Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Latest News

      Sugary Memo Gives El Gato a Toothache

      By
      Spencer F. Katt
      -
      August 20, 2001
      Share
      Facebook
      Twitter
      Linkedin

        Supercalifragilistic—XP—alidocious!” mumbled the Mouser as he contemplated a recent missive from Microsofts Jim Allchin. The head honcho of the Windows team sent out an e-mail last week to a number of tech journalists saying, “We are getting very close to RTM [release to manufacturing] of Windows XP. I am interested if you have any specific issues that you feel we need to address or you have heard from readers about any issues they may have had with the betas/release candidates.”

        This is a remarkably kinder, gentler stance than the companys attitude before the release of Windows 95 and many of the subsequent operating systems. Certainly, one would assume the last group Microsoft would have thought of asking for advice would have been the tech media.

        “Either theyre having doubts about the recent build release,” pondered the Poppins-like Puss, “or theyve just realized that a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.”

        Meanwhile, out in the wild and woolly beta frontier, a Tabby tattler forwarded El Gato a memo from inside the Massachusetts Institute of Technology community asking folks not to install Internet Explorer 6.0.

        The memo reports that the universitys IS department has received a number of reports of difficulties with the IE 6.0 Public Preview breaking Eudora and Netscape on Windows machines.

        The memo also points out that IE 6.0 is beta software and that Microsofts own disclaimers and warnings include no product support, that its for advanced users only and is not for a primary computer.

        While strongly discouraging everyone from testing IE 6.0 on machines that are needed to get work done, the memo also states that IE 6.0 is so deeply intertwined with the Windows operating systems that the only solution the school has found for removing it is to reinstall the whole operating system.

        “Thats one IS guy whos got his work cut out for him,” laughed the Lynx. “Its hard to imagine anyone at MIT not installing and playing with beta products.”

        It looks like Apple pulled the plug on Kids Safe, its parental guidance program. A Tabby tipster pointed out that being able to run it only from Mac OS 9 or higher may have initially limited its potential user base.

        “That, and the fact that Apple was never exactly clear on what was actually considered kid-friendly,” lamented the tipster. “Im sure Toy Story and A Bugs Life would have made the cut,” groused the Grimalkin.

        A Katt crony in Denver told the Kitty that the folks out at Intels new Colorado Springs campus may all be singing “Lien On Me.”

        Apparently, the El Paso County courthouse has racked up more than $36 million in liens filed against the company from a plethora of construction companies.

        It seems Intel put a super rush on construction of the facility two years ago, hoping to capitalize on the demand for flash memory chips.

        Now, not only has the flash memory market dipped, said the Katt crony, but managing to pay the massive succession of contractors who all pitched in on the accelerated project has proved to be a herculean undertaking for the company.

        Spencer F. Katt
        Spencer F. Katt, the Whiskered Wonder, has been the mascot and tipster extraordinaire for eWEEK and its predecessor print publication PC Week since 1984. The Gadabout Gatto makes the rounds of the high tech centers of the U.S. and beyond in search of news and gossip about the products, companies and people that keep the IT industry in top gear. By day he can often be found padding about the exhibit halls and briefing rooms searching for tips about the latest breakthrough products. By night he haunts the sushi bars and watering holes his ears alert to the merest whisper about a big round of venture capital funding or a blockbuster corporate buyout. The often tart-tongued tabby is always ready to share his own views about the inside stories behind the headlines. 
        Get the Free Newsletter!
        Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
        This email address is invalid.
        Get the Free Newsletter!
        Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
        This email address is invalid.

        MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

        Latest News

        Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

        James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
        I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
        Read more
        Applications

        Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

        James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
        I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
        Read more
        IT Management

        Intuit’s Nhung Ho on AI for the...

        James Maguire - May 13, 2022 0
        I spoke with Nhung Ho, Vice President of AI at Intuit, about adoption of AI in the small and medium-sized business market, and how...
        Read more
        Applications

        Kyndryl’s Nicolas Sekkaki on Handling AI and...

        James Maguire - November 9, 2022 0
        I spoke with Nicolas Sekkaki, Group Practice Leader for Applications, Data and AI at Kyndryl, about how companies can boost both their AI and...
        Read more
        Cloud

        IGEL CEO Jed Ayres on Edge and...

        James Maguire - June 14, 2022 0
        I spoke with Jed Ayres, CEO of IGEL, about the endpoint sector, and an open source OS for the cloud; we also spoke about...
        Read more
        Logo

        eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

        Facebook
        Linkedin
        RSS
        Twitter
        Youtube

        Advertisers

        Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

        Advertise with Us

        Menu

        • About eWeek
        • Subscribe to our Newsletter
        • Latest News

        Our Brands

        • Privacy Policy
        • Terms
        • About
        • Contact
        • Advertise
        • Sitemap
        • California – Do Not Sell My Information

        Property of TechnologyAdvice.
        © 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

        Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

        ×