Well lookee here, seems like Quicktime's gotten Javatized. There had been rumors of such a project, most memorably on MacNN Reality about a month ago or so, but not too many people seemed to take the possibility all that seriously; many claimed that it was unlikely that such a project would actually ever see the light of day, given Apple's tight focus on Mac OS development. However, Quicktime was never once considered a "back burner" project, and it appears that Apple's quite serious about the future of Java after all. Read Apple's press release for the party line.

Basically, Quicktime's pretty much a standard for software-based digital video on both the Mac and Windows platforms, but that's where it stops right now. And that occasionally irks us when we hit a Quicktime-enabled web site while surfing from a unix machine. But with Quicktime for Java, it's possible for developers to write Java applications that use Quicktime content, which means it probably wouldn't be too tough for someone to write a plugin for Netscape that works on the unix platform via Netscape's Java virtual machine. At least, that what it sounds like to us. And that's just one potential application. Since Java runs anywhere (er, well, in theory at least) this is a good way to try to get Quicktime on as many platforms as possible.

On the other hand, Quicktime for Java is only in a developer release right now-- it's not like it's a completed, shipping product. But this developer release is more than many expected to see of this project, and it's a good sign that Apple is taking Quicktime's potential very seriously. With digital video exploding, it's a good bet that Quicktime could be the most important weapon in Apple's secret campaign for global domination. Whoops, we've said too much already...

So we wonder what happened in today's Apple board meeting? Multiple sources have been saying that today's agenda included a "put up or shut up" wake-up call for Steve Jobs. Apparently Steve's been keeping everyone hanging on whether or not he's ever going to take the permanent CEO spot. As far as public statements go, Steve's been relatively tight-lipped about the whole thing, but until a few days ago, it was pretty widely assumed that he wasn't interested. Since then, though, the world's been abuzz with stories of how Steve's asked the board for a better offer a couple of times and has steadfastly refused to make a decision about whether to stay on permanently.

According to a Reuters story, the Wall Street Journal reports that the Apple board was expected to "press" Steve to accept their most recent offer, which totals about 5% of the whole company in stock. They also report that it's possible that the board will set a deadline by which Steve must decide. Speculation on what the outcome would be drove Apple's stock higher than it's been since the Microsoft deal caused the huge spike last August; it closed today at 28, up one and three quarters from yesterday's price.

So just what actually happened today? Oh, to have been a fly on the wall. Preferably a fly with a Polaroid and a tape recorder. (If anyone is privy to the real story-- or for that matter, a really amusing guess-- drop us a line.)

Thanx a ton to faithful viewer Adam J. Bezark, who pointed out a story we would otherwise have missed in our current overloaded state. Some of you may have already read "The Ladder Theory," the latest Thinking Different article over at the MacTimes Network. It reveals a vast conspiracy on the part of CompUSA to sabotage their own Apple stores within stores by-- get this-- placing big stocking ladders right in the middle of the Mac section.

Yes, it sounds goofy, and we personally have not witnessed this bizarre phenomenon, but the article includes shopper reports from CompUSAs in six different states which all claim to have encountered the unused stocking ladder stuck in the middle of the Apple store, blocking access to the G3's for no apparent reason. Yes, we suppose it could be a coincidence; CompUSA is pretty much just a big ratty warehouse, after all, and it's unrealistic to think that a few "Think Different" banners hanging from the ceiling is going to change that fundamental fact. Still, it seems odd that so many shoppers would have identical experiences in stores across six states...

Personally, we at AtAT are less concerned about the inexplicable presence of ladders in front of the Apple merchandise than we are about the constant and steady stream of reports about a complete and total lack of available sales help in the Apple stores. And what may actually be more upsetting than that is hearing that when sales help is available, it's often Mac-clueless. But we do hear about individual locations with dedicated and knowledgable Mac staff, so we hope that things continue to improve. Once the sales staff problem is fixed, maybe we can tackle this ladder issue. It's probably just a race of misunderstood alien beings who recognize the superior technology of the Macs and therefore gravitate in their direction. They come in peace.