BUSINESS Personal Computer Books Show ^How To’
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?0 - MANCHESTER HERALD, Thursday, Oct. 6, 1983 BUSINESS Personal computer books show ^how to’ In Brief There are now a staggering 2,000 "how-to" books on You and I start out by being more than a little,; personal computers for beginners on the market — frightened when we approach a computer (if we’re- SNET earnings steady suggesting that these titles alone may eventually adults; kids jump in with delight). And with that • surpass the 45 million marlt set hy the “ Guinness Book Your attitude, we find that the computer manuals we’r&; NEW HAVEN — Economic recovery and of World Records” and sparking a race in the given usually don’t help much. A good Introductory^ successful efforts to control costs should allow publishing field for the consumer's dollar. Sales of the Money's book, like “ Computers for Everybody,” a dillthium« second half earnings for 1983 to hold steady for beginners' books already exceed 7 million copies with publication, can quell our terror by clarifying and; Southern New England Telephone Co., officials a $30 million price tag. Worth supplementing whatever printed information comeg ^ Clear tonight; Manchester, Conn. predict. The figures defy the imagination, for it was only a Sylvia Porter with the computer. The Introductory books use easy Friday, Oct. 7, 1983 ‘‘It appears that we may be able to match the few years ago that a relatively unknown Oregon language, cartoons, drawings and photographs (w. partly cloudy Saturday earnings levels of the-first half of the year. It is publishing firm, dilithium Press (small d ), pioneered whatever is necessary to make a point. — See page 2 Single copy. 25C. going to be a very good year, indeed," Alfred W. with the first how-to-bpok. From that beginning in - •'«* Van Sinderen, SNET chairman and chief 1977, the field has expanded to include the major THE UPSURGE of computer book sales in general; executive officer, said Tuesday. publishers (McGraw-Hill, Prentice-Hall, Harper & interest bookstores (apparent at the New York Boole* manrlf^atrr HpralJi He also said ^sign ifica n t reduction in Row, Little, Brown), and the hig companies have COMPUTER M AGAZINES are going through a Fair in mid-September) Indicates that we are; intrastate revenues expected to follow customer changed their goals from reaching the sophisticated boom, too. At least 72 publications come off the press becoming more aware of the wide possibilities ol pruchase of telephones in their homes has not computer addicts .to luring the beginner. Obviously, each month to help you, a personal computer home computers. Video games are on the way out -II, occurred. Sales have been slower than expected, the beginners are in the overwhelming majority. enthusiast, wade through the rnore than 200 and that leaves a vacuum. Will that vacuum be filled ' especially during the nationwide telephone strike AN INFORM ED ESTIM ATE is that by 1990, microcomputer software packages introduced each by educational programs for children via computers? •in August, Van Sinderen said. personal computer sales will soar to $2 billion. Sales month. Computers will not revolutionize education — but Earthquake Jobless rate Start-up costs for new ventures also have been could be accelerated further by sharp price cutting Why this utterly fascinating trend in a field Of this they will help in improving how and how much our lower than expected because of reglilatory among such computer manufacturers as IBM, Apple, complexity? Because the large computer manufac children learn. delays, he said. Commodore, Texas Instruments and Coleco. turers failed in a basic way: They did not produce There’s no doubt that parents will become “ Computer book publishing is comparable with the personal computer manuals understandable to a increasingly receptive to computer-based education Armstrong ^uys firm 'growth in romance books,” says Robert Haft, beginner. in the home. And when a child learns via a computer, ‘pretty big’ president of Crown Books, with 125 stores throughout “ Unwittingly, the computer companies made he or she not only acquires the skills — such as reading down to 9.3% NEW HAVEN — The Armstrong Rubber Co. the United States. "It's outselling the entire category how-to books especially valuable,” explains Merl or math — but also learns how to use the technology at announced Wednesday it has acquired 100 of business books, both soft and hardcover.” Miller, chairman of dilithium Press,. whose com the same time. percent ownership of Copolymer Rubber & “ Computer books are the liveliest single area in pany’s sales have skyrocketed as much as 300 percent for region WASHINGTON (UPI) Chemical Corp., a synthetic rubber company publishing in terms of growth and general bullishness a year, leaping from $30,000 in 1977 to more than $6 ( “ Sylvia Porter’s New Money Book for the 80s,“ her — A large improvement with two plants in Baton Rouge and Addis, La. in the bookstores,” adds John Baker, editor in chief of million today. Introductory computer books outsell comprehensive book on money management, is now for black workers and Armstrong said the transaction was completed the industry trade journal Publisher's Weekly. And more advanced technology books by 20 to 1. And available through her column. For your copy, send By United Press International small gains elsewhere , RAIS Sept. 30 in New York City through the exchange of John L. Disem of McGraw-Hill confirms both Miller notes: “ The manuals that accompany personal $9.95, plus $1 for mailing and handling, to “ Sylvia pulled the September un Monthly Rales 50,000 shares of Armstrong common stock for the statements with the report that sales of books about computers are often cryptic at best. They're written Porter’s New Money Book for the SOs/Hivcare of this A moderate earthquake shook a large area of employment rate down to i i %- one-third interest held in Copolymer by the Gates personal computers have at least doubled in the past by engineer^ who can produce high-quality hardware newspaper, 4400 Johnson Drive, F aii^ayl Kan. 6620S. northeastern North America early today, rattling 9.3 percent, its lowest Rubber Co. year. but who are not trained in communications.” Make checks payable to Universal Press Syndicate.) windows and awakening people in Quebec, Ontario, level in a year and a half, Armstrong and Gates in July had reached an New England, New York state and Pennsylvania. the Labor Department agreement in principle. There were no immediate reports of injuries or major said today. Copolymer will operate as a_jvholly owned damage. Unemployment fell by 10% H . Armstrong subsidiary producing synthetic The force of the quake, centered in the Blue 275,000 people to 10.4 mil rubber for use in several categories, including Used car information campaign not enough Mountain Lake area in the Adirondack region of New lion. after seasonal ad plastics, commercial roofing, heat and oil York state, measured 5.2 on the Richter scale, justment, the department resistance, retreaded rubber and motor mounts. according to the U.S. Geological Survey National said. The rate was 9.5 By Thomas Ferraro Ellen Broadman, an attorney for to look for in a used car and suggesting Federal Trade commission: Ask the Earthquake Information Service in Denver, Colo. The percent in August. Insurance rates increase United Press International Consumers Union, said, “ We are very having a mechanic examine the dealer if you can have the car inspected area is about 85 miles northwest of Albany. The unemployment rate concerned that the educational cam automobile. hy an independent mechanic.” "It's pretty big for New England,” said a for black workers fell a HARTFORD — Malpractice insurance rates WASHINGTON - The Federal paign may be used to justify gutting the spokesman for the Weston Observatory in Weston, full percentage point to 19 for many Connecticut doctors jumped 15 percent ■ The FTC's new campaign includes “ Believe me, if you’ve got to see a Trade Commission's new^ used car used car rule.” Mass. “ A good size tremor is rare fo i^ e w England.” percent, but was still this month and that increase will likely be passed these points in its brochures as well as mechanic, it's much better to see him education campaign is generating But Amanda Petersen, deputy direc The first tremor, at 6:20 a.m., was followed by a more than twice the 8.1 on to patients in the form of higher fees. radio spots that are being sent as public before you buy than afterward." some rumblings of discontent from tor of the FTC's bureau of consumer second shake 20 minutes later and a third at 6:59, said percent rate for white The malpractice insurance rate increases service announcements to about 7,100 The commission promulgated the inside the . agency as well as from protection, told a news conference, the spokesman. Those measured 3.8 and 3.0 workers. which took effect Oct. 1 averaged 18 percent for stations nationwide. tougher used car rule Aug. 18,1981, but consumer groups. "This is a major program to assist respectively on the Richter scale, said Nafi Toksoz, The report also showed surgeons and 14 percent for other doctors covered The public service announcements Congress, following an intense lobby Commissioner Michael Pertschuk consumers. The commission is now director of the MIT Geophysical Observatory. a major gain in the length by CNA Insurance Co. of Chicago. CNA writes include a hall dozen different mes ing effort by the used car industry, and the Consumers Union question if considering the rule, although I'm not The first tremor lasted for up to 30 seconds in some of the factory work week, 1B83 coverage for about 2.600 doctors in the state — 60 sages, including one that begins: vetoed it.