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Atari Online News, Etc. Volume 02 Issue 08
Volume 2, Issue 8 Atari Online News, Etc. January 25, 2000
Published and Copyright (c) 2000
All Rights Reserved
Atari Online News, Etc.
A-ONE Online Magazine
Dana P. Jacobson, Publisher/Managing Editor
Joseph Mirando, Managing Editor
Atari Online News, Etc. Staff
Dana P. Jacobson -- Editor
Joe Mirando -- "People Are Talking"
Michael Burkley -- "Unabashed Atariophile"
Albert Dayes -- CC: Classic Chips
With Contributions by:
Carl Forhan
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=~=~=~=
A-ONE #0208 02/25/00
~ MS' Windows 'Me' Next! ~ People Are Talking! ~ 3Com's Color Palm
~ PSX 2 Orders Jam Web! ~ Gates To Discuss X-Box ~ EA Buys DreamWorks
~ Y2K Leap Day Hurdle ~ Quartz - Palm-killer? ~ MS Pocket PC
~ Surfing At Work Rises! ~ Microsoft Limits Temps ~ Songbird News!
-* How To Save PC From Hackers! *-
-* Judge Undercuts Microsoft's Defense *-
-* Microsoft Case Likened To Standard Oil Case *-
=~=~=~=
->From the Editor's Keyboard "Saying it like it is!"
""""""""""""""""""""""""""
What a difference a week makes! Last week I was in a foul mood; and we got
socked with about 8 inches of snow. This week was almost spring-like; and my
mood is comparatively better. I'm ready for winter to be over even though
we've had a relatively uneventful season. Other than some bouts of real cold
weather, snowfall has been calm around here.
It appears that Microsoft is not going to come out of this antitrust case on
a positive note. Unless Microsoft can offer a reasonable and acceptable
settlement, I see some troubled days ahead for the software giant.
I wonder if PC owners are ready for Round 2 of potential Y2K problems that
could occur next week, on February 29? There isn't much public notice
regarding these additional issues. I hope everyone comes through the Leap
Day unscathed!
Until next time...
=~=~=~=
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
compiled by Joe Mirando
jmirando@portone.com
Hidi ho friends and neighbors. I know that this doesn't happen often,
but I really don't know if I've got anything to say this time around.
It's been one of those weeks again. I don't know. Things just don't seem
to get any easier, do they?
In a nutshell, all my Atari computers are running like tops... well, the
ones that I use are, anyway. MagiC on the TT, NeoDesk/Geneva on the
Stacy, and stock TOS on both when I'm in a reminiscent mood gives me all
the functionality I need while staying well within the memory and hard
drive constraints. That alone makes it a far cry from today's "mature"
operating systems.
That term always makes me laugh. Mature operating system. Let me see...
starts with a 'tabula rasa', needs to be hand fed, spends most of its
time making annoying noises and dribbling all over whatever happens to
be handy, can't clean itself up, and consumes much more of your time
than you ever thought it could. Hmmm... THAT doesn't sound mature to me.
Windows has left me cold since way back when they had different versions
for 286 and 386 machines. And while I haven't seen Windows 2000 yet, I
don't expect the trend to change. Linux is a good solid step in the
right direction, but it still imposes a huge drain on the system in
compute cycles, memory, and storage. The reason I prefer Linux to
Windows is mainly that I've found Linux to be rock solid, while Windows
on my laptop needs to be rebooted daily or it becomes unstable. I
haven't rebooted my laptop under Linux because I've had to since I
installed it.
The only real problem I have with Linux is documentation. Most
documentation assumes that you have a good working knowledge of Linux
and, therefore, leaves some pretty important things out. But I've found
that despite the initial imposition, this "fault" actually helps you to
learn how and why things work within the operating system. That's
another one of the things I dislike about Windows: The fact that it
insulates you from so much of what's going on that it might as well be
happening because of magic.
Huh. I guess I really DID have something to say after all. <grin>
Well, let's get to the news, hints, tips, and info from the UseNet.
From the comp.sys.atari.st NewsGroup
====================================
Martin Tarenskeen asks:
"I am using STinG 1.20 without much problems.
Can anyone tell me why I should update to version 1.22?"
Joe Villarreal tells Martin:
"On my TT, Sting 1.22 is quite a bit faster than 1.20 was. It's not
uncommon to get downloads of 10,000+ bps with Magic6 using Dan Ackerman's
overlay 1.3101 optimized for the TT, Falcon. This is early in the morning
when most people are still asleep. Evening speeds vary somewhat from an
average of 4500 up to around 10,000; still very acceptable speeds.
Don't know about other Atari computers though."
Alyre Chiasson asks about using GEMulator:
"I have installed the Gemulator 2000 software and also have the internal
rom card. Try as I might I cannot get Calligrapher Gold to properly
install the 5th disk so it doesn't always ask for disk 1. Even when disk
1 is in the drive Gemulator doesn't recognize it. I though that maybe
setting up a virtual disk would be a solution? However, perhaps I don't
understand what a virtual disk really is? I though it was space reserved
in memory. So how can Gemulator set up a default 80 MEG C drive on a 32
MEG machine (swap file?). Even so, how do I get my current Atari files
on to this virtual disk? Once the virtual drive is set up I no longer
have access to my Windows C partition to copy the files to the virtual
disk. There is obviously something I am missing here.
Any clarification and solutions appreciated."
John Kolak tells Alyre:
"I don't have experience with your particular situation, but I don't see
the need for a virtual drive. My Gemulator resides quite nicely on my
4GB PC drive. It is a little inconvenient to have all those PC folders
in my GEM window though. Maybe an "Atari" folder that would show up
alphabetically at the top of the window would be more convenient."
Djordje Vukovic adds:
"It seems to me that one of (rare) drawbacks of Gemulator is its
inability to map folders into "drives" the way PaCifiST and TOSBox do.
In my opinion that is a very handy way of keeping Atari files out
of the way when using Windows, and vice-versa.
I have mapped folders into Atari "drives" from Windows itself (SUBST... ),
but although Gemulator sees such "drives", I did not succeed to boot
the emulated computer from them. So all the Atari startup stuff
(MAGIC_PC.OS, AUTO folder, DESKICON.RSC, NEWDESK.INF, *.ACC, etc.)
is in the root of the "real" C-drive,, which is not very handy, indeed.
Any suggestions how to do it better?"
Kenneth Medin adds his thoughts:
"Perhaps the drive has problems reading the disk? Is the program
copy protected? If so, maybe the the pc can't handle it?
Try to make a copy of the disk. If that works, try to install with the
copy. If it's really copy protected you may have to find a cracked copy
instead.
A virtual drive is a huge file in the Windows environment that
Gemulator treats like an Atari hard disk.
Atari TOS does not use swap files internally. You simply get a virtual
(not physical!) hard disk on partition C in the desktop. You may have to
install the drive icon in the normal Atari manner too.
Gemulator can be run in two modes:
1. Using the normal Win hard disks, floppys, cdroms etc. directly. This
means your Atari files will mix with Windows files. This mode is less
compatible with how a genuine Atari works. You may have problems sorting
the AUTO folder etc. I have also had problems with Atari programs (written
by myself) that tries to read a file up to "end of file" leading to program
errors.
2. Using virtual drives. These behaves exactly like normal Atari drives.
Also the floppy may accept more strange formats? I had to use this mode to
get the STinG network run with Gemulator. In this mode all Atari files are
kept separated from Windows ones.
In 1. you can copy and delete files at will all over the pc hard disk.
But you should avoid copying pc files with long filenames.
In 2. You have a totally separate Atari inside the pc. Only the floppy
is shared. NOTE that this can lead to data corruption! Windows does not
recognize changes written to the floppy by Gemulator. Always remember
to take the floppy disk out and reinsert it so Windows thinks it has
been exchanged. In this mode you install programs just like on a real
Atari by using floppys. To copy a file to/from the Windows environment
you also have to use a floppy. If you have a real Atari (with hard disk)
too, you can of course also run a terminal program on both computers
and copy files using zmodem and a null modem cable. Even possible to
share drives with tcp/ip and BNET or by using ftp, but needs a bit more
configurations to work."
Aleksandar Sarovic asks about saving an old file from the ST:
"I wrote a long text 8 years ago on Atari 1024ST and saved text on
diskettes together with a text program called SIGNUM. Now I would like to
open the text on PC but cannot. Tried to use emulator and got folders but
cannot open it because PC does not recognize SIGNUM with SDO extension.
Maybe the best choice would be to find Atari computer, open the file and
convert it to any PC recognized file or send the text to my address by
e-mail. Is there anybody in Toronto area willing to help me? Any suggestion
will be welcome."
Pera Putnik tells Aleksandar:
"If you use e-mail, it is not important where the person is who will do
the conversion."
Aleksandar tells Pera:
"It is extremely important, because the person who may do the conversion
does not have my diskettes and I cannot send him files via e-mail because
my machine could not pick the files up..."
Pera replies:
"If you use Gemulator you should activate Atari disk mode. Then you must be
able to copy files from ST floppies to PC hard disk. Btw. Gemulator is now
completely free."
Kenneth Medin jumps in and tells Aleksandar:
"You should copy the files from floppy to hard disk, not open them by
double clicking!
First keep the floppy write protected (open the tab).
Insert floppy in pc
Double click on "My computer" icon. This opens a window with your
available disk drives.
Double click on the floppy and hard disk icons.
Select the files on the floppy you want to copy. Drag (with mouse button
down) the files from floppy window to hard disk window.
Even more simple would be to simply start your email program and attach
the files right from floppy."
Martin-Eric Racine asks about taking his Stacy apart:
"I'm in the process of disassembling my Stacy to install a bigger
hard-disk, but ran into one stumbling block: the display's wire harness.
It is too short to easily move the top assembly apart, or even to access
the connectors. What's the trick?"
Jos Vliestra tells Martin-Eric:
"I did it once 2 years ago, you have to dismantle the LCD screen and then
dismantle the spring (very carefully). Then you have to help the white
wires very gently through the hole in the housing."
Kevin Dermott adds:
"Many people have killed STacys trying to upgrade them. I managed to put a
large hard drive and HD floppy controller in mine. One tip: The internal
SCSI host only supports up to Gig and is fussy as to what drive it has.
Good luck."
Brian Hutchinson asks about upgrading his Falcon:
"I'd like to upgrade my Falcon but there are so many options I don't know
about:
Nemesis
Eclipse
CenTurbo II
Afterburner 040
PPC
The list goes on!
I want to speed up my system, get better video (true color and 1024x768
at least) and run various OSs like Linux, NetBSD, Minix, Mint etc. as
well as TOS.
I currently have a Falcon 030 with one of the clock mods, two external
SCSI drives and a external SCSI CD ROM. I still use the stock internal
80M IDE, although I would like to get the Wizztronics adapter and add a
3.5" IDE I have laying around.
Could someone knowledgeable about these upgrades tell me about the pros
and cons about computability etc.? I'd like to hear from people who
have some of these upgrades to hear about their experience.
The monitor I am using is a Mag 17". I think I might have a problem
here too. I don't think this monitor will do ST low will it? Monitor
help is appreciated too!"
Phil Walding tells Brian:
"I ran a Mag 17" (MXF, I think) on my Mega4STe for a while and while it
had a great range, no - it wouldn't do ST low. I was running it through
a Crazy Dots II and it did do a great 800 x 600 at around 100Hz."
Rich Elwell adds:
"My website has some info about the Afterburner040. It includes my
fitting experience and info about software compatibility.
http://www.rjelwell.demon.co.uk/ab040.html"
Well folks, that's it for this time around. Tune in again next week, same
time, same station, and be ready to listen to what people are saying when...
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
=~=~=~=
->In This Week's Gaming Section - Songbird News! PSX 2 Orders Jam Web!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" X-Box! EA Buys Dreamworks Interactive!
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2!
'Fear Effect'! And more!
=~=~=~=
->A-ONE's Game Console Industry News - The Latest Gaming News!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
PlayStation Orders Jam Web Site
The samurai in splendid armor and the cannons bursting with smoke look so
smooth and vivid on the TV monitor screen they could pass for scenes from
an animation film.
``Kessen," or ``Battle," is one of the new games for Sony's upgraded
PlayStation video-game machine that fans are getting a chance to try out
for the first time this weekend.
The PlayStation 2 - which will go on sale in Japan on March 4 and is
planned for the United States in time for Christmas - boasts a startling
attention to detail in its imagery.
But while the fight scenes are dazzling on screen, many eyes are focused
on the battle off screen among Sony and video game console rivals Sega
Enterprises, which makes Dreamcast, and Nintendo, maker of N64 and the
portable Game Boy.
Sega's Dreamcast wowed users with its amazing graphics and its promise of
Internet connectability for online gaming when it was introduced last
year. Now it's Sony's turn.
Sony Computer Entertainment, Sony's video game unit, plans to sell a
million of the $360 PlayStation 2 consoles here in its first round of
shipments next month.
``It's a fantastic number, no matter how you look at it," said Hitoshi
Kuriyama, an analyst with Merrill Lynch in Tokyo.
Reflecting widespread opinion, Kuriyama forecasts Sony will need a year
to start turning a profit on the PlayStation 2, losing $180 for every
machine sold and recording a loss of $180 million in March alone.
It's a cost Sony apparently sees as worthwhile if it hopes to keep its
edge in the intensifying war against its Japanese rivals.
Like the Dreamcast, the PlayStation2 will contain a 128-bit processor, up
from a 32-bit processor in the original system which was launched in
1994. Video-game analysts say the machine will be as powerful as a
supercomputer.
Dreamcast is cheaper than the PlayStation 2, retailing at $199. The
Dreamcast costs $180 in Japan.
Sony accounts for about 60 percent of the U.S. game-machine market, while
Nintendo - which is expected to launch its own new machine later this
year - holds more than 30 percent and Sega less than 5 percent. Sony also
dominates the Japanese market at about 60 percent, with Sega trailing
behind at 35 percent.
Sony hopes to cash in on the fans of the original PlayStation, which
total some 70 million worldwide. Except for about 16 titles, all of the
more than 2,600 games for the current PlayStation can be played on the
new PlayStation.
So far, the new console is generating plenty of excitement. The Internet
home page for advance orders, which opened Friday, shut down for a short
time after getting overwhelmed with as many as 500,000 hits a minute,
said Sony Computer Entertainment president Ken Kutaragi.
The PlayStation 2 is considered a good deal because it is also a DVD
player, which starts at about $630 in Japan - it can also play CDs.
Prices for most of the games are still undecided but are expected to be
about $52.
Whether Sony can maintain momentum in sales in the coming months will be
critical to its success, said Masahiro Ono, an analyst with Warburg
Dillon Read.
``Will the spectacular graphics be enough to make the machine a hit with
game fans? They don't buy machines on graphic quality alone," Ono said.
EA Buys Dreamworks Interactive
Electronic Arts, preparing a big push into PlayStation II, will pay an
undisclosed amount for the creator of Lost World: Jurassic Park.
Electronic Arts, an interactive entertainment software company, said
Thursday it will buy multimedia developer DreamWorks Interactive, LLC.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Under the agreement, DreamWorks Interactive (DWI), which has been working
with Electronic Arts over the past two years, will become a wholly owned
subsidiary of the company.
Dreamworks Interactive was formed as a joint venture in March 1995 by
Microsoft and DreamWorks SKG, under the creative leadership of Steven
Spielberg. The company is known for PlayStation titles as Lost World:
Jurassic Park. Electronic Arts will bring world-class production processes,
and a strong global distribution and marketing infrastructure to
DreamWorks, the companies said.
Electronic Arts is pushing hard to have products ready for Sony's
PlayStation 2 console, and is also working on an America Online game
service, scheduled to debut this summer.
Gates Likely To Discuss X-Box At Game Developer Confab
Microsoft Corp. Chairman Bill Gates is expected to disclose details of the
company's much-rumored video game console in development, code-named the
X-Box, when he speaks at a game developers conference next month, video
gaming industry analysts said.
Earlier on Tuesday, the sponsors of the Game Developers Conference (GDC)
issued a press release, saying that Gates, who is now also Microsoft's
chief software architect, will make opening remarks at the conference on
Friday, March 10.
``He is just coming to address the gaming development community in his new
role as chief (software) architect," said a spokeswoman for Microsoft.
``He has opportunities to do those kind of things now." She said she did
not know if Gates would discuss the rumored X-Box. ``All we know is what's
in the release."
``The presentation is expected to focus on Microsoft's ongoing commitment
to the entertainment market," said the Miller Freeman Game Group, which is
organizing the conference, in a statement.
But analysts and video gaming experts said that Gates will likely take this
opportunity to make public the first details about the Redmond, Wash.-based
software behemoth's foray into the video game console industry.
``Clearly, he is going to get up there and talk about X-Box," said Tony
Russo, editor-in-chief of Next Generation, a video game magazine which
broke the story about the X-Box last autumn. ``A lot of people who will be
at that presentation will be developers who have already had discussions
with Microsoft in the past few months...This is the perfect place to reveal
this technology."
The X-Box represents Microsoft's entry into the highly competitive video
game console industry, which is currently dominated by Sony Corp.'s
Playstation. This week in Japan, Sony launched its highly-praised
Playstation2, which will hit stores in Japan on March. The Playstation2
will be launched in the United States this coming fall, just in time for
the holiday shopping season.
Microsoft will also face competition from a reinvigorated Sega Enterprises
Ltd. , which is regaining some of its lost market share with its new
Dreamcast console and from Nintendo Co. Ltd. and its new Dolphin system,
currently in development.
``With Sony, Nintendo and Sega, they have a stranglehold on the market,"
said Schelley Olhava, an analyst at International Data Corp. ``It would be
difficult for a new company to get into the market. But Microsoft is a big
company with lots of money and lots of marketing power."
Analysts said the X-Box will be primarily a video gaming console that plugs
into the TV set, with Internet access, some personal computer hardware like
a hard disk drive and possibly a DVD player. It is not expected until
sometime in 2001.
``We are all going to have different machines that do a lot of different
things," said John Davison, editor-in-chief of Electronic Gaming Monthly.
``The X-Box fits into that..I don't think it's going to be a do-everything
box."
Activision Rides With Hawk Again With
'Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2'
Legendary pro skateboarder Tony Hawk and Activision, Inc. are in
development to bring ``Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2," to the PlayStation game
console, Nintendo 64, Game Boy Color, Sega Dreamcast and PC. The highly
anticipated sequel is expected to be released this fall. As with ``Tony
Hawk's Pro Skater," the sequel's PlayStation game console version is being
developed by Neversoft Entertainment.
One of last year's best-selling PlayStation game console titles, ``Tony
Hawk's Pro Skater" has remained on NPD TRSTS' top 10 list of best-selling
PlayStation games since its launch in Sept. '99. The game was the #1
best-selling PlayStation title by units sold from Oct.-Dec. '99 and has
garnered critical acclaim winning multiple awards including, ``1999 Action
Game of the Year" from Electronic Gaming Monthly magazine, ``1999
PlayStation Game of the Year" and ``1999 Best Action Game of the Year"
from Game Informer magazine and ``1999 PlayStation Game of the Year" from
C/Net Gamecenter.com.
``'Tony Hawk's Pro Skater' was a huge success for Activision, both in terms
of sales figures and critical acclaim," stated Mitch Lasky, executive vice
president, Activision Studios. ``With its all-star line-up of pro skaters
and superb gameplay, 'Tony Hawk's Pro Skater' set the benchmark for the
genre. With 'Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2' we will take the skateboarding
category to new heights."
With the most comprehensive roster of pro skaters, an intuitive control
scheme, and enhanced skating physics, ``Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2" will
deliver the most authentic and cutting-edge skateboarding experience and
expands on the groundbreaking features of the original game. The sequel's
increased number of tricks and combinations -- including new grabs, grinds,
inverts and lip and nollie tricks -- will challenge players to master new
skills as they work their way up the skateboarding ranks.
Adding depth and replayability to the game is the most advanced Skatepark
editor, allowing players to build their own dream parks from scratch.
Players can see exactly how their park will look in the game as they plot
out a course using a variety of parts -- ramps, rails, obstacles and
quarterpipes -- in the real-time 3D editor. Once a level is laid out it can
be saved to a Memory Card and shared with friends. Additionally, a total
character customization feature allows gamers to modify the pro skaters'
clothing, physical appearance and trick sets, or build an entirely new
character from scratch.
Players can ollie and grind in a variety of new international real world
settings, including skate parks and locations in New York, Marseille, and
Rio de Janeiro. Each environment is littered with secret areas, short cuts,
ramps and interactive objects allowing players to trick off of just about
everything in sight.
Offering several modes of play, ``Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2's" two-player
split-screen trick attack mode give skaters the ability to interact with
other players, allowing them to compete on ramps and in skateparks for
style points, race between various obstacles on the tracks or play in
graffiti mode in which players ``tag" different obstacles in the
environment by performing tricks off of them. The game also features a
variety of multiplayer modes including an all new multiplayer competition
mode in which players can compete with and against up to seven opponents in
a judged skate competition, new street, vert and best trick modes and an
enhanced version of H-O-R-S-E. Additionally, the game also features new
mini-games that players can unlock as they advance through the improved
career mode as well as a replay mode where players can view the highlights
of each run.
3DO Ships Army Men Sarge's Heroes for PlayStation
The 3DO Company Wednesday announced the release of the Army Men -- Sarge's
Heroes game for the PlayStation game console, the sixth game in the
remarkably successful Army Men brand.
The Army Men -- Sarge's Heroes game blasted to the top of the charts when
it appeared last September on the Nintendo® 64 platform, debuting at #2 on
the NPD charts in its first month of retail sales, and remaining in the Top
10 Best-Selling Nintendo Titles for five months. The game remains in the
Top 10 Video Game Rentals as reported by VIDTRAC.
``We're thrilled to be bringing the most successful Army Men game so far to
the huge audience of PlayStation game players," said Trip Hawkins,
chairman and CEO of The 3DO Company. ``Sarge is one of the most dynamic
characters ever created for a video game, and he resonates with gamers and
mass consumers alike. The game appeals to adults who remember playing with
the plastic toys and to kids who just like cool game play."
The Army Men -- Sarge's Heroes game introduces a cast of nine different
characters with loads of personality in a rollicking adventure as Sarge
sets out to rescue the elite Bravo Company Commandos, foil the Tan Army in
its quest for diabolical weapons, and even take time out for a little
romance. Over 25 minutes of engaging, high-resolution, Hollywood-style
cinematics bring the characters to life and draw players into the story.
Renowned voice actor Jim Cummings, best known as the voice of ``Tigger,"
provides Sarge's trademark drawl.
In his quest for world domination, the evil General Plastro sends his Tan
soldiers through mysterious portals to bring back horrible weapons of mass
destruction like the giant Magnifying Glass. Players lead Sarge though 15
missions of up to five separate objectives each. Eight levels in the
``Plastic World" feature everything from treacherous mountain terrain to
arctic wastelands, forests, towns, and heavily defended enemy army bases.
In ``Our World" the player will experience warfare like never before as
Sarge fights through seven levels set in a suburban home: the backyard
garden -- complete with giant insects and flowers -- the living room, the
kitchen, and the bathroom. Six multiplayer missions extend the fun and
Family Mode allows players of all skill levels to enjoy the game together.
Eidos Interactive Announces Fear Effect for the
PlayStation Game Console Is Now Shipping
Fear Effect is a suspense action/adventure game unlike any of its
predecessors. Delivering thrills, excitement and terror in equal measures,
Fear Effect is designed to provoke emotional responses by fully immersing
you into imaginary, alive worlds.
When Wee Ming Lam, the daughter of a powerful Chinese businessman,
disappears into the hedonistic and dangerous city of Shan Xi under
mysterious circumstances, your team of mercenaries infiltrate the city and
attempt to reach her first, hoping to leverage her safety for a sizable
pile of cash.
They will have to search, and fire-fight through the archaic chaos of an
alternate reality China and its inhabitants while constantly being
challenged by the henchmen of the girl's father who have no intention of
letting her get away.
Gamers control these mercenaries through richly detailed, high resolution,
fully animated backgrounds dubbed ``Motion FX technology." The game also
features seamless transitions between narrative and gameplay moments to
create a true interactive movie experience. In addition to massive amounts
of action, the gamer will have to solve numerable puzzles, and explore six
distinct worlds as this mature-themed story of greed and betrayal unfolds.
Rob Dyer, president of Eidos Interactive says, ``Fear Effect is an
incredibly unique title. It features new technology, a deep storyline, and
provides gamers with an emotional experience that is rarely seen in a
videogame. We feel it delivers a cinematic experience that will really make
the gamer think."
=~=~=~=
->A-ONE Gaming Online - Online Users Growl & Purr!
"""""""""""""""""""
Songbird Now Accepts Online Payments With PayPal!
Songbird Productions now accepts online payments with PayPal. Simply visit
the link below, sign up for a FREE PayPal account, and PayPal will even
deposit $10 into your new account (no strings attached).
https://secure.paypal.com/refer/pal=forhan%40yahoo.com
Show your support for Songbird, and create a new PayPal account today.
Also, don't forget, if you have the $10 Songbird coupons, you need to place
an order by 3/1/00 to use them. Check out the Songbird catalog at
http://songbird.atari.net.
Finally, Hyper Force balance payments and new orders are now being taken.
Please send in your balance or new order ASAP. Email forhan@millcomm.com
with any questions about the new Jaguar games.
Sincerely,
Carl Forhan
Songbird Productions
http://songbird.atari.net
=~=~=~=
A-ONE's Headline News
The Latest in Computer Technology News
Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson
Judge Compares Microsoft Control to Rockefeller's
The judge in Microsoft's antitrust trial on Tuesday likened the software
giant to the sweeping Standard Oil monopoly, which was broken up by
government trust busters nearly 90 years ago.
In a further blow to Microsoft Corp., District Judge Thomas Penfield
Jackson said he saw little difference between the Windows operating system
used on most personal computers and the 19th Century oil monopoly of tycoon
John D. Rockefeller.
``Mr. Rockefeller had fee simple (absolute) control over his oil," Jackson
told Microsoft Corp. lawyer, John Warden. ``I don't really see a
distinction."
Jackson is presiding over a case brought by the government accusing
Microsoft of using a monopoly in Windows to leverage market share for other
software products.
He was speaking at a hearing to help determine whether Microsoft's action
violates the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 -- a law prompted in large part
by the abuses of the Standard Oil trust.
Standard Oil at one time controlled 90 percent of the U.S. oil market and
was sued in 1906 by President Theodore Roosevelt's administration. A 1911
Supreme court decision split it into 30 separate companies.
On Nov. 5, at the end of an earlier phase in the trial, Jackson found that
Microsoft held monopoly power and used it to harm consumers, rivals and
other companies but he stopped short of any legal conclusions.
Warden had argued that Microsoft was justified in taking many of the
actions the government says were illegal because it enjoys copyright
protection for Windows.
Warden argued copyright protection gave Microsoft the right to limit
computer makers' use of its product.
``What evidence did you give me about what is protected by copyright?"
Jackson asked.
Warden said that the company had filed its copyright registration and other
papers and that the burden shifted to the government.
``I don't really understand your copyright defense," Jackson said.
Earlier, government lawyer David Boies said that Microsoft had never
supported its copyright allegations with any evidence.
Boies spent his time attacking Microsoft by comparing the judge's findings
of fact to a string of Supreme Court decisions that he said proved that the
world's largest software company broke the nation's antitrust laws.
``Microsoft never tells us what is the Supreme Court case that is most like
theirs." Boies said.
Boies cited Jackson's findings of fact that said Microsoft induced and
threatened Internet service providers and computer makers to shut off the
two most important avenues for Netscape Navigator, a rival to Microsoft in
the market for Web browsers to view the Internet.
Netscape was later acquired by America Online Inc.
``Look at this conduct through the lens of Supreme Court principle," Boies
told the court.
Boies cited Supreme Court cases that said that the Sherman Act prohibits
conduct that has no legitimate purpose except to exclude rivals.
Later, Warden cited several Supreme Court arguments that he said supported
the firm's views. Warden had not finished his argument when the trial
paused for lunch.
Judge Undercuts Microsoft Defense
The decision on whether the Microsoft Corp. violated U.S. antitrust law now
rests with the trial judge, following a contentious final day of courtroom
arguments and the judge's own blunt rejection of an important legal defense
for the software company.
A decision from U.S. District Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson could come
within weeks - absent an unlikely settlement with Justice Department
lawyers. Microsoft cautioned that the verdict, widely expected to favor the
government, could carry enormous impact on the nation's booming economy for
decades.
Secret negotiations continue in Chicago under a federal mediator, and the
judge briefly inquired about the talks during a private meeting with
lawyers following Tuesday's final arguments.
But the sides showed in court that they remain far apart on key issues.
Justice Department lawyer David Boies said it was hard to imagine how the
company did not violate both sections of the federal Sherman Act. Microsoft
lawyer John Warden said Boies was ``entirely wrong" and insisted still
that the company doesn't hold monopoly power.
``The laws should not be rewritten so that Microsoft or any other company
is reluctant to compete as hard as it can," Warden said.
Warden asserted that Microsoft, for example, can't be judged to wield
monopoly power because it can't reasonably restrict production of the
world's computer operating system software. He compared it to the ability
of General Motors Corp. to reduce production of Cadillacs but not by itself
dramatically cut production of all other automobiles as well.
``General Motors has competitors," the judge responded, suggesting that
Microsoft doesn't.
Jackson found in a harshly-worded interim decision last year that Microsoft
was an abusive monopoly whose actions hurt consumers, generally accepting
all the government's allegations. But he delayed the final phase of his
verdict, partly to encourage settlement talks, when he is expected to
identify which antitrust laws Microsoft violated.
In this last round of arguments, Jackson challenged Microsoft's claim -
then hours later appeared to reject it entirely - that its federal
copyrights allow wide latitude in the way it designs and distributes
software even when it appears to clash with antitrust prohibitions.
``Copyright does not protect the conduct with which your client is
charged," the judge bluntly told Warden.
At issue is Microsoft's decision in 1995 to bundle its Internet browser
software into its flagship Windows operating system, which runs most of the
world's personal computers. The government alleges Microsoft illegally
``tied" separate products to crush consumer demand for rival browsing
software from the former Netscape Communications Corp.
Microsoft's copyright defense was critical because it potentially protected
its demands that computer makers that sell Windows on their machines also
include Microsoft's own Internet software, regardless of consumer
preference.
Microsoft's top lawyer, William Neukom, said outside court he did not
believe Jackson was skeptical of the copyright defense. The judge's
repeated questioning indicated he was ``genuinely curious to understand it
better," Neukom said.
Boies cited dozens of excerpts from the judge's favorable decision last
year, arguing that Microsoft spent hundreds of millions of dollars to
develop its Internet software then gave it away free.
Boies urged the judge to rule that the company violated both sections of
the Sherman Act, which prohibits a monopolist under some circumstances from
tying separate products and generally prohibits monopolies from wielding
their power to protect their influence.
Windows 'Me' Next Up for Microsoft
Now that Microsoft Corp. has finally shipped Windows 2000, its most
ambitious product yet, the software giant is turning its attention to a
face-lift of its ubiquitous consumer operating system.
Because Windows 2000, launched by Chairman Bill Gates last week, targets
businesses, Microsoft says average users should wait for the updated
version of Windows 98, officially dubbed Windows Millennium Edition, or
Windows Me.
That software will not make the kind of dramatic leaps in performance and
stability that Windows 2000 boasts, but it will sport a slightly newer look
and built-in tools for gadgets such as digital cameras and digital music
players.
``We are targeting this as a more incremental step forward in some
long-term goals," Shawn Sanford, group manager for Windows Millennium
Edition, said in an interview on last Friday.
While Windows 2000 has won high marks from reviewers for its rock-solid
stability and watertight security, it is not designed to work with many
entertainment products like fancy fast-action video games.
With 3-D icons, less-cramped menus and smoothly opening windows, Me may
look much like 2000, but is based on different programming technology.
Me is rooted in the DOS code that Windows 95 and 98 are based on, while
2000 is built from the more advanced and crash-resistant NT code.
``It's largely cosmetic. They've taken a lot of visual aspects of Windows
2000 and blended them into Windows Me," said Andy Rathbone, who is
contracted to write a ``Windows Me for Dummies" guide to the software.
Sanford promised numerous tweaks that would make the update less likely to
crash. A new feature, ``system restore," will be a safety hatch for when a
software installation goes horribly wrong, or if settings or programs are
accidentally altered or deleted.
``You can actually roll your machine back to the way it was the day before,
the week before, or before you last installed software. There is no timely
process of recreating the way it was before," Sanford said.
``We are looking at really simplifying the experience around movies, around
pictures, music and games," Sanford said.
Other bonuses include easier set-up for home networking, an improved
version of the Explorer Web browser, and support for "universal plug and
play" technology that will link refrigerators, TVs, and other appliances
together, Sanford said.
Microsoft poured more than $1 billion to create Windows 2000, and is
spending another $500 million over the next two years to try to make it the
platform of choice for businesses as they rush to cash in on the e-commerce
boom.
Windows Me, however, is expected to make much less of a splash, Rathbone
said.
``They pretty much have the consumer market wrapped up, there's really
nothing else people can use on their desktops," Rathbone said. ``The
business level is what they haven't captured, so they are making a big push
on Windows 2000."
More than 90 percent of consumer PCs run Windows 95 or 98, but Windows NT
has captured only about one-third of the market for servers, the powerful
machines that underpin networks and the Internet.
It faces stiff competition from Microsoft arch-rival Sun Microsystems Inc.,
Novell Inc., and several start-up firms pitching the free Linux operating
system.
The worldwide roll-out of Windows 2000 prompted two Wall Street investment
firms to issue bullish outlooks on Microsoft, with Lehman Bros. reiterating
its ``buy" rating and Credit Suisee First Boston repeated its ``strong
buy" tag.
3Com Corp. Unveils Color Palms
3Com Corp. is adding a little color to the popular Palm personal organizer.
The new Palm IIIc model, unveiled Tuesday and retailing at $449, is the
company's first color-screen version and comes at a time when it is trying
to keep competitors such as Handspring Inc., Casio and Compaq from gaining
market share in the handheld devices market. Some of those companies
already have color-screen models.
The new Palm model will include software for viewing pictures and Web
pages in color. Because the color screen drains batteries faster, the
IIIc has a rechargeable battery pack built in.
Palm also introduced a mid-price model, the $249 Palm IIIxe, as well as a
portable keyboard for its entire line.
3Com next week is expected to spin off Palm Inc. into an independent
company in an initial public offering. Palm hopes initially to raise $570
million by selling 23 million shares to investors and 15 million shares to
corporate partners America Online Inc., Motorola Inc. and Nokia Corp.
Quartz: The Palm-killing PDA?
It's a cell phone that streams multimedia, browses the Web, sports a
Palm-like interface -- and might just be given away by telecos.
Is the stand-alone PDA dead?
With the unveiling of the Symbian consortium's Quartz devices at the CeBIT
computer show in Germany this week, analysts say current handheld devices,
such as the Palm, face competition from a new breed of integrated handheld
device that packs telephony, streaming multimedia, Web browsing and
Palm-like computing.
By Christmas, European cell-phone subscribers should be able to upgrade
this year's digital handset to a Quartz "communicator," giving them the
full functionality of a Palm organizer or handheld Windows CE device at no
extra cost.
In the United States, meanwhile, Symbian CEO Colly Myers confirmed the
consortium has held discussions with , and these are likely to continue.
AOL has touted an "AOL Anywhere" access device but has yet to publicly
decide on a platform.
Symbian's color devices, featuring a 320-by-240-pixel "quarter VGA"
screen, provide enough horsepower for multimedia playback, supporting
MPEG, MP3 and video conferencing. The devices double as a conventional
cell phone by plugging in a headset -- or wirelessly using a Bluetooth
headset or ear clip. Bluetooth will even allow the device to be left in a
jacket pocket or briefcase, with voice activation triggering the call.
"If I was Palm I would be beside myself with panic," said IDC analyst Jill
House. "In Europe, where there's a good wireless infrastructure, the
competition is pretty much over."
Symbian -- whose shareholders include handset giants Matsushita (Panasonic),
has modeled the Quartz interface closely on Palm's operating system. The
reference design, or DFRD, calls for an upright tablet-style device with
two or four buttons. Like the Palm, there is no built-in file manager, and
a simple, task-based applications screen.
But the deathblow for today's PDA manufacturers may be the price: zero.
After demonstrating an interactive route-finding application on Quartz at
the Symbian Developer Conference last week, Ericsson executives indicated
that the device would be sold much like today's cellular handsets: through
subsidized contracts with carriers. Today's phones sell for upward of $350
retail, but the vast majority of subscribers instead pay a modest monthly
rental.
And the low cost is expected to see "smart" phones and communicators take
a slice of the cellular market predicted for 2003.
"Even if only a tenth of devices are data-enabled units, that is a hundred
million WIDs -- (today) Palm's doing quite well at 2 to 3 million," said
Symbian's Myers.
Java poweredSpeaking to ZDNet News, Myers denied similarities between the
Palm and Quartz platforms. "The devil's in the detail: On the face of it,
Palm-size PCs look like Palm, too, but they aren't being successful," he
said. "Unlike Palm, we're running Java, and our true voice integration
makes it quite a different product."
But there's more to the PDA than just the device, according to IDC's
House.
In the United States, where roaming between networks is expensive and
coverage is patchy, and where no single air-interface standard rules,
House said PDAs such as the Palm have a fighting chance.
"The U.S. is going to be harder for Symbian. The infrastructure just isn't
set up to handle that kind of solution," she said. "It needs a buy-in from
the carriers, and, unlike Europe, carriers are much more interested in
having their own play."
In addition, users who've recently bought into Palm may be loyal while the
devices remain useful: "People won't ditch what they already own," she
said.
MS PocketPC In Your Pocket By April
PocketPC's new user interface and application software, code-named Rapier,
is an easier-to-use successor to Microsoft's Palm-size PC.
Just in time for tax season, consumers will be able to use Excel on their
PocketPCs.
Microsoft Corp. is preparing an April launch of, and a new suite of
applications for, its PocketPC. The Redmond, Wash., software maker hopes
that consumers will find PocketPC's user interface and application
software, code-named Rapier, an easier-to-use successor to its Palm-size
PC.
PocketPCs will offer new hardware designs from a number of vendors, along
with the new user interface and applications such as Pocket Explorer and
Pocket Word. The device's underlying operating system will be Microsoft's
Windows CE.
New PocketPC devices will be divided into two categories, or classes.
PocketPC Standard devices, sources said, will offer basic personal
information management capabilities with the addition of Microsoft's
Pocket Explorer and Microsoft Mobile channels, which allow users to
automatically download Web sites, taking them on the road. PocketPC
Standard devices, with monochrome screens, will start at about $199,
sources said.
PocketPC Standard devices are meant to be "a good personal organizer with
Microsoft channels and good connectivity," said a source.
A feature-rich deviceMicrosoft and its hardware partners will also offer a
more feature-rich PocketPC device, called PocketPC Professional.
The Professional, a name borrowed from Microsoft's Handheld PC
Professional, will include, for the first time, Microsoft's Pocket Word
and Pocket Excel applications, as well as the new Pocket Explorer, sources
said.
The Word and Excel applications will likely be used to view documents and
spreadsheets on the PocketPC Professional. Light editing should also be
possible. It is not yet known if Microsoft has changed file formats for
the applications to allow Word 2000 or Excel 2000 documents created on a
PC to be read without translation on a PocketPC or vice versa.
The device will also sport improved handwriting recognition software,
sources said.
In addition, PocketPC Professional will offer Microsoft's electronic book
reader application and clear type technology, which will allow users to
read electronic books on the devices. Also included will be the Microsoft
Media player application, which can play MP3 or Windows Media Player audio
files.
PocketPC "is not perfect, but it's a real improvement over the last
generation," said a source familiar with the device.
It will have to be to woo customers away from Palm Computing's products.
PocketPC, formerly known as Palm-size PC, has been a distant second to
Palm Computing's Palm line of handheld devices since its introduction in
1998 as Palm PC.
Observers say that the lower price points of the monochrome PocketPC
Standard devices are aimed squarely at the Palm and Palm licensees, such
as Handspring Inc., which sells the Visor handheld.
Palm Computing this week announced its first color device, the Palm IIIc.
Microsoft officials were contacted for this story; however, they declined
to comment on unannounced products.
The company has said that Hewlett-Packard Co., Casio Corp. and Compaq
Computer Corp. will be among its PocketPC hardware makers.
How To Protect Computer From Hackers
Here is how to protect home computers running Microsoft Windows 95 or 98
from hackers and other snoopers on the Internet:
- Turn off the option that lets others look at your files and use your
printer. To do so, click the Windows ``start" button, go to ``settings"
and select the ``control panel." In the control panel window, double-click
the ``network" icon. In the network window, click on the ``file and print
sharing" button, and uncheck the two checkboxes in the new window.
- For additional protection, get a ``firewall," a program that monitors
your computer's connection to the Internet. Security expert Steve Gibson
of Gibson Research Corp., in Laguna Hills, Calif., recommends ZoneAlarm,
which can be downloaded for free from Zone Labs Inc. at www.zonelabs.com.
Another option is Symantec Corp.'s Norton Internet Security 2000, which
sells for $50 to $60. Information can be found at www.symantec.com.
You can test how secure your computer is at Gibson Research's Web site,
www.grc.com.
U.S. Sets Leap Day Computer Monitoring Plan
The United States and about a dozen countries will work together to track
any automated-system failures sparked by a leap day next week that occurs
only once in 400 years, the U.S. government said on Thursday.
``It's a real issue that we feel obligated to keep track of," John
Koskinen, President Clinton's chief aide for the Year 2000 technology
challenge, told reporters at a $50-million Y2K monitoring station.
Koskinen said he did not expect any major system failures, largely because
organizations typically checked for leap year compliance while
trouble-shooting for the so-called Y2K bug.
``If there are difficulties in many cases it will result in minor or
modest glitches that can be remedied quickly if people catch it quickly,"
he said.
To keep tabs internationally, Koskinen will take part in scheduled
conference calls every eight hours over a three-day period with national
Y2K coordinators on the steering committee of the World Bank-funded
International Y2K Cooperation Center.
This group includes Britain, Bulgaria, Chile, Gambia, Iceland, Japan,
Mexico, Morocco, the Netherlands and South Korea. Australia and New
Zealand have also been invited to take part because they can give early
warning shortly after Feb. 29 dawns at the International Date Line.
The $50 million information coordination center set up under White House
auspices to track Y2K glitches will be operational from Feb. 28 to March
1. It will be staffed from 7 a.m. (1200 GMT) to 9 p.m. (0200 GMT) by
about 75 federal workers per shift, about half as many as for the century
date change, when it ran around the clock.
The greatest leap day risk is to customized software used for record
keeping or billing, especially where the number of days is central to the
process being carried out, such as computing interest, Koskinen said.
Unlike the Y2K issue -- where the use of only two digits to signify the
year was standard practice -- the potential leap year problem results
from misunderstanding the rule for when an extra day is added to the
calendar.
Under the little-known three-step rule, February picks up a 29th day in
years divisible by 4 except when the year is divisible by 100 -- unless
the year is divisible by 400.
Thus, the Year 2000 is the first leap year of its kind since 1600. The
three-step rule was crafted for the calendar introduced by Pope Gregory
XIII in 1582 to better synchronize with the cycle of the seasons. The
years 1700, 1800 and 1900 were not leap years.
Koskinen said previous testing found that some software programmers knew
enough of the leap year rule to get to its second step. That would mean
they could have coded 2000 as a normal year, in which February had 28
days, instead of the 29 required.
Koskinen, who chairs the President's Council on Year 2000 Conversion,
said he would brief the press on any glitches at 2 p.m. (1900 GMT) Feb.
29 and March 1.
At the fnail briefing, he said he would announce White House plans for
the futreu of the state-of-the-art computer systems built for the
rollover watch post.
Microsoft Moves to Ban Long Temps
Microsoft Corp. is limiting its temporary workers to one year of employment
at a time, with 100-day intervals in between - a move that will force up to
1,500 of its long-term contract workers to find new jobs or seek permanent
positions with the company.
Microsoft's policy change, announced Friday, follows pressure from
litigation and union organizers to bar use of so-called ``permatemps" -
temporary workers who stay in the same job for years, but without the
benefits offered permanent workers.
The software giant began informing temp agencies early last week of the
new policy, which goes into effect July 1.
In the past, there was no limit on the amount of time temp workers could
stay at Microsoft.
Microsoft ``is slowly but painfully finding out that they have to treat
people who work full time, year round, as regular employees," said Mike
Blain, a former contract worker at Microsoft and co-founder of the
Washington Association of Technical Workers, a local labor group.
The company's permatemp practice was challenged in two lawsuits filed by
long-term temporary workers who want permanent-worker benefits. Microsoft
lost one case, which won temp workers the right to buy Microsoft stock at
a 15 percent discount. The second lawsuit, seeking medical and retirement
benefits, is pending.
Sharon Decker, Microsoft's director of contingent staffing, said the
company made the change because of the lawsuits and negative publicity
surrounding the permatemp issue.
Microsoft has been aggressively hiring temp workers into full-time
positions for the past couple of years, she said - and about 35 percent
of new hires have worked there as temps.
``We want to make sure that our temporary assignments are true short-term
assignments, and one of the criteria is that they should be less than 12
months," Decker said.
The average temporary assignment at the company is about 10 months, she
said.
Decker encouraged Microsoft's 5,500 to 6,000 temp workers - most of whom
are among the 13,800 people at its headquarters in this east Seattle
suburb - to apply for the 3,000 permanent positions now open. Microsoft
has about 32,000 employees worldwide.
The company's new temp-limits policy reflects those at such companies as
IBM and Intel, said Rob Enderle, an analyst at information-technology
advisory firm Giga Information Group.
``They are bringing the corporate policy in line with the law," Enderle
said. ``You should never have a temporary person working for more than
one year."
Faster Web Connections Prompt Higher At-Work Surfing
Much to the chagrin of many managers and supervisors, people are spending
more time surfing the Internet at work than they are at home, mainly
because home Web connection speeds pale in comparison to the faster
connections that companies give their employees.
During January, at-work Internet users spent an average of 21 hours on the
Web, more than double the amount of time at-home users were online,
according to Nielsen/NetRatings, a Web measurement service from Nielsen
Media Research Inc. and NetRatings Inc.
The new monthly survey found that although the active Internet audience
size on the job was less than half that at home -- 30.6 million users at
work versus 77 million at home -- working people went online an average of
41 times a day, dramatically higher than the average 18 sessions at home.
``Web users are taking advantage of the fast Internet connections within
the workplace to communicate and obtain information more efficiently,"
said Allen Weiner, vice president of analytical services at NetRatings.
``While there may be less people overall using the Internet at work
compared to the home, those who utilize the medium in the workplace are
spending more time on it because of its easy accessibility and its high
bandwidth," Weiner said.
In addition, NetRatings found that finance, news and electronics sites are
more popular to at-home surfers, with finance sites reaching 31.1 percent
more users at work than from home.
Among the leaders in the online finance category were Marketwatch.com Inc.,
Intuit Inc.'s Quicken.com, Time Warner Inc's CNNfn.com and E+Trade.com.
News and information surged as a hot category among work-place Web users,
reaching 35.5 percent more users at work than from home. At-work users also
spent 68.3 percent more time on these sites than they do from home,
according to the survey.
Traffic to Microsoft Corp.'s online news channel MSNBC nearly tripled in
the workplace at 18.5 percent versus 6.8 percent for at-home usage. Online
publisher Ziff-Davis Inc.-ZDNet and CNET Inc. doubled their reach in the
workplace.
In the electronics category, Dell Computer Corp.'s Web site showed the
largest increase in reach at 268 percent between work users and home users.
Traffic to Hewlett-Packard Co. showed a 250 percent rise in the workplace,
while Apple Computer Inc.'s site had a 107 percent jump.
=~=~=~=
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