[MyAppleMenu] Apr 24, 2001

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu Newsletter

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

Worth (Steven Jobs (Worth Picks The Top 50 CEOs Of 2001))
<http://www.worth.com/ceos/6.html>
Steve Jobs is -- still is -- sui generis.

Apple Powerbook Is Not Airport 'Bomb' (The Register)
<http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/2/18482.html>
Relax! owners of Titanium G4 Powerbooks you have nothing to fear when you walk through airport security, after all.

Squaring Apple's Cube (ZDNet)
<http://www.zdnet.com/eweek/stories/general/0,11011,2711060,00.html>
The Titanium PowerBook demonstrates that Apple still has what it takes to create successful, innovative hardware. The Cube shows that the company can't take that capability for granted.

QuickTime 5.0.1 Now Available (MacCentral)
<http://maccentral.macworld.com/news/0104/23.quicktime.shtml>
New features in QuickTime 5 include Cubic VR, which enables users to view 360 degree environments; "Media skins," or custom interface elements; MPEG-1 support; an enhanced DV codec; integrated support for Macromedia's Flash 4; enhanced AppleScript support; a new music synthesizer with support for DLS files and SoundFonts; and more.

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

iBooks 'Temporarily Unavailable' (MacNN)
<http://www.macnn.com/news.php?id=5777>
The Apple Store lists all models of the iBook as "temporarily unavailable," providing support for rumors of an upcoming revision to the product line.

Worth (Steven Jobs (Worth Picks The Top 50 CEOs Of 2001))
<http://www.worth.com/ceos/6.html>
Steve Jobs is -- still is -- sui generis.

Apple Powerbook Is Not Airport 'Bomb' (The Register)
<http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/2/18482.html>
Relax! owners of Titanium G4 Powerbooks you have nothing to fear when you walk through airport security, after all.

DVD Tries A New Tack (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1006-200-5699761.html?tag=owv>
DVD drive manufacturers are hoping that some of the magic that has made recordable CDs a big hit with consumers will rub off on their efforts to make recordable DVDs a mainstream technology.

Akamai, Apple To Continue Partnership (MacCentral)
<http://maccentral.macworld.com/news/0104/23.partner.shtml>
Akamai's EdgeSuite Service will provide the worldwide infrastructure to support content delivery for Apple.com and Apple's software downloads, and will continue to serve as the worldwide backbone for QuickTime TV.

Apple Shop On The Block (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1006-200-5698715.html?tag=cd_mh>
In another sign of tough times for Mac retailers, the owner of a Texas computer store has put his company up for sale on eBay.

QuickTime 5.0.1 Now Available (MacCentral)
<http://maccentral.macworld.com/news/0104/23.quicktime.shtml>
New features in QuickTime 5 include Cubic VR, which enables users to view 360 degree environments; "Media skins," or custom interface elements; MPEG-1 support; an enhanced DV codec; integrated support for Macromedia's Flash 4; enhanced AppleScript support; a new music synthesizer with support for DLS files and SoundFonts; and more.

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

PowerBook: Now The Logical Mac For More Folks Than Ever (MacOPINION)
<http://www.macopinion.com/columns/roadwarrior/01/04/24/index.html>
More people seem to be discovering that PowerBook computing simply makes the best sense for them. If you don't need the expansion potential of the tower machine, then why contend with the bulk and noise?

Just Try Buying A Mac (Low End Mac)
<http://www.lowendmac.com/uk/010424.html>
Trust me: it's easier than finding a open footpath in the countryside than actually laying your hands on an iMac and say "I'll have that one, please".

Buying A Mac On eBay (Low End Mac)
<http://www.lowendmac.com/itc/010424.html>
eBay has great prices as it is, but there are a few tips and tricks that can help keep your wallet stuffed and assure that you don't buy a lemon.

The Decline Of Mac OS X Typography (osOpinion)
<http://www.osopinion.com/perl/story/9131.html>

Evolution Of The Mac OS X User Interface (osOpinion)
<http://www.osopinion.com/perl/story/9169.html>
Usually, innovative ideas come from innovative people, the kind of people Apple could use working for it.

Squaring Apple's Cube (ZDNet)
<http://www.zdnet.com/eweek/stories/general/0,11011,2711060,00.html>
The Titanium PowerBook demonstrates that Apple still has what it takes to create successful, innovative hardware. The Cube shows that the company can't take that capability for granted.

OS X Still Seems Sluggish (PioneerPlanet)
<http://www.pioneerplanet.com/tech/cyb_docs/44113.htm>
Is it just us, or is the much-ballyhooed Mac OS X operating system for Macintosh computers still painfully sluggish -- even after Apple Computer released an update a week or so ago?

I'm Furious At Apple (ResExcellence)
<http://www.ResExcellence.com/hack_html_01/04-23-01.shtml>
It's deplorable when a company encourages users to customize their interface and then threatens legal action against the artists and developers that make the customizing possible.

Apple Increases Its Mac OS X Options (ZDNet)
<http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2709763,00.html>
The real future of Mac OS X, however, lies in the development of Darwin, the open-source Unix foundation of Mac OS X, and in its eventual migration to the PC platform.

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

The Best Low Budget Macs (Low End Mac)
<http://www.lowendmac.com/misc/010424.html>
There is a short answer to that question. Buy an iMac, used or new. In terms of value, it's pretty tough to beat the iMac in a desktop machine.

Computer Cables Driving You Crazy? Cordless Optical Mouse Makes You Tidier (Knight Ridder News Service)
<http://www.pioneerplanet.com/tech/ptk_docs/41751.htm>
It is offering a cordless mouse that is also an optical mouse. So in one fell swoop, you are also freed from all the problems inherent in roller-ball models.

Hate Fan Noise From PC? Try The Quieter Mac (Chicago Tribune)
<http://www.sunspot.net/business/bal-pl.qa23apr23.story?coll=bal%2Dbusiness%2Dheadlines>
If fan noise is a make-or-break question, consider moving to the Macintosh world, where Apple Computer Inc. Chief Executive Steve Jobs is famous for his hatred of fan noise and many products use a no-fan convection cooling process that is almost noiseless.

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

Microsoft's Self-Destructing Software (ZDNet)
<http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/comment/0,5859,2711082,00.html>
Sometimes a total reinstall is the best option, and no one is going to run out and buy another copy or even a whole new PC because your software self-destructed. Yank that out of all of your code and get over yourself.

Microsoft Forms New Service Division (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-200-5708760.html?tag=owv>
Microsoft announced Tuesday that it has formed a new unit to provide consulting and product-support services for its corporate clients.

Compaq Shaves Target, Trims More Jobs (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-200-5700144.html?tag=owv>
PC maker Compaq Computer reported quarterly earnings Monday that missed lowered analyst expectations by a penny and announced it would eliminate 2,000 more jobs.

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

Microsoft's Self-Destructing Software (ZDNet)
<http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/comment/0,5859,2711082,00.html>
Sometimes a total reinstall is the best option, and no one is going to run out and buy another copy or even a whole new PC because your software self-destructed. Yank that out of all of your code and get over yourself.

Microsoft Forms New Service Division (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-200-5708760.html?tag=owv>
Microsoft announced Tuesday that it has formed a new unit to provide consulting and product-support services for its corporate clients.

Why Microsoft Is A Dinosaur (Linux Today)
<http://linuxtoday.com/news_story.php3?ltsn=2001-04-24-001-21-OP-CY>
With the world again looking for a proper solution, it will eventually find it. And when it does, Microsoft and all the rest of the corporate proprietary software dinosaurs will be mentioned only in history books as a folly at the end of the 20th century that slowed down the world's technological progress for 25 years.

Compaq Shaves Target, Trims More Jobs (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-200-5700144.html?tag=owv>
PC maker Compaq Computer reported quarterly earnings Monday that missed lowered analyst expectations by a penny and announced it would eliminate 2,000 more jobs.

Computer Cables Driving You Crazy? Cordless Optical Mouse Makes You Tidier (Knight Ridder News Service)
<http://www.pioneerplanet.com/tech/ptk_docs/41751.htm>
It is offering a cordless mouse that is also an optical mouse. So in one fell swoop, you are also freed from all the problems inherent in roller-ball models.

Hate Fan Noise From PC? Try The Quieter Mac (Chicago Tribune)
<http://www.sunspot.net/business/bal-pl.qa23apr23.story?coll=bal%2Dbusiness%2Dheadlines>
If fan noise is a make-or-break question, consider moving to the Macintosh world, where Apple Computer Inc. Chief Executive Steve Jobs is famous for his hatred of fan noise and many products use a no-fan convection cooling process that is almost noiseless.

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

Net Advertising Takes Long, Slow Road (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-5702139.html?tag=owv>
U.S. Internet ad sales rebounded slightly in the waning months of 2000, but analysts say things will likely get worse before the sector sees signs of a genuine recovery.

Napster Rival Switches To Ad-Based Client (ZDNet UK)
<http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2711248,00.html?chkpt=zdnn_rt_latest>
A music site, which has captured many estranged Napster users and claims to, in fact, be more popular than its high-profile predecessor, caused a stir among music swappers on Sunday by halting its service and forcing them to download a new advertising-based client.

No More I Love You Viruses (The Register)
<http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/8/18478.html>
The bad days of global email viruses are over, if a crack team of software scientists are to be believed.

Buying A Mac On eBay (Low End Mac)
<http://www.lowendmac.com/itc/010424.html>
eBay has great prices as it is, but there are a few tips and tricks that can help keep your wallet stuffed and assure that you don't buy a lemon.

Do Newspaper Sites Have Souls? (E&P Online)
<http://www.mediainfo.com/ephome/news/newshtm/stories/042301n9.htm>
Turning a newspaper Web site into a generic dot- com may be a shrewd marketing move. But by making itself one undistinctive element of an online package, the newspaper risks becoming the voice of an unreal city.

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

Why Microsoft Is A Dinosaur (Linux Today)
<http://linuxtoday.com/news_story.php3?ltsn=2001-04-24-001-21-OP-CY>
With the world again looking for a proper solution, it will eventually find it. And when it does, Microsoft and all the rest of the corporate proprietary software dinosaurs will be mentioned only in history books as a folly at the end of the 20th century that slowed down the world's technological progress for 25 years.

== SingaporeSurf (Top Stories) ===============

More Incoming Doesn't Lead To More Spending (Business Times Singapore)
<http://business-times.asia1.com.sg/news/story/0,2276,5156,00.html?>
This spells trouble for retailers, according to the market researcher.

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

Set Up Board To Vet All Signs And Stall Names (Business Times Singapore)
<http://business-times.asia1.com.sg/views/story/0,2276,5130,00.html?>
Some of the phrases put up are simply disgraceful.

More Incoming Doesn't Lead To More Spending (Business Times Singapore)
<http://business-times.asia1.com.sg/news/story/0,2276,5156,00.html?>
This spells trouble for retailers, according to the market researcher.

Bus Ads Obstruct View (Straits Times)
<http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/forum/story/0,1870,39091,00.html?>
At night and on rainy days, this is a greater inconvenience. The obstruction and poor visibility has made me miss my stop once, and there were several near-misses.

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

Wait For Cheaper Surfing Not Over (Project Eyeball)
<http://eyeball.asia1.com.sg/Eyeball/Story/0,1381,16524,00.html?>
New broadband providers to focus on businesses first.

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

NAC Funding Sends Confusing Signals (Project Eyeball)
<http://eyeball.asia1.com.sg/Eyeball/Story/0,1381,16518,00.html?>
Some plays get it. Others don't. And the National Arts Council gets flak for not being clear about what its criteria are. Our reporter examines the issue.