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22nd January 1999 Archive

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  • Magee exposed as liar

    That's what a fibber is, isn't it?

    When I took Mike Magee to Galway at the end of last year, little did I imagine I could capture him with this shot. We make DRAM so I knew if I caught Magee outside this bar with a camera swiftly bought from a chemist in the same square, it would make a great story. And so it has. Fibber, by the way, in England, means someone …

    Business 22 Jan 1999, 00:01

  • A year ago: Compaq gets Net knickers in a terrible twist

    Report suggests U-turn from Great Satan of HairStyles

    We were supposed to meet Roel Peiper at Comdex/Fall but were told he had suffered a skiing accident. Now we have a fair idea of exactly what that accident was. The Dutchman had attempted to ski down Eckhard Pfeiffer's hair and bumped into a road block. That also seemed to be the case for Eck's top channel supremo, who left the …

    Business 22 Jan 1999, 08:38

  • Industry at crossroads – PCA report

    But speakers have different ideas

    The Personal Computer Association (PCA) held its annual dinner at the Computer Trade Show in Birmingham, with speakers discussing whether the industry is at a crossheads. But opinions differed as to the importance of the Internet for vendors, distributors and dealers. George Evans, MD of Making Markets, which has push technology …

    Business 22 Jan 1999, 10:00

  • UK trade show wins exhibitors' praise

    Six thousand dealers tip up in Birmingham

    The Computer Trade Show (CTS) managed to attract over 6,000 visitors in its two day run at Birmingham earlier this week. According to Stuart Greenfield, MD of the company which organises the show, on the first day there were 3,060 attendees, with a similar number arriving on day two. The show is in its second year, and …

    Business 22 Jan 1999, 10:01

  • Cyrix teams up with Phoenix

    Information appliances en route

    Chip manufacturer Cyrix, which is owned by National Semiconductor, said today it had signed a far-reaching agreement with Phoenix Technologies. According to a statement from the company, the agreement means there will be a dedicated engineering team working on future technology. Dick Sanquini, VP of the Cyrix group at NatSemi …

    Business 22 Jan 1999, 10:19

  • Euro journalists get Intel treatment

    French and Germans hacks treated differently

    A document seen by The Register which details Intel's approach to European journalists makes a clear distinction between the French and the German press. The French aren't interested in technology while the Germans are, claims Intel. Yesterday we reported that Intel makes a clear distinction between UK journalists and the rest …

    Business 22 Jan 1999, 10:36

  • Watch out – here comes Windows $2000

    Witness argues Windows would cost $2000 if Microsoft really ruled the world. Start worrying...

    Microsoft would be charging $900, even $2000, for a copy of Windows if it really did have a monopoly, claimed company witness Richard Schmalensee yesterday. Instead, he said, it charges around $50 a pop to OEMs, QED it isn't a monopoly. But Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson expressed scepticism: "Why must you always assume that a …

    Business 22 Jan 1999, 10:39

  • Biggest ever haul of bogus software uncovered

    Great Dane piracy ring brought to book

    The largest haul of counterfeit software ever to be found in Europe has been uncovered by the Business Software Alliance (BSA) in Denmark. More than 125,000 illegal CD-ROMs -- worth an estimated $237 million -- had been distributed throughout Europe before Danish police closed down the operation. Several people, all Danes, have …

    Business 22 Jan 1999, 12:56

  • AMD pushes date of K6-3D forward

    Meanwhile Gateway tipped to use chip

    AMD is now expected to introduce its SharpTooth K6-3D processor earlier than the 24th February. Although a representative refused to say exactly when the processor will be introduced, he did say that the date had been brought forward. AMD is attempting to knock the wind out of Intel's sails when it introduces its Pentium III ( …

    Business 22 Jan 1999, 12:59

  • Maritz deposition suffers mysterious leakage

    A news wire seems to have remarkably detailed expectation of what it's going to say

    During the Caldera-Microsoft lawsuit last year there was something of a spat over the apparent leakage of court documents to the press. That fizzled out without coming to any worthwhile conclusion, but what do we have here? Paul Maritz is due to take the stand next week, the transcript is due for release later today, but Dow …

    Business 22 Jan 1999, 13:10

  • Euro appointments for Datrontech

    Distie bolsters Central European operations with two managing directors

    Datrontech Group has appointed two MDs to run its Central European region. Piotr Kuznicki and Marek Kwiatkowski will join the company in its Polish and Czech Republic subsidiaries, respectovely. Both Kuznicki and Kwiatkowski have founded and developed one of the largest IT distribution companies in Central Europe. Mark Mulford, …

    Business 22 Jan 1999, 13:13

  • Updated: Cyrix decides to socket and see

    The MX is a fast 370 pin part. So what about Socket Seven?

    A hardware site is reporting that Cyrix will move to a PGA 370 pin socket design for its MX processors. According to JC's PC News'n'Links, the MX chip, which is an M2 with Cayenne's FPU enhancements, will knock the spots off Pentium II performance because it has an x87 unit at the level of the Pentium III. The report adds that …

    Business 22 Jan 1999, 13:50

  • Memory sees first profit in five years

    Sales increase six-fold to pep up figures

    After five long years of losses, Memory Corporation has at last recorded a profit. The turnaround came in the last quarter of 1998. The chip designer turned in a pre-tax loss of £2.24 million for the year on turnover of £47.9 million. For the fourth quarter of 1998, the company made an operating profit of £33,000, but a pre-tax …

    Business 22 Jan 1999, 13:58

  • 3Com readies Palm IIIx two months before Palm V is due

    Go figure...

    The next version of the 3Com's Palm handheld organiser will be called the IIIx, according to reports from US sources. The details of its specification that have so far leaked out suggest the device will offer 4MB of memory and offer improved screen clarity, though it remains a monochrome display -- colour is clearly some way off …

    Business 22 Jan 1999, 14:09

  • Apricot says heave-ho to 200 employees

    Outsources motherboard production,shuts down Germany, sets up dealership

    Apricot, the veteran UK PC maker, is to axe 200 staff -- 40 per cent of its workforce -- following the decision of parent company Mitsubishi Electric to scrap in-house motherboard production. At the same time, the company is scaling back in Germany, where it will close its local sales office before the end of June this year. In …

    Business 22 Jan 1999, 14:31

  • Portal Excited by good figures

    Turnover up, hits up, everyone up-beat

    Web portal Excite has posted encouraging year-end results after it announced that its turnover for 1998 topped $154.1 million, with a net loss of $6.7 million. In it's fourth quarter alone the company reported turnover of $54.1 million -- up 163 per cent on the same time last year. CEO George Bell said he was pleased with the …

    Business 22 Jan 1999, 15:04

  • iMac topped last quarter's PC sales

    Or did it?

    Apple's iMac continued to wow the crowds in the US during the last three months of 1998. But while the statistics are good news for Apple, they do suggest it needs to work harder in the retail sector. The first set of figures, from PC Data, showed the iMac outselling other consumer computers for the quarter. The iMac accounted …

    Business 22 Jan 1999, 15:14

  • Iomega returns to profitability, begins reorganisation

    Two senior execs call it quits as storage firm announces it made money in Q4 98.

    Troubled removable storage specialist Iomega yesterday recorded its first profitable quarter of 1998. The company posted profits of $19 million, equivalent to 7c a share, up on the 5c a share Wall Street had expected Iomega to file. Still, the Q4 98 figure 90 per cent down on the $36.1 million profit the company made in the same …

    Business 22 Jan 1999, 15:18

  • Web companies see stocks fall

    Stock markets' love affair with the Internet could be on the rocks

    Net companies have taken a battering on the stock market this morning after a week of hype left many people wondering if the UK was about to experience a US-style boom in technology shares. Dixons -- the company behind the successful free Internet Service Provider (ISP) Freeserve -- fell 61.5p this morning and Internet …

    Business 22 Jan 1999, 15:45

  • Microsoft advises mock-police on software theft

    Gregory to play The Bill

    Microsoft anti-piracy manager David Gregory has been approached by Pearson Television to be a technical advisor on a future episode of ITV's police drama The Bill. Looking tired after days of crushing counterfeit software and talking and walking around this year's CTS event in Birmingham, Gregory admitted he had been approach to …

    Business 22 Jan 1999, 15:58

  • Siemens has week to pay up…

    ...or else Mandelson owes UK plc £50 million

    Supreme spin-doctor Peter Mandelson had been in his job for a mere week when Siemens said its semi fab in the North East would shut. (Story: UK government in frame after fab closure) Now Siemens has one week to pay back £50 million to UK taxpayers as battles rage between trade union MSF, Siemens and the Labour Party. Peter …

    Business 22 Jan 1999, 16:17

  • Dodgy MS data undermines Schmalensee

    And the judge reminds him he's on oath. There's a worry...

    For the first time in the case, Judge Jackson used a different form of words at the beginning of the day when he addressed the witness: "I remind you, as I am obliged to do every morning, that you're still under oath." Previously he had not mentioned that he was obliged to do this, but it may give some indication that the judge …

    Business 22 Jan 1999, 16:23

  • Ex-Digital resellers up in arms

    Compaq issues ultimatum -- sorry offer they can't refuse

    Former resellers at Digital have received an ultimatum from Compaq that they must move their allegiance and accept those conditions or else. Sources across the world said today they had received a letter from Compaq saying they had one week to shift from the Digital contract to the new one or else. Said the letter, seen by …

    Business 22 Jan 1999, 16:52

  • Spanish journalists get Intel dictat

    Russian ones get treated like suits, Israel doesn't

    A complex dress code devised by Intel is set to antagonise journalists in Spain, Russia (CIS) and Israel. According to a document The Register saw yesterday, journalists from the former Soviet Union should be approached in the same way as UK and US journalists. (Story: Grove's Intel attacks UK journalism) That means that Intel …

    Business 22 Jan 1999, 17:05