Microsoft Corp says it expects to price its Access open-format database software at $100 in the hope of stealing a march over Borland International Inc, which it does not believe is ready with its Paradox for Windows yet. Microsoft demonstrated Access, formerly known as Cirrus, at the Gershwin Theatre, Broadway launch of Workgroup for Windows, and said that the $100 price would stand until January 31, after which it will rocket to $700. Access is expected to be introduced at Comdex/Fall on November 16. Microsoft is also preparing new versions of its recently-acquired FoxPro database product soon. Access is a database front-end designed to be used as the client end of a multi-user networked database access system. It is not clear that there is a big need for such a product, but Microsoft expects to be shipping the product in quantity by its mid-November launch and says it would be disappointed if we didn’t sell 100,000 copies of the thing.
