Thursday, September 14, 2000
Top Stories
How Mac OS X Can Reshape Computing
The market segment Apple is catering for exists: People have always been willing to pay a bit more for a good mixture of style and quality — and they'll love it if it extends into the user interface.
Lining Up For Mac OS X
Most customers seem to be power users—some of whom admitted to being frequent early adopters—and curious consumers. Surprisingly, none of the buyers we spoke with considered it a bold step to install a beta operating system. The confidence is a testament to Apple's marketing and Steve Jobs' well received demonstration of the software. But Apple could be taking a chance here. This is, after all, an OS that's still under development.
Apple Breaks The Mold
"If Mac OS X succeeds, it will once again put the Macintosh in a class of its own. Not only will the operating system look significantly different ó and in a consumer market, looks do count, as Apple has proven with the iMac ó it will also be the first consumer OS based on a solid Unix foundation."
Apple Beefs Up iBook WIth DVD, More Storage
Apple Computer today added brawn to its colorful line of iBook notebooks, beefing up storage, offering speedier processors and adding a DVD drive to the high-end model.
Apple Peels Open Mac OS X Beta
Apple today released the long-awaited public beta, or test version, of its upcoming Mac OS X operating system. Unfortunately, a significant number of Apple users won't be able to use it without upgrading their hardware.
News
The BTO Dilemma
Apple's decision to offer ATI's Radeon controller in its G4 systems finally gives customers a choice of graphics cards. But Apple is still not offering other vendors' boards as build-to-order options, a key issue now that 3dfx has announced an AGP version of the Voodoo5.
A Look At Public Beta
With Apple's release on Wednesday of Mac OS X Public Beta, ordinary Mac users—not just developers—now have a chance to sample the operating system that Apple hopes will carry the Mac well into the 21st Century.
Jobs: OS X Impact In Q2; Cube Sales Looking Good
In an interview with CNBC, Jobs said he doesn't expect incredible amounts of people to buy Mac OS X public beta and that most people will wait for version 1.0 that is expected by the end of March.
Could Mac OS X Be 'Holy Grail'?
"The best is yet to come. We're going to see a second renaissance on the Mac."
Apple Shares Up As It Releases Beta OS
Office Announcement Upsets Apple Cart
The Mac faithful may not like it, but Apple's ongoing relationship with Microsoft is essential if the company is to continue its quest for market share. Apple is a market leader in hardware design, but it still needs to build consumer confidence by aligning itself with the Microsoft brand.
Key Lime Or Graphite?
With Apple's new iBooks, there's now a quantifiable difference between the base model and the Special Edition, MacWEEK contributor Andrew Shalat reports from Paris. He also notes that the French have taken a liking to Key Lime.
Opinion
C'est Jobs!
The biggest reaction came when the machines rose through the floor on rotating stands. Of course, those cheers could have been gasps of pain as the glow off the key lime iBook scorched people's retinas.
Review
iBook
Simply put, Apple has done a stellar job updating the iBook.
iBooks
It looks like plain old Lime left over from the pre-July-2000 iMacs, and since it was the least popular color for the iMac, why does Apple think it will be more successful on the iBook?
New iBooks A Better Value?
Once you factor in video output, FireWire, and a 6x DVD-ROM drive, the new iBook SE is definitely a better value today than the older iBook SE was in January.
Sidetrack
Memory
Welcome back!
Anyone know any shops that will come to my home to install more RAM into my Bondi iMac? Or do I have to start learning the process myself? :-)
Wintel
We Install Windows Me — And Survive!
If you want to buy the new OS and install it for fun, like I did, then more power to you. But you're not going to get much more than a PC that boots up more quickly. And that's a good thing — because you'll be rebooting a lot.
Windows ME Bugged By Flaw
Computers running the Web TV for Windows program can be hacked into from the Internet. The problem existed in Windows 98, and has not been corrected in Windows ME.
Windows Lincenses Can Cost Extra For Small Businesses
A change to Microsoft's licensing agreements may save bigger customers some money, but businesses with fewer than 500 PCs could still be asked to pay twice for copies of Windows 95, 98 and 2000.
Intel Broadens Its Linux Investment Strategy
Intel has invested in a Linux company that's helping to bring the open-source operating system to Intel's XScale chips.
Microsoft Adjusts Sign-On Feature To Patch Windows 2000
Microsoft said it will release a software patch later today to fix a hole in its Windows 2000 operating system that could leak usernames and passwords to unauthorized individuals.
Beta Testers Urged To Fix ZD Poll, As WinME Retail Push Kicks Off
The last one does appear to emanate from Microsoft, but we trust it's just freelance activity by some low-level operative, rather than high level corporate policy.
Windows ME: Is It For You?
Rather than revamping the underpinnings of the OS, the company focused on putting a better face on Windows 98.
Windows Me: Windows 98 All Over Again?
Consumers who want to see dramatic changes in an OS will have to wait until next year, when Whistler is scheduled to arrive. Whistler, which will target both the home and business computing markets, is the next version of Windows 2000, Microsoft's OS for offices.
Microsoft Lauches New Consumer Windows Program
Microsoft Corp. on Thursday formally launched the latest version of its Windows operating system for home users, and by stuffing the software with new music, movie and Internet features, it is echoing a strategy that has already landed it in legal hot water.
Bill Gates Says Health More Important Than Tech
Software baron Bill Gates, whose personal wealth of around $50 billion makes him the world's richest man, said Thursday that technology was not as important to him as health.
A Peek At Office Upgrade
This very early edition features Web tools, workgroup functions, and speech recognition.
Another Microsoft Exec Walks
One of the key executive figures in the historic antitrust trial against Mircosoft Corp., Paul Maritz, Microsoft's group vice president of the platforms and strategies group, is stepping down, the Redmond, Wash. software giant said late Wednesday.
Ballmer: Antitrust Case Shifts Microsoft's Political Tack
The chief executive officer of Microsoft said the federal antitrust case against his company has altered the way Microsoft approaches politics, including contributions to candidates.
Reports Of Windows Me Bugs Already Rolling In
The first reports of Windows Me bugs are rolling in on the eve of the official launch of Microsoft's new operating system for home PC users.
Gates Denis Snubbing Malaysia's High-Tech Zone
Microsoft chairman Bill Gates said today his no-show at Malaysia's recent gathering of top technology chiefs was no snub to the country's ambitious high-tech zone.