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To: Mark Fowler who wrote (73464)	8/12/1999 7:04:00 PM
From: GST	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 164684

Mark: better question IMO -- will the bond yield will top 6.5%? 7%? 7.5%?

To: Mark Fowler who wrote (73464)	8/12/1999 7:08:00 PM
From: Michael Young	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 164684

I think they raise .25 this month. And then the market will need to start pricing in another raise in October. Leading inflation indicators are spiking up, productivity isn't keeping pace with demand, inventories are shrinking, and the dollar is weakening. not to mention the CRB commodity index is very strong. Take a look at the TYX chart. Rates look to be heading to the 6.5% range. Not a pleasant scenario for the leading internets, which are on the ropes already. MIKE

To: Mark Fowler who wrote (73464)	8/12/1999 7:11:00 PM
From: Glenn D. Rudolph	Respond to of 164684

FOCUS-AltaVista offers free dial-up Internet access (Adds CEO comments, other details, byline, pvs PALO ALTO) By Nicole Volpe NEW YORK, Aug 12 (Reuters) - In a challenge to established Internet access providers, AltaVista Co., the Web search and media network, on Thursday said it had begun offering free Internet access to U.S. subscribers willing to patronize its advertisers instead of paying a monthly subscription fee. The move into the Internet access business by AltaVista (www.altavista.com), the Web's 10th-most visited destination, is part of its bid to fortify its existing customer base and attract new users by offering direct dial-up Web links. But analysts cautioned that AltaVista's entry into the access business -- while a new challenge to access providers like America Online Inc. <AOL.N> who rely on monthly access fees -- would have only niche appeal and was unlikely to create a seachange in the way U.S. customers pay for Internet access. AltaVista is a unit of Compaq Computer Corp. <CPQ.N> that is in the process of being sold to Internet venture fund CMGI Inc. <CMGI.O>. Compaq stock closed down 3/16 at 22-3/4 on the New York Stock Exchange, while CMGI gained 1-3/8 to 76-15/16 on Nasdaq. The move is part of a comeback strategy for AltaVista, for years a popular Web search engine that was bypassed by rivals like AOL, Yahoo! Inc. <YHOO.O> and Lycos Inc. <LCOS.O> as they expanded to offer a wider range of services. "This is part of the new AltaVista," Chief Executive Rod Schrock said in a telephone interview. "The real strategy is to create a totally free service to create more traffic and more interest in AltaVista." But some analysts had their doubts over how widespread the appeal of the "free," ad-supported service might be. "This is a 'Hail Mary' pass," said John Robb, an analyst with Internet market research firm Gomez Advisors in Concord, Mass, using an American football term for an all-or-nothing bet. "They are caught between two freight trains," he continued. "On one side is AOL, with their Instant Messenger and great community builder (services). On the other side are high-(speed) cable companies, who can offer superior service." Analysts see Web networks like AltaVista potentially being left behind if they cannot offer customers direct Web access to compete in the emerging era of constantly connected, high-speed Internet links that have no room for second-place finishers. AltaVista's service seeks to differentiate itself by allowing users to navigate the Web through a small window that can remain open on a desktop while the user continues other activities on a computer. The so-called "MicroPortal" will display customizable information such as business news or weather updates. Perhaps inevitably, the "free" service has its price. The free access user needs to continuously interact with a "health bar" at the top of the screen, which will drop the Internet link unless the user visits the site's sponsors. Ads are custom-targetted based on the user's Web surfing habits. But Joe Laszlo, an analyst with Jupiter Communications, downplayed possible privacy concerns, saying that, "Many people are going to do a mental calculation and say, 'Hey, protection of my privacy and Web patterns are worth $20 per month." Schrock said he expects to sign up 1 million users to the free access service in the first year, and 1 million to the MicroPortal service, which can be used regardless of whether a customer selects the free access service. "We see from this a 10 to 20 percent boost in revenue in the next year," he said. "This is not a Hail Mary pass situation by any stretch of the imagination. You don't have to be No. 1 to be successful on the Web." AltaVista counts 35 million monthly visitors worldwide. Analysts believe Microsoft Corp. <MSFT.O> also is mulling a more aggressive stance on access pricing through its flagging MSN Internet service in the ...