So, uh, you think those new-fangled G3 Powermacs are fast, hmmmmm? Zippy little numbers that let you feel the wind in your hair? Well, prepare to break the sound barrier-- Mac OS Rumors has a little sneak preview of the Mac of Tomorrow, and its performance is amazing. Actually, "alarming" might be a better word.

Rumors sources at Apple report that they've got a prototype Gossamer II-based Mac running a beta version of a silicon and copper G4 PowerPC processor. This G4 (apparently called an "801") runs at a blistering 750 MHz, and what benchmarks they were able to hack together seem to indicate that this prototype runs about eight times faster than a 300 MHz G3-based system. And don't think that Powerbooks will be left out; there's a lower-power G4 chip called the 803 that runs only about as hot as today's G3's, making it perfect for the only laptop that's faster than the jet on which it's being used...

Remember, this tech demo was an early, early experimental prototype; it'll probably be over a year before systems like it become available. But by the same token, that also means that the technology will have time to improve. The chip will be tuned to run even faster. The subsystems will be tweaked for ultimate performance. And Rhapsody should be in full swing by then, eliminating most of the OS bottleneck that can hinder the chip's raw speed. Prepare for liftoff.

It's official-- Apple's formally announced that it made a conscious decision to pull out of Best Buy, Computer City, and all other national retailers except for CompUSA, who is now the exclusive national reseller of Macintosh computers. Apple's press release has the details, complete with corporate spin. Apple is "redefining" its position in the retail space to target its core markets of education and content creation-- markets that Apple supposedly shares with CompUSA.

So what of the conspiracy theory put forth a couple of days ago, which wonders if Apple convinced CompUSA to enter the "store within a store" agreement by offering to cut off all other national Mac sellers, thus giving CompUSA a bigger slice of the pie? It's all speculation, of course, but faithful viewer Dave Brutscher confirms that all three Best Buys he contacted claimed that Apple had "cut them off a couple of months ago," which coincides pretty well with the November Apple-CompUSA deal. Has it all just been hushed up since then?

Incidentally, we at AtAT are a little tired of getting our tongues (and our fingers) around the ungainly phrase "store within a store." The acronym "SWAS" doesn't sound too great, either, and has the added detriment of being totally meaningless to those who hear it. "Salon store" is better, but it sounds like a Vidal Sassoon outlet. Instead of a general descriptive term, what if Apple named the salons with a trademark, like "AppleCenters?" Of course, given Apple's recent penchant for dull product names, the result would probably be something like "Apple Store Within A Store®" and we're right back where we started. How about something catchier, like "Mac Ghetto?"

And speaking of conspiracy theories, Chicago Tribune columnist James Coates seems to have been bitten by the paranoia bug himself, recently. In a long and rambling article, he builds his case that Apple's breakup of Claris was in fact a "ransom payment" to Microsoft.

Jim's paranoid rant goes something like this: ClarisWorks Office (which Jim repeatedly refers to as "Claris Office," but we won't hold it against him) is a serious competitor to Microsoft Office, both on the Mac and the Wintel side, due to its speed and modest requirements versus the best bloatware Microsoft was able to ship. (We don't necessarily agree with this premise-- is ClarisWorks seriously threatening MS Office?) Steve Jobs knows this is a thorn in Bill Gates' side, so he gets Bill on the phone and says, "Hey, tell you what-- release Office 98 for the Mac first, and I'll make sure ClarisWorks Office fades quietly away." The Mac platform gets a much-needed "legitimacy" boost (Apple's even running ads that say, "Think First. Microsoft Office 98 is here, and it only runs on Macintosh."), and Bill gets all the cash from the millions of Mac users who flock to buy Office 98 instead of ClarisWorks Office while black helicopters hover overhead.

Way to go, Jim! We didn't know you had it in you! The next step is to avoid fluoridated water and toothpaste, PGP-encrypt everything from your tax returns to your shopping lists, and never leave the house without wearing a dark, wide-brimmed hat to foil the satellite photos. Follow this strict regimen, and soon you'll be as paranoid as we are.