BURLINGAME, Calif. (12-05-95) - Smaller companies gave hints here yesterday of what's in store for the future: Gateway 2000 Inc. servers, Power Computing Corp. portables and Starfish Software applications supporting Java and Netscape technology.
Gateway 2000 is planning to branch out into the server market with low-end systems as early as next year, company chairman, president and CEO Theodore Watt said during a session at The Personal Computer Outlook Technologic Conference here.
"We have the potential and capabilities to get into servers," Watt said. The products would serve "small and medium-sized business," not enterprise level, he said.
Watt also suggested that his direct-order PC company would develop a "higher-end" convergence product that would be used in the home's family room or office. It would entail adding "consumer electronics function into a PC that attaches to or replaces a TV," he said.
Meanwhile, Power Computing, maker of PCs based on the Macintosh operating system, has plans on the drawing board for portables and multimedia PCs. The company will release PowerCurve consumer multimedia PC in January and a notebook or portable computer in the second half of 1996, said President and CEO Steve Kahng.
Starfish Software will make a workgroup-related announcement with Navigator browser developer Netscape Communications Corp. within the next 90 days, said Starfish chairman and founder Philippe Kahn. Kahn also announced development of a product -- code-named Cappuccino after the espresso and steamed milk beverage -- for Java-based group scheduling over the World Wide Web.
Starfish is among the numerous software companies that have licensed the Java technology from Sun Microsystems Inc. Java allows developers to create applets, or small amounts of code, that can be distributed online. Users with Java-enabled software can then view multimedia content on the Web.
Gateway 2000, based in North Sioux City, S.D., is at (800) 846-2000 or +1 (605) 232-2454.
Power Computing, based in Milpitas, Calif., can be reached at +1 (512) 258-1350.
Starfish, based in Scotts Valley, Calif., can be reached at +1 (800) 765-7839 or +1 (408) 461-5800 or on the Web at http://www.starfishsoftware.com.
[Copyright 1995 IDG News Service, International Data Group Inc. All rights reserved.]