UCLA undergrads aren't the only ones who notice that you can't buy a PC without Windows. Consumer watchdog Ralph Nader, who's long been a critic of Microsoft's anticompetitive practices, recently sent a letter to the Department of Justice requesting that they prevent the Redmond giant from requiring their Windows licensees from shipping Windows on every system they sell, whether the customer wants it or not. Read more about it in an Associated Press article.

Curiously enough, Microsoft calls Nader's demands "misguided," claiming that their contracts with computer manufacturers in no way prevent those companies from installing whatever they like on their machines. Of course, if that's the case, it doesn't explain why representatives from six of twelve PC manufacturers recently stated that they could not sell any machines without Windows preloaded because of their contracts with Microsoft. Presumably the matter is easily resolved by examining the terms of those contracts, though if PC manufacturers are allowed to ship systems without Windows, one wonders why they think they aren't. Perhaps they have been "strongly discouraged" in some other way?

Anyway, Ralph's letter isn't really meant to spur any more action against Microsoft, but rather to give the government something else to consider if any further suits are planned in the future, or to use as ammo during possible settlement negotiations. We'll see if it comes into play during the coming months.

The more we learn about Word 98, the more we're glad we still use Nisus Writer instead. First, there was that fun little bug that could potentially trash your System Folder when you tried to uninstall the application. Then, more recently, it was discovered that Word 98 suffers from an admittedly fairly common bug which can embed data from other documents and other open applications whenever you save your Word files. And now, MacWEEK is reporting on an apparently undocumented "feature" whereby Word 98 may initiate a hidden "conversation" with Microsoft's servers via the internet, and send system details without notifying you.

It appears that the information sent is fairly innocuous: just your computer's IP address and your Word application version. It's used to prompt you to download updates if you're using a version that's out of date. While that's potentially a nifty feature, we're slightly concerned by the fact that Microsoft doesn't list it in its documentation (though we can't confirm this ourselves). And since the information is sent without telling the user, there's always the potential that Microsoft will send itself some other information from your hard disk-- maybe something not quite as harmless.

Then again, it's widely acknowledged that we at AtAT are more paranoid than your average bear. Heck, we pride ourselves on that fact. This Word "Auto-Update" function is probably nothing more than a company trying to keep its customers up to date with the latest versions of its software. Still, to be forewarned is to have four arms. Or something.

Intel's got some new processors coming out soon, but don't expect them to show up in systems that compete directly with Apple's PowerMacs. The new "Xeon" class Pentium II's cost a pricy $1124 each when purchased in volume-- and that's just the low-end model, which is 400 MHz with 512 KB of cache. For a Xeon running at the same speed but with a full 1 MB of cache, the price jumps to $2836; and for the top-of-the-line 400 MHz Xeon with 2MB of cache, manufacturers can expect to pay a whopping $4489. Remember, that's not the end-user price of the system, but rather just the price of the chip to put in the system. The machines with Xeons at their core will apparently be high-end servers costing $10,000 to $25,000 or more, according to a CNET report. Get out that platinum card...

In contrast, MacCentral points out that PowerPC's are much cheaper. The PowerPC 750 (the chip currently found in the whole line of Power Macintosh G3's and PowerBook G3's) reportedly costs about $495, though the speed available at that price isn't mentioned. Still, since a 233 MHz 750 reportedly beats out an existing 400 MHz Pentium II in BYTE's benchmark tests, it sounds like Apple's G3 servers (which sell for only a few grand) might be able to give the Xeon servers a run for their money.

So, as Intel pumps up the prices on their high-end chips to try to boost their sagging bottom line, it appears that the PowerPC price/performance advantage may increase. Kinda weird to think that, finally, Mac servers may cost significantly less than similarly-equipped PC ones. What'll they think of next...