Also. . .

* Intel Corp. of Santa Clara cut prices on its older microprocessors up to 34% while introducing its fastest chip and a line for sub-$1,000 PCs. Intel’s super-fast Pentium IIs run at 350 Mhz and 400 Mhz and are intended for high-powered corporate computers, network servers and high-end consumer PCs. Intel also introduced its new Celeron chip, which is designed for personal computers priced under $1,000.

* Worldwide sales of x86 microprocessors, the most widely used primary chips in personal computers, will rise only 16% in 1998, reflecting collapsing prices, market researcher Dataquest said. Worldwide sales will rise to $22.72 billion in 1998 from $19.58 billion in 1997. In comparison, x86 microprocessor sales rose 24% in 1997 from 1996, said Nathan Brookwood, the Dataquest analyst who compiled the forecast.