New from Big Blue

As for IBM, their new computers should be available sometime in May (around the time the Mac II is scheduled to appear in stores). According to the Happy Hacker's not-yet-caught-for-trading-insider-information source, the new computers will be much faster and will have a smaller footprint.

They will use 3 1/2 inch disks and will come with a new operating system that will be much more `closed' than MS-DOS. IBM will also introduce a machine based on Intel's 80386 microprocessor, this machine will be able to operate at more than twice the speed of the IBM AT.

Like the new Apples, brother blue's models will also start out very expensive. And the Happy Hacker isn't holding his breath for prices to go down. All of the new systems promise to truly advance the state of personal computing technology.

Of course, if all of the company employees are unable to help the Happy Hacker and other computer users because they're too busy playing with their new computers, it could retard the acceptance and spread of the new machines.

But that's a risk that IBM and Apple seem willing to take.