Monday, January 31, 2000
News
Reports Of Mozilla's Failure May Have Been Greatly Exaggerated Or Why Mozilla Will Change The Web... Again
The only reasons that make sense for Mozilla's current bad press are impatience and journalists that are paying attention to anything but the impressive Mozilla code and its features.
Opinion
A tribute to really fine father-in-law, who just might have handled the on-the-road trials and tribulations of an Internet editor with more aplomb and a lot more humor.
Apple's Secrecy And Its Right To Be Paranoid
Maybe we are giving ourselves too much credit: maybe Apple doesn't give one whit about the customers — our levels of information access, anyway — and is more concerned about keeping its corporate competitors from getting their mitts on advance info of Apple products, knowing they'd love to steal Apple's thunder by announcing their competing and duplicate product(s).
Call Me Crazy, But I Think Apple's Gone Nuts
Apple is taking a pass on [Seybodl Seminars Boston 2000], reportedly because it's not one of its core market shows. Excuse me? When did this happen?
Time To Move To BeOS?
The one solution for the Mac users that resent this influx of "newbies" is to move on. No, not get over the fact that the Mac is no longer a hallmark of difference but move on to another platform. There is no shortage of Operating Systems that need the skills that Mac evangelists have honed over the years.
Sidetrack
Anyone found anything wrong with this photo? Dan Gillmor correctly described this little banner: arrogant.
You may be able to upgrade your iMac after all. AppleInsider reports that Newer Technology will be announcing processor upgrade packages soon.
One of the problem with rollovers is that additional information are only presented when you move the mouse cursor over it. Here's an example of where information is taken away from you during rollover. (Watch the rollover graphics at the bottom of the web page.) Horrible!
Sunday, January 30, 2000
News
Amid Some Conerns, Some Airports Using Body Scanners To Look For Contraband
The aim is not to nab interplanetary terrorists, but it is allowing security officials to better detect contraband hidden on travelers - everything from jewels to plastic explosives.
4 Years Ago: Apple Freezes R&D Monies
In the wake of a 52-week low for Apple Computer shares, the Cupertino, California, company has frozen most of the money set aside for research and development, according to a New York Times report.
Fast To Copy, Slow To Wake Up
In an age of lightning-fast computer chips, exasperated office workers are asking why anyone can't invent an instant-on photocopier?
Opinion
Canvas 7
For a whole lot of folks, Canvas 7 packs all the punch they'll need — and more.
Review
I Spy Spooky Mansion
I Spy Spooky Mansion offers children ways to practice important problem-solving skills and thinking skills to retain their interest.
Saturday, January 29, 2000
Top Stories
Reflections Of Aqua: NEXTSTEP Moves Mac Desktop Aside
It is a system that will grow with the user. It is a system that is dynamic, it will flow like water, aqua. At least that's what I'm speculating.
News
4 Years Ago: Sun Sets On Apple Deal For Now
The deal between Sun Microsystems and Apple Computer is stalled indefinitely as officials continue to haggle over price. Now that talks appear to have broken down, other companies are circling the ailing Apple, including Motorola and Sony.
Is Steve Jobs Oscar Worthy?
The year 2000 has so far brought a windfall for Steve Jobs. First he's acknowledged as Apple's savior. Then he's rewarded with a heavy bonus and personal jet for dropping the "interim" from his title at the computer company. Could an Oscar be next?
Buoyant Apple Plans New Stores
Apple Australia hopes to see five or six exra specialist AppleStore retail outlets operating in major Australian cities this year.
Apple Moves To Number 3 Computer Manufacturer Web Site
Our favorite computer company from Cupertino, Ca. fared quite well in the Top Hardware Sites category.
Opinion
Let's Hope Today's Mac User Survives The Survival Of Apple
When I go from being "that Mac fanatic" to being just another Mac user, I will be a happy customer. Though the war we have been fighting will be over, it will have been won. Isn't that what it's all about?
Taking The Heat
I'm sorry if my discussion of Mr. Anderson's conference call comments and my public admonition to analysts not to factor in rumor-site content got some people worked up. But I would rather have the entire Mac community totally and completely hacked off at me than have analysts and investors arrive at erroneous conclusions and expectations that would harm not just Apple's share price but the company and the public's perception of it as well.
Wintel
Windows 2000 Dilemma
As users decide whether to go through the expense and aggravation of upgrading their desktop PCs to make them suitable for Windows 2000 Professional, thin-client vendors are using the opportunity to press their argument for abandoning the "fat" client model.
Microsoft Patches Windows 2000 Security Hole
Microsoft achieved a dubious milestone this week, releasing the first security patch for its Windows 2000 operating system, despite the fact that the OS is still a few weeks away from its official release.
Friday, January 28, 2000
Top Stories
Utility Meets Fashion
It's not hard to understand why the iMac made such a big impact on the consumer computer market. Computers, after all, had long since become a boring commodity for most of us. Apple's genius was realizing that the only way it could attract consumers to its nonstandard operating system was by recruiting those who were willing to ''think different.'' Not surprisingly, one of the easiest ways of appealing to people who think differently from the rest is by offering computers in a variety of different colors. It was the ultimate refutation of today's Henry Fords who inhabit the hallways of Compaq and Dell - companies that are willing to sell you a desktop computer in any color you want, so long as it's beige.
iMac Goes Indie; You're In The Director's Chair
iMovie, in short, is probably one of the most compelling pieces of software you can load into your iMacs. It's also probably the most fun and, most important, one of the easiest multimedia titles out there.
Analyzing Aqua, Part Four
So we interface geeks have to care more than casual users do. Mac users also generally care more, and they tend to understand interfaces better. That's why they want to make sure Aqua doesn't devolve into something more like — or "as good as" — Windows. But even if Aqua is only a better Windows — as opposed to a better Mac — it will still be better than the alternatives.
News
2 Years Ago: Newton May Be The Next To Fall From Apple's Tree
Now three sources close to the Newton division say software engineers working on Newton have been told to look for other jobs. "They're gonna bag the eMate," one source said, referring to a Newton laptop designed for school kids. "Evidently, it's already been done, but Apple people can't talk about it under penalty of being fired," the source said.
2 Years Ago : Ellison: Jobs Is Best Apple CEO
[Apple] has the best interim CEO in the world.
Ambrosia Ships Ferazel's Wand
Ferazel's Wand puts players in control of Ferazel the Habnabit, a magic-using subterranean dweller on a quest to free his land of Teraknorn from the clutches of the dread queen Xichra and her evil minions. An action game with side-scrolling graphics, Ferazel's Wand uses advanced special effects, such as multi-layer parallax scrolling, which gives the game a 3D effect.
Corel Draws Up Mac Plans
This year, we are much more recognized as a Mac developer. Two years ago, almost no Mac users would have heard about Corel. Now we have been through a number of shows, shoing our Mac products, and people are starting to take notice of Corel. We are now one of the very serious player in the Mac market.
Opinion
Aqua: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly
After my initial excitement I started carefully reviewing the video of the demonstration and I got a bit worried about Aqua and the direction Apple is heading. These comments relate to the demo which is a work in progress. I hope my concerns are horribly off base and that all the issues I bring up are solved when OS X is finally released.
The Need For An Apple Game Studio
Producing a showcase game for the Mac is only one potential benefit to an Apple-owned game studio. The studio could also serve as a nerve center for testing new development techniques and new Apple technologies — for really showing off what the platform can do, not just for gamers, but also for game developers.
Drawin Isn't OS X
Despite Apple's bolder approach, Darwin doesn't have Linux's — or even FreeBSD's — momentum yet. Apple has yet to impart the necessary energy to start things moving appreciably. And unlike Solaris, which already has a large installed based in the real world, OS X and Darwin will be playing catch-up for sometime. Until we see developer-usable releases of Darwin, inertia will continue to win, though I do think that OS X and Darwin can succeed against Solaris, if Apple starts taking Darwin's specific needs seriously.
Sidetrack
Top ten things David Letterman said while in the hospital.
I just happened to see this. Any one knows how long the "Stay Tuned" has been there?
If you didn't get it right the first time... predict the same thing again. The latest rumor about Pismo comes from MacTeens...
Anybody want some snow (powder, 12"+, buyer must pick up) over at eBay?
Why did Apple register the domain name www.iphone.org? According to Mac OS Rumors, Apple will ship an Internet Phone product that "utilizes Quicktime's A/V capabilities to transmit and receive streaming multimedia to any other iPhone user".
Thursday, January 27, 2000
Top Stories
Apple Stakes Web Claim
What Microsoft may be preparing to do, and what Apple Computer has already started to do with its iTools, is to create a technical country club in cyberspace where the food is superior, the golf courses are more manicured, the pool is Bondi blue, the best coaches work there, the parties are cooler, and there are no old junkers in the parking lot.
Analyzing Aqua, Part Three
The Dock, at least what we've seen of it so far, seems problematic. It's easy for newbies to understand, and it does minimize windows better than the current Mac OS, but it's a huge step backwards for power users. And unless Apple nails down what the Dock is for in the first place, the interface's confusion will far outweigh any potential advantages.
News
Oh, Yes, And There's A Football Game, Too
I'm not sure anyone will ever achieve what '1984' achieved by becoming the talk of the nation.
3 Years Ago: Gates, Apple Meet For Closer Ties
Microsoft chairman Bill Gates visited Apple Computer headquarters this month to discuss closer cooperation between the two companies, possibly including an arrangement invovling the Windows NT operating system... One item of discussion was the possibility of Apple's licensing Windows NT.
Apple Getting Some New Cometition In The Portable Market
Apple has an unprotected flank in the "thin" laptop end of the portable market, and the competition from that sector is getting stiffer all the time.
Review
Ariston Ares
Ares USB is bascially an "okay" joystick... I think it's a pretty decent joystick, but I had major complaints about the base button positioing and the software support.
Sidetrack
Review AppleSurf! Tell us what you think of AppleSurf — the good points and the bad stuff. Submit a review at MacInSites.com. Oh, by the way, you can also review other Apple/Mac sites on the web.
Speculation on the next revision of iBook by Mac OS Rumors calls for a faster processor, more memory, and bigger hard disk. No surprises there.
Wednesday, January 26, 2000
Top Stories
Developers Dig Into Carbon
As Apple's next-generation OS has evolved from Rhapsody to Mac OS X Server to Mac OS X, we've seen waves of developer commit theirsupport to Apple's future operating system.
Apple Europe Chief Quits
It's believed that the sudden departure of Piacentini might initiate more U.S. inovolvement in the general day-to-day operations of Apple's European operations.
Taste-testing Aqua
Watching the cute icon pictures of the new "dock" dance across the bottom of the Macworld demo screen, I couldn't help thinking that Apple may be making some bad choices of flash over usability.
Analyzing Aqua, Part Two
Apple is on the right track. The look [of Aqua] is pleasant and Mac users, Windows users and newbies should all be able to pick up on Aqua's basic behaviors.
News
Apple Renames AirPort For Japan
After reporting that a Japanese trademark on the name "AirPort" had forced it to find another moniker for the local market, Apple Japan on Wednesday announced that it will sell the Mac wireless-LAN products under the name "AirMac".
IE 5 Due In Late February Or Early March
Microsoft's Mac Business Unit plans on release the final version of Internet Explorer 5 in late February or early March. Also, while there's no longer direct access to Apple's Sherlock, you're not forced to use the Microsoft Search Engine instead.
Apple And Jobs Take Off: The Meaning Of A Jet Plane
It has achieved its goals. It grows in sales and in profits, and has clear-cut product and corporate strategies. Its survival is as assured as that of any other Silicon Valley inmate. It's off the hook, and it knows it, and that's why it's sending the world, analysts, customers, developers, competitors, a very clear message in the shape of that prize.
Apple Pulls Mac OS 9 AUdio Update 1.2
Apple has pulled Mac OS 9 AUdio Update 1.2 from its download servers, and the company is apparently reworking the software package.
XLR8's Parent Company Goes Chapter 11
It is the very success of Apple that has impacted the upgrade market. Apple puts out sexy machines that make people want to buy them instead of upgrading their old machines.
Opinion
Helping Readers Make Informed Purchase Decisions Is Not "Rumor-Mongering"
I do not see it as my responsibility to keep readers uninformed about likely specification upgrades in future models for fear that they might postpone an iBook purchase until the upgraded models arrive.
The Squared Circle
My sole fear for the company is that Apple, the one computer company which is demonstrably still interested in setting the pace instead of following it, abandons its pursuit of forward-thinking concepts entirely. For if Apple doesn't create the future, wherever will the rest of the Industry get its ideas?
Sidetrack
Anyone care for an AirMac? That's how the Japanese will get to know the AirPort in the land of the rising sun. AirPort, as we all know, has already been registered as a trademark by another company over there earlier on...
Poor Steve Jobs. Apparently, he had just suffered a 10 percent cut in his annual salary...
AppleSurf, the Malkovich's version.
Apparently, Microsoft is fudging the benchmarking results for Windows 2000. So, what's new in the tech world?
Wintel
Microsoft Prepares Fixes, Updaes For Windows 2000
With a couple of weeks remaining before the official release of Windows 2000, Microsoft is already preparing a package of fixes and updates, sources say.
MS Operating Systems: What's Next?
Windows 2000. Windows Millennium. Whistler. CE. Confused? Here's a guide to the future of Windows.
Microsoft's Java Initiative Grows Cold
The protracted lawsuit by Java inventor Sun Microsystems against Microsoft has yet to force the software giant out of that market. As it drags on, however, the battle may be eroding Microsoft's ability to stay competitive.
Sun Slashes Solaris Prices, Opens Code In Marketing Move
Sun Microsystems will move its SOlaris operating system two steps in the direction of Linux, cutting its price and making it easier to scrutinize the software's blueprints, the company will announce tomorrow.
Tuesday, January 25, 2000
Top Stories
Aqua: The Movie
The best thing that ever happened to apple was Steve Jobs' leaving. His years of exile in the desert ó where he founded the doomed NeXT computer system and bought the successful Pixar Animation Studios ó filled him with so many great ideas that the Apple he's resurrecting could end up being stronger than the Apple he quit.
Analyzing Aqua, Part One
There are more unknowns than knowns, and there will be for a while — but compared with previous versions of OS X Server. There are a lot of subtle changes to the interface, and far more of them seem good than bad.
News
Is Apple's iDisk A Future Strategy For NetBooting?
Upon initial examination of Apple's iTools, I couldn't help but think that these various Internet services seemed rather trivial for one of the World's top technology companies. While most of these Internet tools are relatively useful, I'd venture to say that all but one of them are nothing more than mere filler. As a matter of fact, this single iTool could actually accelerate the company to the bleeding edge of Internet network functionality.
What Gil Amelio Thinks Of Steve Jobs And Apple Now
He's done great, but I should get all the credit for making [his work] possible.
Imatec Lawsuit Against Apple Dismissed
The presiding judge dismissed the case after deciding that ColorSync does not, in fact, infringe upon any of the specified patents which, the judge also determined, do not belong to Imatec and Shalit.
Opinion
The Good, The Bad, And The Downright Ugly
Having used a variety of computers over the years, what do I feel are their good and bad points? How do Windows, Linux and the Mac stack up? N.B.: This article may very well offend everyone out there, but then if people want to blindly defend their platform of choice, and not admit problems or open their eyes to their wider world, that's not my problem. Besides, I've always liked to be controversial.
What Apple's Internet Strategy Means For The Mac Web
Macintosh and Apple related Websites aren't going to go away soon. But now that groups with deep pockets have figured out how to immerse you in e-commerce and e-sex, things will never be the same. Underfunded Mac Websites will find themselves disgusted by their competition, their readers lured away, their authors restless and thirsty for greener pastures, and their advertisers seduced by the prospect of millions, not thousands of viewers.
Review
Outlook Express 5
To the complaints I have heard, I'll say this: I have yet to hear one problem that would make me rate OE 5 as anything less than one fantastic, excellent, rave of an app. And it's FREE.
Wintel
Microsoft Consolidates Windows Development Efforts
Microsoft has consolidated two Windows development efforts, continuing to shuffle its plans for home computing.
Monday, January 24, 2000
News
Mac OS X Unveiled!
Sometimes it's hard to see the future until it smacks you in the face. For the past two years, Apple has been telling us that Mac OS X is on the horizonñand that when it arrives it'll be a revolutionary development that will change the Macintosh experience forever. But like the year 2000, the arrival of OS X always felt like a distant eventuality. Suddenly, the future is now.
Apple Takes Off
Doubling his salary would make him a $2-a-year man, eroding the altruistic symbolism of a single buck.
Sidetrack
One small question: Where is the review of www.apple.com in Apple's iReview?
Rumors (and I do have to emphasis rumors) coming out from Mac OS Rumors indicate that Mac OS X will allow you to save the current stage of your Macintosh onto hard disk before shutting down or sleeping. Subsequently, you will then boot into the saved-state, rather then going through your lengthy usual boot-up again. This would be a good idea.
Sunday, January 23, 2000
Top Stories
How Deep Is Your GUI?
[Apple's] current strategy is both simple and compelling: Maintain a minimal set of visually compelling hardware and software variants and make sure that each builds the Apple brand attracts new users. Unlike with its Copland experiment, Apple has made it clear that Mac OS X is the future of the Mac, GUI and all.
Plateville Students To Stream Varsity Basketbal Game
The Feb 15 Internet transmission, starting about 7.45 pm, could be the first of many high school Webcasts as the equipment becomes cheaper and more schools experiment with the technology.
News
3Com To Offer Mac Wireless Products
3Com Corp.'s forthcoming line of AirConnect Wireless LAN producs will include Mac versoins by spring, and current PC versions will be compatible with Apple's AirPort wireless networking technology.
Opinion
Dissecting Apple's Q1 Report
Who else could have done what Steve did with Apple? And as far as The Street is concerned, as long as Jobs keeps delivering the results that he has been since taking the reins, they probably wouldn't object if Apple's board decided to buy him one of those tricked-out 747 that the Air Force buys for the 89th MAW, including Air Force One.
Sidetrack
Any Macintosh programmers out there?
Saturday, January 22, 2000
Opinion
It's The User, Stupid
The fact is that it's much harder to make good end-user software than it is to make good infrastructure software - and that's going to make it tough for Open Source software to break out of its server niche.
Dear Joyce, I Hate You
When readers write, it's seldom a love note.
Sidetrack
The danger of selling Girl Scout cookies before you're allowed to.
Check out the new reviews at Apple's iReview over at MacBC.
Friday, January 21, 2000
Top Stories
News Vs Rumors, Which Is Which
News publications need to print daily, and rumor sites are no exception. And that is the problem inherently built into a strictly rumor site. You have to print something, even if you have nothing to print.
What Happened To The Exclusive Club Mac?
With Apple's recent success, the Mac club is becoming like a New York hot spot that welcomes the bridge-and-tunnel crowd. When anyone with $999 for an iMac can get in, who will left for us to "Different Different" from?... Like beauty, "different" is in the eye of the beholder - a fact Apple is banking on. "The brilliance of the brashness of Think Different is that it's very easy to apply it to yourself, regardless of Apple's intentions. It's an exclusive club and, yet, anyone can think he or she is a member."
News
Nitrozac
Nitrozac is the shadowy and sexy boot-wearing creator of After Y2K, one of the net's hottest comic strips. Growing up in Canada, she studied technology based art, but it was until she booted up her first Apple that her love of computer graphics started.
QuickTime 4.1 Goes Live
QuickTime 4.1 lets content producers insert video advertising into QuickTime streams and adds support for the emerging Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language (SMIL) vector-graphics standard.
3 Years Ago: Be Says Future Is Now
"Apple sees NeXT as an opportunity to go into a market where it has perennial problems, the enterprise market," [Be CEO Jean-Louis] Gassee told a conference... "We have no credibility in the enterprise market. The good thing about NeXT is that it's a proven operating system. We know where it works — in the enterprise. We thought [Apple's] focus was on a rich variety of applications. They changed their mind."
Opinion
Where Is Apple's Net Device Strategy? Could It Be BE?
While newsgroup speculation about Apple and Be crops up from time to time, the rumor mill mostly has been quiet about Apple's Net device plans. We hope Apple surprises us with another fabulous device. However, if its silence is caused by a lack of plans, we believe Apple's much-ballyhooed turnaround will come to a screeching halt.
The Press Starts Noticing (And Commenting On) Jobs' Staggering Compensation
I personally think that the vast majority of the people who do the complaining ar epeople who couldn't do the job themselves. It's always easier for the unable to resent the able. It takes a rare individual to run a Fortune 500 company successfully, and a still mor erare individual to turn a company like Apple around in the manner Mr. Jobs did.
What Happened To The Exclusive Club Mac?
With Apple's recent success, the Mac club is becoming like a New York hot spot that welcomes the bridge-and-tunnel crowd. When anyone with $999 for an iMac can get in, who will left for us to "Different Different" from?... Like beauty, "different" is in the eye of the beholder - a fact Apple is banking on. "The brilliance of the brashness of Think Different is that it's very easy to apply it to yourself, regardless of Apple's intentions. It's an exclusive club and, yet, anyone can think he or she is a member."
Aqua Bashing!?
Aqua. Only barely seen for half a month and drawing criticism. And on points that these people don't/can't even know if they are true or not.
Review
iSub
While the iSub itself is a flawless work of art and engineering, there are a few kinks with the software that need to be worked out.
Mac OS 9: The Gamer's View
Thankfully, there is a lot more to OS 9 than [Sherlock II]. One of those features that isn't listed on the box but most definitely comes in handy is increasd stability - and this time, it is serious.
The Movie Makers: Sony PC Vs Apple iMac
For easy video editing, the iMac wins thanks to its low price, elegant software, and no-hassle hardware support. But don't expect to do anything else with it while you're watching a DVD movie.
When Mice Attack
Tired of struggling with that round mouse? Try one of these USB alternatives.
Sidetrack
It's 12.18 in the afternoon, it's a comfortable 48 degrees out there, and your Windows has just crashed again.
And for those who are not too savvy about URLs (and we shouldn't need to), the above photo came from goodexperience.com.
Wintel
Corel Wins WordPerfect Deal With DOJ
Microsoft's big competitor in the office, Corel, signs a multimillion-dollar-deal with it's big competitor in the courtroom, the U.S. Department of Justice.
Litle Progress At Microsoft Talks, Sources Say
Microsoft and antitrust enforcers have made little progress toward a settlement of the government's landmark antitrust case and it's unlikely mediation will yield an agreement, people familiar with the discussions said.
Gateway Q4 Earnings Meet Expectations
Fourth-quarter profits at Gateway Inc. came in where the company predicted.
Chip Sales Boost AMD
Advanced Micro Devices (nc., Intel Corp.'s biggest rival in the microprocessor market, reported its first profit in a year, exceeding the highest forecasts, helped by rising sales of its new Athlon chip.
Thursday, January 20, 2000
Top Stories
A Jobs With Good Pay
Steve Jobs, the man who revolutionized the market for everything from graphical operating systems to candy-colored computers, could be doing the same for executive compensation.
Apple: The Best Revenge Is Living Well
Though I've seen articles today that continue to raise questions about what Apple does for its next trick, I would have thought that an Internet that becomes more and more based on delivering visual content is right up Jobs' alley. What with his success in developing Pixar, and the visual orientation of all of Apple's major successes, it seems to me that we're now entering the sweet spot of the cycle for a visual visionary such as Jobs.
$40 Million Jet Is Reward For Jobs' Job Well Done
An expert on executive compensation called the package unusual but deserved. "I can't image a shareholder of Apple, unless it's Bill Gates, who begrudges Jobs the jet or the options. That's not to change the fact that this is very highly unusual."
News
What Ever Happened To Don Crabb?
Don Crabb was supposed to get married on Saturday, December 4, but it didn't happen. He hadn't been feeling well for several weeks and, while preparing for the ceremony, he collapsed... The good news is that Don is feeling much better.
Details And Specs On Steve's New Plane (With Pics)
It's a big jet. A nice jet. It's one of the more serious private jets one can buy and is often associated with high profile corporate execs and oil sheiks.
My Mother's iMac
My mother's iMac is lime green, which, according to an article on Adobe's website means that my mother is a stable, balanced type of person. This is generally true. But there's another side to her. This is the mother that calls me at work in tears, and says that she wishes she never bought the stupid machine.
Analysts Predict New Highs For Apple
On the heels of Apple's announcement of a better-than-expected $183 million profit for the first fiscal quarter of 2000, analysts told MacWEEK they expect the company to continue to make strong financial gains this year.
Opinion
Where's The G4/500?
With the G4 teething problems at 500 MHz and beyond, Apple's great hope may be Mystic, the rumored dual-G4 Power Mac.
iMacs And iBooks Drive Apple Profits
Once again, Apple's unit sales continued to outpace the rest of the personal computer industry, the "Dark Side."
Review
Star Wars Episode 1 Racer
Racer is the best racing game ever seen on the Mac.
Unreal Tournament
Unreal Tournament offers everything you'd want from a first-personal shooter and manages to add in a few new interesting twists to the crowded, copied genre.
Sidetrack
Now that we've seen WinAqua, how about, er, well, MacAqua?
For some reasons, I like this quote from a technical support person... "One woman bought an iMac, took it out of the box, and then called us and said 'Well, we've got the monitor, where's the computer?'"
Shawn King, of Mac Show, wrote in to say that, no, Apple has not changed its logo again. Apparently, the Wall Street Journal has just noticed the change recently. (Oh, and Mr King was quoted in the article too. "It's like your little brother has finally got a new set of clothes; Instead of sneakers, he's wearing a nice business suit. He's grown up." Thanks, Shawn, for writing in.
Wintel
Intel Seeks To Ban Import Of Via Chipsets
Intel has filed yet another complaint against chipmaker Via Technologies, this time asking a government agency to bar the Taiwanese company from importing products into the United States.
Observers Not Ready To Embrace The Crusoe
Observers said despite the impressive technology — and an equally impressive executive team — it's far from certain Transmeta can live up to its promise of revolutionizing the way microprocessors are designed.
Or Not To Be
By effectively killing off its primary source of revenue, Be has put its long-term viability as a free standing company in question.
Wednesday, January 19, 2000
News
Apple Quietly Changes Its Logo
Marketing experts say the logo's new look is part of an effort to transform Apple's image from that of "scrappy populist" to one of world-class technologist.
Apple Blows Away Estimates And Steve Gets An Airplance
Apple announced as a reward for Steve's excellent work performance on a salary of a dollar a year he'll get a Gulf Stream corporate jet.
Apple's Strong Quarter Smashes Estimates
Apple Computer greeted the new millennium with a bang by posting a strong quarter of earnings that far exceeded expectations and last year's mark... The positive earnings surprise can be taken as another piece of evidence that the "new" Apple can execute on its promises even after missteps.
Apple's Earning Ripen
iMac, iBook computer maker sails past estimates.
Apple Releases Major Update For QuickTime Streaming Server
Apple has released a major update to QuickTime Streaming Server. The new version, version 2, includes several new features, most notably increased abilities for end users to view streaming content from behind a firewall.
Telecommuting: How To And Who Should
Telecommuters struggle with issues such as how to stay in touch with their co-workers, how their performance will be measured, and whether their careers will suffer because they aren't in the office. Before you give up your office, veteran telecommuters and career experts emphasize that it's important to analysze whether telecommuting is right for you, your job and your company.
Snub For Mac OS 9 Speed Doubler
Connectix has "no plans" to develop Mac OS 9-compatible versions of its Speed Doubler and Surf Express software, according to the company's Web site.
Review
Star Wars Episode 1: Insider's Guide
If you are a true Star Wars fan or just a fan of the latest movie, this guide is for you. It's full of detailed information about every little thing in the huge Star Wars universe, focusing of course on Episdoe 1 universe.
Rainbow Six
Sim fans will be thrilled with the high level of detail surrounding every aspect of the planning stage. Casual players may find it a little daunting, however, making Rainbow Six not a game for everyone.
Sidetrack
AppleInsider reports that Mac OS 9.0 Update (formely known as Mac OS 9.0.1) has reached Final Candidate stage. However, (and here's probably the part where Apple leaks false information just to trick everybody) the update will only be released when the new 17-inch iMac gets released. This is so that Apple can still cram more stuff into the update should the need arises due to the new hardware.
TIE-Tanic - when Star Wars meet you-know-what. QuickTime required.
Mac OS Rumors updates us on the current status on the different upcoming versions of PowerMac G4. Again, may I warn you that these are not machines that have been announced by Apple, and the rumor sites have known to be, well, not so accurate, so don't delay your purchasing decision based on these info, okay?
Need a job?
Wintel
HP Quietly Adopts AMD's Athlon Chip
True to its button-down culture, Hewlett-Packard has been quietly shipping consumer PC using AMD's Athlon processor to some retail outlets and will likely begin to sell them on the Web by early March.
Transmeta Shoots For 700 MHz With New Chip
Transmeta said that it will come out with two fairly inexpensive, low-voltage processor families that can runt he same software that Intel chip can because of Transmeta's "code-morphing" software. With Crusoe chips, customers will be able to buy cheaper notebook computers that can run all day on batteries without recharging.
Microsoft Drops On Slower Business Sales
Shares of Microsoft fell as much as 5.7 percent after sales to businesses were slower than expected and the company said investment gains helped bolster its fiscal second-quarter profit.
Tuesday, January 18, 2000
Top Stories
Macintosh 2000 Revisited
Eight years ago, Henry Bortman [in MacUser] guessed what today's Mac would be. Today we're evaluating his predictions.
Apple's NeXT Enterprise Moves
Apple has compelling, world-class enterprise solutions that are going to take more time and development money to build momentum. Their success will also require a shift in the industry's closed-minded attitude about Apple. Personally, I think it will happen as long as Apple keeps pounding away at stupidity and showing the superiority of what it does.
News
Nitty Gritty Look At MSIE 5.0 Beta: The God, The Bad & The Really Ugly
While currently I'm a big fan of IE and have been long awaiting IE 5.0, its auction trackert, the speed boost, and other features, I'm fast become wary of the trend towards lack of choice.
I Just Want My AirPort To Work
Any Apple employees out there? I want this thing to work. I'm not trying to bash Apple. I just want my wireless networking to work! Somebody help me! Please? Plee-hee-hee-ease!
Raising The Dead
Well it finally happened. After years of dispensing advice on how to revive dead Macs, I finally had one go dead on me while doing email.
Future Success Looks Fruitful For Apple
Now, no one is predicting anything but continued success for Apple and Mac in the near future.
Review
Quake 3 Arena
Id Software has been the standard-bearer for all things related to the first person perspective shooter since publishing their breakthrough title "Wolfenstein 3D" over 10 years ago. With the release of "Quake 3 Arena" Id hopes to continue this tradition by updating the game play and graphics of the shooter game.
Tin Ear
I did, however, get the recognition rate to improve when I spoke in slow, robotic cadence... Not the sort of thing I'd expect of the next big thing in computing. ViaVoice was, in my opinion, a bust. You want voice-driven computers? Tune in to "Star Trek."
Sidetrack
Apparently, either Apple has changed its logo again, or I've just discovered a very old article from Wall Street Journal. (Wall Street Journal requires a subscription for reading its article; and that's the reason I have no idea what the actual article actually says...)
"So you want some free Mac games, huh?" Or are you just trying to find some childhood memories? Either way, there's the Macintosh Games Machine. I just downloaded HeartQuest.
Apple pulls another Microsoft? According to Mac OS Rumors (which you shouldn't believe in the first place) Mac OS X will have Sherlock integrated into the Finder. It's no longer a separate application sitting in your Apple Menu Items folder. However, it's not like there are a lot of third-parties Find application lying around in the first place...
Wintel
Strong Encryption For Win 2000
Microsoft Corp. said Tuesday it would release its Windows 2000 operating system worldwide using strong encryption, in the first major product to be exported witht he security feature since the government eased export controls on heavily coded software.
Microsoft Scoffs At Government Findings
Microsoft took the offense early in the filing, relying on more than 20 years of precedents to show that, in legal terms, it did not violate two sections of the Sherman Act. As expected, Microsoft argued int he findings that even if Jackson's findings are accepted as fact, the government failed to satisfy the burden of proof necessary under antitrust law.
Rumors Of Microsoft Breakup Proposal Not Surprising
Legal experts today said they are not surprised by reports that government lawyers are proposing a breakup of software giant Microsoft and that news of the plan yesterday was most likely leaked to accelerate settlement discussions.
Be Refocuses Multimedia OS For Net Appliances
Be, the 10-year-old brainchild of former Apple executive Jean-Louis Gasse, is trying to expand its identity from that of a multimedia operating system maker to a systmes software developer for Internet devices and appliacnes. To push that platform, the... company siad that it will offer its forthcoming BeOS 5 free over the Internet... and will pursue an additional public stock offering.
Microsoft Beats Estimates With Another Big Quarter
Although much of the focus on Microsoft lately has been on lawsuits and executives switches, the company today got back to its strong suit — profits — by reporting higher than expected quarterly earnings of 47 cents a share, excluding extraordinary charges.
Bill Gates Will Improve Software From Now On
If there is one asset that Bill Gates can brag about it is intelligence.
Monday, January 17, 2000
Top Stories
OS X: A First Look
Apple appears on course to release a great demo. Like all great demos, OS X has been stripped of all those extraneous details that detract from initial reaction, extraneous details like the names of the files you are working on. While I applaud the designers for what they have done to date—much of which is very, very good—their work, if OS X is to be more than a swell demo, is far from over. Right now, OS X, as a whole, is frighteningly reminiscent of New Coke, painstakingly developed to appeal to an upcoming younger generation, but destined to become the greatest marketing disaster of the Twentieth Century.
Project Is WInner In Green Contest
Cloverleaf of Middle School seventh-grader Jessical Studer toils away at her writing assignments on a green Apple iMac computer as a stuffed frog named Lorenzo peeks down on her from above the screen... It's not easy being green, a famous frog once said, but members of the middle school's Green Team of interdisciplinary studies combine laughs and cartoon characters with their serious work in order to keep their creative juices running.
News
Hard Drives Hardly Faze Young Computer Aces
The mysterious wires, boxes and circuits deep inside a Macintosh computer do not mystify 11-year-old Jennifer Pyle.
4 Years Ago: Apple Loss Hits $69 Million
Abandoning low-end system manufacturing and sales to clone-makers so Apple can concentrate instead on more expensive systems with heftier profit margins probably won't help either. "It still puts them in a death spiral, but it would slow the decline down. Their biggest problem is that they're a hardware and software manufacturer in a world where most companies have moved to separately definted businesses."
Opinion
Vitamin G3 And The Devil's Flu
You don't realize how portable PowerBooks really are until you lose your portability.
A Funny Thing Happened To Me At CompUSA
I'm all for quiet Mac arrogance, but the days of in-your-face evangelism can not cut it the way it once did.
On OS X: 'Who Cares About Cost? I Want It!'
As soon as the first screen shot was revealed, I, about 13 rows away from The Man, began reaching for my wallet to see if I had enough money to purchase two copies.
The Main Difference Between Steve Jobs And Bill Gates
This is one reason why I can gladly "put up with" Mac OS X, even though I have seen only the demo at Macworld. I'm looking at it as a vision, not as a product. Vision carries risk. There is risk associated with being forward thinking. This may be what many nay sayers in the Mac community are overlooking.
Review
Microsoft IntelliMouse USB
The mouse is not for game playing, but this is not what Microsoft really designed it for. It is for more productivity in which case Microsoft succeeded.
Outlook Express 5.0
The challenge for any e-mail program is to smoothly handle the torrent of e-mail that advanced users receive without drowning casual users in needless complexity. Outlook Express (OE) 5.0, Microsoft's free e-mail and Usenet news program, delivers on both accounts.
Using The Right Rodent Helps Reduce Wrist Pain
As one who struggles with typing and mousing pain due to chronic neuritis, I would have to agree on the basis of personal experience that size isn't the only relevant issue. For me, the force required to click the mouse button(s) seems to be the principal aggravating factor in mousing pain.
Sidetrack
Wintel
Lotus Agrees With Microsoft
Lotus has reached an agreement with Microsoft to allow Outlook as an alternative integrated platform for Domino.
Is Corel Building A Linux House Of Cards
Investors are impressed with Corel's continued push into the Linux market through startup investments. A cursory glance gives some the feeling that Corel is building a strong Linux business. But the truth is that the four Linux companies Corel has invested in are long shots. Taken together, the investments offer little hopes of nudging Corel toward profitability.
Ballmer As CEO May Help Microsoft
Known as a friendly guy who promotes smooth relationships with customers, Ballmer's personality contrasts sharply with the arrogant and distant image perpetuated by Gates during his testimony at the antitrust trial.
Missing Features Detract Appeal Of Dell's Web PC
What frustrated me was that many things were missing from the Web PC. Among them: No network card... No 1394 connectin... No floppy drive.
The Week That Was For Microsoft
The arrival of a new bully on the blcok is not, or at least should not be, license for the current bully to pursue its thuggish ways.
Sunday, January 16, 2000
News
Apple Makes Splash At UK School Show
When it comes to education, Apple remains at the head of the class, at least judging from the Mac's prominence at this week's BETT 2000 gathering [in London].
Opinion
Are Independent Mac Websites Being Stonewalled By Apple's IReviews?
It appears that the pesky, opinionated, independent Mac Websites are being ignored. Would censored be too strong a word?
Saturday, January 15, 2000
Top Stories
No Flying Freebee
The real beauty of the OS is not skin-deep. It goes sooooo much deeper.
Sidetrack
What do you think of AppleSurf? Rate it at Macinsites.
If an OS can perform memory management very well, wouldn't that mean that I never need to quit applications anymore? If I don't need an application anymore, it'll just quietly transfer the data in memory onto my hard disk, and stay in the background waiting to be activated again. In fact, installing an application would just mean starting up the application, and it stays running forever — even between shutdowns. Is that why there doesn't seem to be a process menu in Mac OS X?
Rumors from the long-time rumor-monger Mac the Knife indicates that a 466-MHz version of iMac is coming soon. Also coming soon: FreeHand 9, now in beta, and Director 8, with "improved Flash integrationand heightened Web savvy".
Friday, January 14, 2000
Top Stories
Apple Soars On Analyst Support
Shares of Apple Computer soared today after investment bank Morgan Stanley Dean Witter raised its outlook on the personal computer maker.
Gates Turns Over Microsoft Reins
In a surprise announcement, Bill Gates said today that he will step down as Microsoft chief executive and had onver the reins to president Steve Ballmer.
Legal Tumult Over Aqua Look
After receiving a notice from Apple's lawyers instructing it to cease and desist, the Web site Skinz.org on Thursday posted a modification of a controversial "skin" that can make Windows desktops resemble Aqua, the newly unveiled user interface for Mac OS X.
News
Akamai Extends Reach In Europe
Extending the reach of its content-delivery network, Akamai Technologies Inc. has appointed Wolfgang Sthle as new president of its European operations.
Scoop: Why Bill Gates Stepped Down
Needed more time to learn Linux.
AAPL Jumps On Analyst Upgrades
Apple jumped by as much as 11 percent Thursday after it got an upgrade from two analysts.
HP To Re-enter Mac Sanner Market
After a two-year hiatus, Hewlett-Packard Co. is returning to the Mac sanner market. The company's first new Mac sanner since 1997 is due to be unveiled within three months, the company said this week.
Apple Educates UK
Apple launches its new Apple Store for Education at the BETT 2000 show at Olympia, London, yesterday.
Microsoft Mac Man Exposes Apple iTools Security Hole
[iTools'] plug-in transmits the user's password, presumably held locally to ensure users don't need to enter it every time they visit the iTools Web site or to activate their 20MB of remote storage, as plain text. "One could theoretically control the plug-in from any link that loads content into your Web browser. And you wouldn't even know it."
Opinion
Dissecting The Keynote
When it comes to Apple's Internet strategy, for example, it's what wasn't discussed that's of paramount importance. By focusing only on the here and know, a lot of folks on The Street, tech sector, Mac community and even the media clearly didn't get it.
Skin Off Apple's Nose
Instead of threatening, Apple should be flattered. Thousands and thousands of Windows users want to try the Mac OS X appearance now, months before OS X Consumer will be available. Steve Jobs has created that much excitement by demonstrating the new interface.
Review
DeskJect 970Cse
The DeskJect 970Cse is a superb machine. If you print a lot of color graphics and you're willing to spend more to get more, it's a great investment.
Studio Artist 1.1
The innovations that Studio Artist brings to the digital art world are click-your-heels-twice incredible. The quirky interface will frustrate users at first but reward their patience in the end. This unusual painting software produces stunning effects for artists at any skill level.
Painter 6
Painter 6 is worth the upgrade - it's a far better designed application. The new user interface makes adjusting brush and paint settings much easier. The only drawback is that you need a backgroun in natural media to take full advantage of Painter's strengths.
Tomb Raider III
There are few things wrong with this game, and for series fans, it represents a passable upgrade. Unfortunately, you may also need to upgrade your hadrware, since Tomb Raider really requires a G3 or iMac to run well.
iMac DV Special Edition
The iMac DV Special Edition is exactly what the folks at Apple intended it to be - the ultimate hobby machine. It's got enough juice, disk space, and connectivity for some serious video playing and editing. And unless you've already accessorized the house in Bondi blue, it's more likely to match your decor.
Sidetrack
What breed of dog are you? I'm most like a Basset Hound.
"Just after Apple gets a 'Steve' as their permanent 'CEO', Microsoft had to do the same." — R.P. Phillips.
I guess www.applesucks.org probably sums up the negative side of what a lot of people are saying about the Mac OS X Aqua demo.
Wintel
Can Gates The Businessman Become Gates The Innovator?
My guess is that Bill gates simply doesn't have anything to prove anymore, and he found out that the last few years haven't been all that pleasant.
Microsoft Transforming Into Services Company
Microsoft has a new mission statement: "The world's largest software products company will be transformed into an Internet software services company."
Windows 2000 Systems To Debut Three Weeks Early
Major PC makers will begin selling Windows 2000 systems on Jan 24, nearly three weeks before Microsoft formally unveils the new operating system.
The Red Flag Linux Controversy
Did you believe that the Chinese government would ban Windows 2000? J.S. Kelly... didn't believe the initial reports — but now thinks it may be a disinct possibility. Find out why.
Gates Reaction: What Everyone Is Saying
Even President Clinton chimed in with an opinion on the decision by Bill Gates to hand over his CEO title to Steve Ballmer.
Intel Tops Profit Forecasts
The world's largest chipmaker weighs in with earnings well ahead of Wall Street's expectations.
Ballmer Takes Over For Gates
Eager to get his hands on the technical side of his empire, Bill Gates has turned Microsoft over to longtime partner and friend, Steve Ballmer.
Windows 2000 Virus Detected
Windows 2000 won't come out for another month, but anti-virus software makers say they've found the first virus that targets Microsoft's forthcoming business operating system.
How The Gates Years Symbolized High Tech
Bill Gates knows where he wants to go today, and it's back to his roots.
Wall Street Not Worried About Microsoft Swap
Can anything hurt Microsoft's share price?
Thursday, January 13, 2000
Top Stories
Skin O' Trouble: The Apple's Look And Feel Saga Continues?
Apple has requested all Mac skins — including the latest WinAqua — be removed from skinz.org and other similar web sites.
Is A Little Mouse Hurting You? Experts Say Try A Bigger One
People in the study who used the larger mouse maintained an acceptable wrist angle of less than 15.5 degrees twice as often as with the smaller one. The larger mouse... required arm movement rather than just hand movement.
News
Air Traffic Nightmare
Idiocies abound, thanks to brain-dead software design for the AirPort. Apple promises improvements this month; Steer clear until it delivers... Macintosh fanatics seem willing to believe any glorious pronouncement from Steve Jobs and ignore real-world glitches under the "Think Different" banner. Even when it's nobody's fault but Apple's, Teflon Steve always seems to wriggle free of blame. Not here.
Sidetrack
Do you have a use for a genuine full-size Intel Gold Bunny Suit? Just don't get burnt.
Anyone want a Y2K-compliant stop sign?
From the rumormongers... AppleInsider speculates that the reason we didn't get to see the new Pismo PowerBooks and 17-inch iMacs was that Apple has no OS for them. The brand new still-beta Mac OS 9.0.1 was crashing the machines.
Wednesday, January 12, 2000
News
SF Expo Tops Attendance Records
Last week's Macworld Expo/San Francisco set an all-time high for attendance at the West Coast show, organizers said Wednesday. More than 85,000 people attended the 16th annual event, which IDG Expo Management Co. hailed as the most successful San Francisco Expo ever.
Mac OS X Server Goes To 1.2
Mac OS X Server 1.2 offers substantially increased stability at the kernel level, but with only minimal improvements to the desktop environment, according to Scott Anguish of Stepwise.
Opinion
iStrategy
What other technology company can claim to be easy to use and not be laughted out of the room? And if no one else can do it, then Apple has given people another reason to buy Macintosh.
The Top Ten Cool Things To Do With Your iBook
Take it around the neighborhood and see if you can connect to anyone else's wireless network.
Paranoia Probably Justified But Ultimately Destructive
There are lots of ways to fight against benevolent homogenization, and creating other choices is one of them.
OS Xing: Expo Tech Report, Part Two
"All of the big things are well on their way to being complete."... At this stage, Apple is making refinements to [Mac OS X], not implementing new, major components.
Sidetrack
Wired News joins in the rumor-mongering with this article on the possible strategic relationship between Apple and Palm Computing.
Can't wait for Mac OS X? Well, at least you can download some pretty desktop pictures from MacDesktops to temporary quency your thrist for now...
Pismo: here they come! Or so claims Go2Mac.com. The first (demo?) unit will be arriving latest February 18...
Y2K is the year of mega-mergers. Watch out for the day when Microsoft buys the U.S. Government.
Wintel
DOJ Calls Report Of Microsoft Breakup "Inaccurate"
The Justice Department described as "inaccurate" a news report today indicating the government had decided to break up Microsoft, although it stepped away from providing details about ongoing negotiations with the company.
Report: Government Lawyers Propose Splitting Microsoft
Microsoft could be split up under a proposal that U.S. government lawyers will offer in talks with the company, according to reports.
Compaq, Microsoft Cut Hosting Deal
Compaq Computer has cut yet another deal for hosting corporate applications, this time in partnership with Microsoft.
Merger May Produce Rival Microsoft Has Dreaded
After America Online's move on Monday to buy Time Warner Inc., at $165 billion the largest merger in history, Microsoft suddenly seems less threatening — less the irresistible army of the Internet era. AOL Time Warner, as the new company is to be called, promises to be a formidable power in its own right, perhaps more powerful in some ways than Microsoft.
Tuesday, January 11, 2000
Top Stories
PC Reinvention Is't Easy
Yes, Jobs brought us the personal computer with the help of Steve Wozniak and later the graphical user interface, which Microsoft would copy. Those of us covering high tech for the past 20 years have woefully short memories. But for sheer accomplishment, I challenge anyone to beat the magic Jobs worked to bring Apple back from the dead.
The Lollipop Look
What was striking about the iMac was not that it invented a look but that Apple's designers, led by Jonathan Ive, had the courage to apply the lollipop look to a whole computer, a serious and expensive device, and that they did it with such elegance.
News
Waldman Exits Microsoft's Mac Unit
Ben [Waldman's] accomlishments in the Macintosh Business Unit have been outstanding for Microsoft and, most important, for Microsoft's 12 million Macintosh customers... The 32-year-old Waldman... will report to Microsoft Group Vice President Bob Muglia "to lead the design, development and marketing of software for mobile devices such as Pocket PCs, handheld PCs and mobile-phone products.
Macromedia's Stealth Bombshell
The crux of Macromedia's announcement is that it will push designers to apply a different model of thought: We're no longer talking about lking the Web page to legacy documents but about providing a complement to the online user experience - one that's designed from the ground up with printing in mind.
Apple Named "Best Brand" By AdWeek
Bolstered by the consumer-popular iMac and resonating "Think Different" campaign, Apple Computer Inc. was named as the company with the best brand in the personal computer category by AdWeek and Deja.com.
Vendors Salute Macworld Expo
Last week's Macworld Expo here is shaping up to be the biggest in the West Coast show's history, and exhibitors reported good sales and steady traffic to their booths throughout the event. Both third-party hardware and software vendors said the mood at the annual gathering was upbeat and Mac fans came ready to buy.
FireWire Takes Center-stage At Consumer Electronics Show
While last week's Macworld Expo garnered most of the Macintosh community's attention, there were Apple-pertinent announcements taking place only a couple hundred miles away at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las vegas.
This Must Be That 'New Paradigm'
Santa Clara County, which encompasses about half of Silicon Valley, recently said it will start providing low-interest loans to families making more than $100,000 a year, because even a six-figure income doesn't necessarily mean you can afford a house.
Opinion
Apple Now A Pop Icon?
If you've been watching even a light amount of TV lately, you'll notice that Apple seems to have broken into the big and ever changing world of pop-culture.
Apple Taiwan Weathers Adversity
What's done is done; the market slump and the earthquake should be left to 1999. In Y2K and beyond, there may still be some challenges to Apple's price, service, compatibility and products, but the prospects are good that these obstacles will be overcome here as well as in other contentious Asian markets.
Review
Kritter USB
The Kritter USB is great, it's a big step up from the other USB cameras.
PowerBook 1400: A Good Buy
There's a lot to like about the PowerBook 1400: it was the first PowerBook with a CD-ROM, it ofered decent power, wasn't too heavy, and had a very nice 800x600 pixel color screen.
iReview Reviewed
Maybe I shouldn't be disappointed that Low End Mac didn't make the cut at iReview. I'm in very good company.
Sidetrack
Mac OS Rumors speculates on the kind of machines that Apple will officially support for Mac OS X. And AppleInsider reports that PowerPC product woes may have slowed Mystic Dual G4s' launch.
Wintel
Microsoft Leaks Own Plans For Coup D'Etat
The tone seems further to suggest that the federal government is a big software company that would be well advised to merge with another big software company called Microsoft.
Microsoft Looks Left Out Of Mobile Frenzy
More big technology names lined up for a share of the wireless Internet boom on Tuesday in a rising tide of partnerships that made global software leader Microsoft look increasingly isolated.
Microsoft's Buying Binge: Dealing For Dollars
The software maker said it completed 90 investments or acquisitions valued at $9.88 billion last year... It makes Microsoft, which had a cash hoard of $18.9 billion in its fiscal first quarter... one of the most active corporate buyers or financiers of companies — and makes the company a giant portfolio manager.
Monday, January 10, 2000
Top Stories
Chrysler, Ford Show Off Concept Vehicles
Ford's trio of boxy concept vehicles — called 24-7, as in 24 hours, 7 days a week, and inspired by Apple Computer's popular iMacs — aim to merge experimental technologies... The 24-7 wagon, coupe and pickup look like smooth, birhtly painted pods, more like the exterior of the egg-shaped, fruity-colored iMac than a car.
Steve Jobs' Apple Gets Way Cooler
Mr. Apple's new mission: to marry the iMac and the Internet with an easy-to-use new operating system and free Web services for everything from your photos to your home page. If it works, Microsoft, AOL, and others will be playing catch-up with a company left for dead two years ago.
Apple Over The Years
If we see as much progress this year as we've seen last year, things will be incredible! I think I'm going to have a very happy year. I certainly expect that Apple will, and I wish everyone else the same.
News
Magic Schoolbus Returns To The Mac
After a considerable absence, Scholastic's Magic School Bus edutainment series is almost ready to drive back to the Mac.
Stuffit Deluxe 5.5 Gets It Right
The number one priority of the group was quality. 5.5 is one of the best StuffIt products Aladdin has ever released.
3 Years Ago: Readers Give Apple A Thumbs-up
This week's NEWS.COM reader poll asked whether or not Apple CEO Gil Amelio announced a winning strategy this week for during his Macworld Expo keynote... The plan is strong, at least in theory. But many were cautious about Apple's ability to deliver everything it has promised, or at least deliver it on time.
Sidetrack
Rumors indicate that Apple's Palm-based PDA are already rolling out of Taiwan.
The Aqua look on windows?
As a platform application developer, it is a Good Thing that Microsoft has a Web Browser embedded into the operating system. However, is this also true for content developer and web application developer? I'm not so sure. How should Apple respond?
Wintel
AMD Gaining Ground With Athlon
First it won over Gateway's Select PC. Now the chip maker's new deal with Pionex Elite gives it a beachhead in the corporate market.
Can The New Empire Avoid Titanic Clashes?
With so much star power involved, and the egos behind it, concerns have already arisen over the possibility of boardroom clashes as monumental as the merger itself, the largest in history.
Intel Lowers Celeron Prices
Intel on Monday nudged its desktop Celeron prices lower as part of what it called a normal pricing move.
Court Lets Microsoft Stock Ruling Stand
The U.S. Supreme Court today rejected Microsoft's appeal of a ruling that thousands of temporary and contract workers were eligible to buy discounted stock in the software giant.
I.B.M. To Use Linux System In Internet Software
IBM, the standard-bearer of mainstream corporate computing, plans to announce Monday that it is placing a big bet on Linux, a symbol of software's counterculture, as the operating system of the future for the Internet.
Sunday, January 9, 2000
Top Stories
Scene And Heard
It's a time-tested truism: You can judge the success of a trade show by the value and variety of the tchotchke given away at the bootsh. And by this standard the just-concluded Macworld Expo was a screaming success.
News
Glitzy Side Of Macworld
With all the hoopla over Jobs, it was easy to forget there were 499 other vendors showing new - sometimes cool, sometimes not so cool - software, hardware, Web sites and accessories. Here's a look at 10 nifty products displayed at Macworld.
Experts Puzzled By Scaracity Of Y2K Failures
Still, like the skeptics, many wonder: How did countries that started so late — and appeared to do so little — manage to enter 2000 as smoothly as nations like the United States and Britain that ot an early jump?
Lefties Get Optical Mouse From Microsoft
A product that you could once only ope to find in Ned Flanders' Leftorium has at last been unveiled: the Microsoft IntelliMouse Optical.
Apple Buys Local Firm
The guts of [KidSafe]... are the handiwork of NetSelector, a small Minneapolis company that rose to prominence in the late 1990s with software that allowed parents to control what their kids saw and did on the Internet.
4 Years Ago: Apple Bolsters Newton 2.0
Apple Computer today officially unveiled Newton 2.0, a free upgrade of the personal digital assistant operating system that boasts improved support for data transfer. Within the next few months, the company also plans to add TCP/IP support for Newton 2.0 for easier Net access, Apple officials said.
The Week In Review: Maverick Apple Joins The Crowd
Maverick Apple Computer partnered with an Internet access provider and announced plans to deliver portal-style services, for a change, mimicking PC industry leaders in an effort to show off its unique computing platform.
Nisus Updating Writer, Offering Different Sort Of E-mail App
Due to arrive in late February, the update will make Nisus Writer even more Mac OS 9 savvy, adding beefed up support for Contextual Menus, Navigation Services, the Appearance Manager, and more.
Opinion
Don't Write That Obit On Operating Systems Yet
It may seem anachronistic, but 2000 could turn out to be the Year of the OS upgrade.
Saturday, January 8, 2000
Top Stories
X Could Mark The Spot For Apple
Its new operating system, OS X will put Apple on equal footing with the latest Windows.
Interview: Steve Wozniak Unbound
If you consider attractiveness and other external qualities, you can't find any hardware that comes close to Apple's.
Is Apple's Success Just Interim?
Put the balance sheet away, and Apple faces some huge hurdles. Every other major PC maker uses Intel processors and Microsoft Windows operating system in the majority of their machines. And some analysts think it won't be long before those manufacturers devise a way to emulate Apple's success.
Apple Reaching Out To Web For Visibility And Profit
For years Apple Computer has claimed its computers can provide a superior digital experience, and now the company is going to try to prove it on the Web.
The World Needs Steve Jobs
[Steve Jobs] has finally succeeded in putting some competition back into the desktop OS game. Many of the innovations Jobs will come up with will be big improvements, even those that are derivative. Microsoft has to be watching,a nd it will have to respoind. Ahh, just like the old days, ain't it?
On Becoming Your Enemy: Apple Redefines Itself As Microsoft
Apple gets to do what Microsoft wanted to do but could not: control the entire user experience from one end to the other, and dictate the terms that its customer base will have little choice but to follow.
News
System Failure: Why The Press Didn't Understand Y2K
The New York Times asked on page one whether the billions spent by corporations and the government had really been necessary or whether everyone had been duped by profit-hungry y2k consultants. But, in all the finger-pointing, the media overlooked one obvious villian: the media.
Delivery Ends Five-month Apple Macintosh Drought
A shortage of computers, which threatened the livelihood of dealers, has finally ended with the first bulk delivery in five months.
Any Worms In This Apple?
As the iconoclastic computer executive prepares to rake in the praise at the semiannual Macworld show this week, observers are asking how the company will keep up the momentum.
Hewlett Packard To Re-enter Mac Scanner Market
Mac users who have been urging Hewlett Packard to again develop and market printers for their favorite computer platform will be getting their wish in the weeks ahead.
iTools - Mac OS 9 Only? Not Quite! ;-)
After some checking, a friend and I determined that you can sign up and use the two best features of iTools, @mac.com POP based eMail and the very cool iDisk... even on 68k machines running MacOS 7.5.5!
An Apple You Can 'Lick'
What looks good feels good in Appleland. But few people at this week's Macworld Expo seemed to care if stylish spectacle overwhelmed substance.
Apple FireWire Update Address iMac DV, G4 Issues
Creative Labs Shows Off New Mac Goods
Creatvie Labs' first appearance at a Macworld Expo is marked by the introduction of three major new products for the Macintosh market.
Expo Tech Report
Apple is still experimenting with the definition of Aqua, so we can expect some changes.
Apple.com Shows "Easter Egg" - Pictures Included By Staff
For a short time yesterday (and perhaps in little bursts over the next few days), Apple's home page was filled with post-it notes, graffiti, and cute comments.
Iomega Announced ZipCD, FireWire Support
Iomega Corporation has announced Mac compatibility for its ZipCD external Universal Serial Bus CD-ReWritable drive that's expected to begin shipping this quarter.
LaCie Debuts New 12x4x32x CD-RW
LaCie's new CDBP-12432 drive eliminates the possibilities of buffer overruns and ensures error-free recording at 12x speeds — even when lower-performance personal computers are used.
Opinion
The End Of The Mac Web (As We Know It)
Apple's "iReview" is the biggest threat to the independent Mac websites that has ever existed.
Is This The Future?
Apple was giving itself a little space to pull-off something bigger. Dangling the future in front of us, and then handing us something neat to play with. Sort of a snack before Thanksgiving dinner if you will.
Unbelievable!
Now Ryan Meader would have us believe that MacOS Rumors served up nearly one million pages in a single day. Bunk.
Waiting For Pismo
Just when I think Apple has become predictable, it throws a curve ball. Anyone who has attended a Macworld Expo will tell you that Apple uses these trade shows to announce new products... But this year's Macworld Expo in San Francisco was different.
"Users Critique Apple Comptuers" - Some Mainstream Journalists Still Don't Get It
The bottom line is that this article seemed to take the most absurd angles possible on some very unimportant positions involving the Mac market.
Review
Canvas 7 Reviewed
Anybody, professional or otherwise, who needs a graphics application should consider Canvas 7... For the money, you won't get this number of features anywhere else.
Sidetrack
bitesizeAs noted by Jakob Nielsen, this is precisely why we have a Y2K problem.
bitesizeJust in case you haven't notice (okay, so I'm late with this...), MacAddict.com has just unveiled a new design. Check it out — it's great!
Wintel
Voided MSN Rebate Draws Mixed Reaction
Sue Selfridge skipped work Friday hoping to save $400 on a new TV and DVD palyer, only to find that Microsoft Corp. had suspended the popular discount program to stop consumers from abusing it.
Microsoft: Stay Connected All The Time
Microsoft aims to be the provider of software and services that will let users stay connected to the Internet and to each other all the time.
Intel To Sell Celeron-equipped Appliances
Intel this week joined the Internet appliance parade, announcing plans to market hardware and software by midyear under the Intel brand name.
Snafu Prompts Microsoft To Suspend Some PC Rebates
Microsoft has suspended its MSN rebate programs in California and Oregon because a contract provision unintentionally allows customers in those states to wring $400 out of the software giant.
Friday, January 7, 2000
Sidetrack
rumormongerAccording to Mac OS Rumors, FileMaker, Inc. is in deep trouble. Employees are quitting, and market is not kind. And that's why it has not comitted to the Mac OS X platform.
Thursday, January 6, 2000
Top Stories
Re-engineering Apple
The problem is that if Aqua proves to be too cute, too consumer-friendly, it could well ensure Mac OS X will be perceived — for all its Unix-derived power — as a "toy" OS, even more than the original Mac GUI was to the command-line crowd.
An Auteur Is Born, Via iMac
Want to direct your own epic? Just point and click.
News
The Apple Of The Internet's Eye
Apple Computer is about to become more than just a computer company. In a keynote address at Macworld Expo on Wednesday, Steve jobs unveiled a business strategy that recasts Apple as an Internet company.
Apple Keeps Going, And Going...
Wednesday's Macworld trade show put an exclamation point on the comeback of Apple Computer. Not only is the once-faltering platform viable, it's actually growing.
Users Critique Apple Computers
Apple's biggest problem is their price point. To get more mainstream, they really need to bring their prices down. If people are shopping for a really low-priced computer, they're not going to pick a Mac.
MacSoft Details New Game Plans
At the top of MacSoft's list of Macworld Expo announcements is the news that Driver and Worms Armageddon are coming to the Mac.
The MetaCreations Mystery
One of the items that's really got the Macintosh graphics community talking has nothing to do with Apple: What the hell is going on at MetaCreations Corp.?
CNBC Shows Favorable Coverage Of Apple's New Plans
For one thing, you can't buy coverage like that, especially in the financial community. For another, Apple is being portrayed in a very positive manner which continues to add credibility to the company and its product offerings.
Jobs Drops 'Interim' From Title
CEO unveils new OS and Internet strategy.
An End To The Apple Turnover
Steve Jobs accepts the inevitable — and embraces the CEO title.
New Features In Mac OS X's Aqua User Interface
Perhaps stung by widespread criticism, Apple revised the QuickTime Player's sound control from a thumbwheel to a good, old-fashioned slider.
Apple Unveils Mac OS X, Readies 'Classic' OS' Retirement
Apple's spin doctors describe the 12-month gap between Mac OS X's launch and its bundling with new computers as "a gentle transition" from Mac OS 9 to the new opearting system. Yet Mac OS X is supposedly to be easier to use than the current version — signalling Apple's ongoing attempt to attract first-time users to the platform — but completely compatible with existing apps. In which case, why is there a need for a transition period?
Apple Turns To Net To Reshape Image, Enhance Its Profits
Steve's Job Is Permanent
Apple's interim CEO gets a standing ovation when he tells the hordes at Macworld he's losing the "interim" part of his title.
Opinion
The New Apple
It's time to remind ourselves that there's a lot more to a car than horsepower, miles per gallon, and towing capacity. Ditto for computers.
Part Two: The Meat Cleaver Inside The Bouquet
Apple has made a move to reduce the number of Macintosh Web sites, but do the webmasters see what's coming?
Sidetrack
bitesize
What's the deal? Why is iTools a Mac-only application? Why is any internet application platform-specific?
What's the deal? Why is iTools a US/Canada-only application? Why can't a poor fellow living out there in Singapore sign-up for iTools?
What's the deal? Why are there three identical buttons (except for color) lining up there closely together on the top-left of every Mac OS X window?
What's the deal?
Wintel
AMD Counters Intel With 800-MHz Athlon Chip
AMD shot back at rival Intel today in the ongoing battle for chip supremacy by releasing its fastest Athlon processor to date and by demonstrating a consumer PC that runs at 1 GHz.
MS, Barnes & Noble Team On E-books
The partnership aims to make every book available electronically.
Microsoft Denies China Ban On Windows 2000
China's Yangcheng Evening News today reported that the Windows 2000 ban was intended to support local software development and would save the government billions of dollars... Officials at several government ministries said that in Beijing they were unaware of such a policy.
Gates: Manufacturers Need To Think 'Smart'
Convergence doesn't mean that every piece of gear will be combined into one, Gates said — instead, it means that information will flow easily from one device to another.
Intel Lines Up With Linux
Intel is expected to announce that a brand of its non-PC Web appliances won't run on Wndows. They will be powered by penguins instead.
Acer Unveils Its First Thin Clients
Acer America became the latest systems vendor to enter the thin-client market on Monday when it introduced two Windows-based terminals.
Gates Casts Net For New Users
Microsoft chairman Bill Gates is expected to unveil fresh new details of the company's new Microsoft Home strategy, which is designed to make the Web more relevant to novice end-users' everyday lives — and lure more non-technical customers into the Windows fold.
Wednesday, January 5, 2000
Top Stories
Apple Unveils Internet Strategy, New iTools
iTools is a new class of Internet services created exclusively for Mac users. Today Apple introduced its first four iTools... KidSafe was described by Jobs as a "breakthrough approach to protecting our kids on the Internet."
Jobs Takes Apple CEO Job Full Time
The announcement, which came during Jobs' keynote at the Macworld trade show here, caps a two-and-a-half-year search on Apple's part to find a full-time chief. Jobs has run Apple since the middle of 1997 as the "interim" CEO and has resisted calling the position anything more than a temporary solution.
Microsoft Preps Mac IE 5
Microsoft Corp. said Wednesday it will release Internet Explorer 5 for Mac by early February, followed by IE 5 and Outlook Express for Mac OS X as soon as Apple ships its new operating system. "We will release Mac OS X-native versions of IE and OE the day Mac OS X becomes available to customers."
News
Microsoft Preps New Office, IE For Macs
Microsoft said it is developing a new version of its popular Office suite for release in the second half of 2000, with a Mac OS X native version available at later date.
Apple Invests $200 Million In EarthLink
Apple will profit from each new Mac customer that subscribes to EarthLink's service. In addition, Apple will invest in the ISP and receive a seaton its board of directors.
Mac OS X Demoed As Part Of Apple's 'One OS' Strategy
Apple has a single operating system strategy, not a dual, triple, or quadruple strategy like some companies. We're focusing on one operating system.
UserLand Sets MacBird Free
Open-source efforts took a step forward this week with UserLand Software Inc.'s decision to release the source code for MacBird, the company's venerable software for creating pop-up menus, radio buttons and other user-interface elements within scripts.
Opinion
Apple Moves Beyond The Box
For those who expected great new hardware announcements from Apple CEO Steve Jobs' Wednesday morning keynote speech at Macworld Expo here, the event must have been a bit of disappointment. Personally, however, I would think that today's performance was actually proof that Apple has a clear overall vision of what it needs to continue building mind share for the Macintosh.
Sidetrack
bitesize
As noted by SlashDot, Playboy has an article on Linux. (I'm linking to the SlashDot article because, by law, I cannot go read Playboy website while in Singapore...) Yes, Playboy does have articles.
rumormonger
From Think Secret: a banner for Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 has been spotted at Macworld Expo...
rumormonger
And from Scripting News: Microsoft will be announcing the Mac OS X versions of Internet Explorer, Outlook Express, and Office. Now, is that good news or what?
Wintel
Apple Shines Above Market On Macworld News
For Apple investors the good news from Macworld outshines all other.
What Lured Microsoft Exec To Canadian Start-up?
It's the $64-million question: Will departing Microsoft chief financial officer Greg Maffei ride the fiber optic networking craze to wild success like others before him?
Best Buy, Microsoft Team Up — With A Catch
In most of the rest of the country, if you cancel the $21.95-a-month plan before the three years are up, you'll have to repay MSN the full $400. But Californians can cancel any time and never have to pay the company back.
Tuesday, January 4, 2000
Top Stories
Macworld To Feature Plethora Of Products
Several companies are expected to unveil a long list of new products supporting Apple's Macintosh computers, particularly the iMac DV and PowerMac G4, at Macworld this week.
Mac OS 9 Has Plenty Of Flaws, Readers Say
Apple doesn't seem to realize what's at stake. Despite big gains (the boom in iMacs and investor confidence), it's still an underdog. It's winning converts from the Evil Empire, but remains a platform widely viewed as a flake.
News
Jobs To Reveal Apple's Rave New Macworld
Like the swallows returning to San Juan Capistrano in March, Macintosh computer enthusiasts flock to San Francisco during the first week of January, when the Macworld Expo taditionally takes over Moscone Center.
Macworld Descends On San Francisco
Mac mania descended upon San Francisco Tuesday for the start of the popular Macworld Expo — a four-day even tpakced with new gadget and gizmo ideas for the Apple Computer Macintosh enthusiast.
Flash Printing SDK Debuts
Macromedia Inc. on Tuesday introduced Flash 4 Print Authoring Software Development Kit, new technology for Flash 4 developers who want to create Web e-commerce applicaitons with built-in printing capability.
Few Year 2000 Glitches Are Reported On First Working Day
Year 2000 computer glitches began appearing as much of the world headed back to work Monday after the New Year's holiday, but they remained scattered and, for the most part, trivial.
Review
PowerBook Hard Drive Replacement Options
If you have a small 2 Gig or 4 Gig drive, you might take the opportunity to upgrade to a larger capacity drive. However, while the Lombard G3 Series "Bronze" PowerBooks are satisfyingly thin, they are limited to 12.5 mm high hard drives.
Sidetrack
bitesize
The News Feed section is back at AppleSurf. (It's available at the bottom of the home page, and also on by itself at this page. Hopefully, all the bugs in the previous version has been removed, and it won't crash my computer every so often. Fingers crossed.
bitesize
The final Peanuts cartoon...
bitesize
Remember Steve Wozniak, the brains behind Apple ][, and one-third of Apple Computer, Inc.? SlashDot is holding an interview session, and you can submit your questions to the great Woz. But you'll have to submit them before noon (EST) today.
Wintel
Intel Fields 533-MHz Celeron
Intel rolled out a 533-MHz version of its Celeron microprocessor, its fastest for the low-cost PC segment, on Tuesday.
Monday, January 3, 2000
News
Y2K Burps Up Some Weird Dates
While the rollover from 1999 to the year 2000 passed without system shutdowns, a few pesky glitches and technological hiccups are portraying the new year as anything from 3900 to 19200.
Windows 2000 Expo Brochure Features Netscape On A Mac...
In an unbelievable mistake, the organizers of the Windows 2000 Expo have apparently ok'd a brochure that has a minor problem. There are no Microsoft products on the cover, though there is a product from competitor Netscape, and it's running on a Mac!
Design Isn't Just Eye Candy Any More For PCs
For retailers, there is a downside to the design revolution Apple Computer started when it introduced the iMac desktop and the iBook laptop. Customers increasingly want their PCs to make a fashion statement, and personal color preferences can create an inventory challenge.
3 Years Ago: Be Reemerges From The Shadows
At the booth of Mac clone maker Power Computer, Be founder, chairman, and chief executive Jean-Louis Gassée will show off emulation software that makes Mac apps think that the BeOS is the Mac OS... Power Computing licensed the BeOS in November and has a vested interest in showing that the operating system will be able to run existing applications.
With The Computer Fixed, Year 2000 Experts Move On
While there is relief that few Year 2000 problems emerged over the weekend, some Y2K workers, having completed a task that has long consumed them, must now struggle with what to do next.
Mac Faithful To Converge In S.F.
This week, as most of the Western world braces for a sobering return to the workaday grind, my tribe will be gearing up for one final holiday blowout, a bacchanal of digital delights unseen since — well, this time last year.
1/1/2000 Safely Handled, Now For 29/2/2000
If we breathed a collective sigh of relief to have handled January 1, 2000, we are now told to batten down the hatches in this leap year and watch out for February 29, 2000 and then October 10, 2000.
Opinion
Macworld Has Many Challenges To Address
The challenge and the promise of the Internet to radically alter the way business is done is so in your face today that Apple must respond.
Macworld Prediction Scorecard
This is your chance to see if my Macworld predictions are in the ballpark - or maybe I don't have a clue.
To Go Forward, You Must Back Up
For Darwin to succeed, it needs to be backed by Apple with deeds, not nebulous, deadline-less, marketingese announcements of purported intent. Actions speak louder than words.
Review
PowerBook 540c: A Best Buy
If you are in the market for a solid PowerBook, don't need a PowerPC processor, and won't need more than 36 MB of memory, the 500 series deserves a serious look, especially the 540c with its active matrix screen.
Descent 3
Descent 3 offers great first-person shooter action with some touches that make it unique on the Mac platform.
The Best Macs Ever
With 1999 behind us and Macworld starting on Tuesday, it's the perfect opportunity to look at all Macs past and present, choosing the best Apple has offered.
Sidetrack
bitesize
Found in Dan Gillmor's ejournal: To the AP wire story saying that Microsoft had 300 technicians standing by with nothing to do, I observe "Well, they could have been fixing their existing non Y2K bugs.
rumormonger
More options for PowerPC fans. A new PowerPC machine is going to be shipped with Yellow Dog Linux, and possibly BeOS in the future. And Apple is definitely not involved.
bitesize
Got an iMac for Christmas? Don't open it! It might worth a lot more in the future. The problem is, of course, you cannot make that movie of yours that you always dream of making. Maybe you can buy another iMac and open that instead.
Wintel
Win2K: Nowhere To Run?
As the release of Microsoft Corp.'s Windows 2000 nears, the small number of available applications certified to run with the operating system is causing some IT managers concern.
Microsoft Loses Latest Court Bid
Microsoft Corp. has lost another round in court, failing to stop the appointment of a special adviser to the judge in the case.
Intel Seels Flash Card Business To Centennial
Intel has sold off its once-promising flash memory card business to Centennial technologies, which hopes to use the technology and product line to increase its presense in the networking and telecommunications market.
Sunday, January 2, 2000
Top Stories
20 Things Students Can Do To Promote The Mac
Being Macintosh-using student in Singapore is tough, isn't it? ... You can do your part to slowly change things, just follow the 20 steps below on how you can get your school into the Macintosh wagon!
Vast Effort To Fix Computers Defended (And It's Not Over)
Now that the year 2000 has arrived around the world without significant disruptions of power, transportation, commerce and other activities dependent on computers, the question arises: Was the threat of technology failure overstated, or did spending hundreds of billions of dollars to fix things avert a catastrophe?
Welcome To The Year 1900 ;-)
Maybe the Year 1900 isn't the one computer programmers should have been worried about. Some email timestamps have been circulating with the Year 100 on them, and there have also been various sightings of the year "19100."
News
West Coast Lands Safely In 2000
The West Coast greeted the new century with no technological disasters, the last froniter in a long day of anxious testing and observation across the globe that largely proved the worst doomsayers wrong about the millennium bug.
World Of Mac Wares At Expo
Most of the buzz surrounding next week's Macworld Expo/San Francisco focuses on new Apple wares that may (or may not) be announced during iCEO Steve Jobs' Wednesday morning keynote presentation. Meanwhile, however, a raft of third parties are lining up product announcements of their own for the show, which runs Jan 4-8 in San Francisco's Moscone Center.
Opinion
The Case For iMac Gaming Edition
Apple is starting to show gamers that they are thinking about them. The company has taken steps with the newest edition of the iMac to win the hearts and minds of a segment of the population that might not otherwise consider an iMac. Let's see if Apple can now take the next logical step by introducing a consumer machine that is designed specifically for gamers.
Review
Star Wars: Episode 1 Racer
Star Wars: Episode 1 Racer is an essential for any Mac gamer who likes to wind their way through great graphics, tubes, tracks, and in antigravity circuits at top notch speeds.
Wintel
Gates Warns Of Little Messes
Bill Gates... said he expected some relatively minor year 2000 computer glitches to crop up in the coming weeks, even though no major disaster followed the changeover to the new year.
Two Glitches Hit Microsoft Internet Services As New Year Rolls Over
The Hotmail glitch involves a display problem in which e-mail sent during or before October 1999 could show up dated with the year 2099. The MoneyCentral problem, in which users' portfolios displayed inflated values for some mutual funds, was ultimately traced to an incorrect data feed from one of Microsoft's third-party providers.
Saturday, January 1, 2000
Top Stories
'00 Computer Glitches Are Mostly A No-show
Despite a few sputters and glitches, the world's computers appear to have survived the year 2000 rollover without major problems — and with humanity's faith in technology intact at least for another day.
News
Microsoft, Silicon Valley Report Few Y2K Problems So Far
It's when businesses start getting back to business that will be the real test of how well the industry prepared.
No Bugs In Europe's Y2K Gala
The closest thing to a Y2K glitch in Europe was probably the failure of the millennium clock on the Eiffel Tower, which malfunctioned and stopped working only hours before midnight rolled around.
Apple Security Fix Causes Much Confusion
Apple customers were warned this week of a security flaw in the Macintosh operating system, but users are saying the fix issued by the company causes as many problems as it cures.
Few Y2K Glitches In Cyberspace
The rollover to the year 2000 was just another day in cyberspace.
Opinion
Millennium Hijack!!!
A Visit from Comandante Karma and His Amazing Manifesto! Warning: Excessive Profanity, Obscenity, Violence, and Sex with Animals.
iMac Copycats And The Ethical Implications Of 'Look And Feel' Suits
Apple has the responsibility to itself, to its bank acount, and to its customers to protect the iMac's design from PC manufacturers looking to ride the iMac wave in a more serious and threatening way than creating a colorful 'legacy-free' PC of their own.
Sidetrack
bitesize
Looks like AppleSurf is going to survive Y2K. It's now 38 minutes after midnight (GMT), and all is fine.