Friday, August 31, 2001
Top Stories
Apple Polishes Its Image In Education
When it comes to education, Apple has learned some important lessons.
Regarding Quicken '02: OS X Version Has Limits
I think that a better story would have pointed out that Intuit still did not do the right thing and find a way to support all formats in their Mac client.
Wireless PCs: Not Just For Cheats
Schools are beginning to scrap hard-wired computer labs in favor of wireless laptops and handheld PCs.
News
Apple '9th' In PC-vendors List
IDC ranked vendors according to the number of PC shipments made in the second quarter of 2001 in the Europe, Middle East and Africa regions.
Will Airports Become Public Access Battlefield?
The ownership of the airwaves in airports is not exactly up for grabs, but there are multiple stakeholders confusing issues further.
Apple Updates AirPort Card Encryption
There was no word from Apple if users of the older AirPort cards would be able to upgrade to the new encryption method through a firmware update.
Review
iBook: Curse Or Godsend?
The nice white plastic cover scratches easily and is a nightmare to keep clean.
The Sims: House Party
Itís full of witty surprises, fresh new items and hours of patented SimFun.
Wintel
Programmer Claims To Crack MS Reader
In another potential blow to online publishing, a U.S. programmer says he has developed software that defeats the most advanced encryption features of Microsoft's Reader, a software program for distributing electronic books.
AMD And Intel Kiss And Make Up On Next-Gen I/O
AMD's next-generation PC I/O technology, HyperTransport, will almost certainly become a part of Intel's next-generation PC I/O technology, 3GIO.
EU Widens Microsoft Investigation
The European Commission said Thursday it has expanded its investigation of Microsoft to look into whether the U.S. software giant is illegally tying its Media Player to its Windows operating system.
Thursday, August 30, 2001
Top Stories
Quicken '02: OS X Version Has Limits
Though it's easy to blame the brokerages, this hassle with Quicken's inability to grab data from some financial institutions raises larger questions about Apple's software strategy.
Speed Traps
If the masses believe that megahertz is everything, how can Apple compete?
Once The Underdogs On Campus, Macintosh Computers Are Gaining Ground On PCs
Faster speed, lower prices and innovative technology have helped to increase the popularity of Macs.
News
Woz On Board For May MacMania Cruise To Alaska
Four speakers have been confirmed, including Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak.
Opinion
Beyond MHz And GHz
I can't say just how the benchmark should work, but it should be general enough that it can be easily ported to Windows, Linux, the Mac OS (classic and X), and any other OS people may want to try.
Wintel
AMD Plays Name Game In Megahertz Race
Hoping to counter a perception that its processors are slower than those from rival Intel, Advanced Micro Devices is moving away from branding its chips based on megahertz.
Intel Offers Details On Future Itanium Chips
Intel is coming out with new versions of its Itanium chip—a slow seller so far—that the company says will provide far faster performance.
Gateway Reins In
In the longer term, Gateway may eventually need to have a presence in other regions, but not now.
Pentium 4 To Reach Notebooks Next Year
Intel will bring the Pentium 4 to the notebook market in the first half of next year and then follow a year later with Banias, a new portable chip the company says will greatly increase battery life.
Wednesday, August 29, 2001
Top Stories
Fledging Director's "Train" Movie
"I knew iMovie front and back."
News
OmniWeb Updated, Roadmap Released
Case is looking at early next year for a release of OmniWeb 5.0. That release will continue to work on compatibility, as well as working on the core engine of the browser.
FireWire: It's Getting Hotter
In Japan nearly every digital gadget that costs more than US $100 uses the 1394 standard, and experts predict that FireWire ports will become as standard as printer and serial ports in PCs.
Motorola To Link PowerPC Direct To DRAM
Motorola is set to build a memory controller directly on board its high-end PowerPC chips in a bid to accelerate the processor's ability to keep itself pumped up with instructions and data.
Quicken Update: Time Is Money
While the Carbonization of Quicken is sure to be appreciated by Mac users who are switching to OS X, it's the timesaving additions such as one-step updates and downloadable brokerage transactions that are likely to have the biggest impact on how they use the finance software.
Opinion
Apple's European Vacation
While Apple is still clearly focusing its European firepower on Apple Expo, it's heartening to note that the company is prepared to temper its ironclad policy on localized trade shows as well as its tradition of pre-show secrecy.
Review
Bear, Rabbit Vie For Best Preschool Computer Game
Microsoft Wins Over Mac User
Well done, Microsoft. The one thing they do well is write good software for Macs.
Inspiration 6.0
This easy-to-use flowchart application has found a home with everyone from Web designers to IT professionals.
Wintel
Microsoft Corp. Looks To Unload Corel Stake
Although Corel said Microsoft plans to sell, an immediate sale appears unlikely because Corel stock is 36 per cent below the price that Microsoft paid last October.
New Judge Sets Dates In Microsoft Case
The new federal judge presiding over the government's landmark antitrust case against Microsoft issued an order Wednesday for the parties to file briefs presenting the remaining issues in the case by Sept. 14.
Banias Ends The Megahertz Madness For Intel
Intel is slowing down in its race for more megahertz, and plans to start tailoring processors more closely to the applications they will be used for.
Wintel Touts The Next Leap In Computing
Intel has demonstrated a working 3.5GHz processor as part of a joint offensive by Microsoft to shake off the spectre of tech recession that hangs over this year's Intel Developer Forum.
Unique ID Is Built Into WinXP Final Build
Microsoft has quietly slipped a Universally Unique ID (UUID) into the ISO of build 2600 of Windows XP, thus giving itself the capability of tracking code leaks back to whoever it was that leaked them.
Win XP Slays Buffer Overflow Bugs
Microsoft has eradicated buffer overflows with Windows XP, following a source code security audit, group veep Jim Allchin claimed during a keynote at the Intel Developers Forum in San Jose.
Tuesday, August 28, 2001
Top Stories
He's Not Just A Science Guy
"I had a little Sony Vaio that I was very pleased with, and then it got a virus that destroyed it. And I mean it just ruined it. I spent hours and hours on the phone with Microsoft and nothing could be done. It was so bad that Microsoft sent me a fruit basket."
News
Apple Goes Retail, Thinking Different
By placing its stores in high-end malls, Apple can get its products in front of consumers who maybe aren't in the market for a computer - but might be in the future.
Review
Wintel
HP Handhelds Fall Under 'Merlin' Spell
Hewlett-Packard will soon announce two handheld computers that run Microsoft's upcoming "Merlin" operating system, this publication has learned.
New Windows Bug Involves Beams
A recently discovered flaw in Microsoft's Windows 2000 software could allow pranksters to shut down computers by remote control.
Concern Over Microsoft Date
Wall Street analysts had expressed concern at reports that the motherboard, the main computer part of the Xbox, being designed by Intel, has a design flaw. Microsoft denied this and said it was on time to ship 600,000 to 800,000 units for November.
Microsoft Opens 64-Bit Windows
The company announced that its Windows Advanced Server, Limited Edition, is now available for computers based on Intel's 64-bit Itanium chip.
MS Patents May Threaten Open Source
Members of the open-source community are becoming increasingly concerned by ongoing moves from Microsoft Corp. to acquire a range of software patents that the company can potentially use down the line to attack and try to restrict the development and distribution of open-source software.
Microsoft Exec Says XP Will Revive PC Sales
Windows XP will help pull the PC market out of its tailspin in 2002, as the new operating system will give consumers plenty of reasons to upgrade, according to one of Microsoft's key executives.
AMD Cuts Up To 49% Off CPU Prices - Again
AMD has cut its prices. It updated its official processor price list on 20 August, and yesterday it did so again.
He Who Controls The Bootloader
There is no other way to explain this phenomenon other than as a repercussion of the confidential Windows License under which every hardware vendor must do business.
Losing The Need For Speed
From Intel's point of view, I have become part of the problem.
Microsoft's Latest IE Draws Protests
The latest version of Microsoft Corp.ís Internet Explorer browser, made available for free download Monday, is drawing protests because it doesnít support two rival products commonly used on Web sites.
Earth To Microsoft - We're Not Ready For XP
Microsoft should abandon its anti-piracy scheme and make its licensing friendly and affordable. It should purge the hype and delete half its terminology.
Monday, August 27, 2001
Top Stories
FireWire Poised To Become Ubiquitous
While Apple Computer was happy to take home an Emmy for its FireWire technology, the company must be even more pleased that the high-speed connection is moving closer to a bigger goal—becoming standard on the majority of PCs.
News
Apple To Open Boston Area Store
The store's grand opening is set for Saturday in the Northshore Mall in Peabody, Mass.
Opinion
Paying For The Clampdown
Who needs a digital lifestyle if you can't get the digits in the first place?
That Apple Glow
The grand opening of Apple's Woodfield mall store could easily be compared to this year's past Macworld keynote.
Power Mac G4 Cube 'Special Edition' — Hey, It Could Happen!
I just hope that Apple doesn't become too conservative in its new designs.
Review
Dual G4 Shootout: DP 533 Vs DP 800
To some, it may justify a DP 800, to others, it may make a discontinued or used 533 more attractive.
QPS Que! QuadSlim M2 FireWire Hard Drive
This is a great little accessory for any FireWire-equipped Mac. Highly recommended.
Wintel
Code Red The Dracula Of Worms?
A new permutation of the Code Red II worm was discovered Friday, and experts say Code Red is now unlikely to disappear.
Viruses, Viruses Everywhere... So What's A PC Lover To Do?
Macintosh fans like to brag that their computers are nearly immune. And ó truthfully ó the Macintosh operating system is tough for viruses to crack. But it isnít immune.
Dell Takes Lumps It Doesn't Deserve
The short-sighted see no further than a profit-cutting price war. Look beyond and you see a company claiming market share in almost every segment.
Microsoft Puts Off Introduction Of Xbox In Japan
"We wanted to make sure we could focus all of our attention and all of our resources on the U.S.," said James Bernard, a spokesman for Microsoft, based in Redmond, Wash.
Sunday, August 26, 2001
Wintel
Saturday, August 25, 2001
Top Stories
Apple Confirms Titanium Price Cuts
Apple Computer confirmed Friday that it will drop prices by up to $500 on its Titanium PowerBook G4 laptops.
News
Microsoft's Browser Update Riles Critics
Microsoft said it made the decision a few weeks ago for "security and technical reasons," but critics called it the latest example of the software giant promoting its own technology to the exclusion of others.
Thin Screens The Trendy Choice, But Not For Everyone
Signs of a coming desktop display revolution are abundant.
CRT Finally Showing Its Age
Flat-panel computer monitors pushing toxic predecessors into trash.
Opinion
Is Classic Really Worth All That Much?
Here's hoping that Apple will stop wasting money on Classic development and focus more on making OS X the best operating system possible.
Review
Wintel
Bill Gates' Way Or No Way
Microsoft is where free enterprise goes if left to its own devices: a tyranny as absolute as could be envisioned by Lenin.
New Microsoft Judge In The Spotlight
The newest judge to preside over the fortunes of the world's largest software company may be best known for her decision to spare thousands of Canada geese from government-orchestrated slaughter.
New Worm Poses As Helpful Program
A destructive new worm that purports to rid computers of malicious viruses actually leaves the viruses intact and chews up files instead, security experts said Friday.
Commentary: Moving On From Windows 98
We expect some upturn in PC sales driven by Windows XP and rock-bottom prices, but not the huge volumes that Microsoft and PC makers are hoping for.
Friday, August 24, 2001
News
Mac OS 9.2.1 Speeds Up PB G4 Sleep Light
Schools Survive Technology Bomb
"This system shows a lot of promise. It offers a lot more potential for where we're headed as a district."
IBM Is Front-Runner To Buy Motorola Chip Unit
AMD is also in the running, but analysts favour a bid from IBM for the unit that makes Apple's PowerPC chips.
Pitney Bowes Files More Lawsuits Over Laser-Jet Printer Patent
Pitney Bowes Inc. sued Japanese printer makers Seiko Epson Corp. and Minolta Co. and their U.S. units for infringing a patent on which it reached a $400 million settlement with Hewlett-Packard Co.
Dell Widens Lead In School Market
Dell Computer Corp. is planning to expand some of its educational programs as it continues to battle with Apple Computer Corp. and others for the top sales spot to the nation's schools.
Hapless Author Advertises Reward For Lost Laptop
Been on a Singapore Airlines flight from Hong Kong and found a notebook computer? There's a US$15,000 reward for its safe return, no questions asked.
Flash Production Software Comes To Mac OS X
First Look At Chicago Apple Store
Apple To Cut Titanium Notebook Pricetags
Apple Computer plans in the coming days to cut the retail price of its Titanium PowerBook G4 by up to $500.
Opinion
The Death Of The Cool
Coolness can be a slippery concept. Once something is in, after all, it's out.
Review
Meeting The Challenge Of Muffling A G4
If your work demands a quiet environment, products like the CAT5-2000 can be worth their weight in gold.
Families Need A System For Sharing The PC
These multi-user operating systems are a step in the right direction.
When Packing For College, Which Computer?
Math Mysteries
These programs successfully introduce students to the concepts behind fractions and develop students' listening and analytical skills.
10 Typographical Blunders
Nobody dies of bad type, but it could lose you an important client.
Wintel
New MS Tool: Good And Bad
All the testers agreed the report was easy to understand, but the majority also said that Microsoft's instructions about how to handle the MPSA-discovered security holes were too confusing.
XP Invasion Is Imminent
Although representatives for Microsoft would neither confirm nor deny the story, word on the street is that the "final code" for Windows XP — the new version of the operating system that everyone loves to hate — will be sent to computer makers on Friday.
Microsoft Supported By Dead People
Apparently the dead are fed up with the government's antitrust case against Microsoft Corp.
Microsoft And Kook-Aid Test
Mock Ballmer all you want, but the passion of Microsoft's CEO hints at a larger truth about the software maker.
2GHz PCs Ready For Launch
For the computing maniac who thought he had everything, PCs with 2GHz chips will land Monday.
Passport Needs Better Privacy
Gartner believes that Microsoft's ambitious plans for Passport will require more sophisticated security and privacy techniques than the company has used to date or required of Web sites.
Report: Consumers Nix Microsoft Passport
Some 90 percent of online consumers are not interested in exchanging personal data for personalized services, Gartner said, and Microsoft has yet to convince the public that it is a benevolent gatherer of personal data.
Microsoft Releases New Security Tool
Hoping to reduce the impact of security threats such as the "Code Red" worm, Microsoft on Thursday released a tool designed to help less technically sophisticated users eliminate vulnerabilities in their servers.
Microsoft Says Hotmail Users Can Dial In For Email
The software giant says it will give its 20 million email users in Europe access to messages via their mobile phones.
Microsoft Judge Could Be Picked Friday
With a lottery to select a new judge for the Microsoft Corp. antitrust case set for as early as Friday, some judges in the federal court say they don't want the case.
Thursday, August 23, 2001
Top Stories
Laptop Editing At NBC
"This is the wave of the future."
Mommy, Did You Pack My Laptop?
An O.C. elementary principal wants students to bring their own computers, but some experts question the fairness.
QuickTime Cuts Chop In Video Stream
Of the three streaming media titans, only RealNetworks has yet to announce OS X support. The company had better show its hand soon, because its competitors' players are looking better than ever.
iBooks To Be Part Of New Elementary School
Principal Kevin Rafferty has asked parents of third-, fourth- and fifth-graders to send their children to school with an iBook, which they'll use for word processing and storing assignments.
News
Barrage Of Computers Hits School
Watertown School District technology instructors are working overtime this week to hook-up more than 500 new computers given to the district by Gov. Bill Janklow last month but that just arrived.
School Supplies Spin Some Cool Combinations
School-supply manufacturers are thinking outside the pencil box. A couple of years after they splashed binders and planners with iMac colors, they're sculpting them to look like tangerine and blueberry iBooks.
Broward School Officials Discover Waste In Tech Spending
Broward requires most computer vendors to automatically offer new products and discounts to the district. Abney contended that Apple failed to tell the district about its G4 PowerBook just as the district was buying the older G3 model.
Opinion
Boring Old Software In Paris?
Even for those who know that Apple produces a different OS, it would be a welcome shot in the arm to see some real promotion of the OS and its benefits.
AppleWorks - Or Something! - Should Be Bundled With PowerBooks, Power Macs
I'm really amazed at how long Apple has gotten away with it.
Review
Wintel
Microsoft Splits C# And Visual Basic Roadmaps
As soon as Visual Studio.Net launches this autumn, Microsoft will make C# more like Java, while dumbing down Visual Basic.
Intel To Boost Linux Programming Tools
Intel, one of the first mainstream companies to endorse the Linux operating system, will release programming tools Thursday to make Linux programs run better on its chips.
Microsoft Defends Passport
Microsoft on Wednesday descended on the nation's Capitol, trying to quell concerns its Passport authentication service poses a threat to consumers' privacy or security.
Wednesday, August 22, 2001
Top Stories
Apple To Get Emmy Award For Device
Apple Computer is getting an unusual customer endorsement today ó an Emmy award from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, for FireWire.
News
An Interview With Jordan Hubbard
Jordan Hubbard is one of the founders of the FreeBSD project and is currently working at Apple on the development of their new OS X operating system.
Metadata, The Mac, And You
It's a simple concept, but it's also a surprisingly fertile topic for debate.
Wireless At Home
Airport wins big points from product reviewers for easy set-up and dependability.
CodeWarrior 7 Due Sept. 10
Everything has been enhanced and improved for Aqua and Mac OS X technologies. Everything has been Carbonized.
Jobs: No New Hardware At Apple Expo 2001
Apparently, Apple is trying to prevent inflated expectations for the event.
Development Ceases On Kaleidoscope
This perhaps comes as no surprise given Apple's adversity to products that alter the look and feel of the Mac operating system. And it was always doubtful whether Kaleidoscope would come to Mac OS X.
Opinion
Why Apple's Unix Approach Is The Right Way
By focusing on the desktop first, Apple is solving a previously unsolved problem, and it's not hampering Mac OS X's suitability as a Unix server OS one tiny bit.
What Does "Shop Different" Mean?
When one opens in your area, take the opportunity to find out what ìShop Differentî means for yourself.
Graphics Guru Analyzes MacGIMP
After the recent release of XDarwin, an XWindows port for Mac OS X, and Mac Gimp, I finally had a means of comparative analysis between The GIMP and Adobe's PhotoShop on my OS X machine. Only a few months earlier, my wife had requested that her iBook, with its dual-boot OS 9 and Linux PPC configuration, be limited to only OS 9 as a means of conserving space. Before installation of the open-source graphics software, I admit my skepticism levels were extremely high, but after only an hour of experimentation with the software, I came away extremely impressed.
Review
What To Do With A PowerBook Duo
SuSE Linux 7.1 PowerPC Edition
A huge collection of packages and a simple setup tool make SuSE Linux a useful alternative to Mac OS for desktop and server apps.
Wintel
Hack Insurer Adds Microsoft Surcharge
Insurance broker J.S. Wurzler Underwriting Managers has started charging up to 15 percent more in premiums to clients that use Microsoft's Internet Information Server software, which the Code Red worm feasted on.
Intel Tells Rex To Play Dead
The decision marks the end of a long journey for the Rex, which made a splashy debut at the 1997 Comdex trade show but was met with slow sales.
Tuesday, August 21, 2001
Top Stories
SHerlock Users, Ur Own3d!
Apple's search engine gets in your face with banner ads that are tough to turn off.
Wireless Networks In Big Trouble
Wireless networks are a little less secure today with the public release of "AirSnort," a tool that can surreptitiously grab and analyze data moving across just about every major wireless network.
IBM Began Selling PCs Four Years After Apple
The personal computer revolution began four years before the IBM PC with the Apple II in 1977, and all of today's "PCs" were originally inspired by this machine.
News
Laptops Gain In PC Market
For years, PC makers have predicted that notebooks would replace desktops in the computing world. Now it's beginning to happen, according to researcher IDC.
Inside The Apple Store
With 25 retail outlets to open this year, here's what the company has in store.
Laptops Looking More Alluring As They Evolve
Manufacturers are beginning to make lightweight laptops affordable for consumers, led by Apple Computer's new iBook at 4.9 pounds.
Wait To Buy Back-To-School PC
Foremost is that the great bulk of the machines now available don't have the new IEEE 1394 (also called FireWire) ports that are going to be the hallmark of Windows XP-ready computers.
Wintel
The Trouble With Hotmail
Microsoft can't seem to get its free e-mail act together. So what does that mean for the company's plans for total Net domination?
Hotmail Hole Exposes E-Mails
Hackers have exposed a security flaw which allows you to read other people's e-mails in Hotmail.
Ballmer: Windows XP May Be Ready To Go
Microsoft's new Windows XP operating system will be ready for production as early as Friday, said Chief Executive Steve Ballmer, sounding optimistic about an on-schedule launch despite the company's ongoing antitrust case.
Windows XP Rush Bypasses Sun's Java
Sun Microsystems may have missed its opportunity to get the newest version of Java on PCs loaded with Microsoft's new Windows XP operating system.
AMD Revs Up Athlon 4, Duron Chips
Advanced Micro Devices on Monday gave its Athlon 4 and Duron chips a performance boost.
Monday, August 20, 2001
Top Stories
Wireless Networks Have Computer Users Awash In Options
That will probably spell the end of needing to run Ethernet cables through your house ó including up the laundry chute.
News
The Macintosh
There's always a better computer system right around the corner. But now is a particularly risky time, strategically, to buy a Mac.
Danny Goodman Talks About HyperCard
If anyone today believes that Steve Jobs even hears any syllable past "Hy" before his imaginary stab wound scar starts burning, they're dreaming.
Sign Rules In G'town Bring Out Apple Ire
Don't mess with Apple computer fans.
Wintel
MS On Bundling XP: What's The Big Deal?
The bundling controversy over Windows XP has been blown "way out of proportion" by a few prominent companies that don't like Microsoft adding to its operating system technologies that compete with their applications, the company says.
Microsoft Plugs Hole In Outlook
Five weeks after first warning of a hole in its Outlook e-mail program, Microsoft released a patch to fix a flaw in an ActiveX control that could allow attackers to run destructive code on a user's computer.
HP Unveils First DVD+RW Drive
The war over DVD recording standards will escalate Monday when Hewlett-Packard unwraps the details on its first DVD drive for PCs that lets people repeatedly record on discs.
Intel Warns PC Makers Over Via Chipset
Intel, in its ongoing dispute with Via Technologies of Taiwan, is warning computer makers to steer clear of a new chip set from Via that could enable the manufacturers to build cheaper Pentium 4-based PCs by enabling them to use a less costly high-speed memory technology.
Microsoft's Ballmer's Antics Raise Eyebrows, Spawn One-Liners
"Microsoft employees love how excited Steve is about the company and the software industry. We're glad he's leading Microsoft."
Sunday, August 19, 2001
News
Apple Lowers TiBook Pricing
Apple has dramatically lowered educational pricing on its Titanitum PowerBook G4 systems, possibly foreshadowing an upgrade to the now aging model.
Review
G4 Power Mac Get More Power
The 867MHz model offers good performance for a decent price.
Saturday, August 18, 2001
Top Stories
Apple' Cubist Epoch Entered The Museum As It Exited Stores
The Cube was acquired for the Modern's design collection, along with six other Apple products, shortly before Apple announced the Cube's demise.
News
Apple Expands Hot Deals Section
Apple To Open Store In Kenwood
Cincinnati's most exclusive shopping center will soon be home to one of the country's most exclusive retail shops: an Apple Computer store.
Dual Processor Quicksilvers Starting To Arrive
The much-anticipated dual processor "Quicksilver" Power Mac G4s are starting to arrive.
Jobs Responds To Fortune Article
Jobs said that he's sure the Fortune staff knows how stock options work and so "bent" the truth in order to sell magazines.
New Beta Of AOL For Mac OS X Out
There's a new beta build (OS X 14b) of the AOL for Mac OS X software that "brings us closer to the final version."
Code Red Affecting Now Up-To-Date Users
Power On Software has acknowledged that some users are experiencing crashes with the Now Up-to-Date Public Event Server due to attacks from the Code Red worm.
Opinion
Review
Expandability Is Key For Any PC
Expandability is the key to usefulness, especially if you don't want to replace your PC every six months. And I've come across several companies that will help you keep that old clunker up and running.
Wintel
Does XP Have Firewall Or Not?
Croft said Microsoft's plan to add firewall software, designed to protect Internet surfers from hackers, "is a good step from having nothing" but it is not the full-fledged protection found in firewall products sold separately.
Wall Street: Dell Playing It Safe
Analysts took Dell Computer's third-quarter profit warning as good news Friday—evidence that the company is maintaining the cautious stance that has enabled it to continue to meet estimates while its competitors buckle.
Court Rejects Microsoft Bid For Delay
A federal appeals court on Friday delivered Microsoft a blow in its antitrust battle with the government, denying a request that could have indefinitely delayed further proceedings in the case.
Making Lemonade
How Microsoft is using its own legal defeat to hurt Java.
Friday, August 17, 2001
Top Stories
Apple's Cone Of Silence
When does Apple's legendary veil of secrecy begin to stifle - rather than protect - product innovation?
The iMac Turns Three
Not many three-year-olds can claim to have won critical acclaim, to have helped revive a company's fiscal outlook, and to have ushered in a new era of design.
News
The Code Red Worm Can Cause Minor Mac Problems
Apple Computer - Strength In Clustered Numbers
Wireless networking technology and hypothetical clustering capabilities are not confined to Apple's side of the fence.
What's Up, Mac?
Ever wondered what Mac computers have going for them? IBM-compatible PCs might dominate the market, but Macs have always had a strong following.
Be-All: The Story Of The OS
In announcing Thursday that it will sell itself to Palm for $11 million, operating system developer Be wrote the final chapter in its saga of being almost in the right place at the right time.
Quicken 2002 Deluxe For Mac Now Shipping
Quicken 2002 Deluxe for Mac sports native support for Mac OS X. The software remains compatible with Mac OS 9.0.4 or later, as well. The new version also features improved navigational elements and user interface, timesaving features that streamline the process of updating account information and forecasting, and the ability to import brokerage transactions via OFX support.
Palm Buys Old Apple Rival, Be
Be's board of directors has approved the transaction, and the winding-up of Be's operating business following the closing.
Microsoft Incompatbile Again
The most recent versions of Microsoft Internet Explorer do not support Appleís QuickTime media player, a competitor to Microsoftís Media Player, though the two companies are working together to fix the problem.
Opinion
Apple's Trees Grow Money
Despite the turmoil of the PC markets, Apple remains in solid financial shape with more than $4.2bn in cash. However, we forecast the stock to be dead money, during the next six months.
Review
Brakout
Breakout is hampered by more than a few annoying glitches, obscurities and missing information, but is still an enjoyable game I can highly recommend—even moreso after a bug patch and a more thorough manual came out.
Wireless Logitech Keyboard
Logitech's new Cordless Freedom Optical keyboard and mouse package is worth considering. Because it's wireless.
Now Up-To-Date & Contact 3.9
Resurrected PIM is still a winner.
Wintel
Dell Loses $101 Million For Quarter
Dell Computer lost $101 million in the second quarter of its fiscal year, largely because of charges related to job cuts and other expenses, the company said yesterday.
Beware Migration Myths
What bothers me most about this prediction of Linux's future is that it ignores the past.
FBI's Early Effort Hinders The Worm
Following a concerted effort to make computer users aware of the viruslike Code Red worm, the FBI said Thursday that the worm's damage will be far less than originally feared when it enters its scheduled "attack mode" this weekend.
Intel Forum Focuses On Consumers
Intel will demonstrate a mobile version of the Pentium 4, release a 2GHz desktop chip and outline a number of other initiatives at its developer forum later this month, as the high-tech industry moves into the living room.
Dell Hits Target Amid Profit Slump
Price-cutting continued to pay off for Dell Computer, as the PC maker met second-quarter expectations Thursday, showing sales strength in a dire PC market.
Microsoft Tightens Software Security
In an effort to address growing concerns over bugs and viruses that target its software, Microsoft on Thursday released a new patch for its Web server software and said it plans two new tools for customers to assess the security level of their Microsoft software.
MS Passport: Straight To The FTC
Privacy advocates filed an updated complaint with the Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday charging that Microsoft's Passport service harms the privacy and security of "over 100 million" computer users, and that, consequently, it constitutes an "unfair and deceptive" trade practice.
Thursday, August 16, 2001
Top Stories
The Cure For Teachers' Technophobia: Macs
In a smart move, Apple is holding "boot camps" where educators can learn firsthand that computers can be friend not foe.
QuickTime Unplugged By IE Patch
"We have been working with Apple to be sure QuickTime works—and they have developed a version that is compatible with IE 5.5 and 6.0."
How Apple Changed The Future Of Computers
It was a journey that would take several more years, but when it was complete, computers would never be the same.
News
Macs Add A Touch Of Glass
"We couldn't possibly run a business from a place like this without our Mac."
Taxpayers Fight To Save Macs
A decision by a North Carolina school district to ditch its Macintosh computers is causing bitter divisions in the community over Macs versus PCs in the classroom.
Thinking Different On The Last Frontier
Now There's A 'Superdrive' For The Rest Of Us
If you've been lusting after the SuperDrive that comes packaged only with Apple's top-of-the-line G4 desktop computers, now you can rejoice.
30 Macs, 30 PCs, 9 Mountain Dews, & 1 Cherry Coke
Have you ever wondered why the typical PC systems administrator is absolutely addicted to coffee and Mountain Dew?
Mac OS X Version Of Timbuktu Pro Arrives
Timbuktu is the remote control and file transfer software for the Mac operating system.
Happy Third Birthday, iMac
Apple wants to know how the iMac has changed the lives of its owners.
Opinion
Wintel
Microsoft Seeks Linux-Bashing .NET Evangelist
Linux-bashing remains high on the list of qualifications for a job with The Beast, it seems.
Intel: Via Has No License
As expected, Via Technologies announced volume production of its chipset for Intel's Pentium 4 processor today. The chipset could lower Pentium 4-based system prices, since it is the first to allow Pentium 4 to use cheaper memory products, but it also looks likely to land Via in a fresh legal tangle with Intel.
Groups Expand XP Privacy Compliant
A group of 13 consumer and privacy groups said that on Wednesday it will submit a new, beefed-up version of the complaint that it filed with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission last month.
Microsoft, Intel Deny Xbox Glitch
Windows XP Inches Toward Final Releaase
Microsoft late Tuesday issued a nearly finished version of Windows XP to testers, signaling it plans to release final code earlier than expected.
Compaq May Return To Color-Only Handhelds
As Compaq Computer considers moving to color screens only for its iPaq handhelds, prices for its black-and-white line have reached new lows.
IBM Rattles AMD Shareholders
Advanced Micro Devices shareholders shuddered because of an image problem, not a financial one.
Intel Planning 3-D Technology
Intel unveiled new software technology yesterday designed to produce more- lifelike 3-D graphics in computer games and other applications.
Wednesday, August 15, 2001
Top Stories
Despite Apple's Volatility, Some Analysts Optimistic
No high-tech company commands as much brand loyalty as Apple Computer.
Apple: 13th Strongest Brand In California
The company rated 75 publicly traded companies headquartered in the state, and found Disney, Toyota, and Honda to be the top three brands, respectively.
News
Apple Refuses To Participate In Layoffs
Will Apple Spruce Up Its DVD Products?
Purchase of software maker could mean big things for DVD and OS X.
Analysts: Apple's Long Term Outlook Good
Tim Bajarin, a longtime Apple watcher and president of Creative Strategies, a Silicon Valley consulting firm, told the Bee he was optimistic about Apple's future.
Apple Hires Developer Relations Director
Apple Computer has hired Richard Kerris, former director of Maya technology at graphics software maker Alias Wavefront, as its director of developer strategies.
Apple Store Excitement Still Going Strong
Apple Adds MacZone To List Of Partners
This is the third retailer the Macintosh Products Guide has partnered with this year.
Opinion
Discussion: Does Apple Matter?
A Modest Proposal To Apple Management: You Need To Sell Apple-Logo'd Merchandise
No thinking person would be able to look at the loyalty of the Mac user base and not immediately see that we would be more than willing to advertise your brand, and pay you for the chance to do so.
Review
Dazzle Hollywood DV-Bridge
The Dazzle Hollywood DV-Bridge is a very easy and relatively inexpensive way to join the DV revolution without having to purchase a digital video camcorder or lose your old tapes.
Software Puts PC Or Mac In Sync With An Atomic Clock
TapeStor Travan Portable USB 20
If you have a computer with external SCSI or FireWire you're much better off with a tape drive that has a faster interface.
Mac Portables As Desktop Computer Substitutes
More and more people are coming to the conclusion that PowerBooks and iBooks are "the logical Macs."
Wintel
Linux Grows Up In A Hurry
Kids — they grow up so fast.
Microsoft Denies Xbox Glitch
A Microsoft representative, while declining to discuss specific production issues, said there were no flaws with the Xbox motherboard and the console is on schedule.
IT Giants Whacked By Code Red
The IT industry has demonstrated its fumbling approach to dealing with major security issues once again with the outbreak of the Code Red worm.
Tuesday, August 14, 2001
Top Stories
Apple Spending $85 Million On 25 New Stores
Apple has entered operating leases for its retail expansion resulting in commitments that amount to about $203 million, with terms ranging from five to 12 years, according to the company's quarterly filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
News
Hey Mac, The Moose Is Loose
A cultural icon from the early days of personal computing is making a comeback.
Old Monitors Fading Out
Flat-panel screens may send truckloads of old-style ones to landfills, raising toxic concerns.
Perl On Your Mac Part 2
Part two of our Perl how-to has been posted. You can read it here. Scalar Variables, the Print Function, Standard Input and Comments are all taught in this installment.
Opinion
Our Debt To The IBM PC
For better or worse, our biggest debt to the IBM PC was creating a set of standards that would shape the personal computing industry.
Apple Store Is No Threat To Mac Retailers: A Quick Note To The 'Mo Mom & Pops'
The one thing I heard from the First Tech contingent was that the Apple Store isn't a competitor for business but a complement.
Review
Nine Months To Birth: From Conception To Birth
Appealing interface and visuals can't mask dry, stilted writing.
Wintel
Brass-Knuckle Marketing Vs. The Pirates
Tired of being ripped off, companies like Microsoft and DirecTV are using in-your-face tactics against intellectual property thieves.
Monday, August 13, 2001
Top Stories
Apple: Is Quality Job #2?
Now that Mac OS X 10.0 is out, and the company's going to triage it with OS 10.1, it's time for the NeXT culture to start learning more about quality from the Apple side.
Cheering Crowd Welcomes Apple To The Mall Of America
It's hard to tell who was more excited, the Apple Store employees or the crowd attending the opening of the company's newest retail store at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota. As the doors opened, cheers reverberated through the halls of the Mall of America.
News
Aspyr Posts Monkey Island Game Demo
Security Experts Warn On Wireless
Business travelers eager to plug their laptop computers into wireless Internet networks cropping up at hotels, airports and coffee shops need to be on guard: their e-mail and Web browsing can be easily intercepted, security experts warn.
Wintel
Microsoft To Catch Less Personal Data In .Net
As consumer-rights hostility toward Passport grows, Microsoft says it will now demand less personal data from people who access services based on .Net.
DOJ Tries To Block MS Antitrust Delay
In a filing with the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, the government argued that Microsoft has "little prospect" of reversing the rulings against it.
Microsoft Agrees To Change Windows XP Photo Features - WSJ
Microsoft Corp. is expected on Monday to unveil some changes to its upcoming Windows XP operating system, allowing users to see multiple third-party online photo-finishing services instead of just those affiliated to the software maker, the Wall Street Journal reported in its online edition on Sunday.
Friday, August 10, 2001
News
The 21st Show Is Ready For Consumption!
That's right—another gut-wrenching episode of everyone's favorite Macintosh-only radio show is ready for consumption. Head over to http://www.macinchatradio.com for episode 21, now in 5 lipsmacking flavors, including...wait, nevermind, that's a gum commercial.
Head over to the site to take our new poll, and download the show that everyone is talking about, even Lionel Ritchie's gardner, Bob "Lionel Ritchie's Gardner" Coktoastin.
Saturday, August 4, 2001
Top Stories
Apple Store Opens To Big Crowd In Texas
The crowd of at least 300 started lining up at 5:30 am to get a glimpse of the company's latest retail effort.
News
Apple Sign Request Must Be Reworked
The problem, said Germantown chief planner Wade Morgan, was the computer company's logo, which incorporates an apple design.
Opinion
The Megahertz Gap
Apple's pricing isn't terrible, but on the higher-end machines, Apple need to price more agressively unless it wants a return to a reputation as being exorbitantly expensive.
Review
Snap Server 1000
Given the comparison between what a full-blown file server costs and the low price of a Snap Server 1000, the Snap Server 1000 is a great value. It could be even better if Snap Appliances can provide feature-parity for Mac users with the Snap Server's included software, and gets the new version of Snap OS working with Mac OS X soon.
Friday, August 3, 2001
Top Stories
Macintosh Vs PC's: Carteret School Officials Debate
School leaders are standing by a decision to shift from the use of Apple Macintosh computers in classrooms to new Dell brand PC's, but the door has not been closed on continued use of Apple brand computers and equipment.
News
Show 20 Is Up And Running
Welcome to the 20th episode of an internet radio show that a wild band of chimpanzees could do better, it's the glorious "Macinchat Variety Show." Starring your hosts and partners in organized crime, "Mr. Sac" and "The Shark." (The names have been changed to thwart the national manhunt for us—it's amazing how fast people recognize you from one little episode of "America's Most Wanted.")
Anyway, this week dives deeper into the sludge and brings out your favorite skits, including "Jargonwatch X with Mr. Sac and Ed MacMan," the return of everyone's favorite beer-drinking pirate, the official play-along Macinchat drinking game, and a funny Mac- related call to everyone's favorite 24 hour restaurant...Don't forget the return of "Macinchat Theater," where anything goes. Hell, we even have a new opening theme built by the furry, yet lovable Mr. Sac. There's much more, so tune in to the show located at http:// www.macinchatradio.com.
The CD is done! We have the official Macinchat Radio CD, containing the first 15 shows in MP3 format. If you would like a copy, they are only 10 clams and can be ordered from the website.
Wireless Net: Convenience Vs. Annoynace
From etiquette experts to senior executives at Microsoft, a growing number of people say wireless Internet access is becoming an annoyance—a technology that could potentially become more annoying than cell phones or pagers.
Review
Apple Studio Display 17 In.
Priced at just $999, this gorgeous flat panel helps dispel the myth that Apple products are pricey.
Wintel
Mexican Schools Embrace Windows
Three years ago, the Mexican government started a program to equip its huge school system with cheap computers running the free GNU/Linux operating system. It put computers in schools, but not ones running Linux.
Code Red Seen Moving Beyond U.S.
The Code Red worm, its impact confined mainly to the United States so far, could start to target vulnerable computers in other parts of the world during the next few days, experts said Thursday.
Thursday, August 2, 2001
Top Stories
U.S. Court Of Appeals Sides With Apple In Patent Case
Apple Computer Inc. has successfully defeated a second challenge to its ColorSync software by a company that claims it owns the patent on the technology.
Bite-Size Apple
The company doesn't need to rival Microsoft to justify its existence. As a niche player, Apple has everything it takes to remain healthy.
News
Opinion
Good iMacs Don't Leave
There is a reason that Apple positions an iBook portable system - and not an iMac - as the hub of the digital lifestyle.
Review
Wintel
Gates To Sell 5 Million Microsoft Shares
SirCam Worm Enjoys Virus Gang Bang
Some copies of email attachments infected with the prolific SirCam worm also carry copies of other viruses, security experts have warned.
Waiting For A Compaq Comeback
The pain the PC maker is enduring this year could be a prelude to gains in 2002 — if the economy cooperates.
Wednesday, August 1, 2001
News
Apple Moseys Into Lone Star State
Apple Computer is stepping up its retail efforts, opening its third retail store and expanding an effort that puts Apple employees inside CompUSA stores.
Opinion
The G4 Cube Has Died So Where Are We Going?
After my experiences with the Cube, I want one so badly I'm going to break my long standing tradition of buying PowerBooks.
Review
Quicksiler's Fatal Flaw
As far as I'm concerned, that form factor has a serious design flaw — the second forward facing bay.
Wintel
Intel Rolls Out Redesigned Pentium III-M
For the first time since the introduction of the Pentium III chip family in late 1999, Intel has moved to a smaller, more efficient processor architecture for a new line of mobile chips.
Microsoft Ignores Those XP Tacklers
For Gates & Co., the stakes are too high to bow to trustbusters.
Microsoft Getting No Relief From Bush Administration
The message from the government is, "we really do not want to dally, the stakes in this industry are too high," said Starr.
How Intel Calls The Tune
Somehow, the other partner in this Wintel world we live in, escapes the bad guy imprimatur. But, in fact, friendly old Intel wields a mighty big stick in the computer business these days.