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Intrigue At StarNine (3/7/98)
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Many of you may not have much direct interest in (or may never have even heard of) StarNine, the company that makes WebSTAR, the most popular web server software for the Mac platform. We at AtAT, however, have a vested interest in following the status of our favorite server software. That's why we were a little concerned when, two months ago, StarNine was sold by its parent company, Quarterdeck, to Platinum Equity Holdings. How would that sale affect WebSTAR development, we wondered? Despite the rosy picture put forth by the StarNine employees on the WebSTAR mailing list, we had our doubts.
Those doubts grew when Chuck Shotton, the man who wrote WebSTAR way back when it was MacHTTP, seemed to vanish from the mailing list right around the time of StarNine's sale. We were beginning to suspect that he'd been abducted by aliens (but heck, let's face it-- when the mailman's ten minutes late, we suspect that he's been abducted by aliens) when a faithful viewer pointed us to this statement from Chuck, explaining "what really happened." Apparently when he heard that Quarterdeck was planning on selling off StarNine, he proposed that his own company, BIAP Systems, Inc., buy StarNine. Throughout the ensuing negotiations, Chuck was assured by various Quarterdeck execs that the sale was a "done deal," but at the last second, Quarterdeck backed out and sold the company to Platinum. Without so much as a "by your leave."
Of course, legal action ensued, and issues are still being worked out. In the meantime, Quarterdeck "terminated" Chuck's position, meaning that he is no longer affiliated with StarNine, Quarterdeck, or WebSTAR. Chuck's departure from the WebSTAR scene will be a stinging loss for quite a while. We can only hope that StarNine, under its new ownership by Platinum, will be able to keep WebSTAR development progressing even without Chuck's help.
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And Now For A Word From Our Sponsors |
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 | | The above scene was taken from the 3/7/98 episode: March 7, 1998: Artemis may gain some really cool hooks to rope in the crowds. Meanwhile, next door in the Powerbook labs, Apple prepares to unleash a low-cost G3 laptop, while WebSTAR's author finds himself cut off from his own progeny following a business deal gone horribly wrong...
Other scenes from that episode: 513: Nail on the Head (3/7/98) If you tune in regularly, you're fully aware of how anxious we are to see Artemis hit the stores. Artemis, as you most likely know, is the code name for Apple's Power Macintosh G3 Home, an all-in-one machine that supposedly integrates a 200 MHz G3 processor, 32 MB of RAM, 3 PCI slots, a 2 GB hard drive, a 24x CD-ROM, and a 15-inch display capable of displaying 16-bit color at 1024x768-- all for $999... 514: Cheap. Fast. Rockin'. (3/7/98) But Apple's not just shooting for lower desktop prices; if CNET can be believed, we can expect a low-cost Powerbook, as well. No, not low cost like Compaq's $999 notebook; more like $2000. "So?" you say...
Or view the entire episode as originally broadcast... | |  |
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