Saturday, December 30, 2000
Top Stories
Apple's Bumpy Start To The New Decade
Apple Computer's fiscal roller-coaster ride stalled in 2000.
Opinion
Why Newer Failed And How Apple May Follow!
How do you fail in business with a superior product and unlimited demand?
Mac OS X Would Have Been Better Without Aqua
That's a useless path to pursue of course, but in retrospect I think it clear that Apple should have waited for Mac OS X 2.0 to unveil Aqua.
Friday, December 29, 2000
News
The Sound Of Dalmatians
You might expect to hear the sound of stomping puppy feet in “102 Dalmatians.” But how do you fit a 100-piece orchestra into a single Power Mac?
Opinion
The Thin iMac
A thin iMac would not only help Apple establish a presence in the business world, but could also help them retake the education market.
Apple Is Beleaguered! Everone Off The Bandwagon!
Apple is in a bit of trouble, and it is not too late if it wants to do something about it. It cannot keep trying to tell everybody that Megahertz are mere details and that Indigo will motivate the masses to get Macs. There has to be more to a Mac than a cute flavor and a Photoshop speed test.
Review
Aladdin Tuner 3.0
This application is best suited to listeners of mainstream music and talk Internet radio who appreciate the Tuner's straightforward simplicity.
REALBasic 2.12
REALbasic lacks many features, but as it grows and improves, it may be the programming tool of choice for all developers.
Picking A Portable Mac
Looking for a new portable Mac? If you are, you may be unsure of which portable to get. There are two Mac portables available right now: the PowerBook, and the iBook. The decision can be hard — unless you buy both.
Sidetrack
Robert Morris, director of equity at Lord Abbet & Co.: I... like Apple, because they are likely to continue to be the innovator among PC makers; at this point, PCs are basically a commodity.
Stephen Williams, Newsday: It's a pity to put a Cube on a desk littered with printers and keyboards and Zip drives. I keep mine on the mantel, and just stare at it when there's nothing on TV.
Steve Gelsi, CBS MarketWatch: When Apple CEO Steve Jobs is good, he's very good. But things really backfire big on him too.
Wintel
Microsoft News Not Fit To Print
Let's all hold our fire on the Microsoft matter until we know not just who's running the Justice Department, but what the Appeals Court actually decides. Until then, the rest of the talk isn't even suitable for burial in the back pages.
More Microsoft Madness
The company is not about to change its ways just because a potential breakup by the Justice Department edict is hanging over its head. So it's trying to tackle three monster markets. Its success is doubtful — but possible.
Softwafre Start-up Seeks Antitrust Query Of Microsoft Buy
Attorneys for a Silicon Valley software company have written to the U.S. Justice Department seeking an antitrust investigation into Microsoft's planned $1.1 billion purchase of Great Plains Software, according to a report.
Thursday, December 28, 2000
Top Stories
OS X: Think Quality, Not Schedule
Apple has exactly one chance to ship OS X, so it had better do it as flawlessly as possible. Even this late in the game, there are alarming signs that last-minute entropy is winning out over carefully plotted and executed strategy.
News
Opinion
Apple And Education: A Proposal
Where was I when Apple needed me? Where I've always been: sitting in a school, wishing I had a Mac sitting on my office desk, and willing to help make that happen.
Top UI Grievances Of Mac OS X
To reproduce the old UI would be a design and marketing nightmare for a company trying to reinvent itself. Apple is listening. Try X and let them know what you think.
The Importance Of The Mac: What's In A Pretty Face?
The long and the short of it is that the Mac talks to the playful side of us, and it talks with aesthetics. Serious machines are for getting things done, no less and please, no more. Anything else is frivolous, and it is not important, and so should not be addressed outside kindergartens.
Review
CodeWarrior Pro 6
Overall, CodeWarrior Pro 6 is a solid upgrade, but it will likely be the last version to ship without facing serious competition.
Wintel
Slower Than Its Predecessor: Pentium 4
It's always been true that whatever PC you buy now will be made obsolete by next year's faster models. But now the unthinkable has happened: the Intel Corporation has released a new processor chip, the Pentium 4, that's actually slower than the Pentium III.
Bush Presidency No Miracle Cure For Microsoft
With a deeply divided Senate and weak initial political support after the struggle for Florida's 25 electoral votes, Bush will have to pick his initial policy battles carefully. Microsoft is not likely to be one of them, particularly considering that the appeals court is expected to overturn much of the government's victory.
Minor Bug Lingers In Pentium 4 Chipset
A bug associated with the Pentium 4 that delayed Intel's introduction of the chip by a month is still with us, but the company and PC makers have worked to contain the potential damage.
Wednesday, December 27, 2000
Top Stories
Bowling Green To Give 150 Freshmen Laptops
About 150 freshmen at Bowling Green State University will have a present waiting for them when they return to school next semester: a laptop computer.
News
Review
Wintel
Analysts See PC Price War On Horizon
Personal computer makers are slashing prices in an effort to salvage a weak holiday shopping season, setting the stage for a possible price war over the next few months.
Tuesday, December 26, 2000
Opinion
Ode On A Blue G3
Apple shot themselves in the foot with the Blue & White G3 (it's that damn good ), then Motorola helped them empty the gun with that whole G4 processor debacle (yet another long story).
Sidetrack
sbrowning.com: Jefferson had one of the best minds of 1776, but today you can make better decisions with an Apple.
iapetus in slashdot.org: I thought it was a well-known fact that Santa's a Linux zealot. Why else woud he enter houses through the chimney simply in order to avoid using the Windows?
Wintel
W2K For Alpha Lurks In MS Cubicles
It will never become a product the likes of you or us can get our mitts on, but it still exists.
Microsoft Waits For Bush's Position On Its Antitrust Case
If statements by President-elect Bush and his advisers are any indication, the new administration is unlikely to fight hard to sustain the Justice Department's antitrust victory over Microsoft.
Complacency Of Consumers Leaves PCs On Store Shelves
Sales for the quarter are expected to plunge as users keep older models and wait for more price cuts.
Monday, December 25, 2000
Top Stories
'Twas The Night Before Macworld
The iMacs were hung in Moscone with care, In hopes that St. Steven soon would be there.
News
Is Apple Going Down The Toilet?
Apple stocks are down and losses are predicted for this last quarter. Is Apple going down the toilet?
Sunday, December 24, 2000
News
Insert Quote Here Contest
We provide the questionable pictures, you provide the caption.
Sidetrack
ZDNet AnchorDesk: The choice of desktop databases today seems to come down to three: Microsoft Access, which I find difficult; Microsoft Excel, which isn't really a database but plays one on many people's desktops; and FileMaker, which is my perennial favorite because it's a tool that I can actually use.
Wintel
Microsoft Awaits New Brand Of Justice Department
The software giant was all smiles after Bush won the election, but now that he has nominated Sen. John Ashcroft to head the DOJ, all bets are off.
The Missing Parts In MS Puzzle? Here They Are
They say Microsoft controls the software business, but that's not really true. Microsoft doesn't really compete with everybody, and there are some areas where you'd think Microsoft would compete, but they don't.
Saturday, December 23, 2000
News
Apple Computer's Shares Aren't Flying Like Jobs
Parents learn anew each Christmas that if you give a kid a toy he really loves, you may have a hard time getting him to focus on anything else. Apple Computer Inc.'s stockholders have learned a similar lesson the hard way. Chief Executive Steve Jobs got a shiny new jet as this year began, and the company's shares have plummeted since then.
Wintel
Christmas Isn't Coming For PC Makers, Retailers
Plummeting PC sales shocked manufacturers and retailers in October and November, but analysts say December sales are even bleaker.
Microsoft Selects DVD Software For Xbox
Ravisent Technologies said Friday it has won the contract to supply DVD playback software for Microsoft's upcoming Xbox game console.
Secret Project May Be Microsoft's Next Big Deal
According to sources, Netdocs is a single, integrated application that will include a full suite of functions, including email, personal information management, document-authoring tools, digital-media management, and instant messaging. Microsoft will make Netdocs available only as a hosted service over the Internet, not as a shrink-wrapped application or software that's preloaded on the PC.
Friday, December 22, 2000
Top Stories
Apple Preps German Developers For OS X
In a series of briefings, Apple's chief of worldwide developer relations confirmed that the Mac maker's next-generation OS is in the final stretch and should ship by the end of February.
News
Resellers Look At Apple's New Deal
When Apple goes to battle against other PC manufacturers, it's the Mac-only resellers who occupy the front lines. And when Apple's sales decline, those same dealers are likely to feel the pinch more than CompUSA or other retail chains.
Apple Selected As Vendor In Michigan Ed Initiative
The state of Michigan has announced that Apple is a selected vendor to provide computers for the $110 million Michigan Teacher Technology Initiative, a program designed to give teachers in Michigan a laptop computer to use at school and home.
Opinion
Why Give A Mac?
You are making a big decision when buying a computer for someone else — a decision that they have to live with whether they like it or not. Buy a Mac and you can guarantee that it will last them several years, that it will be compatible, and that it will be quick and easy for them to do their work on.
Review
Office 2001 For Macs Full Of Surprises
New software gets high marks for attention to detail and ease of use.
Sidetrack
From the Son of EvangeList...
Max Manshel: At the Wiz someone put a coin in the Cube CD slot and siabled that drive... And suddenly, I realize why the local electronic store near my place shrinkwraped the Cube on display, and placed a signboard that screamed DO NOT TOUCH.
Steve Chambers: Misterbump
Wintel
Linux Companies Beat Microsoft In Itanium Support
A version of Microsoft Windows for Intel's upcoming high-end Itanium chip won't be available when the chip arrives, but rival operating system Linux will.
Microsoft's Great Plains Buy Changes Competitive Landscape
Microsoft made a move Thursday that some considered inevitable and others considered a reversal of a longtime commitment not to compete with its software partners: It bought a piece of the server application market.
Dell Lops Up To 20 Percent Off Notebook Prices
Dell Computer has slashed prices of corporate notebooks by up to 20 percent in reaction to falling component costs, although analysts say the company is also reacting to a grim sales environment.
Thursday, December 21, 2000
Top Stories
Marty's Holiday Mac Wish List : Looking Back On This Year's Mac News
As 2000 draws to a close, it gives me the opportunity to look back on the past months, as well as draw up a wish list for 2001.
News
Opinion
The Fuure Is... Darwindows?
For fans of free Unix-like operating systems, though, it's great news that there's another option for Apple's PowerPC hardware.
Sustaining The Vision
Can we see what's next? It will be interesting to watch how much of the vision has remained intact, and how much of that we can discern.
Macworld San Fransisco In December?
Article regarding the downsides to moving Macworld in order to acommodate the holiday shopping season.
Review
iBook SE
The iBook has finally grown into its potential with the iBook SE. This third-generation low-cost laptop has almost everything you could want in a portable Mac, including FireWire, DVD, and video out, and its beefed-up internals make for the best portable you can buy under $2,499.
Sidetrack
The following quote from a review at Applelinks.com made it to rec.humor.funny...
Bill Stiteler: For every 2001, there are fifty films like Battle Beyond the Stars. Make a movie like the original Star Wars, and sure enough, some clown will make The Phantom Menace.
Wednesday, December 20, 2000
Top Stories
Apples To Oranges: Much-Maligned Apple Still A Breed Apart From PC Maker Crowd
No matter what we think of the results, there's no denying that Apple is still trying to blaze trails in the PC marketplace. While skittish Intel clone vendors pump out iMac and Cube knock-offs, Apple is releasing not just new products or better-looking products, but new types of products, aimed at opening up markets for PCs where none existed before.
News
Apple Brazil Chief Confirms Mac Plant
Apple Brazil's general manager says a new South American factory is in the works.
An Apple For The Teacher?
Apple Computer is quietly dishing out another rebate, this one aimed at repeat customers in the education field.
Multiprocessing In Mac OS X
When Mac OS X ships, multiprocessing (MP) on the Macintosh will undergo a quantum leap as preemptive multitasking and multithreading increase the efficiency of multiple CPUs working together.
Apple To Webcast Macworld Keynote
Although Apple, by policy, does not discuss future product announcements, Jobs strongly hinted during a recent conference call with analysts that the company will make major hardware introductions at the event. Many analysts believe that Apple needs to shake up its product line to boost sales and return to profitability.
Opinion
This Is Definitely Not The End, My Friend
Here we go again. Apple Computer swoons once more, and the Chicken Littles come out of the barn.
The Education Of Apple Computer
The education industry has become just that - a giant industry - aligned more to the thinking of big business than to the Norman Rockwell scene of a teacher and her classroom.
DIFFERENCE ENGINE: The Education Of Apple Computer
So how does Apple regain its position as the computer company of education? Perhaps by being less of a computer company and more of an education company.
OS X: Take The Bitter With The Better
Ultimately, I suspect that switching over to the new OS will be like pulling off a bandage — painful for a few seconds, but that's it.
Review
Photoshop 6.0
If you've been using Photoshop for a while, you have every reason to upgrade. The vector and text tools and the Print Preview feature are worth the $179 upgrade price. If you are new to image editing, get Photoshop now - it has no equal.
Sin Gold
Sin Gold is a solid first-person shooter with strong graphics, great multiplayer functions and decent plot. While it doesn't add anything new to the first-person shooter genre, the game is enjoyable and priced affordably.
Sidetrack
Paul Hurley, MIS Manager at McDonough, Holland & Allen, tells us that working exclusively on Macs is the only way he would be able to keep over 300 machines connected with a staff of only two.
Can we also make Mozilla the best Porn browser ever? (Thanks, Camworld)
Mark Hurst gave us some good samplings of the exhibits at the New York University's ITP (Interactive Telecommunication Program) winter show.
Wintel
Intel Stumbles, AMD Gains In 2000
What caused Intel to stumble in 2000 and Advance Micro Devices to enjoy one of its best years ever? A lot of little events in 1998.
Ballmer, Ellison: Can We Work It Out?
The CEOs of Oracle and Microsoft discussed interoperability when the two met face to face earlier this month. Was anything else on the agenda?
Ballmer Calls For "Cost-Conscious Culture" At Microsoft
A humbled Microsoft is adjusting its priorities.
Bad Tidings For Notebook Sales
'Twas the week before Christmas and all through the stores, notebook sales were falling like never before.
Tuesday, December 19, 2000
Top Stories
The Age Of Computer Heroes Is Over
Apple fans demand nothing less than "insanely great." But is it even possible to be a revolutionary anymore?
Advantage Apple
The complaints don't hold water — Mac OS X has the feel of a winner.
Digital Director
iMovie could do everything I did in a professional editing suite.
Circuit City 'Special' Missing One Thing... Abundant Macs
When is a 'Manager's Special' not a 'Manager's Special'? When the manager can't get his hands on the majority of iMacs, iBooks, and G4 Cubes on special.
News
Artificial Cheese Press Release
Our holiday gift to you.
Football Videos Go Dashboard To Desktop
When your football teamís ten-year record is 108-18-2, youíre obviously doing something right. For Pittsburg State University, itís all about the cut-ups. No, not would-be jokesters who attempt to disrupt classes during the week. Cut-ups are, in fact, video clips that document specific plays on the field each Saturday. And with the help of a mobile editing system based on PowerBook G3 laptops, the school now creates these desktop highlights on the road, helping further Pittís winning strategy.
Apple Celebrates 20 Years Of Nasdaq Listings
Nvidia Discusses 3dfx Acquisition
Nvidia has big plans to leverage the technology it has acquired from 3dfx Interactive, but for now the company is offering few details about future products or the potential impact on Mac users.
Opinion
Corporate Arrogance And Fan Websites
I am a consummate Mac OS fan, and hope to continue using Macintosh computers indefinitely, but I am far less enamored of the corporate personality of the company that makes them.
How Apple Can Be Fixed
It's time to join the PC world and make the Mac the universe's most compatible computer.
Blind Arrogance
Apple repeatedly insults its own consumers, so why should we care if the company lives or dies?
Leaving Wintel Behind
Now that OS X is just around the corner, I can safely say Apple is poised to pass Wintel PCs in operating system quality and stability. This, coupled with the superior quality of the Mac hardware and beautiful exterior design, will make the Macintosh my computer of choice for quite a long time.
Apple's K-10 And Apple's Future
The important thing to remember as we languish near the bottom of this bear market is that fiscal 2000 was a great year for Apple, building on the successes of 1999 and 1998. And while there is no hope for the next two quarters, an astounding comeback could be in the cards for the second half of 2001.
Sidetrack
What's In A Name?
Mac OS Rumors is speculating on future Mac OS naming convention. Will it be Mac OS X.I, Mac OS XI, or Mac OS X 2.3?
My take: Perhaps Apple will drop the number scheme, and just go with Mac OS. (Witness the Powerbook?) The Software Update control panel will be "smart enough" to figure things out for you.
:-)
Random
Dave Winer: The new POTUS is a Mac user?
Fox News: Is it cold in there or are you just happy to see me? You'll never know with the latest outrageous fashion accessory — fake erect nipples.
Wintel
Microsoft Aims To Cut Costs, Retain Top Employees
Software titan Microsoft plans to cut costs throughout its businesses even as it boosts some employees' salaries to make sure they don't jump ship, according to reports.
Microsoft Ships Trial Version Of Embedded OS
Microsoft said Monday that it has begun shipping to approximately 100 partners and customers the first beta version of its Whistler Embedded software.
Good Riddance To Microsoft's Problem Child
Unlike previous executive defections by the likes of Brad Silverberg and Pete Higgins, Kempin's departure is unlikely to be lamented by many inside or outside Microsoft. Indeed, some may welcome Kempin's long-rumored exit as a chance for Microsoft to turn over a new leaf in its dealings with its PC partners.
Dell Struggles With PC Shipment Delays
This year, Santa may be leaving some Dell Computer customers IOUs under the Christmas tree.
Thoughts On The PC Slowdown
With slowing desktop sales hurting Microsoft's business, and Oracle's suite of enterprise applications exceeding expectations, a debate has begun over the future of the PC and corporate spending patterns. The Motley Fool has compiled several opinions on this subject.
Monday, December 18, 2000
Sidetrack
Question for Miss Manner
If someone call me on the phone and asks for someone that I don't know, I'll probably just tell her that she has gotten the wrong number.
Question is, what if I recevied a SMS message from an unknown number on my cellphone, proclaiming her love for me, and asking for a bouquet of flowers tonight (and I checked with my wife and it's not her), do I call her back and tell her she has gotten the wrong number?
And no reading in toilets either, so there!
Art Medlar: A set of restrictions was attached to the reformatted edition of [Alice's Adventures in Wonderland]. One may not copy, print, lend, or give the book away. But best of all, one is forbidden from reading the book aloud... I'm not familiar enough with the DMCA to tell if one of the standard tasks of parenthood is now a felony.
Wintel
The PC Is Dragging Microsoft Down
Microsoft's rare warning, coupled with Oracle's success, underscored a much more important realization about Microsoft: it is still a PC-oriented company. No matter how much Microsoft wants you to think it's about the back office, its heart and soul — and the majority of its revenues — are still tied up in the foundering PC market.
How Y2K Bugged Microsoft
The good news for Microsoft Corp. is that the world's top software company is finally waving goodbye to what was arguably the worst year in its 25-year history. The bad news is that the coming year doesn't look any better.
Saturday, December 16, 2000
Top Stories
Apple's Endgame?
What I can't understand is the apparent eagerness of some Windows partisans to see the Mac bite the dust, whatever they may think of Apple and its current CEO.
New Streaming Standards Effort Missing Market Leaders
Apple Computer and a raft of high-tech heavyweights have joined forces to promote open standards in the bitterly divided world of streaming media, but market leaders RealNetworks and Microsoft aren't playing ball yet.
News
Ladies And Gentlemen... iTools Presents Big Rick Stuart!
What do you get when you mix an experienced job-seeking deejay, iTools and QuickTime? More job offers than one deejay can handle.
New Mac Quake 3 Version Now In Testing, Says Designer
Apple 10-K Report Offers Concerns For New Year
A comprehensive overview of Apple's state of business shows that while the company experienced a 30 percent increase in net sales over 1999 — the result of a 32 percent rise in Macintosh unit sales — cut-throat competition and concern over OS X acceptance and rollout are leaving question marks for the future.
3dfx To Sell Assets To Nvidia
The graphics chipmaker announced Friday that its board of directors has voted to dissolve the company and sell most of its assets to long-time competitor Nvidia for cash and stock worth some $107.4 million.
Opinion
OS X Is A Beta, No Duh
Well, Apple chose to give us a sneak peak at the new OS and what are we supposed to judge it by?
Should OS X Be Dumbed Down?
Who says that the best computers in the world have to be idiot-proof?
Wintel
Will Palm Developers Succumb To Microsoft's Wooing?
Despite Microsoft's full-court press, it's unclear whether the company can convince large numbers of Palm developers to translate their software to the Pocket PC operating system.
Microsoft Stumbles, But Analysts Maintain Ratings
Microsoft shares fell Friday after the company issued a rare profit warning amid a slowdown in the PC sector.
Microsoft Ends Volume Pricing For Consumer Windows
Attributing the change to increased business demand for Windows 2000, Microsoft next year will end volume discounts for consumer versions of its Windows operating system.
Friday, December 15, 2000
Top Stories
Will OS X Save The Day?
Apple is counting on its new operating system to jumpstart sales, but when OS X finally ships, it may be disappointed.
Netscape 6 Laden With Design Flaws
When it comes to building a fast, functional Mac browser, Netscape could learn a lot from Microsoft.
News
Apple Japan Offers Bargains To Celebrate Third Anniversay Of Online Store
Apple Japan Inc. is selling bargain-priced reconditioned Macintosh computers online from Dec. 13-15 to commemorate the third anniversary of its online store Apple Store.
FileMaker Launches PDA Software
Adobe Names Chizen CEO
Adobe Systems on Thursday announced a high-level shuffling of its executives as company president Bruce Chizen stepped up to CEO, with co-founder and CEO John Warnock assuming the newly created role of chief technology officer.
Opinion
Is Apple Killing The iMac?
iMac was a great name — just like PowerBook, but PowerBook was used over and over again without a naming problem because Apple put numbers after it.
Sidetrack
Apple definitely does not like to see its Aqua beauty on other OS implemented as themes. Does that translate to an assertion that we will never be able to have themes on Mac OS X?
Wintel
Bill Gates Shot In Mock Documentary
MacArthur Park, a new feature-length independent documentary, examines the questions about the Gates 'assassination' and chronicles a year of campaigning by Citizens for Truth, a fictional grassroots group who refuse to believe the official investigation.
Intel Plans 1.3-GHz Pentium 4 For 2001
Intel plans to ring in the new year with a variety of new chips, including a more budget-minded version of the Pentium 4.
Paul Allen Protects Value Of Microsoft Stock
Billionaire Paul Allen entered into contracts last month that would protect the value of about $3.5 billion of his Microsoft common stock if the company's shares continue falling.
Microsoft Lowers Earnings Estimates
Software giant Microsoft on Thursday joined the growing list of tech companies issuing profit warnings.
Thursday, December 14, 2000
Top Stories
The Quality Issue - Are Macs Built As Well As They Should Be?
There is evidence that the current cohort of Macs is a lot less tough, and perhaps more worrisome, that out of the box reliability is suffering as well.
It's Like A Little Office
I donít have a problem that Apple is evolving. I have a problem with what itís becoming. I have a fear that, unless Apple is very careful, unless we all are very careful, OSX will for the first time create a real Caste system in the Macintosh Community.
The USB Titdal Wave
Interviews with peripheral manufacturers suggest that Apple may have no choice but to offer USB 2.0 in its Mac systems because of the large number of USB 2.0 devices likely to be available in the next year or so.
News
Themes Removed At Apple's Behest
Laptop Learning To Land For UW-Stout Freshmen
In the pilot program, Apple and Macintosh laptops are being used because those are the computers most often used in the printing industry, officials said.
Opinion
On "Bloatware" And "Good Enough" Software
My unscientific guess is still that more efficient coders than Microsoft uses could offer all of Word's functionality and more in a program half the size or less.
Save Time With Microsoft Office's New Personal Information Manager
Whether you're managing a small business, a home office, or a household, a well-organized schedule and punctual correspondence can save you time — and money.
Take Charge Of Your Life With Microsoft Office 2001's New Suite Of Programs
Come with me on a tour of the new Office, and learn how it can help you better do your daily work.
Now That The Dust Has Settled, What's Next For Apple?
While the release date remains a mystery, one thing regarding OS X has become increasingly more clear over the last month; OS X is the future of Apple. Not just from a usability standpoint, but from a business perspective as well.
Business Week Author Plays Revisionist, Alters Anti-Apple Editorial
The argument could be made that Gateway doesn't include those things because their customers don't want them, but Apple's customers can replace the DVD-RAM drive with a cheaper one too.
Review
Macintosh G4 Cube A Beauty
It's as if a glamorous international movie star just strolled into your office and took a seat. But also like an elegant movie star, when you sit it in my office, filled with gear and papers and books everywhere, you get the distinct impression that it's slumming.
Codewarrior Learning Edition
If you want to learn programming and code C/C++ games for the Macintosh, then pick up CodeWarrior LE.
Sidetrack
Multitasking
Is Windows a multi-tasking operating system? No — at least not from where I am sitting.
Not when browser windows underneath my current active window keep popping up onto the top-most position and capturing my keyboard focus without me clicking on them.
One moment I may be typing in a URL in the active window, and the next moment I might be hitting "Enter" for another window that, say, delete all my mail in Hotmail.
You call that multi-tasking? Please...
Joke of the Day
For some reasons, I liked the joke that show up in my rec.humor.funny.reruns newsgroup today...
Jon Berger: The Dalai Lama walks up to a hot dog vendor and says, "Make me one with everything."
Wintel
Intel To Postpone Chip Factory In Ireland
Intel will postpone opening a fabrication facility for making PC processors for a year because of current market conditions and the advent of larger, more economical wafers.
Is Dell Next With Bad News?
Walter Winnitzki called Dell Computer executives Tuesday to inform them he was cutting his profit estimate for this quarter because he expected Dell to warn of lower sales and earnings.
Microsoft Tests Second Patch Collection For Windows 2000
Earlier this week, the company sent to a select set of testers what it is calling a beta release of Service Pack 2 for Windows 2000. Service packs are collections of bug fixes and patches but not new product features.
Wednesday, December 13, 2000
Top Stories
Apple, Sun, Cisco Et Al To Set Streaming Media Standard
A bunch of famous companies and a not-so-famous one today unveiled the latest in a very long line of industry bodies to develop a set of open standards, in this case streaming live audio and video over the Net.
Mac Users Don't Have A Seat At NMCI
Despite Macsí uncertain future in the Navy, the Apple booth at last weekís Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association TechNet Asia-Pacific 2000 conference in Honolulu sometimes was busier than competing PC vendorsí booths.
News
MacSoft Delivers New Games For The Holidays
From Tom Clancy’s latest adventure full of tactical action to titles based on classic board games and TV game shows, MacSoft has some recreation to intrigue anyone who owns a Macintosh.
Apple's Innovations Welcomed By Creative Types
While we Mac people may be in the minority, we've always been in the forefront of what computing is all about.
Opinion
Jobs Is Nimble Enough To Put Apple Back On Track
Though his Cube hasn't caught on and he has made other missteps, the CEO has a great overall record and can change course quickly.
One Step Forward, None Back
I already pay a premium to use Apple's products — the tradeoff is, I can use those products longer, easier and ultimately save money.
Microsoft & Bloatware Revisited
This kind of power is not necessarily for everyone, but let me testify that yes, there ARE people who need all the stuff that some bloatware has to offer.
One For The Money
We Mac users have often been called cultists. But the important thing is that as long as we spend our time prostrate before our monitors, producing bits of ourselves in digital formats, the belief will go on.
Review
Sidetrack
Ron Lieber, Fast Company: There are certain things that writers would take responsibility for themselves because they saw them happen with their own eyes... Sometimes, you have to take a writer's word for it, and every so often, you get burned. Even The New Yorker. Big deal.
Wintel
Microsoft Scores Big Points In Video Game Market
Microsoft on Wednesday said the top independent video game developer, Electronic Arts, will make titles for its upcoming Xbox console, giving a huge boost to the software giant's push into the $20 billion-a-year video game market.
Analyst Downgrades Microsoft On PC Worries
Prudential Securities analyst Douglas J. Crook downgraded his estimates on Microsoft Wednesday, citing more ominous news about PC sales.
Pentium 4 Linux Problem All Chipzilla's Fault, Apparently
Intel seems to be largely to blame for the fact that many Linux distributions won't install on the Pentium 4. According to the latest Linux 2.2.18 kernel notes, Chipzilla's big mistake was to break the usual pattern in CPUID model numbering without telling people - or at least without telling them loudly enough.
Microsoft CEO Predicts Rosy Future For Streaming Media
Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer on Tuesday acknowledged serious shortcomings in current audio and video streaming technology but promised better things to come.
Microsoft Releases BizTalk E-Commerce Softare
Microsoft and Sun Microsystems are squaring off on yet another front.
Microsoft Settles Temp Lawsuits
Microsoft has reached a $97 million settlement of federal lawsuits from temporary workers who challenged the software giant's employment practices, which once allowed employees to be classified as temporary for as long as 14 years, a plaintiffs' lawyer said.
Tuesday, December 12, 2000
Sidetrack
Stuck with a domain name that you purchased for lots of money, but doesn't worth much nowadays? Sell it off to multiple people. For example, world.news.com to CNN, nbc.news.com to NBC, macintosh.news.com to MacSurfer... You get the idea.
Can I patent this?
Monday, December 11, 2000
Top Stories
Breast Cancer Researches Hoping To Make A Difference
Scintimammography, a technique using a mini camera attached to a Power Mac, may someday detect tumors smaller than a dime, enabling doctors to better diagnose a woman’s health and reduce the need for biopsy.
Why Apple Is Losing Its Appeal Again
Investors may be asking themselves what Apple can do to revive its fortunes. The likely answer, unfortunately, is that Steve Jobs has no white rabbits left in his hat. Apple appears to be facing a dead end in its business growth, the victim of mismanagement and unmitigated hubris.
News
Curtain Rises On Premiere 6.0
The latest release of Adobe's video-editing software adds beefed-up support for DV camcorders and an integrated version of Cleaner 5 for Web export. Other new features include a streamlined interface, built-in audio mixer and support for motion effects.
Opinion
Review
Wintel
There'll Be No Pentium 4 Under My Christmas Tree
The P4 is fast, but its new design gives older programs fits.
Not All Linuxes Run On Pentium 4s
Intel blames Linux vendors for not keeping up-to-date with its Pentium 4 code base. Red Hat and TurboLinux are OK — sort of.
Windows Developers Weigh Java's Worthiness
As the legal battle between Microsoft and Sun Microsystems over Java drags into a third year, Windows developers are wondering: Who needs Java anyway?
Sunday, December 10, 2000
News
Opinion
Why Aren't More Macs Being Sold?
So what's wrong? Have PCs lost their luster? Do so many have them that they don't see a compelling need to buy a new computer this year?
Sidetrack
Bruce H. Barritt: We produce too many apples of the kind consumers do not want... We should forget about color and shape and go for what the consumer wants. If it don't taste good, they're not going to come back and get any more.
Different industry, similiar problem?
Saturday, December 9, 2000
News
Clow Names TBWA 'Successor'
Mr Clow, creator of the "Think different" ads for Apple, "Air Jordan" for Nike and the Energizer bunny advertising, has named Chuck McBride as the new creative director of the entire TBWA Chiat Day network.
Wintel
Gates Talks Big On Small IE6 Cookie Move
Microsoft's demo of this support suggests that there will be more fluff than substance in the company's execution of P3P.
MS Claims Copyriht On Windows Bugs
The lawyers at Microsoft have objected to the publication of its security notices by SecurityFocus.com, which runs the popular BugTraq security mailing list.
Friday, December 8, 2000
Top Stories
QuickTime 5 PR2: Ready To Play
The latest version of Apple's media player is more versatile than ever. But critics are cool to some of the interface changes.
News
Developers Offer Rx For Apple
In the first of a series, we asked Mac developers to play the backseat driver role and provide suggestions for Apple's leadership.
Give An Apple To The Teacher
"There has never been a better time for Apple to bite the bullet and come riding in on a white horse to save the day. With Apple currently struggling to clear overstock inventories of several models of computers and having already forecast lower earnings and a net loss for the quarter, the company really doesn't have much to lose at this point."
Review
Joys And Sorrows Of The Mac OS X
After a few days of casual use, I'm really warming to Mac OS X.
Wintel
Microsoft's Y2K Security Holes - 93 And Counting
According to Giga the two most recent security patches issued for Windows Media Player bring the running total for this year up to 93, whereas in 1999 Microsoft 'only' released 62 security patches.
Intel To Release Handheld Digital-Audio Player
ntel will come out with a portable digital-audio player next month, as the lines separating PC manufacturers, component makers, Internet service providers and consumer electronics companies continue to blur.
Pentium 4 Price Cuts On The Way
Intel is planning a weekend surprise for holiday shoppers: A price cut on its newly minted Pentium 4 chip.
Microsoft Building Smaller Office
Microsoft said that after evaluating feedback from testers of Office 10, it will not include the Office Designer tool and Local Web Storage System in the final product. Microsoft said these two features were not reliable and of high enough quality to make it into the shipping product.
Analyst Reports: Intel Warning Shocks, Confuses Wall Street
Analysts responded with a mixed bag of downgrades and upgrades Friday, a day after Intel warned of an earnings shortfall pegged to slumping demand for personal computers.
Thursday, December 7, 2000
Top Stories
Apple Picks Up The Beat With CD-RW Drives
To get back into the swing, the company is evaluating Pioneer Electronics' DVD-RW drive, which is capable of recording DVDs and CDs, say sources familiar with the situation. Apple also is evaluating combo DVD/CD-RW drives, as well as standalone CD-RW, though sources would not say from which manufacturers.
Apple Plots Mac OS X Ship Date
Reports indicate that Apple's next-generation OS will arrive in late February, backed by a "massive" marketing campaign.
News
Apple's Nasty Bruises
Apparently, Apple Computer's bruises run deeper than anyone imagined.
Apple Analysts See Cash Cushion
With the 16 per cent slide in Apple Computer Inc shares yesterday, investors were valuing the company at not much more than the cash on its balance sheet, analysts said.
Multiprocessing On The Mac
We'll look at the history of MP on the Mac and explore the current state of the technology.
Motorola, Apple Warnngs Unnerve Global Markets
European markets faltered on Thursday as a profit warning from Motorola stifled a two-day technology, media, and telecom (TMT) stock resurgence. That, and an earlier warning from Apple, also hit most Asian markets.
Deconstructing The Pentium 4
What do you pay for when you put clock speed over everything else? Remember that engineering is a balancing act, and there's a cost for every gain. The trick is to have enough gain to outweigh the costs. Has Intel done this? By many real-world measures, the answer is "No."
Apple Posts New QuickTime 5 Preview
Apple Computer on Thursday released QuickTime 5 Public Preview 2, a new preview version of the multimedia system software. In addition to bug fixes and other enhancements, the preview adds support for skins, allowing developers to customize the interface, and provides more-extensive AppleScript support. It's also the first preview version available in a Windows release.
Advances Encourage Dsktop Kubricks
It is now easier than ever — and surprisingly affordable — for consumers to record, edit and broadcast homemade movies.
Jobs Bucks Up Apple Staff
According to sources at the short gathering on Apple's Cupertino, Calif., campus, a contrite Jobs expressed embarrassment over the poor results.
Opinion
Apple's Long Goodbye Continues
The Apple soap opera has clearly once again run out of gas. Maybe there's just so much pixie dust in Steve Jobs' desk drawer, and he's gone to the well once too often.
Bad Apple Doesn't Spoil The Whole Bunch
All this being given, one can only marvel at the market's capacity for being upset by Apple. As I said, it's not that important.
Wintel
Intel Warns Fourth-Quarter Revenue To Miss Views
In a further sign of the deteriorating state of the PC market, Intel warned late Thursday that fourth-quarter revenue will be flat or possibly below the $8.7 billion the company reported in the third quarter.
Wednesday, December 6, 2000
Top Stories
Apple's Woes Arise From Its Niche Market
Apple's basic problem is that its market is restricted mainly to a group of devoted home users, many of whom bought iMacs 18 months ago and who now have no reason to replace them.
Dealers See A Bump In The Road
Wall Street may be punishing Apple for Tuesday's profit warning, but Apple resellers contacted by MacWEEK expressed optimism that the company can weather its latest crisis.
News
Investors' Faith In Apple Tested
The old investment adage tells us to never fall in love with a stock we own. Obviously, the Apple faithful tend to thumb their nose at this tidbit of advice - they live by the Apple and are prepared to die by the Apple if need be.
Price And Profit Cuts Loom For Apple
How does Apple Computer hold a fire sale without also starting a blaze that could leave its earnings in ashes?
Apple Sets Date For OS X
Apple's top brass expects to launch Mac OS X at a special event on Feb. 24, more than five weeks after Macworld Expo/San Francisco and two weeks after Macworld Expo/Tokyo.
The Poisoned Apple Won't Kill Ya
Ignore the Apple in the room. It knows nothing. It tells you nothing. It means nothing.
Stocks Slide On Apple, Economy News
An earnings warning from Apple Computer drove tech stocks lower Wednesday, while economic news suggested problems ahead for the U.S. economy.
Opinion
Should You Buy A New Mac Now To Help Apple?
Would it make sense to ditch the current shopping plans and give Apple a boost?
Holy Cow! Will Apple Open Its Own Stores?
If it worked for Gateway, why not for Apple too?
In Focus: Apple
If there's a lot of excess inventory there will have to be price cuts next year. There could be a bloodbath in pricing in the first part of next year if they don't move inventories over the holidays.
The "Mercury" PowerBook
In the end, we anticipate a more evolutionary Mercury: thinner and with a slightly larger display.
Wintel
Same PC Blunders, Forever
As I've been suffering through a migration to a new machine, I've noticed that the same little problems that have plagued users for over a decade just seem to continue. At this point, I've given up on seeing any improvement anytime soon.
Tuesday, December 5, 2000
Top Stories
Undoing The Mac OS Facelift
Some Apple lovers are so unhappy with Mac OS X's new look, they've hacked the OS to make the revolutionary Aqua interface more like the version it's supposed to replace.
Apple Sees 1Q Letdown
Add Apple to the ranks of distressed computer makers.
Connectix Upgrades Virtual PC
Connectix on Tuesday unveiled a new version of its Virtual PC (VPC) emulation software for the Mac, boasting faster performance and other new features, including the ability to expand the Windows disk image as space requires.
OS X Development — Waiting In The Wings
Developers are making the transition to Mac OS X, but few predict their products will be ready when the new OS ships. One exception? Microsoft.
News
Are PC Makers Ready To Slash Prices?
Softening PC consumer demand and overstocked inventories may force manufacturers to cut prices as the Christmas shopping season enters full swing.
Apple Slashes Revenue Forecast — Again
Apple Computer warned late Tuesday that revenue for the final three months of the year will fall "substantially" below its previous forecast.
Apple Issues Profit Warning
"The company expects to report revenue of about $1 billion and a net loss, excluding investment gains, of between $225 and $250 million when actual results are announced on January 17, 2001."
Opinion
Why We Fight
The reason the fight continues, and why you still find advocates stubbornly using older technology including Amigas and Atari STs is that we want to reassure ourselves we made a wise investment.
Apple's Stock: A Double Your Money Gamble?
Is AAPL a good buy at this point? Yes and no. Everything depends on what sort of product strategy Apple has in the pipeline for next year.
Re: Micron PC Warns, Big-Time
In the experience of PC owners, lack of expansion equates to rip-off. I try to explain that the iMac has a fast video card and lots of VRAM, but they want to know what they're going to do when a faster one comes out. They feel that for the price of an iMac, they should get 5 years from the box.
Review
QuicKeys 5.0
QuicKeys saves us tons of time every day, and the latest version, while not quite a revolutionary change, brings plenty of welcome improvements.
Wintel
Microsoft Will Snag Xbox Game Developer
Microsoft plans to fortify its forthcoming Xbox game console by acquiring developer Digital Anvil.
Intel Retains A Mystique For Investors Trading Online
Individual investors still have faith in technology stocks. And, despite the carnage now being wrought, the faith appears to be especially strong regarding Intel.
Monday, December 4, 2000
Top Stories
What If Apple Never Grew?
Considering the pummeling Apple has taken recently, I decided to ask myself the question, "If Apple never grew, forever, what should its shares be worth today?"
What's The Difference Between A Mac And A PC... User?
Microsoft have done some research, then done the dirty. I received a call from their PR Agency today, telling me about this great new survey they'd done, looking at the different lifestyles of PC and Mac owners. And PC Owners came out on top. But then they told the guys at Mac Format magazine that THEY came on top...
The Rumors Of Our Death Are Greatly Exaggerated
Our circulation continues to climb and business is good, so we don't plan on going anywhere for a long, long time.
News
EarthLink Fights AOL, MSN With Ads
EarthLink launched an advertising campaign Monday in an effort to raise awareness of its brand and take some market share from rivals America Online and Microsoft unit MSN.
Hacking OS X Just Got Easier
Clever hackers have managed to tweak and manipulate the system to make it look, and act, more how they want it to.
Review
Inside Your Mac
Part of the stream is two books that got their start in the early 90s and have just been updated. Enough has changed in the Mac world to warrant extensive re-writing of both titles.
Sidetrack
What is worst than a web site with a splash page? How about a web site with two splash pages?
Cameron Barrett: I just want information, folks. Is that too much to ask?
Wintel
Corporate Should Pass On The Pentium 4
One reason corporate users should avoid the P4 is that it won't make office applications faster.
Survey Says Business Customers Migrating To Windows 2000
Microsoft has been successful in getting customers to buy the new version of its computer operating system for businesses, Windows 2000, to replace the older Windows NT system, research firm IDC said.
Sunday, December 3, 2000
News
Recount Gives Advertisers New References
At least a dozen ads by companies like Burger King, Mars Co., Apple Computer and Mercedes-Benz have used recount references to sell their products since the election deadlock hinging on the Sunshine State began Nov. 7.
Screen Wars
The folks who gave PCs mice and menus are back with some new tricks.
College Uses Ancient And Modern Technologies To Teach A Dead Language
Students in Davidson College's "Beginning Hittite" class are learning an ancient language while alternately bent over computer keyboards and clay tablets.
Review
MP3 For The Mac
The resources are impressive and will make any Mac user an MP3 expert — and a regular visitor.
Saturday, December 2, 2000
Top Stories
MacAddict.com Changes Web Dosage
The magazine's executive editor acknowledged changes to MacAddict's site but said its Web and print operations will continue.
Cube Upgrades In Store?
One of the knocks against Apple's G4 Cube is its lack of upgrade potential. However, though Apple won't discuss it, the Cube, like any Mac, can be upgraded, and Mac vendors said they could offer CPU and video-card add-ons for the G4 Cube if there proved to be sufficient market demand.
News
Opinion
Review
Deus Ex
If you are the sort that enjoys books like William Gibson’s Neuromancer or movies like Blade Runner, then Deus Ex is for you. Even if you aren’t, this title’s powerful visuals and gripping action will make you an instant fan.
Wintel
Crusoe Notebook No Intel Killer
With the holidays upon them, the folks at Transmeta Corp. are asking for one thing: a fighting chance against that chip Goliath, Intel Corp. But after testing a notebook powered by one of Transmeta's new Crusoe processors, I think the company should be asking for a miracle.
Friday, December 1, 2000
News
Opinion
Did Netscape Jump The Gun With New Browser?
Long heckled for being late to market with its new browser, Netscape Communications is now the target of critics who say the company jumped the gun in releasing the browser this month.
Review
Netscape 6 Browser: Mixed Bag
If Web-page designers are mostly pleased with Netscape 6, ordinary mortals are in for a broad array of disappointments.
Sidetrack
WVEC.com: Chicken's head found in fast food order. Make up your own McJoke.
Matt Haughey: Living in San Francisco reminds me of visiting Yosemite in the summertime. You have one beautiful wonder of the world after another, but you have to share it with a few million other people.
Wintel
eMachines Bucks PC Downturn
It may not be the best time to unveil new PCs, but the company is doing it anyway.
NEC Recalls Transmeta Notebooks
Blaming a chip-manufacturing problem, NEC calls back hundreds of Crusoe-based notebooks in Japan. Sony denies a reported recall.
Gates' Secret Plan To Save The World
So here's a plan outlining how he can make a running start at saving the world; the peace part will have to work itself out.
Microsoft Shares Drop On PC Worries
Microsoft shares posted their third-biggest one-day drop in a decade Thursday on concern that revenue at the world's largest software maker may be hurt by weak holiday sales of personal computers.
Dell Invests In Linux-For-The-Masses Company
Dell Computer has invested in Eazel, a company devoted to making Linux easier for average computer users, and will include its software on Linux desktop and laptop computers.
Compaq CEO's Memo Tries To Ease Employee Fears
Compaq chief executive Michael Capellas attempted Thursday to calm employee worries about the jittery PC market, which has been rocked by falling stock prices.