EMI starts European-wide music download service

In this post-Napster era, EMI is bidding to generate sales from music downloads. More than 140,000 tracks from 3,000 performers will feature in a new programme for selling music online. EMI describes it as the biggest ever European music download initiative to be carried out by a record company. ...more

Apple offers interest free credit on new Macs - excluding iMacs

Apple has launched a 'Celebrate More. Pay Less' promotion, which lets you buy a Mac plus related Apple accessories or software with six monthly, interest-free payments. The new iMac is excluded from the offer - suggesting that demand for the machine is as high as rumoured - but does include the iBook and PowerBook laptop ranges as well as Power Macs. ...more

Dreamcast doubles sales in US

Sega witnessed a surprising upturn in sales after slashing $50 from the price of its ailing Dreamcast console. Market researcher PC Data said that the sales of the Dreamcast had risen 156 per cent between 27 August and 30 September, with an average of 30,294 units being sold each week, after the company had cut the price of the console from $199 to $149 on 30 August. This jump in sales comes on the eve of the launch of Sony's new PlayStation 2, which arrives in the US on 26 October. ...more

Time runs out for SP2 refuseniks

Those companies who have been wary of installing Windows XP Service Pack 2, but have continued to update their systems via Microsoft's Automatic Update service have a dilemma from today. From now on, SP2 will be loaded automatically on machines running Windows XP and Windows XP Service Pack 1 that have the Automatic Updates feature turned on. When Service Pack 2 was released on 16 August of last year, many IT managers wanted to evaluate the product before they deployed it across their networks. ...more

AMD launches sub $250 PC

As previously reported AMD has announced a reference machine for emerging markets. The Personal Information Communicator (PIC) is part of the AMD 50x15 strategy which aims to put computer power in the hands of 50 per cent of the world's population by 2015. AMD's initial OEMs are the TATA Group in India, CRC in Mexico, and Cable and Wireless in the Caribbean. ...more