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What inspired a cover story on Apple Computer? It started when one of our curious editors, Suzanne Deffree, asked me whether Mac OS X would impact our readers. I strongly doubted it, but checked in with some of our Advisory Panel members. Their reaction was interesting. Most panel members arent Apple partners, and they dont want to sell, service or support Macintoshes. However, many of our panel members need to partner with Apples existing allies, especially as Mac OS X moves into vertical-market niches like health care or creative design.
As one panel member told me, “Give me one big Apple feature per year. Let me know what Steve Jobs is doing and where Apple is going. Give me the big picture, and skip the bits-and-bytes product reviews.” We think weve done that with this weeks cover package. Let me know if you agree.
> Novell chairman and CEO Eric Schmidt knows how to make an entrance. But he needs to polish his exit strategy. As part of Novells move to buy Cambridge Technology Partners, Schmidt is stepping down as CEO (hell remain chairman). Novell buried the CEO change in the fifth paragraph of last weeks press release. Many news outlets didnt spot that important piece of information. Shame on these so-called journalists—and shame on Novell for deciding to bury a big executive change.
> OK, I admit it. I held onto stocks about 12 months too long. But Im not alone. Qwest Internet Ventures recently took a hard look at three of its key holdings: Critical Path, Liberate Technologies and USinternetworking. Qwest planned to sell big blocks in each of those companies last October and December, even as they were falling to 52-week lows, according to First Call/Thomson Financial.
> Former iXL Executive VP Dave Clauson has resurfaced at CloudShield Technologies, a startup company that is designing high-speed packet filters. Clauson sold lots of iXL shares just before the big market meltdown, but he says his market timing didnt involve financial skill. “Frankly, I was lucky,” says Clauson. Remind me to drag Clauson along the next time Im rolling the dice in Vegas.
> A close relative of mine got in on the Loudcloud IPO a few weeks back. All he knows about the company is its founders name, Marc Andreessen. As senior editor Fred Aun recently pointed out to me, few people actually can describe what Loudcloud does. Thats going to hurt the company—big time—over the long haul.