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To: Mark Oliver who wrote (1636)	4/6/1999 11:06:00 PM
From: Frodo Baxter	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 2025

Neat-O infoworld.com

To: Mark Oliver who wrote (1636)	4/6/1999 11:16:00 PM
From: LK2	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 2025

RE--security software market. All kinds of tech stocks are getting hammered. The Internet-related stocks are flying high, and the big-cap leaders of some other sub-sectors might be strong, but there are plenty of tech stocks that are doing lousy, not just the security software market (chkp axnt neta issx scur). SAP, IFMX, etc. etc. etc. Is there a need or market for the products these companies make? Sure. But what the companies will earn, and what the stock prices will do is a guessing game. Sorry I don't have a better answer to your question on the security software group. But Wall Street blows hot and cold. Anybody who could read the tea leaves reliably could make an absolute fortune. As I keep saying, that's one reason why insider stock options are so popular. If you don't know what the stock will do, load up on stock options. The more options the better. And that's the trend in the real world today. More and more options are being granted. Regards, Larry >>>>>>>>>>>>> bloomberg.com Bloomberg Online: U.S. Equity Preview U.S. Equity PreviewTue, 6 Apr 1999, 10:36pm EDT-- The following is a list of companies whose shares may move in U.S. markets Wednesday, April 7. U.S. Equity Preview includes news that broke after the markets closed. Tuesday's closing prices are included. The stock symbol is in parentheses after the company name. Data Dimensions Inc. (DDIM): The computer-consulting company expects first-quarter earnings of 9 cents to 12 cents a share, below the 21-cent average estimate of three analysts polled by First Call, because of costs associated with a reorganization. Data Dimensions fell 5/16 to 4 1/8. Symix Systems Inc. (SYMX): The maker of software for manufacturers said it expects fiscal third-quarter earnings of 9 cents to 11 cents a share because customers are focusing on making sure their computers don't malfunction next year instead of buying new software. The company was expected to earn 13 cents a share, based on the average estimate of seven analysts polled by First Call. Symix fell 3 1/4 to 10. © Copyright 1999, Bloomberg L.P. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

To: Mark Oliver who wrote (1636)	4/9/1999 12:51:00 PM
From: LK2	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 2025

Microsoft says Y2K might hurt PC sales (nothing new, really, just a repetition of what Microsoft has said many times in the past, with a slight update for current conditions) For Personal Use Only >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> biz.yahoo.com Friday April 9, 10:51 am Eastern Time INTERVIEW-Microsoft sees uncertainty in computer sales By Neil Winton, Science and Technology Correspondent PARIS, April 9 (Reuters) - Software giant Microsoft Corp (Nasdaq:MSFT - news) warned on Friday that the information technology industry now faces a period of sales uncertainty, as big companies complete preparations early to fight off the millennium computer bug. Michel Lacombe, President of Microsoft's Europe, Middle East and Africa division, said in an interview with Reuters, sales of personal computers (PCs) could grind to a halt as far-sighted large corporations wrap up plans to tackle the bug. The millennium bug prevents some computers from correctly recognising the year 2000. When clocks strike midnight on December 31, 1999, the worry is that computers programmed with double digit dates might crash or spew out flawed data. ''It is not clear to the information technology industry what will happen in the next months,'' Lacombe told Reuters at a seminar organised by Microsoft. ''Large companies have shown good planning with their work on the Y2K (Year 2000) problem. We have not seen a depression in the market but (prospects) are still up in the air about what will happen in coming months,'' Lacombe said. Many companies have decided to buy new computers to forestall any year 2000 problems rather than seek to fix the software on old ones. The hope is that small- and medium-sized companies which have been slow to renew equipment which might fall prey to the bug, will take up this slack, Lacombe said. ''SME's (small and medium-sized enterprises) haven't shown the same level of awareness of Y2K and it is difficult to predict what will happen in months to come. A lot of smaller businesses will have to think and act on this problem,'' he said. Earlier this year, Lacombe told Reuters that Microsoft was concerned that its results for the second quarter ended December 31, when revenues jumped 38 percent to $4.94 billion, might have been distorted by Y2K spending which might suddenly stop. ''When we come closer to the Year 2000, and companies stop purchases, it might turn out to be a bubble,'' Lacombe said then. Analysts shared this worry and scaled back predictions for personal computer sales in Europe this year. In late January, British research company Context said it cut its growth forecast for 1999 to between 17 and 20 percent for PC sales in western Europe from an earlier prediction of an increase of between 20 and 22 percent. In 1998, western Europeans bought nearly 25 million personal computers. Context senior research analyst Marie-Christine Pygott said on Friday that she saw no evidence yet of a weakening market, and stood by her January forecast. Microsoft also cut its own forecast in January but remained hopeful. ''At Microsoft we are reasonably optimistic that growth this year in Europe will be in two digits, between 10 and 15 percent. There are some signs the business is sustaining,'' Lacombe said. Lacombe said he felt more confident now that problems posed generally by the millennium bug would not be too severe. ''A lot of energy has been spent on the problem. The big disasters we've been reading about, I think it's reasonable to say that it's not going to happen.'' Neil Winton 44 171 542 7975 neil@jinks.demon.co.uk Copyright © 1999 Reuters Limited. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<