************************************* CNET NEWS DISPATCH/SPECIAL COMDEX ISSUE Thursday, November 21, 1996 San Francisco, California, USA ************************************* Welcome to the fifth in a series of SPECIAL COMDEX ISSUES of the CNET NEWS DISPATCH, bringing you the latest on the people, products, and parties at this exciting event. Check out our Comdex page at: http://www.news.com/Categories/Index/0%2C3%2C38%2C00.html?nd ************************************* CNET NEWS DISPATCH is a daily newsletter that summarizes the up-to-the minute technology news presented by CNET's NEWS.COM. It tempts readers with coverage of today's hottest stories, news in the making, (in)credible rumors, and other indispensable information. For complete versions of the stories updated all day long, head over to: http://www.news.com/?nd ************************************* CONTENTS SCOOPS AND TOP STORIES Push comes to shove as Netscape leads tech parade CompuServe gets back to basics PowerPC not overshadowed at Comdex Treasury against Net taxes Compaq looks beyond the desktop Where do you want to go today? Home. Hot products seen at Comdex ANNOUNCEMENTS An easy way for you to customize NEWS.COM Search the site for particular topics and articles Send us your questions, comments, flotsam, and jetsam How to subscribe and unsubscribe Late-breaking stories just a click away with Desk Top News ************************************* PUSH COMES TO SHOVE AS NETSCAPE LEADS TECH PARADE As more and more people are pulled onto the Internet, more and more of the Internet is being pushed back to people. This week at Comdex, a type of Web publishing generically referred to as "push" technology received its most significant endorsement to date with the introduction of Constellation, the code name for a new technology from Netscape Communications. (November 21, 1996, 12:15 p.m. PT) http://www.news.com/News/Item/0%2C4%2C5641%2C00.html?nd COMPUSERVE GETS BACK TO BASICS CompuServe's announcement today that it is closing down its flagging Wow service by January 31 marks the end of the company's failed attempts to get a foot in the door of the potentially lucrative consumer online service business. "They're throwing in the towel in the consumer market," said Mark Mooradian of Jupiter Communications. Instead, CompuServe, the second-largest online service with 5 million users worldwide, plans to refocus itself on its original mission: serving business customers. (November 21, 1996, 1:15 p.m. PT) http://www.news.com/News/Item/0%2C4%2C5608%2C00.html?nd POWERPC NOT OVERSHADOWED AT COMDEX While Microsoft Windows CE devices may have grabbed most of the attention at Comdex, important developments in the Mac clone market surfaced, including new PowerPC reference design platforms from Motorola and IBM and the debut of a 533-MHz PowerPC prototype system using an Exponential processor. Motorola this week revealed its Yellowknife PowerPC Platform Reference Design motherboard that supports the PCI bus and 603e, 604, and 604e PowerPC microprocessors at clock speeds of up to 240 MHz. (November 21, 1996, 12 p.m. PT) http://www.news.com/News/Item/0%2C4%2C5642%2C00.html?nd TREASURY AGAINST NET TAXES In a report released today, the U.S. Treasury Department opposed new taxes on electronic transactions via the Internet, saying income should be taxed the same whether it comes through existing channels or electronic means. The report, which makes no formal policy recommendations, also expresses concern that the Internet may become a tax haven for those who use anonymous electronic money that cannot be traced and therefore cannot be taxed. (November 21, 1996, 11:30 a.m. PT) http://www.news.com/News/Item/0%2C4%2C5628%2C00.html?nd COMPAQ LOOKS BEYOND THE DESKTOP Compaq has expanded its core desktop product lineup to include new efforts such as NetPCs, network computers (NCs), portable PCs, and handheld devices. Mike Winkler, the head of Compaq's PC products group, bared the company's plans for NCs and laid out the future strategy for Windows CE devices in an interview with CNET at Comdex. (November 21, 1996, 11:15 a.m. PT) http://www.news.com/News/Item/0%2C4%2C5645%2C00.html?nd WHERE DO YOU WANT TO GO TODAY? HOME Bill Gates must like Comdex. While other CEOs will fly in to deliver a speech and fly back out the same day, the Microsoft captain has been in Las Vegas for at least two days, maybe more. "I've seen him in the hotel bar; he comes in and has a beer all by himself, and everyone's looking at him," said one attendee. But like sightings of the Other King, rumors of Gates's unattended wanderings are probably just that. (November 21, 12:09 a.m. PT) http://www.news.com/SpecialFeatures/0%2C%2C5624%2C00.html?nd HOT PRODUCTS SEEN AT COMDEX Here are some of the hottest new products we found as we wandered the floor of Fall Comdex. (November 21, 3:00 p.m. PT) http://www.cnet.com/Content/Reviews/Hot/contents.html?nd ************************************* ANNOUNCEMENTS AN EASY WAY FOR YOU TO CUSTOMIZE NEWS.COM So many bits, so little time? Sounds like you need Custom News. Identify the topics, keywords, or sections you're most interested in, and Custom News will a create a page of headlines and summaries for all stories that match your criteria. 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