newsbytes@clarinet.com (02/04/90)
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1990 JAN 29 (NB) -- The Japanese arm of U.S.-based Microsoft, Nippon Microsoft, will release several upgraded operating systems and an application within this year. OS/2 Ver. 1.2 will have the enhanced features currently available on OS/2 Ver. 1.1 but will be able to maximize memory capacity and allow easier networking with mainframes, according to the company. Nippon Microsoft will also sell MS-Windows Ver. 3.0 in which the display looks like Presentation Manager for OS/2. A multimedia version of Windows is due out by the end of the year. To promote Windows, Microsoft will distribute 200,000 free copies starting this spring. Furthermore, the application Works, featuring an integrated word processor, spreadsheet, graphics, database, and communication tools, will debut this fall for book-size computers. The price will be about 40,000 yen or $280. Nippon Microsoft expects to earn sales of 6.5 billion yen ($45 million) in its fiscal 1990 ending June this year, which is a 40 percent increase over last year. (Ken Takahashi/19900201/Press Contact: Microsoft, 03-363-1200)