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=Newsbytes=
==Tax DedictibleDeductible==
Ben Hur Software. 1114 W. Main, Crawfordsville, IN 47933, is offering it's its 1983 Tax Preparation Aid for use with the TI home computer. The software is available on cassette or diskette. The program addresses itself to the federal 1040 individual long form and the Schedule A form for itemized deductions. By entering different data, users may be able to reduce their tax bills to the legal minimum, the company claims. The company says the program uses prompts for input and does all the mathematics automatically. Output is to screen or printer, showing what to write on each line of the tax forms. The price is $26, postage paid.
The disk version is said to be somewhat more sophisticated than the cassette version. Both require Extended BASIC. The company also produced a tax program for 1982. The 1983 version is said to incorporate improvements from the 1982 version.
Of course, the program is tax deductible.
==Percom's loss==
Percorn Data Corporation may not be one of the big losers in the recent home computer shakeup. but the company certainly has learned a lesson.
Reportedly, the company is switching emphasis from the volatile home computer market to the business market. The company is merging with Esprit Systems Inc . . a producer of video display terminals, and is expected to concentrate more of its resources on intraoffice networks. Percom has already spent more than $1 million in product development over the past year to get ready to step into the network market. The goal of networking is to link computers in an office for data exchange and other shared operations. Esprit will provide the marketing channels to distribute the Percom office products.
Esprit was expected to pay $3.5 million by the end of January to purchase Percom. Nonetheless. Percom says it will stay in the home computer market as long as the market remains profitable. It produces a single-sided. single density floppy disk drive for the TI home computer that includes a disk drive controller card. Percom products similar products for Atari home computers.
==In the chips==
Despite a disastrous experience in the home computer market. Texas Instruments remains as one of the world's leading semiconductor manufacturers. TI produced $1.55 billion worth of semiconductors during 1983, according to Integrated Circuit Engineering, an Arizona-based consulting company. IBM, the world's leading chip manufacturer, produced $2.4 billion worth of semiconductors in 1983. Unlike TI, which sold most of its chips, IBM used most of its chips in its own products. Motorola also produced $1.55 billion worth of semiconductors during 1983.
The leading Japanese manufacturer of semiconductors in 1983 was NEX, with $1.34 billion in chips. Hitachi was the only other company in the billion dollar club, producing $1.04 billion worth of semiconductors.
==Software sales==
Pewterware Computer Software, P.O. Box 503, Gulf Breeze, FL 32561, is offering TI users a sales kit for its TI home computer software. The cost is $49. The company says that purchasers use the kit to demonstrate the company's game programs to prospective
buyers. The salesman then earns $4 and up for each sale. The sales kit includes copies of the company's five game programs and a program that includes several games. Outstanding sales people can earn monthly bonuses, in addition to the profit from each sale. The company's inventory includes Up Periscope and Bluegrass Sweepstakes.
Anyone for a software party?
==How to order==
Last month's Newbytes column carried an item about "How to Feel at Home with a Home Computer," the new 264-page book by Texas Instruments. We got so caught up in the irony of TI coming out the book after ending production of its home computer that we neglected to provide ordering information. Here it is: Texas Instuments Inc., P.O. BOX 225012 M/S 54, Dallas, TX 75265. Or call (214) 995-4844, which will put you in touch with TI's Dallas Learning Center. The cost is $12.95.
