1st October 1999 Archive

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Sun to give away Solaris source code

Not via open source, but it's not a trap either

Sun is planning to tilt rather more in the direction of open source by making Solaris source code free under its community-source licensing scheme. It did this earlier this year for Sparc and Java CPUs, but the plan shouldn't be interpreted as equivalent to the open source model - Sun is trying to build a kind of 'middle way' …

Business 1 Oct 1999, 08:51
MS annual report reckons trials won't hurt company

We're all entitled to our opinion, of course...

Microsoft's FY results were announced in July, but the annual report which has just been released sometimes gives some interesting insights into how Microsoft would like to be perceived, if not what is actually happening. Revenue for the year was $19.747 billion (up 29 per cent, thanks largely to software volume licences) and …

Business 1 Oct 1999, 09:05
Six week wait for ATI OEMs

But not if you happen to be one of its big OEMs, interestingly enough

3D graphics market leader ATI is warning OEMs that there will be no product available for up to six weeks due to the Taiwanese earthquake. The dry spell will not, however, touch its handful of top OEMs, understood to include Dell and Compaq. The big guys will continue to get shipments. ATI, which makes video cards, was today …

Business 1 Oct 1999, 09:35
Post Nuclear Blast Hitachi re-opens DRAM plant

Update: DRAM Chain reaction

Hitachi has re-opened semiconductor and car-parts manufacture at eight plants, following yesterday's nuclear disaster in Japan's Ibaraki Prefecture, 90 miles north of Tokyo. The company said it had lost half a day's production of 64Mb DRAM -- but said this would have a minimal effect on prices. Hitachi employs 13,000 people at …

Business 1 Oct 1999, 09:58
Ex-Compaqer Pfeiffer emerges at Intershop

Who they?

Erstwhile Compaq CEO Eckhard Pfeiffer today joined the ranks of one-time senior IT industry executives who, having been booted out of a big league operation, resurface in a tiny company no one has ever heard of. Pfeiffer joins such distinguished names as Rod Canion (the guy he replaced at Compaq), ex-IBMer John Akers, one-time …

Business 1 Oct 1999, 11:10
CallNet unveils bargain bin ISDN

Undercuts BT on call charges, but ties users in for three years

London-based CallNet Plc is offering business and home Net users rock bottom prices for twin-channel, 128kpbs ISDN connections. The deal includes free ISDN installation by BT-approved engineers, a free external ISDN terminal adapter and up to 37 hours free calls per month in a deal which could save some users hundreds of pounds …

Business 1 Oct 1999, 11:30
ICL man slept with actress – - official

But it was all done in the best possible taste, of course

Top ICL exec "sleeps rough with Jenny Agutter" has to rank as one of the best headlines of the year. What's more, it didn't come from us but in the guise of a press release from the services company. Before anybody rushes out to try and sell the story to the News of the World it's all perfectly harmless. For the official …

Business 1 Oct 1999, 11:39
E-mail security scare at LineOne

OSP looking into it

British Online Service Provider LineOne has confirmed it is investigating a possible breach in security of its Web based e-mail service. It's too early to say how widespread the problem is although at this stage it appears that only a handful of people have been affected. There is no evidence to suggest that the problem is on …

Business 1 Oct 1999, 11:53
Samsung shuts down Rambus production

Production shifting to SDRAM until Intel can come up with a new Camino launch date

Samsung has suspended Rambus production following Intel's red-faced delay of the Rambus-compatible i820 chipset on Monday. For Chipzilla, it's a double blow -- earlier this year it made a $100 million investment in Samsung specifically to win the Korean company's backing for Rambus. That investment should at least cushion the …

Business 1 Oct 1999, 12:00
Mesh shows off Athlon 700 systems ahead of launch

Prices, specs -- you want 'em, we got 'em

UK system builder Mesh will be one of the first UK OEMs to launch PCs using the Athlon 700MHz chip on Monday. The Mesh Matrix 700T will be priced at £2045 (exc VAT). It will add to the London system builder's existing Athlon Matrix T range of PCs, which also includes the other four Athlon chips -- 500, 550, 600 and 650MHz. …

Business 1 Oct 1999, 12:03
K7/Athlon 700s: official launch date

It's Monday, 4 October

So that's why AMD is cutting CPU prices on 4 October. It wants to make some room for the K7 700s, which make their official debut, Monday. The launch coincides nicely with this year's Microprocessor Forum, an influential industry gathering. For the first time, AMD has serious contenders in each sub 64-bit PC CPU market sectors, …

Business 1 Oct 1999, 12:08
Net name row ends in silence

Legal battle averted -- for the time being at least

The threat of legal action against ISP Freenetname has failed to materialise despite the promise by Web company NetNames that it would "protect its trade mark most vigorously". Forty-eight hours after the Internet Technology Group ISP launched its service offering users a free domain, as well as Net access, lawyers for London- …

Business 1 Oct 1999, 12:11
Flashpoint no flash in the pan for ATI

Distributor scores top award - again

For the second year in succession, ATI has awarded Flashpoint a gong for being its top UK distributor. It's only three years since Flashpoint signed up with ATI, making the achievement that much more noteworthy. The distributor's managing director, Sukh Rayat, said: "ATI is a demanding franchisee in that they always expect us to …

Business 1 Oct 1999, 12:40
Amazon: the Q starts here

e-tailers rush for prime site

It appears online bookseller-cum-emporium could have a queue a mile long of people trying to rent e-tail cyberspace on its site. Outdoor goods e-tailer, the Sportsman's Guide, DG Jewelry (sic) Inc and its subsidiary NetJewels.com, and PC peripherals stockists iDOT.com are among those that have already signed up to take advantage …

Business 1 Oct 1999, 12:51
Apple to launch iMac II next week

So why get stroppy about the leaked pics, boys?

The next version of Apple's iMac, the so-called C2 revision, will be launched on Tuesday, according to sources cited by Apple-watching Web magazine MacWeek. The event, to be hosted by interim CEO Steve Jobs, will also mark the availability to the public of MacOS 9. Of course, if MacWeek's sources are correct, it does rather make …

Business 1 Oct 1999, 13:40
Leaked email exposes MS charity as PR exercise

Give-aways used to address company's image problems

Microsoft deliberately set out to use charitable contributions to bolster its image in February this year, according to a leaked internal Microsoft email we have seen. Ann Redmond, Microsoft corporate marketing research group manager, asked David Kaefer, a marketing research manager at Microsoft, to seek expert opinion as to "a …

Business 1 Oct 1999, 15:30
DOS alive and not very well hidden in Millennium beta

So farewell then, allegations and hype to the contrary...

It now seems pretty clearly established that Microsoft will not be removing DOS from Millennium, but early reports form people who've seen Beta 1, which went out this week, indicate that the attempts to hide Dos instead are at best perfunctory. Getting rid of DOS no doubt remains on the MS wishlist, because it would make PCs …

Business 1 Oct 1999, 16:00