28th June 1999 Archive
Browse by publication date, or search the site.
-
Taipei launches CPU project
Four years ago So what happened?
From The Register, No. 19, June 1995 The quote of the week comes from Wu Chung-yu, technology director of the Taiwanese National Science Council. Commenting on Taipei's plans to develop the world's most powerful CPU by 2001, he said the project wouldn't necessarily be in direct competition with Intel, and that he'd even look …
Business 28 Jun 1999, 07:02
-
Merced… kinda dead? Or kinder dead?
Big Cartridge dragging itself along like a Frankenstein figure..
Some intriguing reports are trickling our way about the progress of the Intel Merced project and so we thought it worth our while to revisit the subject, once more. It's hard for us to firm up the story that nine months ago, Intel CEO Craig Barrett carpeted Dr Albert Yu and got very irritated at the progress of the processor. We …
Business 28 Jun 1999, 07:21
-
Intel Twister set to wreak PC havoc
It's bigger than a cat amongst the pigeons
The news that Intel has decided to take action against Via over its PC-133 chipset strategy will have serious repercussions for the entire PC industry. (Story: Intel busts Via over PC-133, this time it's personal) The twister has touched ground and will devastate vast tracts of engineering effort amongst third party players. At …
Business 28 Jun 1999, 07:51
-
Intel could nip dual-Celeron move in bud
Reports say chip giant doesn't like the idea
Our friends at JC's are reporting that Intel has plans to squash the development of dual Celeron systems by disabling the processor. At Computex, earlier this month, one or two Taiwanese mobo manufacturers, in particular Abit, were demonstrating systems that took advantage of SMP processing on the ultra-cheap Celeron platform. …
Business 28 Jun 1999, 08:10
-
Intel nobbles AMD in consumer market
Market research shows AMD share cut back
The massive loss that AMD predicted for its Q2 financials last week overshadowed another setback for the chip company in its travails. Figures from market research company Mercury Research, which reported that AMD managed to secure 16.1 per cent market share in the last quarter of 1998, show that Intel has clawed its way back in …
Business 28 Jun 1999, 08:21
-
Client server is dead, says Oracle chief
The Web is the future, for now at least
It's official -- client-server is dead and the future is in the Net. Says who? Why Larry Ellison, that's who. "Client Servers were a tremendous mistake. And we are sorry that we sold it to you," the Oracle CEO said to a captive London audience last week. Instead of applications running on the desktop and data sitting on the …
Business 28 Jun 1999, 11:08
-
Anger as BT bins ADSL plans
Industry veteran hits out at telco's attitude
BT's decision to can the introduction of a nationwide ADSL network unless it retains a monopoly has been described as an attempt "to blackmail the country" by a senior industry figure. Bob Jones, chairman of Equiinet, said BT's behaviour was "disgusting" and that it was time for government to intervene and take control of the …
Business 28 Jun 1999, 11:27
-
Retail bonanza with Freeserve float
The gravy train calls in at freeserve.net
Dixons is taking a leaf out of the privatisation stocks by opening its Freeserve flotation to the British public. As previously announced, Freeserve is offering its customers the chance to get onto the Internet gravy train. In the almost inevitable event of oversubscription, preference will be given to Freeserve subscribers and …
Business 28 Jun 1999, 11:32
-
So how many readers has Freeserve got?
Not as many as AOL-Compuserve
The headline user stats for Freeserve make for interesting reading. From a standing start on 22 September 1998, Freeserve had had 1,246,157 active registered accounts, as of 29 May. The company states that for the four weeks ended 29 May 1999, Freeserve had approximately 64 million page views, of which only 28 million related to …
Business 28 Jun 1999, 11:34
-
Web will spawn genuine global economy
Oracle's Ellison sees a world where information flows freely –- and so does the business
The Internet is going to force us into real globalisation, according to Larry Ellison, CEO of Oracle. He says that the benefits of doing business on the Internet are so breathtaking that all big corporates will be forced to switch from corporate intranets in order to remain competitive. "We've been paying lip service to …
Business 28 Jun 1999, 11:43
-
Iomega hives off SyQuest inventory
Hands on responsibility for media manufacture, customer support to PCS
Iomega today signed US-based Peripheral Computer Support (PCS) to handle what remains of SyQuest's customer base and product inventory on the storage specialist's behalf. Iomega bought SyQuest, its former arch-rival, at the beginning of the year after an 18-month attempt by SyQuest to become a viable business once more. SyQuest' …
Business 28 Jun 1999, 11:46
-
Dixons signs arms length treaty with Freeserve
Decision-Independence Day
Dixons has signed a deal with Freeserve to ensure its super soaraway subsidiary is able "to operate and make decisions independently". All commercial arrangements between Freeserve and Dixons will be on a "normal commercial basis and on arm's length terms". We shall see. Maybe Kingfisher, Dixon's arch-rival in the electrical …
Business 28 Jun 1999, 11:53
-
Acer sells more assets to boost liquidity
Or does it just want to buy Cyrix?
Asian wires are reporting that giant Taiwanese company Acer will sell large amounts of shares to raise an estimated NT$3 billion. It will sell 27 million shares in Acer Peripherals, 36 million shares in mobile phone firm Pacific Cellular, and three millions shares in Aopen, which makes PC cases and the like. Earlier in June, …
Business 28 Jun 1999, 12:08
-
Consumer protection body sends out virus email
Ducks responsibility as infection spreads across globe
A worldwide federation looking after the interests of consumers sent out an email virus last week and couldn't be bothered to tell anyone about it. Scores of journalists around the world received the Word 97 attachment on Friday from Consumers International (CI) -- a global body made up of 200 of consumers groups. News of the …
Business 28 Jun 1999, 12:09
-
Windows to block violent, adult games
Microsoft unveils software equivalent to 'V chip'
The next release of Windows will automatically censor games containing adult content or explicit violence, the company said on Friday. Microsoft's plan centres on a software equivalent of the ill-fated 'V chip', much beloved by the US' Clinton administration as a method of combating the availability of violent and adult content …
Business 28 Jun 1999, 12:09
-
Energis Freeserve reward less than expected
Dixons drives hard bargain
Dixons has struck a hard bargain with Energis, the telco that supplies Freeserve with all its Internet infrastructure needs. Through its Planet Online subsidiary, Energis gets 1.75 per cent of the enlarged share capital of Freeserve -- in contrast with earlier reports which said it would have as much as three per cent of the …
Business 28 Jun 1999, 12:11
-
CodeWarrior IDE to support SuSE Linux
Metrowerks attempts to bypass 'Red Hat doesn't equal Linux' flack
Programming environment developer Metrowerks today said it will offer its CodeWarrior Integrated Development Environment for SuSE's Linux distribution. The move follows criticism Metrowerks recently took for branding the Red Hat Linux version of CodeWarrior as 'CodeWarrior for Linux'. That, said many Linux advocates, suggested …
Business 28 Jun 1999, 12:44
-
PCI-X addendum released
Spec likely to arrive by Q3
The PCI special interest group (SIG) today released its PCI-X addendum to its 50 members for them to assess. Members will have 30 days to add their thoughts before the SIG formally ratifies the specification, which is set to deliver faster bus speeds for graphics and other throughput including storage and Internet at up to …
Business 28 Jun 1999, 14:14
-
Micron DRAM sub packs bags in move to Scotland
Celebrates with special offer
A Micron Europe DRAM subsidiary is shutting up shop in Basingstoke and moving to Scotland. Crucial Technology is promoting its emigration with a 7.5 per cent discount customers buying from its web site for the month of July. Crucial styles itself as the "only factory-direct memory supplier" -- which means it's cheap. The wholly- …
Business 28 Jun 1999, 15:05
-
Avnet snaps up rival
Creates new giant for the chips 'n' bits channel
Chip and components distributor Avnet is to buy one of its rivals, Marshall Industries, in a deal worth some $830 million. The purchase will be a combined cash, stock and assumed debt deal, with the resulting company dominating the North American components channel. Each Marshall share will be worth $39 or can be swapped for 0. …
Business 28 Jun 1999, 15:06
-
Sold! Dell refurbs to the highest bidder
E-commerce, secondhand-style
Dell will flog secondhand machines on its Web site. And it will auction them to the highest bidder. Is this wise? By doing this, Dell retains more margin from refurb sales -- it doesn't have to share margin with specialist brokers. And as an A-brand, Dell secondhand PCs hold their value better than most. But by selling old kit …
Business 28 Jun 1999, 15:29
-
ISPA gives UK gov't thumbs down
Interception plans will put smaller ISPs out of business
The Internet Services Providers Association (ISPA) has given a cautious welcome to government proposals to crack down on cyber crime. Last week the Home Office published a consultation paper on the interception of communications. Among the proposals it said that all UK ISPs should ensure their networks are capable of being …
Business 28 Jun 1999, 15:37
-
Trigem, CHS team up on Euro PCs
The PC Way to cost around £300
Korean company Trigem and worldwide distributor CHS said that they have formed a JV to supply cheap PCs in Europe. The joint venture is called The PC Way, or should it be The PC Giveaway? The scheme is aimed at Euro-dealers wanting entry-level machines on a pan-European basis. The companies said they would be able to offer …
Business 28 Jun 1999, 15:57
-
Kids, cancer and mobile phones…
This story's got the lot
Concerns have been raised over the safety of mobile phone masts as education minister David Blunkett orders an "urgent" inquiry into the siting of the masts in schools. Mobile phone companies pay up to £10,000 to schools which allow the masts to be set up on their premises. More than 500 schools in the UK have taken advantage of …
Business 28 Jun 1999, 16:00
-
Intel to sell own brand PCs within six months?
Makes perfect sense to us
The Register has suggested to Intel Insiders on several occasions that Chipzilla is but a few short steps away from building and selling its own PCs. On each occasion the reaction has been subtly different. A year back they laughed; six months ago they said it would never happen; today they stare at their shoes and mumble …
Business 28 Jun 1999, 17:34
