Last week’s Macworld Expo news dominates this issue with news of the Apple/Microsoft announcement that floored everyone at the keynote address. Managing Editor Jeff Carlson, our representative at the Expo, weighs in with his overall impressions; Tonya reports on new hardware from Apple, including several new Power Macs; and Adam offers additional details and analysis about the recent Macworld/MacUser merger.
New from Aladdin -- Aladdin Systems has just released FlashBack 1.0 and Private File 1.0. The $69.95 FlashBack 1.0 (formerly Rev; see TidBITS-362) enables users to return to previously saved states of tracked documents
HTML Tools Update -- Although my seven-part HTML series ended last week, HTML fans should note that GoLive Systems has released CyberStudio 2.0, a free downloadable upgrade ($19 for a physical package) with many small changes plus noticeable ones like a spelling checker and strong support for frames
Macworld Expo last week was seasoned by a liberal helping of new product announcements from Apple Computer. A trio of new Power Macs - the 8600/300, 9600/300, and 9600/350 - head the list and should be available in late August for $3,600, $4,500, and $5,300 respectively
Life is never dull in the computer industry, and last week Apple and Microsoft made sure that the few who weren't paying attention sat up and took notice
As a quick Web search shows, many people have noted that "the enemy of my enemy is my friend." I've never been certain of the truth of that statement, but it would appear that the Macintosh community has witnessed an example of it in action.
It's Merger Time -- Two weeks ago, rival publishing empires International Data Group (IDG) and Ziff-Davis announced that they have formed a new company called Mac Publications that will consolidate three major Macintosh print publications, Macworld, MacUser, and MacWEEK
As I sat in my Boston hotel room on the first night of Macworld Expo, the local public television station was running "Triumph of the Nerds," a somewhat silly documentary about the history of the personal computer industry.
When asked by the interviewer about Apple's historical arch-rival, Steve Jobs replied, "Microsoft has no taste, and I don't mean that in a small way; I mean it in a big way." With Jobs's surprise keynote announcement of a broad deal with the software giant, his sentiment seems to have changed to, "Microsoft may have no taste, but it's got cash and clout." (See Adam's article in this issue for more on the Apple-Microsoft deal.)
A Bombshell Keynote in Plain Brown Wrapping -- After enduring the celebrity-heavy, effects-laden, razzle-dazzle keynote of Gil Amelio's Macworld keynote last January, I was surprised by the lack of flash in Jobs's performance