Apple has fallen foul of the Acorn Syndrome - too many systems chasing too few buyers. It will close down its US and Cork factories for a week in the spring, and analysts predict that its sales will show a 35 per cent drop on last quarter's figures. Slow sales of the Macintosh may be to blame, but Apple says that the Apple II line has been sluggish as well.

The Kennedy Space Centre in Florida will be the destination for the winners of a Microvitec competition. The Cub maker is sponsoring the first prize of a five-day visit to the US, including a space shuttle launch (weather permitting). Details from Microvitec on 0274-390011.

Cumana is branching out into software. The disk supplier has signed a deal with Microwave Systems of the US to distribute OS-9/68000, the version of OS-9 for machines based on 68000 processors. That means a possible new option for the Sinclair QL, among other machines.

Printer/plotters for £400 are on offer from educational software specialist Bizzel Computers (094389 592). The units have built-in parallel and RS232C interfaces and are available with sample programs featured in the instruction booklet.

Egged on by the success of Chuckie Egg, A&F Software will release Chuckie Egg II with the sub-title Choccy Egg in time for Easter. The game has more than 100 screens from which you have to pick up the ingredients of chocolate and components for toys. The Spectrum version will be first out at £6.90, to be followed by Amstrad and Commodore 64 versions.

Death Star Interceptor on the Spectrum was launched last week by System 3 Software at £7.95. "It's so good it makes the Commodore version almost embarrassing," said a System 3 spokesman. Some would say the Commodore version already was.

Microsoft has cut its prices by 30 per cent for users in education. Products like Word, Multiplan, Basic and many others will cost roughly a third less to users in schools and colleges across the spectrum. Hardware in the shape of MacEnhancer (issue 103) is also included, as are books from Microsoft Press. The race to get equipment into schools is hotting up, with hardware, software, peripherals and book suppliers all involved.