Dell, with its direct sales model, continues to gain market share. It now commands a quarter of the U.S. market. But even Dell's gains can't fully protect it from the ravages of today's PC marketplace. The problem is that after years of fighting to keep up with software, PCs now make the grade. In fact, old PCs now make the grade. There is nothing that a 2001 PC can do that a 1998 can't. Our applications haven't changed much in the last three years.

Enemies 'Til the End

Microsoft and AOL have never really liked each other. AOL never wanted its Instant Messenger to work with MSN, and Microsoft has never been overly concerned with AOL compatibility with Windows. The latest disconnect involves Windows XP, which reportedly only works with AOL 7.0, which is only used by a small portion of AOL's 31 million customers.

Concert Cancelled, ION Dyin'

There's big news in telecom, and it ain't good. British Telecom and AT&T drove a stake into the heart of Concert, an international joint venture the two companies formed three years ago when the economy was better and AT&T was a force to be reckoned with. Not to be outdone, Sprint decided to kill off ION, an integrated service that was supposed to change the world by offering businesses and consumers one pipe to carry voice, video, data, what have you. But the network never really hit the consumer market, and enterprises kept buying their services separately. For an expert analysis of ION's demise, check out Darrin Woods' BuzzCut analysis.

CLECs Bounce Back?

Rhythms NetConnections, Northpoint, Covad, all DSL-oriented CLECs that made us hopeful about the future of broadband, then dashed our hopes with well-publicized bankruptcy filings. Covad hasn't given up the dream. The company now claims that new investors are on the way and profitability will be achieved in two years.

Third Time's the Charm

After testing positive for Anthrax twice, a letter mailed to a Microsoft office in Reno, Nevada, has passed the Anthrax test. The letter from Malaysia was filled with pornography, but fortunately that was the only filth found in it.