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Geek.com - The Online Technology
Resource
- May 3, 2000 - Vol. 4, Issue 17 -
http://www.geek.com
BEGIN##################### Our Sponsor ######################
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----------------------------
C O N T E N T S -
0) Behind the Scenes
1) New Stuff at Geek.com
2) Links to new reviews
3) Rob's favorite news items
4) Geek.com Web Picks
5) Don't forget about this
----------------------------
BEHIND THE SCENES - Customer service and monopolies
Now that the US Government has finally decided that Microsoft must
face the remedy of a breakup, I keep seeing ways in which Microsoft is
monopolizing more and more of people's lives. I can't watch television
today without seeing an ad with Steve Ballmer proclaiming the exciting
new changes that Microsoft has in store for us with its next
generation of software. Actually, I kind of liked the changes made in
Windows 2000, but what else are we lacking? How exciting can it get?
Apparently Microsoft has some gesture and voice recognition
technologies that it claims may be harmed by the breakup. I don't know
about you, but I really don't want to talk to my computer. I spend
enough time talking to people all day who don't understand most of
what I say. At least the computer responds to keyboard input in a way
I have learned to expect. Also, the only gesture I want it to
recognize is a particular gesture I give my PC when it crashes and I
want it to reboot.
Microsoft isn't just assaulting out televisions with Steve Ballmer,
it's filled the air with annoying MSN commercials promising 6 free
months if you sign up for a year of service. Where is Microsoft going
with this? It seems that it wants to challenge the AOL/Time Warner
monopoly by grabbing as many of AOL's subscribers as it can. After
that, Microsoft will force those users to buy a computer bundled with
Windows and Internet Explorer. Inside Internet Explorer we'll find
Microsoft Instant Messenger and Microsoft Media Player.
On the other side of the fence we have evil AOL with Netscape,
AIM/ICQ, WinAMP, and, of course, 23 million paying subscribers. AOL
treats its AOL/Time Warner cable subscribers with so much respect that
it cut off ABC, one of the major television networks, for a couple of
days in the middle of a "sweeps week" while it "negotiated"
a contract
with Disney/ABC. Now that's customer service. Here's a little rule
that we can all live by: if a company can purposely cut off service to
its customers for a period of time and the customers don't all leave,
the company holds monopoly power over those customers.
Maybe AOL's next move should be to purchase Real Networks and take
Microsoft on in the streaming multimedia field. That would be some
competition, but sometimes competition between two bloated companies
isn't really competition that helps the consumer at all.
I'd like to see an Open Source streaming media player that plays DVD
movies, lets you browse the Web, and sends instant messages. Run it on
Linux, and throw the rest of it out the Windows.
Anyway, here's the newsletter:
----------------------------
NEW STUFF at GEEK.COM
*** Chipset Specs
Want to find out about chipsets, the chips that control the features
of your motherboard? Well then, check out our regularly updated
Chipset Specs area. We've now added a key to the Specs tables so
that some of our abbreviations make more sense.
- http://www.geek.com/procspec/chipsets/chipsetkey.htm
Key to the specs
- http://www.geek.com/procspec/chipsets/csetspec.htm
Processor Specs
*** Tips & Tricks
Last Friday's Tips and Tricks are all Windows 98 items, including
dodging Microsoft's Notepad, speeding up Internet Explorer, an
IE trick with a new outcome, and more.
- http://www.geek.com/tips&tricks/tipsmain.htm
Remember: if you've got Tips or Tricks for ANY platform, including
PDAs, we want to see them! Send them in at:
- http://www.geek.com/tips&tricks/tipsform.htm
*** Pocket PC demo impressions
Chief Geek Joel and The Psion Advisor went to a Pocket PC demo thrown
by Microsoft. Joel shares his impressions of the 2.5 hour
presentation, including some of the jabs Microsoft threw at the Palm
platform. If you want to learn about all the new features and software
programs Microsoft's new PDA is sporting, check out the PDAGeek
Feature article.
- http://www.geek.com/pdageek/features/pockpc/index.htm
*** Tales from the Geekside
Today's batch of Geeky Tales offers new perspectives on tech things
and situations that we take for granted. Read about a radical "new"
computer case, computers that play April Fools jokes, a new use for
WhiteOut, and a stunning new revenue possibility in "informal"
tech-supporting.
- http://www.geek.com/geekside/geekside.htm
Remember: if you've got cool tales of geeky things you've done, had
done to you, or heard told, we'd love to read them and share.
- http://www.geek.com/geekside/geekform.htm
---------------------
LINKS TO NEW REVIEWS
Hardware Review
*** WOW Thing Box and Software Plugin - more bass, more volume, less $
- http://www.geek.com/hwswrev/conel/wowthing/index.htm
PDA Hardware and Software
*** Palmtop GPS and Palmtop Route Planner Millennium - new navigation
- http://www.geek.com/hwswrev/psion/rplannergps/index.htm
---------------------
ROB'S FAVORITE GEEK NEWS
Here are my favorite items, picked out of the headlines from the last
two weeks. See what you're missing if you don't read the daily
Geek.com news?
*** Metallica asks Napster to remove users - When will it end?
- http://www.geek.com/news/geeknews/q22000/gee2000502001337.htm
*** New hack in town - Turn the WebSurfer Pro into a real PC
- http://www.geek.com/news/geeknews/q22000/gee2000501001327.htm
*** MS Remedies Details - What the govt. wants to do to Microsoft
- http://www.geek.com/news/geeknews/q22000/gee2000501001327.htm
*** Mobile phones to carry health warnings - In the UK
- http://www.geek.com/news/geeknews/q22000/gee2000501001318.htm
*** MP3.com loses in court - Remedies not yet decided
- http://www.geek.com/news/geeknews/q22000/gee2000428001310.htm
*** USB 2.0 finalized - Shows face in late 2000
- http://www.geek.com/news/geeknews/q22000/gee2000428001308.htm
*** Intel ditches PSN - No more serial numbers after the Pentium III
- http://www.geek.com/news/geeknews/q22000/gee2000428001306.htm
*** No rest for Mitnick - US Govt. tells him to be quiet
- http://www.geek.com/news/geeknews/q22000/gee2000428001305.htm
*** Re-wiring the 'Net - FreeNet keeps the 'Net free
- http://www.geek.com/news/geeknews/q22000/gee2000427001298.htm
*** Napster free tour and Dre sues students - Bizkit and Hill
- http://www.geek.com/news/geeknews/q22000/gee2000426001280.htm
Quick-Takes (no opinion, but still good news!):
*** UberGeek Chic - Wearable computer for only $5000
- http://www.geek.com/news/geeknews/q22000/gee2000426001285.htm
*** FreeBSD Reviews - Reviews of this free UNIX flavor
- http://www.geek.com/news/geeknews/q22000/gee2000426001282.htm
---------------------
GEEK.COM WEB PICKS
I don't get any money from these sites, I just wish I did. Submit
your favorite sites to [email protected]
(mail subject: Good Sites)
- http://packetstorm.securify.com/
Packet Storm is a security site where the hacker and corporate
security gurus alike can go to enjoy lots of links to security sites,
daily security news, and links to the newest patch files. The site
is a great repository of security information.
- http://www.userfriendly.org/
This is one of the longest running and most respected Geek comic
strips on the Web. It follows the adventures and misadventures of
a group of ISP workers.
---------------------
AS ALWAYS DON'T FORGET ABOUT THIS
*** Geek Support
Get the support a Geek deserves! We've got everything from message
areas to a technical glossary. Also, check out our co-branded
MyHelpdesk area for the best and most support links on the Web.
- http://www.geek.com/geeksupport.htm
*** List your resume or job listing at JobGeek
You know the geeks are here, and you know that they know the geeks
are here. So, put your resume up or put up your job listing. It's
free, and it will get your name out there.
- http://www.jobgeek.com
*** Free Geek.com Mail
Sign up for your always free Web-based e-mail address at Geek.com or
GameGeek.com. Advanced e-mail capabilities and you can gather all
your POP accounts in one place, free of charge, unlike those other
"free" e-mail services. Click on the white "Sign-Up" link
on the
upper right.
- http://www.geek.com/
*** More Newsletters
Keep informed of the latest information, whether you can browse the
Web or not. Sign up for our PDA and ChipGeek newsletters!
- http://www.geek.com/nlmain.htm
Until next time, keep on geeking!
Rob Hughes
[email protected]
Chief Technologist
Geek.com
http://www.geek.com
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