[AppleSurf Inbox] May 19, 2000

[applesurf at myapplemenu.comapplesurf]

AppleSurf Inbox

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

The Death Of Sprockets (Inside Mac Games)
<http://www.insidemacgames.com/features/00/sprockets/>
I think that Apple needs to reformulate their Games API strategy. Right now their strategy seems to be "let's pretend to have a games API, but in reality let's make the developers write their own." They need a solid games API.

Indeed... Are Macs Important? (MacOPINION)
<http://www.macopinion.com/columns/macskeptic/00/05/19/index.html>
Every so often, another column gets me thinking about things. A column in Macinstein which asked if Macs are really important did it this time.... 

Why An Apple PDA Is A Case Of Trying To Top The Pig (The Daily iMac)
<http://www.dailyimac.com/articles/opinion/columns/advocate/disney.html>
So, why isn’t Apple making a PDA, well to paraphrase the great Disney – you can’t top a PDA with a PDA.

Multiprocessing On The Mac (MacWEEK.com)
<http://macweek.zdnet.com/2000/05/14/0519dronmp.html>
Apple has reportedly shown a multiprocessor Mac system, but what performance benefits can users expect?

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

David Pogue's 'Mac OS 9: The Missing Manual' (Applelinks.com)
<http://www.applelinks.com/mooresviews/pogue.shtml>
In summary, David Pogue's "Mac OS 9: The Missing Manual" delivers on its promise to be "the book that should have been in the box." Particularly if you are in Mac novice, this book will be well worth the modest $19.95 expenditure.

FileMaker Pro 5 Unlimited (Macworld)
<http://macworld.zdnet.com/2000/07/reviews/filemaker.html>
FileMaker Pro 5 Unlimited has little to recommend it over FileMaker Pro 4.X, which cost $250 and didn't place restrictions on Web publishing.

Stylus Photo 870 (MacAddict)
<http://www.macaddict.com/news/reviews/2000_06_04.shtml>
The Stylus Photo 870 is a true step forward in desktop photo printing.

AppleWorks 6 (MacAddict)
<http://www.macaddict.com/news/reviews/2000_06_02.shtml>
While Apple has added some useful new features, it can't seem to break its recently acquired habit of making counterproductive interface changes.

2000 PowerBook G3 (MacAddict)
<http://www.macaddict.com/news/reviews/2000_06_01.shtml>
Just when you thought the PowerBook couln't get any better, it did. 

We've Got (e)Mail - Part 2 (MacOS Daily)
<http://www.macosdaily.com/opinion/columns/rstevenson_033_20000519.html>
Last week I began the process of examining some email programs with the aim of switching to one of them from the now defunct Emailer.

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

'NewLove' Contained: What Went Right (ZDNet)
<http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2573107,00.html>
The containment of the latest outbreak may demonstrate that users are becoming more savvy when handling unknown e-mail and that virus fighters are better prepared to knock down infections quickly.
 
 	
 	
 	
 

German Government May Dump Outlook After Vrius Threat (Bloomberg News)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-1902617.html?tag=st.ne.1430735..ni>
The German government may stop using Microsoft's Outlook program for email because of damaging viruses that could affect its operations, a spokesman for the interior minister said. 

Microsoft Losing Millions In Mexico Due To PiracyPriv (Reuters)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1006-200-1902393.html?dtn.head>
Software giant Microsoft loses $300 million a year in sales in Mexico because of rampant software piracy, local newspapers reported today.

Microsoft Outlook Patch Raises Questions (InfoWorld)
<http://www.infoworld.com/articles/hn/xml/00/05/19/000519hnpatchoutlook.xml>
Some observers say that although Microsoft's intention is good, the patch leaves much to be desired.

Intel Sheds More Light On Motherboard Recall (Electronic Buyers' News)
<http://www.techweb.com/wire/story/TWB20000519S0008>
Intel confirmed Friday several more details of the motherboard recall program associated with its flawed memory-translator-hub (MTH) component, including a refund program for third-party vendors. 

New Virus More Destructive Than "Love" (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-1899852.html?dtn.head>
Antivirus firms monitoring the new outbreak say only a handful of instances have so far been reported to them. But they caution that the virus has the potential to spread rapidly and cause even more damage than its recent predecessor.

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

Sun's Message To Partners: Dot-com Or Die (Computer Reseller News)
<http://www.techweb.com/wire/story/TWB20000518S0020>
At its iForce 2000 conference Thursday, Sun told integrators, developers, ISVs, and other partners that it is dedicated to helping them -- and to helping them help one another -- offer solutions for the e-business economy.

In New Forum For Domain Name Disputes, Trademark Holders Dominate (New York Times)
<http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/05/cyber/cyberlaw/19law.html>
Several cases are raising questions about whether a dispute resolution system established by the Internet's oversight board is working properly.

DEN, Boo: R.I.P. (Salon)
<http://www.salon.com/tech/col/rose/2000/05/19/den_boo/index.html>
These spectacular dot-com flameouts are lessons in bad thinking, not harbingers of industry-wide collapse.

== Misc (The other stuff) ====================

Creating More Women Coders (Wired News)
<http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,36372,00.html>
As the percentage of women in computer science is declining, an ambitious project hopes to boost the number of high school girls who take advanced computing courses.

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

Media Looks In The Mirror And Sees... (San Francisco Chronicle)
<http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2000/05/19/ED59292.DTL>
Criticism of the media, by the media, and for the media is running amok.

What A Difference A Gene Makes (Feed)
<http://www.feedmag.com/feature/fr335lofi.html>
Humans and chimps share ninety-eight percent of the same genetic material. Clay Shirky examines why the remaining two percent is causing such a ruckus.

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

Your WAP Phone's Got Nightlife (CNET Singapore)
<http://singapore.cnet.com/news/2000/05/18/20000518a.html>
The first regional WAP portal on leisure and entertainment is expected to launch on June 15.

SingTel Mobile And Virgin In Billion Dollar Cellular Venture (ZDNet Asia)
<http://www.zdnetasia.com/stories/0,10000002,10072149,00.html>
SingTel Mobile and Virgin Management Ltd (Virgin) today announced that the  two companies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to create a  billion dollar venture to offer cellular services throughout most of Asia  and Internet services in Singapore.

iBook Offer For NTU Wireless Network (MacSingapore)
<http://www.macsingapore.com/news200005b.html#ntuibook>
Eight Flags at NTU is offering the iBook 300Mhz with AirPort card for S$1999.

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

Ministers' Pay: That Million-$ Question (Straits Times)
<http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/singapore/sin18_0520.html>
On the one hand, the Government wants a fighting chance in the war for talent and so needs a multi-million-dollar war chest to woo that talent. On the other, setting up that war chest risks alienating the rank-and-file. How to tread that balance? Well, that is one of the things those million-dollar-a-year brains must grapple with.