Chicago Computer Guide This Week
For November 29 - December 6, 2001

CONTENTS:
I.    This Week's Calendar of Events
II.   Tasini and Digital Content
III.  Say Hello to iPod
IV.   Apple: A Retrospective
V.    Chicago Computer Company News
VI.   Chicago Computer Dealers


==============Special Events===============================

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=========================================================

I. This Week's Chicago Computer Events

Event: Internet Executives Club 2002 High Tech &
eBusiness Forecast Breakfast Symposium
Date: December 5, 2001
Place: Hyatt Regency Chicago, 151 East Wacker Drive
Regency Ballroom, CD - Ballroom Level, West Tower
Time: 7:30am - 11:30am
Information: Register online at http://www.internetexecutivesclub.com
This end-of-year half-day morning symposium is an executive briefing
for both High Tech and eBusiness executives on the key trends in 
both eBusiness initiatives by industry and the key trends as 
forecasted by the Industry Market-Makers.

Event: Giant Computer Show and Sale
Date: December 9, 2001
Place: Orland Park Civic Center, 147th St & LaGrange Rd., 
Orland Park
Time: 9:30am - 3:30pm
Information: Call the hotline at 708-974-3123 or go to 
http://www.giantcomputershow.com
Dealers from throughout the Midwest converge to offer 
bargains on most computers and peripherals.

Event: Chicago Software Association IT Consulting
Roundtable
Date: December 11, 2001
Place: Computer Systems Institute, 318 W. Adams, 10th Floor
Chicago, IL 
Time: 12:00pm - 1:30pm
Information: Register online at http://www.csa.org/calendar.html
This month's roundtable discussion will focus on today's most 
pressing legal issues facing IT consulting firms. 

Event: CACHE Meeting
Date: December 16, 2001
Place: The Levy Senior Center, 2019 W. Lawrence Ave., 
Chicago, IL 
Time: 9:00am
Information: Call 800-797-5465 or go to 
http://www. chicagocache.org
Chicago's first computer user group, founded in 1975. Our member 
systems are predominantly IBM compatibles and are used at home 
and business settings. We range from novice to expert and from 
amateur to professional.

Event: Giant Computer Show and Sale
Date: December 16, 2001
Place: Tinley Park Conventions Center, I-80 & Harlem Ave., 
Tinley Park
Time: 9:30am - 3:30pm
Information: Call the hotline at 708-974-3123 or go to 
http://www.giantcomputershow.com
Dealers from throughout the Midwest converge to offer bargains 
on most computers and peripherals.


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II. Tasini and Digital Content
© Larry M. Zanger and Kristen Elise Fligel, 2001, all rights reserved.

It appears that further negotiations will be required to determine 
how New York Times, Co., Inc. v. Tasini, decided this summer, 
will affect authors, publishers and the content of digital databases.
Find out how at http://www/chicago-computer.com/novzang.htm.


III. Say Hello to iPod
By John Christopherson & Steve Burke

Apple has released a new digital audio player called the iPod. 
iPod is the first digital audio player to pack up to 1000 songs with 
up to 10 hours of battery life into an ultraportable package you 
can take anywhere. iPod combines all these features, along with 
Apple’s legendary ease of use, to provide a superior solution for 
taking your entire music collection with you wherever you go.
For more go to, http://www.chicago-computer.com/novmacspec.htm


IV. Apple: A Retrospective
By Rich McDilda

I wanted to take a look this month on how Apple has fared 
over the years. And ask the question, marketing aside, has the
Apple product line in fact, lived up to the strong image with 
which it was introduced? I'll give you a hint as to my opinion now. 
It's "Well, sort of".
Click here, http://www.chicago-computer.com/novused.htm for more.

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V. Chicago Computer Company News

'Your Identity' Tops Thieves' Holiday Wish List

    ITASCA, Ill./PRNewswire/ -- During the holiday shopping season,
many of us increase our gift-giving abilities with new credit cards or
extended lines of credit on existing personal checking and credit card
accounts.  With seasonal spending increases, Chicago-based 
Fellowes recommends that each of us take a few simple steps to 
safeguard personal and financial information from identity thieves.
   Why do we need to protect our identity?  The Privacy Rights 
Clearinghouse of San Diego estimates that 500,000 to 700,000 
people have pieces of their identity pilfered for fraudulent purposes 
every year. How do identity thieves get this information?  While 
Internet-related identity theft is an issue; there is another basic -- 
and often more accessible way -- that thieves can gain access to
who you are: your garbage.
    "During the holiday season, many of us have credit card receipts, 
new credit card offers, old checks, or financial statements piling up 
at home," said Fred D'Angelo of Fellowes.  "It is important to be sure 
that no one can retrieve this information intact from your garbage.  
One of the first lines of defense against Identity Theft is a paper 
shredder."
   This holiday season, if you're throwing away any of the following, 
Fellowes recommends you protect your identity and shred it first:
    1.  Credit and debit card information: receipts from purchases,
        pre-approved credit applications
    2.  Financial data:  pay stubs, mutual funds statements, insurance 
         forms, etc.
    3.  Banking information: canceled checks, account statements
    4.  Personal information: everything with privileged, sensitive and
        confidential information about you or other people from 
insurance
        forms, medical information, billing statements, or legal 
documents
        with social security and personal information.

    One final holiday tip -- shredders are a terrific gift!  And a 
shredder is
a great way to reduce holiday wrapping paper into manageable piles.

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VisionTek Debuts Low-Cost PC Memory Upgrades in Over 625 Electronics
Boutique Stores

    GURNEE, Ill./PRNewswire/ -- VisionTek has announced the debut 
of its PC memory upgrade products for the retail market.  For the first 
time ever, retailers are offering VisionTek memory products -- a core 
technology in major brand PCs since 1988 -- to consumers at 
dramatically 
affordable prices. Available at all 625+ Electronics Boutique stores, 
the 
VisionTek upgrades are priced as low as $4.99 for 64MB after a mail-in 
rebate.
    By introducing its memory products directly to consumers for the 
first 
time, VisionTek is also delivering the same quality memory and 
world-class 
technical support that top-tier PC makers have depended on for more 
than a decade.
     "Today's announcement is great news for PC gamers and enthusiasts
who now can conveniently and affordably ensure that their PC 
performance keeps pace with their latest game, software or peripheral 
purchases," said John C. Gunn, general manager of VisionTek's Consumer 
Products Division.  "We're excited to expand our retail offerings at 
Electronics Boutique and Gamestop with worry-free memory products that 
are available at tremendously aggressive prices -- creating the 
ultimate 
stocking stuffer for the holidays."
    VisionTek's retail memory upgrades, which include a $10 mail-in 
rebate,
are priced at $14.99 for 64MB ($4.99 after rebate), $24.99 for 128MB 
($14.99 after rebate), and $44.99 for 256MB ($34.99 after rebate).

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Tribune Interactive Implements State-Of-The-Art Online Publishing 
Platform

    CHICAGO, IL -- (INTERNET WIRE)  -- Tribune Interactive, Inc. 
announced it has completed implementation of a proprietary 
standards-based 
content management and publishing platform that speeds delivery of 
breaking 
news to users across Tribune's national network of news and information 
Web 
sites.
    The platform, known internally as Oxygen, provides a common 
state-of-the-
art content production technology solution to Tribune Interactive's 11 
daily 
newspaper Web sites (including chicagotribune.com, latimes.com and 
newsday.com), automates content sharing among all the sites, and 
creates standard advertising placements for national advertisers 
throughout the network.
    Oxygen automates news feeds and posts breaking news faster - 
delivering valuable news, information and utility to users more 
quickly. 
Simultaneously, the new platform has helped to improve load times of 
Web pages. The speed of some sites improved as much as 10 seconds - 
from a 13 second to 3 second load time.
    Oxygen's extensive content database gives Tribune Interactive's 
online producers and editors access to more news stories and multimedia 
elements - including extensive photo galleries, audio and video clips 
and 
other graphic files. The database houses content from all of Tribune's 
11 
daily newspapers and major market television stations and provides 
Tribune Interactive producers the tools to create deeper, more dynamic 
news coverage for users.
    Users also benefit from access to select stories from Tribune 
Interactive's network of sites. A user of South Florida's 
sun-sentinel.com 
can read news stories from latimes.com and vice versa. With regional 
news events of national interest, such as the Oscars or the Olympics, 
Oxygen enables all Tribune Interactive sites to include extensive 
coverage, 
without the cost and time of original reporting per site.
    Oxygen also provides standard registration and customization tools 
that 
enable sites to offer geographically targeted information such as 
weather 
and traffic updates.

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Bank One Will Hire 600 IT Professionals in Chicago and Columbus 
to Accelerate Technology Initiatives

    CHICAGO and COLUMBUS, Ohio/PRNewswire/ -- Bank One Corp.
announced today that it will hire 600 information technology 
professionals 
in Chicago and Columbus over the next three months as it accelerates 
major initiatives that will enhance customer service.
    The nation's sixth-largest bank holding company will focus its 
hiring on
applications and project management, ranging from systems and client 
server engineers to web developers and development systems architects.
    "We are creating best-in-class technology to serve our customers," 
said
Austin Adams, who became Bank One's chief information officer in March,
joining Chairman Jamie Dimon's executive management team.  "It is 
essential 
to continue to invest in people and technology, even in challenging 
economic
times.  In fact, we have an unparalleled opportunity to attract 
high-performing 
technology people so we can handle a greater proportion of our
technology needs in-house."
    Bank One, which spends approximately $2 billion on technology 
annually,
has hired several other key executives this year, including James 
Ditmore,
formerly chief information officer of Ameritrade, and Maureen Osborne,
formerly chief information officer of Heller Financial.
    Bank One is accelerating projects that focus on the total customer
relationship.  These include:

    -- expanding and upgrading the company's main customer information 
       and deposit platform, called Bank One's Best.  As deposit 
systems 
       are integrated into a single platform, more than 8 million 
customers 
       will have a seamless level of service in Bank One locations 
across the
       company.  The company plans to integrate three major systems 
into 
       Bank One's Best in 2002 after converting two in 2001. 

    -- unifying our customer information systems to provide a 
comprehensive
       national view of customer and product relationships.  

    -- developing internal expertise to maintain the company's 
technology and
       to design, build and launch new service features and 
enhancements,
       including ramping up e-commerce initiatives. 

    Over the next three months, the company will step up its 
advertising 
and recruitment efforts that promote Bank One's leadership in financial 
services and its extensive career opportunities in various facets of 
information technology and project management.  In addition to 
competitive 
salaries, the company offers a broad range of benefits, including 
medical 
and dental coverage, pension and 401(k) plans, a discounted 
stock-purchase 
plan and tuition reimbursement, as well as programs such as flexible 
work 
options and wellness initiatives.

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Certification Magazine 2002 Salary Survey Charts Benefits of 
Certification

    CHICAGO, IL /PRNewswire/ -- Technical certification brings 
Information 
Technology professionals an average 10.2 percent salary increase
within a year, equivalent to an average raise of $4,477, and also pays 
off in terms of job security and promotion.  Those are just some of the 
results of the 2002 Salary Survey, reported in the December 2001 issue 
of 
Certification Magazine, now available for free at 
http://www.CertMag.com .
    Certification Magazine conducts its survey of the IT industry each 
fall,
showing the benefits of certifications such as Microsoft's MCSE, 
Cisco's 
CCNP, Novell's CNE, CompTIA's A+ and ProsoftTraining's CIW.  The 
2002 survey shows an average salary of $55,577, with certification 
providing a significant return on investment for IT professionals.  The 
survey also charts the benefits of multiple certifications and 
combinations 
of credentials, as well as the financial gains that come with IT 
experience.
    The December 2001 Certification Magazine article also includes 
numerous graphics, charting top certification programs in terms of 
salaries, 
salary increases, experience and impact upon the IT professional's 
career.  
The survey also provides information on employer contribution to the 
cost 
of training and student perceptions of the value of certification.
    "Naturally, the more certifications and the more experience you 
have, 
the higher the salary. But even entry-level credentials command nice 
salaries 
and offer impressive returns on training investments. This year's 
survey shows 
how all those elements work together, and pay off," said Tim Sosbe, 
editorial
director of Certification Magazine.  "For IT managers and 
professionals, the
bottom line should be obvious: Certification is the best career 
investment 
one can make."
    To read the full 2002 Salary Survey article, visit 
http://www.certmag.com/salaries .

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VI. Chicago Computer Dealers

Click here at http://www.chicago-computer.com/deals.htm for our list 
of computer dealers and some of the lowest prices in town!

Readers: We welcome your feedback on our newsletter. Please direct your
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