Apple Loses Key Executive at Newton Unit

Apple Computer Inc. said Gaston Bastiaens, general manager of the troubled division responsible for the Newton hand-held computer, is leaving “to set up his own business activities.” The Cupertino, Calif., company also announced the departure of Morris Taradalsky, general manager of the Apple Business Systems division, who becomes president and chief executive of MicroNet Technology Inc. in Irvine, a supplier of products to the Macintosh market. Apple has lost a number of high-level executives recently, starting with Chief Executive John Sculley and continuing with Randall Battat, who headed the company’s crucial PowerPC personal computer line. He left in January for Motorola.