Old Micro Milestones
Old Micro Milestones . . .
. . . whose news value has passed. Items will appear here after they roll off our Micro Milestones page--
typically after a year or so. Click here to go back to Micro Milestones.
Bugs in Quicken 5 for Windows
Quicken 5.0 for Windows and Quicken Deluxe 5 for Windows have serious bugs that could delete financial
data. Though the bugs are serious, they affect only a small percentage of users. The problems are in the
Subcategory Merge and File Validate features. Intuit has issued software patches and posted them on
numerous online forums, and is mailing the patch this week to all registered users. (PCW, 12-4-95)
New Web browser available
Oracle Corp. is gunning for Netscape with the free release of its new beta-version
PowerBrowser for the World-Wide Web. PowerBrowser, due for release in January 1996,
incorporates a Web server, SQL database, and an HTML authoring environment. The free version is available
for both 16- and 32-bit Windows, Macintosh, and several flavors of Unix. PC Week warns that the second beta is too unstable for regular use,
and does not include promised Java support and HTML authoring features.
Nevertheless, PowerBrowser sounds promising. Its scripting language (a variant of BASIC) is easier to
learn and use than the one in Netscape Navigator.
A beta release is generally an early version of a program. The publisher gives it away or charges
a small fee with the understanding that the program may have unfinished features or bugs. Beta versions used
to be released for testing, but increasingly they are used to stimulate interest in a coming product. (PCW, 12-
4-95)
200 MHz. Pentium Pro arrives
Intel Corp's fastest x86 processor yet is a scorcher--almost 40
percent faster than the 133 MHz. Pentium. Pentium
Pro is Intel's moniker for its newest generation of chips fathered by the venerable 80386, and the 8088 and
8080 before that. If Intel weren't so hung up on the Pentium brand name, this would be either a 586+ or a 686,
depending on who you believe. The early complaint about Pentium Pro--that it ran 16-bit code poorly, seems
to be addressed with the 200 MHz. model. PC Week
calls it "a good choice for firms using a mix of 16- and 32-bit applications." The current price of $1325 will
have to drop considerably before we'll recommend it for any of our clients. (PCW, 12-4-95)
Bad motherboards in Compaq ProLinea 590s
Bought a Compaq ProLinea 590s lately? Don't change the power saver feature. Resetting the power saver in
any way blows the motherboard, which is back-ordered. Bugs happen to all manufacturers; this time it's
Compaq's turn. (IW, 11-27-95)
Key to sources
CRN: Computer Reseller News
EBB: Electronic Business Buyer
IW: InfoWorld
PCGV: PC Graphics & Video
PCW: PC Week
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Last update: 11-14-96.