[MyAppleMenu] Dec 14, 2000

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu Newsletter

== AppleSurf (Top Stories) ==============

Advertisement: The Sims (The Applesurf Store in association with Amazon.com)
<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00004TFJC/myapplemenu>
>From Will Wright, the creator of SimCity, comes a strategy game that hits close to home. You are in charge of a neighborhood of Sims, and it is up to you to show them that they're living in your world now!

 The Quality Issue - Are Macs Built As Well As They Should Be? (MacOPINION)
<http://www.macopinion.com/columns/roadwarrior/00/12/12/index.html>
There is evidence that the current cohort of Macs is a lot less tough, and perhaps more worrisome, that out of the box reliability is suffering as well.

 It's Like A Little Office (osOpinion)
<http://www.osopinion.com/perl/story/6022.html>
I don’t have a problem that Apple is evolving. I have a problem with what it’s becoming. I have a fear that, unless Apple is very careful, unless we all are very careful, OSX will for the first time create a real Caste system in the Macintosh Community.

 The USB Titdal Wave (MacWEEK.com)
<http://macweek.zdnet.com/2000/12/10/1213usb.html>
Interviews with peripheral manufacturers suggest that Apple may have no choice but to offer USB 2.0 in its Mac systems because of the large number of USB 2.0 devices likely to be available in the next year or so.

== AppleSurf (News) ==============

 Themes Removed At Apple's Behest (SlashDot)
<http://slashdot.org/articles/00/12/14/1245216.shtml>

 Laptop Learning To Land For UW-Stout Freshmen (Journal Sentinel)
<http://www.jsonline.com/news/state/dec00/stout13r121200.asp>
In the pilot program, Apple and Macintosh laptops are being used because those are the computers most often used in the printing industry, officials said.

 Aspry: Sim Theme Park Ships, Elite Force Demo Coming (MacCentral)
<http://www.maccentral.com/news/0012/13.aspyr.shtml>

 The USB Titdal Wave (MacWEEK.com)
<http://macweek.zdnet.com/2000/12/10/1213usb.html>
Interviews with peripheral manufacturers suggest that Apple may have no choice but to offer USB 2.0 in its Mac systems because of the large number of USB 2.0 devices likely to be available in the next year or so.

== AppleSurf (Opinions) ==============

 OS X Ruins Classic (Macinstein)
<http://www.macinstein.com/pressrelease.cfm?ID=683>

 The Quality Issue - Are Macs Built As Well As They Should Be? (MacOPINION)
<http://www.macopinion.com/columns/roadwarrior/00/12/12/index.html>
There is evidence that the current cohort of Macs is a lot less tough, and perhaps more worrisome, that out of the box reliability is suffering as well.

 On "Bloatware" And "Good Enough" Software (Applelinks.com)
<http://www.applelinks.com/articles/2000/12/20001213132810.shtml>
My unscientific guess is still that more efficient coders than Microsoft uses could offer all of Word's functionality and more in a program half the size or less.

 It's Like A Little Office (osOpinion)
<http://www.osopinion.com/perl/story/6022.html>
I don’t have a problem that Apple is evolving. I have a problem with what it’s becoming. I have a fear that, unless Apple is very careful, unless we all are very careful, OSX will for the first time create a real Caste system in the Macintosh Community.

 Save Time With Microsoft Office's New Personal Information Manager (Macworld)
<http://macworld.zdnet.com/2001/01/howto/entourage.html>
Whether you're managing a small business, a home office, or a household, a well-organized schedule and punctual correspondence can save you time -- and money.

 Take Charge Of Your Life With Microsoft Office 2001's New Suite Of Programs (Macworld)
<http://macworld.zdnet.com/2001/01/features/office.html>
Come with me on a tour of the new Office, and learn how it can help you better do your daily work.

 Now That The Dust Has Settled, What's Next For Apple? (The Mac Observer)
<http://www.macobserver.com/editorial/2000/12/13.1.shtml>
While the release date remains a mystery, one thing regarding OS X has become increasingly more clear over the last month; OS X is the future of Apple. Not just from a usability standpoint, but from a business perspective as well.

 Business Week Author Plays Revisionist, Alters Anti-Apple Editorial (The Mac Observer)
<http://www.macobserver.com/editorial/2000/12/13.2.shtml>
The argument could be made that Gateway doesn't include those things because their customers don't want them, but Apple's customers can replace the DVD-RAM drive with a cheaper one too.

== AppleSurf (Reviews) ==============

 Macintosh G4 Cube A Beauty (Chicago Sun-Times)
<http://www.suntimes.com/output/worktech/ecol12.html>
It's as if a glamorous international movie star just strolled into your office and took a seat. But also like an elegant movie star, when you sit it in my office, filled with gear and papers and books everywhere, you get the distinct impression that it's slumming.

 Codewarrior Learning Edition (iDevGames)
<http://www.idevgames.com/articleshow.php3?showid=1>
If you want to learn programming and code C/C++ games for the Macintosh, then pick up CodeWarrior LE.

 Why System 6 For Compact Macs? (Low End Mac)
<http://lowendmac.com/macdan/991126.shtml>
By designing System 6 in this modular manner, Apple was able to create a functioning operating system that could run in as little as 450K of memory.

== The Wintel Empire (News) ==============

 Intel To Postpone Chip Factory In Ireland (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-200-4126010.html?tag=st.ne.1430735..ni>
Intel will postpone opening a fabrication facility for making PC processors for a year because of current market conditions and the advent of larger, more economical wafers.

 Is Dell Next With Bad News? (Bloomberg News)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-200-4138838.html?tag=st.ne.1430735..ni>
Walter Winnitzki called Dell Computer executives Tuesday to inform them he was cutting his profit estimate for this quarter because he expected Dell to warn of lower sales and earnings.

 Microsoft Tests Second Patch Collection For Windows 2000 (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-201-4138979-0.html?tag=st.ne.1430735..sf>
Earlier this week, the company sent to a select set of testers what it is calling a beta release of Service Pack 2 for Windows 2000. Service packs are collections of bug fixes and patches but not new product features.

== Breaking Barriers (Top Stories) ==============

 Report: AOL, Time Warner Sign Deal With Regulators (Bloomberg News)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-4144838.html?tag=st.ne.1430735..ni>
America Online and Time Warner have signed a wide-ranging cable open-access agreement with U.S. federal antitrust enforcers, according to a report.

 Register.com Opens Bidding For Taken Net Names (Reuters)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-4136858.html?tag=st.ne.1430735..ni>
Register.com, a reseller of Internet domain names, on Wednesday announced the launch of a service that allows individuals and companies to bid for any of the 20 million Web site addresses already taken.

== Breaking Barriers (News) ==============

 E-Shoppers Want Quick Service, Don't Get It (The Industry Standard)
<http://www.thestandard.com/article/display/0,1151,20845,00.html>
Online retailers that do not improve response times will be faced with repeated and increasingly frustrated customer queries, through e-mail as well as through more expensive call centers, the study found.

 Is Yahoo! Finally "Near Bottom"? (BusinessWeek)
<http://www.businessweek.com/ebiz/0012/es1214.htm>
Though crashing ad rates have pushed the stock ever downward lately, some recent events may signal a change from red lights to yellow.

 Report: AOL, Time Warner Sign Deal With Regulators (Bloomberg News)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-4144838.html?tag=st.ne.1430735..ni>
America Online and Time Warner have signed a wide-ranging cable open-access agreement with U.S. federal antitrust enforcers, according to a report.

 New Domains: Get Ready, Get Set, Litigate! (eWEEK)
<http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/comment/0,5859,2661390,00.html>
Already the ambulance chasers—uh, lawyers—are out in force to make sure you know whom to call when you need to stake a claim to, or defend, that precious piece of cyber-turf that will constitute your corporate identity.

 Hotmail: You Get What You Pay For (Wired News)
<http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,40656,00.html>
If you're a Hotmail user experiencing the free service's latest shortcomings, you're just going to have to tough it out.

 Register.com Opens Bidding For Taken Net Names (Reuters)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-4136858.html?tag=st.ne.1430735..ni>
Register.com, a reseller of Internet domain names, on Wednesday announced the launch of a service that allows individuals and companies to bid for any of the 20 million Web site addresses already taken.

== PenguinSurf (News) ==============

 Linux Shares Climb After IBM Decision (Bloomberg News)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-200-4134813.html?tag=st.ne.1430735..ni>
Following IBM's announcement Wednesday that the company will increase spending next year on Linux products, shares of VA Linux Systems and Red Hat rose as much as 30 percent and 26 percent, respectively.

== SingaporeSurf (News) ==============

 Singapore Police Investigate Artwork Featuring Live Chickens (AFP)
<http://sg.dailynews.yahoo.com/headlines/singapore/afp/article.html?s=singapore/headlines/001214/singapore/afp/Singapore_police_investigate_artwork_featuring_live_chickens.html>
Singapore police are considering a cruelty to animals charge over art work featuring live chickens, turtles and frogs, a report said Thursday.

 Investigators Unable To Find Cause Of 1997 SilkAir Crash (AFP)
<http://sg.dailynews.yahoo.com/headlines/singapore/afp/article.html?s=singapore/headlines/001214/singapore/afp/Investigators_unable_to_find_cause_of_1997_SilkAir_crash.html>