MacEdition ProNews December 15, 2000
by MacEdition Staff (feedback)
It’s beginning to look a lot like ... annoying end-of-year list time
It’s always good to look back over a good year, savor the experiences gained, reflect on the lessons learned. Good, that is, until you have to relive everyone else’s as well. As we approach yet another New Year (on the Gregorian Calendar, anyway), not to mention the real beginning of the New Millennium, watch out for publications filling their column-pixels with recap lists, like Info World’s “The stories that made IT headlines in 2000”.
Does any of this have anything to do with Apple? Not specifically. (At least they didn’t have some schlock like pairing Apple’s comeback and demise.) But it does have its uses, if you’ve really not paid attention to the world around you for the past twelve months. Love Bug anyone?
“Aura” you ready?
Not so many years ago, there was a contest between two companies, each led by a potential prodigal son. One company or the other would be bought, absorbed, used and abused; the other, left to fend for itself. The company that won would help set the direction for one of the major computer companies. The suitor? Apple Computer. The contestants? Be and NeXT. Of course, we all know what happened next (so to speak), and Be was left out to fend for itself.
Apple moved on, eventually releasing that which we call Mac OS X, based on the Openstep foundation that came with NeXT. Apple moved on and, with Jobs at the helm, brought style and panache to personal computing. Apple moved on and brought out the Cube, a computer that, despite its price tag, seemed born to occupy some central space in its owners’ lives (and living rooms).
Be, of course, moved on too. The general OS market didn’t do it any favors; Microsoft proved just too tough. So Be moved on again, this time taking advantage of its operating system and migrating to information appliances. What the heck is an “information appliance” really? Byte helps clarify with a report on Be’s MP3-based home-stereo foundation. From the article:
Be’s aim here is to provide a platform that can be moderately or heavily tweaked by partners, and that can then be plugged into a home-stereo system coupled to a home network. While the device will look and act much like a standard home stereo component, Be is making it easy for partners to provide a specialized computer that doesn’t look or act like a computer.
Funny, isn’t that what Apple is trying to do? Who influenced the direction again?
Drink enough of this and everything will relate to Apple
From the "who cares, it’s interesting info" category, check out this selection of beers. It never hurts to have one of these around, especially if you have to live or work in a mixed-platform environ. Windows 2000 and Mac OS X Beta? That calls for a stout!
- Deschutes Black Butte Porter
- Beamish
- Samuel Adams Triple Bock
- Breckenridge Avalanche Amber
- Wynkoop Railyard
What beer do you think goes best with Aqua? Have a favorite spirit for those “special” nights with Windows 2000? Let us know!