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October 31, 1998
News
- So, it’s Windows NT 5.0 no more. Instead, the next
version of this network-oriented operating system for businesses that Microsoft is
laboring to release by the middle or end of next year is going to be called Windows 2000.
The client, or desktop version of the OS will be called Windows 2000 Professional.
Frankly, while I understand the desire to want to take advantage of the Windows brand
name, I think this move is going to create more confusion than anything. The reason is
most people will logically think that that they can and should upgrade from Windows 98 to
Windows 2000. And while that will certainly be technically possible, I wouldn’t
advise it for consumers because Windows 2000 Professional is geared specifically for
business networks. The next version of Windows beyond Windows 2000 will incorporate
Windows 98 and Windows NT technology into a single unified operating system for consumers
and businesses, but that may not come until 2001 or 2002. So, for single end users,
I’d hold on until Windows 2001 or 2002 comes along.
- HP introduced a whole slew of new printing and digital
imaging products this week, most of which were geared toward the business market. New
machines include fast B&W Laserjets, higher-resolution networked color lasers, and a
$15,000 Mopier—which is an HP term for multiple original copier. In the consumer
price range, HP introduced a new $399 megapixel digital camera called the PhotoSmart
Digital Camera C30.
- Dell cut prices this week on their consumer and small
business-oriented desktop systems by an average of about 13%. Prices on systems like a
Dimension XPS R400 with a 400 MHz Pentium II, 64 MB of RAM, 10 GB hard drive and a
17" monitor, for example, dropped from $1,932 to $1,700. In addition, the company is
expected to announce some additions to its Inspiron portable line that are thinner and
lighter than other models—though at about six pounds, they won’t win awards for
size. The 1.5" thick Inspiron 3500 will feature an Intel Pentium II processor, AGP
graphics and more. Prices will start around $2,000.
- Speaking of new laptops, Toshiba will also be introducing
three new models next week, according to reports I read online. At the low end,
Toshiba’s new $1,399 Satellite 2515CDS features a 266 MHz Pentium MMX, 32 MB of RAM,
4.3 GB drive, 56K modem and a 12.1" dual-scan screen. All of it housed in a sleek new
Toshiba package. Jumping up to $1,999, the lightweight Portege 3010 features a 266 MHz
Pentium MMX, 32 MB of RAM, a 4.3 GB drive, and a 56K modem all in a package that’s
less than an inch thick. For those interested in their tiny Libretto machines, the new
$1,799 Libretto 110CT features a 233 MHz Pentium with MMX mobile processor, 32 MB of RAM,
4.3 GB drive and a 7.1" active matrix screen. Like other Librettos, the 110CT weighs
around 2 pounds and is about the size of a VHS videotape.
- I mentioned last week that IBM was planning to unveil a $599
desktop PC—sans monitor, unfortunately—but that details were still forthcoming.
Well, here they are. The specs on the new Aptiva D1N include a 300 MHz performance rated
Cyrix processor (the actual speed is 225 MHz), 32 MB of SDRAM memory, 3.2 GB hard drive,
32X Max CD-ROM drive, and a V.90 56K modem. The D1N is also bundled with Windows 98 and
Lotus SmartSuite productivity software.
- Well, I hate to tell I told you so, but it looks like when it
comes to Internet Service Providers, you do get what you pay for. I mention this because
one of the more successful—or, at least, so it appeared—ISPs offering lifetime
Internet access for a single low price went out of business this week. Bigger.net, which
is based in San Jose, had offered lifetime Internet access for $59, a deal that sounded
too good to be true. And, well, I guess it was. The company is apparently in negotiations
to sell its customer list off to other companies, but if you’re a Bigger.net customer
or have thought about using a one-time fee service, I suggest you think about a larger,
better-established company. Admittedly, on one hand, if you got more than 3 months of
service for your $60, you did better than most people (who typically pay $20/month).
Unfortunately, in changing to a new ISP you do have the added hassle of having to switch
e-mail addresses and possibly lose some other feature or capability you really liked.
- After a false start a few weeks back, Microsoft has
re-released a revised version of Service Pack 2 for Office 97. The latest version
addresses some issues that occurred in the first one and forced Microsoft to quickly pull
it from their web site. As before, you’ll first need Service Pack 1 before you can
add Service Pack, but this new updater looks for SP1 and gives you options based on what
it finds. The bugs fixed in this Service Pack include an Excel re-calculation bug, and
lots of minor bugs in Word and other Office apps. The company recommends anyone using an
Office 97 application get the free upgrade.
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