Topic 15 THE BOTTOM LINE (Pulling The Plug!)
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Topic 1
/// Visa Claims Stake In Cybersource Corp. ///
An early November news item stated that Visa International had
placed an equity investment into Cybersource, a software and
electronic business transactions company.
No dollar amount or terms of the agreement were released at
press time, but it was announced that both companies plan to
co-develop online shopping enhancements for Visa-affiliated
banks and their associated merchant partners.
The two companies will also pool their efforts to create new
safeguards to prevent Internet credit card fraud.
Topic 2
/// Windows 2000 Is Next Step In Evolution ///
What was thought to become Windows NT 5.0 has been renamed
Windows 2000 by Microsoft Corp.
As the release date keeps slipping farther back, Microsoft
executives wanting to take some of the pressure off, have added
the "2000" designation to cover their butts as 1998 slips away,
and 1999 approaches. According to some observers, even a 1999
ship date is not a certainty.
Under the new designations, Windows NT Workstation will become
"Windows 2000 Professional" and "Windows 2000 Server." The NT
Server Enterprise edition will be named "Windows 2000 Advanced
Server.
A souped-up version of NT will be called "Windows 2000 Data
Center," and will be released as a 64-bit operating system,
which is designed for large-scale tasks such as engineering,
data warehousing, and the more massive server applications.
Windows 98, Windows CE, and Windows NT 4.0 names will remain
the same until they are obsoleted. After that, the consumer
operating system from Microsoft will be named "Windows 200X."
The "X" will designate the year of release, according to
Microsoft.
Topic 3
/// $1,000 LCD Price Barrier Broken ///
Many color display vendors already are offering 15-inch LCDs
below the $1,000 mark.
Three models were recently tested by a prominent trade magazine,
and were found to be quite satisfactory for the asking price of
$999.
The Computer Reseller News Test Center staff liked the AcerView
F51 as offered by Acer Peripherals Inc., the VS-F15 from KDS
USA, and the LC50s produced by Matsushita Electric Corp.
The testers said that all three gave good-to-excellent picture
brightness and resolution. They gave extra points to the Acer
unit for its overall image quality, and the Panasonic display
received bonus points for its built-in speakers and Universal
Serial Bus (USB) hub.
Topic 4
/// IE 5.0 Beta Brewing At Microsoft ///
A beta version of Microsoft Corp.'s newest browser will have
arrived at the door steps of designated testers by the end of
last month.
Internet Explorer 5.0 (IE 5.0), according to Microsoft, will
offer various improvements over its 4.0 browser counterpart, one
of which comes from new and better search technology. Other
enhancements include "spam filtering" and the "Microsoft
Wallet," which helps ensure safe transactions over the Internet.
The release of IE 5.0 is expected to coincide with the release
of Microsoft Office 2000, and according to the company's road
map, that should occur during the first quarter of next year.
Web publishing features are built into IE 5.0, which includes
FTP (File Transfer Protocol) capability. Added to the FTP
enhancement is a "Smart Edit" module that gives its users an
annotated tool bar to make things a little easier.
If the "self-repair" utility works, IE 5.0 will detect and
repair errors and will synchronize offline and network data. In
addition, a "Checkbox" feature offers a quicker way for users to
save Web pages to their Favorites Folder for offline viewing.
Topic 5
/// FTC Probe Of Intel Pushed Back ///
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission and Intel Corp. have agreed
to push back an antitrust hearing date from January 12 to
February 23, 1999 in order to give both parties ample time to
review the evidence.
According to an Intel spokesman, on Feb. 23, an administrative
law judge from the FTC will open the hearing to arguments from
both the government and Intel. The case is based on claims
that Intel used its market clout to hamper its competitors.
Topic 6
/// AOL To Use Netscape As Default-- Maybe ///
Although the top story on Nov. 24 may have been the $4.2
billion stock buyout of Netscape Corp. by America Online Inc.,
it may have been a little misleading.
It gave the impression that now the leading Internet service
provider would offer Netscape Navigator as its default browser,
but another news story painted a different picture.
It was revealed last month that AOL will renew its contract with
Microsoft Corp. , which specifies Internet Explorer as the
default Internet browser. But it may take a crystal ball to
figure out exactly what AOL has up its sleeve.
Along with the $4.2 billion in Netscape stock, AOL also gained a
three year marketing deal with Sun Microsystems Inc., according
to news sources who had access to a conference call placed by
the CEOs of all three companies.
AOL's top executive, Steve Case, stated that his company has the
option to renew the browser agreement with Microsoft, signed in
March 1996, as long as he notifies Microsoft by the end of
December.
Topic 7
/// Preliminary Injunction Against Microsoft ///
A preliminary injunction was issued against Microsoft Corp. by
a federal judge on Tuesday (11/17/98).
Judge Ronald Whyte granted a request by Sun Microsystems, Palo
Alto, Calif., for a preliminary injunction against Microsoft,
which further intensifies the bitter rivalry between the two
software giants.
One year ago, Sun had accused Microsoft of hindering Sun's
ability to make Java a cross-platform language by creating a
Java implementation that was not compatible with Sun's version.
Sun had insisted that its Java development tool called Visual
J++ 6.0, and its Software Development Kit for Java be included
in Windows 98.
Judge Whyte's decision allows Microsoft a 90-day period in
which to address its failure to pass Sun's Java compatibility
tests. One Microsoft attorney said that one of his company's
options would be to omit Java technology from its products.
Topic 8
/// PersonaLogic Inc. Acquired By AOL ///
America Online Inc. announced last month that it had initiated
acquisition proceedings to take over PersonaLogic Inc., a
privately held San Diego-based company, which specializes in
so-called 'decision guide' technology that tracks and collects data about
consumers' buying habits.
The acquisition move was a gainer for AOL stock, which rose
nearly 2 percent in early Wednesday trading, to $146.94-- very
close to its 52-week high, according to the analysts.
AOL officials said they plan to enhance PersonaLogic's software
for use in E-commerce applications. The company also indicated
that PersonaLogic's technology will be added to Digital City,
CompuServe and other AOL services.
Topic 9
/// Biometric Security For HP In 99 ///
In addition to being Smart Card ready next year, Hewlett-
Packard Co. announced last month that it is planning to
introduce biometric security features into its 1999 product
lines.
A news story out of Las Vegas revealed that fingerprint scanners
will be available to ship with HP's OmniBook series laptops by
the first quarter of 1999. The scanners will first be made
available for mobile computers, and later on for desktops,
according to an HP spokesman. The company also suggested that
voice recognition and scanners that identify the iris of a
human eye are other avenues of biometrics being considered as
options on future HP machines.
In any case, the cost of the high-tech snooping devices will
add from $50 to $150 to the price of a PC system.
Topic 10
/// More Speed For Less Money ///
Intel Corp. will be increasing the speed of its Celeron chip
to 433-MHz and its higher-end processors to 600-MHz next year,
as revealed by market sources. It was also noted that steeper
price cuts are also part of Intel's 1999 strategy for both the
Celeron and Pentium II lines.
The 600-MHz chip will arrive later in the year in the form of
the "Katami" version of the Pentium II CPU, which will have
enhanced MMX (multimedia extensions) and will run on the new
133-MHz system bus.
Industry observers are looking for Katami-based PC systems to
hit the market in late February or early March. Initial clock
speeds for the Katami chips will be in the 450- to 500-MHz
range, and are expected to also have deflated prices in order
to move them quickly into the market. A 533-MHz Katami chip
is slated to debut by the second quarter of next year with a
wholesale price of $740, but inside sources indicate that by
the end of the year, the resellers and original equipment
manufacturers (OEMs) will be able to buy the 600-MHz version
for the same price.
Topic 11
/// MCI WorldCom DSL Rivals Cable Modems ///
High-speed Internet access via MCI WorldCom Inc.'s DSL (Digital
Subscriber Line) architecture may become the cable modem's
biggest rival.
The major carrier stated last month that it plans to make DSL
service available nationwide through its Uunet operation to
about 400 POPs (Points of presence) by the end of this year
or as many as 600 POPs by March of 1999. The company is also
predicting 1,000 POPs by the end of 1999.
MCI WorldCom/Uunet has also partnered with some Regional Bell
operating companies and with two local exchange carriers--
Northpoint Communications Inc. and Covad Communications to
help set the new DSL system into motion.
At present, Uunet sells Symmetric DSL service offering 768-
Kbps in several U.S. cities. And the kicker is that DSL uses
standard copper telephone lines to achieve high-speed data
transmission. Geared to the business community, Symmetric DSL
is priced at $500 per month, but if you can live with a service
that provides from 64-Kbps to 384-Kbps for about $50 per month,
Uunet's Asymetric DSL may be a good alternative to a cable
modem service.
One trade publication last month noted that America Online Inc.
and Earthlink Inc. will be testing the new communications
services by the end of this month.
Topic 12
/// MCI WorldComm Laying Off 2,000 Workers ///
Some 2,000 MCI WorldCom Inc. workers will get their pink slips
by the end of this year, according to a Dec. 11 news article.
The MCI/WorldComm merger, which took place three months ago,
generated rumors of job cuts, but now those rumors have become
cold hard facts as company officials confirmed that about 2,000
workers would lose their jobs.
One company executive was quoted as saying "There will be, from
time to time, some parts of the organization that will be pared
back." He also indicated that many of the employees that were
to be eliminated were in "staff level" positions, which were
duplicated when the merger took place-- suddenly there were
two sales managers when only one was required, etc.
Topic 13
/// Microsoft 3-D Graphics Sidelined ///
Microsoft Corp. has temporarily sidelined its "Chromeffects"
enhancement for Windows 98. The new 3-D graphics technology
was designed to unleash a whole new class of interactive media
content for Web development.
The Windows 98 add-on had been slated for general release in
the first quarter of 1999, but now, industry sources are
reporting an "indefinite" delay.
Topic 14
/// IBM Pushes PC Storage Envelope To 25-Gb ///
Two high-capacity hard drives will be shipping from IBM Corp.
in February that may set the standard for PC storage in the
new millennium.
IBM has already inked deals with Compaq Computer, Gateway,
Hewlett-Packard, Micron Electronics, and others to take delivery
of its 25-Gigabyte Deskstar 25 GP and its 22-Gb counterpart,
Deskstar 22 GXP storage drive.
A recommended street price for either of the two drives is $599,
as reported by Computer Reseller News this month.
Topic 15
THE BOTTOM LINE
<> PULLING THE PLUG ON THE GRAPEVINE <>
Our more frequent readers will have noticed that this month's
issue of the Gigabyte GrapeVine is much shorter than most of
the previous ones.
In years past, I could always blame the extra time required in
preparation for the Christmas holiday season for my lack of
journalistic content, but this season there has been another
occurrence that has taken a great deal of my time.
After many years of involvement with the computer/electronics
industries as a vocation and an avocation, I have become
involved in a whole new life style that has very little to do
with computers and modern living in general.
Through a friendship acquired with a fellow Christian, I have
yielded to my life-long interest in horses and animals, and as
one thing lead to another, all of a sudden, I find myself
working as a ranch hand and assistant horse trainer on a 190-acre farm.
Having some experience as a rider and horse owner some 27-yrs.
ago would not seem to qualify me for anything but the cleaning
of stables, but the farm manager likes the way I treat the animals.
The normal work day is what one would expect-- feeding & tending
to the animals which include Appaloosa and other horses, llamas,
beef cattle, burros, several breeds of pure bred dogs and an assortment
of other birds and animals. Then there is the barn work, fence mending
and building, etc.
After our normal work day and evening feeding is done, the manager
and I head to our little "buggy shop" where we spend a few hours of our
"spare time" building full-size and miniature horse-drawn buggies and
buck boards along with some old fashioned ox yokes and wooden plows
for good measure.
Anyone who has farmed or worked with animals will tell you that
it is a seven-days per week job, which does not leave much time
for research into other more trendy life styles such as Web
page design and computers in general.
As for this URL, as the GrapeVine gets plowed under, a new site will
rise here. It will be called "Buck's Horse & Animal Page"-- featuring
notes, pictures, and information gathered by Kenneth "Buck" Jones
and myself related to animals, horses, and safe riding practices.
Buck and I hope you will check out our new site next month, and that
you will also enjoy a change of pace as we escape from the computer
realm, where planned obsolesence demands radical upgrades every three
months or so, to a way of life that has basically remained the same for
centurys.
For the moment at hand, I will take some extra time to count my
blessings during this Christmas season, and extend to you my
warmest desire for you and yours to have an enjoyable Christmas
and New Year experience filled with blessings.
Gary Miller
