16th November 1999 Archive

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Corel launches Linux into the mainstream

And it hasn't done a bad job of it

Corel released its Linux distribution today. Aimed at the mainstream PC market, Corel Linux OS promises to recast what's widely perceived as a complex operating system for tech-heads as an easy-to-use system for the rest of us. And, it has to be said, the Canadian software company appears to have done a good job. Not that …

Business 16 Nov 1999, 02:11
Sony, Palm deal set to expand PalmOS horizons – and then some

Analysis Not just an organiser OS any more

Sony and Palm today announced what's possibly the most far-reaching deal the handheld computer vendor has yet made. At its most basic, the partnership allows Sony to offer Palm-based devices, and gives Palm its most prominent supporter, but the pair's agreement to co-operate on the extension of the PalmOS is anything but basic. …

Business 16 Nov 1999, 02:13
Torvalds confirms Transmeta 19 January 2000 ‘D-Day’

Updated Finally, a Transmeta rumour comes true

Transmeta will spill the beans on 19 January 2000, the company's most famous employee, Linus 'Linux' Torvalds, revealed today. That's the day on which the secretive chip company will come clean on what it's been up to. Torvalds revealed the date during his Comdex keynote -- a talk that centred on how the IT industry has finally …

Business 16 Nov 1999, 04:31
Caminogate III: the fun never starts

Anything Intel can do, others can do better

A close investigation of the technology used in Intel's Cape Cod SDRAM mobo, which it launched yesterday, has revealed some puzzling internal inconsistencies. This particular rev of Intel's i820 technology, appears to use the same drivers and the same BIOS update as the CA 810 motherboard. That suggests Intel is using the same …

Business 16 Nov 1999, 09:34
Teacher quits in kiddie Net porn scandal

Pioneer of IT in the classroom faces hearing

A UK headmaster has resigned from his job at a Welsh comprehensive school after allegations that he used school computers to surf the Net for porn. Chris Andrews, 48, was suspended from his post at John Beddoes Comprehensive School at Presteigne, Powys, for "inappropriate use of the Internet", the Times reported. The father of …

Business 16 Nov 1999, 09:35
HP invents virtual CPU screwdriver

iCOD really understad dat acronym

We're not sure which marketing genius thought up the "instant capacity on demand" (iCOD) tagline at HP, but whoever it was, full marks for opacity. Sifting through the chaff, the scheme appears to be a cunning way for HP to sell you more L, N and V class servers, which is what you probably expected anyway. These servers come …

Business 16 Nov 1999, 10:18
Student charged with unlawful 0800 use

Faces three charges in Court this week

A British Internet user is to appear before Corby Magistrates Court on Thursday charged with gaining unauthorised access to the Internet. It has been alleged that 18-year-old Chris Buckley, from Oundle, Northamptonshire, used a BT freephone 0800 number to access the Net without authorisation or permission. He's also been charged …

Business 16 Nov 1999, 12:25
Net ushers in Buckets of Love for by-election

Politics is a serious business you know

The by-election in Kensington and Chelsea next week may not be the political event of the year but it does have a smidgen of interest for Web watchers. Among the colourful list of 18 candidates fighting it out for a seat in parliament are two hopefuls that owe their political platform to the Internet. Lisa Lovebucket, the People …

Business 16 Nov 1999, 12:42
Has HP stolen Big Blue's song?

The public has a right to know

HP's new theme tune sounds distinctly familiar, or so a former IBM employee claims. It may even have the same notes played in the same order as an old IBM anthem. If you want to hum along, run the Web animated clip, which you can find here. Our music critic says: "I'm sure this was IBM's theme song back in 1989 to 1990. I …

Business 16 Nov 1999, 15:22
So why is Intel's Coppermine good?

We have the sort of definitive answer

Many readers have reacted to stories about Intel's Coppermine .18 micron process by saying: "So what's go good about that?". There are several answers to this question and an Intel representative has given us the company answer to the question. Without baffling our readers with technical details they may or may not wish to know …

Business 16 Nov 1999, 15:38
Rambus systems roll from Dell

You want fast, they got 'em fast

Dell has announced that it is shipping its first Rambus-ready workstations. The Dell Precision 420 runs on either a single or dual 733MHz or 600Mhz PIII chip and uses the i840 chipset with 133MHz FSB. Claimed by the demon of the direct sales model as its fastest workstation yet, the Precision 420 has dual channel Rambus memory, …

Business 16 Nov 1999, 15:44
Gateway signs deal with UK's largest reseller

Direct meets indirect as Computacenter takes Gateway to corporate market

Computacenter is to distribute Gateway PCs in the UK, following the signing of a two-year deal to target corporate and government business. Called Service Direct, the agreement covers the whole of Europe but kicks off in the UK. Computacenter will add Gateway to its existing major-account sales portfolio and Gateway will target …

Business 16 Nov 1999, 16:41
Official: Steve Jobs most important man in IT

More important than Bill Gates, but let's face it, not as rich

Steve Jobs, the still-interim CEO of Apple is the most important man in IT – according to Upside magazine and "industry insiders". The Elite 100 list put the charismatic Jobs top of the list, applauding him for his cockiness and marketing savvy and in particular his ability to get up Intel's nose for talking up its "bland boxes …

Business 16 Nov 1999, 16:44
Internet doomed to fail, say experts

Web to be nothing more than sex pics and self-obsessed Americans

This week a leading MiT scientist and the UK's largest telecomms company demonstrated that the Internet's expandability may collapse within the next 10 years. Having staked our future on the Net, The Register is extremely sceptical of the claims. However, co-founder and director of Media Laboratory at MIT, Nicholas Negroponte is …

Business 16 Nov 1999, 16:50
Microsoft unveils MSN Web appliance design

Whole new market gets opportunity to not be interested in Windows CE

Microsoft yesterday came up with some more information about its MSN Companion Web "toaster," but stayed bashful about the most important bits - how much it's going to cost, and how it's going to be sold. The MSN Companion is intended to be a cheap Internet access appliance for the masses who can't afford computers, and by happy …

Business 16 Nov 1999, 18:35
Iomega hops onto MP3 bandwagon – again

Tries to win support for Clik! this time -- but Flash still too popular

Having tried and largely failed to leap onto the digital music bandwagon earlier this year with its Zip drive, troubled storage specialist Iomega is now having another bash at it, this time with its compact 40MB Clik! Technology. This time round, Iomega's plan makes more sense, but arguably it's no more likely to win widespread …

Business 16 Nov 1999, 18:36
Double-speed 1394 silicon due in volume by end Q1 2000

Way ahead of USB 2.0, yes -- but does that matter?

IEEE 1394, the high-speed digital connectivity standard, is set to hit 800Mbps, double its current throughput, in Q1 2000, with production silicon available to PC vendors and consumer electronics companies by the end of the quarter, the 1394 Trade Association has said. The speed hike is the result of the already announced 1394b …

Business 16 Nov 1999, 18:40
MS to join Bluetooth in December, without get-out on IP

No special deals on licence conditions, even for Microsoft, says Ericsson

Microsoft will officially announce that it has joined the Bluetooth SIG early next month, it seems inevitable. But it seems equally inevitable to that Redmond will not get all the variations in terms and conditions it's thought to have been seeking. As revealed here last week (see story), Microsoft is already beavering away to …

Business 16 Nov 1999, 19:17
Be's Stinger OS selected for Nat Semi WebPad

Be breaks into Internet appliance biz for real -- sort of

Alternative OS developer Be's scheme to break into the embedded market took a major step forward today, when its cut-down version of the BeOS, codenamed Stinger, was selected by National Semiconductor as the OS component of its WebPad Internet appliance reference design. Both companies were keen to stress that their partnership …

Business 16 Nov 1999, 19:28