Stories by Alexandra Krasne

Crusoe Cruises Ahead

A flat two-pound Web pad designed to wirelessly connect to the Internet, a crash-proof computer, and a notebook you can run all day on batteries are just some of the myriad devices that Transmeta Corp.'s Crusoe chips will bring to market soon.

No more Wine-ing about Linux apps

Until recently, Linux users who wanted a good set of productivity applications had to run a Windows office suite under Wine -- a conversion layer of Linux code that lets you run Windows applications. But soon there'll be an office suite built for Linux from the ground up -- Applixware Office 5.0 from Applix.

When Linux Flunks Drivers Ed

Last week I picked up a shiny, new package of Corel Corp.'s Linux and tried to install it on a fairly vanilla Dell Computer Corp. Pentium III-700. Unfortunately, I couldn't. Corel's much-touted Linux distribution didn't recognize either the hard drive controller or the graphics adapter.

Untangling Microsoft's Many Branches

If you're confused about what operating system is going to spring forth from Microsoft Corp.'s loins and when, you're not alone. With Microsoft changing names, delaying launch dates, and planning to change the underlying code for its operating systems, who can untangle the roots of its gnarled Windows family tree? Well, we can try.

Win the Search Engine Lottery

Without the right search tool, the odds that you'll find what you want on the Web are about the same as your chances of winning the lottery.

Microsoft offers voice over IP

You're online checking e-mail and browsing sites, and people calling you hear a busy signal or your voice mail. If you like that, read no further. If not, then you're in luck.

Safety for Surfers

Building on the notion that the ultimate Internet security product is part software, part hardware, and a whole lot of trust, five leading hardware and software companies are forming an open-source alliance on Monday to promote safer surfing and shopping.
The group, known as the Trusted Computing Platform Alliance, plans to write framework specifications that will guide hardware and software developers toward building products that will provide security when you're online. Participants include Compaq Computer Corp., Hewlett-Packard Co., IBM Corp., Intel Corp., and Microsoft Corp.

PC cracks the $US100 barrier

PCs with three-digit price tags are becoming common, if not dominant in today's market, but have the days of a system priced less than $US100 really arrived?

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