Acorn News: Thousands Get Logged On at Acorn World '95
Hilary Swift
Thousands Get Logged-On at Acorn World '95
Crowds flocked to Wembley during the October half-term to visit Acorn's
biggest showcase exhibition, Acorn World '95. Over the three days of the
show, around 10,000 people visited the show to surf the information
superhighway and to see the latest in interactive multimedia and
ground-breaking technology developments from the Acorn Computer Group.
Visitors on the first day of the show were able to see Blue Peter's
Diane-Louise Jordan testing out the live video conferencing link over the
Internet to the Blue Peter stand at CBBC's Big Bash with Coca Cola at the
NEC, Birmingham. Throughout the show, children had the chance to see clips
and meet characters from the current hit Disney animation Pocahontas, as
well as visiting Buena Vista International's MOVIE PLEX on the Internet.
Highlights of the show included:
A major new version of Sibelius Software's award-winning Sibelius music
program range. Version 3 includes a revolutionary 'Flexi-time'
super-intelligent, real-time, MIDI input system and standard MIDI file
conversion. With a composer's notepad for cutting and pasting ideas into
scores, Sibelius 7 also has a host of new publishing features including
special facilities for film and commercial music.
CineWorks, from Oregan Software, is the first and only package for Acorn
computers allowing full screen PAL video editing on the desktop. It is also
the first to include features such as chroma keying, path definition,
transparency and colour controls.
MIMIC, from KITT Engineering - an innovative way of sensing movement in two
or three dimensions using a video camera. Only available for the Acorn
platform, it drives a wide range of different applications including
stunning sound, light and graphic effects.
The Acorn VideoPhone, using software-based compression techniques currently
being developed by Applied Risc Technologies for the Acorn Computer Group,
allows two-way video and audio communication in a low-cost package which is
suitable for use in the home, classroom or office.
>From Softease, the launch of TextEase Version 2 and Talking TextEase, the
latest versions of the highly praised TextEase Word Processor and Desktop
Publisher. Version 2 features rotation of text and pictures, editing of
rotated text, drag and drop editing, OLE object linking and embedding and
JPEG support. With superb speech synthesis, Talking TextEase is the number
one talking word processor.
Icon Technology's TechWriter Professional has all the features of Icon's
TechWriter word processor and more. Ideal for anyone needing to produce
technical papers or books, other features include pamphlet printing, auto
list numbering, index and contents generation, bookmarks, smart quotes and
JPEG support.
R-Comp were demonstrating HTML Edit, the only commercial RISC OS based
World Wide Web page authoring solution. HTML Edit is a fully featured
professional toolkit for web page designers, priced within the reach of the
average user.
Cited by them as 'the best show ever', Apricote Studios completely sold out
of the new version of 'Shares', its shares portfolio management programme,
half-way through Acorn World! Priced at under 50 pounds and handling all
capital gains tax calculations, the popularity of Shares Version 5.0 was
doubly satisfying as all sales were new customers rather than upgrades.
Apricote's Prophet 2.0, its business accounting programme, won the Acorn
User 'Best Business Software' Award, the prize being presented by David Lee,
managing director of the Acorn Computer Group.
The new 'SimpleTouch' clip-on touch screen, distributed by Lindis
International, turns any normal computer screen into a fully functional
touch screen. Ideal for use in schools and homes with young learners or
those with learning difficulties, SimpleTouch gives access to a computer
quickly, easily and intuitively.
"I'm delighted with the success of the show," said David Lee, Managing
Director of the Acorn Computer Group plc. "The level of enthusiasm and
interest that has been shown this weekend in Acorn's current technologies
and future developments has been tremendous. I know that our partners
exhibiting alongside us here at Wembley are also extremely pleased and
nearly fifty per cent have already signed up for next year's show."
Notes to editors:
Acorn Computer Group plc, one of the leading groups of high technology
innovators and suppliers, comprises three divisions, Acorn Education,
Applied Risc Technologies and Online Media. The Group also owns a 43%
shareholding of Advanced RISC Machines Ltd (ARM).
Acorn Education, established in September 1995, consolidates Acorn's core
education business and focuses on supplying leading information technology
solutions, including hardware, software, services and peripherals to
education.
Applied Risc Technologies, established in September 1995, designs and
develops advanced technology products based on the ARM microprocessor for
new and existing industries, while continuing to develop RISC based
computers for Acorn Education.
Online Media, established in July 1994, develops innovative and low cost
interactive television products with a portfolio of hardware, enabling
software and services to meet the requirements of the new mass markets
emerging from the information superhighway. The company focuses on cost
competitive designs and licenses which exploit emerging world standards, and
its first product, an intelligent digital set-top box, is already in
production and in use.
For further press information, please call:
Hilary Swift Sally Mortimore
Acorn Education Text 100
Tel: 01223 254287 Tel: 0181 242 4172
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