MSN for Macintosh

Microsoft said yesterday it plans to release a Macintosh version of its MSN browser early next year. The browser, MSN for Mac OS X, takes aim at online services rival AOL Time Warner`s America Online, which unveiled a version of its Internet service and software for Apple`s latest operating system last week.

Microsoft says the newest MSN browser will be available only with MSN`s Internet access service or as a separate subscription. Microsoft already makes software for Mac OS X, most notably the Office suite of productivity software, but is trying to increase its reach onto Macintosh desktops and into new markets.

AMD has broken the 2.0GHz barrier with yesterday`s release of the Athlon XP 240+ and 2600+ processors. The company says its two new processors, running at 2.0GHz and 2.133GHz, will outrun anything archrival Intel has to offer.

AMD also says that judging processors by their speed alone is a "megahertz myth". These comments come just days after a class action was filed in the US against Intel by consumers who say that Pentium 4s offer no benefits to end-users over previous iterations and, despite their higher speed ratings, are no better than Athlon processors.

Who`s the best on the desktop? According to the LinuxWorld 2002 conference, CrossOver Office is. The conference yesterday pronounced the CodeWeavers CrossOver Office the best desktop office solution of the show.

CrossOver Office allows Linux users to install and operate a number of popular Windows applications on their PCs without the Windows operating systems. Applications supported by CrossOver Office include Microsoft Office, Outlook, Internet Explorer and Lotus Notes.

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