[AppleSurf Inbox] May 1, 2000

[applesurf at myapplemenu.comapplesurf]

AppleSurf Inbox

== Top Stories ====================

Apple Denies FishPC Is Copyright Target (MacNN)
<http://www.macnn.com/features/fishpc.shtml>
A high-ranking source at Apple has told MacNN that comments made recently by a company spokesperson who said that it was investigating Australian computer maker FishPC for possible copyright and trademark violation were "premature and simply unfounded" and that the FishPC is not a "target" of the company. 

Apple's True Believers (Arizona Daily Star)
<http://www.azstarnet.com/public/dnews/000430Apple.html>
Forget eons. Forget epochs. Earth is 16 years old. At least to an adoring cult of Apple computer users.

Some Say It May Be Too Late To Dismantle Microsoft (New York Times)
<http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/05/biztech/articles/01deve.html>
So far, reaction to the government's proposed helping hand seems muted, or outright skeptical, among software developers -- the primarily small and mid-sized companies that create a variety of products that make computers work faster or more easily, or that act as tools used by other programmers. Why so little rejoicing?

== Seize the Day! (Great news for Mac users) ====================

Steve Jobs To Officially Keynote MACWORLD New York (The Mac Observer)
<http://www.macobserver.com/news/00/may/000501/jobskeynotemacworld.shtml>
MACWORLD Expo New York is just around the corner, and Steve Jobs will officially be making the keynote. Apple and IDG Expos started the hype and excitement machine of MACWORLD by announcing that Mr. Jobs would be making the keynote and saying we won't want to miss it.

So You Have iMovie -- Now What? (MacCentral)
<http://www.maccentral.com/news/0005/01.imovie.shtml>
The obvious answer is, "Make movies with it." But there are some resources that you might want to familiarize yourself with befor eyou get started, to make the whole process a bit easier and a lot more fun.

Apple's True Believers (Arizona Daily Star)
<http://www.azstarnet.com/public/dnews/000430Apple.html>
Forget eons. Forget epochs. Earth is 16 years old. At least to an adoring cult of Apple computer users.

Why FireWire Isn't Dead (osOpinion)
<http://www.osopinion.com/Opinions/Dohler/Dohler1.html>
USB's current 12 Mbps is plenty fast for what it was designed for, and Intel has no reason to speed it up, except to compete with FireWire, regardless of what they say. But in the end, it is FireWire that will win out.

== Listen Up! (Opinions around the web) ====================

Using Products To Change Beliefts (Applelinks.com)
<http://www.applelinks.com/warpcore/apr00/wc-61.shtml>
We're done here. Time to click your mouse and move on to the next vision.

Supporting The Cause Or Arrogance? (Low End Mac)
<http://lowendmac.net/meta/2k0501.html>
Apple is not Microsoft's enemy, so let's play nice in a peaceful unbiased technical playground.

Where Are All The Mac Books? (Low End Mac)
<http://lowendmac.net/things/2k0501.html>
the best-selling desktop and laptop on the market, and there's only 2-1/2 rows dedicatd to them out of scores of rows of computer books.

Why FireWire Isn't Dead (osOpinion)
<http://www.osopinion.com/Opinions/Dohler/Dohler1.html>
USB's current 12 Mbps is plenty fast for what it was designed for, and Intel has no reason to speed it up, except to compete with FireWire, regardless of what they say. But in the end, it is FireWire that will win out.

== Reviews (The good and the bad) ====================

Virtual Game Station V1.4 (Macs Only!)
<http://www.macsonly.com/cvgs14.html>
In leiu of envelope-pushing new features or conveniences, Connectix seems content to plu away at eliminating the most serious emulation problems.

== Know Thy Enemy (Keeping track of the Wintel empire) ====================

MS Investors Do Cartwheels (Wired News)
<http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,36010,00.html>
Microsoft investors offered fresh proof Monday that bad news can sometimes do good things for a company's stock. 

Apple Denies FishPC Is Copyright Target (MacNN)
<http://www.macnn.com/features/fishpc.shtml>
A high-ranking source at Apple has told MacNN that comments made recently by a company spokesperson who said that it was investigating Australian computer maker FishPC for possible copyright and trademark violation were "premature and simply unfounded" and that the FishPC is not a "target" of the company. 

IBM Redesigns ThinkPad Notebook Line (ZDNet)
<http://www.zdnet.com/pcweek/stories/news/0,4153,2558464,00.html>
Notebook PCs should be faster, lighter and simpler to use, IBM says. In support of that credo, IBM's Personal Systems Group on Monday announced a redesign of its ThinkPad line of notebook computers. The makeover of three of IBM's five ThinkPad models adds a number of new features.

Microsoft Shares Rise As Investors See Value Of Split Into Two (Bloomberg)
<http://quote.bloomberg.com/fgcgi.cgi?ptitle=Top%20Financial%20News&s1=blk&tp=ad_topright_topfin&T=markets_bfgcgi_content99.ht&s2=blk&bt=blk&s=AOQ14VxZfTWljcm9z>
Many investors and anlysts are looking ahead to a software industry with Microsoft as two companies, each with a dominant position in its industry, but without the ability to use its separate parts and combined revenue to boost sales.

Bill Gates' Executive Style Inspires A Cult Following (Washington Post)
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A45180-2000Apr30.html>
Gates was obsesed by work, and so were his employees. He wasn't interested in money, and neither were they. He would do anything to beat out a competitor, and they would too. Employees feared but mostly revered him. "Face time with Bill" was prepared for endlessly, sweated over and later bragged about.

Bluejay Lands In Windows (PC Week)
<http://www.zdnet.com/pcweek/stories/news/0,4153,2558234,00.html>
In anticipation of this summer's expected release of Microsoft Corp.'s Exchange Server 2000, Lotus Development Corp. is working on a project that will make Domino and Notes more Microsoft-friendly. 

Critics Pose Hard Questions For Government's Advisers (New York Times)
<http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/05/biztech/articles/01plac.html>
Stock analysts poring over Friday's filings in the government's plan said the affidavit defending splitting Microsoft in two fell short of justifying why a breakup would be good for shareholders.

Some In Seattle Believe Two Microsofts Might Be Beter Than One (New York Times)
<http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/05/biztech/articles/01seat.html>
In the Seattle region, where the Microsoft Corp. has generated a staggering amount of wealth, only to see more than $100 billion of it vanish in recent weeks, the idea of breaking up the company hardly seems to be setting off widespread panic.

Some Say It May Be Too Late To Dismantle Microsoft (New York Times)
<http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/05/biztech/articles/01deve.html>
So far, reaction to the government's proposed helping hand seems muted, or outright skeptical, among software developers -- the primarily small and mid-sized companies that create a variety of products that make computers work faster or more easily, or that act as tools used by other programmers. Why so little rejoicing?

Microsoft Appeal Could Last A Year, Official Says (Reuters)
<http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20000430/tc/microsoft_leadall_18.html>
Microsoft's appeal of the antitrust verdict against it and government proposals to break the company in two could last a year or longer, but a change in U.S. presidents should not prevent the case from going forward, a top U.S. official said on Sunday.

== Breaking Barriers (About the internet and the web) ====================

AOL Denies Ignoring Mac Users (MacNN)
<http://www.macnn.com/features/aolcommittment.shtml>

 "The loyalty and the membership that are Macintosh users for AOL is incredibly important for this company," Jeff Kimball, executive director of AOL client development group, told MacNN. "We hope Mac users realize this and know we will never abandon the platform."

Cyberstalked? Use Common Sense (Wired News)
<http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,35942,00.html>
With the exception of children, no one may be more vulnerable on the Net than an excited newbie who posts a homepage filled with personal information.

The Truth Is The Same, Even For Ads On The Internet (Inter at ctive Week)
<http://www.zdnet.com/intweek/stories/news/0,4164,2557584,00.html>
Determined to impose the civilizing influence of existing laws on cyberspace, the Federal Trade Commission is warming to the role of Wyatt Earp in the wild frontier of online advertising. 

Finally Progress In Internet Client Design (Useit.com)
<http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20000430.html>
There has been no progress in client software for the last seven years: Mosaic defined the Web feature set in 1993, and since then there has only been more fancy page layouts, no better user interfaces. This sorry picture is finally changing.

Impact Of The Internet Taking On Greater Urgency (San Jose Mercury News)
<http://www.mercurycenter.com/business/top/000984.htm>
Now, as more of us begin to feel the profound impact of the Internet in our own lives, all this talk of outcomes seems to have suddenly taken on a certain urgency. Subjects that may have once seemed arcane, such as online privacy controls, are now, quite literally, our business.

Gordon Eubanks Q&A: Value Customers, Not Stocks (San Jose Mercury News)
<http://www.mercurycenter.com/svtech/news/indepth/docs/qa050100.htm>
You can't start a company with the goal of an IPO. You have to start a company with the goal of serving customers. These companies will more likely have a higher stock price two years from now.

== Press Release (Spreading the news) ====================

Blue World's FileMaker Pro 5 Security Alert (MacInTouch)
<http://www.macintouch.com/fmp5security.html>
Blue World Communications, Inc.--pioneers of the Web Data Engine(tm)--today announced to customers, partners, vendors, Internet security regulators, and the wider FileMaker Pro Web community that it has discovered at least three serious security holes in the Web Companion provided in the FileMaker Pro 5 product line.

FileMaker Reports Annual Revenues Of $101.5 Million (FileMaker, Inc)
<http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/000501/ca_filemak_1.html>
FileMaker, Inc. today announced its revenues grew to $101.5 million for the last four quarters, including its fiscal 2000 second quarter ending April 1, 2000. Customers bought more than a million copies of FileMaker software in the last four quarters with 746,000 seats from volume license deals.

== The AppleSurf Reader (Great Reads!) ====================

Where Cowards Have No Names (Salon)
<http://www.salon.com/news/col/horo/2000/05/01/amazon/index.html>
On Amazon.com, reader reviewers can share their thoughts about books like mine, but don't expect the hardcore leftists to identify themselves.

== Technology (The Technology Scene In Singapore) ====================

Barnesandnoble.com Will Not Set Up Shop In Singapore (CNET Singapore)
<http://singapore.cnet.com/news/2000/04/29/20000429a.html>
Germany's largest media company Bertelsmann AG will not open a Barnesandnoble.com cyberstore for the Singapore or Asia Pacific market.

SCV Clairifes Findings On Slow Internet Access (Straits Times)
<http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/forum/for1_0501.html>
Singapore Cable Vision: Regardless of the commercial arrangements we come to with our equipment and service suppliers, SCV assures the public that we take full responsibility for the quality of the services we deliver to our customers.

== Entertainment (The Entertainment Scene In Singapore) ====================

EarthVisions Now At Earlier Time (Straits Times)
<http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/life/life12_0501.html>
Staring today, Earth-Visions will be moved to a friendlier time slot on Centra, Singapore Television Twelve's revamped channel known previously as Premiere 12.

== Around Town (News out of Singapore) ====================

Cut The Knot Of Govt Ownership Of GLCs (Straits Times)
<http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/forum/for1_0502.html>
Mak Yuen Teen: Although the Government has emphasised that government-linked companies (GLCs) are run independently, at the end of the day action speaks louder than words.

Government Studying Use Of CPF Money To Offset Bank Charges (Channel NewsAsia)
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/articles/2000/05/01/singaporenews25359.htm>
To be even handed, [Goh Chok Tong] said such a scheme, when considered, should apply to all banks that implement such charges, and not just DBS Bank.

Foreigners Are Welcome, But Not In House (Straits Times)
<http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/singapore/sin1_0501.html>
Singapore has to welcome foreigners who work here, and find ways to include their views in the decision-making process. But the "final sanctum" of Parliament and the "final act of decision-making, of casting a vote" must be privileges reserved for citizens, said National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan.