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First, thanks for purchasing ORBITER.  I would like to take
this opportunity to provide a bit of background on this
product and our company, Spectrum HoloByte, a division of
SPHERE, INC.

ORBITER DEVELOPMENT

The initial outline for ORBITER was begun in the Autumn of
1984, with full-time design and coding initiated in July 1985.
During the nine-month development period between design and
marketing, we amassed a program source code of over 600 
single-spaced pages.
We've concentrated on realism in this simulation because of the 
shuttle's high public visibility and because that is what our 
GATO users said they wanted to see.  Above all, we wanted to
create an entertaining vehicle for making the world more aware
of what really goes on in a shuttle launch.  ORBITER is a
simulation, not an arcade game, though we feel it is fun as well
as instructional.
Holograms: The ORBITER hologram was done by Light Impressions of
Ben Lomond, CA.

Holograms are laser-generated "photographs" taken of solid objects,
using mirrors to provide a 360 degree view.  Laser-generated
holograms require a direct light source to be viewed properly,
meaning either sunlight or an incandescent lamp.  Fluorescent
lights are too diffuse to provide sharp viewing of an image.

The ORBITER hologram, which was placed on the outside of the
first 10,000 boxes, is of a ceramic and metal model which was
set in isolation on metal mounts and allowed to sit for one
week to let the vibrations reach equilibrium with its surroundings.
If the object moves 1 millionth of an inch during the 20 minute
exposure, the shot must be re-taken.
SPECTRUM HOLOBYTE

We are often asked about the origin of the name "HoloByte."
Essentially, it is our word for a computer-generated hologram.
We took the name because of our interest in 3-D computer animation
and because we intend to come as close to on-screen holography 
as possible.

For those of you not familiar with us, we were incorporated
November 1, 1983 as a computer software publishing company
specializing in graphics.  While our game, GATO, put us on the
map, it has always been our goal to maintain the same high quality
in all of our products.  Through the Spectrum HoloByte product
line, the company introduced entertainment software products in
several new areas: mystery, strategy, relax and enjoy, graphics
quest, and arcade-style games.  At the same time, Spectrum Holobyte
added several games to its traditional line of high quality
simulations.

SPHERE, INC. was formed in early 1987 with the merger of
Spectrum HoloByte, a company with several years of experience in
software publishing, and Nexa Corporation, a highly respected
group of software developers.  The new company was acquired by
Pergamon Press of London, England. SPHERE has a sister software
company, Mirrorsoft, in London to assist with the international
market.  All operations for SPHERE, INC. are now consolidated into
new headquarters in the San Francisco Bay Area.
The direction of SPHERE, INC. will be to continue to enhance the
Spectrum HoloByte line by producing more top quality simulations
(in the tradition of FALCON and PT-109) and other entertainment,
productivity and educational products.  We remain dedicated to
bringing you the best possible software at a good value and prompt,
courteous support. 

While we can't address every suggestion that is made, we do listen.
We've incorporated a lot of the suggestions regarding GATO into
ORBITER and FALCON.
Thanks for "listening."

Phillip G. Adam, President - Spectrum HoloByte
Gilman G. Louie, CEO - Spectrum HoloByte

2061 Challenger Drive
Alameda, CA  94501
(415)522-3584
