11th June 1999 Archive

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MS squeezes out free service pack distribution

A future where only registered users can get the gear, and only direct from MS, looms

Further evidence that Microsoft is moving to control and/or charge for distribution of fixes and updates has emerged. Yesterday (Win98 SE hits stores) the company began taking orders on its Web site for direct sales of Windows 98 SE and for the latest Windows 98 service pack, although the latter is not as yet available for free …

Business 11 Jun 1999, 09:17
Oops – MS forgets to start selling Win98 SE

Somewhere in the labyrinthine web that is Microsoft's ungrade strategy, the full version got lost...

Microsoft would seem to have forgotten all about selling the full version of Windows 98 SE direct. A sad ghetto of the Microsoft Web site has been sitting there waiting for something to happen since Wednesday - but life seems to have passed it by. The company clearly intended to sell the full version, but is currently only …

Business 11 Jun 1999, 09:21
New York Times virus report strangely viral

Whacked again, or did we just forget to publish the story?

We know not what this portends, but as yet another virus scare hits, the New York Times' rapid response team seems to have rapidly responded. On the front page of today's (you'll have to register to read it, but it's free) the NYT this morning had the somewhat minimalist headline "NYT Article". Click on it and you get here. This …

Business 11 Jun 1999, 09:39
June 30 deadline for Cyrix disposal

NatSemi wants "solid and acceptable" offer. Hasn't had one yet

National Semiconductor will shut its Cyrix PC processor business unless it receives a "solid and acceptable" offer by 30 June. The company blames stiff competition in the PC chip market for its fifth consecutive quarter of losses. it lost around $45 million in the quarter from Cyrix x86 microprocessors. Last month NatSemi …

Business 11 Jun 1999, 10:30
Have you got worms?

Virus scare story of the week

It's been at least a fortnight since the world was last ravaged by a flesh-eating computer virus. So fret no more. Today, we've all got to get on our hands and knees and watch out for a blood sucking worm that will trash your computer faster than a goose with the squits. The ExploreZip or ZippedFiles worm has already drilled …

Business 11 Jun 1999, 10:46
Symantec to spin off Java operation

Deal looks to IPO cash-in

Symantec is to form a spin-off company within the next three to nine months to offer its Internet applications and utilities. In addition to maintaining development of Symantec's Java and Web page layout tools, the new operation willl develop e-commerce technology and tools to help businesses integrate their existing systems …

Business 11 Jun 1999, 10:56
EMI takes half-share in digital music company

Recording major dips toes in music download market

EMI, one of the world's 'big five' recording companies, has taken a 50 per cent stake in Musicmaker.com in exchange for the custom CD company's right to use EMI's vast back catalogue of recordings. The deal follows Sony's move earlier this week to partner with custom CD vendor Digital On Demand (see Sony brings digital music to …

Business 11 Jun 1999, 11:14
Computacenter invades Belgium

What does this mean for ICG partner Systemat?

Computacenter has snapped up the reseller division of ECS Belgium for the bargain basement price of 1.64 million euros. Europe'’s biggest reseller says it will fund the purchase of the 20 million Euro business from cash. It has installed channel veteran and one-time head of Info Products UK Mohammed Siddiqui to run the new …

Business 11 Jun 1999, 11:28
Iridium to cut call charges

Can Satellite service increase subscriber numbers in time?

Ailing satellite mobile phone service Iridium is expected to announce price cuts in a desperate attempt to ramp up its subscriber figures. The company has until 30 June to meet bank-set subscriber and revenue targets or face bankruptcy (see Iridium granted 30-day reprieve). The price cuts have already begun to emerge in the US …

Business 11 Jun 1999, 11:30
Freeserve blitzkriegs UK with charm offensive

Holds hands with Haymarket

Freeserve is in an all out bid to win the hearts and minds of the UK Net community before it spins off part of its business later this year. With the memorable catchphrase "I found it on Freeserve" the monster ISP is running a major ad campaign on TV, radio and in the press. A spokeswoman for Freeserve refused to disclose …

Business 11 Jun 1999, 11:41
Dialog scores President Blair PR coup with Fujitsu deal

Hasn't Tony got anything better to do?

Dialog’s "multi-million pound content licensing deal with Fujitsu has received New Labour’s blessing, with Tony Blair himself congratulating the happy couple. Taking time out from solving the Kosovo crisis and reforming welfare, the Prime Minister praised the IT deal, wishing the parties success and a fruitful union. In a rare …

Business 11 Jun 1999, 12:13
DoJ expert: there are 3,000 bugs in Win98

MS on Trial Or if we can multiply right, there could be 21,000...

Could this be true? In court yesterday government witness Edward Felten, he of the IE uninstall program, claimed that he'd found 3,000 bugs tagged by Microsoft programmers in the version of Windows 98 source code he'd looked at. And the code he was dealing with only amounted to one seventh of Win98 in total. Felten had just had …

Business 11 Jun 1999, 12:22
‘Dysfunctional’ Ideal makes profit

MacDonald resigns

Ideal Hardware has lost its MD, Ronan MacDonald, in a massive restructure after top execs became distracted from the distribution business. The Surrey-based company told journalists that critical errors of judgement had been made at board level earlier this year. The operational board of nine people was dumped yesterday in …

Business 11 Jun 1999, 15:00
Datrontech joints profit warning stampede

Is RD Computers up for sale, or what?

Datrontech Group's pre-tax profit will only reach half of market expectations for its first half, the company warned today. Profit for the period was originally estimated at about £4 million. But there will be a shortfall due to flagging demand in the European PC market in April and May. Datrontech joins a long list of …

Business 11 Jun 1999, 15:24
Psion next generation to roll out on Tuesday

And it would seem there's more where that came from...

The next generation of Psion machines will launch in London on Tuesday (15 June), and will include improved communications and Web software and - finally - Java support. These are all matters of some embarrassment to Psion, which made airy promises at the launch of the Series 5 two years ago. The 5, as it turned out, didn't have …

Business 11 Jun 1999, 15:28
Third Voice slammed for ‘defacing’ Web sites

Webmasters up in arms over site comment software

US software developer Third Voice has provoked the ire of Internet users and Webmasters by releasing software that allows Web surfers to share comments about Web sites. The problem is not necessarily that the Third Voice system is invasive, but that it allows anyone to add comments -- such as spam -- to a Web site without the …

Business 11 Jun 1999, 16:03
Softbank supports shoe fetish with $80m buy

It's a sportal thing, we wouldn't understand

Softbank is getting into shoes, courtesy of a 30 per cent stake in American sporting goods firm Global Sports. The hyperactive Japanese vendor is backing Global’s transformation into a pureplay Internet company with $80 million cash. Apparently it’s all to do with driving some of the world’s $150 billion sporting goods market …

Business 11 Jun 1999, 16:10
BT touts flat-fee ADSL – NTK

To those that have

BT is in denial -- again -- after a spokesman said it had no plans to offer toll-free access to the Internet. That's two denials in three days on the same subject from the giant telco. However, the news ferrets at NTK think they know different. NTK says BT is to launch an unmetered ADSL service in September for around £30 a …

Business 11 Jun 1999, 16:35