18th November 1998 Archive
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Sun win knocks wheels off Microsoft Java plans
A ruling forcing Microsoft to purify its Java may undermine Redmond's fragmentation strategy
Sun claimed a major victory over Microsoft yesterday when a California judge granted a preliminary injunction forcing Microsoft to stop shipping its version of Java, and ordering it to start shipping Sun's. On the evidence that's come out of the Sun-Microsoft case so far it looked like Microsoft had a good chance, but District …
Business 18 Nov 1998, 09:51
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Be raises $25 million for future development
OS vendor takes Great Satan of chips' shilling
Intel has invested in 'alternative OS' developer Be, as predicted (see Intel to buy into Be). A number of venture capital firms also chipped in, bringing the total sum raised by Be to $25 million. The company did not reveal what proportion had come from Intel coffers, and neither did the Great Satan itself -- one of it …
Business 18 Nov 1998, 10:55
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Justice throws Microsoft OS/2-shaped lifebelt
Did Microsoft cynically destroy OS/2 by, er, paying IBM to employ all those useless execs?
Has the Justice Department thrown Microsoft some handy red meat in the shape of John Soyring? The IBMer, now director of Network Computing Software Services and formerly in charge of OS/2 development, took the stand yesterday, but the appearance of the O word could be exceedingly helpful for Microsoft. Soyring pointed out that …
Business 18 Nov 1998, 11:00
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Sun judge says ‘unfair business practice’ key to Microsoft injunction
So the Sun case starts to converge on the antitrust one...
Sun has won a preliminary injunction against Microsoft over Microsoft's attempt to subvert Java (Related Story). Federal Judge Ronald Whyte of the San Jose district court said that Sun was "likely to prevail" at trial and that Microsoft must make its Java offering compliant with Sun's specification within 90 days. Microsoft has …
Business 18 Nov 1998, 11:03
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Syquest finds buyer
Is it Iomega the Click?
Syquest, the hard drive manufacturer which has entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, said it had found an unspecified buyer. It said it has signed a letter of intent and the sale will depend on the deal being finalised by 25 November. Long-time rival Iomega is known to be interested in buying Syquest's assets. The …
Business 18 Nov 1998, 11:36
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Samsung to spend $250 million more in Austin plant
At the same time it will sell off its non-memory semis
Samsung Electronics is to rationalise the parts of its semiconductor business which do not specialise in memory. At the same time, it announced that it is to invest $250 million more in its Austin 64-Mbit DRAM fab. That is a joint investment with Intel. It will also spend $400 million in its display facility in Tijuana, Mexico, …
Business 18 Nov 1998, 11:54
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Intel appoints first clutch of Euro-resellers
Otek in Cardiff first UK one, boyo
Intel said it had appointed its first fully accredited resellers in the European region. Otek Computers in Cardiff is one of the first, said Intel. Other resellers include Dutch companies Dyme and Quibus. The programme which was announced some weeks ago, allows qualified resellers to use a logo, gives financial incentives, …
Business 18 Nov 1998, 11:55
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Games software in Europe to boom
But then it will decline...
A report by the European Leisure Software Producers Association (ELSPA) said that games software will be worth $6.44 billion in Europe this year. But the market will slow in 1999 and start to show a decline in the year 2000, ELSPA said. Last year, PC games was worth $2.39 billion in Europe, while the console market was worth $1. …
Business 18 Nov 1998, 11:57
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Intel pursues further networking purchases
Shiva not enough -- we want more, says Great Satan
Intel is on the acquisition trail as it continues its strategy to drive further into the networking hardware market, admitted CEO Craig Barrett, yesterday. "We'll probably make some more acquisitions," he said. "We're looking at some people." Intel has already bought networking companies Case Technologies and Dana Communications …
Business 18 Nov 1998, 11:59
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NCD scores thin client deal with EDS
And picks up Tektronix's business while it's about it
EDS has adopted Network Computing Device's ThinStar Windows-based Terminals and Explora network terminals for use in its thin-client corporate systems. The devices will be supported by EDS Network Computing Services and deployed within heterogeneous networks. NCD is the producer of Intel's 'official' lean client reference design …
Business 18 Nov 1998, 12:00
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Proxim banks on CE for wireless expansion
Company rounds up supporting posse for Comdex
The sudden explosion of interest in a series of different (and dare we say, mutually incompatible) wireless networking systems for the home and office has prompted a counter-strike from the old guard at Comdex. Wireless networking specialist Proxim has rounded up a group of 16 partners using its systems, which incidentally have …
Business 18 Nov 1998, 12:02
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Lucent signs content deal for embedded appliances
InfoSpace alliance adds content to turnkey solutions system
Lucent's real-time operating system venture, Inferno, has signed a strategic marketing agreement with Internet content service provider InfoSpace.com. The double act is one of the first signs that information appliances are starting to shake down as a combination of device itself and content and services, rather than as simple …
Business 18 Nov 1998, 12:04
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Vodaphone shows increased profits, sales
Shortage for Christmas?
Vodafone has posted improved profits, with the company predicting a shortage in mobile phones over the Christmas period. The UK’s largest mobile phone group saw pre-tax profits leap 60 per cent to £477 million for the six months ended September 30. Turnover was up 34 per cent to £1.56 billion, with Vodafone saying there was no …
Business 18 Nov 1998, 12:04
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Testimony points to corporate hostility to integration of IE
Faced with it, large numbers have been vaping the system and reinstalling
The news of Sun's preliminary injunction and the start of John Soyring's evidence almost eclipsed attention from DoJ expert witness Glenn Weadock's evidence, but there were some interesting developments. Richard Pepperman, an attorney for Microsoft, continued his attack on Weadock, claiming that his research methods were …
Business 18 Nov 1998, 12:11
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Netscape to buy user-maintained Web directory
Great Satan of browsers plays Mozilla open source card to win over anti-corporate NewHoo users
Netscape's scheme to expand its Netcenter Web portal took a step further yesterday with the announcement that the company intends to buy Internet directory service NewHoo. It's an interesting purchase. Many commentators have made much of NewHoo's use of freeware, but that's probably as much about saving money as Net anti- …
Business 18 Nov 1998, 12:28
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AMD users go through roof at $35 fix for K6-2 crash
Microsoft does not want people to use Win95 no more
Users have reacted in disbelief and fury that they will have to pay $35 for a software patch which will fix problems they have with K6-2 processors. (Story: AMD K6-2s crash with Win 95) AMD is not making the patch, which fixes a problem in the Win95 operating environment, available on its Web site. The reason for that is because …
Business 18 Nov 1998, 12:38
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AOL, Netscape discuss closer ties
Navigator in AOL, equity stake, AOL/Netcenter co-marketing agreement all in the offing, claims WSJ
Netscape and AOL are in talks to embed Navigator into AOL's online access software, the Wall Street Journal has reported. The companies are also discussing co-marketing agreements that include building tighter links between AOL's online service and Netscape's Netcenter portal. That's hardly likely to win over some of the Net's …
Business 18 Nov 1998, 12:45
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A year ago: Compaq's Eck gives Keno speech
Re-architected CEO realises Canion a visionary
You can find this story, from last year's Comdex coverage, at this URL, complete with pictures of Eckhard Pfeiffer's brand new haircut...®
Business 18 Nov 1998, 12:55
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Cisco, Novell to announce compatibility agreement
Deal brings NDS support to Cisco hardware
Cisco and Novell are to announce an agreement that will see both companies making their products broadly compatible by integrating Netware Directory Services (NDS) with Cisco's hardware, according to sources quoted in the New York Times. However, the agreement doesn't bring the two companies as close together as many pundits had …
Business 18 Nov 1998, 13:08
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Liquid Audio wins Iomega support
Zip vendor to bundle Liquid Audio Player and co-sponsor music retail site
Iomega has agreed to bundle Liquid Audio's digital music software with future storage products -- in a special version keyed to specific Zip disks. The first fruits of the deal are likely to appear early next year when Iomega begins to ship its 250MB successor to the popular 100MB Zip drive (see Iomega to update Zip). Both …
Business 18 Nov 1998, 13:33
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Key IBMer jumps ship to join Spring
After 31 years of service the man bites the bullet
John Botten (53) has abandoned his 31 year career with IBM to become group COO at IT services group Spring. He leaves his top position at the vendor to join Wirral-based Spring on 1 January 1999. He will report to Karl Chapman, group chief executive, and join the board of Spring. Botten also served on the main board of IBM UK, …
Business 18 Nov 1998, 13:35
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IBM takes DB2 to the masses
IBM segments down as SQL Server scales up
Recognising that a gloop of middleware applications is not the easiest thing in the world to demo, IBM Software did the sensible thing and invited a bunch of European hacks to pig out at a Mexican restaurant, near the Las Vegas Convention Center. While the journalists tucked into their tacos, IBM showed off its latest take on …
Business 18 Nov 1998, 15:07
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Cisco network academy to create extra nerds
Great Satan of networks pledges £1 million in support
Cisco Systems is ploughing 1 million into the UK to help ease the skills shortage in the networking industry. The Cisco Network Academy programme, which was launched formally today by Cisco CEO John Chambers, is part of a global effort by Cisco to raise skill levels in IT. In particular, he said he hoped the money would educate …
Business 18 Nov 1998, 15:27
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Proxim sinks jaws into Bluetooth
What's on the wireless, love?
A bunfight over wireless LAN standards, is stopping the technology from gaining mainstream acceptance, according to Proxim, the California-based wireless LAN card vendor. Seven major proposed standards are competing for mindspace in the wireless LAN market, and divisions between rival contenders are holding back the market, the …
Business 18 Nov 1998, 15:53
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Corel to offer Linux WordPerfect Office 2000 for free
Company adopts Red Hat sales model and Citrix terminal-based computing model
Corel president and CEO Michael Cowpland has promised his company will provide its WordPerfect Office 2000 suite to Linux users free of charge. And the company has its eyes on Citrix's approach to computing with a technology that allows the OS to run Windows applications remotely. Speaking at Comdex, Cowpland said Corel was …
Business 18 Nov 1998, 16:14
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Soft soap replaced by hard surf
Surveys show soaps suffer from Frank Phil confession
Brits are surfing the net instead of watching the comings and goings in Albert Square or Coronation Street, according to three surveys. But pornography could be pulling many viewers away from their favourite soaps, one of the surveys concluded. Viewers are increasingly turning off their TVs for their home PCs, logging on between …
Business 18 Nov 1998, 16:15
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LG opens Aladdin Park in Karachi
Family Outings are us
In one of those disingenuous, but disturbing releases that South Korean companies occasionally perpetrate, The Register was interested to see that LG had opened a theme park in Pakistan's capital city Karachi which has already attracted 20,000 people. Said LG in the release: "It is fast becoming the place for family outings in …
Business 18 Nov 1998, 16:29
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Intel back-tracks on PC-on-a-chip integrated CPUs
Integrated processor product due in 2000, apparently
Intel has decided it's not quite as averse to the PC-on-a-chip concept as it used to be, and confessed it will offer such a product in 2000. According to Intel's senior VP of server architecture, Paul Ottelini, quoted on CNET, the Great Satan will use integrated CPUs to attempt to win back ground at the low end lost to the likes …
Business 18 Nov 1998, 16:47
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Comdex 98 updated: Intel's CEO has strange streak
Claims to have sense of humour! Doh.
The CEO of Intel has revealed a strange streak in his nature, our correspondent at Comdex, Mike O'Processor, reports. Skulking around the edge of the show, Mike noticed Esther Fison, the famous journalist, participating in an incorrect hour with a not very funny American comedian called Bill Maher. Barrett made an indirect …
Business 18 Nov 1998, 16:56
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Fabless chip companies are flawed, AMD claims
Rise or fall?
The going will be tough for new fabless CPU companies –- Rise, Transmeta and others of that ilk –- predicts Dana Krelle, AMD vice president. Fabless companies are operating a flawed business model, which will turn them into bottom feeders, he claims. “Only by innovating ahead of Intel are you able to add value,” he says. Fabless …
Business 18 Nov 1998, 18:57
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Compaq opens new Reading colour direct thing
Are they colour-blind or what?
Compaq has unveiled its colourful new 12 million Service Solution Centre in Reading purpose-built to provide multivendor support for 14,000 products from 1,300 vendors. The building is a tribute to it designers who made extensive use of vibrant colours on the walls, stained glass and wavelike MDF curves to create a unique …
Business 18 Nov 1998, 20:10
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Compaq: a half-apology
Muck raking totally unnecessary and The Register is accused of it
A penitent hack at The Register will not make a formal apology to Compaq for dishing the dirt at the company's brand spanking new Services Solution Centre in Reading. Your mucky journalist with the byline above trampled mud throughout the £12 million building during a whistle stop tour of the formerly spotless hi-tech complex. …
Business 18 Nov 1998, 20:14
