Holy cats, what was that we said yesterday about Apple stock being a dramatic roller coaster ride? If you thought AAPL's recent rise from a rumor-driven trough of $42 back to a year-high of over $50 was exciting, what happened next probably had you reaching for the heart pills. See, the analysts are all climbing on board the Apple Train; the most recent financial wizards to see the light are BancBoston Robertson Stephens, who issued a press release early in the day announcing their upgrade of AAPL from "Long-Term Attractive" to "Buy." (Thanks once again to the inscrutable Eg'z for being the first to tip us off.)

BancBoston's Alex X. Mou explained the upgrade by pointing to all the nifty things in store to come out of Cupertino in the next twelve months-- notably "Sonata in the fall and Mac OS X early next year." And while he didn't refer to the P1 consumer portable directly, we think the implication was there when he referred to Apple's "strong product lineup" leaving them "well positioned for the September quarter." Because of all of these factors and more, not only did BancBoston raise AAPL to a "Buy," but they also significantly raised their estimates of Apple's earnings for both this year and next, and set a twelve-month target of the stock at $75. Wall Street responded predictably, sending Apple stock skyrocketing to a new six-year high of over $55. Investors who bought in when AAPL was hovering around $12 in December of 1997 are lining up to have the phrase "I TOLD YOU SO" tattooed on their foreheads in bright green.

Remember, even if you don't own any Apple stock (we at AtAT sure don't), everyone who owns a Mac has a personal interest in seeing Apple succeed financially so the company has the resources they need to keep cranking out insanely great products. In that vein, don't forget to enter our quarterly Beat The Analysts contest by guessing what Apple's end-of-quarter financial results will be when they're announced next Wednesday; if your entry is closest to the real deal, you get your very own copy of Microshaft Winblows '98, the instant fame and celebrity of seeing your name in lights (or at least an <H2></H2> tag) on AtAT, and the smug satisfaction of being right while everyone else is wrong, wrong, wrong. Sign up now!

Man, nothing puts a damper on an otherwise fun weekend like foot trouble. Even temporary pain or discomfort can be a sobering nuisance; for instance, last Sunday we stood around for a couple of hours on the Harvard Bridge waiting for the fireworks to start, then stood throughout the display, walked to a local game room and played pinball until the crowds thinned, and finally walked to the subway and found our way home-- and when we finally got there, believe us when we say our dogs were barkin'. Heck, there's any number of foot problems that can make your walking life a less pleasant experience: blisters, warts, fallen arches, athlete's foot, corns, and, of course, the relatively new problem of having one's feet melt or fall off from the heat.

What, you haven't heard of that last one before? Then you haven't been keeping up with the news over at O'Grady's PowerPage. Apparently some people lucky enough to own one of Apple's latest PowerBooks are finding that the laptop generates so much heat, the Little Rubber Feet™ on the bottom of the unit are becoming detached, or, in more extreme cases, melting entirely. (There are any number of cheap gags we could make here involving the phrases "hotfoot" or "getting off one's feet," but we'll leave 'em to the young'uns.)

Is it just us, or does it seem that Apple's had a ton of trouble keeping its PowerBooks at a useable temperature over the past year or so? Last year, the original PowerBook G3 Series ran so hot, it opened up a whole market of third-party accessories designed to let people rest their PowerBooks on their laps without leaving second-degree burns on their legs, and now this latest model melts its own rubber feet and reportedly can get so juiced that the trackpad is almost too hot to touch. Here's hoping that the P1 isn't just cool-- we also want it to be cool.

There's less than two weeks left before Steve Jobs formally introduces Apple's "P1" consumer portable, so get your bets in now-- before you know it, we'll have the real answers, and the guessing games, sadly, will be over. Given recent reports about how Apple's stepped up its "disinformation" campaign, we're not surprised that specifications and descriptions of the new laptop are now flooding in from all sides, and it's virtually impossible to know which sightings are legitimate and which are simply Apple's joyful attempt to befuddle the masses. Aren't we the lucky ones, then, since we care less about accuracy than about the sheer joy of rampant speculation?

Most of the latest details seem to come from people who've seen P1 photographs and specs during the preparation of Apple marketing materials. Apple Insider's done a nice job of consolidating most of the newest info, and what few "facts" we've received here at AtAT Studios do agree with what's in that report. So unless this is all some elaborate hoax (and we'd never rule out that possibility), it sounds like the P1 is going to be a powerhouse, and terrifically useful to the consumer on-the-go. The 333 MHz G3 processor, 32 MB of RAM standard, built-in CD-ROM drive, USB port, built-in 10/100 Ethernet, and built-in 56K modem should all sound familiar and reinforce the concept of a portable iMac, and the resemblance doesn't stop at the spec sheet. The P1's thin case will reportedly be a predictable combination of ice-white and the standard set of five fruit flavors. There's little question that Apple wants the P1 to be perceived as the iMac you can take to school with you.

And yes, it's got a handle, just like the eMate did, which means to some people it's going to bear a certain resemblance to a purse. Men who want to prove their confidence in their own masculinity should get one in Strawberry and tote it down to the local sports bar. For those who want a less Barbie-esque laptop, there's always the manly black PowerBook G3. (Hey, Apple had to make sure its "pro" laptops still sell well, too, right?) Personally, we'd be perfectly happy with a translucent pink purse-like thing as long as it gets the job done-- but we'll hold out for Grape if we can.