[MyAppleMenu] Jun 29, 2001

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu Newsletter

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

Bill Might Exempt Digital Goods From Net Tax (Reuters)
<http://www.usatoday.com/life/cyber/tech/2001-06-27-net-tax.htm>
A key House committee plans to consider legislation that would exempt digital music, software and other intangible goods sold over the Internet from sales taxes, committee members said Wednesday.

== AppleSurf (Opinion) ===============

Cube To Apple: Please Don't Cancel Me (MacSoldiers.com)
<http://www.macsoldiers.com/columns/2001/010629-ss-cube.html>

Apple Needs Ads With Guts (Arizona Central)
<http://www.azcentral.com/computing/steinberg/0628steinberg.html>
Can warm and fuzzy sell Macs? If you look at Apple's stagnant market share, you can be highly skeptical that the message is getting across.

Final Thoughts On NECC (MacCentral)
<http://maccentral.macworld.com/news/0106/29.driver.shtml>

The Offensiveness Of Style And Passion (Low End Mac)
<http://lowendmac.com/things/010629.html>
So the next time you meet a stylish person or a Mac user, try to understand their situation. They are doing the rest of the world a big service.

Beware: MacIdiot At Work (Busman's Holiday)
<http://www.mathdittos2.com/columns/bh/bh010629.html>

Apple OS X - Enemy Of My Enemy (osOpinion)
<http://www.osopinion.com/perl/story/11632.html>
Apple's biggest worm is not going to be Luddite Mac users. The ship will be destroyed by the enlightened Mac users whom Apple won't be able to keep.

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

Apple iBook (PC Advisor)
<http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/2/20078.html>
The iBook is neither the smallest nor the most powerful notebook around, but it combines power, features and form factor to make it the ideal all-round portable. Add to that its good looks and wireless networking ability, and we'd go so far as to say it's one of the most desirable and affordable notebooks on the market.

Lombard And Pismo Value (Low End Mac)
<http://lowendmac.com/archive/01/0629.html>
Both of these are excellent machines and make a great computer to use on the road. In fact, these can make decent "desktop replacements," since they offer the full compliment of ports, and support external monitors, keyboards, mice, and even external floppy drives.

Connectix DoubleTalk (Applelust.com)
<http://www.applelust.com/resources/Reviews/Archives/doubletalk.html>
With Connectix Doubletalk, Mac users no longer need to feel left out for simply wanting to use the most elegantly designed computers on the planet.

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

A Future According To Microsoft (Washington Post)
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/washtech/techthursday/columns/dotcom/A55090-2001Jun27.html>
Poof, there goes AOL, I thought, as Ballmer droned on. Gone from the front door of most Microsoft-powered devices.

For Microsoft, A Window Of Uncertainty (Washington Post)
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A61155-2001Jun28.html>
Microsoft's ambitious plans for extending its Windows operating system face several hurdles as a result of the court ruling.

Judging A Moving Target (New York Times)
<http://www.nytimes.com/2001/06/29/technology/29ANAL.html>
The appeals court ruling yesterday in the antitrust case against Microsoft left unanswered one of the most pressing questions facing the computer industry: Will Microsoft have to change how it acts?

Microsoft Wins -- Or Does It? (Salon)
<http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2001/06/28/appeals_reaction/index.html>
Experts and observers analyze the appeals court's ruling in the antitrust case.

Microsoft Will Abandon Controversial Smart Tags (Wall Street Journal)
<http://ptech.wsj.com/archive/ptech-20010628.html>
I don't doubt that there is some role for user annotation of Web sites. But it will be hard for the company that controls the digital printing press to do this in a way that doesn't seem self-serving.

Gates' Reaction: Let's Settle (Associated Press)
<http://www.wired.com/news/antitrust/0,1551,44900,00.html>
Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates said Thursday that a federal appeals court decision in the government's antitrust case "lifts the cloud of breakup over the company" and may open the way for a settlement.

Ruling Puts XP In The Cross Fire (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-200-6408959.html?tag=lh>
Microsoft dodged the breakup bullet, but its next big product launch is likely to land in cross fire.

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

Real MS Verdict: Jackson Blew It (Wired News)
<http://www.wired.com/news/antitrust/0,1551,44902,00.html>
Microsoft's adversaries were left fuming on Thursday, insisting that if Jackson had held his tongue, the breakup order would have remained intact.

A Future According To Microsoft (Washington Post)
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/washtech/techthursday/columns/dotcom/A55090-2001Jun27.html>
Poof, there goes AOL, I thought, as Ballmer droned on. Gone from the front door of most Microsoft-powered devices.

For Microsoft, A Window Of Uncertainty (Washington Post)
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A61155-2001Jun28.html>
Microsoft's ambitious plans for extending its Windows operating system face several hurdles as a result of the court ruling.

MS And DoJ: Hap-Hap-Happy As Pigs In Filth (The Register)
<http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/20066.html>
If you tend to believe what you hear at press conferences, then you'll have a particularly tough time reconciling the US Department of Justice's satisfaction in the appeals court antitrust ruling alongside Microsoft's equal satisfaction in the same document.

Judging A Moving Target (New York Times)
<http://www.nytimes.com/2001/06/29/technology/29ANAL.html>
The appeals court ruling yesterday in the antitrust case against Microsoft left unanswered one of the most pressing questions facing the computer industry: Will Microsoft have to change how it acts?

Microsoft Core Illegalities (New York Times)
<http://www.nytimes.com/2001/06/29/opinion/29FRI1.html>
Microsoft's partial victory should not be allowed to minimize the underlying triumph for federal prosecutors and American consumers.

Microsoft Bad, Judge Jackson Worse (Slate)
<http://slate.msn.com/code/MSDispatches/MSDispatches.asp?Show=6/28/2001&idMessage=7917>
Microsoft today won the skirmish, the battle, and -- in light of the leanings of a Bush/Ashcroft Justice Department -- probably the war, in its fight against the pesky antitrust suit that's been nipping at its heels.

Game Not Over (Salon)
<http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2001/06/28/microsoft_appeal/index.html>
Microsoft broke the law, says the appellate court. But the company is still a long way from losing the biggest antitrust case in a generation.

Microsoft Wins -- Or Does It? (Salon)
<http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2001/06/28/appeals_reaction/index.html>
Experts and observers analyze the appeals court's ruling in the antitrust case.

Microsoft Will Abandon Controversial Smart Tags (Wall Street Journal)
<http://ptech.wsj.com/archive/ptech-20010628.html>
I don't doubt that there is some role for user annotation of Web sites. But it will be hard for the company that controls the digital printing press to do this in a way that doesn't seem self-serving.

Gates' Reaction: Let's Settle (Associated Press)
<http://www.wired.com/news/antitrust/0,1551,44900,00.html>
Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates said Thursday that a federal appeals court decision in the government's antitrust case "lifts the cloud of breakup over the company" and may open the way for a settlement.

Analysts: MS Can Bundle Up Now (Reuters)
<http://www.wired.com/news/antitrust/0,1551,44903,00.html>
Microsoft is free to cram more features into its upcoming software after a U.S. appeals court on Thursday put aside a ruling that could have blocked Microsoft's bid to tie together products, analysts said.

Antitrust Case's Big Loser: The Judge (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-200-6408286.html?tag=owv>
As both sides declared victory after Thursday's appellate court ruling, one clear loser emerged in the landmark antitrust case against Microsoft: Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson.

Former Rival Netscape Faces Trials Of Its Own (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-200-6406239.html?tag=owv>
Netscape Communications, where are you?

Microsoft Shares Rise After Court Ruling (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1007-200-6406339.html?tag=owv>
Microsoft investors cheered Thursday after a long-awaited federal appeals court ruling that reversed a judge's decision to split the software giant into two pieces.

Sony Computer Adds Built-In TV (Associated Press)
<http://www.inlandempireonline.com/technology/stories/062801/sonytv.shtml>
Whoever at Sony hatched its newest idea in digital video convergence likely figured: 'So many people are spending so much time glued to their personal computers, we might as well include a television.'

Apple OS X - Enemy Of My Enemy (osOpinion)
<http://www.osopinion.com/perl/story/11632.html>
Apple's biggest worm is not going to be Luddite Mac users. The ship will be destroyed by the enlightened Mac users whom Apple won't be able to keep.

Compaq Emplyees To Take Week Off (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-200-6408951.html?tag=lh>
Employees at several major tech companies will celebrate Independence Day with a mandatory vacation week.

Ruling Puts XP In The Cross Fire (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-200-6408959.html?tag=lh>
Microsoft dodged the breakup bullet, but its next big product launch is likely to land in cross fire.

Microsoft Delays Office's Upgrade Deadline (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-200-6409270.html?tag=lh>
Microsoft has given business customers another six months to upgrade to the new Office XP, a controversial new licensing plan, a company executive confirmed Thursday.

Microsoft Judge To Be Selected Randomly (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-200-6409254.html?tag=lh>
U.S. District Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson's removal Thursday from the Microsoft antitrust case means the proceedings will fall to one of 14 available jurists on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

Silicon Valley, AOL TW React With Cuation (Industry Stndard)
<http://www.thestandard.com/article/0,1902,27574,00.html>
Silicon Valley regards Thursday's decision with more caution than it expressed when Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson handed down his decision last June. The fact that the courts have upheld the findings of fact is seen as an unmitigated victory, but without a strong remedy on the horizon, companies are resigned to the fact that the courts have not cowed Microsoft.

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

Freeserve Customer Duped By Reboot Loophole (ZDNet UK)
<http://news.zdnet.co.uk/story/0,,s2090301,00.html>
'Freeserve Anytime' customers could face massive phone charges if they fail to reboot after connecting to the ISP's Internet service.

Asian Domain Name Registries Leading '.biz' Sale (Reuters)
<http://news.zdnet.co.uk/story/0,,s2090327,00.html>
With the Internet's ".com" suffix getting increasingly overcrowded, Asian domain name registries are taking the lead in securing customers for the new ".biz" tag that will start operating in October.

UK Govt's Stand On Spam Provokes Angry Backlash (The Register)
<http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/6/20064.html>
Is this a joke or merely the political process at work? When's the next election?

Bill Might Exempt Digital Goods From Net Tax (Reuters)
<http://www.usatoday.com/life/cyber/tech/2001-06-27-net-tax.htm>
A key House committee plans to consider legislation that would exempt digital music, software and other intangible goods sold over the Internet from sales taxes, committee members said Wednesday.

Former Rival Netscape Faces Trials Of Its Own (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-200-6406239.html?tag=owv>
Netscape Communications, where are you?

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

IBM Boosts Linux Performance (ZDNet)
<http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,5093471,00.html>
In a move that shows the increasing corporate involvement in Linux, IBM released several software components Thursday to improve the open-source operating system's performance on high-end computer setups.

IBM Prods Linux Toward Bigger Servers (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-200-6409473.html?tag=owv>
In a move that shows the increasing corporate involvement in Linux, IBM released several software components Thursday to improve the open-source operating system's performance on high-end computer setups.

Caldera Now Charging For Each Linux System (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-200-6409269.html?tag=owv>
Bucking a trend in the Linux business, Caldera International has begun charging for each copy of Linux customers use.

Apple OS X - Enemy Of My Enemy (osOpinion)
<http://www.osopinion.com/perl/story/11632.html>
Apple's biggest worm is not going to be Luddite Mac users. The ship will be destroyed by the enlightened Mac users whom Apple won't be able to keep.

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

UOB Makes S$10 Billion Takeover Offer For OUB (Reuters)
<http://sg.news.yahoo.com/010629/3/172x0.html>
United Overseas Bank (UOB), Singapore's second biggest bank by assets, made a S$10 billion ($5.7 billion) friendly takeover offer for Overseas Union Bank (OUB) on Friday to trump a hostile bid by DBS Group.

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

UOB Makes S$10 Billion Takeover Offer For OUB (Reuters)
<http://sg.news.yahoo.com/010629/3/172x0.html>
United Overseas Bank (UOB), Singapore's second biggest bank by assets, made a S$10 billion ($5.7 billion) friendly takeover offer for Overseas Union Bank (OUB) on Friday to trump a hostile bid by DBS Group.

Five-Room Flats Within Reach Of Double-Income Newly Weds: Survey (Channel NewsAsia)
<http://sg.news.yahoo.com/010629/5/1723m.html>
It takes young couples some 30 months to accumulate the 20 percent down payment needed for a new four-room HDB flat, and some 50 months for a more spacious five-room flat.

UOB Seen In $5.7 Billion Bid For OUB (Reuters)
<http://sg.news.yahoo.com/010629/3/170jg.html>
Sources familiar with the two banks' discussions told Reuters UOB was expected to unveil a cash and stock offer of S$10 a share on Friday afternoon to counter DBS Group's hostile bid of S$9.50 per share for Singapore's fourth biggest bank. "UOB is making a takeover for OUB. It will be a friendly one," one source told Reuters.

New MRT Lines Help - Until Old Instincts Take Over (Straits Times)
<http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/singapore/story/0,1870,54056,00.html?>
A Straits Times team which visited the Ang Mo Kio, City Hall and Raffles Place MRT stations found many observing the guide lines, but there were also a number who did not notice the lines.

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

O'Brien's Dazzles With Its Sandwich Variety (Business Times Singapore)
<http://business-times.asia1.com.sg/life/story/0,2276,12993,00.html?>
O'Brien's positions itself as a gourmet sandwich store, but unfortunately, most of its food is merely adequate.

Refreshing Touches (Business Times Singapore)
<http://business-times.asia1.com.sg/life/story/0,2276,13072,00.html?>
Restaurant Kei's Japanese dishes are eye-catching, albeit served in rather small portions.