(Editor's Note: As we noted in an update to our original PointCast review, this once-popular "push" innovator ultimately failed in the marketplace. Our plans for a PointCast channel, described below, were never realized.)

In fact, PointCast 2.0 is potentially a breakthrough product. The big news here is the debut of "PointCast Connections," an implementation of the new Channel Definition Format—developed by Microsoft in collaboration with PointCast—which theoretically permits any Web site to reach PointCast's large audience by developing and broadcasting its own channel.

Theoretically. In practice, many would-be Webcasters will have two significant barriers to overcome. The first is the result of a deliberate action—or rather, omission—on PointCast's part, and it is acceptable (barely) only in the clichéd context of "market demand": the product is so far available for Windows 95 and NT only. We won't dwell on the shortsightedness of this increasingly prevalent rationale here; obviously, it poses difficulties for Mac-based developers.

However, PointCast eventually released a solid Mac version of its 1.0 software, and we assume it will do the same with version 2.0 (no date has been announced, though). Also, we plan to support Netscape's rival Netcaster format, which promises to be available on the Mac. So, given the potential we saw in this PointCast beta, we decided to press ahead with the Windows 95 version.

That's when we ran into the second obstacle, and this one stopped us cold. We discovered a bug in the PointCast software which prevents certain HTML pages from being transmitted correctly.

The 2.0 beta comes with an application called "Connections Builder," which is used in conjunction with PointCast to produce the channel definition format (.cdf) files. A .cdf file, in turn, enables an existing HTML page to be "broadcast," at scheduled intervals, through PointCast; viewers select your content through PointCast's new "Connections" channel. But, on our test channel, the text in certain files was corrupted.

We reported the problem to PointCast Tech Support. A workaround was suggested, which didn't work. PointCast was then able to replicate the problem separately; it is now officially classified as a bug, and a solution is being sought. Thus the Mac community, in this case us, can once again lay claim to improving the functionality of Windows software. (PointCast Tech Support was highly professional and responsive throughout, it should be noted.)

The version 2.0 beta is otherwise up to PointCast's high standard. It is billed as being somewhat faster, and seems to be. It includes new control features for corporate administrators (another instance of "market demand"). There is now a detachable, Java-based news ticker, which seems an increasingly popular feature these days.

Had this beta worked flawlessly, and had it been cross-platform, we would have given it our highest rating. As it is, PointCast 2.0 rates a relatively strong review based on its potential for enabling a wide variety of Web sites to reach a larger audience.

But it needs to work, and it needs to work on the Mac.

(Reviewed June 15, 1997)