1
 Predicting the financial results of computer firms has been a tough job lately.
5126
span

2
 Take Microsoft Corp., the largest maker of personal computer software and generally considered an industry bellwether.
5017
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3
 In July, the company stunned Wall Street with the prediction
5002
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4
 that growth in the personal computer business overall would be only 10% in 1990, a modest increase
5001
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5
 when compared with the sizzling expansion of years past.
4
comparison

6
 Investors
5007
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7
 -- taking this as a sign 
5006
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8
that a broad industry slump was in the offing --
7
elaboration-object-attribute-e

9
 reacted
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10
 by selling the company's stock,
5004
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11
 which lost $3.25 that day 
5003
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12
to close at $52 in national over-the-counter trading.
11
consequence-s

13
 But that was all of three months ago.
5009
elaboration-additional

14
 Last week, Microsoft said 
5012
attribution

15
it expects revenue for its first quarter
5011
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16
 ended Sept. 30
15
elaboration-object-attribute-e

17
 to increase 34%.
5011
elaboration-object-attribute-e

18
 The announcement caused the company's stock to surge $6.50 
5014
span

19
to close at $75.50 a share.
18
consequence-s

20
 Microsoft's surprising strength is one example of the difficulty 
5018
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21
facing investors 
5019
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22
looking for reassurances about the financial health of the computer firms.
21
elaboration-object-attribute-e

23
 It's hard to know what to expect at this point,
5020
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24
 said Peter Rogers, an analyst at Robertson Stephens & Co.
23
attribution

25
 The industry defies characterization.
5020
elaboration-additional

26
 To illustrate,
5028
purpose

27
 Mr. Rogers said 
5027
attribution

28
that of the 14 computer-related firms
5026
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29
 he follows,
28
elaboration-object-attribute-e

30
 half will report for their most recent quarter earnings below last year's results, and half above those results.
5035
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31
 Among those companies
5031
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32
 expected to have a down quarter 
31
elaboration-object-attribute-e

33
are Hewlett-Packard Co., Amdahl Corp. and Sun Microsystems Inc., generally solid performers in the past.
5032
Same-Unit

34
 International Business Machines Corp. also is expected to report disappointing results.
5033
List

35
 Apple Computer Inc., meanwhile, is expected to show improved earnings for the period ended Sept.
5034
Contrast

36
 Another contradictory message comes from Businessland Inc., a computer retailer.
5046
span

37
 In July, the company reported 
5038
attribution

38
that booming sales of new personal computers from Apple and IBM had resulted in net income
5038
span

39
 more than doubling for its fourth quarter
5037
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40
 ended June 30 to $7.4 million, or 23 cents a share.
39
elaboration-object-attribute-e

41
 This month, however, Businessland warned investors
5041
attribution

42
 that results for its first quarter
5040
span

43
 ended Sept. 30
42
elaboration-object-attribute-e

44
 hadn't met expectations.
5041
Same-Unit

45
 The company said 
46
attribution

46
it expects earnings of 14 to 17 cents a share, down from 25 cents a share in the year-earlier period.
5043
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47
 While the earnings picture confuses,
5050
antithesis

48
 observers say 
5049
attribution

49
the major forces
5048
span

50
 expected to shape the industry in the coming year 
49
elaboration-object-attribute-e

51
are clearer.
5049
Same-Unit

52
 Companies will continue to war over standards.
5067
span

53
 In computer publishing, a battle over typefaces is hurting Adobe Systems Inc.,
5054
span

54
 which sells software 
5053
span

55
that controls the image 
5052
span

56
produced by printers and displays.
55
elaboration-object-attribute-e

57
 Until recently, Adobe had a lock on the market for image software,
58
concession

58
 but last month Apple, Adobe's biggest customer, and Microsoft rebelled.
5055
span

59
 Now the two firms are collaborating on an alternative to Adobe's approach,
5057
List

60
 and analysts say 
61
attribution

61
they are likely to carry IBM, the biggest seller of personal computers, along with them.
5056
span

62
 The short-term outlook for Adobe's business, however, appears strong.
5066
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63
 The company is beginning to ship a new software program
5061
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64
 that's being heralded as a boon for owners of low-end printers
5060
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65
 sold by Apple.
64
elaboration-object-attribute-e

66
 The program is aimed at improving the quality of printed material.
5061
elaboration-additional

67
 John Warnock, Adobe's chief executive officer, said 
5063
attribution

68
the Mountain View, Calif., company has been receiving 1,000 calls a day about the product
5063
span

69
 since it was demonstrated at a computer publishing conference several weeks ago.
68
circumstance

70
 Meanwhile, competition between various operating systems,
5069
span

71
 which control the basic functions of a computer,
70
elaboration-additional-e

72
 spells trouble for software firms generally.
5070
Same-Unit

73
 It creates uncertainty 
5071
List

74
and usually slows down sales,
5071
List

75
 said Russ Crabs, an analyst at Soundview Financial Group.
5071
attribution

76
 Mr. Crabs said 
77
attribution

77
this probably is behind the expected weak performance of Aldus Corp., maker of a widely used computer publishing program.
5073
span

78
 He expects Aldus to report earnings of 21 cents a share on revenues of $19.5 million for its third quarter,
5075
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79
 compared with earnings of 30 cents a share on revenue of 20.4 million in the year-earlier period.
78
comparison

80
 Aldus officials couldn't be reached for comment.
5076
elaboration-additional

81
 On the other hand, the battle of the bus is expected to grow increasingly irrelevant.
5080
span

82
 A bus is the data highway within a computer.
81
definition-e

83
 IBM is backing one type of bus
5081
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84
 called microchannel,
83
elaboration-additional-e

85
 while the nine other leading computer makers,
5082
span

86
 including H-P and Compaq Computer Corp.,
85
elaboration-set-member-e

87
 have chosen another method.
5083
Same-Unit

88
 Users don't care about the bus,
5085
span

89
 said Daniel Benton, an analyst at Goldman, Sachs & Co.
88
attribution

90
 He said 
5086
attribution

91
Apple's family of Macintosh computers, for instance, uses four different buses
5086
span

92
 and no one seems to mind.
91
consequence-s

93
 The gap between winners and laggards will grow.
5097
span

94
 In personal computers, Apple, Compaq and IBM are expected to tighten their hold on their business.
5094
Contrast

95
 At the same time, second-tier firms will continue to lose ground.
5095
span

96
 Some lagging competitors even may leave the personal computer business altogether.
5108
span

97
 Wyse Technology, for instance, is considered a candidate
5096
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98
 to sell its troubled operation.
97
elaboration-object-attribute-e

99
 Wyse has done well
5098
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100
 establishing a distribution business,
99
manner

101
 but they haven't delivered products
5099
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102
 that sell,
101
elaboration-object-attribute-e

103
 said Kimball Brown, an analyst at Prudential-Bache Securities.
5100
attribution

104
 Mr. Brown estimates 
5105
attribution

105
Wyse,
5104
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106
 whose terminals business is strong,
105
elaboration-additional-e

107
 will report a loss of 12 cents a share for its quarter
5103
span

108
 ended Sept.
107
elaboration-object-attribute-e

109
 Personal-computer makers will continue to eat away at the business of more traditional computer firms.
5113
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110
 Ever-more powerful desk-top computers,
5111
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111
 designed with one or more microprocessors as their brains,
110
elaboration-object-attribute-e

112
 are expected to increasingly take on functions
5110
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113
 carried out by more expensive minicomputers and mainframes.
112
elaboration-object-attribute-e

114
 The guys 
5114
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115
that make traditional hardware 
114
elaboration-object-attribute-e

116
are really being obsoleted by microprocessor-based machines,
5115
Same-Unit

117
 said Mr. Benton.
5115
attribution

118
 As a result of this trend,
119
result

119
 longtime powerhouses H-P, IBM and Digital Equipment Corp. are scrambling to counterattack with microprocessor-based systems of their own.
5117
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120
 But they will have to act quickly.
5122
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121
 Mr. Benton expects Compaq to unveil a family of high-end personal computers later this year 
5121
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122
that are powerful enough 
5120
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123
to serve as the hub for communications within large networks of desk-top machines.
122
consequence-s

124
 A raft of new computer companies also has targeted this server market.
5119
elaboration-additional

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elaboration-object-attribute-e

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elaboration-object-attribute-e

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manner

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elaboration-additional

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Contrast

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elaboration-additional

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elaboration-object-attribute-e

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1
example

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multinuc
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example

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5126
elaboration-additional

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multinuc
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List

5033
multinuc
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multinuc
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elaboration-additional

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36
elaboration-additional

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5036
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5092
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54
elaboration-object-attribute-e

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5059
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span
5057
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5056
span
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5057
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5058
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5054
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5059
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5068
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63
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5064
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5066
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5091
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multinuc
52
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5070
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5079
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5076
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5070
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5072
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5078
span



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5080
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5090
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5084
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5082
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5084
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5084
multinuc
5088
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5085
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5088
span

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5087
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5085
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5088
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5080
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5051
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5109
span

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93
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5095
span
5094
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5096
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span

5097
span
5093
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5098
span
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antithesis

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elaboration-additional

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multinuc
5106
span

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elaboration-additional

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example

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span
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span
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109
elaboration-additional

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5124
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span
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5116
span

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span
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span

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span
5122
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5118
span
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5119
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span

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span
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5121
span
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reason

5122
span
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span

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span
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elaboration-additional

5124
span
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elaboration-additional

5125
span



5126
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5036
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