INTEL MMX PROCESSOR
Computer manufacturers are incorporating Intel's newest Pentium processor, the Pentium MMX, in their new desktop and laptop models introduced this month. While the Pentium MMX improves overall performance by 6% to 10%, it is designed to improve video and audio performance from two to four times that of the older Pentium CPUs.

Heavy audio and video users may want to wait until this fall when Intel is expected to release the Pentium Pro MMX CPU, code name "Klamath". The new Pentium Pro will include a new chip set designed to enhance the MMX chip. By the way, MMX stands for "multimedia extension." (Source: Wall Street Journal, 1/6/1997 and PC Magazine, 2/4/1997).

PC SALES
Worldwide PC sales in 1996 totalled 68.4 million units. Sales slowed in the fourth quarter for an annual growth of 16% compared to an annual growth rate of 21% experienced from 1991 to 1995. The drop was due in part to soft markets in the U.S. and Germany which is the world's third largest PC market.

Compaq was the largest PC manufacturer with sales of 7 million units. The other top manufacturers include IBM, Packard Bell-NEC, Apple and Hewlett-Packard. Of the top five manufacturers, Apple and Packard Bell-NEC experienced a drop in unit sales and a loss of market share from 1995. (Source: Wall Street Journal, 1/27/1997).

INTERNET ACCESS
PC-Meter Sweeps recently released their survey of the most frequently accessed Internet sites from 10,000 home personal computers for the months of August through October, 1996. America On-Line was the top site with 40.1% of the home users accessing it during the quarter. The other top sites, in descending order, were: Yahoo!, Netscape, WebCrawler, Microsoft, Infoseek, Excite, Lycos, MSN and GeoCities. This was the first quarter that Microsoft was listed in the top 10 sites. PC-Meter Sweeps has begun to conduct similar surveys of business computers. (Source: CommunicationsWeek, 1/20/1997).

WEB SITES OF THE MONTH
Its never too late to think about preparing your income taxes. The official site for the Internal Revenue Service www.irs.ustreas.gov has information, forms and on-line questionnaires designed to assist you with your deduction questions. You may also want to go to the Tax Sites Directory for links to other tax related sites, including those for state governments. Tax Sites Directory is located at www.uni.edu/schmidt/tax.html (Source: Wall Street Journal, 1/3/1997).
_________________________________________________________________ Technology Tidbits is published monthly by Jerry Price, Eau Claire, Wisconsin
© 1997 Jerry W. Price

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