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WinInfo Daily UPDATE, August 18, 2000
========== SHORT TAKES ==========
(An irreverent look at some of the week's other stories,
contributed by Paul Thurrott, thurrott@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx)
* WINDOWS ME NOT EXPECTED TO SUPPLY REVENUE JUMP
Analysts don't expect next month's Windows Millenium Edition (Windows
Me) release to give Microsoft much of a financial boost because it
isn't a "must-have" upgrade. I disagree: Windows Me is the finest-ever
Windows 9x version, a much bigger upgrade than Windows 98 or Windows 98
SE. But Microsoft doesn't sell many retail Win9x copies, so Windows Me
probably will just continue Microsoft's traditional sales history of
machine bundlings. In other words, it will sell about 150 million
copies by this time next year. Not bad for a product that isn't a
"must-have" upgrade.
* ORDER WINDOWS ME, HAVE IT SEPTEMBER 14
The Microsoft Web site is now offering Windows Millenium Edition
(Windows Me) for pre-order, and the company even guarantees delivery on
September 14--the retail release date--so that you can have the product
up and running on its first day of availability. Windows Me's upgrade
version normally costs $109, but as you'll recall, Microsoft has a
special upgrade promotion through the end of the year for only $59.
This promotion is causing some confusion, however: Is this a "Step-Up"
product, similar to the Windows 98 SE Step-Up[?] that required a Win98
installation first, or is it the true upgrade package, simply re-
priced? I'll have more information about this as soon as I figure it
out. And speaking of the Windows Me promo . . .
* WINDOWS ME PROMO: A SAVINGS OR A RIP-OFF?
I guess it's all in the way you look at it. Microsoft offers Windows Me
to upgraders for only $59, a savings of $50 (list price) or $30 (street
price). So this is a great deal for users, right? Maybe not. As many
readers have pointed out, Microsoft offers the Win98 SE Step-Up for
only $19. So the Windows Me upgrade is actually $40 more. Whatever way
you see it, in my opinion $59 is a good price for this upgrade: Windows
Me is a much bigger upgrade than Win98 or Win98 SE.
* TWEAKUI EXPIRED? NO PROBLEM; GRAB ONE THAT DOESN'T EXPIRE
Arie Slob's Windows-Help.NET Web site has the solution if your TweakUI
copy just expired. The trick is to hack away at one of the TweakUI
files with a hex editor. But if you're not into that kind of thing
(raise your hand if you are . . . geek!), then fear not, because Arie
has done the dirty work for you. Check it out in his August 12
newsletter, and download a version of TweakUI that doesn't expire.
http://www.windows-help.net/Newsletter/12august2000.html
* NEED EBOOKS? GET 'EM FREE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
Laptop and Pocket PC users who are going ga-ga over the new Microsoft
Reader software might want to head over to the University of Virginia
Web site, which offers an extensive free eBook collection. The 1200
publicly available eBooks include classic British and American fiction,
major authors, children's literature, American history, African-
American documents, and much more. Check it out.
http://etext.virginia.edu/ebooks/ebooklist.html
MicroSoft Press UPDATE, August 18, 2000
Microsoft Launches Money 2001 - With Help from American Express
Executives from the two companies discuss their collaboration
in Money 2001 and how the software continues to shape the way
consumers manage their short- and long-term finances.
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/2000/aug00/08-14amex.asp
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