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Volume 2, Issue 2 Atari Online News, Etc. January 14, 2000 Published and Copyright (c) 2000 All Rights Reserved Atari Online News, Etc. A-ONE Online Magazine Dana P. Jacobson, Publisher/Managing Editor Joseph Mirando, Managing Editor Atari Online News, Etc. Staff Dana P. Jacobson -- Editor Joe Mirando -- "People Are Talking" Michael Burkley -- "Unabashed Atariophile" Albert Dayes -- CC: Classic Chips To subscribe to A-ONE, send a message to: dpj@delphi.com and your address will be added to the distribution list. To unsubscribe from A-ONE, send the following: Unsubscribe A-ONE Please make sure that you include the same address that you used to subscribe from. To download A-ONE, set your browser bookmarks to one of the following sites: http://people.delphi.com/dpj/a-one.htm http://www.icwhen.com/aone/ http://a1mag.atari.org Visit the Atari Advantage Forum on Delphi! http://forums.delphi.com/m/main.asp?sigdir=atari =~=~=~= A-ONE #0202 01/14/00 ~ Amiga Resurrected?! ~ People Are Talking! ~ AOL-TV?? ~ CES Panel: No e-taxes! ~ MS, Caldera Suit Ends ~ Pro-Elite For NUON ~ Win2000 Virus Detected ~ Lynx Games For Songbird ~ Nyko NUON Gamepad ~ MS Loses Temps Appeal! ~ MS Break-up Favored! ~ Acclaim's 'Tee Off' -* Gates Gives Reins To Ballmer! *- -* AOL Buys Time-Warner In Stock Deal! *- -* AOL To Continue Open Access Fight, Or Not? *- =~=~=~= ->From the Editor's Keyboard "Saying it like it is!" """""""""""""""""""""""""" Okay, winter had to show up here in New England eventually!! But, it was nice while it lasted - 303 days since the last time there was any measurable snow in this area! And man, it's been _cold_ the last few days! How about the computing technology headlines this past week! America Online Buys Time Warner?! Bill Gates steps down as CEO of Microsoft?! Wow! Not even in my wildest dreams would I have imagined these two events happening! I guess if you're going to start of the year 2000 with a bang, you may as well make it a loud one! The times...they are a-changin'! The AOL/Time-Warner deal is something that really woke me up. Most of us have been using our systems (Atari or otherwise) for many years now for telecommunications. From the days of the local BBS to places such as CompuServe, Delphi, and GEnie - to Prodigy - to AOL, and more. The internet is certainly becoming more and more a focal point these days. It appears that those who don't get involved with it will be left behind. Who knows where this will take us! Until next time... =~=~=~= PEOPLE ARE TALKING compiled by Joe Mirando jmirando@portone.com Hidi ho friends and neighbors. Well, this is another week when nothing comes to mind for my column intro. I hate when that happens. I mean, you folks read this column for a reason, right? The least I can do is to have something of worth to add to all the stuff that other people have provided via the UseNet. I may not always have something spiritually uplifting or socially relevant to add, but I always speak my mind. It's just that, at the moment, my mind has laryngitis. At any rate, it's been another busy week. Y2K problems have given way to other concerns... all of them, of course, urgent. For any of my friends who happen to read this column, please accept my abject apologies for not corresponding lately. As much as I promise myself that I'll make the time to get in touch, I just can't seem to make it happen. I'll keep trying if you promise not to hold my protracted silence against me. For the rest of our readers, I have a bit of a treat... The intro part of the column is over. <grin> >From the comp.sys.atari.st NewsGroup ==================================== Artur Stachon asks: "How come 90% of Atari Falcon demos won't work on VGA monitor ? What do I need to do to see them on my VGA monitor ? I am sick of little Atari ST monitors - can't stand them ! Is there any emulator that would make Falcon see my VGA monitor as Atari monitor or whatever needed so I can see Falcon demos ? It won't work in "ST compatible modes" I tried already. Also, is there any good emulator except "Dawnwards" to play STe games on Falcon ? I tried with TOS ROM switching program to make Falcon behave like STe but it always re-boots and overwrites all." Fredrik Egeberg tells Artur: "The reason why most demos only run in RGB is because we (the democoders) at least in the beginning mostly had RGB monitors or TVs.. and coding on RGB is somewhat "easier".. this is related to the fact that most demos run their effects not in 320*200 or so but in 320*100 or similar, the falcon isn't fast enough to make it in 320*200.. so on RGB you can set 320*100 and "stretch" the pixels (line doubling) vertical.. to make a 320*100 cover the whole screen.. this is done by hardware.. on VGA the same isn't possible unless you use 100Hz frequency.. but many older VGA monitors cannot cope with 100Hz correctly, hence the distorted image on many demos on VGA monitors. These days most of us make demos VGA and RGB compatible though. I prefer demos on RGB.. since you know it will work on TVs and RGB monitors.. and you don't have to bother about line-doubling pixels yourself.. but VGA is of course easier on your eyes since you don't have interlace mode. One way to get around must be to get a multisync capable of RGB signals to watch both RGB and VGA demos.. I heard the NEC 3D is one cool (old) monitor able to cope with many different signals.." Clayton Murray asks about his removable hard drive: "I just got a Syquest "Syjet 1.5" (1.5gig removable cartridge SCSI drive). I hooked it up to my Falcon, partitioned it, and copied most of my IDE drive's contents to it. So far, everything is fine. Now, I'm ready to remove the cartridge and shut everything off. Surprise!, it won't eject. It beeps once and I can hear it click a few times, then nothing. The manual says I can remove it by hand after it's been off for 45 seconds, but I'd really like to get it working RIGHT. It also says if the cartridge won't eject, it's because it is "locked". Then it goes on to say you have to use the software included on a floppy in order to "unlock" the drive. Aaaarrrgghhh! I DON'T HAVE A !@#*%! PC COMPUTER, so the software is useless. I suspect that there must be someone in this NG who has figured out how to get around this. I'm using Falcon/ TOS 4.04/ ICD hard drive software and utilities. Any ideas?" "Galen" tells Clayton: "I know this isn't what you want, but Syquest drives are designed to keep the disk inside the drive mechanism. I'd just leave the disk in the drive and have a 1.5GB HD." Clayton tells Galen: "You're right, it's not really what I wanted, but it's appreciated anyway. Actually, I found (I think on their web page) some info indicating it was not a good idea to leave the cartridge in the drive. Maybe it's just a safety precaution in case you move it, etc. Also, if you have more than 1 cartridge, you of course have to eject to switch between them. Their web page also had a whole system of info dealing with cartridges that are afraid to come out of their shells. My drive is working fine now. The cartridges eject like they are supposed to. I don't know why it was misbehaving earlier. Just one of those mysteries." Wayne Booth adds: "I had a syjet that when I first started using it, the eject mechanism would lift the cartridge but it wouldn't eject. After I worked it a bit (lifting and releasing and ran the drive a bit) it finally started ejecting. I suspected that possibly the lubricant was a bit sticky (from age or temperature or maybe the initial viscosity of the lubricant was too high) and it was causing the sticking. As it was exercised a bit and warmed up, then it started working and I haven't had a problem since." James Smith puts his own experiences into the mix: "I had always switched on the SyJet before inserting the cart. When I was at PMP, my SyJet was passed from machine to machine without ejecting the cart; the result was bad sectors and a lot of problems getting the cart to reformat !" Jerry Martin asks for info about fonts: "Where can I find bitmap fonts which I could use with NVDI 5.03 as a system font. I am using the supplied Monaco font, but are there any others available/suitable?" John Logan tells Jerry: "This is digging deep into memory (mine, not the computer's) but I _guess_ that any GEM font will do. The PD libraries must be full of these. Failing that FontKit will convert Signum fonts to GEM fonts. Myself I never see any reason to change from the standard Atari font - it is clear and readable and looks OK." Joergen Bak adds: "Any TTF or PS1 font will do. There are lots on the Internet. Try a search for font." In my experience, this isn't exactly true. Joergen should have said "Any TTF or PS1 font THAT HAS ALL 256 CHARACTERS MAPPED will do." Andy Blakely asks about control panels: "Okay, I've heard people mention XCONTROL and ZCONTROL, among others. So what's the difference between all of them? Are there different ones for different systems?" John Whalley tells Andy: "The original Atari control panel was a simple accessory with just a few settings. This is way too restrictive, so they introduced Xcontrol, (eXtended/eXtendable control panel?). This uses modules (CPXs - Control Panel eXtensions) and seems to work pretty well on most machines/OSes. All the other options are "improvements" on Xcontrol, some of which support extended CPXs ( ECPXs, which can have bigger windows etc). I'm not sure which do and which don't, except that Zcontrol does support them (they're rare, though). Zcontrol is apparently not y2k compliant, so forget it. COPS takes a slightly different approach and relies on a multitasking OS for this (so forget vanilla TOS): you can use it like Xcontrol, or you can set it up to run, make the settings and quit after startup. You can also double-click a CPX directly from the desktop to run it if COPS is installed. Some people have had trouble with some versions of it, but I use 1.06 and it seems pretty stable to me. I suspect it's happier under MagiC than under MiNT. The only other one I know of is the second version of the Freedom replacement file selector. I think this supports ECPXs too. This seemed to have a whole lot of its own troubles as it allegedly uses some dubious programming techniques to do its stuff and can render some systems unstable. There may be others, but these are all I know of. Boils down to a choice between Xcontrol and COPS, the latter only being an option if you have a multitasking OS. Oops, apologies: it's not Zcontrol which has a y2k problem, but Neocontrol (which I *presume* has something to do with Neodesk). Comes of relying on my memory... Other than the y2k problem (mentioned in a recent post here - it wouldn't set a 00 date for someone, when Xcontrol would) I know nothing about Neocontrol." You know, one of the coolest things about the UseNet and the internet in general is the fact that YOU can help other people with their problems by simply relating your experiences. Take a look at this... TJ Andrews, a new internet surfer, posts: "Since Delphi decided to drop dialup access via SprintNet/Tymnet, I've been forced to go to the Internet to stay online. Right now I'm trying to master the use of Newsie 0.94. I've been using email for over a week, and figured out getting and reading newsgroup articles earlier this week. (Thanks, Joe M., for your vital assistance in setting up STinG!) This message serves two purposes. First, it's a test to see if I have Newsie's Offline posting procedure correct. Second, since it seemed such a waste to simply send a useless test post, I thought I'd ask a question. Once I have newsgroup posting (and follow-up) down, I'd like to work on ftp setup. Could anybody give me some suggestions for some good ST ftp sites, and please, if possible, tell me the information I need to set them up in Newsie? Any help I can get would be greatly appreciated." Brian Van Tilborg tells TJ: "Good, I hope you have figured out how to expand and contract the Newsgroup threads with the + and - Key or you may not see this until you start deleting your original post:-). So welcome aboard. To use NEWsie's FTP. An Example 1) FTP pull down Menu 1a) "Select Server" Should be a short list of servers that come with NEWsie. Such as ftp.primenet.com Highlight this by clicking once. 2) "Edit Server" from pull down Menu. Should see... 2a)Server:ftp.primenet.com 2b)Logon: anonymous 2c)Password: youremailadress@here.com Now you are done. If you double click on the ftp site you want in the Server Window with the list of ftp sites , you will be on your way. 3) "Add Server" Same as above except you write in the NEW Server address you have found. At http://www.umich.edu/~archive/atari Hallvard Tangeraas has an article on using ftp. It is worth reading. Should be in the networking/internet section. I also recommend you go to http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Bay/8745 Here you can find a list of FTP sites and some good files to be downloaded via ftp. If you type the URL in NEWsie, this site is NEWsie friendly. If you go to the preference window and turn "Autobuffers" on, then you should be able to double click on the above URL and go directly to the site via NEWsie. The little ftp site is either ftp.sn.no or ftp.sol.no I can't remember, but one works with NEWsie and one doesn't and there are some must have utilities that Halvards put there. You should be able to doubleclick on the ftp site from the webpage in this case and NEWsies FTP functions will take over. That http site, is possible the best when just getting started on the net and looking for Atari stuff. Well organised and Quick. I don't know how current the links are anymore as I don't know how much effort is still being put into maintaining the pages, but I was there last month and it still looked like it was being maintained. Here is a good ftp site to add to your list. 193.190.204.128 or you can type in chapelie.rma.ac.be if you prefer. This is the Belgian Ftp site. Unless otherwise stated most ftp sites operate with anonymous and email address as password and logon. Again the ftp article covers this very well. The Umich http archives are huge. If you need to see what is happening with ftp, I suggest you OPEN the LOG window. Here you will see the activity of the FTP server and list of commands and such and it will give you more information. This LOG file is also written to disk. ONLY ONCE, and then it overwrites itself each time you start NEWsie. So if you want to look at your LOG file after you have exited NEWsie, don't restart NEWsie because that log file, the one written to disk with your last session, will be overwritten with the next session. I hope I haven't left anything out." Well folks, that's it for this time around. Tune in again next week, same time, same station, and be ready to listen to what they are saying when... PEOPLE ARE TALKING =~=~=~= ->In This Week's Gaming Section - Songbird Acquires Lynx Games! """"""""""""""""""""""""""""" Pro Elite! Game Controller! Nyko GamePad For NUON! 'Tee Off' For Dreamcast! ->From the Editor's Controller - Playin' it like it is! """""""""""""""""""""""""""" I have to tell you, I've been having a ball re-living my experiences with Leisure Suit Larry! I've completed the first three games in the collection so far. These were games I played over 10 years ago on my ST. They're just as good now as they were then! I have now skipped a couple and I'm playing the 7th game of the series. Wow, you wouldn't believe the advances to this game. In earlier versions, you typed short phrases to have the main character, Larry Laffer, do certain things. Any "interaction" between characters were displayed as dialog 'balloons'. Not any more! The characters talk, have conversations, and are more animated. No longer do you make your character "walk" from one place together (although walking isn't totally eliminated). Bring up a map, click on it, and Larry shows up at that scene. The game plays faster this way! It's a blast. If you enjoyed Leisure Suit Larry in the "old days", and now have a PC or newer Mac, grab this collection of Leisure Suit Larry! And I haven't even tried the Space Quest collection yet!! Until next time... =~=~=~= ->A-ONE's Game Console Industry News - The Latest Gaming News! """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Hot Products Inc. Announces Pro Elite Controller for NUON First Quarter 2000 Hot Products Inc.com Monday announced at last week's Consumer Electronics Show, in Las Vegas, its plan to launch the Pro Elite, a retail edition NUON enhanced game controller. The new controller is officially licensed for NUON interactive consumer products by VM Labs Inc., of Mountain View, Calif. HPI is one of only two licensed suppliers, for this retail version NUON enhanced controller. HPI has engineered the Pro Elite to compliment the design styling of today's consumer electronics, including popular DVD player consoles. HPI is targeting the Pro Elite to the consumer who is likely to purchase a NUON enhanced DVD player as part of their total audio and visual entertainment system. The high profile design of the Pro Elite for NUON enhanced DVD players appeals to the sophisticated and discriminating game player. It will be a high quality offering, with an innovative ergonomic contour design, suitable for both children and adults alike. The Pro Elite will support an optional vibration mode and optional memory cards. It will be digital and analog compatible, incorporate a generous 12-foot cable, and will be compatible with all NUON enhanced products. Hot Products Inc.com will exploit the extraordinary sales potential for the NUON platform, and plans to launch other peripherals and accessories over the next 12 to 24 months. NUON is an exciting new technology platform that will continue to grow for years to come, as it replaces the traditional Set Top box and VHS formats as the industry standard around the world. Hot Products Inc.com plans to launch the Pro Elite for NUON enhanced DVD players during the first quarter of 2000, to be sold worldwide with a MSRP of under $30 U.S. NUON has the speed and power to transform a DVD player into an interactive fun-center that will entertain the whole family. NUON enhanced digital video devices bring the television to life with interactivity in the form of games, educational software, interactive movie content and more. Future NUON enhanced features include Internet connectivity and web-enabled movie experiences. The NUON media processing technology replaces the MPEG decoder chip currently found in digital video products. Analysts predict that digital video will supersede the current analog method over the next few years, and NUON is poised to become the new standard for interactive digital home entertainment. NYKO Introduces Gamepad for NUON-Enhanced DVD Players NYKO Technologies Inc., a leading manufacturer of video game accessories, debuted one of the industry's first video game controllers designed specifically to enhance the interactive capabilities of NUON technology. NYKO is among a select few companies that are approved by VM Labs Inc. to supply licensed controllers and accessories for NUON. NUON technology is a new multimedia engine that will be embedded into next-generation digital video products such as DVD players and set-top boxes. Named the NYKO DV Devil, this game controller includes upgraded components that will enhance the interactivity of NUON-based home entertainment products. The dedicated controller will allow consumers complete flexibility with new interactive game titles that will be released for the NUON format. DV Devil's ergonomic styling provides a unique look that will set it apart from traditional console and PC controllers. NUON multimedia technology will allow users to enjoy high-performance video games, educational and reference applications, in addition to the standard movies and audio discs playable on current DVD systems. Samsung's DVD-N2000 DVD player, scheduled for spring shipment, will be among the first products incorporating the new media processor. NYKO anticipates strong market interest in the NUON-enhanced digital video products as they roll out to market, according to vice president, sales and marketing, Robert J. Rienick. DV Devil is just the first product by NYKO to be adapted to NUON. The accessory maker plans to add other products to its NUON line as the platform gains market penetration, including memory cards, a light gun, vibration pack, extension cables and other accessories. ``VM Labs continues to develop strategic relationships with top consumer electronics companies, which bring value and creativity to the NUON platform and benefit consumers," according to Donald A. Thomas Jr., VM Labs director of peripheral licensing. ``The NKYO design team has been one of NUON's biggest supporters since its inception, and we are pleased to confirm that they have been the first to apply their experience in game technology to enhance NUON-based products. We feel that NYKO's controllers and accessories will complement the interactive experience of NUON-enhanced DVD movies and games." ``NYKO is entering the year 2000 after an exceptionally strong year," said Robert J. Rienick, vice president, sales and marketing for the firm. ``Our support of NUON-enhanced products continues our show of strength as we move into new product categories, demonstrating our goal to grow as an entertainment company, and showing our expansion plans for new platforms such as DVD. ``We are very impressed with VM Labs' NUON multimedia technology and look forward to developing products together." Acclaim's Tee Off Scores A Hole-In-One As the First Golf Title For The Sega Dreamcast Addictive Gameplay Makes Tee Off A Must-Have for Video Game Golfers Acclaim Entertainment, Inc. Wednesday announced that Tee Off, the first golf title for the next-generation Sega Dreamcast, has shipped to stores nationwide. ``Tee Off brings addictive golf gameplay to the most advanced console system to date," said Rick Mehler, marketing manager at Acclaim Entertainment. ``With arcade-style action, stunning graphics, and precision golfing, Tee Off is a must-have Sega Dreamcast title for golf fans." Tee Off lets gamers play as one of 15 talented anime golfers on a quest to become the number-one golfer. Each unique character has its own wide range of skills and can control shots by adding topspin, backspin, hooks, and slices. Gamers can choose from five different levels of play: beginner, amateur, semi-pro, pro and senior. Golfers then hit the greens on five challenging courses in Africa, America, Australia, Japan and Scotland. Tee Off also features six game modes that will test even the best golfer's skills: World Tour, Free-Round, Match Play, Stroke Play, Point Play and the futuristic Gate Ball. Also included is a multiplayer mode up to four players. =~=~=~= ->A-ONE Gaming Online - Online Users Growl & Purr! """"""""""""""""""" Songbird Press Release SONGBIRD ACQUIRES UNRELEASED LYNX PROPERTIES FROM BEYOND GAMES January 10, 2000 For immediate release: ROCHESTER, MN -- Continuing the trend of supporting orphaned Atari platforms, Songbird Productions recently acquired full rights and source code to three unreleased Lynx properties from former Lynx and Jaguar developer Beyond Games. The three properties are: Cybervirus, Ultra Vortex, and Mechtiles. Cybervirus is an incredible first-person perspective, mission-based action game based on the Lynx BattleWheels engine set in an apocalyptic future where rogue computers and virus-infected robotic warriors threaten the very survival of humanity. Ultra Vortex, the original Lynx version of what became Ultra Vortek on the Atari Jaguar, is an awesome two-player fighting game. Mechtiles is a multiplayer game of giant robot combat, also based on the award-winning BattleWheels engine. Carl Forhan, owner of Songbird Productions, said, "Beyond Games has been enthusiastic about getting these properties transferred so that Songbird may pick up where they left off. I'm excited to have the opportunity to finish up these games and publish them for the benefit of Lynx fans everywhere." At press time, Songbird anticipated that Cybervirus would be the first game completed and published later in 2000. The other games will be evaluated for their relative completeness before being put on schedule. All the acquired games are the sole property of Songbird Productions. To keep up to date with the latest news at Songbird Productions, be sure to visit the company web site at http://songbird.uni.cc, or send an email to forhan@millcomm.com. Copyright 2000 Songbird Productions. All rights reserved. This article may be reprinted in its entirety. =~=~=~= A-ONE's Headline News The Latest in Computer Technology News Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson Microsoft's Gates Gives CEO Role to Ballmer Microsoft Corp. said Thursday co-founder Bill Gates was giving up the chief executive position at the software giant and named long-time No. 2 Steve Ballmer to replace him in the job. Gates, who has served as CEO since he co-founded the company 25 years ago, will remain chairman and take on the role of chief ``software architect." ``I'm returning to what I love most -- focusing on technologies for the future," Gates said at a news conference. "Steve's promotion will allow me to dedicate myself full-time to my passion -- building great software and strategizing on the future, and nurturing and collaborating with the core team helping Steve run the company." Ballmer, in one of his first declarations as chief executive, said it would be ``reckless and irresponsible of anybody to try and break up this company ... a disservice to consumers." The news conference was called after a day of published reports and intense rumors that the Justice Department and states would push for a breakup of the world's leading software company. Gates has led the Redmond, Wash.-based company through a turbulent recent history, capped by Judge Penfield Jackson's ruling last November that Microsoft used monopoly powers to harm consumers, competitors and other companies. Gates said he now would concentrate on issues of ``software architecture" and his role as chairman overseeing the company's operations. He said he remained committed to devoting his full time to the company. Gates said concentrating on the chairman's job would ``allow me to spend almost 100 percent of my time on these new software technologies." Microsoft said the transition would take place surrounding the release of its new Windows 2000 operating system -- the successor of the NT system, aimed at office and professional users. Ballmer said he planned to concentrate on meeting "heightened competition" in the market that has emerged with the growth of non-PC computing and the Internet. Gates also said Ballmer would become a member of the Microsoft Corp. board of directors, effective Jan. 27. AOL, Time Warner Agree to Largest Merger Ever Top Internet services provider America Online Inc. will buy Time Warner Inc., the world's biggest media company, for $160 billion in stock, the companies said on Monday, joining the power of new and traditional media assets through the largest merger ever. Shares of the two companies soared after news of a deal that will create an all-media empire that reaches from magazines and movies into cyberspace, and promises to remake the landscape of how people around the world communicate and are entertained and informed. Enthusiasm for the proposed merger swept up shares of major media and technology companies in Europe and the United States, where it sparked a broad-based rebound in the Nasdaq stock market, especially among Internet and cable TV companies. The deal marks the passing of the baton from old media to new, analysts said. It sets the stage for the next evolution of the Internet as distinctions between telecommunications, media and technology industries blur into a single industry. Jeff Kagan, an independent telecommunications analyst in Atlanta, said the merger would speed the day when consumers may get telephone service, entertainment, news and information from a single source -- via Time Warner cable Internet networks. ``Everything is being rewritten from a sub-atomic level," he said. While an AOL rival such as Microsoft Corp. or Yahoo Inc. might have the financial flexibility and strategic interest in acquiring Time Warner, there was no sign a bidder was preparing to emerge, takeover traders said. Prior to the announcement, the biggest merger on record was MCI WorldCom Inc.'s agreement to buy Sprint Corp. for $115 billion, although the current $132 billion hostile bid by British-based cellular phone company Vodafone for Germany's Mannesmann would rank higher. America Online Chairman and Chief Executive Steve Case, 41, was named chairman of the merged companies and Time Warner Chairman and Chief Executive Gerald Levin, 60, will serve as chief executive, the companies said in a statement. ``It gives me great pleasure to welcome the suits from Virginia here to New York," Levin joked at a carefully staged news conference in which the Manhattan media mogul appeared tieless in a rumpled tweed coat while AOL executives suited up in pinstripes. The combined company is to be known as AOL Time Warner and trade under the ticker symbol ``AOL." ``This is the first time a major Internet company has merged with a major media company and the possibilities are endless," Case said in a conference call with analysts as he touted the advertising and electronic commerce prospects of the deal. The takeover will create a media conglomerate with unprecedented reach across traditional and new media, allowing the delivery of programming from Time Warner's stable of brands onto the Web and giving AOL access to Time Warner's U.S. cable television network to offer high-speed Internet access. AOL Time Warner brings together Time Warner's Time, CNN, Warner Bros., People, HBO, Sports Illustrated, Cartoon Network, Warner Music Group, Fortune, Entertainment Weekly and Looney Tunes with America Online's AOL, CompuServe, Netscape, ICQ youth-oriented messaging network, Digital City, and Moviefone. Under a fixed exchange ratio, Time Warner shareholders will receive 1.5 shares of AOL Time Warner for each share of Time Warner stock they own while AOL shareholders will receive one share of AOL Time Warner stock for each share of AOL they own. AOL shareholders will hold 55 percent of the merged company, while Time Warner shareholders will hold 45 percent. Terms of the deal took into account the fact that AOL's market capitalization ahead of the announcement was twice the size of Time Warner's. That was weighted against the reality that Time Warner's strong cash flow is roughly four times larger than that of America Online. ``Time Warner provides AOL with an important missing link," Bear Stearns analyst Scott Ehrens said in a research note. He argued that the importance of the deal was how it provided AOL with access to Time Warner's high-speed cable television network, which reaches 20 percent of U.S. cable TV subscribers. The stock had been hurt in recent months by concerns that AOL would be shut out of the emerging market for high-speed Internet services. The merger will be accounted for as a purchase transaction and is expected to be add to America Online's cash earnings per share before the amortization of goodwill. Lehman accounting expert Robert Willens estimated the deal would generate a staggering $158 billion in goodwill write-offs. Amortized over a 20-year period, that would dilute earnings per share by $2 a year, wiping out AOL Time Warner's expected profits for years to come, he said. Securities analysts had forecast AOL would only generate 32 cents per share during its fiscal year ending June 2000, according to First Call/Thomson Financial, which tracks broker estimates. Separately, Time Warner was expected to produce earnings per share of 61 cents during calendar year 2000. But Wall Street appeared to brush off that concern, focusing instead on the deal's cash-generating power, the common barometer used to measure the performance of debt-laden media companies. UBS Warburg analyst Mike Wallace cautioned that AOL investors may have second thoughts about the deal as they mull Time Warner's slower growth rate -- an issue that cast a cloud over previous marriages between traditional and new media. The merger with America Online comes exactly 10 years to the day after Time Inc. merged with Warner Brothers in deal that created the world's largest media conglomerate. The latest transaction, which is subject to certain closing conditions, including regulatory approvals and approval by America Online and Time Warner shareholders, is expected to close by the end of 2000. The deal was only a few hours old when a phony press release began making the rounds on the Internet that jokingly referred to the combined company as eLeviathan. Antitrust experts said America Online Inc.'s proposed purchase of Time Warner appears likely to clear antitrust agencies, but consumer groups said they opposed the merger because it would reduce AOL's political drive to force open cable networks to alternative programming from other networks. Tom Pilla, a spokesman for AOL rival Microsoft, said the massive deal was the latest demonstration of how vital the Internet economy remains: ``The merger today is further evidence of just how competitive and dynamic this industry truly is." AOL Aims To Continue Open Access Fight In the middle of the madness yesterday over America Online's merger with media giant Time Warner, the Internet giant's chief legal counselor took time out to make a call to Capitol Hill. In a bold move for a company that had just agreed to purchase the nation's largest cable company, AOL's George Vradenburg assured congressmen that the company still supports legislation aimed at opening high-speed cable networks for use by independent Internet service providers (ISPs). It was a necessary call. With speculation rampant that AOL planned to pull out of the expensive fight for open access, the firm needed to show it was still willing to push for national legislation to ensure ISPs have a chance to join the broadband revolution. Cable operators like AT&T have spent billions of dollars to upgrade their networks to support advanced services like high-speed Internet connections. Companies like AOL, GTE and other telephone and Internet firms have fought to gain access to these channels, fearing they would be left behind as more consumers clamor for fast and inexpensive Net access. For the most part, the company seems to have put its compatriots' fears to rest. "They told us that AOL is still committed to the OpenNet (Coalition)," said Brianna Gowing, a spokeswoman for GTE, AOL's largest ally in the cable access battle. "They are committed to open access in the new company." The OpenNet Coalition is a lobbying group made up of ISPs and telephone companies that are pushing for equal access to high-speed cable networks owned by cable giants like AT&T, Time Warner and others. A number of questions still remain, including whether AOL will even be able to follow through on its promises to open up its own new cable network. Until those questions are answered, the megamerger has thrown the hard-fought battle over cable networks into flux. Along with GTE, MindSpring Enterprises and others, AOL has spent millions of dollars fighting to open AT&T's high-speed cable lines for use by outside ISPs. Currently, only affiliates of cable companies like Excite@Home or Road Runner are allowed to offer Net service over high-speed cable networks. The war over open access has been waged in Congress, in the courts and at the local government level. So far, ISPs have won only a handful of battles at the local level, but have yet to win actual access to any large cable network. Nevertheless, AT&T has said it would open its own cable systems for use by outside ISPs as soon as its exclusive contract with Excite@Home runs out in 2002. Details on how this transition will work are few, but open access proponents still welcomed the news as a step in the right direction to increase the spread of broadband Net access. But following the merger announcement yesterday, many open access opponents thought the protracted battle was essentially over. "I think you will see AOL go away as an agitator in the regulatory arena against us," Excite@Home chief executive George Bell said in the aftermath of the merger. Excite@Home, the cable Net affiliate of AT&T, Cox and Comcast, has borne the brunt of the open access battle. Investors have shied away from the company's stock during some of the more contentious open access debates, and regulatory battles have slowed the deployment of its high-speed services. That optimism may be misplaced, however--at least in part. Conflicting views have emerged from the new AOL Time Warner camp. At a press conference yesterday, Time Warner CEO Gerald Levin said the partners would try to end attempts to bring government power to bear on cable companies. "Essentially, we're going to take the open access issue out of Washington and out of City Hall, and put it into the marketplace and into the commercial arrangements that should occur to provide the kind of access foràmultiple ISPs," Levin said during a press conference. But AOL has since amplified that statement, saying that it will only retreat from the regulatory battle if all other cable companies join to open networks for use by other ISPs. Otherwise, it will continue with its push for national legislation, and perhaps--but not certainly--for local regulations. "AOL is committed to staying on as a member of the OpenNet Coalition," said Rich Bond, one of the directors of the Washington-based lobbying group that has led the ISPs' charge on Capitol Hill. "They know full well what our mission is, which includes a local, state and federal approach. They had a chance to say they were uncomfortable with that, and they did not." Part of the ambiguity may lie in America Online's difficulty in delivering on promises to open up Time Warner's networks immediately to other ISPs. Time Warner's high-speed cable Net service is provided by Road Runner, a semi-independent company in which the media giant owns just a 36 percent stake. MediaOne--which is now merging with AT&T--owns another 35 percent, with the remainder controlled by Microsoft, Compaq Computer and Advance/Newhouse. To open its high-speed networks to ISPs, AOL Time Warner would need a coalition of support from all its partners. None of the companies so far have voiced an opinion in favor of open access, however. Nevertheless, the company has significant bargaining power. AT&T badly wants to provide local phone service through Time Warner's cable lines. The new AOL Time Warner could use that leverage to make a deal with Ma Bell, analysts say. "The AT&T-Time Warner agreement has not been resolved," noted Michael Harris, an analyst with cable research firm Kinetic Strategies. "I expect the new AOL Time Warner would push AT&T for carriage of AOL-branded broadband services as a condition." The other Road Runner partners are largely concerned with boosting use of broadband Internet service, and may well approve open access as a result, analysts added. GTE said it will continue with its own antitrust battle against AT&T, lobbying at the national and local level. The OpenNet Coalition as a whole is still behind the battle, representatives say. But until AOL turns yesterday's talk into tangible action, its partners and opponents will still be left with an uncertain view of their broadband future. "At this point we're still waiting to see what happens," GTE's Gowing said. "There's still a lot of things we don't know." Will Merger Shut Lid On Open Access? As media stocks soared and the folks at the newly minted AOL Time Warner Inc. toasted their futures, some feared Monday's behemoth merger could have dire consequences for extending cheap, high-speed Internet access to consumers. The reason: The deal may have co-opted one of the biggest supporters in the fight to force cable operators to open up their systems to other Internet providers -- just as telecommunications companies have been forced to open up their lines to other competitive long-distance carriers. So who is the ally that may be turning coat? It's American Online Inc. itself. "We think it sucks," said James Love, director of Ralph Nader's Consumer Project on Technology. "AOL has been a big hammer for open access, and this deal means they'll likely abandon that." The fight for open access primarily has targeted AT&T Corp., which has become the leading provider of high-speed cable modems by aggressively buying up cable-TV networks, most notably the giant TeleCommunications Inc. The company has come under fire for its reluctance to open up its lines to competing Internet service providers. Now, through its purchase of Time Warner, AOL will own its own cable systems, and some fear the fight for open access will no longer serve the company's interests. On Tuesday, however, AOL and Time Warner vowed to open what would be their vast cable system to online rivals. In so doing, they moved to take a debate over access to high-speed Internet pipelines out of regulators' hands and into the marketplace. Details were not offered. Jeff Chester, executive director of the consumer advocacy group Center for Media Education, said his biggest concern is that AOL has backed out of the public policy debate, preferring to tackle the issue through private negotiations. Calling AOL Chairman Steve Case the "Benedict Arnold of the digital age," Chester said AOL had to buy its way into cable access. Companies that don't have that kind of money can't do that, he said. "Everyone who wants to compete on the Internet -- unless they're a close personal friend of Steve Case or (Time Warner CEO) Gerald M. Levin -- should be worried," Chester said. Mark Lemley, a professor at the University of California at Berkeley's Boalt School of Law, thinks federal regulators should approve mergers such as the one between Time Warner and AOL only if the companies agree to adhere to the open-access standards. Lemley, along with Harvard Professor Lawrence Lessig, has asked the Federal Communications Commission to add an "open access" requirement to its approval of AT&T's acquisition of MediaOne Group. "It will be interesting to see whether AOL changes its position on open cable access," said Lemley. "I hope they don't do that, but it's possible." AOL already has come under fire for its hypocrisy in the instant messaging wars. While the company was urging government agencies to adopt open-access laws, it was busy blocking competing technologies by Microsoft Corp. and others from taking advantage of its IM network. AOL did not immediately return calls seeking comment. Smaller ISPs and the trade groups representing them were more optimistic about the merger than some consumer advocates. Doug Hanson, CEO of Denver-based ISP Rocky Mountain Internet, said the move would boost open-access efforts. "AOL now has to open up Time Warner's cable system to all of us other ISPs, or they're going to be looked upon as hypocrites," he said. Hanson thinks the merger will make the FCC more likely to jump into the debate to ensure open lines because until now federal regulators looked at the issue as a fight between AT&T and AOL. Now the fight is between cable operators including AOL on one side and smaller ISPs on the other. "Without regulation, smaller ISPs cannot very well defend themselves against the giants," Hanson said. Cliff Staten, executive director of the Open Access Alliance of the Bay Area, agreed. "I think it's good news for open access," he said. So did Gary Schultz, president of the Multimedia Research Group in Sunnyvale, Calif. Schultz thinks that combining Time Warner's approximately 20 million cable television subscribers with AOL's 20 million members could double the number of consumers using broadband access by 2004. Dave McClure, executive director of the U.S. Internet Industry Association, said it's too soon to gauge the merger's effects on the industry, and that AOL has no choice but to continue the open-access fight. "It's very clear that were AOL to suddenly reverse its decision, it would lose credibility in Washington," he said. "Until you see evidence of that, I'd have a tendency to cut them a little slack." At least one major player in the open-access debate remained on the fence. OpenNet -- an open-access lobbying group backed by AOL's Case, MCI WorldCom and MindSpring -- called a press conference Monday, only to announce it hadn't finalized its statement and wouldn't take any questions. An hour later, the group issued a terse release saying, "We will seek negotiations with both AOL-Time Warner and AT&T, as well as the rest of the cable industry, to define how and when open access will be implemented, and we will continue to urge the federal government to make open access the rule for the entire cable industry." The group called AOL "a leading advocate for open access," and said the company would continue to be a member of the organization. AOL Offers Internet-TV Service America Online Inc. is offering a service that lets people use the Internet on their television sets, challenging Microsoft Corp.'s Web TV and other rivals seeking to build interactive TV businesses. The new service, called AOLTV, would be transmitted through cable set-top boxes made by Philips Electronics and Hughes Electronics Corp.'s DirectTV satellite television. AOL did not provide specifics on when the service would be available or how much it would cost monthly, nor did it give pricing for the equipment. AOLTV would allow users to exchange and view e-mail and instant messages, and browse the Internet. The company said Friday it would tell more about the service, including television programming, at a later date. The Dulles, Va.-based company has been moving aggressively to bolster its ``AOL Anywhere" strategy to extend its reach beyond the personal computer. In December, it bought MapQuest, a leader provider of maps on the Internet that helps users look up directions and can be used with hand-held computers. The company also has developed software to adapt its interactive calender and other features such as e-mailing to portable devices. Analysts say AOL has two goals with its AOL Anywhere program - to be among the first to take advantage of consumers' desire to be connected on the go and to encourage subscribers to stay online longer, which could allow the service provider to boost rates it charges companies for ads. AOL, fearing it could be denied access to parts of the high-speed Internet market, is currently lobbying regulators to force AT&T and other cable providers to sell it access to cable data networks at wholesale prices. Microsoft last year took a $5 billion stake in AT&T Corp. to ensure it has a place in high-speed cable access. Amiga's New Savior: Bill McEwen East of Seattle, at the foot of the Cascade Mountains, the Amiga computer system with half a million loyal followers has found its latest would-be savior. "This is about unification and creating something that developers can build upon," said Bill McEwen, the 37-year-old president and CEO of the newly formed Amiga Inc., from his home set amongst 200-foot-tall trees of Maple Valley, Wash. On Saturday at the Consumer Electronics Show, McEwen will make his first announcement regarding the group's plans for the Amiga with a major partner. Last week, McEwen and his Amino Development Corp. paid an undisclosed amount to Gateway Inc. for the Amiga trademark, technology and a license to the Amiga patents. While the amount of $5 million has been bandied about in press reports, the horse-riding Amiga chief said that figure misses the mark. McEwen and his 16-employee startup plan to continue to develop and support the latest version of the Amiga OS. Currently, he estimates that the platform still has anywhere from 350,000 to 500,000 devoted users -- most of whom are in Europe, with Germany being the crown jewel. He has received thousands of e-mails from developers and users offering free code and technical assistance, he said. While McEwen's group has a broad strategy for the system, he stressed that users shouldn't expect a roadmap for the Amiga operating system anytime soon. "We want to parcel out our information a bit at a time. At this point, we want to avoid creating too-high expectations," he said. He bought an Amiga in 1998, and hasn't gone back to other computers since. "My first response was the Amiga was dead," he said. "I was shocked to learn there were hundreds and hundreds of thousands of users out there." In the future, McEwen plans to morph the Amiga operating system into what he believes it does best: Remove the technological confusion from a device aimed at enhancing creativity. That's something that Windows and even the Mac have done a poor job at, he argued. "The difference between our visions: We truly want to enable and empower the home and home business," said McEwen. "My vision is a scalable OS in the home." McEwen also realizes the Amiga has to carve out a niche for itself quickly. Most computers are powered by Windows, the Mac OS and Linux. Meanwhile, start-ups such as Be Inc. are targeting the emerging market for so-called information appliances. "We have no time at all to do this," he said. "That's what originally prompted me to buy Amiga -- Gateway was just taking too long." Eschewing Silicon Valley, the company may move from Maple Valley to nearby Issaquah. But for Amiga users, any home would be welcome. No e-taxes, Says CES Panel Keep your mitts off the Net. That was the resounding message a Internet policy panel had for Congress at the Consumer Electronics Show Friday. "There should be no taxes on e-commerce at all," said Virginia Gov. James Gilmore, one of the government and industry officials sitting in on the panel. Gilmore is chair of the 19-member Advisory Commission on Electronic Commerce, which is trying to hash out a plan to fairly deal with taxing Web transactions. Instead of taxing e-commerce, Gilmore suggested abolishing the 3 percent telecom tax and holding back 1 percent of that tax to give to states as an incentive to help them get wired. In addition, Gilmore said the digital divide should be bridged with money that's currently earmarked for welfare. Local governments and many other governors have expressed concerns that the no-taxes plan will hurt services like fire departments and libraries as more commerce takes place online -- and therefore doesn't contribute to local coffers. Gilmore said he doesn't buy complaints from traditional, real-world retailers that e-commerce is ruining their business. For example, he pointed out that parking spaces were hard to find at the mall during the holiday shopping season -- an indication that people aren't abandoning physical stores. "Business is good and yet e-commerce is growing," Gilmore said. The advisory commission meets again in March. PSINet Inc. CEO Bill Schrader, who spoke after Gilmore, applauded the governor's plan, saying the potential of Internet taxes is his company's "single, biggest worry." Rep. Tom Bliley, R-Va., chair of the House Commerce Committee, also pointed to strong real-world sales as evidence that no new Internet taxes are needed, though he acknowledged it could be a problem in the future. In addition, Bliley criticized Clinton's plan to come down on e-pharmacies. Some online drug sellers have come under fire for selling people products such as Viagra even though they don't have prescriptions. Bliley said existing laws prohibit such sales, and the United States doesn't need extra federal regulation. Microsoft, Caldera Settle Anti-Trust Suit Software giant Microsoft Corp. said on Monday it settled an antitrust suit brought against it by Caldera Inc., ending a three-year legal battle. Although the terms of the settlement were confidential, Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft said it would take a one-time charge against earnings of 3 cents a share in its quarter ending March 31. Caldera, based in Salt Lake City, Utah, filed the suit in July 1996 seeking more than $1 billion in damages. The small software company charged Microsoft illegally tried to maintain its monopoly in operating systems, the basic software needed to run personal computers. ``We are pleased to put this issue behind us," Tom Burt, an Microsoft's general counsel for litigation, said in a statement. ``Rather than litigating, we prefer to focus on building great software for our customers in this dynamic and competitive industry," Burt said. The case had been scheduled to go to trial on Jan. 17 after a federal judge denied in November an effort by Microsoft to narrow Caldera's complaint. Caldera said it was pleased with the result and would push the Linux operating system, an emerging rival to Microsoft's Windows platform. Microsoft Loses Appeal on Temporary Workers The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected Microsoft Corp.'s appeal of a ruling that thousands of temporary and contract workers were eligible to buy discounted stock in the software giant. The justices let stand a U.S. appeals court ruling that greatly expanded the number of past and present workers who can participate in a class-action lawsuit against Microsoft over its lucrative employee stock purchase plan. Microsoft asked the Supreme Court to review the ruling that could cost the company millions of dollars, but the high court turned down the request without any comment or dissent. The lawsuit's eventual outcome could have widespread implications for many other companies that use temporary workers or independent contractors, an increasingly common business practice, especially in the technology industry. ``Microsoft has abused its immense power to cheat a large faction of its own workers out of the most basic benefits," said Elizabeth Spokoiny, one of the original plaintiffs. ``It will be a great relief to finally end this case and be able to say American high-tech workers will not tolerate exploitation," she said. Stephen Strong, a Seattle attorney for the plaintiffs, said in a statement that he hoped Microsoft ``will now make an active effort to correct its personnel practices and bring this case to an end after so many years." Microsoft spokesman Dan Leach expressed disappointment over the high court's decision not to review the case. ``We obviously are looking forward to putting this case behind us," he said. ``The decision really will have no impact from a practical standpoint because we continue to work with lawyers for the plaintiffs and the court to keep things moving forward." A federal district judge initially limited the class to just a few hundred workers employed at Microsoft from 1987 to 1990. But the appeals court ruled the class should cover any temporary or contract worker who worked 20 hours per week or more for at least five months in any year since the end of 1986 -- a class that could total well over 10,000 workers. The appeals court required Microsoft to prove which workers should not be included in the class as part of the hearings before a federal district court judge in Seattle to determine damages. Microsoft in its appeal urged the Supreme Court to restore "order to the law of employee benefits." It said numerous lawsuits have been filed in the last year on behalf of temporary agency employees or independent contractors claiming benefits from the company where they performed their services. It said the appeals court decision ``undermined the ability of district courts to manage class actions effectively" and contravened the grant of discretion under a federal rule to district courts to manage class-action lawsuits. The class-action suit, filed in 1992, claimed that Microsoft treated temporary and contract workers as permanent employees except for compensation. The lawsuit sought millions of dollars in gains from the employee stock purchase plans, which offer workers the opportunity to buy Microsoft stock at a 15 percent discount. The plans were not extended to temporary and contract workers. The Supreme Court in 1998 rejected an earlier Microsoft appeal in the case. U.S., States Favor Microsoft Breakup The U.S. government favors breaking up Microsoft Corp. to settle the firm's landmark antitrust case, people familiar with mediation talks taking place in Chicago said on Wednesday. The sources said that details of the remedy remain unclear, but it had emerged that the Justice Department and the 19 states involved in the case favor breaking up the company. The mediation talks began late last year under the supervision of Judge Richard Posner, chief of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, who is acting in a private capacity. U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson -- who is trying the case in Washington -- asked Posner to step in to mediate in the case after earlier attempts failed. The settlement talks began after Jackson found in early November, 1999, that Microsoft used monopoly power to harm consumers, competitors and other companies. USA Today reported earlier on Wednesday that the government favored a breakup of the company, giving specifics of the way the company would be restructured. A Justice Department spokeswoman said the USA Today report was inaccurate, without elaborating. ``The story is inaccurate in several important respects," the spokeswoman said. ``It does not accurately represent our views." Others familiar with the case said USA Today was correct in saying the government favored breaking up the company but incorrect in the way it characterized how the government wants the company to be restructured. Another Justice Department official said: ``The Justice Department will not discuss any aspect of the mediation process." A spokesman for Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller, who is leading the state's efforts in the case, said: ``We have not commented at all in this period where the judge has ordered mediation. We are not commenting." At a meeting in Jackson's chambers in Washington before the settlement talks began, Judge Jackson expressed concern about news reports that the states and the Justice Department were unable to agree. People familiar with the talks in Chicago said there did not appear to be significant disagreement now between the states and the Justice Department in the negotiations. A spokesman for Microsoft declined to comment on the mediation process. ``We're not going to speculate on what the government may or may not be thinking," said Microsoft spokesman Mark Murray. "We think it's completely inappropriate and counterproductive for anyone to be discussing the confidential mediation process." Murray said: ``Without commenting on mediation, we think any talk of breaking up Microsoft is completely unwarranted. There's nothing in this case that would support such a step." At this point in the case, the two sides are arguing over whether Judge Jackson's findings of fact show that Microsoft broke the nation's antitrust laws. The government has already submitted a brief arguing that the findings prove Microsoft did break the law. Microsoft replies on Jan. 18, with further filings by the two sides on Jan. 25 and Feb. 1. Jackson will hear oral arguments on Feb. 22. If he does find Microsoft broke the law, then he will likely hold yet another phase of the trial to determine remedies. Windows 2000 Virus Detected Windows 2000 won't come out for another month, but anti-virus software makers say they've found the first virus that targets Microsoft's forthcoming business operating system. The virus, known as the Win2000.Install or W2K.Installer virus, inflicts no damage, but can potentially point out conceptual vulnerabilities for future virus authors, said researchers at anti-virus software makers Symantec and F-Secure. So far, Win2000.Install has not been released in the "wild," or infected users at large. The virus and at least two variants, found several days ago, only affect Windows 2000 because the virus writers specifically earmarked it for the new operating system, said Vincent Weafer, director of Symantec's Antivirus Research Center. "It doesn't do any particular damage. The virus writers just want to show it can be done, so other people can come and use those concepts in the future and do something bad," Weafer said. "It's new and attractive for a virus writer to write the first Windows 2000 virus. This is the first wave (of Windows 2000 viruses) and we're going to see more." A Microsoft spokeswoman called the virus a "publicity stunt" by the virus writers to get attention. "In the world we live in, not everyone is good and nice and we should be happy that this is nothing. It's not a threat," she said. The virus affects Windows program files and spreads when a computer user exchanges an infected program file to another computer, Weafer said. Windows 2000 is Microsoft's update to the Windows NT 4.0 operating system and is targeted for use by corporations, not consumers. Though the company won't officially release the operating system until Feb. 17, early versions of Windows 2000 have been available to beta testers and members of the company's preview program. The virus latches itself onto a Windows file and replicates itself, but it won't make the file size grow bigger, Weafer said. The virus causes no inherent damage, but can cause the Windows file to crash the program it's running on if the virus doesn't latch itself to the file correctly. The virus also manages to hide from new security features Microsoft has built into Windows 2000, he said, adding that the virus worked on some beta versions of Windows 2000 and not others. Symantec is updating its anti-virus software later this week to recognize and eliminate the virus, Weafer said. "Honestly, this is not a concern. It's not in the wild, so it's not like you'll get this in the next few weeks," he added. Windows 2000 is the largest development project in Microsoft's history and has been delayed for more than three years. Microsoft is touting Windows 2000 as the first Windows operating system that is secure, reliable and manageable enough to run heavily trafficked Web sites. =~=~=~= Atari Online News, Etc.is a weekly publication covering the entire Atari community. Reprint permission is granted, unless otherwise noted at the beginning of any article, to Atari user groups and not for profit publications only under the following terms: articles must remain unedited and include the issue number and author at the top of each article reprinted. Other reprints granted upon approval of request. 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