Freelance writing and the cheap computing life don't always mix well. Take travel, for instance. Convenience says go with the big laptop, cellular phone/modem, first class seats on a major airline and luxury suites at the Sheraton. But alas, hard cold reality intrudes on that Mitty-esque reverie. As you read this, I am with my family on a relaxing two-week vacation, traveling by mini-van up the East Coast from Tampa, Florida, to Washington, DC, and on through New England to Toronto and Montreal. With me rides my trusty companion, a little Toshiba T4900CT laptop. It's a 75mhz Pentium with 16 megs of RAM, 840 meg hard drive, a 56k modem, and one 1.44 meg floppy drive. Due to the nature of my work, I cannot simply disappear for 14 days. I must have regular access to my email account and the Internet.
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COLUMN ARCHIVE

Draft Crypto Language Mystifies Industry
- Newsbytes News Network
The high-tech industry is reacting to draft language of the Clinton administration's proposed changes to encryption export control regulations with a mixture of confusion and annoyance. (full story...)

America Online Launches Extreme Shopping Catalog
- Business Wire
Whether you're looking for jewels or the latest Jewel CD, chances are if you can't get it at America Online's Shop@AOL -- the Internet's No. 1 online shopping destination -- you can't get it at all! (full story...)

EarthLink's Portal Wins a Major Industry Award
- Business Wire
EarthLink's (NASDAQ:ELNK) Personal Start Page(SM), the company's fully customizable default Internet start page, has received a NewMedia INVISION award in the search engine/portal category. (full story...)

NORTEL NETWORKS ANNOUNCES DIAL AND DSL ACCESS SUBSCRIBER SERVICES ON A SINGLE PLATFORM
- PR Newswire
Nortel Networks (NYSE/TSE: NT) today announced the Shasta 5000 Broadband Service Node (BSN) now provides a universal service solution for DSL and dial customers, enabling wholesalers and ISPs to offer subscriber policies and customized subscriber services on a common platform. Currently the Shasta 5000 BSN offers DSL broadband customized services to subscribers. Now, in conjunction with leading remote access servers (RAS), such as Nortel Networks' CVX 1800 access switch, the Shasta 5000 can benefit wholesalers, ISPs, corporate customers and the over 150 million US dial subscribers through its unique ability for one platform to integrate both DSL and dial. (full story...)

Banner Advertising More Effective Than TV or Radio in Luring Web Shoppers, According to Andersen Consulting Survey
- Business Wire
Sending a serious signal to online businesses and countering conventional wisdom, 25% of experienced Internet users said that banner advertising drove them to shop online, beating out newspapers or magazines ads (14%), television commercials (11%), radio spots (4%), and billboards (4%), according to a nationwide survey of nearly 1,500 experienced Internet users by Andersen Consulting. (full story...)

Digital River to Manage Online Software Download Store for the New Egghead.com
- Business Wire
Digital River (Nasdaq:DRIV), a worldwide leader in e-commerce outsourcing, and Egghead.com (Nasdaq:EGGS), a leading Internet retailer that recently merged with Onsale, today announced an exclusive partnership to handle the Egghead.com online software download store. Digital River previously managed software downloads for Onsale and has managed online promotions for Egghead since July. Digital River will now handle all online software downloads for Egghead.com, which has one of the widest selections of downloadable software products. (full story...)

Access Power Launches Net.Caller Flat-Rate Internet Long Distance Calling to Europe
- Business Wire
Multi-media PC and Internet users worldwide can now call 12 pan-European countries with Access Power, Inc.'s (OTCBB:ACCR) unique "unlimited calling" flat-rate long-distance service alternative. (full story...)

EXCITE@HOME BRINGS BROADBAND INTERNET SERVICES TO COMPAQ CUSTOMERS
- PR Newswire
Excite@Home (Nasdaq: ATHM) today announced that consumers will now be able to get the @Home service through Compaq Corporation (NYSE: CPQ). Consumers can visit Compaq's high-speed Internet services Web site (www.compaq.com/mypresario/highspeed) to learn about the @Home service, check to see if the service is available in their neighborhood, sign up, and arrange for an installation. Consumers also can purchase Compaq Presario PCs with network cards for a connection to the @Home service. This arrangement is the first completed step in a collaboration formed by Excite@Home and Compaq in November of last year to develop an easy, end-to-end solution for Compaq customers who want high-speed cable Internet access. Both organizations are committed to a long-term strategic partnership to deliver broadband solutions to Compaq customers. (full story...)

Online Shopping Season Just Beginning: Will Thanksgiving Weekend Shopping Traditions Be Carried over the Web?
- Business Wire
Robertson Stephens Senior eTailing Analyst Lauren Cooks Levitan reported today that the online holiday shopping season is in its early stages and, to date, consumers rate their overall online shopping experience an "8" on a scale of one to 10. (full story...)

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