Wednesday, August 30, 2000
Top Stories
Prelude To Mac OS X Public Beta
What can we expect when Apple releases the long-awaited public beta? MacWEEK contributor Raven Zachary, picking up clues from Steve Jobs' Seybold keynote, discusses what features will likely be included in the first public offering of Apple's next-generation OS.
Building An OS X Beta Team
Should network administrators allow users to install the public beta? Yes, writes MacWEEK contributor John C. Welch, as long as you take some common-sense precautions.
Magic Bus
You were too old for the event, weren't you? See the Bus in all its glory without you in school uniform.
New Mac OS Finally Ready
The long-awaited successor to the stagnating Macintosh operating system will be available in the middle of September — as pre-release software.
Jobs: Mac OS X Beta Due September
Jobs said the beta software will include many features not in the last Developer's Preview 4 release — including support for the 3-D standard OpenGL, a full implementation of Sun's Java 2 standard and symmetric multiprocessing — so as to take advantage of the dual-processor Power Mac G4 systems Apple rolled out at July's Macworld Expo/New York.
News
Apple Computer Set To Unveil Test Version Of OS X
Market Yawns Over Update Of Corel Graphics Software
nvestors showed moderate enthusiasm as embattled Corel yesterday launched the latest version of its flagship CorelDraw graphics software with a minimum of fanfare.
Inside InScope
Adobe's fabled workgroup collaboration tool, known for years by its code-name 'Stilton,' became reality this week at Seybold San Francisco.
Jobs Keeps Mac Faithful Excited About OS X
Apple CEO Steve Jobs has reassured the Mac faithful that the long-delayed Mac OS X will finally debut — at least in general beta form — in two weeks.
Steve Jobs Puts G4 Against PIII
Requires RealPlayer G2.
Motorola To Discuss New G4 Chips
Motorola plans to disclose information on the future architecture of the PowerPC G4 family of processors at Microprocessor Forum 2000 this October. The company will discuss a revision to the G4 that uses silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology and allows the chip to operate faster than 1GHz.
Mac OS X Beta Due In Two Weeks
As many expected, Apple Computer CEO Steve Jobs made no major product announcements during his keynote presentation Tuesday at Seybold San Francisco. However, he revealed that the public beta of Mac OS X will be released Sept. 13 at Apple Expo in Paris.
Opinion
The Hypocrites At Motorola
We urge him then, to put a Mac on every employee's desk. That's a good first step towards showing pride in their products and applauding their brand.
Jobs Sticks To Mac Design Strategy
The arrival of software of that caliber on the Macintosh shows that Apple has gained a lot of respect in a market where it's traditionally played second fiddle.
Could Eazel Kill The Mac?
Make no mistake: a computer shipped with Eazel would be a formidable competitor for Macs. At the very least, Linux is sexier than Free BSD because all of the media attention lavished upon it.
Has Java Failed Its Cross Platform Goals?
If your Java application runs well only under Windows, why are you bothering to write in Java?
Review
Harman/Kardon SoundSticks 3 Piece USB Speaker System
The SoundSticks won't become the perfect gaming speakers, but they'll look great trying.
The Sims
Yes, other games may let you frag killer aliens, but how many let you break up families? Others allow you to steal the crown jewels, but can you seduce your neighbor? And which is more fiendish, world conquest or not flushing?
Apple Studio Display (15-In. Flat Panel)
The icy-cool 15-inch Apple Studio LCD Display, part of a new generation of Apple monitors, tips the scales at less than 12 pounds, and your eyes will love you for it. Too bad the proprietary connection excludes so many users.
Sidetrack
Nod
InfoWorld: Internally when Windows 2000 was announced, [Microsoft employees] were told not to even think about using it for production because it was too unstable.
John Jensen: It would be nice to pursue things just because they are interesting.
David Brown: While Linux is technically impressive (in some ways), they haven't really solved the hard problems.
Wintel
Word Documents Susceptible To "Web Bug" Infestation
Microsoft is weathering complaints that documents created with Microsoft Word and some of its other popular desktop applications can be embedded with electronic surveillance tags allowing document authors to track their use.
Dell Cuts Prices On Some PC Models
Dell Computer, the biggest direct seller of personal computers, said it cut prices for some desktop PCs used by businesses, schools and governments after its parts costs fell.
California Decision Raises Legal Stakes For Microsoft
Microsoft lawyers are trying to decide as they prepare to combat a stinging defeat in a California court yesterday.
California Judge Allows Class-Action Case Against Microsoft
A judge allowed the first class-action suit to proceed against Microsoft Corp. on allegations that the software maker's monopoly harmed California consumers. Dozens of similar suits linger nationwide.
Ex-Microsoft Employees Report Unix Is All Around As Bobby Eats Lamb Alone
"Internally when Windows 2000 was announced, people were told not to even think about using it for production because it was too unstable."
Microsoft Hooks Up With Yet Another Game Developer
Microsoft announced an investment in Big Huge Games today, the latest move by the software giant to shore up its relationships with game developers in preparation for the launch of its Xbox console.
MS Takes Windows Me To The Mall
No Ferris wheels or Jay Leno this time around. Instead, Microsoft is planning to unveil Windows Me on a 24-city road tour.
MS: Office 10 To Be A 'Major' Release
You thought Office 95 was a big deal? Microsoft is lifting the veil of secrecy around what it claims will be its 'most significant' desktop suite to date.