Buzz Meter - CNET.com

Apple and Microsoft have duked it out in the marketplace and in the courtroom, but they've struck deals in the boardroom, with Microsoft developing successful Mac software and investing in Apple. The two companies' official five-year deal ends this summer, but Microsoft has reiterated its support for Apple and has promised to continue Mac development. And what about signing that little piece of paper to make it official? The surly bedfellows insist that's unnecessary, a mere formality. Trust is indeed a beautiful thing.
--Steve Fox, editorial director, CNET.com

For the week ending April 16

This week's gainers

Mac:

Back in 1997, Microsoft signed a pact to continue developing Microsoft Office and Internet Explorer for the Mac for five years. That deal will soon expire, although Redmond pledged last week to continue Mac development. This time, though, it's strictly a handshake deal: no talks are underway to renew the lapsed technology agreement. Apple insists that it's not uncomfortable with the situation. Paranoid Mac users are. They may hate Microsoft, but they know the continued health of their beloved platform hinges on Microsoft's continued support.

KaZaa:

Forget Napster; KaZaa is the term du jour, with its third consecutive appearance on this list. On the heels of earlier revelations about the stealth peer-to-peer network lurking within KaZaa, Mac from industry types over piracy and lost revenue seems innocuous. Yet the company continues to draw buzz--and an ever-growing number of Internet searches--as one of the new leaders in the file-swapping racket.

Ad-aware:

Sick of spyware? Ad-aware will keep you on top of the notorious apps and strike when they hit. Unfortunately, Netscape users need not apply.

TurboTax:

Intuit's TurboTax is leading the tax software game, with more than 2 million returns filed via the Web service as of March 11. Of course, by the time you read this, all is moot. Better luck next year.

DVD Wars:

Call it the battle of the acronyms: Microsoft just threw its weight behind the DVD+RW format. Supporters of the competing rewritable formats, DVD-RW, DVD-R, and DVD-RAM, might be experiencing that sinking Betamax feeling.

F***** book:

Philip J. Kaplan (a.k.a. Pud) makes good with his opus chronicling "spectacular dot-com flameouts." The just-published hardcover edition is an extended rant distilled from Pud's popular non-PG-named Web site, which skewers Internet company follies. Needless to say, there's no lack of material these days.

Lycoris:

Think of a software company based in Redmond, Washington, that makes a PC operating system for consumers. Guess again. I'm talking about Lycoris, the upstart makers of Desktop/LX, an operating system touted as "Linux for the masses." And just in case the masses need a little comfort, the OS's opening screen features a blue sky filled with puffy clouds. Go figure.

Rio Riot:

All those folks who placed their orders back in February are finally receiving their new Sonicblue Rio Riot MP3 players. Buzz pegged this unit as the iPod killer, but given its poky USB connection and huge 20GB hard drive to fill, time killer is more like it.

LimeWire:

With Napster struggling and KaZaa getting bad press for sneakiness, file-swapper LimeWire is drawing heavy buzz.

10.

Spider-Man:

The original webbed wonder is ready to spin out in early May, and users are catching up on the action at the movie's flashy site. Meanwhile, Sherwood 48 Associates and Super Sign are suing Sony and others for swapping ads on scenes filmed in Times Square.

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