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Publisher & Editor-in-Chief Leo Simpson, B.Bus. Editor Greg Swain, B.Sc.(Hons.) PUBLISHER'S LETTER Technical Staff John Clarke, B.E.(Elec.) Robert Flynn Darren Yates Reader Services Ann Jenkinson Sharon Macdonald Sales & Marketing Mgr. Sharon Lightner Phone (02) 979 5644 Mobile phone (018) 28 5532 Regular Contributors Brendan Akhurst Jennifer Bonnitcha, B.A. Garry Crall, VK2YBX Marque Crozman John Hill Jim Lawler, MTETIA Bryan Maher, M.E., B.Sc. Jim Yalden, VK2YGY Bob Young Photography Stuart Bryce Editorial Advisory Panel Philip Watson, MIREE, VK2ZPW Norman Marks Steve Payor, B.Sc., B.E. SILICON CHIP is published 12 times a year by Silicon Chip Publications Ply Ltd. A.C.N. 003 205 490. All material copyright©. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. Printing: Magazine Printers Pty Ltd, Alexandria, NSW; Macquarie Print, Dubbo, NSW. Distribution: Network Distribution Company. Subscription rates: $42 per year in Australia. For overseas rates, see the subscription page in this issue. Liability: Devices or circuits described in SILICON CHIP may be covered by p21tents. SILICON CHIP disclaims any liability for the infringement of such patents by the manufacturing or selling of any such equipment. Editorial & advertising offices: Unit 1a/77-79 Bassett Street, Mona Vale, NSW 2103. Postal address: PO Box 139, Collaroy Beach, NSW 2097. Phone (02) 979 5644. Fax (02) 979 6503. ISSN 1030-2662 2 SILICON CHIP PC technology is moving rapidly ahead This month, we are taking a look at three areas of PC technology that are evolving rapidly. The first of these is our feature article on large screen video monitors. These are not new of course and specialised labs employing CAD programs have had them for quite a few years. What is new is that they are now becoming much more affordable although most private users would still baulk at paying between $3000 and $5000 for a high resolution colour monitor and accompanying video card. Still, the prices were very much higher as little as two years ago and as computer prices have dropped so much, you can now buy a high end system with a big monitor for the same price that you would have paid a few years ago for a less capable system with a 14-inch screen. We also take a look at one of the latest CD ROM packages. When CD ROM came out a few years ago it was stymied by a severe lack of software and the hardware wasn't cheap either. That has changed rapidly and there is now a wealth of interesting software on CD ROM. We can see many families adding a CD ROM to their home computer and thereby gaining a very good reference base for school assignments. And finally, we take a look at OS/2 version 2. IBM's much vaunted 32-bit replacement for DOS has languished badly since it was originally released in 1987 but now it looks set to really compete with Windows-based software, with the advantage that it should operate much faster. It will be very interesting to see how much OS/2 based software appears over the next few years - the PC will evidently continue to change extremely rapidly over the coming years. These rapid changes do present their problems though. For people considering buying a home computer so their children will not be left behind, there is a particular dilemma. Whatever computer they buy now, it is not likely to bear much similarity to the ones that will be used when their children enter the workforce in five or more years time. And for business users, the problem is that no matter what system they buy, its value will rapidly diminish in the space of two years or so. So if they are making buying decisions now, the computers must pay for themselves several times over in two years or less. The other side of the coin is that if businesses do not continually update their equipment, and that includes their computers, then they will be rapidly left behind in the marketplace. Leo Simpson