News Common PC Linux Mac CUCUG
The March 20 gathering will be one of our split SIG meetings. The Linux SIGwill Have an open discussion. The Macintosh SIG will have Emil Cobbpresenting iPhoto.The PC SIG's presentation will be by George Kruminsshowing the database Alpha 5. Come and check out the varied offerings.
As always, we welcome any kind of input or feedback from members. Runacross an interesting item or tidbit on the net? Just send the link to theeditor. Have an article or review you'd like to submit? Send it in. Have acomment? Email any officer you like. Involvement is the driving force ofany user group. Welcome to the group.
Here's the list of FREE products two lucky Winsig members will WIN at the March 20th meeting, courtesy of Microsoft (please note, you must be a 2003 member of CUCUG to participate in the drawing):
Microsoft FrontPage 2002 (retail box)
FrontPage is the favorite HTML editor of thousands of webmasters. Its simple WYSIWYG interface makes creating HTML as easy as making documents in Word. With new templates and smart tools ("bots") to help create a wide range of intranet and Internet pages, version 2002 is even simpler and faster to use than its predecessors. Users can draw with PowerPoint tools, drag and drop live content, and create photo galleries with a few mouse clicks. Publishing is incredibly easy. Beginners will love the wizards, and will find Web authoring much easier than expected. This is the full version of the software--NOT an upgrade. Street price $110.99.
Links 2003 and Links 2003 Championship Courses
Links 2003 is the most realistic golf sim available. The newest version of the all-time bestselling golf simulator features improved graphics, six brand-new championship courses, high- resolution 3-D characters, a dynamic camera that lets you see your shot from different perspectives, and improved putting with a new 3-D Green Analyzer. Links 2003 also brings improvements to the powerful Arnold Palmer course designer--the same 3-D course architecture tool used by the Links team to create course graphics in stunning photorealistic detail. Also includes add-on pack Links 2003 Championship Courses. Street price: $49.98.
PC chipmakers Intel and Advanced Micro Devices this week enacted their firstsweeping desktop processor price cuts of the year.
Intel reduced the prices on all its desktop Pentium 4 processors by as muchas 21 percent Sunday. Meanwhile, AMD cut prices on select Athlon XP desktopchips by as much as 32 percent Monday.
The companies regularly cut prices on their PC processors to make way fornew chips and encourage customers to buy new PCs. The companies also useprice cuts as a way to stay competitive.
The companies employed all three tactics in 2002, bringing down pricesquickly through the middle part of last year. But it's been several monthssince either company made a widespread price cut on desktop chips. Intel,which reduced notebook Pentium 4 prices in January, dropped desktop pricesthe last time in November. AMD hasn't done any price cutting since lastAugust, when it reduced desktop prices and in September, when it loweredprices on its mobile processors.
But analysts say that, despite the pause, the two companies' price cuts arearriving on schedule.
"Ordinarily, they look at cutting prices about once per quarter and this isabout that," said Dean McCarron, an analyst with Mercury Research.
Show me the money
Intel kicked off its latest round of cuts by nipping the price of itsflagship 3.06GHz Pentium 4. It lowered the chip's list price by 8 percent,from $637 to $589. Intel also sliced 6 percent off the list price of its2.8GHz Pentium 4 chip--from $401 to $375.
Intel also dropped the list prices of its 2.4GHz, 2.5GHz, 2.53GHz, 2.6GHzand 2.66GHz chips by 21 percent each.
The 2.6GHz and 2.66GHz chips were reduced from $305 to $241, while the2.5GHz and 2.53GHz chips went from $243 to $193 and the 2.4GHz from $193 to$163.
The price cut moves the 2.4GHz Pentium 4 down to the low end of Intel'spricing range for the Pentium 4. There, it can take over as the entry-levelPentium 4 chip for manufacturers, because, even though Intel still sells2.2GHz and 2.26GHz chips, the list price for the 2.4GHz chip is the same asthat of the slower chips. Intel lopped the prices of all three chips by 16percent, lowering each of them from $193 to $163. Intel's 2.53GHz Pentium 4is a small increase in price from there.
(Intel has several pairs of Pentium 4s, such as the 2.5GHz and 2.53GHz andthe 2.6GHz and 2.66GHz, which are similar in clock speed and priced thesame, but different in bus frequency. The 2.5GHz offers a 400MHz bus--apipeline that transmits data between it and the rest of the PC--while the2.53GHz has a higher-performance 533MHz bus.)
Meanwhile, Intel is making room for a new flagship processor by trimming theprice of its midrange chips. It's expected to launch a 3.2GHz Pentium 4 nextquarter and follow with a second round of price cuts. The combination of thetwo price cuts should push down prices for all of Intel's current desktopPentium 4s, sources familiar with Intel's plans said.
For its part, AMD's kept prices on its new Athlon XP 3000+ and 2800+ chipsthe same at $588 and $375, respectively. The chipmaker dropped list priceson several desktop Athlon XP processors with the aim of making themattractive to customers, a representative said.
The Athlon XP 2700+ moved from $349 to $267, a 23 percent drop. AMD droppedits Athlon XP 2600+ processor from $297 to $241, a 19 percent reduction. ItsAthlon XP 2400+ saw a 27 percent decrease, from $193 to $141. AMD's 2200+chip dropped the most, 32 percent, from $157 to $107.
Prices on its 2100+ and 2000+ processors stayed nearly the same, droppingonly a dollar, to $92, and two dollars to $81, respectively.
Prices on AMD desktop chips aren't likely to move until it brings out anAthlon XP 3200+ chip, which is expected at midyear.
Though the prices set by Intel and AMD apply to chips purchased in lots of1,000, the chips often appear at retail distributors for different prices.These street prices can be higher or lower than the list prices, dependingon supply and demand.
CHIP GIANT INTEL confirmed it has introduced a number of Gigabit Ethernet(GbE) products which it claims will "double" data throughput on PCs, andmore.
The products include a GbE controller which includes CommunicationsScreaming Architecture (CSA), and a 10GbE server for enterprises.
The firm has also released a small 10Gbps XFP optical transceiver that willswitch at different multiple data rates and which Intel claims is the firstfour port GbE network adaptor for servers.
CSA, as we've written before, claims to double GbE throughput and is calledthe PRO/1000 CT connection, aimed at the up and coming Sprindale andCanterwood chipsets.
CSA is a bus that avoids PCI on the IO controller hub and will givebidirectional bandwidth of 2GBps.
Intel claims that the gains come when used in multitasking and with its nowfamous hypethreading (HT) technology, which will propagate across Pentium4s in the second quarter of this year.
Intel said these products will either sample or ship by the end of March.The PRO/1000 CT desktop connection will cost $30, the Optical Transceiverwill cost $500 when bought in volume, while the PRO/1000 MT Quad Port willcost $575.
If you purchased a Power Mac G4 last year and wondered why Apple included abuilt-in jet turbine, it's time to remove your earplugs. Responding tonumerous complaints about the noise produced by its 2002 Power Mac line -particularly from the professional audio and video communities - Apple hasannounced a Power Mac G4 Power Supply Exchange Program. For a $20 shippingand handling charge, owners of the Power Mac G4 (Mirrored Drive Doors) canreceive a new power supply (including a new system fan) that operates morequietly than the original. A prepaid airbill is included for sending theoriginal power supply back to Apple. Apple also includes directions forinstalling the hardware, but recommends that anyone uncomfortableperforming the repair take the new components to a certified serviceprovider (which could entail a labor fee). The program runs until30-Jun-03. [JLC]
http://depot.info.apple.com/?program=acoustic
TidBITS#667/17-Feb-03
Citing the virtual server capabilities of the technology, Microsoft lastweek announced that it has acquired from Connectix the entire Virtual PCproduct line. Connectix first developed Virtual PC to enable Macintoshusers to run the Windows operating system and applications, along withother operating systems (such as Linux) that use Intel hardware. In recentyears, the company has introduced Virtual PC for Windows, enabling PC usersto run multiple simultaneous "virtual machines," each with its ownoperating system. Virtual Server, a new product under development atConnectix that caught Microsoft's eye, is designed to allow multipleindependent server processes to run on a single Windows computer.
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2003/Feb03/02-19PartitionPR.asp
Microsoft has purchased all three products (Virtual PC for Mac, Virtual PCfor Windows, and Virtual Server) from Connectix, and has hired "key membersof the Connectix team to continue moving these products forward." Connectixwill continue to sell and support these products during a planned six-monthtransition period, while Microsoft works to incorporate them into itsproduct line. Following the transition, Microsoft says it will honor allsupport commitments to existing customers and will offer new support plans.Microsoft's Macintosh Business Unit will inherit responsibility for VirtualPC for Mac and plans to continue development.
http://connectix.com/products/vpc6m.html
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/virtualpc/
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/evaluation/news/bulletins/vmnews.mspx
In the past, Connectix has licensed its technologies to Apple (MODE32),Logitech (QuickCam), and Sony (Virtual Game Station). The company says itsproduct line will still include DoubleTalk and CopyAgent until the end ofthese products' life cycles. Since both are compatible only with Mac OS 9,it raises the question of whether Connectix will continue as a companyafter the six-month transition period. (RAM Doubler support is also slatedto end in September of 2003.)
The acquisition makes sense for Microsoft from multiple perspectives. Theinteresting virtual server technologies let modern servers run legacyapplications and ease the hassle of running more than one application perserver. Virtual PC for Windows similarly helps desktop users by lettingthem run legacy programs that are only compatible with older versions ofWindows. And Virtual PC for the Mac can only help Microsoft sell morecopies of Windows - in the end, Microsoft doesn't really care what hardwareyou use to run Windows. For users, the acquisition will probably meanfuture versions of Virtual PC with significantly improved Windowsperformance, thanks to access to the Windows source code, although it'sentirely likely that support for other operating systems such as Linux maybe de-emphasized or dropped entirely.
Still unclear is what will happen to Connectix after September of 2003.Until then, Connectix is still selling and supporting Virtual PC, but afterthat point, the company will basically be a sales and service organizationwith no products. Although it's possible that the owners will simply windup the company then, Connectix has reinvented itself several times over the14 years the company has been creating Macintosh products. Roy McDonald,Connectix's president and CEO, told us that they'd be using the next sixmonths to figure out what comes next, and if they come up with any greatideas, we won't have seen the last of Connectix.
PayBITS: Did this analysis of Microsoft's purchase of Virtual
PC help you? Consider supporting Mark via PayPal!
(https://www.paypal.com/xclick/business=mha%4014850.com)
Read more about PayBITS: (http://www.tidbits.com/paybits/)
Sun Microsystems next week will begin offering a trial edition of the nextversion of its StarOffice software.
Sun expects to post the public beta, or test version, of StarOffice 6.1 onits Web site (http://wwws.sun.com/software/star/staroffice/beta/index.html)by Wednesday, said Iyer Venkatesan, product line manager for Sun. A second,limited-release beta will be available to selected testers in May. Thefinal version of StarOffice 6.1 is expected to be available in October.
StarOffice, Sun's commercial distribution of its open-source OpenOfficepackage, includes a word processor, a spreadsheet application and othercommon office tools. StarOffice has become one of Sun's most visibleefforts to erode Microsoft's dominance over PC computing, with Sunpositioning it as a low-cost alternative to the software giant's Office.
While the Microsoft product still boasts market share in the 90 percentrange, Sun has made inroads lately, including its first bundling deal witha major PC maker and a new "thin client" strategy that incorporatesStarOffice. Thin clients are computing terminals whose applications anddata run off a centralized server, allowing the client software to run onrelatively low-end devices.
The new version of StarOffice includes expanded support for handicappedusers and new business configuration tools that allow informationtechnology managers to oversee multiple StarOffice desktops from a singlelocation. The new release also will allow people to save documents in AdobeSystems' widespread Portable Document Format (PDF).
"We've focused a lot on the enterprise features, getting StarOffice readyfor deployment in the enterprise," Venkatesan said.
Version 6.1 also has enhanced support for creating localized versions ofthe software. Sun expects to have Hindi, Hebrew and Arabic versions ofStarOffice ready later this year, and third-party vendors are working onversions for Eastern European countries and other regions. Venkatesan saidwidespread geographic support is a key part of Sun's strategy for boostingacceptance of StarOffice.
"There are these emerging markets in Asia, Latin America and Africa wherethey need a strong office product but they can't pay hundreds of dollarsper seat," he said.
TOKYO (Reuters) -- Japan's Sony said on it would start sales next month ofthe world's first DVD recorder that uses blue laser light and can pack atwo-hour high-definition TV program onto a single disc.
It won't be cheap, with a retail list price of 450,000 yen ($3,800) whilelow-end DVD recorders using conventional red lasers go for as little as50,000-70,000 yen. But with digital satellite broadcasts in Japan, theUnited States and elsewhere now bringing high-definition TV to a small butgrowing number of households, Sony wants to get an early start in whatcould become a hot product.
"The market has already been established, and although it's still lookingfor direction, there will be a growing number of users who wanthigh-definition recording," said Sony spokeswoman Shoko Yanagisawa.
Coming to America
The recorder, which includes a built-in broadcast satellite tuner, will hitstore shelves in Japan on April 10. No date has been set yet for anoverseas roll-out, she said.
The machine will give Sony, the world's largest consumer electronics maker,a head start over its partners in the Blu-ray consortium, a nine-membergroup of industry heavyweights that unveiled a common format for blue laserDVDs a year ago.
Blue light, with a shorter wavelength than red, can read and store data atmuch higher densities needed for high-definition recordings.
Blu-ray discs, which Sony will also start selling on April 10, hold up to23 gigabytes of data, or nearly five times as much as existing DVDs andenough for two hours of digital satellite high-definition programming.
At 3,500 yen each, Blu-ray discs will also cost several times more thanconventional discs.
Market growing as prices drop
The new format was devised by an alliance of nine giant makers: Sony,Pioneer Corp, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co (the makes Panasonicproducts), Sharp Corp, LG Electronics, South Korea's Samsung Electronics,Thomson Multimedia and Dutch manufacturer Koninklijke Philips Electronics.
Toshiba Corp., a pioneer in DVD technology, has weighed in with a competingblue-laser format it says will be less expensive and more compatible withexisting recorders, although it would only store 15-20 gigabytes of dataper disc.
A fragmentation of recording formats for existing red laser products hasbeen blamed for hindering a take-off in DVD recorder sales, although themarket has begun growing rapidly as the machines get cheaper.
Toshiba is hoping to have its first blue-laser DVD recorder on the marketin another year or so, a spokesman said, although an industry body is stillhammering out technical details for the format.
FACT BOX
Sony's Blu-ray machine will be able to play red-laser discs using the DVD-Rand DVD-RW formats, but not those using the DVD-RAM or DVD+RW formats.
[Addendum: The Sony recorder-player, codenamed "BDZ-S77," comes with a BSdigital decoder for receiving digital video signals beamed frombroadcasting satellites.
The Blu-ray Disc technology provides a consumer format for recording ofhigh-definition digital television and each disk can hold around two hoursof such content.
In the event that the technology is used to record conventional TV programsbeamed from terrestrial TV broadcasting stations, each disk can hold up to12 hours of such content. The Sony recorder-player also can play back DVDand CD. ]
Former file-swapping wunderkind Sean Fanning has signed up to helpCD-burning technology company Roxio build a reborn Napster service--but witha difference.
The new Napster won't look anything like the anarchic search-and-downloadservice that kicked off file-trading legal battles more than three yearsago, Roxio said Monday. The software company plans to work strictly by therecord industry's playbook, and is taking the peer-to-peer component thatwas a foundation of much of Napster's appeal out of the service altogether,at least initially.
"We're looking to put a legal service up by year end," Roxio spokeswomanKathryn Kelly said. "Our CEO, Chris Gorog, is in talks with all the majorlabels now."
The new Napster envisioned by Roxio--which purchased Napster's name andtechnology assets for $5 million in a bankruptcy auction in November--wouldfall more in line with authorized subscription and paid-download servicessuch as Pressplay or MusicNet. As such, it would break little new ground,but could be a valuable new distribution channel for record labels' onlineefforts.
Roxio is planning to integrate the Napster music download service into itsrecently released Audio Central music jukebox program, which currently makesup part of its Easy CD & DVD Creator 6 disc-burning software. The jukeboxand music download component may wind up being distributed separately, Kellysaid.
Fanning, who created the original Napster file-swapping service while auniversity student, has been hired to help launch the new service as aconsultant, rather than as a full-time Roxio employee.
Although the original Napster song-swapping service has been shuttered formore than a year and half, its influence lives on.
Last week, a group of songwriters sued German media giant Bertelsmann,asking for $17 billion in damages. Bertelsmann's loans to and corporatesupport for the file-trading service in its final year of operationextended Napster's life, and therefore contributed to copyrightinfringement, the music publishers claim.
Other file-swapping services--most notably Sharman Networks' Kazaa--remainstrong. The Kazaa software itself has now been downloaded more than 193million times, far more than Napster's, according to Download.com, asoftware aggregation site operated by News.com publisher CNET Networks.
Roxio already has a head start on its music licensing plans. Shortly beforepurchasing Napster's assets, the Santa Clara, Calif.-based business wasnamed by the EMI Group record label as one of nine Net music companiesgranted broad licenses to offer download and CD-burning services using itsmusic.
(CNN) -- Offering a glimpse of a faster digital future, researchersannounced they have set a new Internet speed record.
Scientists at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center used fiber-opticcables to transfer 6.7 gigabytes of data -- the equivalent of two DVDmovies -- across 6,800 miles in less than a minute. The center is anational laboratory operated by Stanford University for the U.S. Departmentof Energy.
Pushing the tech envelope
The team was able to transfer uncompressed data at 923 megabits per secondfor 58 seconds from Sunnyvale, California, to Amsterdam, Netherlands.That's about 3,500 times faster than a typical Internet broadbandconnection.
"By exploring the edges of Internet technologies' performance envelope, weare improving our ... ability to implement new networking technologies,"said Les Cottrell, assistant director of the Stanford Linear AcceleratorCenter.
The experiment could "bring high-speed data transfer to practical everydayapplications, such as doctors at multiple sites sharing and discussing apatient's [heart test results] to diagnose and plan treatment," he added.
On average, the amount of information that can be transferred over theInternet has doubled every year since 1984, scientists said. That trend isexpected to continue.
Breaking their record
Already, Cottrell said he and other scientists have conducted furtherexperiments that break their own record. But those tests have not beencertified by Internet2, a consortium of 200 universities researching thefuture of the Internet, and they must wait for further confirmation beforean announcement, he said.
Initially, Stanford Linear Accelerator Center employees expect to use thefaster data transfer speeds to share massive amounts of research collectedby physicists studying the fundamental building blocks of matter. But inthe long term, Internet users and businesses could benefit from thefindings.
"Imagine ... being able to download two full-length, two-hour movies withina minute," Cottrell said. "That changes the whole idea of how media isdistributed."
Getting there won't be easy, said Harvey Newman, a physics professor at theCalifornia Institute of Technology who participated in the center'sresearch.
Allowing clean transfers
Scientists were able to get 93 percent efficiency out of theirrecord-setting connection because they didn't have to share bandwidth, theyreceived donated equipment in excess of $1 million and they changed thesetting of Internet protocols to allow faster data transfers, Newman said.
Even if they could transfer vast amounts of data tomorrow at reasonableprices, Newman noted that present-day computers are unable to handle suchloads.
"You have this inversion where the limitations on advances will not be thespeed of the Internet but rather the speed of your computer," he said.
Scientists said the finding announced Thursday hopefully will helpresearchers develop a clearer plan for faster online technologies.
"We don't have a vision of the future of the Internet yet," Newman said."It's a whole new world for which you can see the first few ideas, but wedon't really know what it will be about."
FACT BOX
The data was sent via fiber-optic cables from Sunnyvale, California, toChicago, Illinois. From Chicago, the data was relayed to Geneva,Switzerland, and from there on to Amsterdam, Netherlands. The informationtraveled the 6,800 miles in less than a minute.
Toshiba next week plans to exhibit a fuel cell prototype that it said hasthe potential to replace environmentally taxing, rechargeable batteries withclean-energy technology.
The Japanese electronics company, which ranks among the top notebook makers,said it would present direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) technology forportable computers that can provide about five hours of power with a singlecartridge of fuel.
The new fuel cell, about 275 millimeters by 75 millimeters by 40 millimeters(about 11 inches by 3 inches by 1.5 inches), provides an instant powersupply for a significant amount of time using replaceable methanolcartridges, the company said.
Toshiba, which will showcase the prototype at the CeBit technology show inHannover, Germany, next week, said it would continue to develop the DFMCtechnology and hopes to commercialize it next year.
The consumer electronics industry is rushing to find ways to replace thenickel cadmium batteries and lithium ion batteries that today power mostportable electronic devices. The drawback to existing power technologies isthat they will inevitably hit a barrier, as faster processors,higher-resolution displays and other advances increase the overall demandfor power.
A vast and varied body of research on fuel cells is emerging from universityand corporate labs. Some researchers are working on developingmore-efficient solar cells; others are looking to harness the energy storedin radioactive material. Hoping to make it easier to manufacture fuel cells,one start-up said it had developed a way to make them out of silicon.
Fuel cell technologies face several hurdles before they can garnerwidespread adoption--problems, for example, with delivering the fuel,miniaturization and the cost of the materials needed to build efficient fuelcells.
But as commercial fuel cells become a reality, the computer industry islikely to dramatically alter notebooks and cell phones, making them smallerbut more powerful. New power technologies could extend the life of laptopsmore than two to three times as much as current batteries can.
Toshiba said it dealt with the problem of miniaturization by altering howthe methanol is diluted with water to achieve the optimal concentration topower the cells. Methanol, the company said, delivers power most efficientlywhen it is mixed with water in a 3 percent to 6 percent methanolconcentration. Storing the fuel at that concentration requires a tank thatis too large for mobile devices.
The company said it overcame this problem by developing a system formethanol to be diluted by the water produced as a by-product of thepower-generation process, which allows the methanol to be stored at a muchhigher concentration and in smaller fuel tanks.
Other enhancements that were required to shrink the fuel cell include:sensors to monitor methanol concentration and liquid levels, new materialthat allows smaller cells to be stacked atop one another, and having thecomputer provide information on its operating status to the fuel cell inorder to balance supply and power demands.
(CNN) -- If it's not already there, it's probably coming soon to a localcoffee shop, your favorite airport, the neighborhood park, a McDonald'saround the corner and maybe your home.
Once the pride of computer geeks, wireless Internet access, known as WiFi,is one of the hottest technologies in years, catching on with millions ofcomputer users and promising to change the way people get connected,industry analysts say.
Short for wireless fidelity, WiFi does away with cables dangling from theback of PCs by broadcasting Internet connections via radio waves. Then youjust tune in from your computer.
This week, a slew of wireless networking initiatives are being announcedaimed to make WiFi even more ubiquitous, building momentum by making itfaster to connect and easier to find WiFi-enabled spots.
"We are unwiring the computer world," Mike Splinter, Intel head of salesand marketing, said Wednesday during a news conference at CeBIT, theworld's largest annual electronics show. "Pervasive (WiFi access) is ourgoal from work to home. We want to move computing from the desk to thecouch."
Chip giant backs wireless
Intel threw its weight behind WiFi on Wednesday, promising to outfitmillions of laptops with Centrino chips, which contain a built-in WiFitransceiver and have a longer battery life. The move is expected to makewireless chips the standard for laptops, industry analysts say.
Earlier in the week, Intel also announced millions more in funding forfirms that make WiFi technology, part of a $150 million investment plan tofuel growth of the industry.
And following the lead of Starbucks, which already wired 2,000 coffee shopswith WiFi, McDonald's announced this week that by year's end it expects tooffer one hour of free high-speed wireless access to anyone who buys acombination meal at 300 restaurants in three U.S. cities.
As if that wasn't enough, the Wi-Fi Alliance also jumped into the actWednesday by promoting the launch of a Web site (www.wi-fizone.org) whereusers can search a database of about 1,600 hotels, airports, restaurantsand other wireless access points in 23 countries.
WiFi "has come a long way," said Gemma Paulo, a networking analyst atIn-Stat/MDR. "It's grown more than anyone expected. ... A lot of thatgrowth has been fueled by people who want to put it in their home so theycan sit in front of their TV and use their laptop."
By 2006, research firm Gartner expects 99 million WiFi users and 89,000public WiFi access points around the world. But before it can get there,connections have to be made cheaper and pricing plans less complex.
The industry is still in its early days, said Dennis Eaton, chairman of theWi-Fi Alliance, whose 207 member companies promote the use of thetechnology.
Pricing difficult to follow
No one is sure how to price WiFi service and some community-minded groupsbelieve the service should be free, Eaton said. Service providers don'thave a clear road to profitability and are trying out business models.Pricing can range from unlimited-use plans that cost $30 to $70 a month toper-minute charges at some hotels that can run about $15 an hour or more.
And if you have an unlimited use plan, you can only use it at spots thatare wired by your service provider. The concept of "roaming" -- whichallows cell phone users to move around the country without having to changeproviders or pay additional fees -- has yet to make it to WiFi.
"Just like in the early days of the cell phone market, there's a lot ofexperimentation right now," Eaton said.
Industry watcher Paulo said the move by the Wi-Fi Alliance to provide alist of wired spots is a good first move toward making pricing and serviceavailable more uniformly.
"The next step is the really big step to get the roaming process startedbetween the providers," she said.
Better security promised
The other big challenges, Eaton said, are improving WiFi security. Rightnow, it's relatively easy to hack into WiFi connections. A new securitystandard, expected to be approved later this year, will make WiFi much moresecure, which should help increase the number of businesses using theconnections, Eaton said.
A new WiFi standard 802.11g also is waiting to be certified this year,which will increase the amount of data that can be transmitted and make itmuch easier to download multimedia content through the wirelessconnections, Eaton added.
With WiFi connection kit prices dropping and providers such as CometaNetworks promising to add thousands of access points in the coming years,wireless stands ready to replace wires as the standard for going online,said Phil Belanger, vice president of Vivato, a manufacturer of WiFiswitches which recently received funding from Intel.
Vivato's big-screen size switches promise to increase the range of WiFiconnections inside offices, which should prevent having to install numerouswireless access points, Belanger said.
"We're an example of the second wave of WiFi," he said. "The notion oftaking your work with you will now be practical."
HOW IT WORKS
* A transmitting antenna, usually linked to a DSL or high-speed land-basedInternet connection, uses radio waves to beam signals.
* Another antenna, which is in the laptop or PC, catches the signal.
* The signal has a range of about 300 feet for most home connections. Thefarther the user is from the signal, the slower the connection speed.
A group of four Polish hackers published code to an open security mailinglist on Tuesday that can take advantage of a major vulnerability in theSendmail mail server.
The code, released less than a day after the Sendmail flaw's publicannouncement, allows an attacker to remotely exploit a Red Hat or SlackwareLinux computer running a vulnerable version of the mail server, thegroup--known as the Last Stage of Delirium--stated in the analysis thataccompanied the code.
While the limited number of platforms affected by the program seems to begood news, the group warned that its quick analysis might have missed otherways of exploiting the problem.
"We do not claim that our way of exploitation is the only one," one of thegroup's members said in an e-mail with CNET News.com. "What we did was toperform the series of experiments aimed at actual verification of (the)vulnerability's impact. According to our results, this impact is much lesssignificant that it might seem."
The flaw in Sendmail--in one of the mail server's security functions thatparses mail headers--was found by network protection firm Internet SecuritySystems and announced on Monday. Companies shipping versions of Sendmailaffected by the flaw--believed to be more the 15 years old--include IBM,Hewlett-Packard, Apple Computer, Sun Microsystems, Red Hat and other Linuxvendors, according to advisories posted Monday by the Sendmail Consortiumopen-source project.
The LSD group's research questioned whether as many types of servers runningSendmail are as vulnerable as previously thought.
That's a moot point, said Eric Allman, founder of the Sendmail Consortiumand chief technology officer for Sendmail Inc., a company that has created acommercial version of Sendmail.
"I don't think anyone should be complacent," he said, stressing that otherways to exploit the flaw may exist. "Just get the patch."
Allman wasn't sure how he felt about the security group publishing suchextensive details about exploiting the vulnerability so soon after it wasannounced. For many years, security researchers and hackers have arguedwhether releasing detailed information about how a software flaw can beabused helps or hinders security.
The Sendmail founder had expected that code would be released soon, but notwithin 24 hours. Moreover, the functional nature of the posted code--thescript returns a terminal prompt with which an attacker could issue commandsto the compromised host--was overkill, he said.
"I would have preferred that they would have done a proof of concept,"Allman said. Proof-of-concept code only illustrates how to exploit avulnerability without actually doing anything overly useful.
The LSD group--whose four members claim to be graduates of the PoznanUniversity of Technology--say that releasing such code enhances thecommunity's overall security.
"We do believe that open and free information is the best for improvingsecurity," the group said in its e-mail to CNET News.com. "In our opinion,publishing the details is the only way to...determine the impact. The lackof appropriate information on the issue can be...even more damaging."
Opera Software has released a new version of its Opera 7 Web browser withjust one tweak--it turns Microsoft's MSN Web site into gibberish that wasinspired by the Swedish Chef from "The Muppet Show."
The "Bork Edition" of Opera 7 isn't designed so much to win over newvisitors as to make a point about how browsers and Web sites should worktogether. It is Opera's response to what the company alleges are dishonesttactics by Microsoft to make Opera look like it is displaying pagesimproperly when people view MSN.
The Swedish Chef's dialogue was famously incoherent, and included the phrase"Bork, bork, bork!"
"This is a joke. However, we are trying to make an important point," MaryLambert, desktop product line manager at Opera, said in a statement. "Thesuccess of the Web depends on software and Web site developers behaving welland rising above corporate rivalry."
Microsoft was not immediately available for comment on the move.
Earlier this month, Opera said Microsoft was sending its browser a faultystyle sheet, which determines the presentation of graphics and text in abrowser window. When people using Opera 7 browser software visit MSN.com,published by Microsoft, some of the site content is obscured, Opera ChiefTechnology Officer Hakon Lie wrote in a posting to the company's Web site.
"Opera 7 receives a style sheet which is very different from (that used by)the Microsoft and Netscape browsers," Lie wrote in his explanation. "Opera 7is explicitly instructed to move content off the side of its container, thuscreating the impression that there is something wrong with Opera 7."
Sources have confirmed that not only does the code not work in Opera 7, italso doesn't work in Microsoft's own Internet Explorer 6.
After an initial denial, Microsoft said it did send different style sheetsto different browsers, and defended the practice. "We have different stylesheets and different code for various browsers," said Bob Visse, director ofmarketing for MSN. "That's something we do to try optimize the experiencefor our users."
The browser-breaking charges come more than a year after Microsoft fellunder fire for blocking Opera and other non-IE browsers from access to itsMSN site.
In the resulting outcry, the tech giant opted to let the other browsers backinto MSN. However, it also took the opportunity to disparage the browsers'adherence to industry standards. Microsoft warned that "the experience maybe slightly degraded, simply because (those browsers) don't support thestandards we support closely, as far as the HTML standard in those browsers"is concerned.
Opera is now accusing its rival of making sure that the MSN experience isdegraded for Opera users. Opera said that the page and style sheet served toIE 6 renders properly not only in that browser, but also in Opera 7. Inaddition, the code served to Opera has serious rendering problems in both.
"We are working hard to make sure the Opera browser works well on all Webpages, even those that do not follow the Web's standards to the letter,"said Lie, in a statement. "But it becomes impossible when we are targetedand fed distorted pages that don't work in any browser."
News.com's Paul Festa contributed to this report. ZDNet U.K.'s MatthewBroersma reported from London.
IBM began hitting back Friday against a SCO Group lawsuit that chargesBig Blue with misappropriating Unix trade secrets and using them in Linux.
"We got a copy of the complaint this morning. Based on what we've seen ofit, it's full of allegations with no supporting facts," said Mike Fay, vicepresident of communications for IBM's systems group.
Though Fay didn't comment on the specifics of the suit, the tone of IBM'sstatement indicates the computing giant won't knuckle under quickly toSCO's lawsuit and associated demands.
"I would bet that IBM isn't going to take this sitting down," said BrianFerguson, an intellectual-property attorney at McDermott Will & Emery. "Iwould expect they will bring out the A-team of lawyers and aggressivelydefend themselves against this and potentially assert their ownintellectual property."
SCO filed a suit Thursday seeking more than $1billion in damages from IBM for allegedly using Unix intellectual propertyto improve Linux in violation of IBM's license agreement with SCO. The suitalleges that IBM misappropriated SCO trade secrets, interfered withbusiness, breached its contract with SCO, and competed unfairly.
The suit could affect SCO's relationship with Linux seller SuSE(http://www.suse.com/), whose version of Linux is the foundation of theUnitedLinux products SCO uses.
"We at SuSE were greatly disappointed to learn of the SCO Group's recentactions...While we strongly believe that this does not impact Linux, we areconcerned that these actions are not in the best interest of customers,partners and the Linux community," SuSE CEO Richard Seibt said."Accordingly, we are currently re-evaluating our relationship with the SCOGroup."
SCO's stock leapt on Friday, closing up 89 cents, or 40 percent, to $3.10on the news. IBM's rose 83 cents, or 1 percent, to $77.90. Bruce Perens, anopen-source advocate, said the increase in SCO's stock price illustrateshis belief that the company's suit is a ploy to make SCO look more enticingto would-be acquirers, potentially including IBM itself. "I really stronglyfeel this suit is not meant to go anywhere in court. It's really just aprelude for an acquisition," Perens said.
For its suit, SCO hired attorney David Boies of Boies Schiller and Flexner,who prosecuted the U.S. Justice Department's antitrust case againstMicrosoft and represented Al Gore in the vote-counting controversy in thepresidential election.
Uphill battle
Legal observers and analysts said SCO likely will have an uphillstruggle with its lawsuit and that the implications aren't good for therest of SCO's business selling Unix and Linux products.
"These are difficult claims to win on...Trade secret theft is extremelydifficult to prove in court," Ferguson said. "When you have a copyrightor trade secret claim, you have to show access of original, copyrightedmaterial. (SCO) will have to show IBM engineers working on the Linuxside had that kind of access and used that access to develop the Linuxside of IBM's development."
SCO's likely strategy is to "start up at the top and take out thebiggest defendant out there--IBM in this case--hope it gets a quicksettlement, and use that money to get a settlement with smallercompanies down the line," Ferguson said.
Secondary effects of the suit likely won't help SCO's other business,said George Weiss, research director at Gartner. SCO is likely to damageits relations with its network of sales partners that customize itssoftware and build it into computers used by "replicatedsites"--companies such as McDonald's that have numerous similar branches.
"There's a fear that SCO is using this as a means of either selling thecompany or desperately attempting to find some other business model asan alternative to their current software business," Weiss said. "I wouldadvise SCO (Unix) users that they should have a contingency plan ormigration plan to an alternate platform."
In a brief news conference Friday, SCO Chief Executive Darl McBridedenied the company is going down the path of Intergraph, which once madeworkstations but now specializes in software. In 2002, Intergraph'sincome from operations was $10 million, but its net income includinglegal settlements was $378 million.
"Are we turning into an Intergraph, where that is the only thing we'regoing to do? No, that is not the path we're going down," McBride said.Specifically, the company's "SCO X" strategy, which will bear its firstfruit this summer, "is really about taking our core operating systemtechnologies and moving them forward," he said.
SCO, formerly Caldera International and Caldera Systems, is theinheritor of the Unix intellectual property that first was created atAT&T. Linux, which works in many ways identically to Unix, is created bya group of open-source programmers with assistance from IBM, Intel, NEC,Hewlett-Packard, Oracle and other companies. Red Hat, SuSE, SCO andothers sell versions of Linux; the foundation of SCO's Linux is SuSE'sproduct.
SCO in January announced SCOsource, its strategy to seek licensing revenuemore aggressively from Unix intellectual property the company owns. And theplan is moving quickly, beginning with a mechanism by which companies maylicense supporting Unix software "libraries" that let programs written forSCO Unix run on computers that actually use the Linux operating system.
Among claims in SCO's lawsuit is the allegation that "IBM isaffirmatively taking steps to destroy all value of Unix by improperlyextracting and using the confidential and proprietary information itacquired from Unix and dumping that information into the open-sourcecommunity," the suit said. "IBM's tortious conduct was alsointentionally and maliciously designed to destroy plaintiff's businesslivelihood and all opportunities of plaintiff to derive value from theUnix software code in the marketplace."
Linux's rapid maturity--for example, growing up to work on largemultiprocessor servers--is evidence of the presence of Unix intellectualproperty, the SCO suit said. "It is not possible for Linux to rapidlyreach Unix performance standards for complete enterprise functionalitywithout the misappropriation of Unix code, methods or concepts toachieve such performance, and coordination by a larger developer such asIBM," the suit said.
On Thursday, SCO also sent a letter to IBM Chief Executive Sam Palmisanothat said if IBM doesn't cease breaching its SCO contract, SCO willterminate IBM's right to ship its version of Unix, called AIX, on June 13.
IBM and SCO differ on details of what led up to the suit.
"We have been talking with IBM about SCOsource (since) the December timeframe. We reached an impasse. This is the culmination of thosenegotiations," McBride said of the suit.
But IBM's Fay told a different tale. "It's worth pointing out that SCOnever approached us to raise the complaint, and they didn't tell us inadvance they were going to file a lawsuit," he said.
Shock waves
The shock waves from the suit began traversing the computing industryFriday as companies evaluated the effects.
"If SCO is successful in this suit against IBM or obtains a favorablesettlement, every single other supplier (of Linux) is an open target,"McDermott's Ferguson said.
Gartner's Weiss agreed. "If IBM buckles and SCO wins this case, it couldcause a negative impact to the Linux community in general," he said.Having proprietary components within Linux "pollutes all the spirit andthe meaning of what the open-source community is."
McBride said the company's legal action--thus far--is only with IBM."This is not about the Linux community or us going after them. This isnot about UnitedLinux. This is about contractual violations we arealleging IBM has made," he said.
Two companies quick to say they're not affected by SCO's actions are SunMicrosystems and HP, the No. 1 and No. 2 sellers of computers runningversions of Unix.
"HP did a complete buyout of Unix licensing from SCO," HP spokesmanBrian Garabedian said. "We have a perpetual license rather than per copylicense for HP-UX...We don't believe we have any exposure to the SCOlawsuit."
Sun, too, bought out its Unix license, said John Loiacono, vicepresident of Sun's operating platforms group.
"We bought our Unix license out....We are unencumbered for all things,"including Sun's version of Linux, he said.
And Loiacono wasn't reluctant to seek gains from SCO's moves. "Forpeople looking at the issues at hand, we are a safe harbor. We haveabsolute rights to our technology," he said.
The SCO litigation has affected Sun's shifting Linux strategy, Loiaconosaid. "We're changing our strategy around Linux (but) we're pausing becausewe're trying to figure out what the implications of this are going to be,"he said.
Red Hat said it's not affected by SCO's suit--at least not in the nearterm. "The claims that have been asserted by SCO against IBM do notinvolve Red Hat," said Mark Webbink, Red Hat's chief legal counsel.
"We take the issues of intellectual property very seriously," MatthewSzulik, chief executive of Red Hat, said in an interview. "We have neverbelieved that copyrights, trademarks or patents are things that shouldbe infringed or treated loosely."
With Microsoft buying Virtual PC, which lets Macs run Windows wares,Apple's independence may well rest with programs such as Bochs.
The deal came like a thunderbolt out of the blue. On Feb. 19, Microsoft(MSFT ) announced that it had purchased Virtual PC, the nifty program fromSan Mateo (Calif.) software producer Connectix that allows us Mac zealotsto run PC programs. For Mac users living in an info-tech universe whereWindows dominates, Virtual PC has been a crucial survival tool.
Take the case of TekServe. The New York City outfit sells Apple (AAPL )hardware and software, and offers consulting for companies using Macs."We're an all-Apple shop," says Matthew Cohen, one of three partners in theventure. TekServe has become a mainstay in the Mac-heavy media community ofmidtown Manhattan. And by many accounts, it's one of the biggestindependent resellers of Apple equipment around.
STRADDLING THE FENCE
Still, even TekServe needs Windows sometimes. Cohen sells Sony displays. Todo so, he must run a special inventory and sales software programdistributed to all Sony dealers called SNAP. It runs only on Windows. SoCohen relies on VirtualPC. So do about 1 million other Mac users who needto straddle the operating-system fence from time to time.
Cohen reacted with some trepidation when I told him about the Connectixdeal, which both Apple and Microsoft have been painting as a cause forcelebration. Tim McDonough, marketing director at Microsoft's MacintoshBusiness Unit, says Virtual PC has a bright future in Redmond (see BWOnline, 2/21/03, "A "Perfect Marriage" for Microsoft?"). Apple softwarechief Ron Okamoto served up a canned quote saying he was glad Virtual PCwas in such good hands.
Perhaps. But if I were a fly on the wall at Apple HQ right now, I suspectthat it would be easy to confirm that the folks at One Infinite Loop arenone too pleased. Steve Jobs has never liked the fact that Apple needsMicrosoft more than vice versa. Redmond's deal with Connectix amplifiesthat point: Now, Microsoft controls two things vital to Apple's survival.The first, Microsoft Office, allows Mac users to converse with the rest ofthe computing world in the most popular file formats -- Word and PowerPointdocuments.
OPEN-SOURCE POWER
The second piece, Virtual PC, may prove even more valuable than the first.And that's where Apple needs to think out of the Bochs. No, that's not atypo. Bochs is open-source software that functions as a Windows emulator onUnix machines. Apple needs to leverage the power of open source to winmuch-needed independence from Redmond.
Here's why. Apple is a hairbreadth away from creating a suite of productsthat could replace much of what Office does. I've been using Apple Works asmy primary word processor for some time now, and it does just fine for whatI need -- not elegant or pretty, but you can count words, check spelling,and perform most basic formatting tasks.
Apple's new mail client eliminated the need to use Microsoft Entourage forindividual and small-business users. And presentation application Keynotecovers another of the essential functions that would formerly have requiredpurchasing Office v.X -- it can read PowerPoint files. No, it doesn'treplace PowerPoint proper if, say, I'm at a meeting and need to run apresentation on someone else's machine. But it's still pretty close tocovering the main tasks Mac users need.
As Apple improves its calendar and address-book applications, my decisionto run my life on Mac software looks less quixotic. No offense to Redmond-- I know that Office v.X is a strong product, but I'm cheap.
INDEPENDENCE MOVEMENT
The upshot of all this is, I believe, Apple's reliance on Office v.X hasdramatically decreased. That's the good news. Unfortunately, the need for aproduct like Virtual PC has only increased. It provides a key securityblanket for people moving from the Windows platform to Macs by allowingthem to make the switch gradually. After all, if Windows withdrawal startsto hit, they can always run their familiar software on their Apples.
And much as we Mac lovers hate to admit it, many of us need to run Windowsprograms from time to time. This could be at work where a specific programdoesn't have an Apple version, an all-too-regular occurrence. It could beat school, if the entire software bundle a class uses comes from a PCoutfit and Mac versions aren't available. I use Virtual PC when I need torun Windows programs, such as music jukebox Winamp, that have Mac versionsbut are markedly superior on PC platforms.
Virtual PC fills a critical need -- which is why the Connectix deal shouldbe a call to action at Apple HQ. Think what would have happened ifMicrosoft had bought Virtual PC in, say, 1999. Apple would have been in apickle. Steve Jobs would have had to bow, scrape, and do whatever it tookto make Redmond happy and keep Virtual PC going. Or Apple would have had tothrow a ton of cash and developers at the problem and build its own VirtualPC.
STREET CRED
Oh, how times have changed. Apple now has cash to burn -- billions, really.Today, 5 million Macs run OS X, the new Unix-based operating system thathas liberated Apple from its creaky, archaic OS 9. The open-source movementhas matured to the point where it's putting out increasingly polishedsoftware. And Jobs's troops have street cred in the open-source communityfor their contributions to the Unix-based Darwin software that powers OS X.
Jobs & Co. also recently released its own version of a piece of technologycalled X11, which allows Unix and open-source Unix-based applications to betranslated to Macs far more easily. In fact, X11 should mean that many Unixand Linux apps can simply run on OS X Macs with no code alterations needed.The upshot? Making a Mac-ready version of Bochs isn't just possible butpositively easy.
Apple has the financial resources to dedicate a few engineers to the taskof polishing Bochs to meet Jobsian ease-of-use and boy-is-it-prettystandards. Ultimately, Apple could weave Bochs into the operating system.Perhaps even as early as the upcoming Panther release (you know, the oneafter Jaguar OS X 10.2), Apple users could pop a Windows CD or DVD into thedrive, and OS X would seamlessly launch Bochs and run the Windows code. Infact, I bet Apple could get this process to run smoothly enough thatloading PC software would differ only slightly from launching Mac programs.
BEWARE REDMOND'S WRATH
Of course, ticking off Microsoft could lead to problems down the road.Redmond has promised it will integrate the Entourage mail client intoMicrosoft's dominant Exchange server, which allows group scheduling,companywide address book sharing, and other useful functions not currentlyavailable to Mac users. That's important for businesses that want to useMacs for some functions in a mainly PC environment, since it allows the twoto communicate via the server. If Redmond decides not to continue supportfor Entourage in Exchange, it would be a big blow to Apple. An even worsepossibility -- Microsoft might let Office v.X wither.
Microsoft has no reason, though, to get steamed if Apple does build its ownWindows emulator. After all, Mac users would still need to pay for aWindows software license. To offer PC emulation in an above-ground fashion,Apple could sell Windows licenses twinned with Bochs software as part of apackage deal. That might save Redmond the trouble of keeping Virtual PC forMac up to snuff and would still send a steady stream of dollars toMicrosoft's coffers.
What's more, PC emulation is exactly the area where Apple should rely onthe open-source community for software and development. Lots of Unix andLinux users need it, so it's highly probable that a strong open-sourcesupport group will develop around Bochs or other PC emulation. That givesApple a ready-made support and research team for Bochs. So, all the starsare in line. Take control of Apple's PC-emulation destiny, Steve. Gatherthe forces of the open-source revolution, and open the Bochs.
Mini Me may have his 17-inch PowerBook, but the rest of the world is havingto wait as Apple Computer is apparently having production problems with theextrawide notebook.
When Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced the world's largest laptop at January'sMacworld Expo, he promised that the machines would be available in February.However, early customers--even some who ordered the day the giant laptop wasintroduced--say they are still waiting.
Reports of the delays are chronicled extensively on the Mac laptop sitePowerBook Central. Some who say they ordered right after Jobs' keynotespeech say they are being told they might not get their machines until March24.
But Apple is remaining silent, with a representative refusing to say whetherany machines have shipped or when the laptops might be broadly available.Apple's online store lists a three- to five-week wait for new orders, whilea worker at Apple's retail store in Emeryville, Calif., said that the outlethas no machines in stock, nor does it have any idea when they might arrive.
Apple has advertised the machines extensively with a TV commercial thatshows the diminutive actor Verne Troyer, who played Mini Me in the AustinPowers movies, using the 17-inch model as Yao Ming, the 7-foot-5-inchHouston Rockets center, uses the 12-inch model.
One independent Apple dealer said he has been given no new estimate of whenthe machines will reach independent stores, but said he is hoping theyarrive by the end of the month. According to the dealer, initial orders werestrong, with the large laptop outselling the 12-inch model by four-to-one inthe first two weeks.
"It seems a lot of the pro people (for example, graphic designers) reallywant that 17-inch screen," the dealer said.
However, orders have slowed as the 12-inch model has shipped and the waitfor the larger model has mounted, the dealer said. That increases the riskthat the early demand may wane before Apple has a chance to convert interestinto sales.
Apple's flat-panel iMac was initially in short supply, but shortly afterApple caught up with the initial demand, the company found interest hadsomewhat waned.
The February 20th meeting began with President Richard Rollins conductingthe introduction of club officers. Among those mentioned, was foundingmember and CUCUG's first President Steve Gast. It was good to see Steveback among us.
Next. Richard asked what the SIGs had planned for this evening. Jack Melbyannounced that the Mac SIG would be looking at X11. Richard said the PC SIGwill be looking at the Shuttle Cube he had brought in and speccing out avirtual machine.
The floor was then opened to questions and comments. Jack Melby talkedabout his Backup Prefs program at Emil Cobb's suggestion.
Jerry Feltner asked if anyone had any experience with a program calledRSLinks, a PLC program for the PC.
George Krumins asked about a network card problem he was having at work,where they are running three web sites on the same Dell computer. SteveGast suggested that they should have NIC cards each from differentmanufacturers. Whereas logic might suggest having the cards from the samemanufacturer, in reality, similar cards from the same manufacturer performin the same manner, calling on the same resources, and are a real source ofconflicts. You up your chances of harmony with differing cards.
Matt Skaj asked about ZIP 100 disks formatted on a PC that play havoc onApple machines, not being able to eject them without turning file sharingoff. The consensus was that the disks need to be formatted as a PC disc ona Mac under the Finder, not with Iomega Tools. (Don't ask, just do it.)
John Ross asked about Mac OS 10.2.4 and Gnome sessions, Fink, and X11.
Jeff Strong asked about flashing a graphics card for a Mac on a PC.
In Mac news, Jack reported that Microsoft has just bought Virtual PC fromConnectix. OS 10.2.4 is out and dual processor machines are having the timeset back to 1969 if you don't click off "Use Network Time server" if youdon't have a network connection.
Linux news: Kris didn't have any this month.
PC news: Flight Simulator is out.
George Krumins talked about game machines and the pirate chip equippedXBoxes now finding refuge in Australia.
Eleven people attended the Mac SIG with four laptops actively hooked to ourwireless network.
Jack showed X11.
John Ross asked about printing from X11. Jack said it worked fine.
Matt Skaj asked if X11 had the ability to save files in PDF format, as youare able to do in OSX.
Jeff Strong asked about FAXing on OSX. Jack Melby mentioned Page Sender,FAX Elite, Cocoa Efax.
Matt Skaj asked if X11 has access to OSX fonts. Jack said not directly. Youhave to use a utility like TT Converter or TT Font Converter to convert OSXfonts to X11 usable ones.
John Ross asked about adding memory to his Mac. Will it make OSX operatefaster? Matt Skaj said yes it would. When you hit 1 GB of RAM, OSX turnsoff virtual memory and uses RAM, which is much faster than virtual memory'saccessing of the hard drive.
Jack then moved on to showing his Backup User Prefs program. He saidMacWorld wants to put it on one of their CDs. He also said there have been10,000 downloads of his program so far in the two or three weeks it's beenavailable.
The program has step by step instructions on how to change permissions onpreference files that the script can't initially copy because of ownershipissues.
The was a question about Fink. Jack said you should install system XFree 86first. Install X11 next, install FINK, then do a Fink self update to getthe most current version.
Type FINK LIST and you will get a list of everything available that Finkcan get for you. At last count, there are 2195 packages free for thedownloading.
There was a discussion about Apt-get and deselect.
Fink is from SourceForge.org. It is a command line program. Fink Commanderis the GUI for it. OpenOffice.org has the latest version of Open Office is1.102.
After the Mac SIG wound down, I walked into the PC SIG just as they werehaving their drawing and was drafted as they "puller of names." In sodoing, Rodger Bigler won Office XP and Mike Latinovich won the golf game.
The February meeting of the CUCUG executive board took place on Tuesday,February 25, 2003, at 7PM, at Kevin Hisel's house. (For anyone wishing toattend - which is encouraged, by the way - the address and phone number areboth in the book). Present at the meeting were: Richard Rollins, RodgerBigler, Mike Latinovich, Kris Klindworth, Jack Melby, Kevin Hopkins, KevinHisel and Emil Cobb.
Mike Latinovich: Mike began by saying he had played around with theKNOPPIX CD that was demonstrated and distributed at the last Linux SIG andhe said it is pretty cool.
Mike pronounced the doughnuts good, but light and airy.
The Shuttle Cube, shown in the PC SIG, in Mike's opinion was very, verycool. It comes with no processor, RAM, hard drives, or any drives off anykind for that matter, but still the design is quite compelling. Therefollowed a discussion on the Shuttle box. Mike concluded by saying it'sstrong points are that it has massive connectivity, it's quiet as a churchmouse, and it's very powerful. When it is specced out, it can be a fullblown media center, as Richard demonstrated in the PC SIG's presentation.
Lastly, Mike said it was interesting having so many Jim's at the meeting.
Kris Klindworth: Kris said he enjoyed the Cube demonstration. "It's asweet little box." Kris then said he was happy with the way his KNOPPIXpresentation went. Next month, the Linux SIG will be an open discussion,Kris related.
Jack Melby: Jack noted that there is some talk of a 1 GHz dual processorcard for the Macintosh Cube and that the Cube itself may be reintroduced.
Jack talked about Apple's policy for addressing the chorus of complaintsabout their MDD "Wind Tunnel" machines. Apple has a plan for replacing themuch derided noisy fan in this class of machine by replacing it with a newfan and new, cooler-running power supply.... for free.
Next month's Mac SIG will be Emil Cobb presenting iPhoto.
Looking back to topics from the last Mac SIG, Jack said that Apple's portof X11 will be out sometime next year. He also noted that someone had askedabout using Mac fonts with the currently available X11. Jack said that byconverting Mac True Type fonts to Windows True Type fonts you can get about2/3 of them to work.
Rodger Bigler: Rodger requested that the give-aways at the meetings beaimed at more cross-platform materials, so that more than just PC peoplecan benefit. Kevin Hisel pointed out that we are kind of at the mercy ofthe items we are given.
Rodger said he'd be willing to demo Task Info in May.
Kevin Hopkins: Kevin reported that we currently have 36 members.
Kevin Hisel: Kevin announced that next month's prizes would be Front Pageand another golf game. Mike Latinovich said his dad loves the MicrosoftLinks 2003 he was lucky enough to take home recently.
Kevin said we need to contact Jim Lewis about Corporation Agent issues.
Emil Cobb: Emil reported that we had 28 members in attendance at the lastmeeting.
Richard Rollins: Speaking about the meeting, Richard enthusiasticallypronounced his opinion that KNOPPIX is closing in on mainstream "ease ofuse" for Linux. Moving to the PC SIG, Richard said, "The Shuttle Cube isone of the coolest machines I've built in years."
Next month, the PC SIG will have George Krumins demonstrating the databaseAlpha 5.
Meetings are held the third Thursday of each month at 7:00 p.m. at theIllinois Technology Center. The Center is located at 7101 Tomaras Ave inSavoy. To get to the Illinois Technology Center from Champaign or Urbana,take Neil Street (Rt 45) south. Setting the trip meter in your car to zeroat the McDonalds on the corner of Kirby/Florida and Neil in Champaign, youonly go 2.4 miles south. Windsor will be at the one mile mark. Curtis willbe at the two mile mark. Go past the Paradise Inn/Best Western motel to thenext street, Tomaras Ave. on the west (right) side. Tomaras is at the 2.4mile mark. Turn west (right) on Tomaras Ave. The parking lot entrance isimmediately on the south (left) side of Tomaras Ave. Enter the building bythe front door under the three flags facing Rt 45. A map can be found onthe CUCUG website at Membership dues for individuals are $20 annually; prorated to $10 at midyear. Our monthly newsletter, the Status Register, is delivered by email. Allrecent editions are available on our WWW site. To initiate a user groupexchange, just send us your newsletter or contact our editor via email. Asa matter of CUCUG policy, an exchange partner will be dropped after threemonths of no contact. For further information, please attend the next meeting as our guest, orcontact one of our officers (all at area code 217): Visit our web site at http://www.cucug.org/, or join in our online forums at http://www.cucug.org/starship/index.php . President/WinSIG: Richard Rollins 469-2616 Vice-President: Emil Cobb 398-0149 e-cobb@uiuc.edu Secretary/Editor: Kevin Hopkins 356-5026 kh2@uiuc.edu Treasurer: Richard Hall 344-8687 rjhall1@uiuc.edu Corp.Agent/Web.Mr: Kevin Hisel 352-1002 Mac SIG Chairman: John Melby 352-3638 jbmelby@johnmelby.com Linux SIG Chairman: Kris Klindworth 239-0097 kris.klindworth@Carle.com
912 Stratford Dr.
Champaign, IL
61821