The Wall Street Journal, 200 Burnett Rd, Chicopee, MA 01020.
A 5 issue per week newspaper; 1-year subscription $164; 2 years $284.

I last reviewed The Wall Street Journal in the November '90 issue of the Invention in Cleveland newsletter. As they say, much water has gone over the dam. "Cold fusion" is no longer the hot topic of the day. But the Journal rolls on. Today, Personal Technology, a regular Thursday column by Walter S. Mossberg gives you the scoop on computers and related technologies.

The great strength of the Journal is it not only alerts you to exciting new developments in product design, manufacturing processes and computer software, but it is not afraid to give you the downside. Too many publications give each new product the aura of being the greatest thing since sliced bread. The Journal clues you in on how long it took to bring it to production, how much money it took and how the competition is reacting.

Best of all, it tells you exactly how the inventor made out. Did he suddenly find his 100,000 shares, representing 10% of the shares issued, reduced to 1% by the issuance of 10 million more shares? Or was the inventor a long-time reader of the Journal and protected his 10% share by contract?

Inventors, in general, love the technical and shy away from reading about selling, promotion, and financial matters. But reading the Journal regularly can eliminate some blind spots that we all have. While perhaps 95% of the Journal may seem dry as dust to you, the other 5% may be the most exciting, vital, and factual information available anywhere today. Incidentally, it is not all dry. Their article captions are often quite wry - delightful puns.

By all means sample it first - at your local library or at many newsstands (75 cents/copy). At $164 a year, it's a stiff price for most independent inventors who are already saddled with development costs, patenting fees, and you name it. But what is the cost of repeating the mistakes of others?