Low End Mac Link Archive, October 1999

Mac News Today

The Low End Mac Link Archive, October 1999

External news links are listed below by the date of publication with the most recent articles listed at the top, older ones below them. Other monthly archive indexes are linked on the right. Links were correct when originally posted. However, we cannot guarantee that these links are still active.

News: Low End Mac launches email list for Canadian Mac users, Charles Moore, Applelinks, 10/29.
News: Apple stock closes at all-time high, 10/29.
Rumor: Apple looking to take next step in retail, AppleInsider, 10/29. "...it finally appears as if Apple is taking the next step towards implementing these retail locations."
Opinion: Apple Store customer service: Grade C-, Steve Wood, Busman's Holiday, 10/29. "All I really wanted to know was the UPS tracking number for the errant shipment of my two copies of OS 9."
News: New iMacs slowly tricking into Canada, ehMac, 10/29.
Web: How computers change the writing process for people with learning disabilities, Richard Wanderman. "All of these effects together; change in the input process, change in the editing process, and change in the output process make writing much more accessible to students and adults with learning disabilities."
Palm: Atelier ships SimCity for Palm [Slashdot]. This is the vintage b&w version I used to play on my Mac Plus. Now I've got an excuse to look into a Palm or Handspring. ;-)
Analysis: The end of Moore's Law, Roy Brander, osOpinion. Transistor density doubles every 18 months, but there is a physical limitation engineers are rapidly approaching.
Opinion: Outlook Express 5 or Green?, Charles Moore, Applelinks. Lots of commentary on OE 5, plus a quick look at Green, a new free Mac email client.
News: XLR8 announces AltiVec support for Photoshop 3 and later, 10/28 [Accelerate Your Mac]. This is one up on Apple, which only supports AltiVec for Photoshop 5.5.
News: Notebook, screen makers agree on display standard, Cnet, 10/28. "This [will] allow notebook vendors to use a variety of displays in their machines, and will allow panel vendors to work with a larger number of notebook vendors."
Advice: Should you upgrade to Mac OS 9?, Dave Hamilton, Mac Observer, 10/28.
Advice: How to get your parents to buy you that new iMac, iTeen, 10/28.
Advice: Mac web servers: wherefore Mac OS 9?, Mac Central, 10/28/99. OpenTransport 2.5 provides "improved performance and stability."
Opinion: Future iBook wish list, Louis Pierce, The Pierce Perspective, 10/28. "...when Apple released the iBook it was more of a teaser than anything. It was sort of a prelude of what will be."
Opinion: New iMacs cost less, work harder, Don Crabb, Chicago Sun-Times, 10/28.
Opinion: iBook's appeal deeper than looks, Charles Haddad, Cox News Service. "In its design, Apple has managed to convey a sense that the iBook is a special computer just for kids."
Review: Testing the Power Mac G4/450, MacWeek, 10/28. " CPU, graphics and hard disk performance blow away all previous models."
News: Jesse gets an iMac!, ZDNet, 10/28. After complaining about Windows instability, Apple shipped Jesse Berst an iMac DV Special Edition. Hope he like it.
News: OS 9 (in)security, Think Secret, 10/28. "Also note that by starting up from a CD or other System Folder, anyone can gain full access to your computer. Important files should still be backed up routinely, and they should be encrypted to keep anyone from opening them."
Opinion: PowerBook 3400c, a potentially great 'Book with unfortunate timing, Charles Moore, Road Warrior, 10/28/1999. "With different timing, I think the 3400 could have been remembered as one of the great PowerBook models...."
Opinion: A/S/L to death, Eric Barzeski, Mac Opinion, 10/28. "Chat, in most forms, is bad. It's a waste of time, and it's bad for a variety of reasons."
Web: Interview with Rodney O. Lain, MacDaily, 10/27. Rodney writes Things Macintosh here at Low End Mac, as well as columns for several other sites.
Web: Outlook Express 5 FAQ, Microsoft. If you're using or want to use Microsoft's latest Mac email client, this is one of many resources you'll want to visit.
Review: iMac DV SE, Accelerate Your Mac!, 10/27. "The phrase 'More than the sum of its parts' comes to mind the more I use the iMac DV SE."
News: Fujitsu thinks different, FMWorld [MOSR.net]. Pliché 243 resmbles the iMac, is about the same size and weight as a Mac Classic, and uses a 12.1" flat panel display like the iBook.
Advice: Mac OS 9 install guide, MacTips. Step-by-step guide from preparation through installation.
News: Italian law taxes AirPort, iBook2day, 10/27. "An Italian law puts a tax on the use of each AirPort card and base station, which totals to $600 a year for a network of 10 iBooks (or iMacs)."
News: National Geographic puts maps online, USA Today, 10/27 [MacSurfer]. If you loved 'em as a kid, you'll love 'em on the internet.
News: 3dfx comments om Mactell closing, Mac3dfx, 10/27.
Benchmark: Sonnet vs. PowerLogix G3/500 upgrade cards, Bare Feats, 10/27. Only significant difference found in Bryce, Photoshop Gaussian blur.
Opinion: Canucks being ripped off by memory distributors, customs brokers?, Charles Moore, Applelinks, 10/27.
News: Dell takes top education sales spot from Apple, Reuters/Yahoo, 10/27. Dell maintains a 5% lead over Apple.
Rumor: Rev. B iBook update, MOSR, 10/27. Some silly speculation: 177 MHz cache with 366 MHz CPU, an unsupported CPU:cache ratio, and a 96 MB configuration which would have to use the only RAM socket.
Advice: Email efficiency, part 4, Deb Shadovits, Mac Central, 10/27. The good, the bad, and the ugly of styled email. Must reading for those who style their email.
Opinion: The Register and Apple's retail gambit, Think Secret, 10/27. Is Apple planning to open its own retail stores and drop existing retailers? (Also see The Apple Store.)
Benchmark: Mac OS 8.6 vs. 9.0, Mac Speed Zone. OS 8.6 seems to be a bit faster.
Advice: Using Mac OS 9? Better keep virtual memory on, Mac OS Planet. Enabling virtual memory drops system memory requirements by about 13 MB!
Analysis: Is the Pentium RISC?, David K. Every, MacKiDo, 10/27. "The design philosophy of the processor didn't change - and RISC is a design philsophy."
Rumor: Revision B iBook in the works, iBook-User. Faster, slot-loading DVD, and maybe even a graphite version.
Opinion: The bumpy road to DSL, Jesse Berst, ZDNet, 10/27. DSL will beat cable modems - if the industry learns to stop shooting itself in the foot.
OS: Clustering software takes Linux in new direction, Computerworld, 10/26 [Slashdot]. Clustering allows using multiple computers acting as a single server.
News: 3Com scores with modem geared toward serious gamers, Excite News, 10/26. PCI modem designed for faster pings, more stable connections, and reduced lag times. (No info on Mac support.)
Opinion: Apple's next retail gambit, Tony Smith, MacWeek, 10/26. "Apple is preparing to bring all its sales in-house through its existing direct-sales operation, the online Apple Store, as well as the establishment of its own 'High Street' chain of retail outlets...." (Also see The Apple Store.)
News: Mactell's FireWire line to be picked up, Mac Observer, 10/26. New company rising from ashes of Mactell to handle FirePower products.
Rumor: Multiprocessor Macs, Apple's "next big thing," AppleInsider, 10/26. "...multiple sources have reported that Motorola is quietly preparing multiprocessor PowerPC G4 boards that will begin shipping to Apple sometime early in the year 2000."
News: Schools, teachers ill prepared to use computers effectively, AP, 10/26 [MacSurfer]. "...the nation must focus on training teachers to do more with them than surfing Web sites and sending email."
Dark Side: Microsoft web site hacked, ABC News, 10/26. "All the sites [hacked by flipz] were running on Microsoft Windows NT software...."
Dark Side: Microsoft sets date for Windows 2000, Infoworld, 10/26. First fully Y2K compliant version of Windows NT promised for February 17, 2000.
Dark Side: Microsoft Windows 2000 beta 3, PC Magazine. "...the folks at Microsoft seem to have put a lot of effort into improving both reliability and security."
Opinion: Real life shootout: iBook vs. Lombard, Joe Speiser, MacProvider, 10/25. Each has its advantages....
Opinion: Much ado about FireWire!, MacRocks.
Low End: Building a Power Colour Classic, Stuart Bell. Finally, a helpful resource for boosting the Color Classic to a 68040, 603, or even a G3.
News: Wacom Graphire tablet and cordless mouse [allUSB]. Only $89.99 from Outpost.com
News: Mactell closes its doors, PRNewswire, 10/25 [Macs Only!]. Formet Mac cloner never recovered from Apple's decision to end cloning.
News: AirPort gears up for liftoff, MacWeek, 10/25. AirPort cards and base station finally shipping.
Analysis: FileMaker eyes bigger clients, spruced-up image, Jim Davis, Cnet, 10/25. "They have massive customer-relations problems," is a bit of an understatement.
OS: Mac OS 9 stole my notepad!, Power-Macintosh, 10/25. Note Pad no longer in the Apple Menu.
Review: Mac OS 9 boosts Internet access, file sharing, security, Infoworld, 10/25.
Dark Side: Intel seeks profits from Coppermine, Yahoo/ZDNet. Intel announces 733 MHz Pentium III, but mobile version still tops out at 500 MHz.
Dark Side: Intel's "Coppermine" has no copper, Tom's Harware, 10/25. "I'd also like to note that Intel's 'Coppermine' does not imply that this new processor is built using IBM's new copper-technology. The metal layers . . . are still aluminum."
Opinion: Best sounding computer speakers under US$100, ZDTV, 10/15.
Opinion: Scents in the Workplace, Dan Knight, ReformedNet,10/25. "For most, unwanted scents are an inconvenience, but for some of us, these scents make us dizzy or nauseous, give us headaches, and can even result in migraines."
Low End: PowerMac 6100 Upgrade Guide. Everything you could want to know about using and upgrading a Power Mac 6100 or Performa 61XX.
Hands On: Mac OS 9, Macs Only!, 10/23-25. Tested on 8 different computers. Memory hungry, but very stable.
Analysis: Three distinct takes on the iBook, Charles Moore, Applelinks, 10/25. Compare what Macworld, Low End Mac, and Nikkei MAC have to say.
Opinion: Macworld doesn't get it either, John Farr, Applelinks, 10/25. "...surely the revolutionary significance of wireless networking is not lost on folks as astute as these, or is it?"
Opinion: Apple direct-only? Not anytime soon, please, MacBC, 10/25. "Whether you are a direct seller or not, what you need most is to be visible."
News: Defective mouse can prevent booting on USB Macs, iMacInTouch, 10/25.
Opinion: iMac under siege: Here comes another PC clone, Mac Junkie, 10/25. "Fujitsu is releasing a PC system that looks suspiciously like an iMac."
Web: Apple History: Apple 1 to G4 and beyond, 1984 Online. "To date Apple statistics say that over 31 million Macintosh systems have been sold...."
Opinion: Apple's driven me to write, Byte, 10/25. Reader feedback on last week's "Apple's driven me to Wintel."
Opinion: iBook's biggest flaw, Mac Junkie, 10/25. Reader survey finds 13% find iBook perfect, but most want some improvements.
Benchmark: G3/500 vs. G4/400, Bare Feats, 10/25. Accelerated Power Mac 7500 vs. Power Mac G4/400.
Tech: What is RISC?, David K. Every, MacKiDo, 10/25.
Hands on: Zip 250 USB drive, MacCentral, 10/25.
News: Fujitsu clones iMac - Apple lawyers on alert, The Register, 10/25. "But it's not its spec. that draws attention - rather it's its uncanny resemblance to a squashed iMac."
Opinion: Hey, buddy, can you spare a job?, John Martellaro, Applelinks, 10/24. "In the next century, the high paying jobs in this country will be for people who know how to write human simulation codes that interact with customers...."
News: Dell topples Compaq in U.S. market share, Cnet, 10/24.
Rumor: Apple moving toward mostly direct-sales model?, MOSR, 10/21. I've suspected this for some time - Apple isn't leaving small retailers enough margin to stay alive.
News: No Wires Needed first to market with 11 Mbps wireless, 10/21. Includes PC Card, ISA card, and hub. AirPort is apparently also ready to ship.
News: Lucent WaveLAN Turbo provides 11 Mbps wireless networking. Mac drivers due "at a later date."
Low End: System 6 for the Macintosh, Ruud Dingemans. It's been a long time since I've used System 6, but if you have an older, slower, memory-limited Mac, it's fast, stable, and still very usable.
Benchmark: iMac DV SE game performance, Accelerate Your Mac!, 10/22. Best iMac ever, but gaming does call for a memory upgrade.
Web: 1984 online ezine gets a facelift [Mac Observer].
Gaming: Guide to game emulators for the Mac, Inside Mac Games. "What about Super Nintendo, Neo-Geo, Gameboy and even Nintendo64? The good news is, in some shape in form, all those systems and more can be emulated today on your macintosh, and the software that does it is either Shareware or completely free."
News: Sony, Sharp create optical 1394 for portable devices, The Register, 10/22. New variant of FireWire uses optical fibre with up to 10m (33') cable.
News: Apple buys 3D graphics company, Tom's Hardware Guide, 10/22 [Accelerate Your Mac]. Apple has apparently purchased Raycer Graphics, which is developing a new 3D chipset.
Web: MacBanners, banner exchange for Mac-related sites.
News: First full-sized flavored keyboards for iMac, Mac OS Planet. Micro Connectors makes keyboards in grape, strawberry, lime, tangerine, and blueberry; looks like a perfect match for Apple's extended layout.
Review: iMac DV Special Edition, Macworld. "For a moderately priced consumer model, the iMac DV Special Edition packs a punch."
Opinion: Choosing the right Mac email client, Charles Moore, MacSimple, 10/22.
Analysis: AirPort vs. AnyPoint for home networking, Think Secret, 10/22. Phoneline and slow speed or no wires and ethernet speed - any questions?
Opinion: Dispatches from the browser wars, Charles Moore, Applelinks, 10/22. Netscape, Internet Explorer, iCab....
Rumor: Next generation PowerBook details, AppleInsider, 10/22. Expect them at Macworld San Francisco.
Opinion: Outlook Express 05. Just say no, Mac Junkie, 10/22. "Overall, Outlook Express 5 is clearly a hastily done Windows port, with little or no attention paid to aesthetics or ease of use."
News: Mini-notebooks prepare for comeback, Yahoo/ZDNet, 10/22. C'mon, Apple, how about a 3-4 pound PowerBook?
Opinion: A review of iBook reviews, Charles Moore, Mac Opinion, 10/21.
Opinion: Mac advocates and misplaced zeal, Rodney O. Lain, The iMac, 10/21. "I used to do the same things you do: I used to visit computer stores and defend the Mac. I would literally sell computers to customers."
Hands on: Checking out Apple's new iBook, Henry Norr, SF Gate, 10/21. "I'll focus on what the iBook is and isn't good for, based on my experience using it daily for the past few weeks."
Analysis: Portal numbers flat - where is everyone?, Jim Hu, Cnet, 10/21. Probably on the Mac sites; Low End Mac traffic was up 4.3% in Sept., and over 10% so far this month.
Opinion: Barriers to entry?, MacWeek, 10/21. "On the other hand I want Mac OS X to act like a minor system upgrade so there are no barriers to entry for the Mac community...."
News: Inside the iBook, MacWeek, 10/21. "Indeed, the iBook represents an amalgam of high-quality parts, each with exacting manufacturing specs."
Advice: Converting LPs, tapes to CD or MP3, MacTIPS. "The first thing you are going to need is a stereo to play the LP or cassette...."
Opinion: Goodbye, MacTimes. You'll be missed, Steve Wood, Busman's Holiday, 10/21. A former MacTimes writer looks back at a glorious past.
Tech: RISC vs CISC: the post-RISC era, Hannibal, Ars Technica [Slashdot]. "The majority of today's processors can't rightfully be called completely RISC or completely CISC. The two textbook architectures have evolved towards each other...."
OS: Mac OS 9 Special Report, MacNN. Ongoing report of OS 9 issues, including software incompatibilities.
Web: Mac Mania reborn as MacinStart, MacinStart
Review: Outlook Express 5 for Macintosh, Lee Barnes, MacNerds. Could be a worthy successor to Claris Emailer 2.
News: Future of G3 Power Macs "fixed," AsiaOne. Apple marketing director admits Blue G3s intentionally crippled to prevent G4 upgrades.
Analysis: Is Web growth tapering off?, ZDNet, 10/21. "Overall, Web users increased about 2 percent [in September] to 63.4 million, but less than usual 4 percent growth rate."
Low End: Cruising the web in black & white, John C. Foster, MacWeek, 10/20. "I couldn't help but feel a bit of pride as my elderly SE maneuvered the Web...."
Rumor: FireWire drives could be G4 option by January, MOSR, 10/20.
Opinion: The social cost of connectivity, Wired, 10/20. Does "being connected" mean being disconnected from those around us?
Rumor: Apple accelerating dual-processor plans?, MOSR, 10/20. Shifting priorities could lead to dual-processor Power Mac in January-March timeframe.
News: MacFixIt is tracking USB issues on iBook, new iMac.
Software: Peek-a-Boo, Clarkwood Software [Accelerate Your Mac]. Allows you to monitor and change priority of all running processes.
News: XLR8 G4/350 upgrades "imminent," MacCentral, 10/20. You ship what you can get - in this case, the 350 MHz G4. Should provide a real boost for 266 MHz and slower Power Macs.
Web: Encyclopaedia Britannica goes online for free, Yahoo/Reuters, 10/20. Entire text plus news feeds available at Britannica.com.
Analysis: USB 2.0, David K. Every, MacKiDo, 10/20. Can it compete with FireWire?
Rumor: Apple working on multiprocessor Power Mac, AppleInsider, 10/20. Okay, we all know they're working on 'em, but AI has a little new intelligence on it.
News: PC prices taking an unusual turn: up, Mercury Center, 10/19. Apple is not alone in reconfiguring systems to keep the price from changing.
Review: Microsoft Outlook Express 5, eTechNews, 10/19. "I was a die-hard Claris Emailer user, but I migrated to Outlook when Emailer really started to show its age."
News: Hackers ascend upper "Echelon," Wired. October 21 is "Jam Echelon Day."
News: G4/450 Photoshop 5.5 bug, Accelerate Your Mac!, 10/19. Bug also shows up on G4/400 systems overclocked to 450 MHz.
Opinion: Damned if they don't, Sho, MOSR.net, 10/19. Apple needs "Yellow Box" Windows compatibility in OS X.
News: MacTimes.com for sale at eBay, Mac Observer, 10/19.
Analysis: Banner ads celebrate last birthday?, ZDNet. The banner ad turns five years old this month....
Review: VST FireWire hard drive, O'Grady's PowerPage.
Review: Mac OS 9, Macworld UK. "I have not had OS 9 installed for long, but it has reduced my number of crashes noticeably."
Web: MacTimes.com up for sale, MacBC, 10/19.
Web: Perpetual bubble wrap [The Daily]. Pop the virtual bubble wrap. Requires Flash.
Opinion: Top 10 things Mac users want from Apple, MacCentral, 10/19. List includes deep-sixing the cheap USB mouse and keyboard.
Virus: Melissa mutations keep coming, Yahoo/ZDNet, 10/19.
Web: MacTimes for sale, eBay, 10/18. It's a great domain name, but probably not worth $100,000. On the other hand, if someone does buy it, maybe those of us who used to be part of MacTimes will finally see the money due us.
News: Congressional spam bull due Tuesday, New York Times, 10/18. Opt-out system will allow registrants to sue spammers at $500 per message. (Also see our Spam Filtering Guide.)
News: FCC to re-examine "modem tax," MSNBC. "The 'modem tax' is now officially classified as an urban myth; however, the idea is not completely dead inside the FCC; it's just on long-term hold."
Advice: How much Mac is enough?, Tim Hillman, MacCentral, 10/18.
Connectivity: At last, DSL gets real, ZDNet, 10/18. "Somewhere in the spectrum of DSL choices is a cost-effective offer that will work for you, whether you need to feed Net access to a family, a small office, or a home office."
News: Canon gets 1394 "FireWireless" up to 100 Mbps, The Register, 10/18. FireWire is fast, wireless isn't. Canon blasts past AirPort's 11 Mbps with wireless 1394.
News: G4 ROM upgrade, Apple Computer, 10/18. Fixes problem with data/file corruption on "Yikes!" G4 systems (original G4/400).
Opinion: Apple's PR Waterloo, MacWeek, 10/18. "Today's another day. Will it bring yet another change in G4 pricing policy?"
Deal: Norton Utilities 4.0 OEM, $19.99, reported on dealmac, 10/18.
Opinion: One vote for the iMac, iMovie, and Mac OS 9, Marty Cortinas, Byte, 10/18.
Software: CPU Charger, Orchard Software. Shareware version of CPU Doubler.
Opinion: WebStar transforms Mac into a web server, Byte, 10/18. If it's good enough for the U.S. Army....
Opinion: I decided to cancel my iBook order..., Mac Militia, 10/16. "The screen is amazing - I would definitely have to say it's the best screen I've ever seen on a laptop."
Opinion: The iMac brand, Heng-Cheong Leong, MyAppleMenu, 10/16. "Should the iMac be both an Internet machine, and a home entertainment machine? Is Apple stretching the iMac brand too thin?"
Benchmark: Vodoo 3000 AGP vs. Rage 128 AGP, Mac3dfx, 10/16. "Tests with the Voodoo3 show that the Rage128 is a significant bottleneck in 3D games...."
Dark Side: Microsoft downplays Win2K scalability, TechWeb, 10/15. "Microsoft had previously promised that Windows 2000 would be as scalable as its Unix rivals."
Opinion: Does the world really need another Mac website?, Charles Moore, MacSimple, 10/15.
Review: Kensington USB Mouse-in-a-Box, MacNerds. "It's just like the ADB version, except for the USB plug-in at the end of the cord." (Also see our review of the Kensington Mouse.)
Rumor: AppleShare IP 6.3 imminent, Graphic Power, 10/15. "MacOS 9 is such a dramatic rewrite of the OS, that I consider it highly unlikely that ASIP 6.2 will work with it."
Rumor: Revised PowerBooks to hit production in December, AppleInsider, 10/15. Rumors of 400-500 MHz machines.
New: 800 Mbps FireWire due in 2000, MacCentral, 10/15.
Web: MacLaunch, new Macintosh portal site, 10/15.
News: G4 with 1GB or more RAM won't cold boot, Apple TIL, 10/14 [MacInTouch]. Users must follow failed startup with reset.
Analysis: An embarrassment of riches, Wes George, Mac Observer, 10/14. "In essence, Fred Anderson said Apple has almost as many back orders in the first two weeks of this quarter for Macintosh systems than were actually delivered last quarter."
News: Apple to reverse G4 decision?, MacWeek, 10/14. "Apple may back off from its previously announced plan to substitute slower processors in G4 Power Macs without offering a price break to customers who had placed advance orders for the new systems."
Tech: Big Blue touts 73 GB hard drive, Cnet, 10/14. Blows past Seagate's 50 GB drive. (And you thought 20 GB was big!)
Dark Side: Promise broken: Windows 2000 delayed, ZDNet, 10/14. Some of us remember that Win98 was supposed to be Windows 97.
Tech: QuickDraw 3D acceleration in B&W Power Mac G3, Apple TIL 25020, 10/13. summary: No 8-bit support at any resolution, no Portrait support, supports 16- and 24-bit video to 1280 x 1024 and some higher settings.
News: Apple reconsidering StyleWriter 4000 support, Apple Tech Exchange, 10/12 [MacInTouch]. As a StyleWriter 4100 owner, I'm glad to hear it!
News: Apple reverses G4 cancelation policy, MacNN, 10/14. "Discounts will reportedly apply to orders of 500 MHz Power Macs, which will be shipped with 450 MHz processors instead."
iBook: PowerBook, iBook won't sleep with speakable items active, Apple TIL.
News: Apple Macs save Australian cops A$30 million a year, Applelinks, 10/14.
Analysis: USB 2.0 - not all it's cracked up to be, Kevin Ledgister, Mac Discussion, 10/14. USB involves certain compromises FireWire has already overcome.
Opinion: Stevie in Vaporland, MacCPU, Bob Moriarty, 10/14. "Apple took 86,000 orders for G4 machines they could not deliver because they weren't scheduled to get the chips yet from Motorola."
Opinion: Apple goes crazy, Sho, MOSR.net, 10/14. "What a brilliant, creative and yet unpredictable and arrogant company Apple is."
News: Apple announces G4 speed reduction, prices stay the same, Mac Observer, 10/13. "This is an unbelievably bad move for Apple...."
News: G4 line revved - downward, MacWeek, 10/13. Apple drops CPU speed, but not prices.
News: Apple intros 350 MHz G4, postpones 500 MHz, Apple Computer, 10/13. With high demand for the Power Mac G4 and no 500 MHz chips in sight, Apple has introduced a 350 MHz version of its personal supercomputer.
News: Apple touts $111 million profit, IBM G4 chips, MacWeek, 10/13. IBM to become second source for AltiVec G4s.
News: Apple reports 4th quarter profit of $111 million, Apple Computer, 10/13. Revenues down, but profits up.
Dark Side: Gateway's all-in-one PC to echo iMac concept, Cnet, 10/13. $799 Astro to include 400 MHz Celeron, 15" screen, 64 MB of memory, but Gateway.net not included.
Advice: Email efficiency, part 2, Deborah Shaodvitz, MacCentral, 10/13. Turning of Vcards in Netscape, using the subject line, setting line length, and more.
Opinion: FileMaker 5.0 Issues, MacNN, 10/13. More reader feedback.
Connectivity: DSL: One man's life in the fast lane, Gary Krakow, MSNBC. "If you know what T-1 lines cost per month, or how ISDN "per minute/per channel" charges add up, DSL starts to look like a bargain (even in the Big Apple)."
Opinion: Megahertz does matter, Tony Smith, MacWeek, 10/12. "...PC buyers do consider megahertz the chief yardstick by which a computer's performance can be measured."
Opinion: Wintel drove me to Apple, Stephen Van Esch, osOpinion. "I bought a Mac clone in September 1997 and haven't bought a Wintel product since."
Opinion: Apple's driven me from Wintel, David Gratton.
Y2K: Y2K problem identifies new cars as "horseless carriages," Mercury Center, 10/12.
News: FileMaker Inc. responds, MacNN, 10/12. FileMaker Inc. argues that FileMaker 4 was underpriced (street price about $180 before $50 rebate), so charging $1,000 for the same capabilities somehow makes sense.
OS 09. Technote 1176, Apple Computer. Changes and corrections in Mac OS 9.
News: Display scarcity spurs iBook shortage, Jim Davis, Cnet, 10/12. "Apple isn't alone, either. All computer companies are facing limited product availability due to a combination of component shortages and natural disasters."
OS: OS X "preview" due in early 2000; final release delayed, MOSR, 10/12. Apple may ship incomplete version of OS X as preview version.
Opinion: Third Voice: Vox populi vox dei?, First Monday. The controversy has settled down, but the authors claim Third Voice will never have significant impact. (Also see Hands Off My Site, Third Voice and Copyright, and Third Voice Revisited on Mac Musings.)
Review: AsanteTalk LocalTalk to Ethernet, Raves and Craves. Get LocalTalk and ethernet working together.
OS 09. Mac OS 9 arrives!, Macs Only, 10/12. "Since I installed Mac OS 9 earlier today my Mac hasn't crashed once! This is a new record for my Mac."
OS 09. Troubleshooting Mac OS 9, MacFixIt Special Report. Reported incompatibilities and fixes.
Opinion: Microsoft's annual report - made on Macintosh, Salon, 10/12. "The report seems to have been composed on a Macintosh computer. (At least, there are references to an author's G3 Mac and records indicating the file was created using Word 98 for Macintosh.)"
Opinion: The limits of power, part 2, John Martellaro, Mac Opinion, 10/12. "On the other hand, one could also argue that to infringe on the freedom of the press, when the likely damage was merely the inability of Apple Computer to surprise and delight its customers, would be going overboard in restraint of the press."
Opinion: The new iMac and Mac OS 9, Jeff Lewis, Mac Opinion, 10/12. "Is this the iMac I wanted? Well, not quite, but it's a lot closer...."
OS: The LinuX-Files: Uncovering the OS conspiracy, Jesse Berst, ZDNet, 10/12.
Advice: Answers to your Visor questions, Tim Hillman, MacCentral, 10/12.
PDAs: After a wild handheld week, everything's different, allNet Devices, 10/11 [Palm Infocenter]. Visor and Palm OS are winners, while Microsoft watches Philips and Sharp abandon WinCE.
First look: iMac DVD SE, Accelerate Your Mac, 10/11. "What blew away everyone was watching my first attempt with iMovie and my firewire equipped Panasonic PV-DV910 camcorder. Perfect plug-n-play video capture."
OS 09. Review: Mac OS 9, MacSoldiers, 10/11. "Obviously I haven't had a whole lot of time to tinker around with the new operating system, but I did get to play enough to notice a few things."
OS 09. Mac OS 9 compatibility and the press, About.com, 10/11.
Review: Kensington Orbit USB trackball, Mac Observer, 10/11.
News: 11 Mbps wireless PC Card available, PowerBook Zone, 10/11. Cabletron card should give PowerBooks full AirPort speed.
Advice: PDF Web publishing: Little known facts, Kas Thomas, MacSimple, 10/11. Includes information on a free PDF creation tool.
Dark Side: Bug finder exposes Microsoft again, Wired News, 10/11. Bug lets others read files on your hard drive - if you're using Windows and Internet Explorer.
Dark Side: D-Link announces industry's first USB to 10/100 ethernet adapter, USB Workshop, 10/11. The things PC users have to go through to get "easy" networking!
Dark Side: Researcher predicts higher Microsoft prices, TechWeb, 10/11. "We believe Microsoft will increasingly use changes to terms and conditions related to use as a means of increasing revenue."
News: Developers debate FileMaker prices, policies, MacWeek, 10/11. "We might as well keep using Version 4.1 until they offer some products we want."
Opinion: Apple's driven me to Wintel, Joe Brancatelli, Byte.com, 10/11. "I switched to Windows in November, 1997 and haven't bought an Apple product since."
Analysis: How Windows costs the world economy billions in lost productivity each year, Wes George, Mac Observer. 10/11. "I'm just not ready for a world where the benefits of owning a Mac are clearly recognized by a majority."
Y2K: New iMac really an improvement, Mac OS ready for Y2K, Star Tribune, 10/11. "Apple is a bit smug about the year 2000, for good reason. Even computers running the oldest version of its operating system are Y2K-compliant."
Web: MacSimple, striving for jargon-free Mac information.
Review: Microsoft USB IntelliMouse Explorer, MacInTouch, 10/10. "The two advantages of the IntelliMouse Explorer over a regular 'rolling' mouse are that there are no moving parts and no restrictions to the surface of a pad."
Benchmarks: iMac DV vs. other Macs, Bare Feats, 10/10. iMac DV acquits itself very nicely.
Opinion: Insanely great, Michael Krantz, Time, 10/18 issue [MyAppleMenu]. Interview with Steve Jobs.
Opinion: The Intel confusium processor, Technobabble, 10/10. "...once Intel started expanding beyond the original Pentium, figuring out what to call all the new chips began to make life a little confusing for everyone."
News: Pulaski graphics company outgrows home, Paul Dellinger, Roanoke Times, 10/10 [MyAppleMenu]. How one home business outgrew the living room.
Analysis: Some web sites find third-party links something to get hyper about, Dan Gillmor, Mercury Center, 10/9. (Also see Open Link Policy.)
Opinion: Close, but no PowerBook, Michael Martinez, ABC News, 10/8. The iBook is competitive, but has some drawbacks.
Rumor: Bootable FireWire drives due early next year, AppleInsider, 10/8.
Analysis: iMac G4 upgrade rumor debunked, MOSR.net, 10/7.
News: "Errata" delay 500 MHz G4s, MacWeek, 10/8. Motorola having problems providing 500 MHz G4s, may restrict G4/500 availability until December.
Opinion: Uh-oh, Steve Jobs may be finished, Bryan Chaffin, Mac Observer. 10/8. Is the iCEO preparing the way for new Apple leadership?
Opinion: G4s for consumers? Think different, Robert Morgan, MacWeek, 10/8. "You see, a G4 iMac or iBook would be classified as a "weapon," just like the G4 Power Macs."
News: Another controversy to relieve tedium and ennui in the Mac website world, Charles Moore, Applelinks, 10/8.
Web: MOSR.net, parody and critique of MOSR.
Opinion: iBook fails in every category? I think not!, MacProvider, 10/8.
Opinion: Why the sub-$600 iMac smells like bad cheese, Dave's Webworld, 10/7. Faster internet connections are coming soon - don't lock in to 56k for the next three years.
iMac: iMac DV's VGA port "supports only the display sizes that are available on the internal monitor." Bummer.
DVD: Star Trek #3: The Man Trap, The Naked Time, Star Trek #4: Charlie X, Balance of Terror, $11.99 prerelease price through 10/19/99, Amazon. Watch 'em on the iMac DV or PowerBook G3/400.
Opinion: Legacy Macs and the Professional Wedding Photographer, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings,10/8. Why one photographer prefers older Power Macs to Apple's G3 and G4 machines.
News: iBooks arrive at CompUSA, Robert Aldridge, The iMac, 10/8.
Opinion: FileMaker 5.0 Issues, John Halbig, MacNN, 10/7.
News: $20 Mac OS 9 rebate, Apple Computer. Owners of Mac OS 8.5-8.6 may qualify for $20 rebate. Details on coupon in OS 9 box. ($89.95 from Outpost.com)
OS: Mac OS 9 visual tour, MacNN. "The overall interface of Mac OS 9 remains virtually unchanged...."
Analysis: Are WebSide Story's HitBox stats on Mac internet traffic believable?, Charles Moore, AppleLinks, 10/7. "The HitBox product is only available for the Windows platform. Therefore the websites hosted on unix and linux or mac systems are excluded and will skew the data."
News: When will new iMacs ship?, Ben Apple, Mac Junkie, 10/7. Despite what Steve Jobs said, it doesn't look like they'll be available this weekend.
iMac: The scoop on iMac memory upgrades, Insanely Great, 10/7. "The new iMacs use standard PC-100 DIMMs...."
Opinion: Game developers weigh in on new iMacs, MacCentral, 10/7. Except for the mouse, it's a winner.
OS: Linux users counter Microsoft's Linux Myths.
Software: MCadContour, sophisticated mapping software covers Canada, U.S.
Web: How Mac are the Mac ISPs?, MacBC. Would you believe one serves pages and email with Windows?
News: Mac OS 9 breaks 384 open file limit, Ask Al, 10/7.
Opinion: Why Jesse wants an iMac, Jesse Berst, ZDNet, 10/7. "I still don't like Apple products very much. But increasingly, I hate Windows even more."
USB: Kensington ships new USB VideoCams, AllUSB, 10/7. Prices start at $50!
News: Mac OS 9 shipping, Mac Observer, 10/6. "The Apple Store has confirmed the fact that OS 9 is shipping...."
Benchmarks: G4/400 vs. Blue G3 w/400 MHz G4 upgrade, Bare Feats, 10/6.
Rumor: Faster PowerBooks lurking?, MOSR, 10/6. Rumored PB G3/366, 433, and 466 in the wings.
Rumor: Is the new iMac upgradable?, MOSR, 10/6. It's a definite maybe.
News: Teachers ban Microsoft software deal, Fairfax I.T., 10/6. "The schools complained after finding they would have to pay the fee annually, and for each PC they used, whether they wanted the software or not."
News: Motorola's next G4 chip to join 700 club, Cnet, 10/6. New microarchitecture supports onboard L2 cache, more instructions per cycle, and speeds beyond 700 MHz.
OS: Linux Myths, Microsoft, 10/4 [Apple's Orchard]. "...Linux simply cannot deliver on the hype." (As though Windows NT can?)
Deal: Zip 100 USB, $54.99 at Sears stores [DealNews]. Offer could end any time.
Opinion: Cheap, cheaper, cheapest: iMac takes sub-$600 plunge, Ben Apple, Mac Junkie, 10/6. "...you can get a shiny new iMac, as seen on TV, with three years of internet access all at the low low price of approximately $1,320."
Web: Mac FireWire List, learn more about FireWire.
Advice: Email efficiency, part 1, Deborah Shadovitz, MacCentral, 10/6.
Opinion: Fan Inside: Gauntlet thrown down to create convective-cooled PCs, Rodney O. Lain, The iMac, 10/6. Is the lack of a fan the new iMac's standout feature? Could be!
Benchmarks: SPECint, SPECfp for G3, G4, others, Mac Speed Zone
Connectivity: Why DSL will win the fast-access fight, Jesse Berst, ZDNet, 10/6. In a word, competition.
News: Apple unveils new iMac computers, CBS MarketWatch, 10/5 [MacNN]. "...an overloaded Apple Web site kept journalists, Apple shareholders and even internal Apple employees from watching Jobs speak...."
Opinion: Rumor sites knocked down a few pegs, John Farr, Applelinks, 10/5. "Let's see now, which of all the many supposedly sure revelations predicted by various Macintosh rumor sites actually came to pass?"
Opinion: iMac 2 released - the "real" iMac, Mac Junkie, 10/5. "Also of note is the instant start-up system."
Web: High School Alumni, a place to maybe find missing classmates.
Dark Side: Intel keeps Itanium processor frequency under wraps, Infoworld, 10/5. CPU formerly known as Merced will have onboard L1, L2, L3 caches, but Intel hasn't announced CPU speed of claimed 6 GFLOPS processor.
News: Woo-hoo! Now iMacs are awesome, Applelinks, 10/5.
News: New iMac released, Mac OS 9 announced, MacWeek, 10/5. $999 iMac, $99 OS 9 due out Oct. 23.
Opinion: The limits of power, John Martellaro, Mac Opinion, 10/5. "Increasingly, Apple is acting like Microsoft."
Opinion: Thou shalt not speak ill of Apple, Charles Moore, Applelinks, 10/5. "The 11th Commandment of Mac Website journalism might as well be 'Thou Shall Not Speal Ill Of Apple....'"
Opinion: Apple's weird relations with media and customers, Mihael Munger, Mac Observer, 10/5. "Why does Apple do this to Web sites? They offer an awful lot of free publicity to Apple and they do more and better advocacy than anyone."
Advice: Using PC parts on your Mac II, The Idiots, Mac Observer, 10/5. Adding an IDE drive to a non-IDE PCI Mac or clone, among other things.
News: Orange Micro announces USB/FireWire PCI card , 10/4 [Macs Only!]. $159 card due in November.
Dark Side: Intel names Merced chip "Itanium," MSNBC, 10/4.
Dark Side: IA-64 is RISC, David K. Every, MacKiDo. A look at how Itanium works.
Dark Side: Itanium: Behind Intel's new brand, ZDNet, 10/4. "...this is not a processor for the desktops."
Opinion: "Those" photos: they're at it again, John Farr, Applelink, 10/4.
News: Scramble over OS 9 conflicts, MacWeek, 10/4. "On the eve of Mac OS 9's debut, several third-party developers are still finding compatibility problems between the new operating system and their products."
News: TidBITS publishes 500th issue, 10/4.
Rumor: Will ATM be obsolete with OS 9?, Graphic Power, 10/4. "Mac OS 9 includes a type 1 scalar, providing ATSUI support for all flavours of Postscript Type 1 fonts, including OpenType."
Opinion: Kihei's real story, MacWeek, 10/4. "Apple is entitled to defend its intellectual property and trade secrets vigorously. Nevertheless, we question the wisdom of Apple's legal threats against small sites eager to post the good news about the iMac...."
Opinion: Rumors, Apple, and leaks, David K. Every, MacKiDo, 10/4. "We like hype. We need hype. Certainly a company needs hype. Having highly accurate rumors kills hype."
Opinion: Why I think the "new iMac" pics are fakes, Amy Hoy, Daily iMac, 10/4. "At first, I was made a believer, but when I started to pick nits, I started to see the façade of Photoshop fall away."
Opinion: Apple: Lately even their friends don't like them, Charles Moore, Applelinks, 10/4. "I love the Mac, but I am getting mightily annoyed with Apple...."
Opinion: Pulling the pics; Apple was in the right, Ben Apple, Mac Junkie, 10/4. "I agree completely with Apple's move to ask, tell or even demand to webmasters that these pics be removed."
Opinion: Which Apple "special event?," Steve Wood, Busman's Holiday, 10/4. "In a surprise move last week, Apple's legal department apparently conducted a 'special event' of their own."
Opinion: Open letter to the Mac online community about Kihei, Guy Connors, osOpinion, 10/4. "Every rumor, true or untrue hurts Apple. By full filling curiosity about new toys being developed by Apple, the Mac community is hurting Apple."
Opinion: Sacred clowns, Farr Side, Applelinks, 10/4. "And these days, if anyone needs the intervention of irreverence, it has to be Apple!"
Rumor: New Kihei iMac photos, AppleInsider, 10/4. Real or not, these folks are waving a red flag in front of Apple.
Advice: Yes, you can typeset your email, WebDesign.
Review: Microsoft IntelliMouse Explorer, Insanely Great, 10/4.
Hardware: Macintosh Duo: Everything you ever wanted to know, Power-Macintosh.com, 10/4.
Hardware: Do older Macs need USB, About.com. "...in general, right now USB is a nice option for pre-USB Mac owners." (also see our Guide to USB cards for PCI Macs)
News: Apple Lawyers threaten suit to 16 year old User Group leader, Dave's Webworld, 10/2. "My ISP was notified instead of me, and my ISP (as was their job, not their fault at all), contacted their lawyer, to notify me of the situation."
Rumor: Expected iMac II specs, MacOS Commerce, 10/2.
Analysis: Beware: Mac OS 9 disaster looming, Graphic Power, 10/1. "This is a critical issue in the Graphics Industry."
Review: Apple iBook, Cnet. The iBook is rated an editors' choice!
Virus: Melissa-like virus re-emerges in Outlook, Cnet, 10/1. Another virus targets Microsoft, ignores Mac OS.
News: iBooks at Sears - get 'em while you can, The iMac, 10/2. But CompUSA and regular Apple dealers have not yet received any.
News: iBook now available at Sears, Macs Only!, 10/2.
Rumor: More than Kihei, OS 9 on Tuesday?, MOSR, 10/1.
News: iBook abundant at Sears, resellers not happy, MacProvider, 10/1.
Opinion: Bad decisions - this time it's Apple Computer, MacBC, 10/1.
Opinion: Macintosh Web Media Alienated by a "Hostile Apple"?, Think Secret, 10/1. "...I think that it's time that Apple rethought how it should deal with the Mac websites."
Rumor: Graphite Kihei iMac to ship with "iMovie" software, AppleInsider, 10/1. Includes anticipated specs for all three models.
iBook: First impressions of a gamer, MacGamer.com, 10/1. Great screen, dispapointing graphics.
Web: Team Mac Observer still needs your help, Mac Observer. If you have a fast Power Mac, consider sparing some CPU cycles to help find ET and boost Team Mac Observer.
News: Amid rumor hoopla, Apple announces special event, Mac Observer, 10/1. Apple may announce new iMac on Oct. 5.
Rumor: Apple to launch iMac II next week, The Register, 10/1.
Rumor: Mac OS 9.0 reaches Final Candidate 9, AppleInsider, 10/1. "The release will 'officially' be unveiled during Apple's Media Event to be held on October 5th...."
Benchmark: How fast is the iBook?, iBookPlanet, 10/1.

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