Saturday, September 30, 2000
Top Stories
Apple Now A Delicious Buy?
While some analysts scrambled to issue doom-and-gloom pronouncements, Apple boosters say that the expected January release of the Macintosh operating system, OS X, will bail out Apple's suddenly, seemingly sinking ship.
Apple's Trouble Comes From Within And Without
Much of Apple's success depends heavily on its ability to innovate. The forthcoming release of Mac OS X should help to restart its sales cycle; however, to succeed, Apple must continually innovate and give people a reason to upgrade.
Inside Apple's Warning Lurk More Serious Problems
Although Apple has gained market share in the past two years, the company still sells a substantial number of systems to its existing customer base looking for a technology refresh. Because existing customers buy new products at a slower rate than companies churn them out, some analysts say, a slowdown was inevitable.
Apple Becomes Eighth Most-Traded Stock In U.S. History
Apple Computer posted the eighth-busiest day in history for a U.S. stock after the company said fiscal fourth-quarter profit will disappoint investors.
Apple Shares Still Down At Friday's Close
With Apple shares closing at $25.75, the company's market valuation is now half of what it was 24 hours earlier. The plunge fueled a general decline in tech stocks. Several analysts downgraded Apple from 'Buy' to 'Neutral'.
News
Soft Demand For Cube Bruises Apple
"It's not time to write off this product. Maybe Apple just depended too heavily on the Cube in its revenue projections. Maybe they shot too high."
Is Apple Rotten?
This year's earnings shortfall looks far worse than last year's.
Is The Turnaround Over At Apple Computer?
"We are casting our vote that this problem is unique to Apple."
Hard Times Here Again For Tech
Apple is not the only tech market that's hurting this week. Investors are shying away from PC shares as well. With all the bad fortune, is there any good news? Yup: The quarter is over.
More Signs That Apple May Open Stores
Gateway spokesman John Spelich said today that Apple has been looking to hire workers from Gateway's Country Store operation.
Markets Bruised After Hectic Week Of Warnings
The U.S markets received a major drubbing after an Apple Computer warning rekindled investor fears over lower corporate profits for the upcoming earnings season.
Opinion
Blame The Cube?
Apple stock tanked for one reason: investors panicked.
Apple Warns; Blames Soft Edu; Overall Sales And Disappointing Cube Sales
The simplest answer is likely the most accurate: for the price, Apple's recent product revisions either were not compelling or not available.
Backseat Driver: The Sky's Not Falling
Now I'm not happy about the news. And I hope it will serve as a wakeup call to Apple, which has perhaps gotten a little overconfident in some ways — But let's be realistic about the situation.
Is Apple's Fairy Tale Over?
Are Apple's September problems an indicator of overall PC demand, or are consumers growing weary of Apple?
Sidetrack
X
Not enough sales? Well, can we expect the final release of Mac OS X to continue to have steep hardware requirements, so as to spur another round of purchases from the installed base?
X
I've installed Mac OS X Public Beta this morning on my bondi-blue iMac. (With only 64 MB of RAM.) And that's one reason you don't see any updates here on AppleSurf this entire morning: too busy playing.
Wintel
Pentium 4 Delay Will Have Little Impact On Marketplace
The short delay now expected in the introduction of Intel's Pentium 4 processor may cost the company some December sales but is unlikely to have any strong effect in either the consumer or corporate PC markets.
Friday, September 29, 2000
Top Stories
Apple, Investors Brace For Worst
For the first time in quite a while, investors in Apple Computer Inc. should expect to have a very bad day.
Apple Computer Falls In Japan On Earnings Warning
Apple Computer Inc. shares slid as much as 13.5 percent on the Tokyo Stock Exchange after the personal-computer maker warned fiscal fourth-quarter profit will lag analyst expectations on slow sales of new products.
Apple's Fall Shaking Up The PC Tree
That story about the turtlenecked marketing genius who brought an upstart and innovative company back from the brink of extinction — you won't be hearing that again for a while.
Apple Hit By Lower Sales; Shares Plunge
"The first thing you want to say — is this because people aren't responding to the iMac design? It may be that has run its couse, and they need to be focused on some of those other feature sets."
Apple Issues Q4 Earnings Warning
Citing slow sales, Apple said it will report substantially lower-than-expected earnings for the current fiscal quarter. Apple stock plunged 45 percent in after-hours trading.
News
Apple Slump Rattles Tech Sector
Confidence in US technology firms took another battering as Apple became the second IT giant in a week to announce a profits warning.
Opinion
Wanted: PowerBook Lite
If I wanted a field computer to supplement my desktop, I'd want something small, light, and moderately rugged. Although heavy, a PowerBook 1400 with a G3 upgrade could do it for me, especially with a wireless networking card in the PC Card slot.
Review
Power Mac G4 Cube
The G4 Cube is a computer to be lusted after for its innovative design, but one that may require mainstream and power users to make some compromises.
I've Seen The Fuure, And It Is Aqua
Wow. That's really all I can say. It is amazing.
Sidetrack
Aieeee
As The Apple Turns: The secret is out! IE isn't just a browser. Heck, it isn't even just an "inseparable component of the operating system," as Microsoft would like the courts to believe. IE is, according to Microsoft's web site, all things to all people. It's an operating system, an office suite, a golf simulation, and a next-generation input device. It's a floor wax and a dessert topping.
Wintel
Judge Speaks Out On Microsoft Ruling
Judge Jackson said he would have preferred not to order the the company broken up. Instead, he said, that remedy was a last resort. "Microsoft's intransigence was the reason," the judge said.
Salaries For Gates, Ballmer Change Little
Microsoft chairman Bill Gates received a 2.6 percent increase in salary and bonus and no new stock option grants from the world's largest software maker in fiscal 2000.
Paul Allen To Step Down From Microsoft Board
Allen, 47, left the day-to-day operations of the company in 1983 to pursue independent investments. He will leave the board this year, according to a proxy filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Allen will remain a "senior strategy adviser" to the company, the filing said.
PC Makers Report Pentium 4 Delay
Two PC makers said today that Intel notified them the processor would not be ready for delivery around Halloween, as expected, while sources at a third manufacturer said Intel indicated it may not arrive by then. The Pentium 4 is not expected until the week of Nov. 20 and possibly later.
Thursday, September 28, 2000
Top Stories
Mac G4: All That's It's Cracked Up To Be?
Apple Computer is fending off criticism its stylish Power Mac G4 Cube is marred by cracks. But are the hair-thin lines the defects they appear to be?
The Mouse That Roared
I have no idea what the future holds for Apple (or any other company, for that matter), but its resurgence over the past two years proves one thing to me: When it comes to innovation, money and scale don't matter all that much. What matters is getting smart, creative people and giving them the freedom and the incentive to, yes, think different. If you can do that, your company will stand out while others fade into anonymity.
Mac OS X's Siren Call
Judging from comments from ZDNet's TalkBack posters, the release is indeed speaking to users beyond the Mac choir.
Some Free ISPs Shun Mac Service
PC users who have long derided Apple Macintosh fans for paying too much for their hardware have another barb to throw: Some of the biggest and best-known free Internet service providers do not support Macs.
News
The Last Easter Eggs And Why You Won't See Any More Easter Eggs In The Apple OS
Inside OS X: Unix Commands
With an arsenal of Unix commands at your disposal, you have much more freedom to bend OS X to your way of doing things. But beware of the consequences—if you render the OS inoperable, you may have no choice but to reinstall it.
Macromedia CEO Says Suit Vs. Adobe Is "Defense"
"We regret that Adobe is moving from competing in the marketplace to competing in the courtroom...This is the step we needed to take to defend ourselves."
Macromedia Files Countersuit Against Adobe
Ailing Corel Posts Smaller-Than-Expected Loss
Struggling software developer Corel said today that its losses were not as bad as feared in the third quarter because of across-the-board reductions in spending.
Road To Mac OS X: Stability And Speed (Or Lack Of It)
One of the big questions is: just how fast and stable is the public beta of Mac OS X? The answer to the speed question is: pretty darn quick and pretty darn slow. Let me explain.
Review
Apple Power Mac G4 Dual 500MHz PowerPC
Apple Pro Keyboard
You won't find a better-looking keyboard than the Apple Pro. As long as you don't mind the missing power button, it's definitely worth considering if you're looking for a replacement USB keyboard for your Mac.
Moving To Mac OS 9
After almost a week on OS 9 at work and a day with it at home, I'm very pleased with the stability.
A Week With OS X
I've been living with Mac OS X Public Beta for just over a week now, and it's been a surprisingly mild ride. In fact, quite the pleasurable one.
Sidetrack
Fight
MacCentral: Wendy Sternick, one of the founding members of the Mac development community, is currently in the final stage of a terminal illness. She's been fighting cancer for two years. Send a message to Wendy Sternick at http://www.alsoft.com/Wendy/index.html.
LowEndMac
Dan Knight: Weirdest things this morning — Low End Mac is running just fine at lowendmac.net, but absolutely inaccessible at lowendmac.com.
Wintel
Microsoft Won't Launch British Slate For Lack Of Funds
A U.K. version of the culture and politics e-zine Slate has foundered on a lack of interest and funding from Britain's venture capitalists, despite support from Slate's parent company, Microsoft.
Gates Vs. Noorda: Here We Go Again?
Is Microsoft poised to sue a Noorda-funded company for intellectual property infringement? The latest round is all about Windows and Linux.
MS And The Slow Application
What, you were expecting the government to keep its promise of dealing with the Microsoft case "efficiently and effectively"? What do you expect when the information superhighway gets stuck in the Beltway?
Microsoft's Datacenter May Signal New Race
Triggered in part by Microsoft's development of Windows 2000 Datacenter, released yesterday, IBM, Hewlett-Packard and Compaq all have announced plans to market 16- and 32-processor Intel-based servers.
Dell Cuts Prices On PCs, Servers
Dell Computer said today it was cutting U.S. prices on a wide range of computers and servers, citing lower component costs.
Wednesday, September 27, 2000
Top Stories
Superior Students Get New Computers
State-of-the-art computers are helping students and teachers at Superior's Cathedral School move at the speed of technology into the future. After two years of planning — with the help of a $25,000 anonymous gift — students will be working with 25 new iMacs in a newly revamped computer lab.
News
Motorola Announces New G4 Chip
The MPC7410 features low power consumption and CPU speeds ranging from 400MHz to 550MHz. Motorola also published a revised version of its PowerPC roadmap with information about future G4s and G5s.
Mac OS X On Upgraded Macs?
Vendors are scrambling to work out which of their G3 and G4 upgrades will be compatible with the public beta—and final version—of Mac OS X.
Opinion
If Microsoft Owned OS X, They Woulda Shipped It Looong Ago
OS X is a fine piece of code. Contrast this with the reports, apocryphal or not, that Microsoft knowingly shipped Windows 2000 with 64,000 known bugs. I doubt if OS X Beta has a fraction of such bugs, "showstoppers" or not.
Review
Risk 2
Risk II is shaping up as a real winner. It will satisfy Risk aficionados and casual players. The ability to play over GameRanger will almost guarantee youíll never lack for a human partner, or several dozen.
Aladdin Turner 3.0
You don't need Aladdin Tuner 3.0 to enjoy the global racket of streaming media, but this program makes finding live streaming content a lot easier.
The Best New Mac
The answer is . . . it depends. It depends on what you want to do with a new Mac.
Sidetrack
Innovation
Dan Rasky: If Apple hadn't come along in the late 1970s, taking cheap components that could be bought off the shelf and integrating them into the first generation of desktop computers, we might not have desktops today.
Old News
4 Years Ago - Apple Talks Cool: Apple Computer and Netscape Communications today declared their intention to develop audio and video software in an alliance that will result in a new Internet videoconferencing and telephony product this year, according to Apple officials.
Wintel
Microsoft Targets High-End Computers WIth New Windows
The software maker today unveiled a new, high-end version of Windows 2000 and related business software aimed at eroding the dominance of companies such as Sun Microsystems and Oracle in running the largest business computers that power the Internet.
Microsoft Gets What It Wants
By sending Microsoft's appeal to a lower court first, the Supreme Court not only deals a blow to the Clinton administration, but gives the software giant a solid chance to reverse the decision.
Court Decision Seen Favoring Microsoft
Today's decision by the Supreme Court scores a point for Microsoft in its long-running antitrust contest against government opponents, even though the game is a long way from being over, according to legal experts.
Microsoft Tries To Prove Itself — Again
Today's release of Windows 2000 and other related products is a reprise of Scalability Day, and it shows that the company has made real progress in addressing the needs of the business market. Although Microsoft software still may not be ready for every workload, real-world references, business model changes and new product announcements show that the company is getting there.
Tuesday, September 26, 2000
Top Stories
Mac OS X A Hit With First Users
"I am so enamoured of OS X's stability that I will buy nothing but Carbonized and Cocoa apps from now on. I hope the developers out there read this: OS X is so good I am willing to pay full retail price for a Carbon version of any Classic app in my possession."
News
Can Apple Hit Another Home Run With OS X?
Mac OS X seems to merge the best of everything, including UNIX and the Macintosh look and feel, together with some of the snazziest hardware around. It's nice to have the old Apple back.
Outpost, Apple Sponsor iMovie Contest
Budding filmmakers now have an opportunity to turn their digital movie-making skills into tangible rewards. During the next five weeks, the iMovie Contest, sponsored by Apple Software and online Mac retailer Outpost.com, will recognize the best productions created with Apple's iMovie.
Opinion
Apple's Censorship Rotten To The Core
Apple, it appears, is being consumed by its own self-importance.
Sidetrack
Exotic
Another innovation that Apple can claim as its own: exotic job titles. "After a junior employee put chairman on his second card, Apple put limits on the practice."
Offense
I am offended by this article written by Jon Bonner. Before you publish something, please do your homework!
Old News
3 Years Ago - Apple CEO Search Narrows: As Apple Computer sorts through its list of potential candidates for its chief executive slot, a short list has developed, according to a published report today.
Wintel
Microsoft Fetes Heavy-Duty Version Of Windows 2000
Microsoft is throwing a coming-out party today for its high-end Windows 2000 operating system and e-commerce software.
Monday, September 25, 2000
News
Inside Mac OS X: The Directories
One of the biggest changes in Mac OS X is its Unix-derived directory structure. In the current Mac OS, unless you're in the System Folder, you can set up folders and sub-folders pretty much as you see fit. Mac OS X, in contrast, depends on a directory structure that separates system-wide resources from those that apply to individual users.
Niche Status For FireWire?
"FireWire might become more popular as users understand that the computer is not always needed, but right now most people do not see peripherals working without the computer."
Review
Migrating Out Of Classic And Into Mac OS X
Hopefully the dream of shedding Classic no longer seems as unreasonable and you can move into the future with Mac OS X.
Sidetrack
Design
David Kelley, founder of IDEO: Most people think aesthetics are driving Apple's success. That's a piece of it. But there's a lot of innovation in those products. Apple is not just about aesthetics; they have innovated in materials and circuits. Everything there is done to the hilt.
Old News
3 Years Ago - Apple Shows Off Rhapsody OS: Apple gave one of the first public demonstrations of the developer release of Rhapsody, the company's next generation operating system, in an effort to woo programmers, but questions remain about where Rhapsody will be used.
Wintel
Microsoft Works To Drum Up Interest In Windows CE
Microsoft today will announce new initiatives designed to spur interest in its stripped-down operating systems for non-PC devices.
Intel Ships A Trio Of Mobile Processors
Intel today is releasing new mobile processors, even as it reels from a third-quarter profit warning issued last week.
Fujitsu To Release Transmeta Notebooks In November
Fujitsu will release two notebooks containing Crusoe processors from Transmeta in November, the company will announce tomorrow, bringing the total number of companies coming out with Transmeta-based products to seven.
Sunday, September 24, 2000
News
Opinion
Accepting Changes In OS X
Article explaining why people shouldn't cling to the interface of the past, but rather accept the changes that OS X provides.
Sidetrack
Old News
4 Years Ago - Be Ball Back In Apple's Court: After preliminary discussions, Be is waiting for Apple Computer to make up its mind about a possible merger deal between the companies, according to a source close to Be.
Saturday, September 23, 2000
News
Apple Stock Falls In Tech Selloff
Persistence Pays Off In New G4 Cube
Kevin Pedraja has become the "poster child" for the concept that persistence pays off. Three weeks' worth of efforts to get a replacement for his visually marred G4 Cube netted him a personal call from Apple CEO Steve Jobs, and a new machine. His new Cube has the same cracks as the old one, but this time, he said he'll keep it.
Opinion
Contracts: Company Insurance
So why should you be concerned with signing a little contract to get the newest and greatest thing?
Review
Special Edition iBook
It's a great choice for those who don't want the highest end portable available.
Sidetrack
Darek Mihocka, President, Emulators Inc.: After seeing Mac OS X and seeing Apple repeat its 1997 strategy, I predict a mass exodus of Mac users as a result of the arrogant and irresponsible policy Apple has created for Mac OS X. Poor backward compatibility for old apps. Requiring hundreds of dollars of memory upgrades and possibly even processor upgrades. Added to the insult of having to pay to beta test.
Wintel
Getting Personal With Windows Me
"Other than some better performance, the nicer look, and the better help, I'm just not real impressed... Sorry, MS, but you guys fell flat with this one."
J Allard Speaks On XBox
Microsoft's general manager for the Xbox talks to us extensively about the console's marketing, technology, and future games.
Microsoft Issues New Patch For Windows 2000 Telnet Security Hole
In an advisory that was posted on the company's Web site, Microsoft urged Windows 2000 users, including those who applied the original patch released on Sept. 14, to install the updated version. According to the advisory, the old patch eliminated the security hole but also prevented legitimate Telnet connections from working in some cases.
Worry About The Worm
Cousins to computer viruses, worms can cause more problems.
Rival AMD Wins Contracts As Intel Struggles
Two more computer manufacturers have agreed to incorporate processors from Advanced Micro Devices in their PCs, and the timing couldn't be better for the chipmaker.
Pentium 4 To Debut Next Month
Intel will release the Pentium 4 on Oct. 30, according to sources close to the company—not a moment too soon for the battered chipmaker.
Data Loss Threatens Fast Windows Systems
A mysterious problem affecting certain high-speed systems running Windows Me and possibly Windows 98 could cause data loss at shutdown, PC World has learned. Microsoft insists that the problem doesn't relate to its operating systems but has nonetheless released patches to address the problem.
Friday, September 22, 2000
Sidetrack
Old News
2 Years Ago - iMac Shoots To No. 2: The curvy computer with the translucent blue back was the second best selling system for the month of August, behind Hewlett-Packard's Pavilion 6330 Windows-based PC, according to Steve Baker, PC Data's senior hardware analyst.
Thursday, September 21, 2000
Top Stories
Apple Agency: No Pressure Applied
Apple Computer Inc.'s longtime advertising agency said its recent inquiries about Mac publications' use of rumors were strictly routine and not directed by Apple.
News
Inside OS X: New Menus
Mac OS X may introduce substantial changes to the Mac OS, but the Desktop menus for the most part follow the same structure as in the current Finder. The exceptions are the new Application, Go and Window menus. In this, the first of an ongoing series about new features in Mac OS X, we'll take an in-depth look at these additions, as well as other changes to the Desktop menus.
Opinion
Mac OS X: Win Some, Lose Some
I'm perplexed how none of Aqua's interaction designers appear to have learned the lesson of the Mac's ZoomRect eliminators. Various utilities were released over the years to eliminate purely ornamental animations in the existing Finder to speed things up. Why does Apple insist on repeating these same mistakes over and over?
Review
Jukebox A Breakthrough For MP3 Music Collectors
Get ready for the next chapter in digital music.
Sidetrack
Pet Peeve - The Sequel
Common quote: Why should I pay Apple to beta-test the OS?
My response: One, nobody is forcing it down your throat. Two, do you really think you know how to beta test and provide feedback constructively?
Wintel
Windows Me Sells 250,000 Copies
Microsoft Corp.'s new Windows operating system sold a quarter million copies in its first four days of release and could breathe new life into consumer software sales as the holidays approach, market research firm PC Data said on Wednesday.
Bill's Still Richer Than Larry
Microsoft's Bill Gates is still the richest man in America, but self-proclaimed nemesis Larry Ellison of Oracle is catching up. Meanwhile, a bunch of new tech billionaires join the Forbes 400 list of wealthy Americans.
Microsoft To Beef Up Small-Business Service
Microsoft today introduced "Business Web Services," a collection of hosted Web tools, email, e-commerce and marketing applications that will be available on the software giant's bCentral small-business service.
Color Counts, But Ergonomics Matter More
As processing speed and power become less important variables for PCs, computer makers can no longer differentiate themselves solely on the basis of delivering the latest chip the fastest. Dell Computer's unveiling today of the redesign of its desktop PCs is the latest indication of this trend.
Intel Warns Revenue Won't Meet Expectations
ntel today warned that third-quarter revenue will be below expectations, primarily because of weaker demand in Europe.
Dell To Show Off Laptops With Wireless Networking
Dell Computer today plans to up the ante in wireless with new notebooks outfitted with antennas for connecting to computer networks and the Internet.
Dell Boots Beige With New Desktop PC Design
Dell Computer is giving industrial design another shot.
Windows Me Isn't MS' Shining Hour
Like so many other suckers, I purchased Windows Millennium Edition last week and spent the weekend installing it. I can save you reading the rest of this column by offering a single word of advice: Don't. If that sounds severe, then I will offer a question to ask yourself: Why? As in, "Why waste your money?"
Dell Launching Web Mail
Dell Computer Corp. on Wednesday plan to launch an online marketplace for businesses, where Dell and other companies will sell their products via the Internet.
Wednesday, September 20, 2000
Top Stories
OS X: The Big Compromise
OS X still has a long way to go, but Apple is doing everything necessary to get there. OS X is not even close to finished, but already it shows more promise to me than Be or Linux, the old Mac, or any of the more "pure" approaches.
Cutting The Ties That Bind
By building AirPort wireless networking into every Mac, Apple is in the process of setting another standard, albeit mostly in the slightly smaller world of laptop computers.
Apple's "1-Click" Deal Leaves A Sour Taste
Thanks to the "innovative" technology behind Amazon's much-debated patent, "the easiest computer to use is now the easiest computer to buy," enthuses the Apple Web site. But Apple, in its quest for ease, essentially may be making things that much more difficult for Net retailers.
New iMac Packs A Punch In A Knockout Package
No matter how much of a hardcore PC user you proclaim to be, you've probably fantasised about trading in your baby sister for an iMac.
Apple And Architect Win Smithsonian Honors
Apple has won a corporate achievement award for making good design part of its business strategy. The museum called the Macintosh and iMac computers "revolutionary," and praised Apple founder Steven Jobs and designer Jonathan Ive for fostering "groundbreaking but user-friendly design." And that was before Apple launched the astonishing Power Mac G4 Cube, which resembles a softly rounded Lucite-and-silver tissue box.
News
Opinion
Apple, Chiat/Day, And Rumors
It's absolutely within Apple's rights to refuse to spend ad money with those who spread rumors. It's absolutely within the media's rights to refuse to sign the agreement with Chiat/Day.
Sidetrack
Quote Me
Read this fine quote in the book "The Race: The Complete True Story of How America Beat Russia to the Moon"...
You don't get medalsfor on-time failures. — Walt Williams
Mac And Unix
The Challenges Of Integrating The Unix And Mac OS Environments
Pet Peeve
Apple is not a hardware company. It is not a software company. It is a computer company.
Wintel
Notebooks To Tap Speedy New Intel Chips
Brawnier notebooks are coming next week, but the real value may be sale prices on slightly older, slower models.
Intel Not Getting Inside In Wireless
Intel has strong technology for handheld computers in its StrongARM chip, but until recently it has ignored the potential of this fast-developing market. Now it seems to be waking up.
Tuesday, September 19, 2000
Top Stories
Expectation For Mac OS X
If MacOS X is truly based on a UNIX processing model, then it will be the finest desktop OS out there. If it takes off with third party support, than I would buy a lot of Apple stock right now, because they will dominate the desktop.
Inside The Public Beta
MacWEEK offers first impressions of Mac OS X Public Beta, including some surprising discoveries about the Classic environment.
News
Warner Bros., Maverick And Apple Bring Madonna's "Music" To The Web
In a unique Internet event that coincides with the worldwide release of Madonna’s eagerly awaited new album, Warner Bros. Records, Maverick Entertainment and Apple today announced that all ten tracks from Madonna’s “Music” CD are immediately available exclusively at www.madonnamusic.com exclusively in Apple’s QuickTime format.
Corel Strikes Financing Deal
Software developer Corel has struck a complex share-purchase deal that could add $56 million in much-needed cash to its coffers.
Electric Image Announces Management Buyout
The 3-D graphics developer is back on its own two years after being acquired by Play. CEO Dwight Parscale told MacWEEK that the long-awaited Electric Image Universe upgrade is close to beta, and a new version of Amorphium awaits.
Opinion
Apple's Controlling Desires
Considering what a key ingredient marketing has been to the company's success, it's understandable that Apple would take an acute interest in what's being written about it. However, its recent efforts to exert control over independent publications — and to justify that control in the name of security — is as disingenuous as it is counterproductive.
Sidetrack
Old News
4 Years Ago - Can Apple Make Surfing Obsolete?: Hoping to go beyond the "Back" and "Forward" buttons on Web browsers, Apple Computer is trying to gather momentum on a navigation technology that lets users "fly through" Web sites.
Wintel
Klein's Departure Won't Impact MS Case
Analysts say the legal wheels are already in motion, so resignation of DOJ's antitrust chief won't affect much.
Microsoft Skeptical Of Office Security Report
Microsoft is downplaying a report of a security vulnerability in Microsoft Office documents that could theoretically be used by a malicious programmer to gain control of a target computer.
Microsoft Nemesis Leaving Justice Department
Joel Klein, the head of the Justice Department's antitrust division who led the government's case against Microsoft, plans to resign at the end of the month.
Windows Outstuffs Linux In Poll
The Linux operating system was sailing along with a comfortable lead in an MSNBC poll asking users to rate the "Best OS." Then, all of a sudden, Windows wins and Linux drops to last. Bitterness rages.
Microsoft, Japanese Firms Drive Deal For Windows CE In Cars
A unit of Microsoft and five Japanese companies today said they have agreed to develop software for automobile computers, enhancing the functions of car navigation systems.
Monday, September 18, 2000
Top Stories
Developers Take Measure Of Mac OS X
While most visitors to last week's Apple Expo hailed the public beta, vendors at the show were more reserved in their judgment.
News
A Perfect 10?
Early reviews appear to be uniformly favorable.
Apple Computer Licenses Amazon's 1-Click Technology
The technology, for which Amazon holds a patent, securely stores consumer credit card and other billing information so returning shoppers can complete a purchase with just a single click.
Poison PCs
Lead, mercury, chromium — that's what computers are made of. So why aren't electronics makers keeping them out of landfills?
Opinion
Enough Already About The "Mac Web"
Has Mac news become so boring - has it become that difficult to find something interesting to write about the Mac - that writers now have to write about themselves and each other?
Review
Mac OS X Public Beta
The future is bright for Mac OS X. Stability and features are near perfect, with increased software and hardware support, some fine tuning, and polish it will be a great OS that users will be proud to call the Mac OS.
Fujitsu PC's Site Hums, Apple's Bites
Although Apple provides a strong and consistent top nav bar, pages can be confusing due to a lack of navigational consistency in the center, left, right or bottom sections.
Review: BBEdit 6.0
This program will quite simple do everything you will need it to do, and above that make the experience a complete and utter joy. While there are other text editors out there BBEdit is the one they are all trying to emulate. It is the best of the best, the cremÈ díla cremÈ. You simply cannot do better, highly recommend.
Wintel
Is Microsoft Going Down The Tubes?
With so much potential confusion, is it any wonder that people are beginning to look at other end-user operating systems' Corel Linux, a consumer's Linux, while far from a hit, has garnered a small following.
Awash In Dirty Windows
So, rather than spend money to upgrade to Windows ME, I'm hereby publicly offering Microsoft's chief software architect, Bill Gates, a personal check for $109 if he'll share the great Windows shutdown cure with our readers.
Delivery Dates Set For Next Windows
Microsoft has set internal delivery timetables and design goals for its next-generation Windows release, code-named Whistler.
Pacific Microsonics Is Music To Microsoft's Ears
Microsoft today acquired Pacific Microsonics, the software giant's latest attempt to beef up its digital entertainment technology.
Microsoft Loses Key Strategist To Retirement
With the retirement last week of Paul Maritz, Microsoft lost a field general from the company's bitter computer wars of the 1990's.
A Tale Of The Tape From The Days When Microsoft Was Still Micro Soft
Microsoft is unlikely to call attention to a formative event 25 years ago: the day someone stole Bill Gates's software. The leading suspect has been Steve Dompier, right, although he denies the charge.
Sunday, September 17, 2000
News
Interview With Jason Whong
The world of Mac games from the inside.
Opinion
Software Piracy And The Mac
Eric DeStefano, Mac Metamorphosis, 9/18. A look at copyrighted software illegally posted on the Internet, also known as "warez," from a Mac perspective.
Games And Apple: Fragged Again?
What makes game makers neglect the Mac OS market?
Review
Sidetrack
Found this on USENET...
Jimmy Madden on Mac OS X: Why 2001 won't be like 2001.
Saturday, September 16, 2000
Top Stories
Listings: A Voyage Around The Mac Mailing Lists
In a distributed, networked world, mailing lists have quickly become the virtual centers of wired life. And the Macintosh world, with its reputation for being a community of shared interests as much as a marketplace, has taken to mailing lists like the proverbial duck to the proverbial water.
Mac OS X: Don't Fix What Ain't Broke
The Macintosh Experience is what keeps the core faithful returning year after year, and it has sustained the company through some of its darkest days. Apple will do itself a great disservice by alienating its current users with features that are unnecessarily different from previous norms.
News
Battle Of The Operating Systems
Both Apple Computer and Microsoft this week released the latest versions of their separate computer operating systems, yet critics were pointing out problems and challenges even before consumers got a chance to tear open the shrink-wrapped boxes.
Apple CEO Gets Jeers And Cheers
During the course of the annual Apple Expo, held in Paris last week, Mr. Jobs managed one minute to make announcements that had the audience booing and then followed this with news that pleased them. It just goes to show that you can't please all of the people all of the time.
Eudora 5.0: The New Face Of E-Mail?
The latest e-mail software from Qualcomm includes sharing and warning features not found in many competing products.
Office 2001 For Mac To Hit The Market Next Month
Microsoft will release Office 2001 for Mac next month, the company has confirmed.
PowerMax: The New Key Lime iBook Is "Too Ugly For Us To Sell Responsibly"
No Printer Drivers In Sight For OS X
Epson says it has no plans to develop drivers for the public beta; HP and Canon won't reveal their intentions. You'll need new drivers to print to USB ink-jets.
Opinion
Why I'm In No Hurry To Get Mac OS X Public Beta
I am not the first to make this observation, but I expect that there are many people who are not about to consign their main workaday computer that they depend on to make a living, to experimentation with a beta operating system.
Sidetrack
Old News
3 Years Ago - Jobs Named Interim Apple CEO: Amid much speculation and concerns over an eventual power struggle, Apple Computer today announced that cofounder and quasi-leader Steve Jobs would take the top post—at least temporarily.
Wintel
Windows Me: Let The Blames Begin
One day after Microsoft's retail launch of its new consumer OS, users have more complaints than kudos. Is there help after all the hype?
Is MS Ignoring Windows Me Vulnerability?
Mathew Bevan claims Microsoft's attitude to bug-fixing is harmful to consumers who have experienced bug issues with every release of Windows.
Gateway Cuts Low-End PC Prices, Targets Niche Audiences
Gateway is cutting the price on two of its most popular computers and is introducing a variety of software and services packages to target specific groups, such as first-time buyers and Spanish speakers.
Gates, Allen To Dump $109 Million In Microsoft Stock
Microsoft co-founders Bill Gates and Paul Allen plan to sell a total of $109.3 million of stock in the company, according to new regulatory filings.
Friday, September 15, 2000
Top Stories
Plastic Classic?
A tissue holder can maintain an elegant aloofness. The Cube has to accommodate ugly cables unseen in Apple's ads.
Ad Agency Threatens Mac Media
Apple Computer Inc.'s advertising agency is offering Mac publications a choice: Get out of the rumors business or lose Apple's business.
News
NC School System Abandoning The Mac?
According to a former employee, Guilford County School system in Greensboro, NC, will no longer be purchasing Macs, though the school is very Mac-centric.
Apple Expo Maintains Momentum
Apple Computer Inc. may have launched most of its Apple Expo 2000 pyrotechnics during CEO Steve Jobs' keynote speech Wednesday, but interest in the Mac show hasn't flagged yet. Big crowds continued to fill the Porte de Versailles convention center here as the show entered its second day Thursday, with long lines outside the show in the morning, crowded aisles and a continuing lack of air conditioning.
Office 2001 For The Mac Wins A Ship Date
The day after Apple Computer Inc. rolled out the first public beta of the long-awaited Mac OS X, Microsoft Corp. disclosed shipping, pricing, and system requirements for Microsoft Office 2001 Macintosh Edition.
An Inside Look At Mac's OS X
The real magic, as Steve Jobs demonstrated for us, is that the computer can have nearly all of these programs open at the same time without fear of crashing.
Opinion
Apple's Strong-Arm Gambit: It's All About Control
Just when the American presidential race threatens to bore the body politic to death, Apple Computer Inc. has rescued the day by inserting itself into the lead of yet another juicy soap opera.
Review
iBooks
The problem with this "revision" is that it hasn't solved the most fundamental design / feature problems of the iBook. This "revision" did fix many minor complaints. But, very much like the Apple hockey puck mouse and the Apple USB keyboard, I believe that the iBook has a fundamental design inconvenience that can only be addressed with a drastic product remodeling.
Microsoft Office 2001 Macintosh Edition
It's not perfect—2001 hogs memory and disk space—but all in all, when it hits the market on October 11, Office 2001 will be a must-buy upgrade for anyone already using Office and the perfect substitute for those fed up with the weaker AppleWorks.
New iBook Vs PowerBook: The Real Deal
Certainly the PowerBook is at a slight advantage in some areas, but I'm ready to defend the iBook SE's overall price/product superiority.
Sidetrack
High End Delight
Larry Wall: People understand instinctively that the best way for computer programs to communicate with each other is for each of them to be strict in what they emit, and liberal in what they accept. The odd thing is that people themselves are not willing to be strict in how they speak and liberal in how they listen. You'd think that would also be obvious.
Low End Delight
Guess what? Mac OS X works on '040 Mac! (Okay, so the installation takes 16 hours...)
By the way, thanks, Dan, for the link.
Wintel
Faster Notebooks Target Bigger Spenders
Intel chases high-end users with its new mobile Penitum IIIs, the fastest chips ever for notebook PCs. And the retail 'sweet spot' is on the rise.
MS Windows Licenses Shrink To Barcodes - Unique IDs Here We Come?
Drivers For (Windows) Me?
Microsoft's newly released Windows Millennium doesn't seem to share Windows 2000's compatibility challenge.
Thursday, September 14, 2000
Top Stories
How Mac OS X Can Reshape Computing
The market segment Apple is catering for exists: People have always been willing to pay a bit more for a good mixture of style and quality — and they'll love it if it extends into the user interface.
Lining Up For Mac OS X
Most customers seem to be power users—some of whom admitted to being frequent early adopters—and curious consumers. Surprisingly, none of the buyers we spoke with considered it a bold step to install a beta operating system. The confidence is a testament to Apple's marketing and Steve Jobs' well received demonstration of the software. But Apple could be taking a chance here. This is, after all, an OS that's still under development.
Apple Breaks The Mold
"If Mac OS X succeeds, it will once again put the Macintosh in a class of its own. Not only will the operating system look significantly different ó and in a consumer market, looks do count, as Apple has proven with the iMac ó it will also be the first consumer OS based on a solid Unix foundation."
Apple Beefs Up iBook WIth DVD, More Storage
Apple Computer today added brawn to its colorful line of iBook notebooks, beefing up storage, offering speedier processors and adding a DVD drive to the high-end model.
Apple Peels Open Mac OS X Beta
Apple today released the long-awaited public beta, or test version, of its upcoming Mac OS X operating system. Unfortunately, a significant number of Apple users won't be able to use it without upgrading their hardware.
News
The BTO Dilemma
Apple's decision to offer ATI's Radeon controller in its G4 systems finally gives customers a choice of graphics cards. But Apple is still not offering other vendors' boards as build-to-order options, a key issue now that 3dfx has announced an AGP version of the Voodoo5.
A Look At Public Beta
With Apple's release on Wednesday of Mac OS X Public Beta, ordinary Mac users—not just developers—now have a chance to sample the operating system that Apple hopes will carry the Mac well into the 21st Century.
Jobs: OS X Impact In Q2; Cube Sales Looking Good
In an interview with CNBC, Jobs said he doesn't expect incredible amounts of people to buy Mac OS X public beta and that most people will wait for version 1.0 that is expected by the end of March.
Could Mac OS X Be 'Holy Grail'?
"The best is yet to come. We're going to see a second renaissance on the Mac."
Apple Shares Up As It Releases Beta OS
Office Announcement Upsets Apple Cart
The Mac faithful may not like it, but Apple's ongoing relationship with Microsoft is essential if the company is to continue its quest for market share. Apple is a market leader in hardware design, but it still needs to build consumer confidence by aligning itself with the Microsoft brand.
Key Lime Or Graphite?
With Apple's new iBooks, there's now a quantifiable difference between the base model and the Special Edition, MacWEEK contributor Andrew Shalat reports from Paris. He also notes that the French have taken a liking to Key Lime.
Opinion
C'est Jobs!
The biggest reaction came when the machines rose through the floor on rotating stands. Of course, those cheers could have been gasps of pain as the glow off the key lime iBook scorched people's retinas.
Review
iBook
Simply put, Apple has done a stellar job updating the iBook.
iBooks
It looks like plain old Lime left over from the pre-July-2000 iMacs, and since it was the least popular color for the iMac, why does Apple think it will be more successful on the iBook?
New iBooks A Better Value?
Once you factor in video output, FireWire, and a 6x DVD-ROM drive, the new iBook SE is definitely a better value today than the older iBook SE was in January.
Sidetrack
Memory
Welcome back!
Anyone know any shops that will come to my home to install more RAM into my Bondi iMac? Or do I have to start learning the process myself? :-)
Wintel
We Install Windows Me — And Survive!
If you want to buy the new OS and install it for fun, like I did, then more power to you. But you're not going to get much more than a PC that boots up more quickly. And that's a good thing — because you'll be rebooting a lot.
Windows ME Bugged By Flaw
Computers running the Web TV for Windows program can be hacked into from the Internet. The problem existed in Windows 98, and has not been corrected in Windows ME.
Windows Lincenses Can Cost Extra For Small Businesses
A change to Microsoft's licensing agreements may save bigger customers some money, but businesses with fewer than 500 PCs could still be asked to pay twice for copies of Windows 95, 98 and 2000.
Intel Broadens Its Linux Investment Strategy
Intel has invested in a Linux company that's helping to bring the open-source operating system to Intel's XScale chips.
Microsoft Adjusts Sign-On Feature To Patch Windows 2000
Microsoft said it will release a software patch later today to fix a hole in its Windows 2000 operating system that could leak usernames and passwords to unauthorized individuals.
Beta Testers Urged To Fix ZD Poll, As WinME Retail Push Kicks Off
The last one does appear to emanate from Microsoft, but we trust it's just freelance activity by some low-level operative, rather than high level corporate policy.
Windows ME: Is It For You?
Rather than revamping the underpinnings of the OS, the company focused on putting a better face on Windows 98.
Windows Me: Windows 98 All Over Again?
Consumers who want to see dramatic changes in an OS will have to wait until next year, when Whistler is scheduled to arrive. Whistler, which will target both the home and business computing markets, is the next version of Windows 2000, Microsoft's OS for offices.
Microsoft Lauches New Consumer Windows Program
Microsoft Corp. on Thursday formally launched the latest version of its Windows operating system for home users, and by stuffing the software with new music, movie and Internet features, it is echoing a strategy that has already landed it in legal hot water.
Bill Gates Says Health More Important Than Tech
Software baron Bill Gates, whose personal wealth of around $50 billion makes him the world's richest man, said Thursday that technology was not as important to him as health.
A Peek At Office Upgrade
This very early edition features Web tools, workgroup functions, and speech recognition.
Another Microsoft Exec Walks
One of the key executive figures in the historic antitrust trial against Mircosoft Corp., Paul Maritz, Microsoft's group vice president of the platforms and strategies group, is stepping down, the Redmond, Wash. software giant said late Wednesday.
Ballmer: Antitrust Case Shifts Microsoft's Political Tack
The chief executive officer of Microsoft said the federal antitrust case against his company has altered the way Microsoft approaches politics, including contributions to candidates.
Reports Of Windows Me Bugs Already Rolling In
The first reports of Windows Me bugs are rolling in on the eve of the official launch of Microsoft's new operating system for home PC users.
Gates Denis Snubbing Malaysia's High-Tech Zone
Microsoft chairman Bill Gates said today his no-show at Malaysia's recent gathering of top technology chiefs was no snub to the country's ambitious high-tech zone.
Wednesday, September 13, 2000
Top Stories
Remembrance Of QuickTime Past
With rumors circulating that QuickTime 5's release is somewhere on the horizon (quite possibly at the QuickTime Live! conference in October), I thought it would be appropriate to look at the present state of version 4+ and what's to come.
Mac OS X: The Full Story
Here's a complete overview of Apple's new operating system, from Aqua to pre-emptive multitasking.
News
Apple Beefs Up iBook With DVD, More Storage
Apple Computer today added brawn to its colorful line of iBook notebooks by beefing up storage and adding DVD.
Jobs Announces New iBook, OS X Beta
Speaking to an enthusiastic overflow crowd at Apple Expo here, Apple Computer CEO Steve Jobs announced new models of the iBook and the public beta release of Mac OS X. He also revealed that ATI's Radeon graphics card will be an option for the Power Mac G4 and G4 Cube.
Apple Set To Unveil Beta Version Of Much-Delayed OS X
Even as the company reaches this milestone, some companies developing software for the new platform say they and Apple have a lot of work ahead of them.
X Marks The Spot
Biggest Apple release in over a decade and a half.
Icons Of Mac OS X
Application icons—those small bit-maps that you click on to launch a Mac program—are due for big changes in Mac OS X, but Apple is having trouble getting some developers to buy into its vision of depicting programs as scalable, photorealistic images measuring up to 128 by 128 pixels.
Opinion
Our Man In Paris - Part One: We're Doomed
Why is Apple going to Paris? Apart from the food, I mean? If it's just to hand out beta CDs and show folks for the umpteenth time that you can crash an application without it affecting the Mission: Impossible 2 trailer used in every OS X demo...well, you can do that just as easily from Paris, Texas, as you can from Paris, France.
We Have A Long Way To Go
"I didn't even know they made them anymore."
No More Speed To Give
It's time for Apple to start brandishing the big stick. OS X can work on Intel, AMD, and Transmeta. Why wait for Motorola, which doesn't seem to be too interested in staying ahead of the pack?
The Megahertz Can Of Worms
Argument after argument, pundits and armchair experts will trade until they run out of gas and everybody realizes that Apple has a tricky situation on its hands.
Review
PC At Work, iMac At Home? Virtual PC Bridges The Gap!
Connectix offers a product line which takes advantage of the adaptability of the Mac operating system, giving iUsers very nearly 2 computers in one.
Diablo II
Quibbles aside, Diablo II is a brilliant game. Unless you've decided Unreal Tournament is the first, last, and only game you'll ever play, you should get your hands on this one.
Best Mac For A Kid
Not every kid will always fall in to one category for which Mac to get. But this will help you get started. At least it's better than going to a computer store where they might push one of those "other" computers.
Sidetrack
Expo Live
The show is starting late — probably due to the unexpected flood. Apparently, Steve Jobs' keynote is also late.
And we thought we had the protests covered.
Needs
Philip Michaels: I'm also going to predict that Jobs unveils plans for the long-rumored Apple-branded Palm device. I have nothing in the way of facts or confirmation to support this claim; I just make it before every big Steve Jobs speech under the theory that one day it will come true, and I'll look prescient. And then the masses will worship me as their god.
Dave Winer: We need more radicals if we're going to do more thinking.
Old News
3 Years Ago - Amelio: Jobs A Cheerleader, Not Manager: If you had randomly tuned in to this morning's two-hour live interview with Gil Amelio, you might have thought that the ousted CEO of Apple Computer (AAPL) was still running the company.
Wintel
Yet Another Problem With Windows 2000
"Everyone agrees that converting over to 2000 is a massive project. If organizations realize that, only a few years later, they will be asked to undergo yet another huge, expensive conversion effort, they may well decide to switch."
Microsoft Hawks .Net
Ballmer says online effort will permeate software's future, eventually.
Tuesday, September 12, 2000
Top Stories
US Tech Stock Focus: An Apple Today?
Apple has also given up illusions that it can convert the traditional PC user base back from the Compaqs, Dells, Gateways, IBMs and their laptop equivalents. Corporations now are almost entirely Microsoft-based across their service workers and their IT departments will give short shrift for the odd romantic eccentric who wants to use Apple on the road or at home. Apple is ploughing its own furrow in its niche-expanding markets and long may it do so.
Inside The Public Beta Of Mac OS X
Sources who have gotten an early look at Apple Computer Inc.'s Mac OS X Public Beta tell ZDNet News that while the first end-user version of the new OS is more stable and feature-complete than its pre-release predecessors, it lacks many everyday features Mac users take for granted.
One Becomes Many: The Kittride School Story
It actually started last January when the User Group Academy's special guest Steve Wozniak presented the UG Academy Grants for 2000. Steve and I presented a $5,000.00 educational grant to Daphne's computer club, MacValley. Daphne had authored a winning grant proposal to benefit two elementary schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District — one of four grants awarded during that event at San Francisco's 2000 Macworld Expo.
News
Expo Promises Beta Of OS X, Rumors Of New Laptops
Apple Computer chief executive Steve Jobs has promised to unveil the beta, or test, version of the long-awaited operating system Wednesday morning during a keynote address at Apple Expo 2000 in Paris. Jobs may also unveil new laptops, but Macintosh fans not in range of the Eiffel Tower will have to be creative if they want to find out what Jobs is saying.
Sour Apples For Napster-Like Start-Up
The Napster co-founder's second file-swapping start-up, AppleSoup, today said it will change its name to "Flycode" following a complaint from Apple Computer.
Protest Team: Apple Expo Keynote Protest Called Off
Today's email from Will Woodhouse, who says he is a representative of the potential protesters, says the planned event has been cancelled following discussions with Apple's PR department in the U.K.
Bare Bones Announces BBEdit 6.0
Version 6 of the HTML and text editor can handle multi-byte fonts and XHTML markup. The upgrade also beefs up AppleScript support and can be extended to new markup languages.
Eudora Upgrade Gets Flame Retardant
Qualcomm on Monday announced a new version of its Eudora e-mail client that adds a MoodWatch feature designed to warn users of incoming or outgoing "flame" mail, along with a peer-to-peer file-swapping function and e-mail usage statistics.
Opinion
Testing Apple's French Connection
Will this week's Apple Expo in Paris be a successful Mac show in Europe? There's no doubt in my mind that it will be. Will this week's Apple Expo in Paris be a successful European Mac show? Magic Eight Ball says, "Don't count on it."
Review
Mac OS In A Nutshell
Nonetheless, "Mac OS In A Nutshell" is my current reference book of choice. I recommend it to you if you already have a solid Mac background and just need a gentle reminder of the details.
Sidetrack
Apple send cease-and-desist letter to the company AppleSoup.. Rumor alert: Apple is going into the soup business too!
Wintel
The Ever (So Slowly) Changing Office
At this time, Microsoft looks like it's using Office as a strategic weapon. Office is no longer a desktop suite but a point of entry into the lucrative world of infrastructure.
Monday, September 11, 2000
Top Stories
An iMac Supercomputer Cluster You Can Carry Home
So we wondered if this could qualify as the world's quietest supercomputer cluster.
Review
Upgrading A PowerBook G3
Whether is an efficient use of your money is obviously a personal choice, but for anyone who has a PowerBook running faster than 266 MHz, the upgrade probably won't make enough difference to be worthwhile.
Sidetrack
Conrad Walton, owner of Survivor.com: We went from an average of 180 visitors a day to a high of 122,470 visitors on the day of the finale show. On an old Macintosh with WebStar.
Martin Deutsch: The Macworld Expos in the US have their keynotes webcast live, even though Aussies are likely to be asleep. And they're also webcast for the benefit of people in the US. So why mgiht people elsewhere in Europe not want to watch?
Wintel
Technology Cases Raises Issues Of Competence
Are today's technology issues too complex for the typical judge to judge That is a question implicity raised by Microsoft, which in its federal antitrust appeal has contended that the trial it lost was so technical and esoteric that the presiding judge was unable to comprehend the facts.
Millennium Relieves Some Of The Nightmare
A first step on the way to making Windows easier for the typical civilian.
Saturday, September 9, 2000
Top Stories
Apple Delivers The Facts
After however many decades of flogging the Think position, how it must have irked IBM to see the first Apple ad that said Think different. Now that's attitude.
Paris Fuels Up For Apple Expo
Next week's event will be France's biggest, but will it be enough to satisfy Europe's Mac veterans?
News
Keyboard Grime Analysis
Ever wondered what makes up the grimy residue that coats your computer keyboard? According to intensive research by AOL, it consists of bits of fingernails, hair, insects, vegetables and the odd cornflake crumb.
Virtual Lessons A Reality For Laptop Students
The school hopes that in a few years time its students will be doing virtually all their studies through the computers.
No Webcast For Jobs' Paris Keynote
With the time difference between, for example, France and North America, a Webcast or satellite broadcast isn't practical, an Apple spokesperson told MacCentral.
Adobe Explains PressReady Move
Adobe halted further support of the printing software in the wake of disappointing sales and high development costs. The company learned that customers prefer buying PostScript software out of the printer box, an executive told MacWEEK.
Review
GrabPac Pro For The iBook: New This September
Responding to the needs of professionals using the iBook, their new case refines the original bag, which offered an alternative to the heavily padded carry caseóit gave users a sleek, pad-less bag, with a shoulder strap and a pouch large enough for the power cable and some peripheral devices.
Photoshop 6
Despite all its great new features, Photoshop is still not a perfect product. But Photoshop comes closer to perfection than most software.
Sidetrack
Honor
I feel so honored... The World Toilet Summit will be launching today at my home...
Andrew Shalat: Windows Me is just another example of mistaken judgment. Like an old man on the beach ogling young women in bikinis, there's something foul about the whole thing.
Old News
3 Years Ago - It's Official: Apple Keeps Newton: The decision to bring the Newton back under Apple's control is a result of a new emphasis on network computers. NCs are simplified computers that rely on a powerful central computer for accessing applications. Apple is reportedly interested in bringing out NCs using Intel processors in order to fortify the company's presence in the education market.
2 Years Ago - Ellison: I Could Have Owned Apple: While Ellison was very public about his intention to acquire Apple last year—he would have made his play for a majority stake by forming an independent investor group—he hasn't previously said why he aborted his plan. Apparently his lawyer advised him that if he proceeded with the deal he would be spending a lot of time answering questions from the Justice Department.
Update - Apparently, Apple isn't the only thing that is being stolen from right under Ellison's nose.
Wintel
Microsoft Including TV Software In Windows
Microsoft Corp. said Friday it would incorporate its enhanced TV software into its Windows operating system to help personal computers and devices such as DVD players benefit from the technology that adds personalization, communication and interactive capabilities to the basic TV experience.
Microsoft Shows Off Cell Phones, PocketPC OSes
Ballmer: .Net 'Our Most Critical Event'
Supreme Court Again Passes On Microsoft Appeal
The Supreme Court once again passed on whether it will give fast-track consideration to a breakup of the world's largest software company.
Intel To Offer PC Makers Rebates For Using Rambus
With the Pentium 4's release just around the corner, Intel is working hard to ensure that cost won't be a barrier to acceptance.
Friday, September 8, 2000
Top Stories
SAD 4 Laptop INitiative Earns Governor's Praise
In order to succeed, the pupils need the tools. "This iBook is a tool. It's a super book."
Apple Goes To The Mat And Upsets Mac Users
"I don't think bankrupting an ex-employee with damages and legal fees is veyr warm and fuzzy."
IBM, Dell Trail Apple In Wireless Laptop Push
It's a race for second place, and IBM and Dell Computer are running neck and neck.
News
LucasArts President Says No Mac Games
In a recent chat at Star Wars Gamer, Simon Jeffery, the President of Lucas Arts, explained that the Macintosh market doesn't "warrant" them to make games for the platform.
Wireless Will Become A PC Necessity
PC makers such as IBM and Dell Computer just recently started to integrate wireless technology into PCs, a feature Apple Computer has offered for a year now.
Apple Lowers Price On Older, Discontinued Products
Sharp Eyes Desktop Ink-Jet Pie
A Sharp product manager discussed the company's new ink-jet printers, emphasizing the ink-management system developed in conjunction with Xerox and Fuji Xerox. The company also plans a Mac version of its recently announced AJ-6010 digital copier/printer.
Opinion
Review
Tomb Raier Revelation
Sadly, though, this game, like its predecessors, relies on ill-conceived puzzles and badly defined objectives.
Wintel
Crusoe To Be In Sony Laptops Next Month
The power-saving Crusoe chip manufactured by Transmeta that promises to double the life of batteries hits the consumer market next month inside Sony's new ultra-slim laptop.
MS On Linux: Thanks, But No Thanks
With Dell, Gateway, IBM and HP all hedging their bets, simultaneously backing Windows and Linux, may the best software development and sales model win.
Thursday, September 7, 2000
Opinion
The Disunited Colors Of Computing
Why all the translucent plastic office gear and study aids? Well, one clue, for those who need it, is that one line of binders looked like Apple's iBook laptops. A LOT like Apple's iBook laptops. All they needed was a carrying handle to complete the "at a distance" deception.
Wednesday, September 6, 2000
Top Stories
(Dawning Of A) New Mac Era
The only way to get people to trust Darwin's quality — and therefore OS X's — is by letting them kick the tires themselves. If anyone at Apple seriously thinks prospective adopters are just going to either run out and buy new hardware to try out their new OS or use otherwise-current hardware for testing that they could put to good use otherwise, they are in grave error.
FileMaker Goes Mobile
Taking what it described as a "first step" in a new mobile database strategy, FileMaker on Wednesday introduced FileMaker Mobile, a utility that allows users to transfer and synchronize data between FileMaker databases and Palm OS-compatible organizers.
Apple's Keyboard Fumble
Say what? The keyboard was unveiled six weeks ago, and Apple just now got around to testing its compatibility with Macs that are still on the price list?
AppleMasters: Jerry Uelsmann
I am continually amazed by all of the creative possibilities available to artists working with the Macintosh.
Protest Planned For Apple Expo, Aim To Disrupt Jobs' Keynote
While Mac users, just like any other human, have the right to voice their opinions, we think the Expo Protest Team is missing the point.
News
New CEO For Totally Hip
The developer of WebPainter and LiveStage bids adieu to founder Randall McCallum, who says the company is now healthy enough to survive on its own. Hand-picked successor David B. Dicaire takes over as McCallum heads to Mexico for rest and recreation.
Corel Layoffs To Hit Engineering Team In Ireland
Struggling software maker Corel today said it will lay off 139 employees in its Dublin, Ireland, engineering facility as part of a restructuring plan aimed at cutting annual expenses by $40 million.
Marketing Guru Now Major Contributor To Local Groups
Once described by Fortune magazine as the "Father of Incentive Bank Marketing," John E. Connelly built the bulk of his wealth selling everything from candy bars to toasters.
Portable Computers Are Part Of Everyday Classes At More Schools
Laptop computers are getting more affordable, and technological advances are making them a more practical choice. Longer battery life means no need to plug into an electrical outlet for each use and wireless networking now means computers can be linked to each other and the Internet without modems or cords.
Ingenious Mac Users Find Pro Keyboard Work Around
"It is very simple to get full functionality of the Apple Pro keyboard, even on a beige G3 with a PCI USB card."
No New Printers For PressReady
Adobe Systems announced that it will continue to market the PostScript software, but only with the currently supported ink-jet printers from Canon, Epson and HP.
IBM Unveils Compact Laser Printer
The $399, 1,200-dpi Infoprint 12 is the first Mac-compatible USB laser printer to come out of Big Blue.
Opinion
Home Entertainment, Cubed?
Is the Cube the genesis of true digital entertainment convergence? Some think so, and with full-blown digital delivery in the near future, this is a notion that deserves a closer look.
One Last Tribute To The 6 Colors
Good bye old Apple logo. We'll always remember your rainbow, taking us to the future.
The Perfect Dual Platform Computer, A Possibility Or A Pipe Dream?
The biggest benefit would be the ability to run the two biggest operating systems on one machine without resorting to emulation.
Review
Videodelic
If you do any kind of video or multimedia production, Videodelic is sure to amaze you, even if you have every AfterEffects plug-in on the planet. Just don't blame U&I for many late nights.
SoundJam MP
MP3 broadcasting made easy.
Sidetrack
Vision
Gregg Eshelman: My first Mac wasn't a real Mac. It didn't even physically exist.
Dan Gillmor: For all the company's power and accomplishments, [Microsoft] plainly has some growing up to do. Happy birthday too, Microsoft.
William Crim: Companies without attitude are worthless.
Wintel
Microsoft Jumps Back Into Sub-Notebooks
After a two-year pause and uninspiring sales, Microsoft is reviving its Windows CE sub-notebook line, which will relaunch tomorrow as the Handheld PC 2000.
Windows Me For You?
'Evolutionary' upgrade hardly a 'must-have,' says experts.
New Trick Can Hide Computer Viruses
A new kind of computer virus has been released, but security experts are in disagreement over just how menacing it is. The virus demonstrates a technique that future writers can use to hide their malicious software from most current antivirus scanners. But some antivirus companies are playing down the threat.
Licked By Windows 2000, Sticking With Linux
Here's Hoping That At 25 Years, Microsoft Has At Last Grown Up
Microsoft Corp. marked the quarter-century milestone Tuesday, an anniversary of note. But for all of the company's power and accomplishments, it plainly has some growing up to do.
Antitrust, Consumers: Incompatible Goals
Who is anyone kidding? Antitrust law has seldom protected consumers.
AMD Unleashes 750MHz Duron
Microprocessor maker Advanced Micro Devices Inc. unveiled a new 750MHz Duron Tuesday, targeting cost-conscious home and business users. Heavyweights IBM Corp. and Compaq Computer Corp. showed their support with confirmation they would build systems using the microprocessor in coming weeks.
Compaq Offers 'Have It Your Way' PC
The PC maker christens a new line of made-to-order machines while retiring the Prosignia brand.
Forget The V-Chip; Now It's "Windows Inside"
Microsoft's plan to announce this week that it will add technology to the Whistler version of Windows 2000 to support digital television is yet another attempt to find life for Windows in the post-PC era.
Intel Downgrade Pegged To PC Sales Slowdown
Shares of chipmaker Intel dropped more than 6 percent today after an influential Wall Street analyst cut his outlook for the company.
Microosft Hopes To Rally Workers At Birthday Bash
Microsoft celebrated its 25th birthday with an employee pep talk aimed at rallying its troops in the face of some of its biggest challenges yet in both the marketplace and the courtroom.
Tuesday, September 5, 2000
Top Stories
Apple Computer: At Your Service?
Sometimes handling a repair yourself is easiest, but sometimes your only real options are working with an Apple Authorized Service Provider or sending the machine directly to Apple. However, recent changes to Apple's service options for newer machines threaten to confuse that decision-making process.
News
Where Blood Is As Thick As Money
John Sculley, the former Apple Computer chief executive, is making a quiet comeback. For the last five years, he has run a small venture capital firm with his two brothers.
Review
Monday, September 4, 2000
Top Stories
BSD And Mac OS X
In comparison with NT, I would much rather be using BSD with a Macintosh desktop.
Apple's Publicity Masterstroke
Muhammad Ali, Harrison Ford, Richard Dreyfuss, Emma Thompson, Gregory Hines, Sir Chris Bonington, Tom Clancy, Michael Crichton, Andrew Denton, James Morrison, Mandawuy Yunupingu , "Dr Karl" Kruszelnicki, Peter Garrett - these names are worth millions for marketers and every one of them is on what amounts to the endorsement list of a single computer company. More remarkably, they are not paid to be there.
News
PC Season Hits High Gear
Back-To-School means a boom in the computer sales sector, but consumers should educate themselves before buying.
Opinion
Features: More On Motorola
I think it's safe to assume that the leadership at Intel is, at the very least,greatly appreciative for seeing in print, on the worldwide net, that Motorola, at least by all appearances, seems to place far greater faith and value in their Pentium CPUs than it does in its own G-series of processors.
Review
Diablo II
While it isn't quite a true RPG in the strictest sense of the word, it keeps enough role-playing elements to give you the same enjoyment of building up a character, yet throws in enough action to literally make you sweat.
Wintel
Compaq To Discontinue ProSignia Line
The Houston-based PC maker tomorrow will kill off its ProSignia line of small business computers and resurrect it under its popular Deskpro corporate PC and Armada portable brands.
Is Palm The Next WordPerfect?
Like Windows, Pocket PC could become an overnight success that took years to occur. And Palm could go the way of WordPerfect.
Microsoft Confronts Realities Of China's Software Business
High-level defections and nationalist pressure to overthrow an entrenched power. Is it a treacherous political plot? Not exactly. It's Microsoft Corp. confronting the odd realities of China's computer software business.
Microsoft Won't Fix New Windows Security Flaw
Microsoft says it won't be issuing a patch for a newly discovered security vulnerability in Windows that PGP's COVERT lab classifies as 'high-risk'.
Microsoft's Game Plan
Microsoft, which until now has been one of the principal beneficiaries of Moore's Law — the observation about the exponential pace of change in the chip industry — could find that it has become the principal victim.
Sunday, September 3, 2000
Top Stories
For The User Who Has Everything
Once Apple Computer's multicolored iMacs and sleek G4 Cubes had injected hip fashion sense into computer hardware and peripherals, it was only a matter of time before someone came up with a way to give the stuff the decadent gleam of conspicuous consumption.
For Pro Keyboard Keys Dead On Older Macs; Refund Offered
Customers awaiting Apple's newest Pro keyboard are being told by the company that four keys are not functional when the keyboard is used on Mac systems shipped prior to July 19 and is offering buyers the opportunity to cancel their orders and receive a full refund.
News
Apple Seeking 'Junkies For Circuit City Demo Days
PDF Editing Tools Debut At Seybold
Lantana and Enfocus both used this week's Seybold San Francisco 2000 conference to introduce new Adobe Acrobat plug-ins that let users modify graphics and/or text within Portable Document Format (PDF) files.
Wintel
New Philippines Virus A Low Risk
The U.S. National Infrastructure Protection Center has issued a warning about a new computer computer virus originating from the Philippines which bears a resemblance to the now-infamous LoveBug. The virus was first detected on Friday, and has been infecting some computer users this Labor Day weekend. But antivirus experts told MSNBC that there have not been any reports of widespread infections.
Dell Fights Its Sobering Midlife Crisis
Dell is trying to recapture the fire of its upstart youth as growth slows amid a PC industry slump and its once-soaring stock glides toward earth.
Intel Hits A Speed Bump
A glitch in Intel's fastest chip forced Dell Computer and IBM to stop shipping PCs that use the chip, opening the door for rival chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices to possibly profit from the gaffe.
Saturday, September 2, 2000
Top Stories
The Making Of Terminator 2, The Ultimate DVD
This dual sided DVD-18 is packed full of dazzling menus, chilling animations, and smashing graphics, much of which was developed on a PowerBook and rendered on a Power Mac. Rounding out the Mac contribution to this mega-release are video editing done on a Mac-based Avid system, and sound editing done on a Mac-based ProTools system.
News
Is Eudora Snooping On You?
The popular mail client sends information to its servers when you're online. It may not identify you. But shouldn't you know about it?
Web Page Creation For The Rest Of Us
Apple comes to the rescue for those who want to build and post a Web site — but don't know where to start.
Mac Cubes Selling To Mac Faithful
Who's buying the Power Mac G4 Cube? Only Apple Computer Inc. knows for sure; however, interviews with a range of Mac dealers suggest that while sales have been brisk, Apple's striking new desktop model has made a bigger splash with current Mac users than PC converts.
Two Brains Take Hold: Several Applications Now Support Multiprocessing
Although you won't be able to unleash the full power of Apple's dual-processor G4 Macintosh systems until OS X arrives, more and more applications are being optimized to work with the multiprocessor (MP) machine.
Opinion
What Can We Expect Of OS X Beta?
If you're unsure, wait until a couple days after the release. By then reviews will be plentiful and you'll have more concrete facts than the ones you mustered from this article. Other than that, cross your fingers and hope, alongside me, that Apple hasn't blown it again.
The G4 Cube: What The Old Man Does Is Always Right
Perhaps sometimes, What the Old Man Does is Always Right. Much as it pains us.
OS Forking And Apple
Apple isn't stupid. They realize that forking is bad, just like Microsoft did.
Review
Indie Browsers
The browser war may look like a two-horse race, but there are a few more ponies on the track.
Sidetrack
Create
Making the Macintosh: An online project documenting the history of the Macintosh computer. This project collects and publishes primary material on the Macintosh's development and early reception.
CNET: If you're using a Mac, choose iCab. We wish we could recommend it to PC users, too, but for once, they're been left out.
Wintel
Microsoft Xbox Console Closer To Game Time
Microsoft Corp. has settled on a name and a design for its Xbox video game console, and has lined up an impressive list of developer studios to create games for the system's launch late next year.
Life As A Microsoft Bottom Feeder
As long as Gates and Ballmer are running the show — with a whole cadre of new up-and-comers waiting in the wings — you can bet the company's got a few more tricks up its sleeve aimed at achieving world domination.
Microsoft: The Next Quarter Century
Twenty-five years gone and Bill G. and Steve B. remain at the helm. Meet four faces attempting to pilot the Redmond juggernaut into the next millennium.
Friday, September 1, 2000
Top Stories
Coolness Cubed: Apple's Radical New Mac
The Cube may not be for everybody, but I hope that PC manufacturers take note of its many innovations—and if history is any indication, they will. True, we don't need any copycat cube-shaped machines. But we could certainly use more systems that challenge our notions of how a computer looks, feels, and performs.
Apple Keeps Up Appearances At Seybold
Print publishing has clearly taken a back seat to e-publishing, and as a result, Macs have been relegated to token status in publishing.
News
Tribeworks Posts iShell 2 Preview Release
The multimedia authoring software adds enhanced Internet capabilities and the ability to create custom window shapes. Tribeworks will also introduce a new two-tier membership plan.
Glover To Help Pay Tribute To Disney
Steve Wozniak, who founded Apple Computer in 1976 with Steve Jobs, will be honored for his invention of the Apple II, which brought together all the elements of the modern personal computer.
For Garage.com's Kawasaki, Nothing Is Sacred
Being a troublemaker is all in a day's work for Kawasaki, best known in Silicon Valley as Apple Computer Corp.'s one-time chief evangelist (yes, that was the title), the man who turned down the chance to interview for the CEO position at Yahoo, and now the CEO of Garage.com, a venture capital firm in Palo Alto, Calif.
FCC Rules To Speed Up Home Networking
The concept of wireless home networking as its stands now mostly revolves around technology that will let people link more than one home computer together over a single Internet connection and allow laptop computers to operate freely from anywhere in a house.
Review
Who Wants To Be A Millionaire 2
Millionaire 2 is not a bad game, but falls a little short of an unreserved recommendation. The difficulty of its questions (both too easy and hard at inappropriate times), sporadic and undecipherable asking of whether something is your final answer, and its horrible excuse for a multiplayer game, makes Millionaire a little less than a good game.
Sidetrack
Getting High
Guy Kawasaki: The higher you go in a company, the less oxygen there is, so supporting intelligent life becomes diffcult.
Quid Pro Quos
Thanks, Mad Science Laboratories.
AppleSurf: More links to breaking Macintosh news than you could shake a dozen sticks at. Thanks again.
Wintel
Microsoft, Intuit Bank On Upgrades
It's almost Labor Day. Is it purely by accident that the latest versions of the two leading personal finance programs just landed on our desk?
Wall St. Journal: Microsoft Ordered To Pay Bristol
A U.S. Federal court on Thursday ordered software giant Microsoft Corp. to pay Bristol Technology Inc. $1 million in punitive damages for engaging in "wanton, reckless" and deceptive business practices, the Wall Street Journal reported in its electronic edition early Friday.