. With its internally developed desktop PCs, notebooks and servers, it has become the principal supplier of Windows/Intel computers to the business market. However, its progress into the higher echelons of 'big iron’ networked enterprise computing was painfully slow, Compaq decided on a campaign of strategic acquisitions to turn it into a true enterprise computing company, buying Tandem Computer, a number of networking product lines, and finally, Digital. However, the focus of the company is still the Windows/Intel platform. Now, Microsoft. Intel and Compaq are com- puting’s Big Three, with combined revenues greater than still-mighty IBM, and with historical growth jH rates faster than IBM. They are poised to extend the S Jh Windows/Intel computing platform as the main- L stream solution for big business. As the three domi- nant players at the dawn of the next century. CwhbqS Eckhaifl Plelfler Microsoft. Intel and Compaq have an opportunity to continue their rapid growth, displace Unix and other high-end operating systems more quickly than expected, and provide new business opportunities for a vast web of third-party prod- uct developers, vendors and service providers around the world. Ct* Jeff Evans is Associate Editor of Canadian Computer Whoiesaler. He can be reached at JejJ@tcpon.com. I Spy A Pie In Bill's Eye by Jetf Evans A prankster’s pie in Bill Gates' lace during a visrtto Brussels took public atten- tion away from more mundane but still important Microsoft news in late January and early February. Just prior to his junket to the pastry capitals of Europe, Gates had held a major press conference irr San Francisco along with Robert Palmer, CEO of Digital. The original intended purpose was to restate the two companies’ commit- ment to their Windows NT/enterprise computing alliance. With the announcemant of the takeover of Digital by Compaq, a major reason for pressing on with the media event became the need to reassure the mar- ket that the Windows enterprise computmg alliance would continue, even under new management Representatives from Compaq were on hand to assure the industry that the takeover of Digital by Compaq would not have a negative impact on the Digital/Microsoft alliance. In fact according to a Compaq spokesman, it was precisely the combination of Digital's NT and UNIX expertise, and a vast cor- porate customer base, which made Compaq interested In acquiring Digital. Gates told CCWhe expected the new, enlarged Compaq to move NT even faster than expected into the high end corporate market Gates claimed that many corporate customers see a duel UNIX and NT operating environment as a good thing, although, he said, smiling, much of the new corporate business is going directly to the NT platform. Less widely reported were Gates' other activities In the Bay area. He visited schools which were the recipients of hardware and software donations from Microsoft, where he urged better quality educational resources for children, including access to the IncerneL to help prepare them for the challenges of the global economy. Perhaps most interestingly, Gates forcefully acknowledged ^at Microsoft now realizes that after almost 2C years of ignoring the existence of government, it will now have to very quickly get very good at dealing wifti governments in Washington and elsewhere. According to Gates, instead of just helping to create the most fantastically successful industry in history, with all the jobs end spinoff corporate startups that have come from the PC, Microsoft must do a better job of explaining itself to the public and the government Although Gates' troubles with governments around the world may be just beginning, he has shown in the past a phenomenal ability to admit mistakes, identify strategic threats and opportunities, and then respond forcefully with the full resources of Microsoft and its numerous allies. You Too, Brutus? Gates will have his work cut out for him, as srrme who might be expected to be allies of Microsoft have chosen to use his time of troubles to take a stand against him. A public statement from the Software Publisher's Association, an industry grouping of over 1,200 software developers (of which Microsoft is a prominent member) obliquely criticized the possible ill effects on innovation of having Microsoft as such a dominant standard in the industry. Considering that many of tha SPA's members make their money in the Windows software market made possible by Microsoft, Gates might wonder who is going to come out of the woodwork next, either to throw a pie or stab his company in the back. One would hope that Gates keeps his cool, and retains a sense of perspec- tive. Those who have so actively lobbied to set government actions against Microsoft in motion may find that they've created a monster. The prospect of a politically engaged and savvy Bill Gates, directing the resources of Microsoft in a counter campaign against the 'vast conspiracy' facing Microsoft (to borrows phrase from Hillary Clinton), should give his critics rea- son to pause. Gates can probably shrug off the pie throwers, but he will be a dangerous opponent in courts of law, and in the court of public opinion. 20 CANADIAN COMPUTER WHOLESALER March 1998 A5731 A6771 A4811 B6911 CHENBRO MICOM CO.. LTD 5n„ No. 1 1 . Alley 1 1 . Lane 327, Sec. 2, Chung Shan Rd., Chung Ho City. Taipei Hsien. Taiwan R.O.C. Tel: 886-2-2489505 Fax; 886-2-2400926 CHENBRO AMERICA INC. 37900 Central Court, Newark, CA 94560, U-S.A. Tel: (5i0)-5059795 Fax: (510)-5059796 Web Site: www.chenbro.cora.iw Entail: chenbro@ix.netcom.com EYE ON THE INDUSTRY_ E-Commerce VAR Breed Of Reseller by David Tanaka Throw up a Web site, ruke jp in ihe cash. How many of Ife your clients believe thai? ft , •- '' If you watch the ft*’ trends, it seems Internet commerce is gaining a head of steam. For example. Evans Research Corp. in Etobicoke, Onl., reported in February that 60 per cent of respondents in its Residential and Home Office Internet study said they have pur- chasetl goods or .services on the Web. Moreover. 35 per cent said they do so at least once a month, according to ERC. Internet commerce is also often totited as the big equalizer for small business. A small company with a smart and creative presence on the Web can be just as effective as a big company, or so the argument goes. But in reality, even though small compa- nies might see the income potential of elec- tronic commerce and virtual storefronts, they often do not have the resources to either explore or exploit the possibilities. So despite the hype, electronic commerce remains real- istic only for the companies that are willing to invest the resources to keep a Web site fresh and attractive. The infrastructure for E-commerce, in terms of secure transaction processing, order lulfillment and back room accounting sys- tems. is quickly falling into place. What's still missing is a way for individual companies with individual business needs to easily plug into the front end of the system. That's where the E-commerce VAR comes in. This consul- tant is Ihe bridge between a business's tradi- tional methods of marketing and selling, and the sometimes complex and unfamiliar oper- ations that must be carried out in order to establish an attractive, effective and secure retail site on the Internet. At the moment, this bridging function is being fulfilled in a few way.s. with varying degrees of opportunity for value-added ser- vices, However as more E-commerce compa- nies on the one side, and small businesses on the other realize that something else is need- ed to complete that last mile, other creative variations are sure to arise. IBM HomePage Creator Last Octoher. IBM Canada rolled out its I HomePage Creator, a turnkey E-commerce solution aimed at small businesses that might want to test the waters without investing a truckload of cash. For example, for $69.95 a month, businesses can buy into Ihe Basic plan. This would allow them to create a five- page Web site using Ihe included Web cre- ation tools and design templates, add a cus- tom name, include a 12-ilem catalog, have the site listed on popular search engines, and include the facility to let customers securely order goods online. A step up from that would be the Bronze plan, which allows merchants to securely process credit card payments on- line. It also allows for a bigger catalog and more pages in the site. While the value-add opportunities here may be limited, consultants might just con- sider it as a low-risk testing bed to prepare their clients for bigger projects. MTS Ngage And bigger projects are what Winnipeg- based MTS Advanced Inc. wants for its Ngage Electronic Commerce solution. MTS Advanced, the province's largest dial-up ISP and a subsidiary of Manitoba Telecom Services, is rolling out the Ngage service through agents and value-added resellers. MTS displayed its Ngage service at the Comdex/PacRim trade show in Vancouver in January. Ngage manages the chain of processes that typically operate in an electronic transac- tion environment. This includes receiving orders, calculating the costs including taxes and shipping costs, processing payments, and providing financial reporting to the retailer. The company has been forging a number of partnerships to make this happen. This includes relationships with Seattle-based iCat. an Internet catalog developer; Cambridge Ma.ss.-ba.sed Open Market, for its Transact transaction system; and Paymentech Canada which provides credit card and elec- tronic payment processing services. Through its reseller programs. MTS hopes to attract Web developers and Inlemel I ccwmag com consultants. The company indicates that through its Ngage Certified Agent Program, it will provide training, software and technical support, and that VARs will receive a royalty on the transactions generated by their clients on the system. Multiacttve Technologies Vancouver-based Multiaciive Technologies is working on a plan that would offer ISPs and “Web Presence Providers" a way to pro- vide E-commerce solutions to their small business customers. The basis for the pro- gram is the company's Commerce Catalyst Suite, which comprises a Markeibuilder mer- chant Web site creation tool and Marketplace Engine, which is a Microsoft Internet Information Server-based merchant site host. Last fall, the company announced it was working to develop an Authorized Channel Partner program. So far the company has rolled out Real Estate Marketbuilder for local real estate agents and agencies. Other E-commerce companies are fol- lowing similar strategies. Pandesic It was recently reported in the U.S. trade press that I’andesic. an E-commerce company formed by Intel and SAP, had established a partnership with The Vision Factory. According to the report, the Vision Factory’s Catalog provides a friendlier front-end to Pandesic's backroom services. tW Contacts: IBM Canada HomePage Creator — hllp://inypage-products. ihost.com/ Multiactive Technologies — http://\vww.multiactive.com MTS Ngage — http:/A\'^\'\v.ngafic.iiet/ Pandesic — http:/AnvH'.paiidi'sic.com/ The Vision Factory — http:/Aiwv.thevisionfactory.com David Tanaka is Editor of The Computer Paper. Based in Mmcouver, he can be reached at david@tcp.ca. 22 CANADIAN COMPUTER WHOLESALER March 1998 GENERAL FEATURES of MSI’s 440LX Mainboard A G.P . Allows your 3D applications run faster on PCs S.DRAM: 20% to 40% faster than conventional EDO DRAM Ultra DMA33 Boost your HDD transfer rate up tp 33MB/S Hardware Monitor: Monitor CPU temperature, CPU 4 System Fan, and System Voltage. 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