Today's News On One Page
November 2nd, 1999
The Nasdaq composite index busted through the 3000 level for the first time in history this morning on a wave of buying in the technology sectors, especially chip equipment and semiconductor stocks. But it didn't stick, and the Nasdaq closed up only 13.95, (0.47%) to end at 2981.60 on volume of 1.2 billion shares traded. Today was the third record high session for the Nasdaq in a row. The Dow moved ahead by about 100 points earlier in the day, but gave it all back by the end of the session to close down 66.67 points, (0.63%) at 10581.84 on a volume of 890 million shares. The abrupt topping off of the Dow and subsequent decline may be in part due to J P Morgan's prediction, released midday, that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates 3 more times through June 2000. The S&P 500 closed down 6.38 points, (0.47%) to close at 1347.74. The bond market continued its rally today as the 30-year US Treasury bond close up 17/32, while the yield fell to 6.136% from 6.17% Monday. Apple rebound strongly after yesterday's sell off to a new intraday high of 81.11/16 then drew back, closing at 80 1/4 up 2 5/8 or 3.38% on less than average volume. This represents another all-time closing high for the company in the last 3 trading sessions. There was no single news item to explain Apple's strong performance today. Apple's price to book value has grown substantially in the last few days due to their position in Akamai and Arm Holdings. Apple also recently announced that they expect a 71% quarter over quarter growth in unit sales this Christmas season. Other investors could be optimistic that Apple's planned acquisition of Raycer Graphics, a graphics chip designer, may bode favorably for the future of Apple's professional line of computers. In Apple related stocks, Akamai (AKAM) on its third day of trading is up yet again by 18 7/16 to close at 192 3/4. Yesterday Akamai was up 23 points after gaining 458% on Friday, which was AKAM's first day on the Nasdaq. Arm Holdings (ARMHY) also extended its uptrend by 2 9/16 to 94 1/8. Apple's Power PC partners were mixed, Motorola was up slightly while IBM closed down 1 7/8 to 94 7/8. Adobe, Macromedia and Symantec all closed lower. Apple's PC rivals had a mixed day too. Compaq and Hewlett Packard slid lower, while Gateway, Dell, Intel and Microsoft all closed up. Oracle (ORCL) advanced 1 13/16 to close at 53. Oracle announced it is teaming with Ford Motors (F) to build a multi-billion dollar Internet venture. For full quotes on all the companies mentioned in this article, we have assembled this set of quotes at Yahoo! for your reference. We also have many of these same quotes reported live (20 minute delay) on our home page. For other stories regarding Apple's stock activity, visit our Apple Stock Watch Special Report.
[4:40 PM] Apple Stock Watch: Markets Rally then Fade, Apple Closes Up 2 5/8 To Another All-Time High
by Wes George
[2:45 PM] MAC-O-RAMA Goes Mad(den) With New Contest
MAC-O-RAMA has again teamed up with ASPYR Media to bring us another excellent contest. This time the prize is the award winning football game, Madden 2000, along with a special grand prize. According to MAC-O-RAMA:
For full contest rules, please visit the MAC-O-RAMA web site. |
[2:45 PM] FontReserve 2.5 Ships Bundled With ACTION WYSIWYG
DiamondSoft has announced that Font Reserve 2.5 is shipping, and the package includes Action WYSIWYG from Power On Software. The combination of these two products brings a formidable package for managing fonts to the Mac OS. According to DiamondSoft:
Font Reserve 2.5 is available in electronic format for US$89.95, and on CD for US$119.95. Previous owners of Font Reserve can upgrade for US$39.95. You can find more information at the Font Reserve web site. |
[2:45 PM] The March Of FireWire Continues Apace With New CDRW Drives
EZQuest has announced that they are adding two new Firewire CDRW drives to their lineup. The Boa Firewire 4x4x24 and 6x4x24 CDRW drives mark continued expansion into the growing Firewire market. These drives also offer Mac users blistering speeds for a reasonable cost. According to EZQuest:
The Boa Firewire 4x4x24 is available for US$369, while the 6x4x24 version is available for US$409. You can find more information at the EZQuest web site. |
[2:30 PM] New Tool For Understanding Math, Physics, & Engineering Hits Market
Calerga has partnered with K-Team to distribute Calerga's SysQuake software. The SysQuake line helps simplify the understanding of math, physics, and engineering by presenting those subjects in new perspectives. According to Calerga:
SysQuake 1.0 is now shipping for Macintosh and Windows computers. You can find more information, including pricing, at the Calerga web site. |
[2:30 PM] Is It November Already? The New Issue Of MyMac Must Be Ready!
My Mac magazine has released their November issue. My Mac is a monthly electronic magazine devoted to bring different views, product updates, and other news to the Mac community. According to My Mac:
You can find more information and see the full issue at the My Mac Magazine web site. |
Imagexpo has been updated to version 2.5, FontReserve has also been moved to a 2.5 designation, and OtherMenu gets new life breathed into it with version 2.0.3. These are the most recent updates listed at The Mac Observer's VersionMaster. You can find all the most recent Mac software updates with this service.
[2:00 PM] VersionMaster Latest Updates: Imagexpo, FontReserve, And OtherMenu
[Column] Wasting Time With The Idiots - Hey, Are You Crying or Is That Just Something in Your i? |
[Column] On The Flip Side - Response To Someone Predicting Apple's Death |
[8:00 AM] Apple Fights Back Against Dell's Education Claims
Apple Computer issued a press release refuting Dell Computer's recent claims that they had overtaken the #1 spot in education sales. Apple's counter claims center around Dell not counting Apple's direct sales to the education market. Those direct sales constitute a major portion of Apple's education sales. According to Apple:
The Mac Observer Spin: One can say just about anything one wants to when it comes to interpreting data. However, we are inclined to believe Apple's claims on this issue. Surely the Wintel onslaught has gained considerable strength in the education market during the last 10 years, but Apple is still the darling of most educators' eyes. Perception is reality to many people, despite the philosophical debates that such a statement may evoke. It is important for Apple to maintain its perceived lead in the education market lest the lack of such a lead steer people towards the Dark Side. This is likely not the last stone cast in this particular war. In any event, it's great to see Apple come back swinging, and armed with stats to back it up. |
[8:00 AM] Phil Schiller In Da' House For QuickTime Live!
Apple has announced that Phil Schiller, Apple's worldwide marketing bigwig, will be giving the Keynote speech for QuickTime Live! QuickTime Live! is the conference Apple is holding next week to promote the use of QuickTime streaming. The event will be accessible over the web, through QuickTime Streaming. According to Apple:
It's not too late to attend this exciting event. Full registration is priced at US$1,390 while conference-only passes are priced at US$995. Workshop-only passes can be bought for US$395. You can find more information on the conference and registration at Apple's web site. |
[8:00 AM] Umax Releases Mac-Only SCSI & USB Scanner
Umax Technologies, the former clone maker, has announced a new scanner that departs from typical scanner fair. The MX3, as it is called, is not only a Mac-only scanner, it also a scanner that be connected via USB or SCSI. This feature makes it very attractive for both the new generation of PowerMacs, iBooks, PowerBooks, and iMacs, as well as the legacy Macs that predate USB. According to Umax:
You can find more information on the MX3 at the Umax web site. The scanner is priced at US$179 and is available from online and physical Mac retailers. The Mac Observer Spin: This is an exciting new product. Umax has been a long time supporter of the Mac with its peripheral line, but this marks the first time in a long while that a company has released a Mac-only version of a product like this. Umax has also done a very smart thing by equipping the scanner with USB and SCSI. Not only does this broaden the appeal of the scanner to those legacy users, it also makes it extremely attractive to homes and small offices that have a mixed environment of pre-USB Macs and the current models. this should prove to be a very successful product for Umax. |
[8:00 AM] The Bottom Line Has G4/ATI VR 128 Video Cards In Stock
In the midst of many shortages of PowerMac G4s and ATI VR 128 video cards, the good people at The Bottom Line let us know that they have plenty of stock on hand. Judging from letters we have received from Observers across the country, we gather this may be good news for some! The company has over 100 PowerMac G4s in several configurations and well over a hundred of the ATI VR 128 video cards. Grab 'em while their hot! For those in Austin, Tx. the company maintains a recently opened retail store where you can actually go check out the merchandise. The Mac Observer Spin: Pardon us if this seemed like a commercial (it's not), but we have been inundated by letters from Observers who have had difficulty finding G4s and the new ATI cards. |
[8:00 AM] OmikronBasic Get Basic New Tool In Update
Berkhan-Software has announced the latest version of their programming language OmikronBasic. The new version, 6.5, includes a built-in debugger and other improvements. According to Berkhan-Software:
You can find more information on OmikronBasic at the company's web site. The update is free to registered owners of version 6.x. The full version is priced at US$143. |