26th January 1999 Archive
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Maritz confirms and denies MS threat over Mac Office
There's a narrow denial concerning IE, and a broader confirmation on IP
In court yesterday Microsoft exec Paul Maritz denied that the company had threatened to stop development of Microsoft Office for the Mac unless Apple adopted Internet Explorer. But it's the way you tell them - Maritz's written testimony confirms that Microsoft did pressure Apple by threatening to can Office for the Mac. As …
Business 26 Jan 1999, 09:25
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A year ago: Mips had its chips as Compaq-Tandem flips
Andy Grove forced to get out of bed in pyjamas - again
If you cast your eyes back over previous issues of The Register, in particular No. 5, you will see that we were sat next to Eckhard Pfeiffer when he made his attack on our old mate Hans Geyer. (Now in Folsom, passim). We got a world exclusive for that story and unlike Alan Cane, who now writes comms stories for the Financial …
Business 26 Jan 1999, 09:44
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Symantec chief seeks replacement
He's got vision
Symantec boss Gordon Eubanks has decided to sack himself as president and CEO. But he is not leaving the $600 million t/o company just yet –- in an interesting example of corporate governance, American style he is going to make himself chairman once he finds his replacement. The move is designed to let Eubank concentrate on the …
Business 26 Jan 1999, 10:29
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MS plans two for one stock split
We number-crunch the share price history of the gold mine
Microsoft yesterday announced a two-for-one stock split, effective on 29 March. Stock splitting has more to do with psychology than the purported reason "to make our stock more accessible to a broader range of investors". But of course, this would only be true if a significant number of investors wished to buy one share because …
Business 26 Jan 1999, 11:05
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Creative Labs to offer digital music player
But first it's waiting for the music industry to get the formats sorted out
Creative Labs is to produce a digital music player to compete with rival Diamond Multimedia's Rio PMP300, according to the company's European brand manager, Eion Leyden. Quoted in the UK media, Leyden gave few details of the forthcoming product, but he did make the interesting comment that "MP3 will not rule the roost" and that …
Business 26 Jan 1999, 11:21
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Lycos CEO claims partnership ‘not imminent’
Cross-media promotional deal with media/telecoms operation still some way off
Lycos' talks with a major global media or telecoms company would appear to have stalled, according to comments made yesterday by the Internet portal's CEO, Bob Davis. Keen to persuade both markets and industry watchers that, despite such a deal, Lycos would remain an independent company, Davis also claimed no tie-in is imminent …
Business 26 Jan 1999, 11:42
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Intel changes its mind on PIII numbers
Caves in under US media bombardment
Chip Goliath Intel has caved in to pressure from a concerted attack on its integrity by the US media. Yesterday we reported it could do that if it wanted, and Intel didn't think it was a big deal. It confirmed this morning it will ship Pentium III (Katmai's) with the serial numbers switched off as default. People can then turn …
Business 26 Jan 1999, 11:59
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UK Tandy stores sold to phone firm
We'll miss those plugs and sockets
The UK division of Tandy has sold all 270 of its retail outlets to mobile company Carphone Warehouse. Tandy was never allowed to call itself Radio Shack in the UK because the name was in use by a chap on Finchley Road. He was approached by Tandy 10 years ago and offered him a vast amount of UK pounds sterling. He refused to sell …
Business 26 Jan 1999, 12:06
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ATI unveils Rage 128-based All-in-Wonder card
It'll turn your PC into a digital VCR, claims vendor
Graphics specialist ATI has announced its latest add-in card to feature its Rage 128 GL acceleration chipset. In addition to support for 3D games based on the OpenGL and DirectX 6.0 graphics technologies, the All-in-Wonder 128 also offers MPEG-2 decoding to play back full-screen, full-motion DVD movies on either the host PC's …
Business 26 Jan 1999, 12:08
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LG workers go on strike
Yet another world-beating scoop from your news wire upstarts
As predicted here two weeks ago, production of DRAM at LG Semicon in Korea has come to a stop because the workers have gone on strike. (Story: LG Semi strike threatened) The move has taken place because Hyundai, which will take over its semiconductor production, would not issue seven year contracts to LG Semicon staff. The …
Business 26 Jan 1999, 12:18
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Compaq moves closer toward Alta Vista spin off
Portal set to go it alone and you read it here first
Compaq is set to sell off Alta Vista in a move that will transform the Web portal and "take it to a new level". A number of reports from the US this morning appear to confirm a story published by The Register a fortnight ago which said that Compaq was about to part company with Alta Vista following last year’s acquisition of …
Business 26 Jan 1999, 12:28
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Simply Computers subject of takeover speculation
Reseller targeted by US giant
Global Direct, part of the US catalogue and stationery giant, is in talks to buy East London's favourite off-the-page reseller, Simply Computers, according to industry sources. With UK offices in Greenock, Global Direct is expected to announce the takeover within the next two weeks. Speculation has been rife since before …
Business 26 Jan 1999, 12:32
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Compaq preps colour Windows CE Palm beater
Palmtop available for licensing too -- HP already signed
Compaq is working on a Windows CE-based palm PC due for release this quarter, according to sources close to the company cited on US newswires. Codenamed Wyvern, the new device is Compaq's second attempt at producing a Windows CE machine. The previous device was a standard clamshell palmtop -- Wyvern, on the other hand, will be …
Business 26 Jan 1999, 12:40
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Microsoft invests in UK cable firm
Creates the link between Bill Gates and Newcastle United
Microsoft is to sink $500 million (£302 million) into UK telecomms company NTL to jointly develop high-speed broadband comms links. Guildford-based NTL has fibre-optic telecomms networks across the UK and will now be working with Microsoft to deliver voice, video and data services across these networks. Barclay Knapp, CEO of NTL …
Business 26 Jan 1999, 12:41
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S3's Q4, fiscal 98 losses widen
But it's betting on Intel patent cross-licence for future glory
Graphics specialist S3 saw its fourth quarter and full-year loss widen beyond expectations, when the troubled company released its latest figures yesterday. For the quarter, S3 lost $70.3 million on revenues of $41.5 million, well down on the $101.9 million in sales the company recorded in the same period last year. For the full …
Business 26 Jan 1999, 13:08
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Sony, Sun to sign with Symbian?
It's about time another big win was announced - maybe they'll sing at CEBit
Smartphone and communicator software developer Symbian seems poised on the brink of another major licensing deal, according to London market rumour over the past week. Both Sun and Sony have been mentioned, although this may well be based on the "I can't tell you, but it's a company beginning with S" class of tip. Psion shares …
Business 26 Jan 1999, 13:27
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Maxtor shipments surge
And inventory is flat
Efficiency was the name of the Q4 game at Maxtor, with the disk-drive vendor grinding out an improved set of results on the back of improved inventory turns,and "better utilisation of assets". Shipments, up 23 per cent at 5.3 million units compared with Q4 1997, obviously did the company no harm either. This represents another …
Business 26 Jan 1999, 13:30
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Cost cutting pays off for Adaptec
Hails Dell design win
Restructuring is beginning to bear fruit for Adaptec, the dominant player in the RAID controller market. In an upbeat statement accompanying Q3 results, CFO Andy Brown said the company's cost cutting had "proceeded more rapidly than we originally expected". The company notes strong demand for bus adaptor products, and it is …
Business 26 Jan 1999, 13:34
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Sony calls to ARM for PocketStation
Is that a Station in your Pocket, or are you just pleased to see me?
Sony is to power its new PocketStation games PDA using the ARM7 RISC processor. The win, shared with Atmel, the ARM licensee that it is supplying the ARM 7 single chip controller, could produce a lucrative revenue stream for Cambridge-based ARM. Nintendo is thought to account for up to half of the business of MIPS, ARM's major …
Business 26 Jan 1999, 13:36
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STMicroelectronics profits ease
Bullish for 1999 prospects
STMicroelectronics failed -- just -- to match Q4, 1997 profits, with net income in Q4 1998 faring 3.6 per cent worse than the year before. But results comfortably beat analyst expectations. The French semiconductor giant produced profits of $121.6 million, equivalent to 84 cents per share, for the quarter ended December 31, down …
Business 26 Jan 1999, 13:38
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Symbian cellular allies and Palm back Sun's Jini
So go buy those shares before we tell everybody...
As if by magic, our earlier story (Sony, Sun to Sign with Symbian?) has received rapid confirmation via the licensee list for Sun's Jini, which was announced yesterday. By a massive coincidence, Ericsson Nokia, Motorola and Symbian are signed up, alongside a long list of other companies, adding up to what has to be seen as …
Business 26 Jan 1999, 14:17
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Windows NT could triple enterprise upgrade costs – report
Giga has come up with a spectacular slagging-off of NT's current capabilities. Novell must be pleased...
Our thanks to our good friends at Novell for drawing a recent Giga Information Group report to our attention. By a massive coincidence, the report gives Windows NT one hell of a kicking. Giga describes Windows 2000 as vapourware, points out that companies therefore have to go with NT 4.0 (which of course is what Microsoft …
Business 26 Jan 1999, 14:55
