What's Hot and What's Not: Computers 1993
| Publication year | 1993 |
| Pages | 1253 |
1993, June, Pg. 1253. What's Hot and What's Not: Computers 1993
Like other "top ten" lists, this article is essentially a top ten on technology in today's law office. Technology changes very quickly. Recent information shows that the personal computer cycle (the date of introduction of a computer until the date of its discontinuance) is between six and twenty months. To ease some of the frustration associated with rapid technological change and to assist law firms in planning for technology, this article lists what's hot and what's not as of the date of publication. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author.
WIN means "WESTLAW is Natural," West Publishing Company's application of artificial intelligence to legal research. WIN eliminates the major obstacle to lawyers using legal research, which is remembering the difficult Boolean query method (for example, "locate this AND that, BUT NOT this within the same paragraph"). WIN allows the researcher to use a logical English question to research a legal issue. For example, the question for a slip-and-fall case might be: "What is the liability of a property owner for injuries caused by a slip and fall by a business invitee?" The creation of WIN could well be the most dynamic move by a book publisher in years.
One of the hottest computer environments for 1993 is Microsoft Windows. Windows applications are outselling DOS applications, albeit there is a larger DOS installed base. (Of course, with the company's well-reported financial success, it would be foolish to underestimate Microsoft's ability to overtake the DOS market.)
Many hardware vendors are now selling their computers pre-installed with Windows 3.1. Windows at least offers the promise of a universal command set for diverse computer programs. Finally, Windows NT (New Technology), the Windows environment to be released later this year, is already being bundled with major hardware systems. Windows NT includes new features such as peer-to-peer networking (where personal computers are connected without the need for a dedicated file server).
Networking is still hot because, at last, it is penetrating all computer installations of three or more personal computers. Novell, the dominant vendor in networking, just released Version 4.0, which will be strong during 1993.
For less complex networking (peer-to-peer) at a lower cost, LANtastic TM is now being used in medium-to-large networks. The choice of wireless LANs (local area networks), which use transmitters and receivers to link individual PCs (rather than wires or cable) is somewhat limited. Wireless LANs also are expensive, perhaps adding as much as $1,000 per workstation. Nevertheless, the wireless LAN is the wave of the future.
The latest software group to allow multiple users to work cooperatively is workgroup software...
To continue reading
Request your trial