Wednesday, January 31, 2001
Top Stories
From Mac To PC: Apple Ideas In The PC's Future?
When Apple blazes a trail today, you can bet that others are paying attention and, if the idea is good, you may see it in your PC someday.
What's Up With Steve's Drawers?
C'mon, give me a HIG.
News
Portable PC Growth Leaves Desktops Standing Still
The desktop PC may be headed for the geriatric ward, but svelte and brawny notebooks are ready to take its place as the most significant computer product.
Analysts Predict Possible Q2 Rebound For Apple
Only days before Apple Computer will hold an open conference call with financial analysts, many of those company observers have made tentative predictions that the company will likely show a slight profit in its second quarter—despite a first-quarter loss of $247 million.
A New Era For WebObjects
If you have a large Web development strategy, WebObjects is definitely something to consider.
iBook Flourish In Maine School System
The state of Maine is considering a plan to allocate US$50 million to get laptops for every seventh and eighth grade student. And at least one of schools seems flooded with iBooks.
Opinion
The OS X Police
There is a new form of Mac advocacy. The OS X Police are here and their motto is "Stop Whining," a motto that infects nearly every Mac site on the Web.
OS X: Full Of Promise And Pitfalls
Ultimately, of course, it's software availability that will make or break Mac OS X. In the months ahead, Apple must work hard to help developers adapt their wares, and developers must price their upgrades reasonably.
Does Motorola Even Give A Damn?
Until Apple has OS X equipped computers to market with smart-and-edgy advertising (sorry, Jeff Goldblum, but you don't move me), Motorola will continue to give less than a damn about the Mac market and whether or not the PowerPC fares well against the Intels and AMDs of the world.
Getting Ready For My TiBook
For me, the key factors are simplification (everything in one box), portability (I can take it to Macworld with me), and OS X compatibility (everyone seems to be running into a brick wall with OS X on SuperMac computers). But the main reason for choosing the TiBook over a Cube and flat panel display is portability; I want a large screened laptop I can take on the road.
Review
Version Sites
VersionTracker is the most widely known website for software updates, if not the most widely known Mac site period.
Wintel
At Gateway, Everything Old Is New Again
A day after founder Ted Waitt returned as CEO in a surprise management shake-up, the new executive team briefed upper- and mid-level management during a midday conference call. In the call, the executives began to flesh out the first steps in a strategy to reverse the PC maker's recent precipitous slide. The mood they conveyed was one of urgency, a Gateway insider said.
Intel To Ship Portable Demo In Handheld Push
Intel is preparing samples of its XScale processor, as well as prototypes of the type of handheld devices it can be used in, as competition heats up in the portable market.
Gates Says Optimistic On Microsoft Antitrust Appeal
Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates said on Tuesday he was optimistic the software giant's appeal against a U.S. District Court's antitrust ruling would be upheld and the case closed within a few months.
Microsoft Asks For New Judge
Microsoft Corp. yesterday urged a federal appeals court to throw out a trial judge's ruling that the software giant violated antitrust law and should be split in two, arguing that his judgments were "clearly erroneous" and citing his media interviews as evidence of bias.
Bill Gates Sees No U.S. Recession
"I am not sure the U.S. economy in the next 10 years will be as strong as it has been. It will go through a cycle. I think this cycle will be longer and deeper than others have predicted. But that does not mean it will not swing back," Gates told Italian entrepreneurs at a debate on the "net economy."
Windows 2000: Growing Up Slowly
Now, after all the dust has settled and IT managers have had a full year to kick the tires, the general feeling we hear is that IT managers still want to implement Windows 2000, but not necessarily just yet.
Intel Reveals Transmeta 'Killer'
Intel will unveil Transmeta-targeting mobile Pentium III and Celeron parts today. The new chips' clock speeds are lower than Intel's existing mobile processors, but are expected to offer significant power savings.
Tuesday, January 30, 2001
Top Stories
Thinking Different From Analysts
Today, the same group of analysts are guiding their clients away from AAPL at $19 a share, in what appears to be a nonsensical buy high, sell low strategy. So much for free advice.
News
Apple To Host Financial Analysts
Apple did not reveal the meeting agenda, but the company will presumably discuss its efforts to return to sustained profitability after reporting its first quarterly loss in three years.
Blitzes, Byte By Byte
"You can do anything on this thing," Dilfer marveled, punching up Giants man-to-man plays when the blitzes ended.
Hewlett-Packard And Apple Fund Web-Based Photo Shop
Emeryville, Calif.-based Ofoto's services allow consumers to upload digital photographs to the company's Web site, which provides for image storage, editing and print processing.
Opinion
The Readers Speak: The PowerBook G4
Most MacWEEK readers are enthusiastic about Apple's new Titanium laptops, but a few have nits to pick, such as the lack of media/battery bays. At least one Wintel user is ready to switch.
What Annoys Me About Apple
As soon as the new hardware comes out its virtually impossible to get your hands on last years stuff.
Apple's Stealthy OS Release
So Mac OS 9.1 isn't as glitzy as Mac OS X, and Apple doesn't want to call attention to its current OS, since it wants everyone to focus on The Future, but neither Mac OS 9.1 nor the engineers who worked hard on it deserve to be relegated to the sidelines.
Apple's Internet Strategy Questioned
Apple enjoys many strongholds, but has a few weaknesses, especially with some of its publics. I do not pretend to know all the ins and outs of Apple's online approach since Apple insiders have to know more than I do, but from an outsider's position, I find Apple's Net presence decent in general.
Review
Oni
Oni delivers an addictive and enjoyable gameplay experience that you won't find anywhere else, continuing Bungie's knack for making ground-breaking games.
Wintel
Microsoft's Corporate Strategy Of Self-Destruction
Playing Squash With Microsoft's .NET
We all know that is the only real purpose of .NET — to squash alternatives. The details of .NET will gradually be adjusted to counter the growth of superior alternatives.
What Microsoft's Web Outages Mean
The seesaw performance of Microsoftís Web sites last week thrusts the safety and security of the Internet back into the spotlight. If technology powerhouse Microsoft is vulnerable, who isnít?
Subscribe To Office? What Would You Pay? Let's Tell MS!
Still, if the number of legal users increases by a third or more, Microsoft could reduce the price by that much and still break even. Then consider how often people purchase new software or upgrades: Maybe an upgrade—which sells for half the price of the original purchase—every two years?
Is Microsoft Back To Its Old Ways?
Intel Hastens Date Of Mobile Pentium III
Microsoft's Painful Lessons, Bad Timing
Microsoft says it learned some painful lessons from seeing its network on its knees last week. Those lessons could be expensive as well, coinciding with the launch of a new marketing push to convince enterprise customers that Microsoft's quality and reliability will help them succeed in the Internet economy.
Microsoft Says Any Breakup Wouldn't Change Its Behavior
Microsoft Corp. lawyers defiantly told the Court of Appeals Monday that even if itís broken into two parts, the Windows company would act ìpreciselyî as it does today, using the same tactics a lower court found in violation of antitrust laws.
Microsoft Sets Sights On Judge
Microsoft offered an appeals court on Monday its best reason not to be be split up, and he goes by the name of U.S. District Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson.
Microsoft Refutes Bundling Arguent In Appeal
Microsoft struck at the heart of the government's antitrust claim Monday in a brief filed with an appellate court.
Intel Slices Processor Prices
As expected, Intel sliced prices on some of its processors Sunday, with reductions ranging from 5 percent to 42 percent.
Compaq iPaq Handheld Goes Gray
In an attempt to meet demand for its iPaq handheld amid a shortage of color screens, Compaq Computer on Monday launched a grayscale version of the device.
Microsoft Outsources Some DNS Services To Linux
Following the debacle Microsoft has partially offloaded its DNS servers to Akamai Technologies - which tests suggest is running these servers on Linux.
Monday, January 29, 2001
News
Apple's Latest Turnaround Plan
For years, Apple Computer Inc. has emphasized its ethereal qualities, casting itself as a deus ex machina for the creatively inclined, a tool for '60s-style revolutionaries and a stylized declaration of nonconformity. Time to think different.
Opinion
Change At Low End Mac
Today marks another significant change for Low End Mac: I've resigned my day job as a Macintosh information systems manager to dedicate my efforts to Cobweb Publishing, Inc., my newly incorporated business that publishes LEM and some other sites I've been hoping to find the time to really put some effort into.
Blame It On Mac OS
A friend and I were having a "Mac OS stinks" discussion one day when, for once, he brought up a valid point on why the Mac OS does in fact stink: When you hold down the mouse button, the whole operating system comes to halt.
Apple's Old Operating System To Test Titanium's Strength
I, for one, will be waiting eagerly with my checkbook in hand.
Review
3D Ultra Pinball Thrillride
Recreating an authentic pinball experience wasn't the goal of 3D Ultra Pinball Thrillride's design, and the popularity of the series is undeniable.
Wintel
Gates: Don't Forget The PC
"How the devices relate to each other is key," he told the audience, pointing out the PC's ability to link handheld computers, mobile phones and other electronic gadgets.
Ballmer Steers Microsoft Down More Practical Path
Microsoft chief executive officer Steve Ballmer may be legendary for his high-decibel histrionics. But since being named chief executive almost 13 months ago, he has quietly steered the 25-year-old icon in a new direction.
Davos Waits On Gates
Gates will ennoble an already aristocratic-looking panel, early on Monday, when he joins a collection of high-profile bosses to discuss the convergence of wireless, Internet and other devices.
Microsoft's .Net Campaign Likely Finished
"While they're running a big campaign talking about the reliability of MS products is not the time to have major outages at the site, particularly for sites as visible as Microsoft. (The outages) pretty much destroyed their advertising campaign, and any value they might have achieved from that campaign is pretty much gone."
Judge May Rule On Microsoft Discrimination Suit
U.S. District Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson this week could make another decision affecting Microsoft, but this time unrelated to the landmark antitrust case.
Microsoft Website Woes Cost US$500m
The financial impact of the outages this week could be about $US500 million, said Mr Rob Enderle, a researcher at Giga Information Group. He based the estimate on a $US200 million marketing campaign that was now "toasted" and $US300 million in lost sales.
Sunday, January 28, 2001
Top Stories
The Arrogance Of The OS Majority
Many times "platform standardization decisions become decisions made to benefit the support system, not the user who needs to get the work done." Don't let that happen in your organization.
Review
Quickkeys 5
QuicKeys 5 hangs on to one of the utilitys strongest points which is its usefulness to both the ultra-power user who longs to do a days work with a single keystroke to the curious newbie who wants to save a few mouse-clicks.
Wintel
The Trials Of Microsoft, 4.0
Two books look back at a judgeís breakup order. But the ending still hasnít been written.
Survey Shows Microsoft Gradually Accepted In China
The respondents agree that Microsoft ( China) has grown into a creative and long-term oriented industry leader among multinationals now in operation in China.
Saturday, January 27, 2001
News
Opinion
Mac OS 9.1 Not Perfect, But What Is?
Another Look At Apple's Numbers
We don't want to sugarcoat Apple's situation, which remains serious. But we don't want to exaggerate Apple's problems, either. The numbers that Apple reported are meaningful to analysts, but to lay people they could make a difficult situation seem even worse than it really is.
Ti Powerbook: No, Im Am Not Kidding — I Still Don't Get It
OS X, Games, And The Digital Lifestyle
This is true convergence, and if Apple is serious about it, it's a good move for them to make. Follow-through is key, however. Xbox is convergence, too, and right now seems to be poised for running the table. Apple needs to figure out a way to add value to the consoles of the future.
Review
Que! Fire CD-RW Drive
The Que! Fire drive is easy to set up, and easy to use, and when I had problems (the extension conflict I mentioned above) technical support was very helpful.
Transporter
Transporter is good idea that took a few missteps on its way to becoming a finished product. If its capabilities suit your needs, you're likely to become a firm believer in the application, otherwise hang on to your wallet and see how the product evolves.
Wintel
Hatch: U.S. Will Not Intervene In Microsoft Case
"I don't think that the Bush administration should interfere with the case and I don't think they will," Hatch told a discussion on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum annual meeting.
Intel Greets Chip Set Newcomers To Counter AMD
Intel Corp. appears to be more willing to license its Pentium 4 bus to known and would-be chip set makers as rival Advanced Micro Devices gains ground.
Microsoft: Big, Strong, And At Risk?
Continued outages on Microsoft's Web sites raise questions about the company's bold new .NET initiative, which encourages users to store their files on Microsoft's Web servers.
TGIF: Microsoft's Week Of Web Woes Finally At A Close?
For the fourth consecutive day, technical problems hindered access Friday to Microsoft's vast network of Web sites and services.
MS Right
When will Microsoft realize that it would be in its best interests to design its systems securely in the first place?
Down And Out In Redmond
When Microsoft fell off the grid, its first reaction was to cover its butt.
Microsoft Crashes: The Fallout
It also appears that Microsoft has now handed over the management of its DNS routing systems to Akamai, and may be running Linux on at least one of its servers.
Microsoft Sites Back Up After Access Problems
For the fourth consecutive day, technical problems hindered access Friday to Microsoft's vast network of Web sites and services.
Microsoft Fumbles
If Microsoft is trying to lead by example, it is having a very, very bad week.
CNBC.com: AMD Buying Transmeta?
Corel Denies MS Effect On Linux Shift
Corel's decision to spin off its Linux business was not influenced by its financial backer, Microsoft, and could actually spell bad news for the Windows giant, according to Corel's chief.
Friday, January 26, 2001
Top Stories
Jobs Runs With Bulls At Staff Rally
In his latest all-hands meeting with Apple Computer staff on Thursday morning, CEO Steve Jobs pledged to continue fighting for Mac market share and reiterated the company's predictions of a small profit in the fiscal second quarter.
News
Learning On Laptops
At Piscataquis Community Middle School, students, teachers and administrators say laptops are improving learning in a variety of ways: helping the students do more and better research on projects, write more often and learn computer skills they'll need for the future.
Creative Poised To Ship Sound Blaster For Mac
Creative Labs is poised to ship the first Mac product in its popular Sound Blaster line "soon, very soon," said Creatice PR manager Hector Marinez. Creative is finishing work on Sound Blaster Live! for Macintosh and preparing a large software bundle that he said will demonstrate all of the capabilities of the audio card on the Mac.
For Mac Fans, The Fervor Has Died, But The Devotion Remains
Although it's likely that few among the faithful at the Expo would have disagreed, the intensity of feeling had palpably diminished from the halcyon days.
Opinion
Wired Report On Jobs "An Exaggeration"
"I for one was totally impressed. The man has a vision and a very good grasp of the good, bad and ugly of the computer biz. Most people are afraid to be totally honest in front of a crowd, but Steve was very comfortable."
Why Upgrade?
In my estimation, one of the reasons that the personal computer industry is any sales slump is that for vast numbers of users there is simply no compelling reason to upgrade from their present hardware.
Quiet On The Apple Front
Show and tell is over, and Apple's retreated backstage. So why are fans and critics still standing by?
Review
Rune
The developers at Human Head know how to make a good game. They've conjured a decent story, surrounded it with lush environments, and punched it up with "whirlwind" combat. You won't lie in bed at night trying to figure out how to get to the next area of Rune, but getting to that area will keep you out of bed.
Kensington Mouse-In-A-Box Optical
Not only is this an excellent mouse, it's quite economical at US$25.
Getting On The Net With An Older Mac
Premiere 6.0
Every Premiere 5.1 user will definitely want this upgrade because it simply works better in many ways. Windows users looking for an inexpensive or additional editing solution will be impressed. Premiere is still not ready for the heavy lifting of large, complex projects, so Final Cut Pro still gets my nod as the Mac software-only solution. But Premiere 6 significantly narrows Final Cut Pro's lead.
Monopoly
If you're a Monopoly fan and can't get your fix from friends or family, Monopoly may be just your ticket. At $30 it's not cheap, mind you, and be sure you pack along plenty of patience.
Wintel
Microsoft: Silence Of The Flaks
The latest Microsoft debacle has left industry analysts and members of the media believing that if a nuclear bomb went off in Microsoft's basement, the company would respond with a statement two days later confirming that a small puff of smoke had been spotted.
Outage May Hit Microsoft In The Wallet
The software giant may face lost revenue after its Web sites were unreachable for hours.
Microsoft Denies Xbox Dreamcast Rumours
Microsoft has flatly denied rumours that its Xbox console will house the all-in-one Dreamcast chip. The chip, which has been in development by Sega, is designed for the PC platform and set-top boxes, and it will let users on those platforms play Dreamcast games.
Happy Meals For Compaq
Compaq Computer is installing video-game kiosks for children and teenagers in McDonald's restaurants.
World To Microsoft: You Blew It
Redmond blames a configuration change for the daylong outage, but the popular opinion points to poor design.
Sun Says Microsoft Java Translator Misses The Point
A new system to rewrite Internet applications in Sun Microsystems Inc.'s Java language to a Microsoft Corp.-friendly version crimps the cross-platform functionality at the heart of the programming language, Sun said Thursday.
.NET: Microsoft's New Platform Monopoly
Microsoft Hacked
Routers that direct traffic to the company's Web sites were attacked, denying service to major Microsoft Internet properties, including Microsoft.com and MSN.com at various times this morning, according to the company. The company said it had notified the FBI of the activity. "It is unfortunate that an individual or group of individuals would engage in this kind of illegal activity," said the company, in a written statement today.
Report: Intel To Slash Prices
Intel Corp., the world's biggest maker of semiconductors, is preparing to cut prices on some microprocessor chips by more than 40 percent, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.
Et Tu, Intel? AMD Lines Up Backers For Mobile Chip
Advanced Micro Devices will turn up the competitive heat on Intel in March, when major computer makers release notebooks containing a mobile version of AMD's Athlon processor.
AMD Finds Takers For Mobile Athlon
Advanced Micro Devices will turn up the competitive heat on Intel in March, when major computer makers release notebooks containing a mobile version of AMD's Athlon processor.
Compaq Takes Shot In PC Price War
In a rebuke to its rivals, Compaq Computer has derided its competitors' recent escalation of a PC price war, belittling any increases in sales and market share as "fleeting."
Microsoft Opens Wireless Center In China
The new managing director of Microsoft Research China hopes to take the research arm to the next level — and help the company crack the booming Chinese wireless market. At the same time, the laboratory is focusing more of its research on driving international standards for wireless and other key markets, said director Ya-Qin Zhang.
Thursday, January 25, 2001
Top Stories
Shipping Issues Delay G4 PowerBook
Customers eyeing Apple's new G4 PowerBooks face an extended wait of 30 days or so due to the laptop's popularity and shipping issues, sources close to the company said. To be safe, Apple and its distributors are telling customers to be patient for around 40 days, maybe more, depending on when the order was placed. Supplies of high-end Power Mac G4 systems are backed up as well, and are now expected around the end of March.
Latest Apple Laptop Offers Travelers A New Look, Feel
Like everything else from Apple under the second reign of founder Steve Jobs, it exudes a nice combination of style and power, in this case provided by the top-of-the-line PowerPC G4 processor. But it also has a few little lapses.
Call Me Crazy: Mac Fans Are Just Like Everybody Else
When it comes to technology, it's seemingly more comforting to belittle people who fail to subscribe to a particular product flavor—to paint them as being a bit zany, or worse.
OS Wars: My Way Or The Highway
Certain proponents of particular operating systems are like adherents to some religions — their way is the right way, and don't you dare attack it. Or, similarly, someone else's way is wrong and offensive, and they feel compelled to tell you so — and why — at great length.
News
Corel's Strategy Draws A Blank
Shares plunge after long-awaited turnaround plan fails to excite investors.
Exploratorium Uses 200 Macs
The computer of choice at the hands-on, participatory science museum, the Exploratorium, is the Macintosh.
iMacs In Full Bloom At Belgium Car Show
Traveling Tips For Macworld Expo Tokyo
Traffic To Apple.com Continues To Decrease
Problem With 17-Inch Studio Display?
Is there a problem with Apple's 17-inch Studio Display? Some Mac users are reporting problems and the situation is being discussed on Apple's display discussion list.
Opinion
Story Had Nothing New
How can you seriously publish market shares comparing any free-standing product to a component of the dominant PC operating system? Is this a joke? Are we supposed to think that a refurbished interface might be the reason for "Windows Media's newfound popularity?"
Apple Retail Stores Could Work
There's a persistent rumor that Apple plans on opening its own line of retail stores — whether it will happen or not is sheer speculation. But if it does happen, it could be a good thing if Apple does it right. But there are a few things I hope my favorite computer company keeps in mind if and when it undertakes such a step.
No Middle Ground
Perhaps they'll lower the cost of the Ti or up the specs a bit in a few months, once demand's down and the PowerBook G3 inventory is gone, or maybe they'll update the iBook line to make it more useful to professionals. But for now, there's a noticeable gap in Apple's middle.
And The Winners Are...
Now that Macworld Expo and 2000 are both done, it's time to announce the first Network Manager Top Ten Administrator Tools of the year. This is not a survey of anyone other than myself, so if a favorite product is not here, it probably means I just didn't use it much. Readers are welcome to post their own suggestions for top administrator tools.
Dialogue On Ti Powerbook: Are You Kidding Me?
If you need to find something to complain about with the new PowerBook, say that adding width is a really cheap way for Apple to claim that its screens are bigger than anyone else's. Or than it requires a 28W AC adaptor, rather than the 26W which Apple has used for so many years, for absolutely no good reason. Other than that, just stop your whining.
Review
Apple iTunes
Even if Apple charged for iTunes, it would be worth buying. As a free download, it's a downright steal. While it's not perfect, iTunes still has a feature set that's head and shoulders above the Mac edition of MusicMatch. Download a copy and give it a whirl.
Connectix Virtual PC 4.0
Virtual PC 4.0 creates the near-perfect illusion of using a real PC within the Mac environment. For Internet surfing and running business productivity software, Virtual PC is the next best thing to being there. But it can't perform miracles, and its performance limitations are too much to bear for certain applications.
Wintel
Open-Source Penalty For Microsoft
The damage that counts is already done. Microsoft has been judged to be an outlaw corporation; what's up for debate now is the nature of the punishment.
AMD To Ship 1.3GHz Athlon Monday?
Developers May Be Real Losers In Java Case
Just because Microsoft ended up paying Sun Microsystems $20 million to settle their 4-year-old suit over the Java programming language doesn't mean Microsoft was the real loser in the spat.
Microsoft Customers Sound Off On Outage
Managers of technology departments around the world united in anger Wednesday against Microsoft, their enemy of the moment.
MS Failure: Geeks Lose Their Site
If one wanted evidence that Microsoft's monopoly power stifles software development, look what happened Wednesday when the company's main website went down: Tech people who work with Windows found themselves without answers to the many questions that plague their daily lives.
Top Secret! New MS Whistler
On Tuesday, Microsoft privately alerted Whistler testers that it is making substantial changes to the look and feel of the desktop versions of Whistler, according to tester reports. But Microsoft is taking unusually high security precautions to make sure that testers, the press and the public don't get to see the interface changes before the product—the successor to Windows 2000—goes to Beta 2, which is expected to occur the week of Feb. 12.
Intel's Future Focus
2000 was a tough year for Intel. The current economic situation has also made it more difficult for the company to be able to predict its short-term future. However, Intel is not letting the tenuous economic situation inhibit its investment in the future, as it will increase its investment in both research and development and its manufacturing process in the year ahead. This focus on the long term is encouraging news for Intel shareholders.
Microsoft To Boost Windows 2000 With Campaign
MS tries to offset decline in Office sales with major ad campaign.
A Bad Day For Microsoft Sites
Microsoft technicians have been struggling since early Wednesday morning to return service to the company's main websites: Microsoft.com, MSN.com, MSNBC.com, WindowsMedia.com, Encarta.com and Carpoint.com.
Wednesday, January 24, 2001
Top Stories
Apple's iTunes: Best Of Show
The new digital-music player, part of a plan to make the Mac an entertainment hub, is easier to use than its many competitors.
News
Hispanics' PC Buying Tops Curve
For Hispanics, the fastest-growing brands of choice are Gateway and Apple, but the most popular brand is Compaq, which can be found in 18 percent of Hispanic homes.
Opinion
Don't Waste Your Time Telling Apple What To Do!
Let there be news, how-to articles, and other things Mac enthusiasts can use... why try to run the company?
Wintel
Microsoft Officials Hail "Orchestration"
Orchestration, enabled by BizTalk, "lets you rapidly build and define a business process," said Michael Risse, general manager of Microsoft's .NET enterprise servers group, during an informational session at corporate branch offices in Mountain View, Calif.
Intel To Slash Chip Prices By Over 40 Percent
Intel will kick off aggressive chip pricing this weekend amid high PC inventories and slow sales.
Microsoft, Sun Settle Java Dispute
Microsoft Corp. said on Tuesday it had settled a three-year-old lawsuit brought by Sun Microsystems Inc., agreeing to pay its rival a lump sum of $20 million for use of its Java technology in Microsoft products over the next seven years.
Guidance Puts Compaq In A Delicate Balancing Act
While investors were bidding up those shares, the company was quietly turning its guidance for fiscal 2001 into a high-wire act.
Tuesday, January 23, 2001
News
Melissa Virus Is A Mac Wake-Up Call
According to Kevin Haley of Symantac, Melissa-X should be a reminder that Mac users also need to take precautions during a virus outbreak.
Explanation: GeForce2 MX Cards On The Mac
There's been a lot of confusion recently about Apple's decision to put GeForce2 MX cards in their computers. If you took a survey, you'd find that many Mac users are not up to speed on this issue. In fact, many even fail to recognize the astounding significance of this release. All is covered in our in depth explanation.
ThinkFree Delivering On Java's Promise
ThinkFree Office is now available for Windows, Linux and Mac (preview version). The full package includes word processing, spreadsheet and presentation programs, a Windows Explorer-style file manager, plus extras such as a spelling checker and clip art. Yet it totals less than 10 MB, compared with 189 MB for a default Microsoft Office installation.
Corel To Unveil New Stragegy: WordPerfect History?
Corel Corp. announced Monday it will unveil a new corporate strategy on Tuesday at an employee and media event in Ottawa, Canada where sources report the company will sell off large chunks of its business, including WordPerfect.
NAMM Goes To AirPort
Walking into the lobby of the Anaheim Convention Center for the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Winter trade show, one of the first things you noticed were the iMacs—15 in all—installed to enable free e-mail access for attendees. What wasn't so noticeable was that the show was running on Apple's AirPort wireless network technology.
Quark Readies XPress Upgrade
Quark originally said it would ship the upgrade of its flagship page-layout software in late 2000. But the company, trying to avoid the reliability problems that beset QuarkXPress 4.0, is now targeting late spring for extensive beta testing, said Glen Turpin, Quark's corporate communications manager.
Opinion
Love And Hate For OS X
2001 will be a year of change, but I think this will be for the best and I'm looking forward to it. So when I hear the "doom and gloomers" talking about how some Mac users or developers are unhappy or reserved in their enthusiasm, I don't get concerned. I think it shows that many Mac people are wise, and understand that change will cost them in the short term, but will be worth it in the long term.
Build A Better Mousetrap
What they need to do now is to focus on selling what they've got. Advertise, beat the bushes for customers, go door to door. Just good old fashioned salesmanship.
The Light At Tunnel's End?
Apple's biggest strategic error of the last year was not implementing a ferocious, even controversial, marketing campaign designed to expose in detail the tangible benefits of migrating to the Mac platform.
Wintel
Intel Starts To Look Outside
Intel's seemingly insatiable appetite for peripheral vendors continued with last week's news of its buy-out of mobile telephony company Xircom.
Microsoft's New Zealand Website Hacked
Hacking group Prime Suspectz broke into the software giant's New Zealand website overnight, replacing the front page with a message mocking the software giant.
Microsoft Site Joins With Journals
Microsoft's bCentral, a Web site that sells management tools to small businesses, is partnering with a unit of Advance Publications Inc. that publishes 40 local business newspapers around the country.
The Post-PC World, Or Maybe Not
Compaq Set To Detail PC Slump
Compaq is the first of the top-three computer makers to reveal how badly the sudden slowdown in commercial and consumer PC sales has cut into profits. In fact, analysts say, how Compaq handled the end-of-year sales crisis is likely to foreshadow what can be expected from Dell Computer and Hewlett-Packard. Both companies will report their fourth-quarter results in February; Dell issued a profit warning Monday.
AMD Chips Power New Supercomputer
Advanced Micro Devices on Monday added another Athlon-based supercomputer to its resume.
MS Opens Up On Whistler Copy Protection
The product activation copy protection system that will ship with Whistler and Office 10 will form the basis of a "cross product" protection system for Microsoft software, and the signs are that the company will move heaven and earth to make it stick.
Windows To Go 3D... But Not In Whistler
Microsoft Research has been doing some intriguing work that could ease Winders, a derivative of the 15 year old 2D Mac desktop, into a real 3D environment. And do so fairly painlessly.
Dell Latest PC Maker Hit By Earnings Slowdown
Dell Computer on Monday morning issued a warning that fourth-quarter earnings would be as much as 8 cents a share lower than expected.
Intel, AMD Dig In For Price War
In the longer term, both AMD and Intel plan to increase their capital spending, despite the market downturn, with an eye toward reducing unit costs.
Monday, January 22, 2001
Top Stories
Big News For Macintosh Enthusiasts
Mac OS X will move Java on the Mac from also-ran to serious contender.
Apple Returns To Core Values To Save The Company Again
Apple listening to customers? Good. Apple innovating, again? Insanely great!
News
Wintel
Intel Founder Looks To The Future
There are certainly major portions of the market that are starved for performance, and I suspect as we see some of the new consumer software come on over the next few years, we'll see a resurgence, increased interest and more computing power for the consumer.
Warning Again, Dell Says Fourth Quarter Will Disappoint
First Athlon Supercomp Gets An Airing
Can Bush Influence Microsoft Case?
Wouldn't you love to be a fly on the wall when Bush and Bill Gates meet to discuss this? There will be one man, powerful and in control, calling the shots and manipulating the situation with his savvy and fierce, focused intelligence. Bush will be there, too.
Microosft Launches New Campaign
Microsoft, which dominates the operating system market for personal computers, will launch a $200 million advertising campaign Monday to compete more directly with Oracle, IBM and Sun Microsystems in selling software to businesses.
How MS Could Make A Liar Out Of Me — And You, Too!
Microsoft's new copy-protection scheme — which I wrote about last Thursday in an open letter to CEO Steve Ballmer — does more than just end casual copying of Microsoft products. It threatens to turn millions of Microsoft's customers into liars.
Sunday, January 21, 2001
Top Stories
Thinking Revolution, Talking Evolution At Apple
Sure, Apple did not think of this idea first, he acknowledged. But he said Apple's system would be far simpler and more integrated than rivals in the chaotic world of the Windows-Intel PC market. The reason, he said, is that "Apple controls the entire hardware and software world of the Macintosh."
Review
Top-Of-Line Photoshop A Miracle Worker For Graphics
The biggest reason to lust after version 6.0 of Photoshop is the miracles it works by adding support for vector data, which allows one to create seeming miracles by drawing shapes and using a new palette of Boolean commands to make them evolve into beautifully elegant forms.
Wintel
Microsoft Sees Margins Narrowing As It Expands Beyond Software
The world's largest computer-software maker now has the widest gross margin of any company in the Dow Jones Industrial Average. That means it squeezes more profit out of each sales dollar than the 29 other companies in the benchmark index.
Saturday, January 20, 2001
Top Stories
Big Mac Attack
Mac evangelists find their crusade is turning into a battle for survival. Increasingly, schools are dumping Macintosh computers in favor of all- PC networks. Faced with the prospect of a Mac-less classroom, teachers like Dribin are waging guerilla war against principals, superintendents, and school boards that dare to mess with their machines.
Numbers Paint Bleak Picture Of Mac Sales
Detailed sales figures released by Apple as part of its recent earnings announcement paint a bleak picture of the company's performance during the last three months of 2000, when unit sales fell by 52 percent from the same period a year before, and revenue from Mac sales fell by 57 percent. The numbers show lagging sales across Apple's entire product line, indicating that the sales slump in late 2000 was more serious than many believed.
News
Apple's Beautiful New Titanium PowerBook G4
Is there such a thing as technology that looks beautiful?
Musical Instruments Firms Tune Out Woes
Synthesizer and virtual studio programs, backed by Apple's powerful G3 and G4 Macintosh computers, enabling musicians with these computers to set up their own studios costing anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars.
XML Powers QuickTime's Media Skins
In version five, QuickTime has provided content creators with a new tool: Media Skins. These enable artists to control not only the content of their presentations, but the appearance of the player itself.
Can Apple Bounce Back?
It's the piece of fruit that's rolled off a mountainous supermarket display. It's been cored, sliced, halved, bruised. Once sweet and juicy, it's now bitter. It's...well, you get the picture.
PowerPC Comes Up Short In Microprocesor Awards
IBM's PowerPC 750CX processor came up short Thursday as Cahners Micro Design Resources announced the winners of its second annual Analyst Choice Awards at a dinner ceremony in San Jose. The awards, presented this year in eight categories, recognize excellence in semiconductor innovation and design. Cahners publishes Microprocessor Report.
Apple Pushes FireWire At Music Show
Making its first NAMM appearance in recent years, Apple has a small booth off the floor, where it's showing the G4 Cube, a 15-inch Apple Studio Display and a Yamaha mLAN I/O interface, which can convert and carry eight channels of audio via the 1394 protocol.
Opinion
Biting Into Apple
What Apple lacks, and cannot hope to develop because it lacks an enterprise software offering, is a consulting and service business that would provide revenue and margin growth in times of slow PC sales.
Review
Three Applications Take Your Digital Videos To The Next Level
If you have editing experience with a program other than iMovie, you should give [EditDV] a try. But if you're looking for the heir apparent to iMovie, Premiere has a slight edge with its intuitive interface and excellent Help options.
The Sims - Livin' Large
All in all, this reviewer thinks that the game is fantastic, and the expansion pack only renews the love you find for it. It's a little on the expensive side for such a thing, but if you have the cash on hand, it is more than worth it.
Cro-Mag Rally
Mac users of all ages will enjoy this well-crafted game that features an imaginative and colorful feel and that unmistakable Pangea look.
Wintel
Copy Protection On Whistler Easily Cracked
Whistler's copy protection is by no means uncrackable, according to various of The Register's shady sources. The hardware-locked key system currently shipping with the Whistler beta seems to be fairly easy to get around, and the inconvenience of the system - if it ships with the production Whistler - will be likely to encourage the widespread use of cracks, and even of doctored installation disks that are entirely unlocked.
Dell Shows Fastest PC Sales Growth
Cutting Microsoft Some Slack
You have to figure investors are scratching for good news when they react positively to a Microsoft earnings report that merely matches reduced expectations. But that's what happened Friday.
Microsoft Enters A Tricky Game
Cynics of the US groupís venture say it is being naÔve to enter such an entrenched and crowded market alone. Better, they believe, for Microsoft to have partnered with an existing games company in order to gain logistic support and experience.
What Does The Future Hold For Microosft?
In short, Microsoftís future guidance has left us with no choice but to say that management is leaving the fast lane for now. Therefore, why would we expect to see any spectacular performance out of Microsoftís shares over the next six months?
Bill Gates For President?
Let's look at the record. Gates has proved he's both persistent and capable. He started Microsoft more than 25 years ago and has grown it into a huge monop — uh, software behemoth. He's demonstrated ruthless competitiveness when dealing with adversaries — something you look for in a leader. Yet at the same time he's shown the ability to be diplomatic when it serves his company's aims, as his support of software for Apple's platforms demonstrates.
Microsoft Auditions Small-Business Push
On the heels of its purchase of Great Plains Software at the end of last year, Microsoft is continuing to beef up its hosted service portfolio.
Visual Studio.Net A Clear Winner
One of Microsoft's goals in offering the new Visual Studio.Net is to support the company's .Net framework with developer languages, compilers, debuggers, wizards, components and graphical user interface tools, among other features.
Microsoft Shares Rise On Optimism For 2001
Microsoft shares rose almost 10 percent Friday, after the software maker reported fiscal second-quarter earnings that met reduced expectations and reiterated its forecast for this fiscal year.
Windows Curses Fast Computers
When further supercharged with 800 MHZ Pentium III microprocessors, Windows 98 and Me outran the hardware at times, powering off the computer before the hard driveís on-board drive cache could finish writing out the buffered data.
Friday, January 19, 2001
Top Stories
Make Your Next Notebook A Mac? (I Think I Might)
And if you are willing to spend $2,600 to $3,600 on a notebook, shouldn't you get something snazzy for your money?
Emulation Is The Sincerest Form Of Flattery
If a computer can simulate a Learjet or a black-diamond slope at Vail, what's so hard about simulating another computer? A lot, as I've been reminded while testing Virtual PC 4, the latest PC emulator for the Macintosh developed by Connectix Corp.
NeXT Computer: When Cool Wasn't Enough
If nothing else, the way the NeXT story ended was vindication for Jobs. "He earned redemption in the eyes of the public and the industry," says Linzmayer.
Fans, Ask Yourself This: Is Mac Really Better?
Your cause might be better served with a little less fanatical devotion and a little more tolerance. Can't we all just get along?
Apple Revs Mac OS Server Update
Though the desktop version of Apple Computer's Mac OS X has been in the limelight last year, Mac OS X Server—an industrial-strength version of the operating system designed for Web, mail and multimedia serving duties—will receive a technical and cosmetic facelift early this year.
News
Homebrewed Solutions On Vintage Macs
Why are Distrivin and VINEXPERT fully Mac-oriented? Primarily, itís a matter of cost. As Michel notes, the simplicity of the MacOS means lower cost-of-ownership.
Report Reiterates PC Slowdown
Though Apple Computer was not listed among the world's top PC vendors, it played a role in the industry's decline, the report noted. Apple's fourth-quarter shipments fell by 50 percent in the United States and 40 percent worldwide, dragging the entire industry's U.S. sales growth rate down by almost two percentage points.
Apple Shares Rise On Prediction Of 1st-Quarter Profit
Apple shares edged upwards in after-hours trading yesterday after the company reported that its once-bloated inventories are back to normal levels and reiterated that it expects to return to profitability this quarter.
Pursuing Driver
Law-abiding citizens would never dream of doing donuts through Alamo Square in a real car. That’s why nice game developers make goodies like Driver for us. [Jan. 18]
For Mac Fans, The Fervor Has Died, But The Devotion Remains
AOL Names New Netscape Resident
America Online announced Thursday that a five-year AOL veteran would replace Jim Martin as the new president of Netscape in one of its first major management changes since officially merging with Time Warner last week.
Evolution In Action
Besides the new Pro Mouse-weilding Mouse panel and the Eeepless Alerts (stay tuned for a related - and wacky - contest), Energy Saver - now tabbed and multi-paned - has an option to Restart automatically after a power failure. It won't help if your Mac crashes, but now if the lights go out, your Mac can come right back up with them.
The New PowerBook G4 — Gaming On The Go
As a full-featured portable workstation that plays awesome games, the PowerBook G4 is elegant, powerful and full-featured — a portable combination that's hard to beat.
Melissa Virus On The Mac?
It appears that the infamous Microsoft Word Macro virus known as Melissa may now be a threat to the Mac. At least two virus detection resources have reported that a new strain of the virus may have the potential to infect users of Microsoft's Office 2001 software for the Mac.
Opinion
Political Correctness Aims At The Mac Community: Is It Intolerant To Think Different?
Well: Please don't preach to us, Windoltyes, and please don't try to impose your morality of conformity on us. It's offensive and downright politically incorrect to us.
Beyond The Digital Hub
Other computer companies can chase the Digital Convergence in the form of making portable devices that do more. Some can try and capitalize on the MP3 revolution. I think Apple will be sitting in the right place with the right technology and the right vision to truly take the computer where we want it to go.
In Praise Of iTunes
Andy Ihnatko writes in the Chicago Sun-Times, “iTunes is a big deal. Apple’s essentially giving away $200 of commercial software here … ITunes has replaced my former flotilla of music apps because unlike everything I’ve seen for both Mac and Windows, it’s impeccably clean and simple.” [Jan 18]
Mission: Impossible
Are computers really this complicated? I thought. How did she have the patience? She must think this is like over-the-phone brain surgery or something. I surely could never put up with someone walking me step-by-step through this maddening process.
A Toy Store For Geeks
Macworld Expo is a computer geek's toy store, and this last one was no exception, even for network managers, who tend to not be part of the crowd that's into the "blinkenlitzen" end of the product scale.
Review
Sim Theme Park
Like most non-combat sims, a lot of the fun in this game comes from setting things up and watching what happens.
Wintel
Investment Income On The Outs At Intel, Microsoft
Intel's investment-income well has run dry, thanks to a bunch of bad dot-coms in its portfolio. Microsoft's gains from investments are better, but the software giant's investment income is slipping. Falling investment income could hurt the companies' ability to deliver upside surprises.
MS' Antitrust Backup Plan: Net Monopoly
If the appeals process should ultimately decide that Microsoft really does have to be broken up to rectify its software monopoly, the company - or companies, in that case - can always seek to monopolize something else crucial to computer users: access to software.
Microosft Proves A Lure After Interent Stints
The world's largest software maker is certainly not immune to the ferocious slump that has hit the high- technology industry. But as Internet companies lay off workers or even close their doors altogether, Microsoft has recently gone on something of a hiring and acquisition binge.
Developers Cry Foul Over New Microsoft Language
Developers are worried that Visual Basic.Net is so different from the Visual Basic they have come to know and understand that upgrading will pose a major hurdle. Some say the .Net version bears so little resemblance to Visual Basic 6.0 and previous versions of the language that Microsoft shouldn't continue the name.
Intel Delaying Office Construction Amid Downturn
Intel is putting on hold nearly all of its office building projects as the company copes with a drop in sales.
The Whole Business World Is Watching Microsoft
There will be no reason for applause because Microsoft already bumped its projections down for the quarter in mid-December. The company blamed an overall decrease in information technology spending and sagging consumer personal computer sales for the shortfall. It was only the second time Microsoft lowered earnings expectations in its 14-year history as a public company.
Analysts Warn On Microsoft Licensing Changes
Analysts have condemned Microsoft's decision to cancel all volume licensing deals, except for Windows 2000, in an attempt to speed adoption of the operating system.
Economists: Depressed Microsoft Stock Costs Region Billions
Microsoft workers, who led the region's economy to an enormous boom, are sobering up after their stock tumbled 60 percent over the past year.
Thursday, January 18, 2001
Top Stories
OS X: Thinking Too Different?
The MacWorld crowd wasn't wowed. Worse, developers are reluctant to rewrite applications. Apple has a problem.
Apple Loss: $247 Million
As expected, Apple Computer on Wednesday announced its first quarterly loss in three years, but in a conference call with analysts, chief financial officer Fred Anderson pointed to a silver lining as he revealed that the company has reduced channel inventories to near-normal levels. He stuck by his earlier claim that Apple will return to sustained profitability with a small gain in the current quarter, followed by bigger profits in the quarters ending in June and September.
News
Apple Shares Shine On Outlook
Apple Computer's stock shone bright Thursday, after the PC maker said it anticipates posting a slight gain for its March quarter, despite reporting a wider-than-expected loss for its first quarter.
Apple Pares Price Of iMacs
In a move that may foreshadow the introduction of new consumer desktops, Apple Computer has launched a $200 instant rebate for two iMac models.
Apple Fights Back
Can Steve Jobs' company start churning out products that will get consumers — and investors — excited about Apple again? With three key new products in line for the coming week and months, the company is betting it won't be an unprofitable one for long.
Apple's New Power Mac G4s From A Gamer's Perspective
With each iteration of its hardware, Apple has shown tangible examples of how it's responding to user requests and industry pressure to provide better-equipped machines at lower price points than ever before, adding value wherever it can. The revamped Power Mac G4 line certain succeeds on that level — they're faster, easier to use, and better equipped than the machines they replace.
Opinion
I Am Half-Impressed By Apple's SF Announcements
Reacting To The Mac OS X
"Since the introduction of the public beta of Mac OS X last September, a lot of articles have been published about the new operating system in all sections of the press. The greater proportion of these have been positive — even among press that is traditionally Windows focused."
The Age Of Everyman Tech: Jobs' Compromise Completes Apple OS X
"The OS X police have witnessed sacrifice. Steve Jobs has deferred his vision, for the good of the platform. If Apple had not received an overwhelming amount of negative feedback about OSX beta, the face of OS X would still be that beta."
Apple: Hand Waving And Buring Cable
No matter how hard Apple tries to spin OS X as a consumer OS, it isn't one now, and I have my doubts that it ever will become one.
Buying A PowerBook G4
Why am I buying a PowerBook G4 instead of a Cube or Power Mac G4? In a word: portability.
Review
MacSoft's Monopoly
The game is a lot of fun; donít get me wrong. But MacSoft needs to release an update to the game, quick, to take care of some major interface and stability issues.
Wacom Graphire 4x5 USB Tablet
It's a fun toy to play with, particularly if you like to draw. I seem to be doing slightly better playing Myth with the new mouse. It has limitations and may not be everything you expect.
Wintel
Microsoft Faces Tough Road Ahead
After a year that saw Microsoft lose a landmark antitrust case, shed 63 percent of its stock value and issue a rare warning about disappointing earnings, some analysts argue that the software giant at last has hit rock bottom.
Is Ashcroft Antitrustworthy?
If saying little and apologizing a lot is the key to a Cabinet post, John Ashcroft seems about to become the next attorney general.
Ashcroft Noncommittal On Future Of Antitrust Case Against Microsoft
Attorney General-designate John Ashcroft, who would head the Justice Department at a pivotal time in the Microsoft antitrust battle, refused Wednesday to make any commitments on the future of the government's case to break up the software giant.
Dear Steve: Don't Stop Me From Copying My MS Office
As more programs — and your next-generation "Whistler" operating system — get copy protection, the screaming will rapidly take on the tenor of the Napster users vs. the recording industry fight (i.e. "Aren't you pigs rich enough already?").
Do Antipriacy Measures Rob Consumers?
Recently unveiled antipiracy measures aimed at eliminating even casual copying of software have some experts questioning whether companies have gone too far in controlling the use of their copyrighted material.
Investors Look To Microsoft For Signs Of Future Growth
Microsoft is expected to meet reduced fiscal second-quarter profit forecasts Thursday, and investors are seeking signs that the No. 1 software maker is decreasing its dependence on the desktop PC market.
Intel Developing New Chip For Lighter Laptops
Intel is designing an entirely new mobile processor it plans to debut in 2002, raising its bet that notebooks will soon come to dominate the PC market.
AMD Misses Estimates, Sees Gains In 2001
Advanced Micro Devices missed analyst estimates Wednesday for fourth-quarter earnings, but company executives said the general health of the PC market isn't as bad as rival Intel described Tuesday.
Wednesday, January 17, 2001
Top Stories
Apple SuperDrive And iDVD
Combining the power of nonlinear editing, the affordable quality of DV and the high-quality, low-cost delivery format of DVD into a single machine was a very smart idea that should place the Mac in a very special position with video professionals. Although Steve Jobs said that the new G4s are evolutionary, I'd say that they are in fact revolutionary.
Apple iTunes Proves To Be Big Hit
Apple Computer Incís free digital jukebox program, iTunes, unveiled last week as part of the firmís new multimedia focus, was downloaded more than 275,000 times in its first week on offer, the company said Tuesday.
Despite New Products, Analysts Expect Bruised Forecast For Apple
A number of analysts say they expect that Apple CEO Steve Jobs may lower the outlook for the current quarter that ends in March and again for 2001, amid a continuing glut of inventory and an ever-worsening PC market.
News
Home Sweet Home
"Home studios have liberated people's creativity. If you have the means of your own production, and distribution on the Net, you can produce your own work and find an audience yourself. It's never been possible to do this before."
'Mistfits', Computers Turn Out Recipe For Success
The first idea is that discarded, donated equipment — the kind many people might consider would make a great doorstop — still has a lot of life in it. The second is that the scope and success of introducing computers in schools can increase exponentially if students take part in the process.
Analyst Predicts PC Vendors Must COnsolidate Or Die
Apple should play to its strength in industrial design and design the best computers for the Wintel market. Abandon the PowerPC architecture and port the Mac OS X over to Intel architecture.
Apple's First Quarter Results Due Today
It's Offiical: San Francisco Expo Biggest Ever
Yup, IDG World Expo and Apple say that over 93,000 people made it to Moscone Center this year, making the Expo that just ended the "largest gathering of Mac fans in the US ever."
Running Your Own Personal DreamWorks
New technology in camcorders and computer software means that amateurs can get fancy.
A New OS X
Most noticeable is the return of the Apple Menu; previous OS X incarnations relegated the Apple icon to a useless ornament in the middle of the menu bar. But Apple has also made the Dock act more like the Apple menu by introducing a new pop-up folder capability, and addressed another frequent complaint by making the Finder's toolbar customizable.
Opinion
Is Mac OS X Threatening Linux?
Why would they want to use Linux instead of OS X?
Mac OS X: But What About The Children?
About Time Steve Cussed Out Those 'Sorry Butt' Mac Retailers
Apple has every reason to open its own stores. If the company is going to waste money on retail, at least itíll be Appleís retails, which would give the company greater control over how the product is presented to the public.
iDVD Brings Prono Movie-Making TO The Common Man
Apple's Business Strategy
It has finally learned a poignant lesson from its own tumultuous history. The "first mover," or the first to market with a new technological paradigm, often merely carves a difficult road into the unknown—with its own R&D blood and marketing sweat—so that others may follow, while avoiding the pitfalls.
Review
Extension Overload
Extension Overload offers a few helpful features beyond what each Mac is already equipped with, but unfortunately nothing worth the $20 registration fee.
Cabrio PR1
Cabrio's tiny size puts even legacy programs and Mac OS X Beta's Music Player to shame, and its minimal memory footprint makes it incredibly friendly with lower-end computers. And, beta-level release or not, it's stunningly polished. Cabrio gets my vote as the best everyday MP3 player for the Mac.
iTunes
With iTunes as a "digital music hub" Apple has a clear winner in its hands. Most users like the interface a lot (in spite of certain shortcomings), and it's now, for Apple, just a matter of adding or reinstating missing features, and of course of marketing the product properly.
Script Debugger 2.0
If you own Script Debugger 1.X or you're hitting the 32K limit on script size, this is a must-have upgrade. But if you've never scripted before, Script Debugger 2.0 may be overkill. Main Event Software's Scripter Personal Edition offers an easier, less expensive way to get started with scripting.
Wintel
MS Whistler Copy Protection Climb Down Begins - In Germany?
With Whistler Microsoft plans to introduce a new form of copy protection involving compulsory registration and resulting in 'single use' software. But there are signs of revolt among the troops - at least in Microsoft Germany.
MS Using The Old Blue Screen To Sell Win2K
The '9x code base was crap to begin with, and crap it remains. But no one can accuse us of MS-bashing here; the company's own ad campaign makes precisely that assertion.
Ashcroft Unlikely To Drop Microsoft Case But Experts Say He Might Turn Down Heat
Ashcroft isn't expected to change the case's course before an appeals court ruling later this year. But those who have followed the case say the former Missouri governor and U.S. senator may push for settlement talks between the government and Microsoft after the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., hands down its ruling — which many expect to favor Microsoft.
AMD Rolls Out Duron Chip For Portables
The chip is the company's first processor for notebooks that is based upon Athlon technology.
Linux Plus Itanium Equals Whoosh
"We believe that Linux clusters will soon be the most widely used architecture for parallel computing, and that these two clusters from IBM are the best way to deliver terascale performance," said Dan Reed, director of NCSA and the National Computational Science Alliance.
Hole Found In Windows Media Player "Skins"
Security experts are warning of a high-risk security hole affecting Microsoft Windows Media Player 7 "skins," which are used to give the desktop application a custom look and feel.
AMD Offers Developer Tools For 64-Bit Chips
Advanced Micro Devices and software firm Virtutech announced Tuesday that they have created a software tool—"VirtuHammer"—that will enable developers to produce applications for AMD's next generation of processors, code-named Sledgehammer.
Private Microsoft Suits Still Alive In California
Microsoft may have scored a legal victory last week when a federal judge tossed out parts of some private antitrust suits, but that doesn't mean the company is in the clear when it comes to money damages.
Intel Hits Lowered Estimates, Sees Bleak First Quarter
Intel squeaked past lowered fourth-quarter earnings expectations Tuesday, posting net income of $2.6 billion, or 38 cents a share.
Intel Should Make An Easy Switch To Pentium 4
Microsoft Earnings To Be Watched For Industry Outlook
Microsoft Corp. is seen posting flat quarterly profit growth this week, in line with lowered expectations, but the slowing U.S. economy and sluggish computer sales could mean further grim news for the world's top software maker.
Australian Government Rejects Microsoft Argument On Innovation
The Australian Federal Government today rejected warnings by Microsoft that Australia was at risk of becoming an information technology backwater.
Microsoft Brings Programming Tools Under .Net Umbrella
Microsoft has fired its first .Net volley in the new year.
Tuesday, January 16, 2001
Top Stories
Windows Users Not Tempted By Old Apple
A spokesperson for Appleís local operation shrugged off the saleís lukewarm reception amongst Windows users, explaining that the campaign was aimed at the vendorís existing corporate and consumer-level customers, not new customers.
Jobs Slams Computer Retailers
In a criticism aimed at retailers such as CompUSA, Circuit City and Sears, Apple CEO Steve Jobs told a crowd of independent Apple dealers last Thursday that the computer-buying experience is worse than purchasing a car. In addition, Jobs would neither confirm nor deny news that Apple would soon open retail stores, but defended such a move by saying, "this is America."
News
MS' Mac Boss Weighs Apple Moves
When I first saw Aqua a year ago, I said, "That's what we have been thinking computers should look like in the year 2000." And I think to the extent that Apple and all of its ISVs are able to imbue their products with that kind of design esthetic that only the Aqua designers can bring to their design, it will bring that promise.
Macromedia President Talks Mac OS X
Fresh from a keynote appearance at Macworld Expo, Kevin Lynch discussed his company's expectations for Apple's next-generation OS.
Thinking Different On The Last Frontier
Windows is a good system if you live somewhere with 24-hour technical support, he said. But if you live in the bush, you want a computer you can troubleshoot.
Macworld Sets The Stage For 2001
From a psychological standpoint, I guess one could say that MacWorld is more than a normal trade show. To the Mac enthusiast and true believer, it is a reaffirmation of everything that is good and decent in computing.
Rot In Apple Spreads Through Industry
A swath of PC companies, including Gateway, Compaq and Dell, have said that their earnings will be down this quarter, although only Apple expects to fall into the red.
Apple To Report 1st Quarter Loss This Week
Judging by the price drops introduced by Apple in the week prior to Macworld, it is likely that Apple still had inventory left to sell at that time, which was after the quarter about to be released ended. There has been no indication from the company on how successful those price cuts were.
Opinion
Titanium PowerBook: Simply The Coolest Piece Of Hardware Apple Has Ever Built, Part I
Apple is making no secret of the fact that the Sony VAIO was its target to exceed. The VAIO is a very nice piece of work as PC boxes go, but the Ti leaves it in its dust, with its solid Titanium case vs the VAIO's magnesium - fortified plastic one, and the big, 15.2-inch display, as opposed to VAIO's pedestrian 12.1-inch unit, and of course the G4 "supercomputer to go" power.
Titanium PowerBook G4: Not Everyone Likes The Style
Apple does need to change the pictures at its Web site so everyone can view the titanium PowerBook from a real-life perspective, i.e. not just squinting at its skinny cross-section.
Inside The Box
After shaking up the computer world with sleek hardware designs, Apple is finally getting serious about pushing the "other half" of their business: software.
Review
Wintel
Intel Intensifies Pentium 4 Production
As it prepares to announce fourth-quarter earnings Tuesday, Intel is putting the pedal to the metal with its Pentium 4 chip.
Start-Up Cuts Workers On Word From Microsoft
About 20 people were fired, all of them former Microsoft employees who had signed noncompete agreements with the software-0making giant, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources familiar with the matter. Employees were told they could be rehired after the agreements expire, the paper said.
Microsoft Branches Out
As gloomy news continues to emanate from the personal-computer industry, Microsoft, once known for espousing "a PC on every desktop," is branching out in a big way. No longer are Microsoft and Windows logos just on personal computers, they're on — or are scheduled to be on — video game boxes, cellular phones and "e-cliners."
Intel Acquires Xircom
Xircom, based in Thousand Oaks, makes network adapters, modems, and cards that connect mobile computers to local or corporate networks and the Internet. The company, which has 1,900 employees worldwide and generated $492 million in revenue last year, will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Intel.
Coming Attraction : THX On PC
"We realized that this type of innovation was aimed at people who wanted to play DVDs or CDs on the computer," said Fincham, director of engineering at Lucasfilm. "The overall system performance, though, was a function not just of the speakers, but of the computer configuration as a whole. So we came up with a complete PC certification system."
How 'Crzed Uncle' Bill Brought The Microsoft House Down
The sauciest - taking up less than half a page of the book - is the revelation already serialised in The Guardian and summarised here: which is where Sony CEO blows away business protocol and reveals what he really thinks of the beast of Redmond. And it isn't flattering.
Monday, January 15, 2001
News
Modern Operating System, Interface Are Ripe For Change
Some computer scientists and experts think that this desktop system is living long past its usefulness, and because all three major PC operating systems will be overhauled this year, we may have an ideal opportunity to make a leap as significant as the Mac interface was in 1984.
Computer Giants Chase The Mass Market
Desperate for a new strategy to bolster flagging PC sales, Intel, Microsoft and Apple all proclaimed in the past eight days that they had found the solution: consumer electronics.
iCab Preview Version 2.4 Released
iCab Must be getting fairly close to its final version. Each preview release adds a bit more polish and functionality to this already vary polished and functional alternative browser.
Corporate Cutbacks On The Horizon?
It's no secret that companies aren't doing as well as they were a year ago. Stocks are down, and many companies are announcing losses for the last quarter. In addition, it's apparent that some companies are cutting back on frivolous expenses. Are we seeing the first signs of corporate cutbacks in the tech industry?
Linux PPC Boots On The Powerbook G4 Titanium
The Linux Kernel, X Windows and the LinuxPPC work. They also indicate that the internal modem and ethernet will probably work, but it hasn't been tested yet.
Opinion
The 1.7 GHz G4
How can Apple get a 1.7 GHz chip in such short time — especially with the current G4 problems? That's simple — Apple can re-label the PPC 7400 chips to reflect "Pentium performance."
Is Apple Confused - Or Merely Learning From Its Mistakes?
Yes, Apple has made some big changes to its strategies this week. But the changes appear to be exactly what is needed. I applaud Apple for doing this. Their current product line is better than ever.
Apple May Be Aiming At Wrong Target With Newest Hardware
Because of the dominance of the Windows operating system, writing applications on the Windows platform is usually a more lucrative bet because the universe of potential buyers is larger. For Mac fans, being seen as the lower caste of the computer world has become taken for granted.
Review
Tranquility
Even if shoot 'em ups are your thing (as they are mine), you'll get a kick out of Tranquility. Head on over to TQworld to try it out, and prepare to let it all go.
Wintel
Starr Sets His Sights On Microsoft
The lawyer best known for taking on President Clinton in the Whitewater and Monica Lewinsky scandals has turned his sights to another controversial battle. This time, the former judge and U.S. solicitor general is assisting a trade group supporting the government's prosecution of Microsoft.
Sunday, January 14, 2001
News
Apple Bets New, Easy Video Editing Programs Will Catch On
Just as word processing made it easy to edit our printed thoughts a decade ago, the new generation of computers will make it just as easy to construct our video images — personal statements, class projects, family events.
Opinion
Reality Distoration Is Optional
As a business-oriented Mac user, the important part of the keynote was what Steve said besides the "new toy" announcements. He acknowledged that Apple has made some mistakes, and what it's doing to fix them. He wore the hair shirt, and took the arrows for it. Basically, he was an adult in charge of a company, and for Apple, this is perhaps more important than for other companies.
Apple Gets Down To Business And The Mac Faithful Exhale
If I'd known Jobs planned to get to the real deal so promptly, I probably would've skipped the garage and just double parked outside the hall.
Wintel
CES: Microsoft's Xbox Is A Gaming Force
What's arresting about this game machine is its power to convey emotion; its ability to captivate and transport, to achieve what nirvana that gamers refer to as an "immersive" experience.
Microsoft's Hard Fall
With countless high-level interviews, keen insight and a just-the-facts journalistic style, Auletta explores Microsoft's decline from a world-conquering software giant to an isolated, embittered and enfeebled also-ran in the age of information explosion. It's not a pretty sight.
Microsoft's Master Plan Puts Its Future In Your Hand-Helds
America's richest man plans to get richer still by moving Microsoft from its roots as a creator of software for personal computers into a new role as the leading producer of software and hardware for all of the gadgets that already are worming their ways into our lives.
Saturday, January 13, 2001
Top Stories
Jobs Tells It Like It Is
Jobs gave frank and honest answers to tough questions in this time of trouble for the company and its partners, they said. They were also impressed by his incredible potty mouth.
Metrowerks Tools Up For OS X
The tool maker that eased the Mac's transition to PowerPC is working to smooth third parties' move to the new Unix-based OS.
MP3 Software Developers Welcome Apple iTunes
Developers of MP3 player and encoder software at Macworld Expo San Francisco reacted positively to the release of Apples iTunes this week, welcoming the increased awareness of MP3 technology Apple's software will bring to consumers.
News
PB G4's Expansion Limits Prompt Debate
While they applaud its power and portability, some Apple notebook users are concerned about the PowerBook G4's lack of an expansion bay.
Forbes Faces: Steve Jobs
Yep, Jobs is in the pressure cooker again, the place he seems to relish.
Let Them Play Games: Game Deveopers Focus On Fun For ALternative Audiences
Button-bedecked, baggy-panted teens in search of the latest blood-and-gore games seemed to be less of a presence at this year's Macworld Expo SF than in Expos past. Judging by the array of offerings in the gaming area, it's easy to see why — vendors that once focused exclusively on hard-core games are adding card, board, arcade, and quiz-show games to their product lines.
Playing Nice With Microsoft
In the next three months, expect a barrage of promotions and co-marketing aimed at the small business customer. Microsoft sees the changes as means of adding value to its products, as well as demonstrating its commitment not only to the platform, but to serving customers.
Big Shoes To Fill
His predecessors will be remembered as two of the most important figures in the history of graphic communications, so you could say that Adobe Systems' Bruce Chizen has the proverbial big shoes to fill. But in an interview with MacWEEK at Macworld Expo, the recently anointed CEO made it clear that he brings his own style to the company founded by John Warnock and Chuck Geschke, who continue to serve as co-chairmen of the board. Warnock gave up his CEO position in December, moving into a new role as chief technology officer. Geschke retired last April.
Opinion
No CD-R iMac From Apple? Don't Fret
While this doesn't completely rule out new iMacs or iBooks, it certainly doesn't make them any more likely, and at the very least, means that Apple is still trying to get rid of inventory, and expects to be until March.
Is PowerBook G4 A Vaio-Killer?
The similarities between the Vaio and the PowerBook G4 are obvious; in fact, if you painted the new PowerBook G4 a pale hue of purple, it would be hard to tell the two apart — aside from the sprawling 15.2-inch display, that is.
Wintel
Sony Boss - Microsoft Has Lost It
Sony boss Nobuyki Idei believes that Microsoft doesn't know what its future business model should be, and will be overwhelmed by smaller and more nimble competitors.
Microsoft Planning Handheld?
Industry-watchers believe that the company will move on to launch a handheld game player in 2002 or 2003, at which time it could leapfrog Game Boy Advance's technology.
Microsoft Loses Even If It Wins
Microsoft may be doomed to lose even if it ultimately wins in the courts, for the anti-trust case may rob the company of the drive and the passion that have contributed to its extraordinary success.
Microsoft And Priacy: Try, Try Again
If at first you don't succeed...Microsoft says it's learned from past mistakes and its Whistler release will feature 'product activation,' a revised anti-piracy technology that was widely criticized in Office.
Microsoft Wins Dismissal Of 38 Private Antitrust Suits
Microsoft on Friday won dismissal of damage claims in 38 class-action antitrust suits when a judge held it couldn't be sued by consumers who didn't directly purchase the Windows operating system from the software giant.
Government Urges Court To Uphold Microsoft Split
The Justice Department and 19 states filed a legal brief Friday morning urging an appeals court to uphold an earlier decision to split software giant Microsoft.
Hopes Tempered As Intel Prepares To Report Earnings
Intel may squeak past reduced targets when it reports fourth-quarter sales and earnings Tuesday, as demand for personal computers fizzled at the end of the year, analysts said.
Friday, January 12, 2001
Top Stories
The Digital Hub: An In Depth Look At Apple's Strategy
Synergy is what Apple is trying to achieve. It is Apple's most powerful asset. Only Apple could execute such a tightly integrated strategy so quickly. Only Apple has quality control over all the various pieces. Only Apple can assure style and usability consistency for the user at every step. Thus, only Apple can provide the consistent and complete Apple Experience for the user.
Pixar Job Animates Apple's Jobs
Since returning to Apple in 1996, Jobs has frequently faced questions about how he (or anyone) can head two major ventures. His supporters and investors may have been willing to let him get away with it when Apple was flying high, but what about when times are tough?
Geeks Drool Over Mac SuperDrive
"You can't tell me that there was one gearhead listening to the keynote who didn't say, 'Whoa -ñ bet I can copy DVD movies with that SuperDrive,' when Jobs announced the new G4," said "Kam," who asked that his real name be withheld.
Good Apple
Individual Mac users have long fought what they see as the good fight against Windows encroachment. The fact that Jobs might be feeling some of the same heat, that he may be in the same boat as the average user — and can actually admit it — can be cause for optimism.
Apple Sweats Mac OS X Details
While Apple Computer's plethora of high-profile hardware announcements hold pride of place at this week's Macworld Expo here, CEO Steve Jobs' keynote update on the status of Mac OS X will prove at least as strategically significant to the future of the platform.
Titanium PowerBook: A Test Of Apple's Mettle
Is Titanium tough enough to reverse Apple Computer's sagging fortunes?
News
Apple Get Personal Best Streaming Record
At Macworld, Apple's Faithful Gather
Just as there are no atheists in foxholes, there are no doubters at a Macworld Expo trade show.
Mac Returns To 3D Fold
The advent of Mac OS X may mean a renaissance for professional-strength 3D tools on the platform.
PowerBook G4 Titanium Secrets Revealed
USB 2.0 'Next For Apple'
USB 2.0 was conspicuous by its absence during Apple CEO Steve Jobs's Expo keynote - but a leading figure in bringing the technology to the Mac platform yesterday told Macworld that the company "won't be able to ignore it for long".
Sources: Mac OS 9.1 Lost Weight
Originally conceived of as a "big effort" that would introduce new interface elements, new drivers and better integration with OS X, OS 9.1's scope was scaled back as its delivery date grew closer to that of OS X.
Apple's New Core
Jobs shifts company toward 'digital lifestyle' products.
Apple Lacks Clout To Become SoHo's Digital Hub
Neil Ward-Button, Principal Consultant at Ovum, said that Jobsí proposition had potential, but doubted Apple's ability to deliver: "Apple won't succeed unless they do something clever like partner with Sun. "
Was Apple Going To Launch iMacs With CD-RW?
Most likely Apple wants to clear out more of its inventory of unsold machines before announcing upgrades.
Customers Optimistic; Analysts Mixed On Apple Products
Possibly as no surprise to some, analysts who watch Apple stock and the personal computer industry for a living were pleased with the announcements, but have concerns about Apple's potential for dramatically improving the bottom line in the wake of a softening PC industry and an apparent slowing economy.
Nvidia: "Apple Fits Our Strategy Perfectly"
Although Nvidia will leave it to Apple to make announcements about future products that use Nvidia's graphics technology, Vivoli said the company is committed to Macintosh support.
FileMaker Pro For Mac OS X Demoed
Inside The G4 Desktops
Apple has thoroughly redesigned the desktop tower's motherboard (photo), updating the memory controller and AGP slot, adding a PCI slot, revising the audio system and changing the location of the new CPUs, which range from 466MHz to 733MHz.
Macromedia Offers Glimpse Of OS X Products
Macromedia CEO Rob Burgess led a team of company executives in presenting OS X versions of FreeHand (photo), Dreamweaver (photo), Fireworks (photo) and the Flash Player, as well as other projects under development, during a conference session Thursday at Macworld Expo. Macromedia announced that the first shipping program to support OS X will be FreeHand, which the company hopes to release shortly after OS X's March 24 debut.
Artificial Cheese MacWorld Question Line
We're at the MacWorld expo, in perfect position to gather infomation you might want regarding Apple's new products. Submit your questions or comments and we'll get the info for you!
Opinion
The PC Is Dead! Long Live Apple!
Why do I continue to drink Jobs' Kool-Aid? It is his reference to the "digital hub," a device that will connect the growing array of new devices like PDAs and digital cameras that show double-digit market growth.
Mac OS X Opens Apple To A New Audience
So in the end, how will the open source community respond to Apple's proprietary track record and tendencies? Much of that depends on Apple.
What Was Wrong With Steve's Keynote?
Noticeably absent are any upgrades for the iMac.
Apple Goes Platinum
It's great to see that Apple's not just thinking different, but thinking better.
Morning Lines And Evening Shindigs
Treats For Now, Treats For Later
Earlier speculation about Jobs' "vision" is now more tangible. His vision is to sell more boxes. And to do that, he has once again reinvented the possibilities and power of the personal computer.
Review
Mac OS 9.1
If there was any doubt that the Classic Mac OS is about to become the poor relation in the Macintosh family, it was erased on Tuesday by Steve Jobs not even mentioning in passing that the latest, and possibly the last version upgrade of Classic was being released that day along with the other cool new stuff.
Wintel
Government Faces Fresh Challenges In Microsoft Appeal
Antitrust lawyers and academics agree the government's position is greatly weakened, if for no other reason than out-of-courtroom comments made by the trial judge, U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson.
Ballmer: Linux Is Top Threat To Windows
Microsoft Corp.'s president and CEO this week named Linux as the company's biggest problem going into 2001.
Judge's Public Critique Of Microsoft Raises Questions
The comments made by Jackson to The New Yorker and other news outlets recently raise the question of whether he could remain unbiased if the case again lands back in his Washington courtroom.
Microsoft's Competitors Hire Starr To Back Breakup
Rivals of Microsoft Corp. have retained Whitewater prosecutor Kenneth Starr to help support the Clinton administration's case that the software giant broke antitrust law and should be split in two to restore competition in the marketplace.
Swing Shift: Microsoft Ranks Told To Spread The Options News
On Monday, CEO Steve Ballmer called on the troops to spread good news about Microsoft and specifically boast about an acceleration of the company's options grants. That means the company will be doling out options six months sooner.
Gateway Earnings Fall Way Short, Announces Layoffs
Microsoft: A House Divided?
One of the biggest and least talked-about rivalries at Microsoft has emerged between Bill's boys and Steve's boys.
Thursday, January 11, 2001
Top Stories
Jobs Decides Music Is Apple Of PC Maker's Eye
If you can't beat products like digital cameras and mp3 players, you may as well join them. And observers say that if any PC company is poised to make computing's recent trend away from the desktop work for them, it's Apple.
New Mac Chips Promise Speed Boost
Motorola says it's moving full speed ahead with the new Power PC chip that powers Apple Computer's latest Macintosh desktops.
We Pick The Winners And Lowers: Jeff Goldblum Beware
On a day filled with announcements, that may have been the most important thing Jobs said. It shows that Apple has a plan to make it through the current downturn in the market, perhaps even emerging in a better position once things begin to brighten a little bit for PC makers. If nothing else it gave Jobs a mantra for the day — "What's next?" — at a time when most people in his line of work are asking, "What now?"
News
Apple-Nvidia Alliance A Further Blow To ATI
Apple's move to incorporate Nvidia's chips into its new, speedier Power Macs is a further changing of the guard in the ever-turbulent and quickly consolidating graphics chip market.
Apple's New Laptop
This unusual shape accommodates a vast, wide screen: 15.2 inches diagonally, 1,152 by 768 pixels, in millions of colors; the technical term for the image it presents is "gorgeous."
Onboard DVD-R Drive Option Another First For Apple
Chief among iDVD's virtues is its encoding speed: it takes two hours to prepare one hour of video, a vast improvement over the all-day wait required by its $2,500 pro-level rivals.
Bad Omens And High Stakes At Macworld
With plummeting sales and stacks of unsold Cubes, Jobs & Co. needs a hit at this year's Apple confab. A titanium PowerBook could be it.
Microsoft Suite On OS X
Apple's Mac OS X got a big boost on Wednesday when Microsoft said it will ship its Office productivity suite for the new operating system in the fall.
SwagWatch 2001: There Are Free Pens, And Then There Are Free Pens That Blow Bubbles
You can go to Macworld Expo to grab the latest in hardware and software products. But for those of us who appreciate bargains over betas, trade shows are a rich source of fun, free products. The real question is, how does one uncover the booty without suffering through one too many demos?
Opinion
Power To Burn
Amazingly, it looks like Apple's finally listening to customers!
Steve Jobs Remains King Of Cool
Unfortunately for Apple and Jobs, it's not Macworld Expo attendees he has to convince.
Wintel
Chilly Messiah With A Mission To Blank Out The Competitive World
What is surprising is that one would be hard-pressed to find an employee who frankly admits that Microsoft is a for-profit company in the business of making money, not a beneficent foundation serving the public interest.
Intel's Roadmap Changed Again?
Reports on German and some US wires are suggesting that Intel may be bringing forward the launch of some of its mobile processors in a bid to scotch competition from AMD and Transmeta.
IBM Exec: PCs Will Prevail
IBM expects the personal computer to remain a viable computing device even as industry sales growth slows, an executive said.
Compaq Invests To Boost Windows 2000 Server Plans
Compaq Computer has taken a major, new step in its effort to make Intel-based servers bigger and better, investing in Stratus Technologies and signing a deal to sell computers based on Stratus' high-end designs.
Wednesday, January 10, 2001
Top Stories
Mixed Reaction To Apple Announcements
Possibly as no surprise to some, analysts who watch Apple stock and the personal computer industry for a living were pleased with the announcements, but have concerns about Apple's potential for dramatically improving the bottom line in the wake of a softening PC industry and an apparent slowing economy.
Mac Lovers Of The World, United
It's blasphemy, really: walking into the Macworld Expo — the last place in the world where Apple fans might expect to be harassed — and asking them, "Can your favorite company be saved?"
Has 'Desktop' Metaphor Outlived Its Usefulness?
Some computer scientists and interface experts think that the desktop metaphor has lived long past its usefulness and that this year we may have an ideal opportunity to make a leap as significant as the Mac interface was in 1984 - or we could pass that up.
Apple's DVD-, CD-Burning Out Of Consumer's Reach
Although Mac fans are applauding Apple's new DVD- and CD-burning software, some will be dismayed to learn that they don't have the hardware required to take full advantage of the programs.
News
Apple Bruises, As PC Stocks Rise
Shares of Apple Computer needed polishing Wednesday following the company's product announcements Tuesday, while other hardware stocks moved higher in trading.
Nvidia Comes To The Mac
Nvidia has hemmed and hawed and issued its share of "No comments," but the company widely regarded as the current speed leader in PC graphics has finally come to the Mac—and in a big way—as its GeForce2MX AGP graphics card is now standard in Apple's new 533MHz, 667MHz and 733MHz Power Mac G4 systems.
Microsoft Keynote Highlights Outlook And Office
Kevin Browne, general manager of Microsoft's Macintosh Business Unit, used a keynote presentation Wednesday at Macworld Expo to offer demonstrations of the new Outlook e-mail client and a Carbonized version of Office for OS X.
Corel On The OS X Bandwagon
Corel may be struggling with financial woes, but the company has a big presence at this week's Macworld Expo San Francisco as it demonstrates the software it acquired last year from MetaCreations: Painter, Bryce and Kai's Power Tools (KPT). Corel has released Painter 6.1, a free update to the natural-media painting software, and is also previewing OS X versions of Bryce and KnockOut. In addition, Ian LeGrow, executive vice-president for creative products, offered MacWEEK a sneak preview of an OS X version of CorelDraw, and laid out a roadmap for introducing new versions of Painter, Bryce and KPT in 2001.
Will New Apple Wares Hold Pro Users?
Apple's fast new crop of Power Mac G4s and high-end DVD software are designed to retain the loyalties of content creators, a pitch not lost on Macworld Expo attendees.
Apple's Digital Dreams Waft Past Consumers
Apple CEO Steve Jobs may have been standing in front on thousands of MacWorld Expo San Francisco attendees when he outlined his vision for the company yesterday, but his real audience was over on the East Coast, in Wall Street.
Apple Trumpets New Audio, Video Features
Apple Putting Hopes On New Macintosh Line
Proclaiming the onset of a third "golden age" of personal computing, Steven P. Jobs today offered Apple Computer's latest bid to regain its luster: a revamped Macintosh line and an ultra-thin, titanium-clad portable model.
PowerBook G4 Titanium Vs. Sony Vaio
Apple Still Thinking Differently
"We believe the Mac will become a digital hub of our new digital lifestyle," says Jobs.
Opinion
Apple Still Too Slow With New Features
The recent announcements by CEO Steve Jobs may not be enough for Apple Computer to overcome the problems that led to its earnings warning in September.
Mac Vs. PC: What War?
Why do people tell each other that their respective computer choices stink? Why do people try to convince their colleagues and friends that they chose the right option, and that anything else is wrong? Why do people even bother to engage in such battles when we know that the only result is that nothing will come out of it?
New PowerBook's Aesthetics Hit The Sweet Spot
I really want one of these.
Apple Listens: OS X Much Improved Over Beta
For long-time Macintosh users, at least some of the interface complaints have been dealt with.
Wintel
Microsoft Cuts Windows 9x Bug Fixes Too Early: Analysis
Windows 95 users take note: it's nearly the end of the road for your beloved operating system. Microsoft Corp. plans to cut support for this ageing OS in 2001.
Tuesday, January 9, 2001
Top Stories
Software For Mac OS X At The Core Of Macworld
With Apple Computer putting the finishing touches on Mac OS X, the focus is squarely on software at this year's Macworld Expo in San Francisco.
Jobs Unveils New Hardware, Software
Apple Computer CEO Steve Jobs, kicking off Macworld Expo San Francisco 2001, unveiled new Power Mac G4 systems with an extra PCI slot and recordable CD drives, Titanium PowerBooks with G4 processors, and two applications designed to facilitate what he described as a new "Digital Lifestyle." Jobs also revealed new features in Mac OS X, which is now slated for final release on March 24.
Apple Releases Mac OS 9.1
It got nary a mention in Steve Jobs' Macworld Expo keynote, but Apple has quietly released Mac OS 9.1, an update of OS 9 that represents a bridge to Apple's next-generation OS X. The update is available now as a free download for Mac OS 9 customers. It otherwise sells for $99.
News
Hello Macworld, Hello Fast Macs
During that announcement, Jobs danced to the B52's "Love Shack."
OS X To Be Available March 24th, Pre-Installed In July
The most important news regarding OS X to come out of today's keynote was not the ship date, but the addition of several new features that the beta using public has been screaming for.
Inside The New G4 PowerBooks
MacWEEK's David Read takes a look at Apple's latest laptops, which combine a new industrial design with Motorola's PowerPC 7410 processor and other technological enhancements.
Jobs Unveils 733-MHz Power Macs; OS X Delayed
Looking to re-energize the Mac faithful and boost sagging sales, Apple CEO Steve Jobs on Tuesday unveiled faster Power Macs that will reach speeds of 733 MHz and come equipped with CD-RW drives.
Mac Or Break Moment
Rumors are swirling around what new Macintoshes will appear at MacWorld Expo San Francisco, the all-Apple trade show which starts Tuesday.
Jobs Need To DO Mac Magic Again
Along with thousands of other Mac fans and Apple watchers, I'll be at the Moscone bright and early tomorrow morning to see what rabbits Steve Jobs can pull out of his hat this time.
Apple, Compaq To Bow Recordable DVD
Just when you thought the MPAA couldn't be more concerned about computers and the Internet, Apple Computer and Compaq Computer are prepping to heighten its fears,a s both are set to install devices into their systems that will enable users to record movies onto DVDs.
Opinion
Wintel
Windows 2000 Marketing Head Leaves Microsoft
Another high-ranking Microsoft veteran has quit, in a move some are interpreting as an indication that Microsoft is unhappy with how Windows 2000 has been marketed.
Microsoft, Intel Cozy Up To Consumers
The two giants show off new products at the Consumer Electronics Show, hoping to drive PC sales and forge new means of growth.
Thinly Disguised And Coming Soon: Microsoft The Movie
It's just a coincidence that Mr. Robbins is dressed to look like a familiar billionaire chief executive, just a coincidence that when the studios picked a model for the sets that they "wanted to capture the look and feel of the wired world on the campus of a powerhouse Pacific Northwest software company."
Patent Infringement Case Not Going Microsoft's Way
Eolas says it holds a patent on technology that allows a Web browser to access interactive programs embedded in a Web page, such as plug-ins, applets, scriptlets, or ActiveX controls.
Microsoft Debuts Portal Integration Tool
Microsoft has delivered a 'release candidate' version of SharePoint Portal Server, which integrates portals with the company's Office and Windows software.
Anybody Remember PS2?
Three months ago, Sony's new game console was all the rage. Everyone wanted one, but only a few got them. One of these days Sony will restock the stores. But with Microsoft's Xbox coming soon, does anybody care?
Intel: It Isn't Just For Chips Anymore
Intel, the leading name in...digital cameras and Web appliances?
Monday, January 8, 2001
Top Stories
Counting On The Mac Difference
Many analysts and editors seem to have a blind spot about the Mac. They look to trends in the general PC industry to derive an understanding of Apple's condition. However, there's a fundamental difference between Apple and Wintel market. Promise not to laugh: It's Mac users.
The Greatest Thing That Apple Has Ever Done
Sooner or later somebody - Sony, Microsoft, Apple, Nokia, whomever - is going to have to sell something that gets consumers once again racking up charges on their MasterCards. Until then, nobody’s going to have any fun and games.
Apple's Struggle To Remain Relevant
Apple still matters, just not as much. Once, its future preoccupied the industry and Silicon Valley. That era has faded into the haze of the old millennium.
News
Apple Tries To Regroup Just In Time For Macworld Expo
Macworld Promises New Products, But Are They Enough?
With the start of the Macworld Expo in San Francisco still a day away, some Mac companies have jumped the gun with big announcements.
Adobe Ships Premiere 6.0
The latest version of the $549 video-editing software adds features designed to facilitate streaming-media production.
Apple Seeks Success In 'Killer Apps'
Solutions, not systems, will win Windows users to the Mac cause and get Apple out of the financial mess it has suddenly found itself in. That's what CEO Steve Jobs is telling staffers and analysts in private, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Rivals May Acquire Taste For Apple Price Cuts
Apple Computer Inc. has cut prices on its high-end computers in an effort to shed excess inventory, and other PC makers might soon follow suit.
Iomega Sees Dip In Sales
Shares of Iomega fell 5 percent Friday after the company warned that its fourth-quarter earnings will likely fall below expectations, mostly because of a dip in sales of its mainstay Zip drive.
Mac Faithful Gather, Wait For Faster Chips
While Apple officials remain silent on what new products could be introduced at the show, which starts Tuesday, some watchers say this year's conference is likely to be more tempered.
Adobe Announces InDesign Update
Version 1.5.2, available as a free download, incorporates non-PostScript printing support and improves compatibility with prepress systems.
Jobs Looking For Apple Magic
The co-founder and CEO of Apple Computer has a much tougher job: Convince the computer-buying public and Wall Street that Apple still has the magic to lure droves of buyers into the stores.
Steve Jobs To Carry Extra Burden At Expo
With Apple back in red, the computer maker is under pressure to once again launch turnaround.
Opinion
Reading The Mac Expo Tea Leaves
'm not prepared to say that Apple is out of the woods, but a reinvigorated processor line and an OS that can maximize its benefits will blaze a substantial trail in the right direction.
Dump LinuxPPC For OS X?
Linux is an alternative OS to MacOS. There are many reasons that people turn to this alternative. Stability, speed, and being open source are all reasons that users have turned to Linux in the past. But now that MacOS X is on the horizon, many of these downfalls are being resolved. Will this compel users to drop Linux and come back to Apple's system?
Review
Apple's New Operating System Offers Enhancements At The Cost Of Familiarity
Apple's upcoming leap forward in system software, Mac OS X, is a computer maker's equivalent of whipping the table cloth off the table and leaving all the plates and silverware in position.
Wintel
Sony Lineup Takes PC In New Direction
Don't look now, but is Sony Electronics Inc. creating an iMac?
Microsoft Isn't Playing Games With Xbox
No question about it: The popularity and revenue of games and game devices are reason enough for Microsoft to enter this arena.
New Test Version Of Whistler Arrives
Microsoft issued the latest beta, labeled "build 2410," of its next version of Windows on Thursday, according to Whistler testers. New in this version are many user-interface tweaks, as well as the incorporation of new anti-piracy code, according to testers.
California Power Crunch Changes Intel Expansion Plans
Intel CEO Craig Barrett said the company is unlikely to expand in California anytime soon because the state's energy crisis has made power supplies unreliable and costly.
AMD Ups Ante With 850 MHz Duron
In the endless game of tit-for-tat between AMD and Intel, the former company will intro a Duron tomorrow at 850MHz, which is set to again lower prices on entry level machines.
Judge: Microsoft Execs Unseasoned
The federal judge who ordered Microsoft split in two last year compares Bill Gates to Napoleon—even musing that the company founder should be required to write a book report on him—and said Microsoft executives behave like children.
States Will Pursue Microsoft If Bush Won't
A top economic adviser to Bush has criticized antitrust enforcement under President Clinton, but opposition to dropping the case from the states and some in Congress would make it difficult to reverse course.
Sunday, January 7, 2001
News
Maya On Mac OS X
Now, the power of Mac OS X provides the perfect platform for Maya to perform its magic for you. And, the outstanding price-performance of Maya on a Mac now makes it possible for all creatives to express their ideas through 3D imaging.
Michael Phillips Finds Creative Freedom
A neuromuscular disease may have robbed AppleMaster Michael Phillips of the use of his arms and legs, but it hasn’t kept him from fulfilling his potential as a straight-A student, digital artist and source of inspiration to people with physical disabilities.
Desktop Movies Help Busienss Students Strike The Right Notes
Mention the word “lecture” to most college students, and they’ll invariably experience twinges in both their brains and hands. Even with the most animated professor at the front of the room, a lengthy stint of frenetic note taking typically exhausts the body and mind. Precisely the reason Baruch College Professor of Economics Jeffrey Weiss sought an alternative approach.
Recording In The Outback... Mixing Via The Internet
Although the Rocket Network is available to both Macs and PCs, it seems the Mac gives musicians a better user experience for Internet music recording.
Wintel
Microsoft: A Consumer Giant?
The lines snaked up, around, over and through the Las Vegas Hilton’s nearly empty gaming tables. Journalists, VIPs and show attendees queuing up at the crack of dawn to see the world’s most famous software architect announce the latest interpretation of the gospel according to Microsoft: products that are fun and entertaining and that create a "digital lifestyle."
Microsoft's Cunning Plan
The firm’s blueprint for the future of software is technically ambitious—and, in the light of its battle with antitrust regulators, rather clever.
Windows CE Finds New Digs In Net Devices
Looking to show that Windows CE has legs for the consumer electronics market, Microsoft shows off six new devices based on the slimmed-down version of its desktop OS.
Microsoft Got Game: Xbox Unveiled
Microsoft's entry into the video game business will no doubt inspire a number of marketing gimmicks, but it will be hard to top Saturday's—Bill Gates sharing a stage with professional wrestler "The Rock."
Saturday, January 6, 2001
Top Stories
Is Apple Getting Soft?
The embattled company is changing its focus from hardware to 'killer aps,' software programs that we just can't live without.
Power-Switch Glitch Nips Cubes, Too
Apple Computer Inc. has confirmed that a power-switch glitch affecting some Power Mac G4 towers is also behind a newly documented problem with the company's G4 Cube.
Apple, Compaq Adding Recordable DVD Drives
Apple is expected to unveil new Power Macs next week capable of recording DVDs and CDs, according to sources who warn that these plans could change at the last minute.
Investors Inject New Health In Apple Shares
Investors breathed some life into the traumatized shares of Apple Computer Inc. yesterday on expectations of product announcements next week, optimism about lower interest rates and even rumours the company could be a takeover target.
Apple To Shift Focus To Software?
Apple Computer, departing from its core strategy of the last few years, will focus more of its efforts on developing "killer apps" to drive Mac hardware sales, according to a story in Friday's edition of the Wall Street Journal. Journal reporter Pui-Wing Tam, citing unnamed sources who have spoken recently with CEO Steve Jobs and other company executives, reported that Apple no longer thinks it can compete with the "Wintel giant" on the hardware front alone, and must instead offer "groundbreaking software programs that computer users can't live without."
News
Apple To Strut New Stuff, But Is That Enough?
Bloated inventory, a falling stock price and recent products which failed to really sizzle raised the question; can Apple stay the course on its own?
Sony Flatly Denies Chance Of Apple Bid
Sony Corp Chief Executive Nobuyuki Idei said the Japanese electronics giant has no plan to bid for U.S.-based Apple Computer Inc, knocking down market speculation of an alliance.
The Mac Observer Turns 4 Years Old With A New Logo And Site Design
DVD CD Recordable As Mac BTO? Not Before Mid-April
Of importance to Macintosh users interested in the technology, Pioneer confirmed Thursday to MacCentral that the drive is not yet in production, but will available to its OEM partners for inclusion in new products "by the end of February," according to Andy Parsons, senior vice president of product development and technical support at Pioneer New Media.
Apple Widens Mac OS X Code
A new version of the Apple Public Source License (APSL) 1.2, released on Wednesday, addresses and alters all of the primary issues that many developers had problems with; many programmers felt that the original APSL was heavily weighted towards Apple's benefit.
Apple's Core Is Still Sweet
The recent slump in the stock price has created a good buying opportunity for those long-term investors looking for value among PC makers.
Apple Updates The APSL
Apple just updated the APSL to version 1.2, removing most (if not all) of the requirements that irked the Open Source community.
Upgrade Vendors Look Forward To 2001
The PC market is in the midst of a downturn, and Newer Technology has closed its doors, but other developers of Mac CPU upgrades predict a strong 2001 as they capitalize on Apple's hardware releases of 1999 and 2000.
Wintel
Report: Microsoft To Demonstrate Xbox
Chairman Bill Gates will show the first mock-up of the company's Xbox video-game console at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas Saturday.
AMD's New Chip Revs Up Low-Cost PCs
The low-cost chip for desktop PCs will be officially announced on Monday. But the shopping network will begin taking orders on 850-MHz Presario desktops from Compaq Computer during a live broadcast from the Consumer Electronics Show floor on Saturday, according to AMD.
Friday, January 5, 2001
Top Stories
Apple's Terrain Erodes
Despite a salvo of new product announcements set for Macworld, Apple Computer is trapped in its niche markets: consumers, graphics, education and Web design. However, the company's presence is dwindling in all of these—most notably in graphics and education, where it was once the dominant player. This is particularly noticeable in the education market.
News
Apple Had To Cut Prices, Experts Say
Apple had no choice when it cut prices of its higher-end computers by up to $1,000 because of high inventory levels and competitive pressures, analysts said Wednesday.
Mac StarOffice 'By Summer'
n an interview with Sun officials by Macuariam, a mainly Spanish-language Macintosh Web site, Sun officials said they expect a Mac version of StarOffice to be available by summer, 2001 - perhaps as early as June.
Can Macs In Space Reboot The Satellite Biz?
Dennis Wingo is one aerospace researcher who definitely thinks outside the box. A self-proclaimed computer geek, he wants an astronaut to hurl a specially modified G4 MacIntosh Cube computer into orbit in 2001 from the International Space Station.
One OS Or Two?
With the final version of Mac OS X looming on the horizon, some Mac developers are saying—publicly and privately—that Apple should change, at least temporarily, its "one operating system" strategy and continue revising Mac OS 9.
Opinion
A Hopeful Spin On Apple's Fire Sale
Look past the backlog — maybe the company is finally ready with some new laptops.
Review
Mac Office 2001: Smart Office Ware For Macs
Office 2001 continues the trend, as a port-over of the popular Office 2000 suite for PC. It shares the same values, such as tighter suite integration and direct manipulation of Internet resources.
Wintel
New Focus For Gates Is Consumer Electronics
In Mr. Gates's mind, winning in consumer electronics simply requires applying the same lessons the company has mastered in the computer arena.
Microsoft Without BillG And SteveB?
Would Microsoft still be the Microsoft we have come to know, love and/or hate without chairman BillG and CEO SteveB at the helm?
'Lousy' PC Demand Stings Pentium 4
An analyst says the sluggish PC market plus a lack of need for the new high-performance machines has resulted in a disappointing sales.
Thursday, January 4, 2001
Top Stories
Apple Expected To Unveil Speedier Power Macs
At next week's Macworld, Apple is going to step on the gas.
News
FileMaker To Discontiune HomePage
FileMaker today announced that it would discontinue distribution of its Home Page web-authoring software on February 1, 2001, but notes that it will continue to support the product through July of 2001.
Improved Inventory Picture For Apple?
Despite holiday Mac sales some 15 percent lower than those of Windows-based PCs, Apple's after-Christmas product inventory is between six to seven weeks—much less than the 11.5 weeks reported at the first of December, a leading market research firm reported.
Apple Dumps Dual-processor G4?
Why is Apple replacing their dual-processor systems with faster, single processor systems?
Opinion
Apple Reaction: Bring Back Woz?
Break out the tarot cards, the crystal balls and the tea leaves.
Major Problem In MSIE/Mac
When accessing a server on the local machine, MSIE doesn't yield enough processor time to allow the server to do its processing.
The Dawning Of The Age Of Aquarius?
Not-So-Fearless Expo Predictions
Like most other Apple watchers, I have my own ideas about the new Mac products we might see next week. I can't claim any inside information, so what follows is pure speculation.
Motorola's First Victim: Newer Technology
With Mac OS X, Apple will be opening the door to new ways of increasing performance. Too bad Newer Technology can't hang on long enough to enjoy it.
Review
Contour Perfit Mouse
I liked the Contour Perfit Mouse a lot, and I think I would be obliged to rate it as the most comfortable conventional form factor.
Wintel
AMD's Got A Server Sledgehammer
Advanced Micro Devices has struggled to find a way to compete with Intel in the server market.
Tuesday, January 2, 2001
News
Diablo II Hacked And Cracked
This is an embarrassing incident for Blizzard, and follows months of petitions and protests about bugs and unbalanced gameplay in what is one of the best-selling titles of recent years.
Opinion
Apple's Twilight Of The Gods?
At the end of the day, it's the user base that provides the rationale for the Mac's continued existence—not Apple and certainly not a single Apple executive, be he ever so compelling.
Wintel
Intel Moves Beyond Chips
As PC sales slow down, the semiconductor giant decides to start selling consumer devices, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Monday, January 1, 2001
Top Stories
New Year Resolutions
With the government pushing for services to go wired, Apple should take the initiative to make sure its products are compatible, especially for government services.
News
Apple's Sweet Products Have Yet To ABear Fruit
Apple had quite a year in 2000.
Build It And They Will Come
Life not treating you right? There’s a place where you can trade the ups and downs of reality for a roller coaster ride of another sort: Sim Theme Park, Aspyr Media’s latest entry in the Sim franchise.
Opinion
Mac OSeX
Keep your talk of faster processors and rewritable CD drives, it's sex and attitude that sell computers.
Wintel
Put Brakes On Windows Upgrade Escalator, Gartner Urges MS
A recent Gartner report points up the tensions between the company's objectives and those of its customers, and urges enterprises to pressure Microsoft to put the brakes on its OS obsolescence programme. Microsoft's official policy is only to support two generations of OS at a time, but if the company decides Whistler constitutes a new OS, this would mean the end of NT 4.0 and Win95 in the second half of this year.