Tuesday, October 31, 2000
News
Apple Creates 'Education Czar'
A chastened Apple is getting tough on poor sales to the education market, getting tough on the causes of poor sales to the education market, with the creation of a new post to oversee its efforts in that arena.
The Mac's Next Memory?
As PC100 grows long in the tooth, new memory technologies promise at least modest speed improvements for future Mac systems. MacWEEK's David Read looks at the alternatives, suggesting that Apple's best choice is DDR RAM, also used on ATI's Radeon board.
Opinion
OS X Changes Stay The Same
OS X has turned a lot of heads, yet, with people¥s obvious reservations, we look to X final to see if it can hold up the promises made about it.
Hello Copland?
So compared with Copland, OS X offers a lot. A few things promise less, but the basic infrastructure is a lot sounder.
Feeding Apple's Silicon Habit
Clearly, there is a need for a better roadmap from Motorola. A joint statement concerning future development of the G4 from both Apple and Motorola would be even better, provided Motorola publicly committed to shipping dates.
Difference Engine: Dell Computer Cracks Up!
The Cube has cracks, revenues missed expectations, Apple has troubles. But would things be the same if Dell Computer Corporation had the same problems?
Sidetrack
Old News
4 Years Ago - Power Grapples With Life After Macs: With two pages of its monthly calendar ripped out, struggling computer manufacturer Power Computing has yet to pencil in a survival strategy for its business.
Singapore Readers: A Singapore Airlines plane heading for Los Angeles crashed in Taiwan at around 11.20 pm on Oct 31 night. More news at SingaporeSurf.
Wintel
Intel Patents IA-64 Instruction Set
A stack of new patents filed by Intel has provoked speculation that the company is in effect trying to patent the IA-64 instruction set.
Microsoft Unable To Catch Hacker On Its Own
The company believes that its systems are now secure but would not confirm how the breach took place.
Monday, October 30, 2000
Top Stories
Macs In Paradise
Hawaii is a Mac-friendly environment. Hawaiian Mac users are just as virulent in their platform choice as those on the mainland. And their newfound Linux compatriots are warming to the upcoming OS X. That's what I discovered at Oceanic Cable Computer Expo 2000, an exotic mix of aloha smiles and tech-weenie talk held here last week.
News
Cheryl Vedoe Joins Apple As Vice President Of Education Marketing And Solutions
"The education market is a top priority for Apple, and we intend to regain market share beginning in 2001."
Apple: Has The Magic Gone?
After chief executive officer Steve Jobs warned that the company will miss analyst sales and earnings estimates in the fourth quarter, Apple Computer's stock lost half its value as investors believed there was no good news on the horizon.
FileMaker Seeks Affiliates
Web sites can earn a 5 percent referral fee by sending customers to the FileMaker online store. The service is managed through the LinkShare Network.
Opinion
Jobs Blows Off The Next Three Months!
Apple Explained Part III: Discounting The Fears
Apple has a lot of work to do, but every problem the company faces has a silver lining.
The Age Of Everyman Tech: Bill Cosby Lied. Classic Was Better
"While I do enjoy computing, I don't believe that a person must know an OS inside and out to use it. A computer to me is just a tool. I don't use it to stroke my ego. I turn it on and off. I'm not interested in the source code. I'm not interested in CLI. I am interested in whether OSX behaves like a Mac, not a UNIX box, and certainly not NeXTOS ... a rejected OS."
Review
Risk II
MacSoft's Risk II comes far closer to mirroring the classic board game than any previous Risk title, and in many ways it also enhances the true Risk experience.
Sidetrack
iRights: If a human being can't be trained in how to censor in such a way to make two people happy, how do we expect computer software to ever even come close?
Old News
2 Years Ago - Apple Tells Of Microsoft Threats : Microsoft attempted to "sabotage" a popular multimedia program by causing misleading error messages to appear when it ran on Windows-based machines, a senior executive from Apple Computer has charged.
Wintel
Does Microsoft Have Egg On Its Face?
Possible News Corp Deal Could Boost Microsoft TV
Such an investment could give Microsoft another customer to deploy its software for interactive television, which the company has fingered as a key area it hopes to dominate in as computing moves beyond its traditional stronghold on the desktop, analysts said.
Microsoft Objects To AOL Brief In Antitrust Appeal
Microsoft on Monday opposed America Online's request to file a brief with an appeals court in support of a judge's order to split the world's largest software company.
What Did Bill Say?
The Top 10 things Bill Gates said when he found out Microsoft had been hacked.
Order Up MS Apps At Internet Cafe
Microsoft will rent software to consumers on a per-use basis for the first time next month through the easyEverything chain.
MS Blocks Staff Dial-In Access After 'Minor' Hack
The only reasons for shutting down access must surely be that Microsoft has belatedly concluded that there are - as we suggested yesterday - serious problems with the way it runs its network security.
MS Claims Hacker Was Watched
A senior official of Microsoft Corp., which is eager to reassure consumers and business partners after an embarrassing electronic break-in at its headquarters, said the company detected the trespass from its earliest moments and surreptitiously monitored the hacker's activities for the duration of the attack.
Unhooking MS Browser, Again
The latest version of 98Lite modifies Windows Registry to unhook Internet Explorer from Explorer, speeding up the operating system in the process.
Redmond Strives To Cram Great MS Hack Back In Box
Acer Cuts Sales Forecast Amid PC Sales Slowdown
Gateway Puts Fashion First With All-In-One PC
The San Diego, Calif.-based company on Monday unveiled the Profile 3, an all-in-one desktop computer with a built-in flat-panel LCD monitor and a Pentium III processor. But, while aesthetically elegant, Gateway faces an uphill battle. At $1,999, the Profile 3 certainly isn't cheap compared with computers of its class.
AMD Switches To Faster Memory
Advanced Micro Devices on Monday released a chipset that allows computer makers to adopt faster memory for PCs and sets the stage for a performance showdown with Intel.
Micron Passes Over Pentium 4 For Athlon
The decision to select the Athlon tips Micron, Nampa, Idaho. more firmly into the AMD camp, but doesn't rule out the possibility of a Pentium 4-based machine in the future. Other PC vendors are expected to hedge their bets with both Pentium 4- and Athlon-based machines.
Microsoft Mulls Stake In News Corp. Unit
Microsoft and News Corp. are in discussions that may result in the software giant investing more than $1 billion in the media company's Sky Global Networks unit, according to a report.
Microsoft Monitored Hacker
Microsoft Corp. said Sunday that a hacker had high-level access to its computer system for 12 days - not up to five weeks, as the company had first reported - and that the company monitored the every move the trespasser made for the duration of his visit.
Sunday, October 29, 2000
Opinion
If A Cube Could Talk...
At least, do something to ensure I'm treated with proper care, print a set of simple instructions on how to use the Mac OS so I won't be abused because of ignorance.
Sidetrack
One angle that I didn't see explored... With the possible theft (and release) of Windows and Office source code, maybe we would finally find out how much secret internal hooks did the Windows folks gave to the Office folks.
Wintel
How Did It Happen?
Microsoft break-in takes hacking to a new level.
Irregular New Accounts Alerted Microsoft To Network Intruder
In providing the fullest account to date of the episode, Microsoft said it hoped to correct impressions that its internal security was lax or that its products had been compromised.
Microsoft Break-In Could Cause Company Significant Damage, Analysts Say
If the computer secrets stolen from Microsoft Corp. are disseminated, they could hurt the company more than it is letting on, some analysts say.
MS Intruder May Eldue Authorities
Security pros agree that even Microsoft won't be able to catch its intruder. And one virus expert says it's the company's own fault.
Saturday, October 28, 2000
Top Stories
Mac OS X Delivers Clean, Refreshing Aqua
Aqua provides better use of screen real estate and a more pleasant user experience than any of its predecessors. This is crucial in terms of user productivity and workflow. Come early next year, Mac-heavy companies should get ready for a real treat: Their employees won't want to go home.
Cube: A Work Of Art. An Expensive Art
The real feature of the Cube, however, is the machine itself, not what the machine does.
Review
Diablo II
As it stands, even with the graphics bug and online resource shortage, Diablo II is a must-have for all Mac gamers. It is only a matter of time before these issues are resolved and then this game can truly shine.
Sidetrack
Old News
3 Years Ago - Jobs Says He Won't Head Apple : "Two weeks ago tomorrow, he told the [Pixar] board he was going away, and [that] being the Apple CEO was one of the things he would think about. He said he was seriously considering it, and I would have bet he would do it."
Wintel
Who Cracked Microsoft?
Many free-software hackers make no attempt to hide their hatred of Bill Gates — could they be the culprits?
Friday, October 27, 2000
Top Stories
Islands In The Video Stream
Fletcher had just used his AirPort-equipped PowerBook G3 to remotely control a video camera on an island 1500 feet away so that it pointed directly at the boat. As the new web site came up, he watched in awe as his boat chugged across the screen in live, streaming QuickTime.
News
Merged Apple Centres To List As Buzzle
Six of Australia's largest Apple centres have completed their operational merger into a single business entity now known as Buzzle and are preparing for a public listing on the ASX in December or January.
Opinion
Where's My Perfect Laptop?
I need a portable equivalent of the Cube: stylish, smaller, not quite as expandable (internally), and mid-line. I don't think Apple is stupid; the folks at Infinite Loop have to know they are giving up a big chunk of the market by not having a sub-laptop. I figure they are hard at work in a lab somewhere, trying to bring my perfect machine to life. And I know if that I can hold out long enough, I will get a "best-of-breed" type of product, and it will be worth the wait. But I'm growing impatient.
Review
Netscae 4.7.6 Now Supports Mac OS Runtime For Java But Is It Worth Using?
Classic Mac OS Vs Mac-On-Linux
Microsoft Earns Points With Office 2001
Say what you will about Microsoft—watch your language!—but the software giant has been good to the Macintosh lately.
Wintel
Microsoft Can't Spin This Worm
Oh yeah, this really makes me want to put all my business eggs into a Microsoft basket.
MS Hack: Welcome To The Paper House
Every link in that chain must be trustworthy if enterprise users want to trust the end result.
Microsoft — Burned By Anti-Virus Tools?
Security software makers Symantec, Trend Micro or Computer Associates may have missed the QAZ Trojan horse that struck the Redmond giant.
How MS Helped With Own Hack
Qaz is the name of the worm that was used to penetrate Microsoft's computer system, during which hackers were able to view Windows source code. Ironically, Qaz was written with a Microsoft program.
Pentium 4 Will Debut In A Month, Intel Chief Says
The chief executive officer of chip titan Intel said Friday the U.S. company's long-awaited Pentium 4 microprocessor will be launched in about one month, just ahead of its original year-end target.
Jackson Considers Removing Himself From Microsoft Case
The judge who ordered Microsoft split in two said he would "think very seriously" about taking himself off the case if an appeals court found his decision was "egregiously wrong."
Microsoft Confirms Hackers Saw Code For Upcoming Software
Microsoft acknowledged Friday that hackers had accessed source code to programs in development, but company representatives said the intruders did not see code for existing products.
WinME Sales Surged In First Week - Then Crashed Horribly
Onechannel reports that online sales jumped over nineteenfold, to more than $1,000,000, in the first week, but promptly fell back to almost pre-launch levels.
Thursday, October 26, 2000
Top Stories
Mobile Macs Are The Right Prescription
In the not-so-distant past, medical research typically involved laboratories, microscopes, and test tubes full of mysterious substances. At Tulane University School of Medicine, a number of the faculty have cheerfully expanded their tool sets to include PowerBook computers. And in the process, they’ve acquired a whole new set of research, instructional, and care-giving tools.
Goulish Delights
Blinky’s been up to no good again — this time with treats for your Mac. Get them before the gremlins turn them into tricks. [Oct 25] The Right Prescription Tulane University School of Medicine’s teaching model becomes cutting-edge through the use of PowerBook G3s. [Oct 25]
In Defense Of Apple's Computer Line
While it is unlikely that Macintosh systems will ever achieve prevalence in the Microsoft dominated consumer market, it's only fair to give Apple and its product line the respect they deserve.
The Software Question Hanging Over OS X
It's not whether older programs will work with Apple's new system — they appear to — but how fast developers will now embrace it
News
Satellite ISPs Not For Macs, Yet
Aladdin Releases Stuffit Deluxe 6.0
The file-compression software adds an option that notifies you when an e-mail recipient has unstuffed an attached file, plus a search feature that lets you find archived files based on name, date and other criteria. The upgrade is compatible with Mac OS X Public Beta.
Goulish Delights
Blinky’s been up to no good again — this time with treats for your Mac. Get them before the gremlins turn them into tricks. [Oct 25] The Right Prescription Tulane University School of Medicine’s teaching model becomes cutting-edge through the use of PowerBook G3s. [Oct 25]
AOL 6.0 For Mac Due Out In "Spring 2001"
Gill Steps Down At Quark
Quark founder Tim Gill, one of the most influential figures in the history of desktop publishing, has sold his stake in the company to focus on philanthropy. A spokesman told MacWEEK that Quark will not name a direct replacement and plans no changes to its product strategy.
Macromedia Releases Dreamweaver Extensions
The add-ons are designed to improve productivity and make sites more accessible to disabled people. Macromedia unveiled the extensions at Internet World Fall 2000 in New York, where Ipix, MGI and Microsoft also made announcements.
Opinion
Simplifying Apple's Product Line - Again
I don't want to decipher one iMac from another by cross referencing color and using Apple's System Profiler to see which machine is which.
Why Is Apple Repair Giving Our Friend A Hard Time?
Send your iBook in for repair, get accused of sabotage.
Apple's Gonna Fight Like This Is Its Last Fight, Because If They Don't It Just Might Be Their Last Fight
Review
Baldur's Gate
Baldur's Gate is an excellent role playing game for the Mac, something that there aren't too many of. While some gamers will be put off by its slow pace, others that like a rich storyline and those that have slower machines will get good use out of the game.
Test Drive Musing Of A (Slightly Wavering) OS X Skeptic
While OS 9 is pretty stable on my PowerBook, I am looking forward to protected memory and preemptive multitasking with OS X. I just hope the new interface doesn't slow down my work too much.
Microsoft Natural Keyboard Pro
So you want a keyboard with more than Apple or Adesso have to offer, give this one a try.
Wintel
Microsoft To Oracle: Cease And Desist
The operating system battles have been pretty ugly. But recent database rhetoric has escalated the long-running war of words between Microsoft and Oracle.
New AMD Components To Speed PC Memory
Personal computers powered by a faster version of ordinary computer memory will start to emerge on the market next week, after Advanced Micro Devices releases new components.
Appeals Court Backs Off Briefing Plan For Microsoft
The appeals court that will review the Microsoft breakup order backed off a plan to get a briefing on computer basics in advance of the February arguments in the epic antitrust case.
Intel's Barrett Bullish On Chip Future
New Intel TV Ads 'Complete Crap'
Don't say we didn't warn you. Come back, Bunnypeople, all is forgiven.
New Dell Laptop Doubles Up On Disc Drives
No, it won't play your old vinyl records. But you'll be able to shove just about any other type of disc into Dell Computer's latest high-end laptop, which sports both DVD and rewritable CD-ROM drives.
Microsoft Plugging Away At Xbox As PlayStation 2 Debuts
Microsoft has a message for all those video game fanatics ready to snatch up Sony's PlayStation 2 this week: You ain't seen nothin' yet.
Microsoft Pulls Back Online Ads For Business Software
Microsoft has scaled back the online advertising for its platform and business software products, including Windows 2000 and Microsoft Office, according to data from two ad measurement companies.
Microsoft Has Doubts About Court's Tech Coach
Microsoft on Wednesday questioned an appeals court proposal to bring in an outside expert to explain technical issues in the company's landmark antitrust case.
Wednesday, October 25, 2000
Top Stories
Salon Reviews Up Mac OS X
“The entire system has a graceful fluidity worthy of the Bolshoi Ballet,” notes Janelle Brown, adding, “OS X is also screamingly fast compared with older Mac operating systems.” [Oct 25]
Review
Salon Reviews Up Mac OS X
“The entire system has a graceful fluidity worthy of the Bolshoi Ballet,” notes Janelle Brown, adding, “OS X is also screamingly fast compared with older Mac operating systems.” [Oct 25]
Power Mac G4 Cube
For the right user, the Cube's small, quiet beauty will totally eclipse the fact that in terms of performance, it's last year's G4. It's not too expensive, it's got respectable power under the hood, and with its external monitor and easily upgraded components, the Cube is the perfect choice for someone who needs more than an iMac.
Tuesday, October 24, 2000
Top Stories
SkyCorp Signs Agreement With NASA To Fly The First Webserver In Space - And It Will Be A Mac G4
The company is considering flying a Mac G4 cube since its passive cooling technology has some definite advantages in a microgravity environment.
Time To Bite At Apple's Stock?
Already a billionaire, Jobs is there to make waves, not avoid risks, they figure. That [...] will mean a return to "insanely great" products, as well as great design, Appleís forte of late.
News
Napster Releases Mac Beta
Napster has posted a free public beta of the controversial MP3 file-swapping software, which previously was available only to Windows users.
Mac-To-Mac In OS X
Apple has done a decent job of allowing for Mac-to-Mac connections within the public beta. Despite some rough spots, the basics are there, and they work well.
Opinion
Review
CodeWarrior, Learning Edition
Instructors should know that Learning Edition is the all-time bargain as a programming teaching environment, and you're doing your students a favor by assigning it. For those who want to learn on their own, it's a great deal.
Apple Cinema Display
Truly an engineering and design breakthrough, the Apple Cinema Display offers a huge amount of screen real estate but fits on the most modest desktops. The digital flat panel offers unparalleled sharpness and color saturation, with edge-to-edge focus that analog monitors can't match.
Sidetrack
Hey, hey, hey. An iMac-inspired Swiss Army knife.
Wintel
Microsoft Delivers Office 10 Beta Early
The software maker adds new fixes and functionality that were missing from earlier betas in its Office 2000 successor for Windows.
Compaq Comeback Rolls On With Earnings Surprise
Compaq Computer on Tuesday beat third-quarter expectations by a penny a share in another sign the company is on the mend.
In Priase Of Microsoft's PDA Diplomacy
How did a confirmed non-PDA user — that'd be me — find himself in the midst of a fiery showdown between Palm and Pocket PC partisans?
Compaq Looks To Fuel Comeback With Earnings Report
Compaq Computer is expected to return to double-digit revenue growth for the first time in several quarters, another milestone in the company's comeback efforts.
Intel Sets Pentium 4 Path To 2GHz
The chip maker is counting on the Pentium 4 to pull it into the speed lead again. But, don't hold your breath.
MS Attempts To Stomp Office 10 Bugs
Just one month after releasing Office 10 Beta 1, Microsoft has sent out an updated version containing mostly bug fixes for Outlook.
Compaq Predicts 35 Percent Sales Growth In China Region
Compaq Computer expects to see 35 percent revenue growth in the China region next year as it shifts its focus away from PCs to e-commerce related hardware, the company said Monday.
Monday, October 23, 2000
Top Stories
Rosier Results For Apple Germany
Despite the company's U.S. woes, the Mac maker's German operation is reporting its strongest sales ever.
News
Spinway Adds Apple To Internet Pie
Spinway isn't the first major free Internet service provider to bring Apple users into the fold, but it's the only one in town these days.
Corel 100 Percent Behind Mac, Corel VP Says
The Apple Of His iBook
For his first computer, comedian Phill Jupitus was seduced by a Mac iBook, which he uses to send pictures and keep in touch with his family while on tour.
Opinion
Apple — The Message Isn't Even Medium
Above all, Apple has to get the word out, both through advertising and communicating with the news media. It needs to make clear how competitive its products are in terms of pricing, features, and performance. It needs to show plainly how much they have to offer compared with similar Wintel offerings. Most importantly, Apple needs to convince new consumers why they should spend their money on a Macintosh.
Will That Be Carbon Or... Java?
Changing over a code-base from one design to another is expensive. And all of the commercial Applications written for the Mac have these code investments. Which means Carbon is the choice for all the Mac applications, and will remain so for quite some time.
Review
Mac OS X: Say Goodbye To Fiddly Bits
The new OS has rock-solid stability and a gorgeous look. If Apple can get Adobe, Macromedia and Quark on board, it can add longevity to the list of qualities.
VirusBarrier
The only glaring issue with VirusBarrier is its inability to scan compressed files.
Sunday, October 22, 2000
Review
KidSpeak
KidSpeak is a great toy for curious kids, giving them not one, but ten different languages to play with. It's effective in providing the building blocks of each foreign language and acquainting kids with foreign tones. But, the material is limited, making KidSpeak little more than an entertaining introduction.
Wintel
Some Gateway Numbers Stay Inside The Box
As the dark and stormy night descended upon technology companies, the results of Gateway shone like a beacon. But a closer look at the numbers finds less there than meets the eye.
Saturday, October 21, 2000
News
Are We Entering An Era Of 'Slideware'?
"PowerPoint is a necessary evil. It's a tool that lets just about everyone capture their own thoughts in a graphical way. But it's never going to be a replacement for the talent, knowledge, or passion it takes to build a business."
Opinion
A Closer Look At Apple's Financials
Still, Apple has increased unit sales and revenues by at least 40% over the same quarter last year — an impressive accomplishment.
Review
Friday, October 20, 2000
Top Stories
Apple Hardware Exclusive No More
The 500MHz G4 Cube, Key Lime iBook, Pro Mouse and Pro Keyboard, previously sold only through the Apple Store, could be heading to a Mac dealer near you.
News
Apple's Cube-For-Cash Deal Comes To Britain
Resellers Welcome Apple Moves
Mac resellers said they welcomed the company's new Cube and PowerBook rebates, as well as Apple's decision to allow dealer sales of the 500MHz Cube and Key Lime iBook. But they said it's too early to see an impact on sales.
Opinion
X Marks The Problem
Still, this is not to say that X is bad, nor that X is slow. It's just that my expectations were wrong. With so much buildup to X — after years of heavenly Copland and Rhapsody dreams being shattered — we came to expect X as the solution to every problem.
What Is The Cube?
Sorry, Steve, but no matter how I try to spin it, the Cube certainly looks overpriced.
Review
Beta Mac OS X Has Beauty, Brawn, Bumps
Beauty and brawn—what more could you want?
Nisus Writer 6
It retains all the goodness of the previous versions and adds cool new stuff. What's not to like?
Sidetrack
As The Apple Turns: Dr Evil has clearly stolen Steve's mojo!
Wintel
Bush: Innovation, Not Litigation
Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush said Thursday he preferred "innovation over litigation," his strongest comment in months on the Clinton administration's antitrust case against Microsoft Corp.
A Kinder, Humbier Microsoft?
"Microsoft is no longer feared or awed in the Valley."
Plugging And Praying With WinMe
Microsoft has a long way to go before it offers an operating system that is easy enough for the everyday computer user to purchase and install effortlessly.
Thursday, October 19, 2000
Top Stories
Will Apple Regain Momentum?
Although Apple's third quarter was slightly under analyst estimates, the market is exaggerating the company's supposed "financial troubles."
It's Apple Picking Time
If Apple continues to grow at a vigorous clip, the upside is appealing, as both earnings, and price/earnings multiple expand. This is one stock you must own again.
Users: Apple Is Support Champ
Apple got top marks for technical support among PC vendors cited a user survey by ZDNet's Help and How-To channel. Check out how the Mac maker fared against the competition.
News
Apple Stock Drops Again
Apple Computer's shares fell as much as 9 percent Thursday following Wednesday's worse-than-expected earnings news.
Apple Shares Fall On Disappointing Earnings Report, Forecast
Apple shares were trading at $19.44, down 69 cents, or 3.5 percent, in early afternoon. At one point today, shares slipped below the 52-week low of $18.75.
Apple Makes Losing Look Good
Cupertino loses to Redmond in the third quarter, but it has the more upbeat announcement.
Despite Woes, Jobs Promises Faster Chips, Cheaper Cubes
Although Apple Computer warned Wednesday that sales could stay relatively flat in the coming year, chief executive Steve Jobs said the company has no shortage of new products in the pipeline.
Review
BBEdit 6.0
If you work even casually with syntax, BBEdit 6.0 will prove to be an indispensable tool that not only increases productivity over other editors—including its own younger sibling BBEdit Lite—but that simply by function teaches you more about the programming or markup language in which you're writing.
Mac OS X: New Finder Makes Life Easier
IcWord
IcWord does a decent job of displaying the original formatting; it will match fonts as closely as possible to that of the original document.
The Designer's Quartet
A recent experience helping a colleague research and buy a suitable Mac system left me overwhelmed at the choices available. So I may be sticking my neck out just before Thanksgiving, but I'm going to make some suggestions about a designer's hardware starter kit.
Microsoft Redesigns Mac Office
This robust set of business programs can let Mac users work with tools that are just as good (or even better) than the ones available to their Windows co-workers ó just what one needs in a cross-platform world.
X's Coolest Feature: A Unix Heart
After a day testing Mac OS X, the only thing to be said is: "What the hell took Apple so long?"
Sidetrack
Describing this poster in text would not do it justice. Just click and be horrified.
Wintel
Intel's Hard Road To The High End
Intel's got a roadmap to deliver chips for high-end server computing, but it has to clear a few roadblocks first.
Gates: Poor Need Meds, Not PCs
Bill Gates appeared at the Digital Dividends conference here like a Tory at the signing of the Declaration of Independence, telling the 350 attendees that they were wrong to expect to find markets among the world's poorest people.
Microsoft Eyes Palm Handhelds For .Net-Based Applications
"No offense to the Pocket PC, but we might need to bring .Net services to Palm and other [handheld] devices."
Wednesday, October 18, 2000
Top Stories
Making Lemonade From Apples
Only Steve Jobs could turn a dreadful earnings forecast into an exciting and hopeful glimpse into the future.
Apple Drops 19% On Lowered Outlook
Apple shares were taken well below the $20 level during Wednesday's after-hours session after the PC company missed the consensus quarterly earnings estimate and predicted a rough year ahead.
Apple Falls Short Of Lowered Expectations
Apple Computer on Wednesday posted earnings that fell short of lowered expectations and said it will have another disappointing quarter as it tries to burn off excess inventory.
Street Braces For Apple's Next Act
In the circus of the PC industry, Apple Computer is both sideshow freak and tightrope acrobat. Wall Street breathlessly watches every move it makes in a combination of amazement and disgust ó wowed by the feats it performs, yet terrified by its refusal to be, well, normal.
News
Apple Misses Lowered Profit Estimates
The computer maker believes it will be back on track in the January, or second, quarter.
Apple Plans To Close 'MHz Gap' In 2001
"Some customers feel that Apple has fallen into a MHz gap in regards to Intel," Jobs says. "But we're working closely with Motorola to address this problem."
Apple Modem Updater 2.0 Improves Stability, Performance
Wall Street Takes Tough Look At Apple's Potential
Analysts say the company needs to think of ways to retain its loyal customers and widen its base by offering products with improved technologies — such as computers with faster, 1-gigahertz microprocessors now available in other PCs.
How Far Has Apple Fallen?
Apple Computer has already said that business was off last quarter. The question the company will try to answer Wednesday when it releases earnings is how long the malaise will continue.
E-Mail At 35,000 Feet
Send and receive e-mail and browse popular websites while cruising above the Pacific.
Opinion
Is Bad Taste Holding Back Apple?
The Readers Speak: Apple's Financial Woes
Macs Are Home Computers
Despite the dominance of Windows in the workplace, a lot of people are choosing to use Macs at home — I think that's part of the reason Apple "bet the farm" on the iMac.
Review
Sad Macs, Bombs, And Other Disasters (And What To Do About Them), 4th Edition
In over 900 pages of text and screenshots, readers can learn more about what might go wrong and how to MacFixIt than they ever knew existed.
Microsoft Gets A Mac Version Right
Microsoft Office is much easier for household users, and it has powerful new features for business people.
Sidetrack
Splash A Little Color
iMac-inspired laptops.
iMac-inspired water bottles.
iMac-inspired video camera.
Insert your own punchline.
Wintel
Microsoft Sees Continued Life For Office
Ballmer said the company can continue to add considerable value — including instant messaging and collaboration — to the venerable application suite to keep users coming back for more.
The Players On Gates' Team
With a possible breakup looming and executives departing, Microsoft develops a new generation of leaders for the post-Windows world.
Microsoft's 'Back On Track'
Its stock shoots up $4 in after-hours trading after Redmond released an earnings report that beat analyst forecasts. So what's the prognosis for the Net's other leading players?
Microsoft's Ballmer: Sun Has No Clue
Sun's McNealy says software is a feature, not an industry. Retorts Microsoft's CEO: 'That, my friend, is why you want to steer clear of Sun.'
Windows 2000: It's A Matter Of When, Not If
Businesses have adopted Windows 2000 more slowly than Microsoft would have liked. Gartner believes the gap between Microsoft's expectations and the actual deployment rates indicates the software giant's lack of understanding of how its customers plan, deploy and support its products.
Microsoft Up In After Hours Following Earnings
Microsoft on Wednesday posted a first-quarter profit that beat Wall Street projections by 5 cents per share.
Intel's Passing Grades Come With An Asterisk
After warning investors last month that its revenue would not meet earlier expectations, the Intel Corporation reported third- quarter numbers yesterday that beat analysts' lowered forecasts. But the company gave wary investors other reasons for concern, reporting stagnant chip sales and projecting a relatively soft holiday season.
Tuesday, October 17, 2000
Top Stories
Cisco, Apple, And Probabilities
Apple isn't nearly as good a business, even when it's firing on all cylinders, as the company relies on a steady stream of innovative new products to fuel its growth, many of which are very popular but some aren't, making its earnings a bit erratic.
Apple Grades Dropping In Schools
Stiff competition from Dell and other Windows-based PC makers is beginning to take a bite out of Apple's education stronghold.
New Economy: Apple Dances With Nemesis Microsoft
The arrival of Microsoft's Macintosh Office will be vital to the success of the new Macintosh OS X. So as Steve Jobs struggles to bring the Macintosh back to the future, he remains dependent on his past nemesis and current ally, Bill Gates.
The Readers Speak: QuickTime 5
QuickTime 3 interface was just fine, thank you. Apple messed it up with QuickTime 4 by emphasizing eye candy over functionality. QuickTime 5 takes two steps forward and another two back.
News
Does This iMac Clash With My Shirt?
While processor speed and memory size used to be a computer buyer's main concerns, the iMac's latest rainbow of colors has raised a troubling question the average technophile is ill-equipped to tackle: Am I a ruby or an indigo?
Adobe Shares Drop On Sales Concerns
Adobe Systems shares fell 6 percent Tuesday after a PaineWebber analyst lowered his rating on concern that sales of the company's PhotoShop publishing and design software will be hurt by slowing corporate spending.
Obsolete Macintosh Is Still A Classic For Some Users
The icon that appears at the start-up of every Apple computer has the distinctive shape of the Color Classic and its more common black-and-white Mac Classic cousins.
Apple Computers Phased Out By Schools And Colleges, WSJ Says
Analysts said many schools and colleges are realizing how Windows-oriented the world is, as children learn Windows at an early age and go to college with Windows-based computers. And some schools have complained because Apple changed its education sales force and now has much less direct contact with schools, the paper said.
Are Canadian Tax Dollars Promoting Microsoft?
"Last Friday (Oct 13, 2000), Canada Internet.com reported a partnership between Canada Post and 3Web. The announcement boasts a service, which can reach "70 percent of all Canadians". You have probably guessed the rest: This service, paid for with our tax dollars, supports and promotes Microsoft to the detriment of other OS vendors"
A New Kind Of OS
"Could it be? An operating system that worked over the Web. Through a browser? Could it actually be? It was true. First I checked by internal kill list. You know, those things you look at before you're willing to do business with a company."
Apple: Two Routes To Mac OS X
In an all-out effort to attract developers and applications to its new operating system, Apple Computer Inc. has provided two ways to program for Mac OS X. But how do the results match up for end users?
Opinion
Bye To One Of The Apple Corps
In the frenetic, always-on atmosphere of Silicon Valley, Mandich was an island of reason and insight. He attacked his tasks with vigour and knowledge, but he was also a very nice man with whom it was a pleasure to sit and talk.
Apple Explained, Part II: What Ails Apple?
The truth is that we are at the bottom of a typical October bear market, which, typically, makes mud out of high flying, volatile technology stocks. It's the market's way of flushing the system.
Review
Baldur's Gate
Baldur’s Gate is a fine game, well worth the effort it took to port it to the Mac. It offers the definitive computer version of AD&D, a good story, a huge number of places to explore and things to do, and stays fresh even after weeks of constant play.
UMAX Astra 6450
Software glitches aside, UMAX has done a spectacular job with the $300 Astra 6450, bringing unmatched speed and quality to the consumer level.
Risk 2
In a world where the quality of a game seems to be rated upon it's polygon count and number of cheat codes, Risk is a reminder of what really makes a game great.
Spring Cleaning 3.5
I feel a bit badly about been so rough on Spring Cleaning, but it is simply slow, buggy, and I didn't find it especially useful.
To iBook Or PowerBook?
The iBook would seem better suited to those for whom a laptop is an occasional, or secondary machine, used mostly for travel rather than frequent presentations. Since I use my laptop daily and actively, the PowerBook seems the better bet for me.
Commotion 3.0
Commotion's new interface improves an already powerful and unique product. In addition to facilitating smoother workflow, Commotion's new compositing facilities mean you'll spend less time moving between Commotion and a compositing or editing program such as Adobe After Effects or Apple Final Cut Pro.
Sidetrack
Ramblings From A Web Surfer
The Register: Sony Goes iMac With Trendy Transmeta Vaio. Just want to let you know that this article has nothing to do with Apple. Thank you.
Dave Winer: Do you have any idea how much Netscape's demise cost us? (Not just [my company], but writers, designers and developers of content tools.) They left a big buggy browser in th emiddle of the market. Do we have to work around their three-year-old bugs forever?
As The Apple Turns: Poor Bill... someone actually made it look like he broke federal electronic trespassing laws, when in fact his company has only been found guilty of breaking federal antitrust laws.
NYToday: "Will you accept this message?" In this case, the subject line read, "Marriage Proposal."
Old News
4 Years Ago - Analysts Don't Bite On Apple: Apple Computer's stock jumped 7.8 percent today in trading after it surprised Wall Street with news that it would post a fourth-quarter profit, but analysts remained apprehensive about the company's future.
Wintel
Tech Titans Show Achilles' Hells
Hurt by softening PC demand and strategic errors, longtime kingpins such as Intel and Microsoft face being supplanted.
Transmeta Chip No Speed Demon
Sony and NEC launched the first notebooks based on Transmeta's revolutionary new Crusoe chip, but preliminary benchmark scores seem to indicate the much-ballyhooed chips are no speed demons.
AMD Moves Further Ahead Of Intel With Chip
Sunnyvale, Calif.-based AMD on Tuesday released new processors—the 1.2-GHz Athlon and the 800-MHz Duron—that will appear in systems from Compaq Computer, Gateway and Hewlett-Packard. Micron Electronics sells a Duron system at Best Buy stores, and IBM sells some Duron PCs directly.
IT Giants Who Don't Pay Tax Part 2: How Microsoft Does It
The worst scenario for Microsoft would be if the share price stayed depressed during the appeals. A long-term financial decline at Microsoft is beginning to look more likely than a defeat in the appeal courts.
Microsoft Scores Extra Time To Answer EU Charges
The European Commission said on Tuesday it had given U.S. software giant Microsoft extra time to answer charges that it is abusing its power to gain an edge in the global market for server software.
Intel Beats Estimates, Says Growth May Slow Next Quarter
Intel beat lowered earnings expectations Tuesday, but the outlook for the fourth quarter looks like it could be disappointing.
NEC Is Third Manufacturer To Release Transmeta Notebook
NEC has become the third major manufacturer to release a notebook PC containing Transmeta's Crusoe processor, as competition in the laptop market escalates.
AMD, Intel Launch Chip Price War
Chip industry rivals discount prices in the face of flagging demand and sagging stock prices. And analysts say they've just begun to fight.
Clouds Hang Over Intel's Earnings Report
Intel will report earnings Tuesday afternoon, and nobody seems to be in a good mood about it.
AMD Speeds Up, Supports Two-Chip Systems
A Fleeting Chance To Bid For An Xbox
Winners won't get the Xbox until it starts shipping next fall. But in the meantime, they will have a hand-signed certificate from Bill Gates assuring that they will be one of the first with the console.
Monday, October 16, 2000
Top Stories
Charter School Issues Laptops To Its Students
The 140 ninth-graders from Lennox will get leased Apple iBooks for a year. School's founder says technology helps the whole family.
Okay — Sometimes We're Wrong
I made a mistake and did not call Apple to double-check my assertion that there was no Caps Lock key light. The result? An erroneous review and a slew of letters in my In Box every morning.
Book Explores What Makes Jobs Tick
What's so unusual about Jobs is that he's both the good cop and the bad cop at Apple!
Apple On Top For Some Applicaitons; Windows Wins Others
In summary: Mac or PC? It depends. It depends upon whether you're as nuts as I am about always trying the next new thing or whether you're ready to settle down and enjoy the fruits of technology at a sane pace on the most elegant looking computers ever created.
News
Opening Door To Retail?
While the company-branded stores could bring Apple much-needed exposure and more control over distribution of its own products, it could be viewed by those now considered its allies as a sign of direct competition.
Opinion
Apple's Cube Rebate Saga
It seems there are many people who would love to own a Cube, but the masses of people aren¥t willing to swallow the price tag being offered, even with the new rebate.
MacOS X: Aqua Critiqued
"Assuming Apple is too stubborn to start fixing Aqua now, not to mention the possibility that consumers might hate Aqua and refuse to upgrade or buy new Macs - OS X will still secure and probably expand Apple's pro market."
Review
Hands On With The Radeon Mac Edition AGP Card
Between the 2D acceleration, the frag-happy framerates in 32-bit, the DVD decoding and the nifty video-out, the Radeon's a true contender, and a fantastic all-purpose card.
ATI's Radeon
Anyone who plays 3-D games on the Mac and is purchasing a Cube or a new G4 would be well advised to invest $100 in the BTO Radeon option.
Sidetrack
John H. Farr: The truth is that lots of things about the way my computer operates give me that happy little kick in the head, that intrinsic unspoken "yeah!" that makes things seem worthwhile. The rest of the time is taken up with the same old boring crap, so those little moments are important.
Life is full of crap. Thank goodness for those little moments, with and without my Mac.
John Doe: It takes a lot of fans to cool four Alpha chips, and he keeps on bitching about the noise they make.
Wintel
Sony Launches Crusoe-Based Laptop
Sony's newest notebook features a Transmeta chip and is a camcorder/PC hybrid — designed to record and broadcast video clips.
Whistler Public Beta Slips Again - But Hello To Build 2281
The good news is that the Windows 2000's team long term goal to reduce boot times is paying dividends.
Integrate Your Credits Cards Into WIndows? MS Buys Dodgy Patent
Could banks, credit card companies and retailers be forced to pay a gatekeeper fee? Both? Endless possibilities based on the flimsiest of fonudations - hats off to the US patent office...
Sunday, October 15, 2000
Top Stories
A Happy, Scary New Day For Design
Shadow, translucency, reflection, refraction, dappling, stippling, blurring, shimmering, vibration, moire, netting, layering, superimposition: these are some of the visual devices used to render the veil in contemporary design.
News
Is The PC Boom Over?
Now that the majority of households own personal computers, sales growth is starting to slow down.
Sidetrack
Car News
J Mays, Ford's vice president of design: Cars are no longer the icon of the age. It's the computer that drives the age. Thanks to iMac?
Old News
2 Years Ago - Analysts Bite On Apple's Future : After suffering a drought for many years, Apple Computer yesterday announced its first profitable year since 1995, bolstering analysts' outlook that the company is in a strong position to continue to grow earnings.
Saturday, October 14, 2000
Top Stories
Despite Recent Stock Slip, Jobs Isn't Finished With Apple
Jobs doesn't give up. He trusts his instincts, and even though he has been spectacularly wrong, sometimes he's breathtakingly right. In Apple's current situation, I think the disappointing quarterly results are more an issue of temporary problems with execution than any colossal blunder or blind spot on Jobs' part.
OS X: What Do You Think?
Many agreed with my conclusions. Others think OS X is a big improvement just the way it is, and a few warned me to "stop whining" about the Public Betaís shortcomings.
Review
OS X Beta
For now, the good outweighs the bad, and I'm continuing to use OS X on my main machine. Make no mistake, though, OS X deserves the "beta" moniker it bears: it's not ready for prime-time yet.
MusicMatch Jukebox
Right now, it's no better than a direct PC port. That's practically what it is!MusicMatch Jukebox has some nice features to back it up, but the interface just ruins it all and makes it a displeasure to use.
Friday, October 13, 2000
Top Stories
Apple Announces Cube, PowerBook Rebates
Friday the 13th turned out to be a lucky day for prospective Mac owners as Apple officially announced rebates of $300 on its G4 Cube and $200 on the PowerBook if you purchase one by Dec. 31. The Cube rebate applies if you buy the computer with one of Apple's new displays: the 15- and 22-inch flat panels and 17-inch CRT.
Personal Technology
"What started out as an open-source style [of programming] was taken over by the marketing people, who realized they were getting press every time a new beta came out."
In Jobs' 'Second Coming', It's All In Who You Believe
While you might not like Deutschman's account of Jobs, you have to admire his tenacity in getting so many to talk and give what appears to many who know the author, know the sources and know the stories firsthand, as an accurate portrayal of the facts.
News
Apple Launches Rebate Program For Cube, PowerBooks
Looking to boost sluggish demand for its PowerMac G4 Cube and spur sales of PowerBook laptops, Apple Computer on Friday kicked off a mail-in rebate program good through the end of the year.
The Case For QuickTime Ubiquity
WGBH Interactive is working on several paths of "parallel production," fusing streaming video and audio with multi-language captioning, as well as time-synced data. Producers intend to create active viewing experiences with the ulterior motive not merely of entertaining, but of teaching and informing.
Microsoft Expected To Report Sluggish Growth
The world's largest software maker on Wednesday is forecast to report profit of 41 cents a share on revenue of about $5.7 billion for the quarter ended Sept. 30, the average estimate of analysts polled by First Call/Thomson Financial. That's up slightly from profit of $2.19 billion, or 40 cents, on revenue of $5.38 billion a year earlier.
Apple Cheers On MS At Office Party
Customers, the press, and a platoon of Microsoft Corp. support staff gathered at the downtown CompUSA outlet here for the official rollout of the Mac-only version of Microsoft's Office 2001, which had been trickling onto store shelves for weeks.
Microsoft Gets Assimilated: Apple's Old Nemesis Is Now One Of Developers
This is not to say that Microsoft is the best developer or has the best products. What I am saying is that the company seems to understand and emulate what drives people to buy a Mac in the first place — it makes complex tasks simple and simple ones effortless.
Opinion
Tradeoffs For OS X Beta
In the end it's a matter of patience, which I don't really have much of. I want to use Mac OS X now, but the price I would have to pay does not make it seem worth it.
X On Intel? What A Stupid Idea!
Now that we've got the OS Geeks want to use, they can damn well go out and buy a Mac just like we did to use it on!
Whine Tasting
After using OS X continuously for a month, we've run across a small number of issues that are simply maddening. Here are our favorites.
QuickTime 5 In The Making
It's still early, but it looks like QuickTime 5 will be a lot easier to use than its predecessor.
Review
Suitcase 9
If you need to manage fonts over a network, Suitcase Server has no real competitors. But if you're using fonts on just one machine, $49.95 is pretty steep for such a minor upgrade.
Microsoft's Apple-Flavored Office
Microsoft's Office 2001 for the Macintosh—"Office:mac 2001" in marketing-ese—has a lot of sizzle, but its steak is surprisingly good, too. It appears Microsoft's designers have finally taken into consideration the unique attributes of the Macintosh platform when creating their software.
Apple iBook SE (Graphite)
Someday far in the future, long after Apple Computer is history, many of its products are likely to merit museum treatment. Case in point: the new iBook Special Edition, with its eye-catching graphite-and-white chassis. But there's more than good looks here. Apple has eliminated some of the shortcomings of the original version and has produced a first-class laptop that is stylish and reasonably affordable.
Wintel
At Chip Show, It's Open Season On Intel
Intel Corp. may stand tall as a computer industry leader, but its rivals are taking turns belittling the chip maker this week, at times mocking claims about its products.
Microsoft .Net For Linux?
An SEC filing says Corel could port .Net to Linux. And — surprise — Microsoft was threatening to sue Corel, not vice versa.
Government Filing Hints At Microsoft's Linux Plans
"Corel is doing a lot of Linux work and we might be interested down the line. In case we ever need to, we have something in our back pocket," said Microsoft spokesman Jim Cullinan. "But we don't exercise (every) option in contracts, so I wouldn't read too much into it."
Thursday, October 12, 2000
Top Stories
Apple To Offer Cube, PowerBook Rebates
Some Mac resellers contacted by MacWEEK have confirmed reports that Apple plans to offer rebates to customers of the G4 Cube and PowerBook, though others said that they had not heard official word of the program.
With New Office Suite For The Mac, Microsoft Does More Than Windows
Entourage is also the clearest evidence that as the market for Apple software has declined in recent years, some of the best Macintosh programmers have taken refuge at Microsoft.
Windows ME, Mac OS X Spell Change
My final verdict is that ME upgrades and the OS X public beta are probably a bit too much bother except for computer weenies. But soon they will be built into all PCs and Macs, and that'll be a great day for everybody.
Can Mac OS X Sell Without An Office Suite?
"OS X has to have 2001," Gartner analyst Chris LeTocq said. But "OS X's schedule from Microsoft's perspective is a moving target, so I don't think this can be laid at Microsoft's feet."
Apple To Offer Cube Rebates, Retailers Say
Apple plans to offer a $300 rebate to consumers who buy a PowerMac G4 Cube along with an Apple monitor, according to resellers familiar with Apple's plans. One of the dealers said that Apple is also going to offer $200 rebates on its PowerBook line of notebook computers.
News
The Future Of Low-End Gaming
If you are looking for the current first person shooter, well, you may be disappointed, but just about any other genre still has plenty of life even on less than modern Macs.
Microsoft Tests Media Player For Macs
Software giant Microsoft on Wednesday unveiled new software for playing video and audio on Apple Computer's computers, stepping up its drive to dominate the Internet media technology market.
Apple G4 Cube Is Not All It's Cracked Up To Be
Singapore G4 Cube buyers, perturbed by Net reports of ''hairline cracks'' in the computer's shell, have been calling local distributors to enquire and complain.
Microsoft Launches Office 2001 For Mac
"Microsoft put craftsmanship into this product," said Clent Richardson, Apple's VP of worldwide developer relations, who was also on hand. "There are also many Mac-only and Mac-first features."
Opinion
Coming Second To Steve Jobs
I don't doubt that Steve Jobs has some big character flaws. Most of us have. But I would take out my own appendix with a sharpened spoon before I would trust the kind of writer who seeks to sponge of some of that fame he believes he deserves so richly himself but which unexplainably went to the likes of Steve Jobs, by writing books which under the guise of being "critical" are simply covert and cowardly attacks.
Review
Office 2001
Office 2001 is a substantial upgrade—and we've only covered the major new features here—but it is not the quantum leap that its predecessor was. Some current users might think twice about whether Entourage, and the new features in the other applications, are worth the rather steep $299 upgrade price.
OmniWeb
After protected memory, preemptive multitasking, a slick interface, and bragging rights, OmniWeb is the best reason to update to Mac OS X.
Sidetrack
New Zealand Herald: Cracks Appear In Australia's Apple Ban. I see the word "Cracks" and I see the word "Apple". Then I see the word "Ban", and I got alarmed. :-)
David Pogue: No, I wouldn't want to work for Steve Jobs. And I certainly wouldn't want to be Steve Jobs; he's driven by demons that Wes Craven doesn't even dream about. But as long as he keeps the job, I'll be his customer—and his highly entertained audience.
Eolake Stobblehouse: I don't doubt that Steve Jobs has some big character flaws. Most of us have. But I would take out my own appendix with a sharpened spoon before I would trust the kind of writer who seeks to sponge of some of that fame he believes he deserves so richly himself but which unexplainably went to the likes of Steve Jobs, by writing books which under the guise of being "critical" are simply covert and cowardly attacks.
Wintel
Windows-Based Destroyer To Dominate Littoral Battlespace
While one arm of the US government continues to bear down legally on Microsoft, another - the US Navy - looks more Windows-aholic day by day.
Bill Gates Victimized In Hack Attack
A hacker recently changed three stories on the Web site of a California newspaper, making one read that Microsoft Corp. chairman Bill Gates was arrested for breaking into NASA computers, a spokeswoman said Wednesday.
Schedule Set In Microsoft Case
The timetable reflected a compromise. Microsoft had sought at least five months to file documents, and the government had pressed for a faster review that would have had the filing period ending in late December.
Microsoft Makes Nice
Datacenter is better than its predecessors, but unfortunately much the same language was used to boost Windows NT as it came out of the chute.
Pentium 4 Won't Dominate Intel Sales Until 2002
Because of a number of marketing and technical issues, the more technologically advanced Pentium 4 will continue to be overshadowed by the Pentium III, at least in terms of revenue and units produced, for some time, say analysts and Intel executives.
AMD Edges Past Estimates In Tough Quarter
AMD reported fiscal third-quarter net earnings, excluding one-time gains, of $219 million, or 64 cents a share—2 cents better than expectations. Including nonrecurring gains, the company achieved earnings of $1.18 per share. Revenue came to $1.21 billion.
Wednesday, October 11, 2000
Top Stories
The New, Improved Steve Jobs
Even if he did try to stop publication of a biography about him, there's a lot to admire about the Apple CEO, says author Alan Deutschman.
New G4 Chip Hits 1 GHz; Apple Plans Uncertain
Apple representatives said that the company is always evaluating faster chips from Motorola and IBM, but just because one of the companies announces a faster offering does not mean that Apple will use it.
Apple Announces QuickTime 5
Apple debuted the long-awaited upgrade at the QuickTime Live conference in Beverly Hills. Preview versions of QuickTime 5 and the new QuickTime Streaming Server are available now for download. Final release is slated for early 2001.
News
Moto's G4 Apollo Augus 1GHz Macs
Sales Chief To Retire From Apple
"I don't think Mandich was the fall guy. Yes, the decision was unexpected, but I don't believe that he's retiring."
A Cool Computer Leave Buyers Cold
The slowdown in PC sales hurts Apple most.
Apple Dishes Up Public Preview Of QuickTime 5
Apple Computer on Tuesday served up a "public preview" of its QuickTime 5 streaming media program for the Macintosh, which offers new features such as protection against video and audio skips caused by slow Internet connections.
Apple's QuickTime 4 Surpasses 100 Million Mark
QuickTime chosen as exclusive format for RollingStone.com concert series site.
Apple Releases QuickTime 5 And QuickTime Streaming Server 3 Public Previews
QuickTime 5ís many new innovations include an updated media player with a new QuickTime TV (QTV) network channel display and new audio controls; a new component downloader for adding plug-ins on the fly; and support for new web codecs including Macromedia Flash 4, Cubic VR and Shoutcast.
Review
MacNN
Like other up-to-the-second news sites, MacNN focuses on maintaining a seemingly endless list of news items, software updates and links to reviews and columns deeper inside the site. Unlike other news aggregators, however, the site often satisfies the need for immediate information without sending visitors elsewhere.
Wintel
Intel Defends Its Mobile-Chip Turf
Intel executives took the stage at an industry gathering to deflect the first inroads of Transmeta, a tiny but highly visible competitor, in the lucrative chip market for portable computers.
Jackson May Be Through With Microsoft Case
The federal judge who ruled that Microsoft violated U.S. antitrust law could be removed from the case in the likely event an appellate panel returns portions of the case to his court, legal experts say.
New Intel Laptop Chips Consume Less Power
Intel said it will enhance energy-saving features in processors for laptops and begin shipping new mobile Pentium chips next year as competition intensifies.
Tuesday, October 10, 2000
Top Stories
New iBooks Slower? Not So Fast
"It was great in its time, but any testing tool that goes untouched for two years is bound to run into problems."
In Praise Of Corporate Tyranny
By being a force of nature. By cutting like a knife through the politics, infighting, and dissention of the 1997 Apple. And yes, by firing people who didn't get with the program. By moving quickly—too fast for studies, consensus, or focus groups—and making decisions on instinct and experience.
Religious Themes Dominate 'Second Coming'
"It is easy just as a joke to refer to Steve Jobs' companies as a cult, but in doing research for the book I actually found many similarities to actual cults such as Est [Erhard Seminars Training] and elements of the 1970s human potential movements," Deutschman says while being interviewed in a San Francisco cafe.
Apple's Chief Sales Executive Steps Down
Less than two weeks after Apple Computer said it would fall short of its revenue goals for the quarter, the company's chief sales executive announced Monday he will leave the company at the end of the year.
News
QT Live!: QuickTime And Mac OS X A Powerful Combo
The future for QuickTime, especially QuickTime on Mac OS X, is incredibly bright, says Ben Haylock, computing services officer for MacQuarie University in Sydney, Australia, "a center for flexible learning."
Unauthorized Biography Takes On Steve Jobs
"I really wanted to have some fun with the cult aspects of his life," Deutschman says, "and give a sense that this wasn't some deadly serious biographical tome but a book with a little bit of an attitude and a sense of humor."
Opinion
Why Apple Will Bounce Back
I may not be an Apple apologist, but — so far, at least — I believe that few apologies are necessary, either from the Mac maker or its supporters.
Review
Final Cut Pro
Apple's Final Cut Pro (FCP) and its sibling, iMovie 2, are powering a new desktop video revolution that enables people to be content sources, rather than simply media consumers.
Sidetrack
Apple Confidential, 2000
Without resorting to any explicit guesses or speculations, CNET reports that Mitch Mandich, vice president of worldwide sales, is retiring. Maybe it is just a coincidence that this announcement came just two weeks after the disastrous profit warning. Just the facts?
The Mac Observer is more direct in their approach. Two possible versions behind the scene were offered: either Mitch is responsible losing half of the company, or he is the scapegoat. However, the opinion is that it is a coincidence.
Third version: Steve and Mitch disagrees with how to fix up sales, and guess who is being forced out of the company?
Wintel
AMD May Dodge PC Weakness In Third-Quarter Results
Although several companies have warned that third-quarter revenue and profits will be lower than expected, Intel rival Advanced Micro Devices appears to be on track to meet earnings later this week.
Cisco, Microsoft Paid No Federal Income Tax
Cisco Systems and Microsoft, two of the nation's richest companies, capitalized on the windfall profits of their employees to wipe out their federal income tax bills last year.
Microsoft's Funny Money
A spunky shareholder resolution demands that the company account for its political campaign contributions.
Monday, October 9, 2000
Top Stories
Apple: OS X Galvanizes Modern Macs
The recently released public beta version of Mac OS X opens a new OS era to users of current Macs, according to Apple Director of Mac OS Product Marketing Ken Bereskin. In an exclusive interview with ZDNet News, Bereskin said the new age will feature tighter integration between current Mac hardware and software than ever before.
Under The Hood With Mac OS X
New Unix-based operating system's beta shows reliability but erratic performance.
Apple's Trouble Lie At Its Core
Apple is expected to capture less than 30 per cent of new shipments to schools this year. Naturally, in the cutthroat world of selling boxes and laptops, the top PC makers have fixed their sights on schools and colleges at a time when many of the advantages Apple used to enjoy are fading.
News
Singapore NatSteel Electronics: Apple Hasn't Canceled Contracts
NatSteel Electronics Ltd. said Monday that Apple Computer Inc. (AAPL) hasn't canceled any contracts with it, said Chay Yee Ming, its chief financial officer. "Apple is still using NEL as the exclusive supplier for motherboards," Chay said.
Apple Retain Core User Base On The Web, But Fails To Take A Bite Out Of Microsoft
QuickTime Live Opens In L.A.
Digital video pros are headed for Beverly Hills as Apple Computer's QuickTime Live conference opens Monday with a full slate of workshops. The event runs through Thursday, when the product showcase is open to the public.
Airlines Plan To Offer Internet Access In Terminals
The plans come at a time when relations between airlines and travelers are frayed over delays. Only 70 percent of planes are making their schedules, the Transportation Department says. United Airlines came in last among the 10 large carriers in August, with just 42.7 percent on-time arrivals.
Jeff Hawkins, Handhelds
"I knew people wanted something like this. Why else would they keep buying them — Apple sold 100,000 Newtons —" he says in a quick aside, "and then, after a while, throw them in a drawer?"
Opinion
Unix Gambit Alone Isn't Enough To Save Apple
All I do know is that Linux is becoming a credible desktop far faster than most would have predicted, and Apple's pretty plastic cases and faux-open-source OS won't be enough to keep it from being the next victim of Linux's rise up the food chain.
Apple Retail Store, PR Nightmare
If Apple does follow through and open a retail chain, there will be the loudest scream of "foul" and all the current Apple Authorized Resellers will be making noise, again illustrating how Apple doesn¥t care about them. Apple will be inviting weeks/months of bad publicity as they are trying to improve on their sales.
Review
More Than Just A Pretty Face
The Cube sets a new standard in style for Macs and PCs.
Netscape 6 PR3: Swings And Roundabouts
How many point releases of Netscape 4.x have there been this year? Why aren't they moving resources into chasing down the last bugs and issues with Netscape 6? Why haven't they withdrawn Netscape 4 from the market?
Sidetrack
Me, The Consumer
SlashDot is reporting on a rumor that indicates that Time Warner is considering changing the DVD region-coding thingy to stop multi-region DVD players from playing their movies.
The ironic thing is that this move would probably cause me to resort to piracy should I want to continue watching Time Warner's movies. Someone show me a single store in Singapore which sells, say, Labyrinth. In fact, someone show me a single store anywhere in the world which sells Labyrinth in code 3.
Okay, so Labyrinth is not released by Time Warner. It's just that this is the latest movie I bought overseas.
Last weekend, I tried installing the latest beta from Netscape on my Windows laptop. After the installation, I discovered that it also installed some form of internet phone application that gets started up with Windows and pop an annoying icon on my system tray. After a brief detour to its preference dialog box but couldn't find any way to turn off this behavior, I uninstalled the application.
If I could turn that behavior off, the application might have stayed in my computer, and I might use it in the future, and I might become a paying customer too. Now, I just hate Netscape more.
Moral for the day? Play nice.
Wintel
Intel Shifts Executives To Speed Pentium 4
Intel on Monday reshuffled responsibilities inside its microprocessor division to stem the chronic manufacturing problems that have stumped the company for more than a year.
Sunday, October 8, 2000
Opinion
Apple Alms?
Should Apple be charging $30 for Mac OS X beta? We explain the decision and discuss the benefits of this cost.
Review
FireWire iBook
Benchmark anomalies aside, the iBook remains a lot of laptop for the money. It has adequate speed and a big enough screen for most users. It has great battery life, excellent ergonomics, and even a handle to facilitate transportation. All this and a lower price tag than last year's model.
The Sims
The Sims is one of the most compelling games to hit the Mac in years. The next time someone tells you to get a life, get The Sims instead.
Office 2000 For The Mac A Pretty Package Inside And Out
So, if you're one of those old-school Mac lovers who loves to hate Microsoft, it might be time to give it up. Like it or not, it's now indisputable: Next to Adobe, Microsoft is Apple's best friend.
Saturday, October 7, 2000
Top Stories
Mac OS X Looks Worth The Wait
The software is a marvel of re-engineering. Under the hood there is a completely modern operating system that brings the power and reliability of corporate web servers to desktop users.
The NeXT Apple OS: OS X Public Beta Operating System For The Macintosh
Make no mistake about it: the complete overhaul of the Macintosh operating system is a very big deal. Not just because Apple has decided to remake one of the easiest OSís to master. And not just because itís a commercial attempt at bringing a Unix-based OS to the masses. It is a big deal because Apple is betting the house on system software that tries to combine the best attributes of Steve Jobsí old NeXT operating system and the tried-and-true Macintosh. So far, though, it doesnít live up to all the hype.
News
Opinion
Apple Needs More Than Its Own Store
Other than the Megahertz thing and getting product on store shelves in a timely fashion, Apple's biggest challenge is the pitiful shopping experience that customers still experience to this day.
Should We Give Up On Apple?
If Apple can ignore the death chants of its critics and stay focused on what they need to do to resolve their present predicament, I'm sure Apple will succeed yet again.
Review
Deus Ex
Deus Ex is...well, if William Gibson and Tom Clancy got married and had a son, and that son went on to college and roomed with John Carmack, this is the game he would've made.
Wintel
1.4GHz P4 Price Slashed
And it hasn't even gone on sale yet.
Whistler Beta Target Blows By MS
Already behind schedule, Beta 1 of Microsoft's next-generation Windows product, code-named Whistler, is scheduled to debut in late October. But testers of the latest alpha build say that date might be too soon, given the state of the user interface.
Friday, October 6, 2000
Top Stories
Inside Jobs: Intrigue Laced With Frustration
As deep as it delves into the gestalt of Jobs ó an adopted, post-flower child who spent the early part of his adult life trying to find his biological parents while ignoring his first child ó Deutschman doesn't crack the inner circle of All Things Steve.
Time To Defend Apple
I'm more convinced than ever that we'll never see jazzy-looking PCs, because the kind of engineering and MBA talent that runs the computer manufacturing companies doesn't get that stylish.
The Next Generation Of The Mac: X
Apple says that the X in Mac OS X, its upcoming replacement for the Mac operating system, should be pronounced "10." But the common mispronunciation of "ex" gets closer to the truth—that letter might as well stand for "experimental."
The Verdict: Did Apple And Priceline Ruin Last Week?
Apple didn't deserve to be taken down so low. And since the company is just getting moving with its new product line, including the much ballyhooed OS X, we won't have conclusive information on short-term success or failure for at least another couple of quarters.
Apple Gets A Bruising
The bottom line is, things aren't as rotten as people are making them out to be. Apple is still a moneymaker.
Don't Worry, Be Happy!: Why Apple's Darkest Moment Isn't So Dark At All
The PC market is big enough and diverse enough for a boutique computer company to not only survive but to do well, which is exactly what Apple has been and is still doing. It is time to think different.
The Insanity Of Wall Street
Most events and trends of late seem to be in Apple's favor, not against. Once again, I'm left to question what the selloff of Apple's stock was about? Was it sanity, and people coming to their senses, or was it stupidity and people overreacting to hype? If it was the latter, and I think it was, then I see Apple as a big investment opportunity.
News
We Saw Apple's Troubles All Along - Market Researcher
OneChannel's numbers just seem to show is that Apple's sales metrics aren't quite the same as the rest of the PC business, which shouldn't surprise anyone.
For Record Labels Big And Small: QuickTime Leaps Ahead On The Web
Record companies big and small have discovered the Internet and are racing to beat out the competition. Seeking to maximize sales some labels are creating QuickTime-based media to promote their music.
Apple's E-commerce Tool, 1-Click, Threatened
"OpenTV's U.S. patent filing predates, by more than three years, the 1-Click patent Amazon.com is asserting against Barnes and Noble.com."
One Judge's Opinion: Delete Should Mean Delete
The geniuses who designed the modern world's computers probably thought they were doing mankind a favor when they decided that nothing, in fact, would ever be deleted when a computer user presses the Delete button. At least one prominent jurist, however, thinks Delete should mean just that.
Grim Tales From Apple's Core
The Second Coming of Steve Jobs by Alan Deutschman was written when Mr Jobs was being extolled for returning Apple to profitable growth. Today, such praise is rapidly diminishing as doubts set in about his ability to pull Apple out of another tailspin.
Is Cube All It's Cracked Up To Be?
To try to get to the bottom of the issue, ZDNet this week examined — and photographed — an assortment of freshly uncrated Cubes and found consistent anomalies in their plastics, some of them deeper than Apple has acknowledged.
Analysts: Tech Slump And Apple Slump Not The Same
Stock analysts are telling MacCentral there is a big difference and while computer sales in general are down for all makers throughout the world, Apple is mostly a single product company and as a result can be hit even harder when there is an overall PC sales slowdown.
Opinion
Clues From The Beta: Why OS X Won't Be Ported To Intel
Check out the new OS X "About This Mac" box.
Cool Elegance Of Apple's Cube May Leave You Cold
So why is it not a best seller? Playing Monday-morning quarterback, I'd have to say it's a question of value.
Review
Epsons Stylus Photo 875DCS
Just when we thought that inkjet printers couldn't get any more interesting (and that has kept us up late at night), Epson comes through with a surprise ó a photo-quality inkjet printer that doubles as a Sony Memory Stick reader.
Wintel
Dell Stock Dips On Profit Warning, Analyst Downgrades
Dell Computer shares sank today to their lowest price in two years, in response to its revenue growth warning and subsequent analyst downgrades.
Dell Vows No More Surprises For Wall Street
A day after announcing that sales will grow at a slower pace than expected this quarter, Dell Computer executives said they have learned the market's most merciless lesson: make your numbers.
Microsoft Accueses Government Of Trying To Short-Circuit Its Appeal
"Were it not for the three-month delay engendered by appellees' strenuous effort to avoid this Court's review, briefing would have been completed in November of this year under Microsoft's proposed schedule," Microsoft's brief states.
Ex-Employee Accusses Microsoft Of Racial, Gender Bias
Microsoft "permits managers, who are predominantly white males, to rate employees based upon their own biases rather than based upon merit," Monique Donaldson, a former program manager at Microsoft, states in the suit.
Thursday, October 5, 2000
Top Stories
Boxed In By The Cube
The take-it-or-leave it design philosophy that scored big with the $999 iMac won't work with a system costing thrice as much, no matter how pretty it is.
Opinion
The Sad Joke Of Reviews
Why should I trust your reviews, past and future, anymore, when you are telling me that you probably do not have the necessary technical knowledge and you do not bother to acquire the necessary technical knowledge to do justice to the product you review?
How To Rescue The Cube
Pretty much everyone agrees on two things: the Cube is cool and the Cube is overpriced. Cool is good. Overpriced is bad.
Sidetrack
The Sad Joke Of Reviews
Is it okay to criticize public beta software? Sure. Is it fair to point out problems and defects in beta software? You are supposed to. Is it even okay to say that the speed is not up to par in the software, even though you know that this is still in beta and it is probably not optimized for speed yet? Yes.
But is it okay for a reviewer, who has just written a public review saying that the speed is not up to par, to blame Apple for not telling him explicitly that the software is probably not optimized for speed? No, thank you very much. You hurt your own reputation if you do that.
Why should I trust your reviews, past and future, anymore, when you are telling me that you probably do not have the necessary technical knowledge and you do not bother to acquire the necessary technical knowledge to do justice to the product you review?
Itís not about butt-kissing. Itís not about beta software. Itís about honesty.
Jakob Nielsen: Quality needs to be become an explicit attribute of Web objects.
Mac OS X For Intel: My Say
The cheapest Macintosh sells for $799. How much pure profit is that for Apple? Say, $300? Well, then: sell Mac OS X For Intel for $300, and insists on a dongle.
Of course, this assumes that Mac OS X for Intel already exists. Thinking outside the cube, eh?
Latest Netscape Browser
If you are writing a Windows application, make it behave like a Windows application. If you are writing a Macintosh application, make it behave like a Macintosh application. What is this thing you guys built for Windows that doesnít behave like a Windows application, and this thing you guys built for Macintosh that doesnít behave like a Macintosh application?
Enough rants. The latest beta is out. And I donít believe the user-interface will get any better.
Jeffrey Veen: Will browsers ever not suck?
You Are My Sunshine
Steven Johnson: Is [the arrival of Mac OS X] also this generationís Sgt Pepper!?
Anyone wanna check with Dave Winer, or those guys at Radio Userland?
Wintel
Now For That Other MS Trial
With Microsoft asking for a five-month period to prepare papers for its appeal in the federal case, antitrust watchers now turn their attention to the lesser-known class-action battle in California.
Pentium 4 Yields 'Not Impressive'
30 per cent failure rate reported.
Will Whistler Be A Hardware Hog?
The new skinnable UI is obviously still under development, so in theory it could get faster during the beta process, but in practice Microsoft's new features have a tendency to get zipped up by having more hardware thrown at them, rather than via code optimisation.
Wednesday, October 4, 2000
Top Stories
Thinking Outside The Cube: Mac OS X For X86
Thereís an opportunity here. A comment that surfaced again and again in readersí responses was that users are looking for a way out of Windows, and Linux isnít cutting it for them.
Change The System!
In the case of OS X, I think what has happened is the convergence of three things: a product designed with such attention to detail that the drop-shadows do grow and shrink as you move the windows around; an audience that has so fetishized the product that the shadows actually seem like a big deal to them; and a web of communication that enables people to share their excitement with thousands of other people before that excitement wears off.
Mac Users Deliver The Early Word On OS X
Some praise its stability and jazzy looks. Some see a Mac-ified Windows. And nearly all griped about paying $30 for the beta version.
Apple Rallies Troops After Slump
Sources say Steve Jobs tells employees no layoffs are in the works, although some projects may be scaled back.
News
Give Us Mac OS X Or Give Us Death, Intel Users Demand
Even if Apple wanted to ship MacOS X for Intel, it's doubtful whether it can afford to do so.
AirPort For Mac OS X Public Beta
The Mac OS X Public Beta doesn't officially support Apple's wireless networking technology, but that didn't keep MacWEEK contributor Raven Zachary from trying a hack he found on a message board. He provides step-by-step instructions for running AirPort from the new OS.
Funds Don't Halt 'E-Pack' Instruction
The first phase of an ambitious program to put portable computers in the hands of every St. Johns County public school student is under way in 10 classrooms in five schools, including 45 students at Fruit Cove's Cunningham Creek Elementary School.
Microsoft Plans Low-Key Launch Of Office 2001:Mac
"It is sort of the poster product for the old way of doing computing. It's client-centric and code heavy and that's not the message Microsoft wants to put out at the corporate level anymore. It's sort of an embarrassment in terms of its architecture when you consider where Microsoft wants to go the .NET world."
Corel Follows Microsoft Deal With CEO Decision
Mac Developer Wendy Sternick Dies
"We received a wonderful response to our request, and for that we thank the Mac community on behalf of her family."
Casual Mac Gamers Get Four Newly Updated Hoyle Titles
The games augment Sierra's line of casual, family-friendly games with new features and abilities.
The Readers Speak: Using OS X
Many have fallen in love with the public beta, but others think OS X spells the death of the Macintosh as we know it. Here are early impressions from MacWEEK readers, pro and con.
Opinion
OS X On Intel: Belaboring The Obvious?
The Bridge To Nowhere: Part Two
In the previous episode, "The Bridge to Nowhere: Part One, " the author has marched into the wilderness to find the mythical Bridge to Nowhere. Blind with fear, he leaps off the bridge and finds it remarkably like upgrading his operating system.
Is The iMac Becoming Apple's K-car?
Apple has simply hung onto the iMac design as its mainstay for too long. Its tinkering with different color schemes and processor speed bumps is analogous to Chrysler's repeatedly tarting up the aging K-car floorpan and drivetrain with new sheet metal.
Apple, Wall Street And Overreaction
You can call it a crisis or a wakeup call, but it's not an impending apocalypse, and Apple has already weathered one of those.
Review
FireWire CD-RW Drives
Do you have a need for speed? Macworld Lab evaluated seven new FireWire CD-RW drives that should keep even the greediest speed demon happy . . . for a while, anyway.
Netscape: Small Improvements, One Huge Mistake
MacWEEK contributor John C. Welch likes most of what he sees in Preview Release 3 of Netscape 6, but the lack of LDAP support in the e-mail client is a deal-killer, he writes.
Iomega HipZip
Neither the hippest nor the zippiest of the portable MP3 players available, Iomega's $299 HipZip is an adequate digital audio player that offers only one advantage for budget buyers and students — cheap media.
Adventures In X
Frankly, unless you're a developer or have a serious need for OS X, you're better off leaving the potential problems to those that can afford to have them. Average users are better off finding an Apple dealer or friend with a Mac running OS X and playing with it for a bit.
BBEdit Rules The Web
If you're a Mac user who spends a lot of time working with plain text in any form, you owe it to yourself to give BBEdit a test drive. In my estimation, BBEdit (available only for the Mac OS) is one of the great unspoken joys of using the Mac platform.
Sidetrack
Experiment Goes Bonkers
Running the good old Finder in the brand new Aqua... (Click on the image for an enlarged view)
Best of both world, or an experiment going bonkers?
Damage Control?
Steve Jobs reassures his employees that our favorite company is not about to layoff people. It makes no sense that a $9 billion company can be turned into a $4 billion company overnight. Tell that to all the dot-com companies that are still suffering from the shock of Aprilís meltdown.
On the other hand, do expect projects to be scaled back. Does that mean we might not see any real differences between the actual final version of Mac OS X next year and the not-ready-for-primetime Mac OS X Public Beta on my iMac?
And on the third hand, is Microsoft really saying bye-bye to the old way of doing application (read: cash cow) and betting the whole company on .NET? (How many betting the whole company can Microsoft do?)
Start Me Up, Oh Baby
Bob Peterson: It is as though Apple made a list of all the coolest things about the Mac user interface, then eliminated them.
On the one hand, I would really like to see some innovative programmers whip up a new shell for Mac OS X to allow the old Mac OS look and feel. On the other hand, this can really kill Mac OS X.
How about the hardware? Is the equation consumer market equals iMac still valid after so many profitable months? Or is new form factor really due? What is Steve really talking about when he said that Apple has "so many wonderful new products" in the pipeline? Surely he isnít just talking about next Springís wonderful new colors, is he?
Reason #3631 For Getting A Mac
Jason Snell: BBEdit is one of the greatest unspoken joys of using the Mac platform.
Wintel
AMD Readies New Athlon, Duron Chips
Keeping the heat on chip rival Intel, Advanced Micro Devices is preparing to ship its next-generation processors.
Dell Warns Third-Quarter Sales Weak
Dell was only the latest tech victim of weak demand in Europe.
Microsoft Has Big Plans For New Office Complex
Microsoft unveiled plans for an 800,000-square-foot office complex in Issaquah, Wash., that could rival its Redmond, Wash., headquarters.
MS + Corel = Office For Linux? In Your Dreams...
MS Lost The Verdict, But It's Winning The Trial
Microsoft may have comprehensively lost the trial, its lawyers and witnesses may have blown it at every available opportunity, but it hasn't a scratch on anything, apart from its reputation; nor will it have for a long while to come. So again, who was it that won?
Government Rips Microsoft's Appeal Schedule
The government said Microsoft's proposal "is excessive and would delay resolution of this appeal unnecessarily."
Tuesday, October 3, 2000
Top Stories
Making Science Sizzle With iMovie
Now, thanks to an exciting Macintosh-based program at State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate Medical Center, these future MDs are picking up skills in video production and postproduction ó and finding exciting new ways to communicate their ideas. In the process, theyíre literally learning what it is to be a brain.
Japan FTC Warns Apple On Suspected Price Fixing
Japan's anti-monopoly watchdog, the Fair Trade Commission, said on Tuesday it issued a warning to the Japanese unit of Apple Computer Inc over suspected retail price-fixing.
Schools Get Plugged In
Southern Utah teacher creates award-winning web School for kids.
The 10 Most Important People Of The Decade
Still, you're surprised to see an Apple founder on a list of networking people. Well, consider this: Apple was the first company to bundle networking with its computers. Furthermore, AppleTalk is still the easiest method of file and print sharing for casual computer users.
Apple Explained, Part 1: In Steve We Trust
Normally, when a corporation drops a warning flare with minimal explanation it means there is more bad news ahead. Fund managers have seen this type of behavior before and believe it's far better to wash one hand's quickly of such messes rather than languish in a cat and mouse game with a management that isn't on the up and up.
News
Bailouts Become Microsoft Habit
For the third time in three years, Microsoft Corp. has bailed-out a rival company that foundered after going head-to-head with the software giant from Redmond, Washington.
Japan Warns Apple To Stop Pressuring Retailers
Japan's Fair Trade Commission said it has warned Apple to stop pressuring retailers to sell its iBook and iMac personal computers at suggested prices, the Japanese news wire service Jiji Press reported Tuesday.
Sony Loses Appeal In PlayStation Copyright Fight
Sony today lost a U.S. Supreme Court bid to limit rivals from using reverse engineering to create competing products.
Apple's Original Name For 1394 Never Caught On
Rather than pay the extra charges, most companies adopting the technology have opted just to go with the IEEE's specification number.
Stocks To Watch: Apple, Compaq, Net Perceptions And Research In Motion
"Overall consumer demand doesn't appear to be as low as Apple's numbers indicate. It looks like sales of its G4 cubes haven't taken off they way they expected. At least so far."
Microsoft Invests $135 Million In Ailing Corel
Microsoft has invested $135 million in Corel, a struggling rival in the software application market, under a new strategic relationship centered on Microsoft's so-called .Net initiative.
Photos Of The "Cracks" In The Cube
Until we see evidence of something worse than this, don't panic. It is a cosmetic flaw, and a small one.
Sidetrack
Beleaguered
As The Apple Turns: Apple's finally got enough pull these days that when its stock tanks, it actually affects other PC manufacturers. Success at last!
Feline
Patent #US5443036: A method for inducing cats to exercise.
Greetings
Send an eCard and say Hello, the Mac way.
Wintel
MS Bucks Save Linux Vendor Corel - But Save It For What?
For long-term survival Corel would need to play with servers and services itself, but here the L-word would surely intervene, and again, one must doubt whether Microsoft would let it.
Pentium 4 Delay Due To Graphics Chip Glitch
Sources at PC makers, speaking under request of anonymity, confirmed that a problem with how the 850 chipset interacts with PCI graphics cards was responsible for the Pentium 4 delay.
Microsoft Proposes Schedule For Antitrust Appeal
Microsoft today asked an appellate court to give both sides 60 days to file principal briefs and 30 days for replies in its antitrust appeal. The proposed schedule could mean the appeals court will reach a decision on Microsoft's case no sooner than six months.
Monday, October 2, 2000
Top Stories
How Apple Blindsides Wall Street
Why didn't somebody tell investors about Apple turning sour?
Going Sour After Hours
Apple and Intel both waited until after the market closed to tell investors about recent financial troubles. But their stocks still tanked in after-hours trading at speeds analysts described as remarkable.
Why Is Apple In Trouble?
Apple is once again down, but hardly out. Steve will make some adjustments, and the company will go on. As for the future, should the Justice Department prevail in its efforts to clip Microsoft's wings, Apple might finally regain the market share it deserves.
News
Apple Shares Fall Victim To 'Multiplier Effect'
Apple's plunge, the biggest one-day decline in its 20-year history as a public company, equaled 1.7 times the shortfall in earnings. It also amounted to 6.5 times the difference between the company's sales estimate for the September quarter and analysts' expectations.
Apple Sauces PC Sector
It looks like Apple Computer's earnings warning was what it took for investors to finally concede that the personal computer market is rotten to the core.
The People V. Apple, Priceline And The Supreme Court
Come on, it's not as if we've never seen sluggishness in business during late summer/early fall. Cyclically things can tend to get a little tough right about now. But it's more a stuffy nose than a full-blown flu. And a shot of Afrin usually clears things up for the holidays.
Review
iMac FYI: Get More From Your iMac
iMac FYI is a terrifically infomative book for anyone new to the iMac and Mac OS 9. Despite the rapid evolution of the iMac and the Mac OS, it is still current and will remain so until Mac OS X replaces Mac OS 9 as the bundled operating system.
Sunday, October 1, 2000
Top Stories
Apple Demand Still Strong In U.K.
Vendors of Apple Computer Corp. systems and peripherals in Britain see a future as rosy as some of the company's colorful iMacs, despite the computer maker's warnings this week of lower-than-expected demand.