Press Cuttings: June 1995

Corporate

• Olivetti threaten to quit PC market if it's Division not in profit by end 1996.
• Several reports speculated on possibility of Acorn manufacturing Mac clones following deal between Olivetti and Apple.
• At the same time as announcing contract to supply set-top boxes to Lightspan in USA, Acorn warned that tough market conditions in UK would hit its half year results.
• In an interview with Radio Cambridgeshire, Sam Wauchope said that although further redundancies could not be ruled out, current management actions were more to do with re-focusing the company.

Product

• Crick Computing launch Clicker Plus, developed from Clicker, the award winning literacy program.
• Aleph One launch own 486 card for RiscPC - faster, but more expensive.
• Cheshire Primary Micro Centre launch Let's Do IT - collection of programs for Key Stage 1.
• Sherston launch Talking Oxford Infant Atlas - includes digitised human speech and animations.
• Brilliant Computing launch Claude and Maude - for developing handwriting skills.
• Primary schools in Dumfries & Galloway adopt PIMS from Longman Logotron following evaluation.
• Review of PicturePoint from Longman Logotron.
• SkillsWare teams up with Thames Water to launch a James Pond program based on Thames Water Ring Main, and a secondary schools package called Running Water.
• Review of software for dyslexic - including Dyspell-Arc from Sally Systems.
• Cumana launch PD System - a combined CD-Rom and optical disc drive from Panasonic.
• Electronic Computing & Technology (ECT) reviews range of products including Prime Mover (Minerva), Acorn's Pocket Book II, SSERC graphics CD-Rom, Talking Animated Alphabet (Sherston), Cumana's SCSI 11 interface, Front End (SEMERC), Fireworks Pro (Colton) and Play on Words (Cordelia Jones).
• ECT article on printing across a network using a range of platforms.
• ECT Reader Offer on RM's software allowing range of computers, including Acorn, to connect to Internet.
• Scene Double launch 8-port video splitter for daisy chaining high resolution monitors.
• TES reviews 2 databases for schools - Maths through Databases and Data Handling in the Primary Classroom.
• TES reviews 2 new programs for helping infants with reading - Look! Hear! Talking Topics and Oxford Reading Tree Stage 3.
• Brief article in TES on compression software - including ArcFS and SparcFS.
• Integrex Systems give free Banner software with every Colourjet Classic printer bought.
• SEMERC launch Roller Trackerball - a mouse substitute for young children and those with special needs.
• TES reviews Langdale CD-Rom (Creative Curriculum Software) and Impressionism to the 20th Century - an art CD-Rom (AVP).
• Article in TES recommends RiscPC as ideal for pupils with special needs.
• TES reviews Adobes Photoshop - software for image manipulation which runs on the RiscPC with PC card.
• TES reviews SchoolServer - networking software which can use Acorn systems on it.
• Detailed article in Milk Industry International on Acorn software that can be used to run a dairy business.
• Computer Shopper reports on first fully Welsh computer from MEU Cymru and Acorn.
• Junior Education reports on Space City and Sea Rescue from Sherston.
• Computer Shopper reviews 4 pieces of software for connecting Acorn to Internet.
• Amiga User International (yes, Amiga!) describes RiscPC range and the ARM610 processor.

Professional Publishing

• Screen Press, Panorama and Graphics World all report on link between Acorn and ColourGen to launch new publishing system using NovaJet III printer.
• Creative Technology carries major article on Acorn's Publishing operation and interviews Simon Woodward, its manager.

Education

• Acorn announces Insight 95 - the annual IT conference for teachers to be held at Hinckley on the 14th and 15th July.
• Acorn announces new programme of activities to raise the profile of special education, including the creation of Acorn Special Education Network.
• Article in ECT by Roger Broadie on why Acorn systems are so appropriate for IT in education.
• Ballymena school wins Acorn system as prize in competition run by Pritt Stick.
• East Sussex LEA gives Acorn hardware as prizes during Library Power Week.
• Birmingham City Council awards £2m contract to suppliers for computers in local schools.
• Anonymous donor gives £800 for Acorn computer for boy with cerebral palsy.
• 13-year old wins £700 of software in competition as prize for designing a page for Acorn User.
• PTA in Waunarlwydd raises money to buy A3020 for primary school.
• Acorn launch RiscPC 600X - a budget priced system aimed specifically at higher education.
• Port Talbot primary school wins £1200 of Acorn hardware and software in competition organised by Acorn and local newspaper.
• South Shields Gazette offers RiscPC as prize in local competition.
• Stourvale Mummers group raises money to present Acorn system to 4-year old suffering from cerebral palsy.
• Macclesfield College publishes own Maths book using Acorn system.
• Article on CDT work at Crieff High School which boasts a suite of Acorn systems for graphic communication work.
• William Palmer Educational Trust give Acorn system and software to Treetops School in Grays.
• Jane Bird (The Times) describes a multimedia package on bones developed on an Acorn system by a primary school in Hertfordshire.
• Scunthorpe Evening Telegraph reports on high use of IT Centre at John Leggott College which uses both Acorn and PC systems.

Computers for Schools '95

• Many reports from all over the UK highlight a wide range of activities in both schools and Tesco stores aimed at collecting vouchers for this the 4th year of the scheme.
• 20 schools were invited to take part in a competition to carry out a project on the workings of a Tesco store.
• A competition was run encouraging children to design a poster for their local store.
• Over 100 requests were placed by individual schools in local papers for vouchers.
• Barnstaple doctor appeals for vouchers on behalf of local teenage girl who cannot go to school - half the 8600 vouchers had been collected by 15 June.
• Jenny Gilmore of Tesco explains how scheme first started. She also answers a critic of the scheme.
• Dyslexic 9-year old in Glamorgan gets special permission for vouchers to be collected just for her.
• Daily Express appeals for vouchers on behalf of 9-year old suffering from supraventricular tachycardia.
• Towards the end of June there were several reports highlighting the date when the scheme ended.
• Dundee man donates computer to local school after winning it in Tesco competition.

Consumer

• Report on the demise of ZCL who used to distribute Acorn products.
• Announcement of ARM Club Open Day at Mill Hill.
• IDG plans to launch Parents and Computing - a magazine to show parents how a computer will help their children - will include Acorn.
• Sunday Times runs own lottery with Acorn system as one of the prizes.
• Two letters to Computer Shopper complaining at the apparent lack of mention of Acorn's products.
• Writer to PCW extolling his continued happiness with an early A310!

Australia

• Acorn sponsored national competition to find outstanding teachers of the year - winning schools received a RiscPC.
• Acorn releases product info to help developers in Federal Government initiative on CD projects.
• Article on Tasmanian school using Acorn systems to link to Internet.
• Acorn hosts Acorn Conference in Western Australia - 8 July.
• Your Computer reviews Sibelius 7.
• PC Review looks at Pocket Book II - the conclusion - 'Go buy one!'
• Newsletter comparing the use of palmtops to portables at Scotch College, Western Australia.

New Zealand

• Two articles on the use of Pocket Book II in schools.
• Continued pressure for development of Acorn system based on Maori language.
• Report on visit by Mike Matson of 4Mation to New Zealand schools.

ARM

• David Jaggar of ARM at Embedded Systems Show - 'ARM7 family of Thumb aware processors'.
• ARM highlighted favourably in Government's White Paper 'Competitiveness: Forging Ahead'.
• Communicate launch first in new range of GSM data products using ARM processor.
• IEE Review describes purpose of new 16-bit Thumb processor.
• Report on of a technical seminar in Brussels at which OMI reported - chairman of OMI is Robin Saxby.
• ARM finds it difficult to recruit appropriate staff in Silicon Valley.
• Apple planning to use ARM processors to develop radio-to-the-home computer links in the USA.
• ARM sponsors disabled programmer to cycle from Land's End to John O'Groats using ARM power.
• GEC launches new range of low power microcontrollers based on ARM7 processor.

Online Media

• IEE Review has major article by Geoff Vincent on the Cambridge Trial.
• OM mentioned as present at this year's Cable and Satellite 95 Exhibition.
• Electronics Weekly reports OM evaluating potential of high capacity digital satellite links; the same journal carries an interview with Malcolm Bird on OM's plans for the future.
• Third major trial of interactive TV in UK announced - by Bell Cablemedia, NYNEX CableComms and TeleWest Communications.
• TEHS reported Acorn to develop distance learning / education capabilities on the set-top box.
• Survey shows that the UK is leading the world race to bring VOD to the market - and OM is ahead of BT.
• Lightspan in the USA agrees to take OM's set-top box for new gadget for schools.
• NOP announce they are joining the Cambridge Trial its role will be to monitor users' attitudes.
• Malcolm Bird expressed opinion that set-top boxes would have to cost less than £200 and that OM were well on the way to achieving this.

© 1995 Acorn Computer Group plc.
Design: © 1995 Cave Rock Software Ltd.