[MyAppleMenu] Oct 18, 2000

[applesurf at myapplemenu.comapplesurf]

MyAppleMenu Newsletter

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

Making Lemonade From Apples (Wired News)
<http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,39544,00.html>
Only Steve Jobs could turn a dreadful earnings forecast into an exciting and hopeful glimpse into the future.

Apple Drops 19% On Lowered Outlook (CBS MarketWatch)
<http://cbs.marketwatch.com/archive/20001018/news/current/after_hours.htx?source=htx/http2_mw>
Apple shares were taken well below the $20 level during Wednesday's after-hours session after the PC company missed the consensus quarterly earnings estimate and predicted a rough year ahead.

Apple Falls Short Of Lowered Expectations (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1006-200-3229629.html?tag=st.ne.1430735..ni>
Apple Computer on Wednesday posted earnings that fell short of lowered expectations and said it will have another disappointing quarter as it tries to burn off excess inventory.

Street Braces For Apple's Next Act (MSNBC)
<http://www.msnbc.com/news/477791.asp>
In the circus of the PC industry, Apple Computer is both sideshow freak and tightrope acrobat. Wall Street breathlessly watches every move it makes in a combination of amazement and disgust — wowed by the feats it performs, yet terrified by its refusal to be, well, normal.

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

Making Lemonade From Apples (Wired News)
<http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,39544,00.html>
Only Steve Jobs could turn a dreadful earnings forecast into an exciting and hopeful glimpse into the future.

Apple Misses Lowered Profit Estimates (CBS MarketWatch)
<http://cbs.marketwatch.com/archive/20001018/news/current/aapl.htx?source=htx/http2_mw>
The computer maker believes it will be back on track in the January, or second, quarter.

Apple Plans To Close 'MHz Gap' In 2001 (MacCentral)
<http://www.maccentral.com/news/0010/18.mhz.shtml>
"Some customers feel that Apple has fallen into a MHz gap in regards to Intel," Jobs says. "But we're working closely with Motorola to address this problem."

Apple Drops 19% On Lowered Outlook (CBS MarketWatch)
<http://cbs.marketwatch.com/archive/20001018/news/current/after_hours.htx?source=htx/http2_mw>
Apple shares were taken well below the $20 level during Wednesday's after-hours session after the PC company missed the consensus quarterly earnings estimate and predicted a rough year ahead.

Apple Falls Short Of Lowered Expectations (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1006-200-3229629.html?tag=st.ne.1430735..ni>
Apple Computer on Wednesday posted earnings that fell short of lowered expectations and said it will have another disappointing quarter as it tries to burn off excess inventory.

Apple Modem Updater 2.0 Improves Stability, Performance (MacCentral)
<http://www.maccentral.com/news/0010/17.modem.shtml>

Wall Street Takes Tough Look At Apple's Potential (Associated Press)
<http://www.mercurycenter.com/svtech/news/breaking/merc/docs/054754.htm>
Analysts say the company needs to think of ways to retain its loyal customers and widen its base by offering products with improved technologies -- such as computers with faster, 1-gigahertz microprocessors now available in other PCs.

How Far Has Apple Fallen? (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1006-200-3221067.html?tag=st.ne.1430735..ni>
Apple Computer has already said that business was off last quarter. The question the company will try to answer Wednesday when it releases earnings is how long the malaise will continue.

E-Mail At 35,000 Feet (Fortune)
<http://www.fortune.com/fortune/technology/2000/10/30/tec3.html>
Send and receive e-mail and browse popular websites while cruising above the Pacific.

Street Braces For Apple's Next Act (MSNBC)
<http://www.msnbc.com/news/477791.asp>
In the circus of the PC industry, Apple Computer is both sideshow freak and tightrope acrobat. Wall Street breathlessly watches every move it makes in a combination of amazement and disgust — wowed by the feats it performs, yet terrified by its refusal to be, well, normal.

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

Is Bad Taste Holding Back Apple? (Applelust.com)
<http://www.applelust.com/html/infiniteloop/archive/loop019_bad_taste.html>

Owning AAPL (Low End Mac)
<http://lowendmac.com/musings/owning_aapl.html>
Apple stock fell below $20 a share Wednesday morning, prompting me to finally put my money where my mouth is and invest.

Apple Explained Part III: Discounting The Fears (The Mac Observer)
<http://www.macobserver.com/article/2000/10/18.10.shtml>
Mac OS X is ultimately Apple's savior, but for the next few months the uber-OS will be the source of repeated frights for investors unable to discern fact from fiction in the predictably confused media reporting.

The Readers Speak: Apple's Financial Woes (MacWEEK.com)
<http://macweek.zdnet.com/2000/10/15/1017rsapple.html>

Macs Are Home Computers (Low End Mac)
<http://www.lowendmac.com/imac/home.html>
Despite the dominance of Windows in the workplace, a lot of people are choosing to use Macs at home -- I think that's part of the reason Apple "bet the farm" on the iMac.

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

Sad Macs, Bombs, And Other Disasters (And What To Do About Them), 4th Edition (MyMac.com)
<http://www.mymac.com/book_bytes/sadmacs_10.16.00.shtml>
In over 900 pages of text and screenshots, readers can learn more about what might go wrong and how to MacFixIt than they ever knew existed.

Microsoft Gets A Mac Version Right (Fortune)
<http://www.fortune.com/fortune/technology/2000/10/30/tec4.html>
Microsoft Office is much easier for household users, and it has powerful new features for business people.

== The Wintel Empire (Top Stories) ==============

The Players On Gates' Team (The Industry Standard)
<http://www.thestandard.com/article/display/0,1151,19343,00.html>
With a possible breakup looming and executives departing, Microsoft develops a new generation of leaders for the post-Windows world.

Microsoft Up In After Hours Following Earnings (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-200-3229597.html>
Microsoft on Wednesday posted a first-quarter profit that beat Wall Street projections by 5 cents per share.

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

Microsoft Sees Continued Life For Office (TechWeb)
<http://www.techweb.com/wire/story/TWB20001018S0004>
Ballmer said the company can continue to add considerable value -- including instant messaging and collaboration -- to the venerable application suite to keep users coming back for more.

The Players On Gates' Team (The Industry Standard)
<http://www.thestandard.com/article/display/0,1151,19343,00.html>
With a possible breakup looming and executives departing, Microsoft develops a new generation of leaders for the post-Windows world.

Microsoft's 'Back On Track' (The Industry Standard)
<http://www.thestandard.com/article/display/0,1151,19497,00.html>
Its stock shoots up $4 in after-hours trading after Redmond released an earnings report that beat analyst forecasts. So what's the prognosis for the Net's other leading players?

Microsoft's Ballmer: Sun Has No Clue (eWEEK)
<http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2642030,00.html>
Sun's McNealy says software is a feature, not an industry. Retorts Microsoft's CEO: 'That, my friend, is why you want to steer clear of Sun.'

IE 5.5 Hole Lets Hackers Read Files (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-3229600.html?tag=st.ne.1430735..ni>
Georgi Guninski of Bulgaria published his "high risk" advisory of the exploit Wednesday, warning of a security vulnerability in which a malicious person could read files and URLs after enticing someone to view a Web page or read an HTML message that the malicious person created.

Windows 2000: It's A Matter Of When, Not If (Gartner Viewpoint)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-201-3230089-0.html?tag=st.ne.1430735..sf>
Businesses have adopted Windows 2000 more slowly than Microsoft would have liked. Gartner believes the gap between Microsoft's expectations and the actual deployment rates indicates the software giant's lack of understanding of how its customers plan, deploy and support its products.

Microsoft Up In After Hours Following Earnings (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-200-3229597.html>
Microsoft on Wednesday posted a first-quarter profit that beat Wall Street projections by 5 cents per share.

Microsoft Gets A Mac Version Right (Fortune)
<http://www.fortune.com/fortune/technology/2000/10/30/tec4.html>
Microsoft Office is much easier for household users, and it has powerful new features for business people.

Intel's Passing Grades Come With An Asterisk (New York Times)
<http://www.nytimes.com/2000/10/18/business/18PLAC.html>
After warning investors last month that its revenue would not meet earlier expectations, the Intel Corporation reported third- quarter numbers yesterday that beat analysts' lowered forecasts. But the company gave wary investors other reasons for concern, reporting stagnant chip sales and projecting a relatively soft holiday season.

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

Scent Of Scandal At Domain Name Giant (Boston Globe)
<http://digitalmass.boston.com/columns/internet/1018.html>
The company that long held a monopoly on registering domain names is accused of a kind of cybersquatting: holding on to choice URLs that should have gone back into the public pool.

Web Browser Offers Incognito Surfing (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1007-200-3230107.html?tag=st.ne.1430735..ni>
Looking for a little privacy while surfing the Web? A new site makes it as easy as loading up a Web browser.

Net Stocks Hit Again On Dimming Ad Growth (Los Angeles Times)
<http://www.latimes.com/business/cutting/20001018/t000099184.html>
The credibility of Internet companies' business models took another shot to the gut Tuesday as investors sent shares of key players to new 52-week lows.

E-Mail At 35,000 Feet (Fortune)
<http://www.fortune.com/fortune/technology/2000/10/30/tec3.html>
Send and receive e-mail and browse popular websites while cruising above the Pacific.

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

Experts Say Napster, Playing Dumb, Resists Possible Tech Cure For Copyright Infringement (Inside)
<http://www.inside.com/story/Current?art_id=11683&podId=9>
A favorite defense of the file-swapping service has been that it would be 'technically infeasible' to weed out offending files. But a look under the company's hood suggests a startlingly different scenario.

Scent Of Scandal At Domain Name Giant (Boston Globe)
<http://digitalmass.boston.com/columns/internet/1018.html>
The company that long held a monopoly on registering domain names is accused of a kind of cybersquatting: holding on to choice URLs that should have gone back into the public pool.

IE 5.5 Hole Lets Hackers Read Files (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-3229600.html?tag=st.ne.1430735..ni>
Georgi Guninski of Bulgaria published his "high risk" advisory of the exploit Wednesday, warning of a security vulnerability in which a malicious person could read files and URLs after enticing someone to view a Web page or read an HTML message that the malicious person created.

Failed Dot-Coms Worry Consumers Waiting For Goods (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1007-200-3229489.html?tag=st.ne.1430735..ni>
Although many consumers do feel helpless when they discover their online order has disappeared, people can protect themselves.

Web Browser Offers Incognito Surfing (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1007-200-3230107.html?tag=st.ne.1430735..ni>
Looking for a little privacy while surfing the Web? A new site makes it as easy as loading up a Web browser.

Net Stocks Hit Again On Dimming Ad Growth (Los Angeles Times)
<http://www.latimes.com/business/cutting/20001018/t000099184.html>
The credibility of Internet companies' business models took another shot to the gut Tuesday as investors sent shares of key players to new 52-week lows.

Group Aims To Make 'Internet Lifestyle' Real (InfoWorld)
<http://www.infoworld.com/articles/hn/xml/00/10/18/001018hnlife.xml>
About a dozen large companies, including high-tech and retail firms, announced the formation Wednesday of the Internet Home Alliance. The group will try to raise awareness of home networking technologies among consumers and boost cooperation among vendors, in the hope of turning the much hyped networked home into a reality.

Debunking The Myths Of B2B (McKinsey & Co)
<http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/comment/0,5859,2641264,00.html>

E-Mail At 35,000 Feet (Fortune)
<http://www.fortune.com/fortune/technology/2000/10/30/tec3.html>
Send and receive e-mail and browse popular websites while cruising above the Pacific.

CNET Networks Completes ZDNet Acquisition (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-3221167.html?dtn.head>
CNET Networks completed its acquisition of ZDNet on Tuesday upon receiving shareholder approval.

== PenguinSurf (Top Stories) ==============

New Role For Sun: Linux Booster? (TechWeb)
<http://www.techweb.com/wire/story/TWB20001017S0013>
"I think we'll be the No. 1 Linux company," McNealy said at the Gartner Symposium/Itxpo. "Despite what they say, Linux is Unix and Sun is the biggest and best Unix company."

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

New Role For Sun: Linux Booster? (TechWeb)
<http://www.techweb.com/wire/story/TWB20001017S0013>
"I think we'll be the No. 1 Linux company," McNealy said at the Gartner Symposium/Itxpo. "Despite what they say, Linux is Unix and Sun is the biggest and best Unix company."

== The AppleSurf Reader ==============

That Trendy French Novel (Slate)
<http://slate.msn.com/Code/Culturebox/Culturebox.asp?Show=10/17/2000&idMessage=6297>
It would be hard to invent a book more likely to provoke disdain from Americans than Michel Houellebecq's The Elementary Particles. Let me just say right now, in case there are any such displays of contempt lying around in galleys somewhere, that I believe this reaction to be both understandable and shortsighted.

The POTUS With The Mostest (Salon)
<http://www.salon.com/ent/col/mill/2000/10/18/west_wing/index.html>
What does "The West Wing" President Josiah Bartlet have that Al Gore and George W. Bush don't?

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

Would You Toss This Coin Away? (Straits Times)
<http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/singapore/sin1_1019.html>
The unwanted five-cent piece is often thrown into the donation box or palmed off on a reluctant stallholder.

SingTel Trade At $3.50 Valid (Straits Times)
<http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/money/sinb2_1019.html>
Yesterday's statement had put an end to rumours that the buy order for the 662 lots of SingTel shares during the pre-close session last Friday was a case of an oversight by a dealer.

Ordinary Account For New CPF Payback (Straits Times)
<http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/primenews/pri5_1019.html>
It was logical to put money in the Ordinary account in future because the cut of four percentage points in workers' Special CPF retirement accounts would be restored fully in January.

Singaporeans Gloomy Despite Bright Economic Figures (AFP)
<http://sg.dailynews.yahoo.com/headlines/singapore/afp/article.html?s=singapore/headlines/001018/singapore/afp/Singaporeans_gloomy_despite_bright_economic_figures.html>
Clouding the outlook are a weakening stock market, declining export growth and rising oil prices.

== SingaporeSurf (Technology) ==============

E-Mail At 35,000 Feet (Fortune)
<http://www.fortune.com/fortune/technology/2000/10/30/tec3.html>
Send and receive e-mail and browse popular websites while cruising above the Pacific.

Color Handspring Visor To Hit Singapore In Q1, 2001 (CNET Singapore)
<http://singapore.cnet.com/news/2000/10/17/20001017ao.html>
Handspring Visor fans here will have to wait a little longer for the latest color Visor Prism.

Schools GO Wireless, Enabling Net Access Anywhere Anytime (Channel NewsAsia)
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/articles/2000/10/18/singaporenews19196.htm>
Fifteen schools have gone wireless so students can access the Internet anywhere, anytime within the school compound.

== SingaporeSurf (Entertainment) ==============

Uplifiting Place For Women (Straits Times)
<http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/life/life10_1019.html>
A 2,700 sq-ft flagship store at Scotts Shopping Centre was opened on Sunday.

Carre-Four Some New Fashion? (Straits Times)
<http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/life/life1_1019.html>
Walking down the aisles of Carrefour will reap more rewards than just food as the hypermarket has breathed new life into its clothing department.

Barbie Collectibles Charity Auction (Asia E!Online)
<http://asia.eonline.com/newsgossip/stories/content/0,2591,5285,00.html>