Wednesday, February 28, 2001
Top Stories
What Does It Mean To 'Think Different'?
Apple's hardware engineers pay attention to the little things that nobody else in the industry seems to care about.
Improving Sound Worldwide
Tripath Technology founder tries to raise the quality of sounds we hear — through a $4 computer chip.
News
Easy Eavesdropping On Wireless Networks
A new report details serious security flaws in these increasingly popular setups. Here's what you can do to enhance your safety.
Accessibility On The Mac: Access Solutions
No OS X Or Carbon CVGS?
The reply wasn't what we expected, unfortunately; they do not have any plans to bring a carbonized or Cocoa version in the near future.
Opinion
iMaculate Comnception 2: Flower Sour
Will Apple's Flower Power Be Cloned?
With the introduction of these new patterns, Apple has raised the bar for computing style by attracting a new demographic.
The Zip Disk Is Dead, Long Live The Zip Disk!
Apple's shift from DVD-ROM to the new drives in the G4s also should be an indicator to "stock up on the Zip media now."
Wintel
Judge Fears Sun-AOL Monopoly
An appeals court judge says breaking up Microsoft could result in competitors wielding unfair power.
Intel Drops 900Mhz PIII
Intel has warned its OEM customers it will phase out 900MHz Pentium IIIs by the end of March.
Tuesday, February 27, 2001
Top Stories
Pioneer To Spin Off DVD-R Drives
Pioneer plans to start selling around May an add-on version of its drive that can play and record both DVDs and CDs.
Revelations From Tokyo
That "limited audience" of 8 to 17 year-olds, perhaps heavily female, just happens to be the future. And the future of the PC is what Apple seems to be wisely staying focused on.
News
Macworld Tokyo Attracts 181,000
The figure matches the attendance at the Conference last year.
Apple Reveals Environment For Next-Generation Application Development
Especially notable in the lecture was that developers will be able to develop and operate such next-generation applications using Mac OS X, Mac OS Server and Windows 2000.
Carmack Confirms Slashdot Comments, Talks Altivec
"The position hasn't changed in years — PPC CPUs are as good as, or slightly better than, x86 on a clock for clock basis, but they can't overcome the large MHz gap that exists."
Apple Files For 'AppleSeed' And 'EdView' Trademarks
iMac Ship Time Backed Up For Customers, Dealers
Less than a week after their formal debut, Apple has changed its estimated shipping status on all iMac configurations through the U.S. online Apple Store to seven days from three.
Final Cut Bundles On Hold; Cinewave Seminars Postponed
Apple's Final Cut Pro Studio solutions have been put into "Temporarily unavailable" status.
Opinion
Live Nude Macintosh!
What is it about a computer design that causes so many "professionals" to respond so immaturely?
Bigger Ads, Better Ads?
Ads are essential to the "free" Web. If current advertising methods are not paying off, we need to find new methods that will pay off — while at the same time not driving visitors away.
Apple's Internet Strategy: Reorganization In Progress
Although Apple's navigation system is far easier to comprehend then that of its competitors, its many tabs may seem somewhat overwhelming to the first time visitor.
Get Your Spray Paint iMac Analysis Here
I have a hard time believing that the Flower Power and Blue Dalmatian iMac units will boost Apple's sales and dig it out of its slump.
Review
PGP Desktop Security 7.0.3
Even individual users with simple security requirements will benefit from features such as PGPdisk that don't add security-related hassle to the Mac's ease-of-use.
Apple's New Laptop Is A Peach
The new PowerBook G4 Titanium notebook offers brains, beauty, and brawn in one slick package. At up to $3,500, the Titanium is, like other Apple products, pricey, but this one gives good value. Apple has once again launched a powerful innovation—and could literally reshape the laptop.
Wintel
Microsoft Shareholders Rolling The Dice
nvestors are betting on a set of on-off options keyed to a single decision: Will the software giant be broken up, as Federal Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson ordered a few months ago, or will it wriggle off the hook, as it is currently attempting in a federal appeals court?
The Greatest Antitrust Show On Earth. Again!
Top five reasons we should care about the appellate court hearings on Microsoft — even though we really don't want to.
Microsoft Puts More Heat On Open Source
Microsoft Corp. is showing no signs of softening its stance on the open-source software movement. In fact, executives with the Redmond, Wash., company have turned up the rhetoric in recent weeks about the Linux operating system and the open-source movement in general.
Judges Grill U.S. Lawyer In Microsoft Antitrust Appeal
During a hearing Monday that could determine Microsoft's ultimate fate, an appellate court judge questioned whether the U.S. government has gone too far in trying to restrict the software company.
Appellate Judges Split Over Jackson's Microsoft Findings
The appellate judges overseeing the latest phase of the Microsoft antitrust case are divided over the findings of fact from U.S. District Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson, an indication that the court may revisit some issues in the case in a hearing Tuesday.
Microsoft: Down With Linux
Redmond goes yet again to Washington D.C. to plead that a united Microsoft is good for technology and America.
Microsoft Lawyer Hectored By Appellate Judges
"I don't see how you can get a reversal," Judge David Tatel flatly told Microsoft lawyer Richard Urowsky, early in Monday's round of oral arguments before the federal appeals bench. It was not an auspicious start.
Microsoft: We Did Not Stifle Competition
Microsoft told a U.S. appeals court Monday that it did not illegally stifle competitors as the judges peppered lawyers for the software giant and the government with pointed questions about practices that led to the company's court-ordered breakup.
Monday, February 26, 2001
Top Stories
Fans Are Hyper About Old Apple App — And Say So
Los Angeles-area programmer Steve Collins doesn't consider himself much of a firebrand, but when it comes to the future of his beloved HyperCard, he's ready to take desperate measures to get the attention of its creator, Apple Computer Inc.
iTunes Featured In New Apple Ads
Apple is using iTunes and iMacs together in a series of five new Jeff Goldblum-free television advertisements.
Flower Power: Thinking Too Different?
Nobody is going to decline purchasing an iMac because of the new color schemes. For most of the market, indigo and graphite are fine. And Apple knows it.
Apple Patents GUI Theme Engine
Sounds like Apple wants to be the sole owner of complex desktop customization.
News
Get Flower Power And Blue Dalmatian Poodles Here
Apple has released radically new iMacs last week. Let's get some poodles to go along with them.
Adobe Unveils After Effects 5.0
Adobe Systems has taken the wraps off After Effects 5.0, a major upgrade of the video-compositing and special-effects tool that adds productivity enhancements, 3-D capabilities, parenting functions, Macromedia Flash export, improved masking and other new features.
Is That A Hard Drive In Your Pocket?
This is really cool stuff all by itself, but it's the potential to fundamentally alter computers that's really exciting.
Opinion
Why Doesn't Apple Make PCs?
If Apple get their revenues from hardware, they should sell what people want to buy, not what Apple wants to sell. They should make PCs.
Enough About iMacs! What You Really Need To Know About Apple
This fixation on a couple of new additions to the iMac's substantial list of color options has managed to obscure far more interesting aspects of Jobs' latest announcements, even though these under-the-hood enhancements will have a much more substantial effect on the health of the platform.
Review
Color It! 4
Color It! will do almost anything I would ever do in Photoshop, and considerably more besides, and it does it at little more than the price of average shareware.
What's The Best OS For A Power Mac?
If you have less than 64 MB of RAM in your Mac, don't even think about upgrading to 9.1 unless you plan on using Virtual Memory.
Review: Dreamweaver 4
I feel really conflicted giving a perfect score, but this upgrade really blew me away.
Wintel
High-Stakes Appeal Could Be Last Court Date For Microsoft
After years of bruising setbacks before a deeply skeptical federal district judge, Microsoft moves upstairs in the court house on Monday morning. There it will find an appeals forum that in the past has been receptive to its antitrust defenses, but that now could also present potentially fatal pitfalls.
May It Please The Court: Don't Break Up Microsoft
There is no doubt Microsoft was the winner of the PC industry, but that industry must now cooperate and compete with others dominated by Microsoft-like companies of their own.
Watchdog Group: Microsoft Case Waste Of Tax Money
The group believes that the "intransigence" of 19 state attorneys general and Jackson's out-of-court comments blocked the case from being settled a year ago.
Microsoft Shifts Sights As PC Market Matures
Microsoft is moving beyond software to cozy up to consumers. It is working on a host of new products, including the Xbox game console, the company's first major hardware product. Its release is planned for later this year.
Sunday, February 25, 2001
News
Titanium Touch Sends PowerBook Into Orbit
nspiration hit an Apple engineer when Gus Grissom's Mercury space capsule rose from the depths of the Atlantic one summer day in 1999.
Mac Fans Not Happy With Jobs' Speech At Macworld/Tokyo
One user went to extremes.
Wintel
Microsoft's Grip Is Unweakened By Changing Market Conditions
As the Microsoft antitrust case returns to the legal agenda Monday morning at the U.S. District Court of Appeals in Washington, wishful thinking seems to have infected the conversation. People who should know better are letting expert spin doctors convince them that the case no longer matters very much.
Saturday, February 24, 2001
Top Stories
Hello Again
Apple didnít forget about video. Steve Jobs just went back to his one trick: creating a revolution.
Modular Computing Is Next Step In Laptops
Apple's PowerBook G4 could represent the laptop's last evolutionary stage.
Apple Is Above The Boxing Ring
Remember: PCs are appliances; Macs, on the other hand, have a soul.
iMacs In The Flesh
It's probably wise to withhold judgment on the new models until you've seen them "in the flesh" (or in the plastic, as it were). Flower Power, which has drawn the bulk of the insults, looks garish in the photos, but the colors appear much more subtle and muted when you see them live.
News
Apple And The Mobile Market
There still seems to be a high demand for a subnotebook.
Apple Improves Availability To 21 Days On High-End G4s
About That Sixth Product Slot And Illuminated Keyboard
Learning To Love iDVD Studio Pro
"iDVD Studio Pro is a more sophisticated environment," Evangelist said. "But it's still aimed at those who need to produce professional DVDs, but don't have time to learn very complex applications."
Nvidia's New GeForce3: From Macs... To The Mysterious Xbox
Gamers must wait until fall to get their hands on Microsoft's Xbox, but they will soon get a glimpse of its graphics might: The same Nvidia graphics core that will power the game console is part of the new GeForce3 chip for Macs and PCs.
iMac's New RAGE 128 Ultra Graphics Chip Revealed
The key difference that iMac watchers may want to note is not the chip itself, but the configuration it's available in.
Apple Adds AppleWorks 6 To Cube Bundle
Many dealers contacted by MacCentral see the addition as an added effort by Apple to make the Cube more 'consumer-like' and equal in value to potential iMac buyers who want many of the software solutions an iMac possess, but in a faster product.
Opinion
Abacus: The Muffin Monster
Apple is busily creating the flashiest technology on the planet, and just as busily we carve it up with the coldest of technical analysis. Maybe we're all caught up in this technology mindset to the point that we've forgotten to have fun with it. Be sure to read the author's note at the end, though...
Memo To Apple Marketing, Did You Hear Steve's Tokyo Keynote?
Apple And Rumor Sites: A Bad Mix?
It's a no-win situation when it comes to Apple and rumors.
Review
Sim Theme Park
Bottom line, SimTheme Park is just plain fun. From kiddie rides to sprawling, terrifying roller coasters, this game will provide countless hours of gaming pleasure.
Wintel
Microsoft Adds Smart Features To Office
While Clippit the animated — and unpopular — Office assistant gets the boot.
Dell Finds Iteself In A Numbers Crunch
Dell Computer is asking market-analysis companies to reduce the number of PC, notebook and server shipments attributed to it from the fourth quarter of 1999 to the third quarter of 2000.
Intel Warns Telecoms
Chipmaker says untried technology could lead industry to bankruptcy.
Microsoft's Belluzzo Bombshell
Belluzzo, more than almost anyone at Microsoft, is aware of just how big a challenge Microsoft is facing, as it attempts to move away from its dependency on Windows and Office and toward new subscription- and services-based business models.
Friday, February 23, 2001
Top Stories
Accessibility On The Mac: Trouble In Paradise
I go back 20 years in accessibility and disability issues, and I consider myself nothing less than a Macintosh separatist, so it pains me to say that pretty much any computer user with a relevant disability ought to be using Windows, not a Mac.
Apple's Color Scheme Goes Only So Far
Apple is still focused on the market of the late 1990s, when performance and industrial design became a differentiator for sales, and lacks a strategy that exploits changing consumer desires for the new decade.
Analysts Not Tickled Pink Over Apple's New Colors
While many people have been calling for Apple Computer to make bold changes to its iMac line, the computer maker's wild new colors may not be what most consumers and industry analysts had in mind.
iMacs
As there's no bargain iMac any more, I'd recommend you try to save the extra for the 500MHz iMac, which should be well fast enough (and have enough hard-disk space) for most of us.
GeForce 3: What Does It Mean?
As it will take Mac hardware some time to catch up with this powerful GPU, so will it take quite some time for games to take advantage of its power. Games that are deep in the development cycle right now will run full speed on the GeForce 3, but they won't take advantage of the more amazing features such as per-pixel shading, vertex skinning and the like — these have to be specifically addressed in the game's ground-up design.
PowerBook G4 Is Sleek But Not Perfect
The new PowerBook G4 really is as beautiful as it looks in photographs. In fact, Apple's 5-pound, titanium-cased portable computer is even more appealing when you get your mitts on it.
Apple Intros CD-RW, 'Technicolor Yawn' iMacs
Love 'em or hate 'em, the new flavours do at least mark an impressive use of plastic moulding technology, to retain some degree of translucency.
News
Don't Expect iTunes To Get Skinned
"We just feel that most skins aren't practical. People don't want to have to learn new locations for an application's control buttons, which often happens with skins. We wanted to simply offer the most user-friendly, best looking interface up front."
Nvidia Discusses The GeForce3
Manufactured using a .15-micron process with more than 57 million transistors, the GeForce3 is one of the most advanced processors—graphics or otherwise—available today, said Nvidia product manager Tony Tomasi in a press conference.
Apple Introduces Desktops Featuring Music Software
Bringing Motion To The Mac
For now, all people have seen of the GeForce3 are demonstrations at Macworld Expo Tokyo, but signs are promising: with 57 million transistors, the GeForce3 by some measures packs more wallop than a G4 chip.
Nvidia GeForce 3 Details Emerge
So what's so special about Nvidia's GeForce 3 introduced yesterday at - of all places, given the company's PC gaming background - MacWorld Expo Tokyo?
Opera Releases Mac Preview Of "Fastest Browser"
"We have been working on this for a long time and a lot of people have been waiting as well. We've been holding off until we thought the product was good enough and now it is."
Hot For FireWire
Anyone who connects a digital video camera or an external disk drive to a PC owes a debt to Apple Computer.
Nvidia Xbox Chip Arrives For Macs, PCs
Markets Shrugs Off Tokyo Announcements
iTools Returns With New Look, Features
Among other things, the revamped iTools includes additional iCards fonts, cards, and overall better navigation of all tools including Email, HomePage, iDisk, and KidSafe.
International 500MHz iMac Differs In Processors; Graphics
A number of MacCentral readers have noticed a starkly different set of processor and cache configurations between the international 500MHz iMac and the North American version. In addition, international models appear to be using the ATI Rage 128 Pro chip, where the North American version is using the newer ATI Rage 128 Ultra with 16MB of memory.
Apple: GeForce3 Available For Older G4s In April
Arguably the most significant announcement to come out of Steve Jobs' keynote address to Macworld Expo Tokyo attendees is the news that Power Mac G4 systems will soon gain a build-to-order option for Nvidia's GeForce3 graphics chip.
New iMacs Flower-Powered
While most of the reaction was negative, some of the message posters said they thought the iMacs were designed to appeal to women or kids, which they believed was a smart move on Apple's part.
Apple Makes Stealth Release Of CarbonLib Update For Better Carbon Support
Opinion
Reporter's Notebook: AAARRRGGHHH!!
Now excuse me. My sick body is going to collapse and watch some more "X-Files."
PowerBooks For School
For any student who is having trouble organizing things but is comfortable with a computer, I recommend buying a used PowerBook for use at school. It really helps get a lot of work together.
I Love The New iMac Colors: 180 Degrees In 13 Hours
The New iMacs: Does Apple Think It Has To Shock Us To Sell Us?
Review
Titanium PowerBooks: Marvellous Design
A Night At The Opera
Opera claims to be the fastest browser on earth, and it is certainly the fastest full featured browser I've ever used.
Wintel
Oh, Those Clumsy Anna Copycats
Novice crackers are frantically trying their hands at copycat virus creation and failing miserably — but that was to be expected. Other people -- politicians, public relations pros, pundits, and yes -- even a certain tennis player, are all reacting to the Anna virus in increasingly odd and silly ways.
Microsoft Said To Mull Sale Of Corel Stake
Microsoft may sell its stake in Corel after being told the transaction faces review by the U.S. Justice Department, according to a report.
Microsoft's Windows Monopoly Will Be Focus Of Appeal Hearing
A seven-judge appeals court panel controlled by conservative Republicans will hear two days of argument starting Monday. The same court handed Microsoft a victory two years ago in another antitrust fight with the U.S. government.
'Thin-And-Light' Notebooks Targed By New Intel Chip
Intel will up the stakes in the power-saving mobile processor game next week with a faster mobile Pentium III aimed at smaller notebook PCs, an evolving class of systems referred to as "thin-and-lights."
HP Mulls Dropping WinCE For Palm Or Linux
Hewlett-Packard is considering dumping Microsoft and hopping into bed with Palm, the company's incoming Embedded and Personal Systems chief, Iain Morris, has admitted.
All Eyes On Microsoft As It Heads Back To Court
As Microsoft Corp. and the Department of Justice prepare to present oral arguments to the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington next week, legal experts are divided over the approach the justices may take to the matter.
Why Linux Is Giving Microsoft A Migraine
The open-source operating system is now pushing into the very market Windows 2000 is aimed at: Corporate IT departments.
Microsoft's Strange Advertising
Microsoft should fire everyone involved in its "Goodbye Blue Screen" advertisement.
Thursday, February 22, 2001
Top Stories
About Those Colors...
Because the patterns are injected into the molding, McNulty said, the new iMacs have qualities of depth and transparency that are not apparent from photographs. She described Flower Power as a "layering and range of colors" rather than simply replicating flowers.
iTunes Updated
Apple adds support for 25 external third-party CDRW drives.
Jobs Unveils New iMacs, Slashes Price On Cube
Apple Computer CEO Steve Jobs on Wednesday announced price cuts for the Power Mac G4 Cube, while unveiling new iMac models in psychedelic colors during his keynote address at Macworld in Tokyo.
20 Minutes Into The Future
Apple's desktop machines have become so powerful, that they are poised to replace Sun and Silicon Graphics workstation in the demanding field of 3D animation and scientific computer modeling.
News
Mac Desktop Sales Slide 62 Per Cent
US consumers certainly didn't like what the company was offering last month. Retail sales of desktop Macs fell 62 per cent year on year, according to US retail market watcher PC Data's latest figures. Notebooks sales were down 36 per cent.
iTunes Updated
Apple adds support for 25 external third-party CDRW drives.
Apple Booth Shrouded In Secrecy
It's Not Always So Great For Schools To Be Gifted
That old computer and other stuff in your garage may make for a nice donation. But while teachers can be creative with castoffs, some tax write-offs are more trash than treasure.
What Can You Do With Your Aging iMac? Go Fish!
Or I could just focus on the fact that every iMac destroyed instead of passed on is another new iMac that Apple can sell to someone's disappointed friend or relative.
Will Mac OS X Give G4 Macs An AltiVec Power Boost?
With the G4 now standard equipment on PowerBooks and Power Macs, and rumored to soon appear on iMacs, will Mac users need to wait for Mac OS X to tap the power of G4 computing?
A Mac Success Story
She said she could still remember that feeling of amazement and sense of accomplishment when she turned it on and it worked right off the bat.
Jobs Expected To Unveil New iMacs In Tokyo
Mac fans may need to make a quick "satellite dish" run if they want to catch Steve Jobs' keynote address from Macworld Tokyo on Thursday.
Opinion
75 Mac Advantages: Part 2
Advantages 16-32 updated.
Hold The Pickles, Hold The Lettuce
Today's laptop computers all look the same. If you bought a PowerBook in the last three years, it looked like mine.
Apple's Biggest Challenge: Overcoming Stereotypes
What Jobs must do is to convince the population that the computer plays music, displays images, accesses the Internet in addition to a thousand other things.
Review
iMac 2001: A Better Value?
The confusion isn't completely gone, but the 2001 iMac models do simplify the product line.
Wintel
AMD Follows Intel With 5 March Price Cuts
AMD will cut its Athlon and Duron prices across the board next month - on the day after Intel's next major round of price cuts.
Microsoft To Pay Bristol Under Settlement
Microsoft and Bristol Technology on Wednesday abruptly ended their long-standing legal battle.
Wednesday, February 21, 2001
Top Stories
Microsoft Protects Mac But Not Windows Users With Web Bug Mail Firewall
Four legs good, two legs bad
The Race For The Ultimate Info Organizer
Three new programs help you make order of the reams of data you download from the Internet.
Revinventing An Art Form Online
"I just love my Mac. It's transparent to the extend that what I see on my screen and what I think about on my screen is the work I have to do."
News
Microsoft Protects Mac But Not Windows Users With Web Bug Mail Firewall
Four legs good, two legs bad
Making Connections With USB
The first time you plug in a digital camera, MP3 player, CD burner or any other computer peripheral that uses USB technology, chances are that you will notice how much easier they are to hook up than devices that use serial and parallel ports.
Store Owners Say Consumers Taking Advantage Of 'Tax-Free PC' Program
It didn't take an economics major to figure out that waiting for the tax break could save him a bundle on Apple's new Macintosh Titanium Powerbook he had been eyeing.
Full Stream Ahead For Tokyo Keynote
Apple has re-posted information about a QuickTime Webcast of Steve Jobs' Macworld Expo Tokyo keynote, which will be available only as a video-on-demand archive.
Souped-Up Power Mac Leaves The Gate
Apple Computer said it has started shipping the 733MHz Power Mac, its top-of-the-line desktop machine that includes a SuperDrive capable of reading and writing both CDs and DVDs.
Apple Solve The iMac (2000) Display Flicker And Wavy Lines Problem
Opera Technology Preview Due Thursday
Opera Software, creators of the alternative Web browser that bears the company's name, will release Mac Technology Preview 1 on Thursday, the first public alpha release of the browser that has been in development for nearly three years.
Opinion
Is The Mac Still Better?
As the Mac OS continues to mature, I would expect less and less discrimination against Mac users who simply want equal access to information and resources. I hope that such discrimination does not contribute to the loss of members of the Mac community.
TiBook Troubles And Pismo Pondering
Why OS X Will Work
"How many times have we heard this story: "The first time I used a Macintosh, back in 1987, I knew I had to have one." I must admit, that was me. I was a junior in college at the time. I snuck into the computer library hoping to quickly type a term paper. And there it was."
iMaculate Conception 1: The Identity Crisis
It appears that Apple was not thinking very differently when the Ti book was designed.† Sure, I want a G4 processor, and the DVD-RAM is pretty nifty, but it does look like a Sony.
Review
PowerPrint Mobile Edition
If you're on the road, the printer you find handy is likely of the PC-compatible parallel-port sort. PowerPrint Mobile Edition lets you print to such foreign objects with ease.
Netscape 6.0
Latest version of browser frustrates users, offers few useful features.
Wintel
WinXP To Include Support For Transmeta Cursoe Chips
Support for Transmeta CPUs is quietly under development as part of Microsoft's next generation WinXP OS. Beta testers staring vacantly at the blue install screen while filenames flash by claim to have been jolted awake by the evocatively-named crusoe.dll.
Chinese Company Launches Software To Challenge Microsoft's Windows
Beijing-based RedFlag Software on Tuesday unveiled a new operating system in a bid to wrest market share from Microsoft's dominant Windows system.
Microsoft Doesn't Care What We Think
Palm, Handspring Lose Ground To Microsoft
Palm and Handspring saw a decline in their share of the handheld market in January, losing some ground to devices running Microsoft's Pocket PC operating system.
Windows XP May Hit Small Speed Bump
As Microsoft charges ahead toward delivering Office XP by midyear, it is falling a bit behind on meeting its Windows XP targets, according to testers.
Microsoft Clarifies Exec's Open-Source Concerns
Microsoft representatives told eWEEK Tuesday that Allchin was primarily concerned about the impact of the GNU General Public License, the widely used statement of open-source terms and conditions introduced 10 years ago by the Free Software Foundation Inc.
Windows XP: No Thrill
While users can buy a stand-alone version to put on older machines, it may not be a wise thing to do.
Intel To Cut Back On Spending And Hiring
Tuesday's news comes on the heels of a shaky month for the chipmaking bellwether.
Larry's A Liar? MS Doubts Oracle Claim
Microsoft Corp., donning the mantle of moral watchdog, has launched a stinging attack on Oracle Corp. CEO Larry Ellison, accusing him of being "disingenuous" and misleading customers.
Windows XP: A Requiem For DOS
The best thing about XP, which is scheduled for release in the fourth quarter, is the death of a beast whose name may not be uttered—at least not in official Microsoft marketing.
Microsoft To Publish Magazine
The quarterly publication will be dedicated to providing information on "the potential of the enterprise to meet the challenges and maximize the opportunities of the digital economy," according to a note penned by CEO Steve Ballmer for the premiere issue.
Tuesday, February 20, 2001
Top Stories
Apple Power Mac G4
When the G4 was tested against the P4 processor, the G4 proved to be 30% faster. It has since been established however that itís not an accurate measure, as the P4 chip still has a few speed problems that still need to be rectified.
Apple Ships 733 MHz PowerMacs With SuperDrives, Right On Time!
Hopefully, this machine will fly out the door to meet pent up demand for much faster Macs that has been stymied so far due to the 15 months in which 500 MHz was the de facto ceiling.
News
PowerBook G4 Has DVD-ROM Flaw
Some Titanium G4 PowerBooks have been suffering from misaligned DVD-ROM drives, according to online reports.
Opinion
My iPinion
Every "i" in Apple product names meant something until Steve Jobs announced iDVD a few weeks back.
Review
Apple's Powerbook G4
It's an irresistible combination, and Apple CEO Steve Jobs knows it.
REALbasic 3.0
With the new Carbon compatibility, REALbasic is certain to be an invaluable tool when Mac OS X arrives.
Flex-HDD 3.5" FireWire/USB Enclosure
The real value of the Flex-HDD enclosure comes if you already have an IDE drive you can put inside it, as I did with the Deskstar drive I bought in December, and would benefit from having both USB and FireWire ports on an external drive.
Hands On With Virtual PC 4
VPC 4.x offers a relatively seamless way of running a "PC" within the Mac environment. It's fantastic for running Internet surfing and running business productivity software.
Power Mac G4 533DP
The new Power Mac G4 533DP with its CD-RW drive and CD burning software is fabulous. Apple's motto for the new Power Macs is "Power to Burn." And the CD burning process couldn't have been easier.
Dealmac
Dealmac has built a shopping oasis for Mac owners.
Wintel
Intuit Ready For Microsoft Challenge
Intuit, the software provider for small businesses, has challenged Microsoft's plans to move into the small business arena, after stating that between itself and Sage, the market was 'sewn up'.
Microsoft Examines Sega's Strategy
Speed Is Name Of Game With Xbox
It's got the Microsoft name, but the real star of the Xbox game console is nVidia and its pair of audio and video chips, which will top anything seen on a PC before.
MS And Sledgehammer: Whistler SDK Reveals All
Further evidence that Microsoft intends to support AMD's Sledgehammer chip comes from the company's own upcoming operating system revision, Whistler, aka Windows XP.
What The Hell Is... WinXP's Groovy New UI?
At the moment this seems to amount to boiling the task bar entries down into mini lists that try to second-guess what you're likely to want to do at any given juncture.
Windows XP: An Unlikely Upgrade
"Upgrading an operating system is a pretty complex operation, no matter how many layers of graphical user interface Microsoft puts on it."
Monday, February 19, 2001
News
Apple Keen To Stay Sharp As PC Sales Fall
"Because our machines last longer than most other types of personal computers people end up comparing older Macintoshs with modern PCs."
Wintel
Microsoft Invades The Airwaves
Imagine taking a Pocket PC with all the features crammed inside and shrinking it down to a size slightly smaller than a modern-day cellular phone ó and then you can begin to have an idea of what Microsoft is previewing at the 3GSM World Congress wireless show in Cannes, France.
Gates Stays The Course On Software Integration
It is perhaps no coincidence, then, that the new operating system, Windows XP, also represents the most highly integrated software product from Microsoft in six years, dating back to Windows 95.
Sunday, February 18, 2001
News
Ellison: Digital Appliances Are Apple's Future
NEC PC Engine Emulator For Mac
Apple Slips In List Of Most Admired Computer Makers
Apple has slipped from sixth to eighth in Fortune Magazine's latest list of 'Most Admired Computer Companies, with Gateway and Hewlett-Packard moving up the list.
Apple Servicing Titanium PBs With DVD Issues
We have confirmed that Apple is offering to repair and service misaligned DVD mechanisms in new Titanium PowerBooks G4.
Wintel
Reaching Out To Silicon Valley
Nowadays, Microsoft is trying to project a more neighborly image in Silicon Valley as it broadens its efforts to strike partnerships with local tech firms. Since opening a gleaming 32-acre campus in Mountain View in late 1999, Microsoft is reaching out to Silicon Valley like never before.
Windows XP Beta 2 Now Slated For March 14 Release
The release of Windows XP Beta 2 has been pushed back to March 14, but Microsoft executives are still gunning for the final release in June, according to an internal memo examined by CRN.
Saturday, February 17, 2001
News
Webcast For Tokyo Keynote?
Apple apparently posted, then removed, information about a streaming QuickTime Webcast of Steve Jobs' Macworld Expo Tokyo keynote, which is scheduled for Thursday, February 22, 10 a.m. (Feb. 21, 5 p.m. Pacific Time) at Macworld Expo Tokyo.
Compatibility Woes Derail Windows XP Visual Styles
While complaining loudly about how Luna was supposedly aping Mac OS X's Aqua look this week, Apple advocates have missed an unwitting homage to Cupertino from Redmond. Microsoft appears to be mirroring the same tactical retreat from opening the Windows platform for theming, much as Apple made with its Appearance Manager four years ago. The two tales have uncanny similarities.
Opinion
The Deadly Task Of Backing Up
The bottom line is that backup, as it presently exists, is kludgy, complicated, and cumbersome... similar to the DOS operating system the Mac replaced. Is there a better place for Apple to put their talent for creating easy-to-use systems?
Review
Nisus Writer 6.0
Nisus Writer's indexing tools are likely to please anyone creating long documents, and the program continues to provide excellent support for languages. But the interface can be uneven and perplexing to use, and although the new features may satisfy current users, there probably aren't enough of them to tempt anyone who's using the latest version of Microsoft Word.
The Best-Laid Plans Of Mice And Macs
The big surprise was that in SpeedMark, there was no difference in performance between a G4 400 and a PowerBook G3 500, the recently discontinued high-end of the PowerBook line.
Mouse Love
In a way, Appleís Pro mouse is to Microsoftís multi-button offerings what the PowerPCís RISC is to the Pentiumís CISC architecture. Simple, yet powerful. Simple, therefore more powerful.
Wintel
Dell To Keep Cutting Prices To Gain Market Share
Can Dell Computer conquer the world?
Discrimation Lawsuits Stacking Up At Microsoft
Microsoft is the target of two more lawsuits alleging racial discrimination, including one filed by attorney Johnnie Cochran, best known for defending O.J. Simpson.
Friday, February 16, 2001
Top Stories
Survivor: A Tale From The Desktop
Yes, five years since I unpacked it and booted it up for the first time. And yet this machine — a Macintosh clone made by the long-defunct Power Computing Corp. — is still trucking along. It remains a fine tool for writing, Web work, financial management and MP3 hoarding.
Check Out These Powerful iMovie Sequels
Apple's iMovie is unbeatable for making short, simple videos, but it isn't up to complex jobs. Several video editing packages pick up where iMovie leaves off, providing better control over audio, more special effects and more muscle for managing large projects.
News
Wireless Standards Group Addresses Security Issues
"WEP is not intended to be a complete security solution, but, just as with physical security in the wired LAN case, should be supplemented with additional security mechanisms such as access control, end-to-end encryption, password protections, authentication, virtual private networks, and firewalls, whenever the value of the data being protected justifies such concern."
Further QT Snub For IE Users
Apple's International English (IE) operating system users continue to be excluded from the beta testing of QuickTime 5's Public Preview 3.
Opinion
Apple's Potential Coup
For the first time since the infamous feuds that erupted between the two in the past, Gates and Jobs seem to be in agreement about the state of technology. However, this seems like the calm before a storm. I sense that Apple is up to something that will rock Microsoft and the PC world. This was all because Jobs, for the first time I can recall, called the Mac a "PC."
Fixing The Trackpad
What Apple needs to do to make the trackpad better is to make a Trackpad Setup Assistant.
Windows XP Vs. Mac OS X
Windows XP is a good attempt, and it is an improvement over previous Windows versions. However, one would think that a company such as Microsoft, which has been so successful over the years, wouldn't need to use some of its opponent's ideas just to sell a few hundred thousand copies of an operating system.
March 24, 2001: The End Of The Mac As We Know It
OS X will change the way you work with your computer. OS X will act more like <gasp> Windows 95!
Review
Mathematica 4.1
Version 4.1's Web functions provide a rich set of tools for research collaboration and for education.
TiBook Report #7: Zap!
Static is usually associated with dry weather and carpeting, but I've been able to zap my TiBook on a rainy day in a room with no carpeting.
Hands On With Hoyle Board Games
The recreation of these classics has been flawlessly achieved. Multimedia nicely compliments most aspects of play and is never so overdone as to become a nuisance.
Hollywood DV-Bridge
If you're looking at doing some video editing on your Mac (Or Windows; the Hollywood DV-Bridge is compatible with the "Other OS" as well) you cannot go wrong with this great product.
Wintel
MS Fantasy World Gets Real Dark
On Monday, the online gaming site Gamespy published a rumor that Microsoft was planning to replace its entire corps of volunteer helpers, systems operators and game-conduct enforcers for Asheron's Call with paid, full-time contractors.
Microsoft Marshals Its Forces In Washington
Former Clinton White House spokeswoman Ginny Terzano and ex-GOP chairman Haley Barbour seldom found themselves on the same side of political debates. But now they're allies in Microsoft's high-stakes antitrust battle with the government.
Intel Suffers Second Hack Attack
Life, Liberty And The Pursuit Of Free Software
Microsoft says open-source software is un-American. Has the company completely lost its mind?
Emachines: What A Difference A Year Makes
Earnings for low-cost PC maker Emachines fell within the company's own lowered expectations Thursday. Excluding charges, the company lost $31.2 million, or 21 cents per share—well below last year's results. In the same period a year earlier, the company had a profit of $2.2 million, or 2 cents per share.
Microsoft Exec Calls Linux A Threat To Innovation
The result will be the demise of both intellectual property rights and the incentive to spend on research and development, Microsoft Windows operating-system chief Jim Allchin said this week.
Welcome To .NET - How MS Plans To Dominate Digital Music Sales
It won't, ultimately, be a problem for Microsoft if non-Microsoft clients have access to the DRM feast, because by then Microsoft will have something far bigger - it'll own the standards for controlling access to digital content, and so long as you pay, you can run a Mac or linux if you like. Welcome to .NET...
Dell's Dilemma: Living Up To Its Own Reputation
The great share grab With U.S. PC sales slowing and expansion to overseas markets still in a fledgling phase, some analysts say Dell is shifting from a high-margin strategy to one of stealing market share by aggressive pricing.
President Choice Hints At Microsoft's Internet Strategy
Yesterday, Microsoft gave the clearest signal yet that the future of computing, and its future, lies beyond the personal computer, the foundation of its business and still the source of about 70 percent of its revenue.
Thursday, February 15, 2001
Top Stories
75 Mac Advantages: Part I
The list still remains as a reference to Mac diehards, who bring it up now and then and wish that Apple would update it. That's not going to happen, folks, but here at the Low End Mac Lab Report we're going to make a stab at updating it for you over the next several weeks.
News
Start-Up Attempts To Bridge Choppy Streaming Waters
Online multimedia pioneer Peter Hoddie has launched a company that aims to bridge incompatible streaming media applications, including those developed by rivals RealNetworks, Microsoft and Apple Computer.
Steve Jobs' Tokyo Keynote Beamed To... Croydon
Why this southern suburb of London - incidentally, the former home of London's international airport - should be chosen, we're not entirely sure, but PC Worlders will be handing out sushi, demonstrating Macs before finally hinting that maybe a Windows machine might be better.
Steve Jobs' Star Turn In Croydon
Apple DVD Player Regional Restrictions
Is there some way around regional limitations of the Apple DVD player for those who travel internationally and use DVDs from different regions at differeent times?
Apple Moots Return To UK Mac Show
Apple has been in negotiations with the organiser of the UK's unofficial Mac show - indeed, the UK's only major Mac-oriented event - raising the possibility that the company may abandon its policy of focusing solely on Europe's only official Mac event, Paris' MacWorld Expo Europe.
Apple Announces WWDC 2001 Plans
Although the conference will feature technical sessions covering Apple hardware, the focus appears to be on software, as Apple plans presentations on AppleScript, Aqua, BSD Unix, Carbon, Cocoa, Darwin, Development Tools, Internationalization and Localization, Java, Mac OS X, Networking and Security, OpenGL, Quartz, QuickTime and WebObjects.
QuickTime 5 Preview 2 Expires Feb 15
Windows XP Says Luna For Aqua
Microsoftís XP has a new interface (called "Luna") thatís recognizably similar to Appleís "Aqua" user interface for OS X.
Opinion
Will Apple Ever Conquer The Office?
Macs retain a solid following among writers, artists, photographers, and graphic designers. They're also still dominant in the publishing market. And if Apple can win back its lead in schools and universities, education isn't lost, either. But Macs conquering the office? Dream on.
Beyond The Speed Bump
Relax. Personal computers aren't going away. Moore's and Metcalfe's laws will continue to accelerate productivity and innovation rates, guaranteeing that the little recession we're currently fretting about will be forgotten long before PCs ride off into the sunset.
Review
The Sims
The Sims has proven to be ridiculously addictive, and you may find yourself playing it constantly.
Wintel
Dell Earnings Unlikely To Impress
It's a new era for Dell Computer, and one that isn't nearly as glamorous.
AMD's Chief Executive To Step Down In 2002
W.J. "Jerry" Sanders will step down as chief executive officer of Advanced Micro Devices in April 2002 and hand control of the company to his hand-picked successor.
Ballmer's Power Seen Undiminished
Nearly everyone agrees that Microsoft, Redmond, Wash., is not the lean, mean, fighting machine it once was.
Microsoft Nails Down Xbox Distributors
Toy maker Bandai and Internet investor Softbank will be the sole distributors and marketing agencies of the Xbox game console in Japan, Microsoft said Wednesday.
Microsoft Uncloaks New Security Software
With network security concerns rising, Microsoft on Wednesday released new security software featuring firewall and Web-caching technology intended to protect corporate networks.
XP: 'Your Mother's Windows'
"Simplify, simplify, simplify" was the message of the day as Microsoft tried to build excitement for its next generation operating system, Windows XP.
WinXP Testers Get Unique IDs From MS, Plus A Workaround
Previous leaked builds have been accompanied by various patches and workarounds that deal with the product activation technology, but with 2428 Microsoft is saving these, er, misguided enthusiasts the effort by putting the workaround in the release notes.
Belluzzo To Take On Some Of Ballmer's Tasks
Microsoft Corp. on Wednesday said it named Rick Belluzzo as its new president and chief operating officer.
Wednesday, February 14, 2001
Top Stories
Rosy Outlook For Apple
Across the world, the personal computer industry is in trouble. Gateway has laid off 2,400 workers, or 10 per cent of its workforce. Dell, Compaq, Intel and even Microsoft are forecasting very tough times ahead. But Apple is forecasting a "modest" profit this quarter, continued steady growth even though the US economy is looking sour and no layoffs.
We Disassemble The PowerBook G4... For You!
This diary contains explicit images of a Titanium PowerBook G4 in various stages of disassembly. People who have trouble viewing the graphic violation of a pristine PowerBook should not read this journal. This information is presented for educational purposes only, and is not intended to endorse or otherwise invite the dismemberment of PowerBooks by our readers. Remember, we are professionals. Don't try this at home!
News
Apple Updates Computer Models In China
Apple Computer Inc. Tuesday presented its slick titanium-gild handy laptop PowerBook G4, and other updated computer parts at a presentation press conference.
Apple Tightens Belt, Report Shows
In total, the company managed to cut its operating costs by 7 per cent over the first quarter of its trading year 2001.
Smoke, Mirrors And Windows XP
"This is so sad. They're just lamely trying to copy Steve Jobs' Apple presentation—right down to the guy having a black shirt and black pants," said one Whistler tester who watched the Seattle event via Webcast and requested anonymity. "It's almost like Windows ME 2. Or as Apple might call it, Windows Me Too."
$30 OS X Public Beta Rebate For UK?
BT Comes Clean On Mac ADSL Support
Apple Takes PowerBook G4 On Tour
The company will exhibit its DVD-authoring solutions and the new PowerMac G4 and PowerBook G4 ranges in Manchester on March 1, Uxbridge on March 6 and Glasgow on March 13.
Opinion
When An Opportunity For Mac Evangelism Presents Itself... Take It
Layoffs May Hurt Mac Market
The number of job cuts in both the Mac market and the outside world will surely have an impact on the kinds of products and performance we see from these companies in the coming months. We can only hope for a more lively economy next quarter.
Rodney Discovers A Possible Flaw In The PowerBook G4, Will Some Suffer The Curse Of Early Adoption?
"It appears that Apple sacrificed some sort of structural integrity in order to make that one-inch-thick casing."
Review
Look, Ma — No Wires: Apple's Airport Lets You Do A Lot
Now I envision a time when no regular boards will be present at our schools; rather there will be large, interactive screens with teachers presenting materials, and students demonstrating knowledge by sharing multimedia presentations and films created during their studies. Apple is in the forefront of this exciting turning point.
Fireworks 4
I'm pretty sure I would not like this as much as a stand-alone product, but when combined with Dreamweaver, it is a formidable design tool.
Wintel
Microsoft Looks For Linux Inspiration
An international recruiter from Microsoft's Redmond headquarters has approached Linux user groups in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide seeking software developers interested in joining the company's Windows core networking team.
Microsoft Investigated For Corel Investment
Microsoft said it's being investigated by federal antitrust enforcers for its $135 million investment in rival Corel, raising new antitrust questions for the world's largest software maker.
Microsoft To Announce New President Wednesday
Microsoft is expected to announce a major change near the top of its organizational chart Wednesday morning.
Microsoft: Windows XP Beta 2 Due Within Month
Gates Sells Microsoft Shares
Coleman found it noteworthy that the latest sale from Gates arrived a day before the company was set to unveil its next generation Windows XP operating system for personal computers.
Anna Virus — More Insidious And Fickle Than ILOVEYOU
A day after it first swept through corporate America, the VBS/SST-A virus continues to wreak havoc on e-mail servers.
Gates: New Windows To Boost PC's Power
Microsoft, whose software already runs 90 percent of the world's PCs, is adding features that make it easier to download music, process digital photos and use the Internet as it tries to lure consumers to buy new machines loaded with the software or to upgrade their systems.
Bill Gates Discusses Windows XP
Software is Microsoft's future, he says.
Microsoft Asks 'Are You XPerienced?'
Justice Taking Hard Line On Microsoft
The Bush administration is expected to reluctantly pick up its predecessor's antitrust crusade and press for a break-up of Microsoft Corp. this month during the company's appeal of its landmark conviction.
Windows XP Can Secure Music
A new digital media security solution developed by Microsoft provides protection for content owners while excluding other digital rights management systems.
Tuesday, February 13, 2001
News
Mac-Made Movies Won't Work On All DVD Players
Apple is touting its new iDVD software as a way to create movies that people can watch on consumer DVD players, but not all machines actually support discs made with Apple's new recordable DVD drive.
Epson Unveils New Stylus Photo Printers
Epson Launches High-End Ink-Jet
It's proving to be a busy week for Epson, which announced on Monday that it is shipping the Stylus Pro 5500, a new high-end six-color printer designed for production of archival prints. Epson also introduced three new models in its Stylus Photo line.
Mac OS X Core OS Contributor Leaves Apple
Getting Ready For OS X
You can resist these as alien concepts that Mac administrators have no need to know, or embrace them as valuable new additions for your toolbox. Personally, I think the latter is the way to go.
Opinion
The Time Is Right For Apple To Expand
The enterprise business market has is an area that Apple has not aggressively marketed to. I believe that strategy will change with the introduction of OS X. The timing of this release is perfect, for a number of reasons.
Gaze Thee Upon The Power That Titanium Has On The Infidel
Folks, we may be on the verge of another revolution, or at least a minor riot. The PowerBook G4 may do more to convert PC users to the Mac Way than the iMac and Mac OS X combined.
The Cube Experience, Apple's Hard-Learned Lesson
I would never wish failure to the company that manufactures my favorite computer platform, but I am happy that the Cube experience delivered the hard knock that might prevent more serious screw-ups at Apple in the future. It was a relatively cheap lesson!
Review
Living And Loving iTunes
For one, converting songs to MP3 format has never been easier.
Risk II
In summary, Risk II is a great game that everyone should try at least twice- you will probably not be disappointed, and you may well expect to love it if you're interested in the original game.
Road Warrior
Don't even think about buying a pedestrian PC portable until you've kicked the tires on this metallic Mac. The PowerBook G4 professional laptop rocks.
Wintel
When Microsoft Shark-Attacks Linux
It seems to me that Microsoft is going to have a lot tougher time "attacking" Linux than it anticipates. The open source nature of the OS and its zero-dollar price tag will prove to be too powerful an offense to knock down that easily.
Intel Debuts Faster Processors
Intel said Monday that its so-called Foster processor is on track for a 2001 debut. The faster Foster, which is essentially like a Pentium 4 of the Xeon family, will target high-end workstations and front-end/mid-tier servers.
Wen-chi Chen: Taiwan's Answer To Andy Grove?
Via Technologies' ambitious CEO plans to win by "trying to play a different type of game" than Intel.
New Virus: Now Anna Loves You
A new worm is making its way through e-mail boxes, and it seems to be spreading more rapidly than last year's Love Bug, which infected 15 million computers and is regarded as the worst e-mail virus ever.
MS Court Gig To Go Out Live On The Web
Microsoft's appeal will go out live over the Internet for two days at the end of this month, and the lucky winners of the audio stream are ABC News and C-Span. The two organisations will carry the show live on their Web sites, and it will also be available on archive, and for radio broadcast.
Microsoft's Linux 'Message'
"It's the business model around free software that concerns us, where people get sucked in to not paying for software," Doug Miller, group product manager for the Windows Server Group, told eWeek's Peter Galli. "This will be a disservice for them, as they need established, well-funded companies to offer innovation."
Microsoft Has Great Expectations For XP
Microsoft Has A Tough Sell At XP Preview
Of the myriad challenges Microsoft will face over the next few months, none will be as pressing as persuading Windows and Office users to upgrade to the company's XP versions.
Monday, February 12, 2001
Top Stories
RealNetworks Skins Apple, Microsoft
The Apple QuickTime technology, as tested, is only adequate. The Darwin Streaming Server is not up to the standards set by Microsoft and RealNetworks when it comes to server configuration and management. And out of the box, PC encoding software from Apple for QuickTime content creation is very limited.
Microsoft Copies Mac OS X
Stability coupled with a flashy user interface will be the main selling points when Microsoft holds a lavish event tomorrow for the official launch of the new version of its Windows operating system. For Macintosh users forever enraged by Microsoftís copying of the Mac OS for its Windows operating system, the news will be all too familiar ñ except that this time itís Mac OS X that has sent Microsoft back to the drawing board.
Mac OS X To The Rescue?
Simple, elegant and stunning. Not exactly the words most people use to describe a computer operating system, but then again, most people don't work for Apple.
News
Microsoft Copies Mac OS X
Stability coupled with a flashy user interface will be the main selling points when Microsoft holds a lavish event tomorrow for the official launch of the new version of its Windows operating system. For Macintosh users forever enraged by Microsoftís copying of the Mac OS for its Windows operating system, the news will be all too familiar ñ except that this time itís Mac OS X that has sent Microsoft back to the drawing board.
Adobe Unveils Photoshop Elements
Adobe Systems, seeking to exploit the explosive popularity of digital cameras and other imaging products, has unveiled a new mid-range version of its Photoshop image-editing software that will replace Photoshop LE. Adobe plans to demonstrate the $99 program at the Photo Marketing Association show in Orlando, which opens Sunday.
Opinion
The Ten Commandments Of The Church Of Macintosh
Let's not criticize the priests, heaven forbid! Else, God will smite thee!
Review
Titanium: First Weekend Observations
A review of my first weekend with the PowerBook G4, including step-by-steps on installing everything and notes on battery life, the trackpad, keyboard and some other random nuggets.
Hands On With Cleaner 5
The descendent of the popular Media Cleaner Pro, the renamed and revamped Cleaner 5 is a camera-to-Web streaming media design solution. Besides the new moniker, the new, overhauled version sports DV (digital video) capture, beefed up batch processing, and kicks butt at interactive streaming media.
DoubleTalk
Connectix's new DoubleTalk is a super addition to the suite of Mac software available to provide interoperability among Macs and Wintel computers on a network. The setup and use of DoubleTalk is easy and will be familiar to Mac users, more so in our opinion than other interoperability solutions.
Apple PowerBook G4
Powerful and sexy, this notebook is also a bit too hot, and the perfect viewing angle is somewhat hard to find — small sacrifices for an otherwise exceptional titanium fashion accessory.
Wintel
Compaq Stagnates In Q1
Picks up after that
Compaq Expects Sales Slowdown
The head of Compaq Computer predicted a slowdown in sales growth to just under 5 percent in the first half of 2001 from 10 percent in 2000, a German magazine reported.
We're No Monopoly, We're Just Dominant, Says Microsoft
Microsoft still insists it isn't doing anything illegal in the IT business, but the feds are sticking to their antitrust guns and intend to see the company divided.
Now Under Bush, Justice Department Reaffirms Call For Microsoft Split
The Justice Department on Friday reaffirmed its call for the breakup of Microsoft Corp. in its final brief filed in an appeals court hearing the company's challenge to last year's lower court order.
Sunday, February 11, 2001
Top Stories
Sprint, EarthLink End Alliance; Apple Possible Buyer?
EarthLink Inc. and Sprint Corp. announced Friday it will amend their alliance by eliminating their exclusive Internet branding and ownership terms, which could open the door for a possible takeover by another telecom or technology company such as Microsoft or Apple, analyst speculate.
Opinion
Wintel
Intel Speeds Up Launch Of Brookdale
Intel Corp. will accelerate the debut of its double-data-rate SDRAM-enabled chipset for the Pentium 4 microprocessor, pulling in the launch date from the first quarter of 2002 to October of this year, said sources with knowledge of the company's plans.
Saturday, February 10, 2001
Top Stories
Drool-Worthy: Why You, Too, Could Love The PowerBook G4 Titanium
Well, the thing is that when we started this column, we were all ready to do one of those 'Mac geeks are smug bastards who are blinded by cool design and their lust for Steve Jobs' pieces. But the problem is, we've come to realize that maybe we're actually a bit jealous.
Titanium: More On The New Display
The new Apple/Samsung 15.2-inch display in the PowerBook G4 is nothing short of amazing. Apple has made major improvements in viewing angle and visibility in direct sunlight.
PowerBook Customers Report Delays
They might not be ready to pounce on the FedEx delivery person, but many buyers waiting for their new PowerBook G4 are beginning to feel like characters in a bad movie. One culprit appears to be U.S. Customs, as Federal Express has told customers about a large shipment of PowerBooks being held up in Alaska.
Keep Out! No Apple Users Allowed Here
What's behind the digital discrimination? In some cases, it's sloppy Web design.
News
Apple Singapore To Hold Titanium PowerBook G4 Special Preview
The first 2 units of the Titanium PowerBook G4 in Singapore will be making their public debut next Friday (February 16th) at Apple Singapore's premises, according to an email newsfla