The Nation's Leading Weekly Computer News Summary - Now In Its 37th Year - Vol.37 No.50 - Weekly computer news highlights

Oct 13, 2026

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Weekly computer news roundup highlighting key technology and industry developments, including major shifts by IBM and Motorola away from PowerPC chips with Windows NT in favor of Intel Pentium-based systems, and Intel’s “ultra” supercomputer report reaching the teraflops scale. Coverage also addresses software piracy costs exceeding $13 billion worldwide and a landmark Australian ruling establishing legal precedent for shareware protection, detailing infringement, licensing misrepresentation, and broader implications for Internet-era copyright enforcement.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryTechnology

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time28 min

AccessFree to download

LANDMARK RULING SETS LEGAL PRECEDENT FOR SHAREWARE PROTECTION

Court ruling details and implications

SOFTWARE PIRACY COSTS MORE THAN $13 BILLION WORLDWIDE

Global loss estimates and regional rates

IN THIS ISSUE

Featured sections and highlights

# The Nation's Leading Weekly Computer News Summary—Now In Its 37th Year Vol.37 No.50 IBM,MOTOROLA DROPSUPPORT OF POWER PC CHIPSRUNNING WINDOWS NT Execs Say NT+Intel's Pentium ChipHas Become‘The Combination' Citing poor sales performance,IBMCorp.andMotorola say they will no longer sell computers thatuse the PowerPC chip and run Microsoft's WindowsNT software—a move that boosts industry dominanceof Intel's Pentium Chip and leaves Apple's Macintoshline as the only high-volume desktop computer to usethe PowerPC. "Frankly,the volumes have been very low,"Bill O'Leary,a spokesman for IBM's RS6000(Continued on Page 2) | Intel's ‘Ultra'Supercomputer Breaks
Teraflops Barrier,Triples Speed Record
Intel Corp.says it has developed an“ultra”
supercomputer capable of perfoming 1 trillion
operations per second—almost three times the record
368 billion operations per second boasted by Hitachi
Ltd.'s supercomputer in 1995.Intel's mind-boggling
1.4-teraflop machine will be installed in early 1997 at
the Department of Energy's Sandia National Laborato-
ries in Albuquerque to test nuclear weapons and predict
weather changes and natural disasters.Other potential
applications include genetic and space research.The
new $55 million supercomputer contains 9,200 Pentium
Pro processors operating in tandem.It is considered the
first step in a 10-year federal plan to develop a 100-
teraflop supercomputer.IBM and Silicon Graphics,
whichearlier this year acquired Minnesotasupercomputer
giant Cray Research Inc.,currently are developing 3-
teraflop systems for use by 1999. | | --- | Published 50 times per year by Milin Publishing Group,Inc. 714 Church Strect,Alexandria,VA 22314-4202 Phone(703)739-8500,Fax(703)739-8505,E-mail:millinpubs@aol.com.S495 per year within the U.S.and Canada,S542 internationally.Multicopy rates available. Available on microfilm from UMI and online from Information Aces:Phone(800227-8431. Copyright 1996°Mllin Publishing Group,Ine. # EDP Weekly December 23,1996 # SOFTWARE PIRACYCOSTS MORE THAN$13 BILLION WORLDWIDE US Suffered $2.9 Billion Loss In Revenues,While North America Had Lowest Piracy Rates Worldwide software piracy losses areestimated at$13.1 billion in 1995,a9 percent increaseover the $12.2 billion estimate for 1994,according tothe Business Software Alliance(BSA)and theSoftware Publishers Association (SPA).Eastern(Continued on Page 6) # IN THIS ISSUE Landmark Ruling Protects Shareware - …2Free Speech Rights Protect Encryption Software……2IBM SecureWay Aims To Boost E-busines.………2MARKET RESEARCH …3IDC Predicts 7.85%Growth For European I.--…4ESS Tech's MPEG-1 Targets Portable Video CD...4DATA/COMM NEWS …5IDC:‘Year 2000'Problem Offers Opportunit.……7Report:Soaring Sales-By-Internet By 2000 -…7SFNB Lets Online Customer Learn Net Worth ….8EFT SPOTLIGHT ….8 Intervest:First Electronic Exchange For Bonds.……10 Page 1 Publisher:S.L.Millin Group Publisher:Thomas G.Shack,Ⅲ Managing Editor:Michael E.Cotter Senior Editor:Elizabeth J.Lohr Subscription Manager:Ruth A.Hill Director of Marketing:Jon S.Lowder division,toldThe New YorkTimes."Most people havecome to the conclusion that NT on Intel is thecombination." O'Leary says IBM will cease developing andmarketing PowerPC systems running NT and redirectits efforts on selling systems running A.LX.,IBM'sversion of UNIX.IBMalso plans to sell Pentium Pro-powered workstations for scientists and engineers thatrun Windows NT. Motorola,which unveiled a new line ofWindows NT PowerPC systems in September,says itwillonly support the machines through the nextversionof Windows NT in two years."The business wasn'tmaterializing quickly enough to justify the investmentswe were making in it,"a Motorola spokesman toldTheTimes. According to industry observers,the onlyviable Windows NT alternati

FAQs

What did IBM and Motorola decide regarding PowerPC systems and Windows NT?

They will no longer sell computers using the PowerPC chip paired with Microsoft’s Windows NT, citing poor sales performance. The move is described as strengthening Intel’s dominance and limiting PowerPC Windows NT desktop options.

What is the reported performance and purpose of Intel’s “ultra” supercomputer?

Intel says it can perform nearly one trillion operations per second and will be installed in early 1997 for Department of Energy testing related to nuclear weapons and weather prediction. Potential applications include genetic and space research.

What did the court ruling in Australia establish about shareware protection?

A federal court ruled in favor of Trumpet Software International, finding OzEmail infringed Trumpet’s copyright by using a modified version of Winsock shareware and by misleading users about permission, license, or authority. The decision is presented as confirming that copyright remains legally protected on the Internet.

Oct 13, 2026

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