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To: John Rieman who wrote (37524)	11/30/1998 7:11:00 PM
From: J Fieb	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 50808

Apple readying next iMAC. CUBE can't you get these guys to use that secret slot yet? Or maybe get the drive big enough for one of those DVx chips! Apple Plans iMac Price Cut, High-End Model (11/27/98, 1:29 p.m. ET) By Paula Rooney, Computer Retail Week Under increasing pressure from the sub-$1,000 PC market, Apple Computer in February will drop the price of its flagship iMac system to $999, several sources said this Friday. The iMac currently sells for $1,299. In the same time frame, Apple plans to introduce a second, higher-end iMac model for $1,299. The new system will use the same form factor as the original iMac, but it will feature more hard-disk space and a faster processor, the sources said. The existing iMac offers a 233-MHz processor and 4 gigabytes of disk space. "The higher-end machine will have the same look [as the current iMac], but it will have a larger hard drive and more processing power," said one source familiar with the company's plans. Apple also plans to expand its retail distribution, adding a third national chain to its list of reseller partners to help it penetrate the consumer market, sources said. CompUSA and Best Buy are the only national retailers currently authorized to sell iMac systems. Sears Roebuck is a serious potential candidate for the No. 3 spot, sources said. Several regional Macintosh retailers and value-added resellers are also authorized to sell the translucent green machine in the United States. Although Sears and other mainstream national retailers are being considered as future partners, Apple reportedly has no intention to seek broad retail distribution of the iMac. "They still want to have a very limited line-up," one source said. Retailers said the planned cut doesn't surprise them because Apple historically drops prices in the first quarter. With PC prices running as low as $499, and the new breed of the iMac being readied, "it's inevitable," one regional retailer said. Another regional retailer said the iMac continues to sell extremely well, but the price cut will add more foot traffic in stores. "The under-$1,000 price point would be very attractive to our customers," said Jeff Walker, executive vice president of ComputerWare, an Apple retailer based in Sunnyvale, Calif. "No one's complaining about price. Most customers come in and have budgeted [for the iMac]. But if Apple came out with something under [the current price point], it would attract even more customers." Walker said he expects record-setting unit sales for the iMac during the 1998 holiday season.

To: John Rieman who wrote (37524)	11/30/1998 7:28:00 PM
From: DiViT	Respond to of 50808

Pioneer Digital Technologies and Concurrent Computer Corporation Agree to Develop Integrated End-to-End Video-On-Demand System 11/30/98 Business Wire (Copyright (c) 1998, Business Wire) FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 30, 1998-- Concurrent Computer Corporation (Nasdaq:CCUR) and Pioneer Digital Technologies announced today that they have agreed to develop an integrated end-to-end Video-On-Demand (VOD) system based upon Concurrent's MediaHawk(tm) Video Server and cable backoffice software suite and Pioneer's Voyager(tm) Digital Set - top Terminal and Passport(tm) Digital Navigation and Applications Software Suite. In addition, set - top boxes (STBs) from other suppliers providing "Pegasus" compliant DSTT will be supported. The integrated VOD application represents a true solution for the cable industry by not only satisfying cable system operators' technical requirements, but also completely satisfying critical operational and business requirements. This VOD solution will allow cable system operators to commercially deploy innovative and entertaining VOD and other interactive digital services to millions of cable subscribers equipped with these STBs. "VOD is the major commercial reason driving the development of the digital cable TV systems," commented Neil Jones, Senior Vice President of Operations and Business Development, Pioneer Digital Technologies. He added, "VOD is definitely the digital cable video delivery system 'killer app'." Concurrent's MediaHawk Video Servers are scalable, open, high-performance, and cost-effective multiprocessor server systems optimized for the unique and demanding requirements of true interactive VOD applications. Already recognized by the cable industry as a scalable and cost-effective platform to satisfy the technical and business requirements of VOD, MediaHawk Video Servers also completely satisfy cable system operators' operational requirements with an integrated cable backoffice software suite. The cable backoffice software suite satisfies the requirements for content management, order management, content provider royalty payments, legacy billing system interfaces, and subscriber and billing management. Data mining applications can be integrated to support subscriber demographics and market analysis. In addition, the cable backoffice software suite provides a consistent platform and interface for electronic commerce applications which increases the range of interactive digital applications available to cable subscribers and revenues to cable system operators. MediaHawk Video Servers and the cable backoffice software suite can be deployed in either a centralized or distributed cable system network architecture to support either small or large cable systems with either high-bandwidth or limited bandwidth availability. Pioneer Digital Technologies, as a qualified supplier of Voyager and Passport, has been selected by Time Warner for its Pegasus digital interactive VOD program. Voyager is a cost-effective client hardware platform for home subscribers. Passport is a robust, flexible, and highly responsive client-server software suite and applications platform that includes an interactive program guide (IPG) as the subscriber user interface. "This agreement is another demonstration of Concurrent's commitment to the cable industry. The combination of the MediaHawk Video Server and Pioneer's hardware/software client-server platform provides the cable industry with flexibility for a cost-effective true solution which completely addresses technical, operational, and business requirements," said E. Courtney Siegel, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and President of Concurrent Computer Corporation. "VOD is no longer an uncertain promise; VOD is real and deliverable today," he added. Jones agreed, "Our partnership with Concurrent Computer Corporation provides cable system operators with the ability to provide cost-effective video-on-demand and other revenue-producing interactive digital services. The partnership represents a complete and true solution for cable system operators." A prototype of the integrated end-to-end VOD system solution will be demonstrated at the Western Cable Show in Anaheim, CA from December 3 through December 5, 1998 in both the Pioneer Digital Technologies' booth (No. 3037) and Concurrent Computer Corporation's booth (No. 3613). The demonstration will present Western Cable attendees with services and television screens as if the attendees were in their homes. In the demonstration, Western Cable attendees will be presented with a television monitor driven by a Voyager Digital Set - top Terminal. Using the Passport Digital Navigation and Applications Software Suite, attendees will be able to select from a variety of entertainment options including television broadcast, cable network programming, video-on-demand, and interactive television applications provided by PRASARA Technologies. When VOD is selected, users will be linked to Concurrent's MediaHawk VOD Navigator. The MediaHawk VOD Navigator presents a graphical user interface (GUI) that allows users to browse among videos controlled and managed by a MediaHawk Video Server. Users will be able to select a video for immediate viewing and interactively control the video with familiar video cassette player type controls. PRASARA's interactive television applications are integrated such that users will be able to select these interactive television applications from either Passport or the MediaHawk VOD Navigator. In addition, the MediaHawk cable backoffice software suite's operational control and management capabilities will be demonstrated to cable operators. Burbank, Calif.-based Pioneer Digital Technologies, Inc. is a joint venture between Long Beach, Calif.-based Pioneer New Media Technologies Inc. and parent company Pioneer Electronic Corp. Established in 1996, Pioneer Digital Technologies, Inc. represents a significant event in Pioneer's vision to move product development closer to the market. For more information, please contact your Pioneer representative at 800-421-6450 or service@pioneerdigital.com or contact Neil Jones at Pioneer Digital Technologies, Inc., 2210 West Olive Avenue, 2nd Floor, Burbank, CA 91506; Phone: 818-295-6686; Fax: 818-295-6792; Email: neil@pioneerdigital.com. Visit our website at www.pioneerdigital.com. Concurrent Computer Corporation, headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is a leading supplier in the emerging digital video server marketplace. This market includes the residential entertainment, corporate training, hospitality, and in-flight entertainment industries. Operating in 32 countries worldwide, Concurrent provides sales and support from offices throughout North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. MediaHawk is a trademark of Concurrent Computer Corporation. Voyager and Passport are trademarks of Pioneer New Media Technologies, Inc. and Pioneer Digital Technologies, Inc. respectively. All other products or brand names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. CONTACT: Media Contact: Andrea Smith Concurrent Computer Corporation 954/973-5342 or Media Contact: Neil Jones Pioneer Digital Technologies 818/295-6686 or Investor Contact: Beth Alonzo Concurrent Computer Corporation 954/973-5100 11:32 EST NOVEMBER 30, 1998

To: John Rieman who wrote (37524)	12/1/1998 12:38:00 PM
From: DiViT	Respond to of 50808

ONDIGITAL LAUNCHES COMMERCIAL DTT 11/25/98 Cable Europe (c) 1998 Phillips Business Information, Inc. Digital terrestrial TV finally launched in the UK last week. At a pre-launch presentation DTT broadcaster ONdigital was sticking to its line that its 22 operational transmitters would give it 70 per cent coverage at launch, rising to 90 per cent one year later. "Our tests show signals to be more robust and receivable than we thought," said operations director John Egan. It is unclear how many DTT boxes were available in retail outlets at launch. Initially boxes were supplied exclusively by Philips. ONdigital commercial director Jim Ratcliffe said that six manufacturers would be producing equipment by January. Pace Micro Technology claims it will producing significant volumes within the next week or so. An ONdigital spokesman said Pace had a "token presence" in terms of boxes at launch. "We are getting back into replenishing the population of boxes," he said. "At the moment it's not easy." A Nokia spokesman confirmed that Nokia boxes would not be available before the end of January or the beginning of February. Ratcliffe confirmed at the pre-launch presentation that Grundig is not expected to be in the market before the middle of next year. ONdigital's final line-up of channels for each multiplex included some changes from the list given out earlier by the BBC as part of its digital 'fact pack' for viewers who called its enquiry line (CE vol.3 issue23). First ONdigital, the service's putative pay-per-view channel, which is not part of the initial line-up, moved up to Multiplex B (the ONdigital multiplex with the greatest coverage) from C, while Granada Breeze/Men and Motors moved up to C from D and the home shopping service Shop! moved down to D from C. One source of concern is that ONdigital is currently showing different versions of Sky's movie channels because of BSkyB's failure to secure terrestrial rights to show movies from Universal, Sony and MGM. "Sky is in the process of negotiating for the rights in respect of those particular studios," said an ONdigital spokesman. He said that the substitute programming offered by Sky would be of an acceptable quality to ONdigital. "They will guarantee the programming we get is as good as on Sky. "These things are always a matter of personal taste. We have no complaints at least as far as November is concerned." It is not clear if Sky has given specific commitments any further in advance. The rights issue also affects some (but not much) programming on Sky One. ITV2 will join in December, ONdigital's Eurosport will become a dedicated British version in January and MTV will join next July. Executive director of broadcasting Ashley Faull is keen to add Sky Sports 2 as soon as possible. "We want to have it, and [Sky] want to give it to us," he said. He said Sky did not want to alienate subscribers by allowing a situation where events to which viewers had no access were promoted on Sky Sports 1. Chief executive Stephen Grabiner also said that ONdigital was in discussion over a range of issues with S4C Digital Networks Ltd (SDN), part backed by cable operator NTL, which controls Multiplex A, but which will not start broadcasting until next year. He said SDN had not yet decided what to offer on its own channels, but was looking at a number of alternatives, including PPV.