User group Newsletter Editors: Utilize this content in your newsletter -- PLEASE ... reference The User Group Network _ / _ UG Network Channel _ / _ NEWS_/ _ Info Manager The Info Manager is looking for your rumors and tidbits... give him a post! ...or subscribe... see subscription notes below Info Manager - 04/28/Y2K Microsoft; Virus rumors; Movies; Astarte; Tripp Lite; eWeek; FishPC; eMachines **** Back Door? A number of places on 4/13 & 4/14 reported that Microsoft left a secret back door in its server software that uses Front Page 98 extensions.. CNET's news.com reported, by typing the phrase, "Netscape engineers are weenies", one could "gain access to hundreds of thousands of Internet sites that used Front Page for development. Microsoft elsewhere made a statement that back doors are against company policy and could result in termination of the responsible party. **** Virus rumors USA Today of all sources, brought this one to my attention. I still get friends who warn me of non-existent virus e-mail. A new source (at least to me), to check those rumors is at http://kumite.com/myths/ The folks there at Computer Virus Myths do a good job of telling their readers about the myth in a humorous fashion. PLEASW do yourself and your friends a good service in checking with this site or places like Symantec and MacAfee to see whether a rumor is true before you repopulate the net with text. (Off soapbox now). **** Movies Miramax Films will be putting some of its movies on the web for download. (100-200 megabytes) Even on high speed, that would take up to 30 minutes for the download. Also this will be pay per view. Besides the download time, the other drawback, is that they will be in Movie Player format and not Real or Quicktime. Sounds like Apple needs to get Lucas to follow suit. **** Astarte It looks like Apple is getting serious about the DVD market. They announced on 4/17, that they were purchasing Astarte's DVD software and the staff that developed it. My GUESS would be that we will soon see the G4s with DVD RAM drive standard in some G4 that also come with a movie editing program, like Final Cut Pro. That would really make the G4 competitive with much more expensive editing machines. **** Tripp Lite On 4/18, Tripp Lite announced it had acquired Interex and along with Interex, the XLR8 division. This is good news, as it will give XLR8 some funding and help provide reasons for Tripp to support Mac software with its UPS products. I guess Apple selling 28% more this past quarter than the good year they had the year before is really paying off. **** eWeek Remember when the folks at MacWeek decided to put out a publication dedicated to e-Publishing? Well, that one didn't work. Now the folks at PCWeek have decided to switch their publications (on May 8th) to "eWeek Building the .com enterprise". Hope these guys do it right. It is kind of sad seeing the personal computer market being abandoned. I personally feel that we still need these types of publications, but I know that eventually they well be replaced. Once nearly everything contains a computer we won't be concentrating on the computer, but in doing things. So eWeek may be good for the publisher. I hope so. **** FishPC Another entry in the iMac look alike contest. FishPC is an Australian product. As to whether Apple will sue, well you take a look: http://www.fishpc.com.au/index_flash.html **** eMachines According to the latest IDC poll, eMachines now is the fifth largest seller of computers in the US. The displace IBM from that position as it went to a direct selling model. Dell leads the list with Compaq, HP following. Compaq is still the number one seller in the world. I really expected Apple to return to the top 5 when IBM dropped out of the race. Guess it is hard to compete against $400 and less computers. **** Quote of the Week: "The Americans have need of the telephone, but we do not. We have plenty of messenger boys." -- Sir William Preece, of the British Post Office, in 1876. **** Web site of the Week: Just before I left for Boston on February 22, I got a mailing from a company called "The FamilyEducation Network. (www.FEN.com). This site specializes in the education of children and school issues. Their other areas are familyeducation.com, teachervision.com, myschoolonline.com, infoplease.com, funbrain.com and schoolcash.com. The later of course helps schools raise money. FEN was actually founded in 1990. One year before the world wide web was started. Their first product was a newsletter called Education Today. It wasn't until 1996, that they joined the wired community on the web. Now, as they put it they are "a one-stop resource for busy parents. ... It provides a gathering place for parents, teachers, school administrators, and professionals under one roof." If you are interested in the future education of this country, (and you should be), then check out this site. It will give you hope. (BTW - there are some great resources here for teachers.) Can't resist adding an extra one. Go to www.1112.net/lastpage.html You'll be glad you did. pau **** Don't forget For User Group Newsletter Editors there's a TEXT version of this file available for use in your newletter. Any suggestions for topics and reports of rumors are always welcome. Please me know at the address below. Thanks ... the Info Manager invites you to use all or part of his column in your user group newsletter. Please let him know at rumormangr@aol.com and if possible send an electronic copy for the old scrapbook. 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