THERE ARE two kinds of new media jargon. Technical talk means something, albeit only to engineers, and is therefore forgivable. Business babble means nothing, or at best less than it claims. Irredeemably pretentious, with its grandiose talk of "portals" (Web pages with links on them) and "business models" (ideas, however slender, which might conceivably make some money), it has become the greatest barrier to public understanding of the Net and the digital economy.

The Dow Jones' recent roller-coaster ride showed just how sensitive New York shares are

THE SLIDE in technology stocks continued on both sides of the Atlantic yesterday, spurred by remarks from Microsoft president Steve Ballmer that tech share prices, including those of his own company, had reached "absurd" levels.

US STOCK markets plunged yesterday, amidst a growing mood of pessimism on Wall Street.

LINUS TORVALDS, THE QUIET BOY WONDER FROM FINLAND, DEVISED THE LEGENDARY LINUX OPERATING SYSTEM, THE FREE-FOR-ALL SOFTWARE THAT HAS COST BILL GATES' COMPUTER GIANT $2BN IN SALES

Business Week

Microsoft said that DOS was dead, but now they've changed their minds.

MICROSOFT IS perhaps the classic case of a company balancing low wages with the promise of riches to come from stock options.

A free DIY operating system that has developed a cult following on the Internet is now posing a serious threat to Microsoft's Windows NT. What lies behind the rapid rise of Linux?

BILL GATES, the US Microsoft chief, is the world's richest man, according to a list of the world's 200 most wealthy businessmen. But not one Briton makes the top 100 of the billionaires list published by Forbes Magazine.

BILL GATES, the United States Microsoft chief, is the world's richest man, according to a list of the world's 200 most wealthy businessmen. But not one Briton makes the top 100 of the billionaires list published by Forbes Magazine.

THE COMPUTER services group ICL yesterday unveiled a worldwide strategic alliance with Microsoft, the US software behemoth, which is expected to bring in revenues of pounds 500m over the next three years and create 1,000 new jobs.

What does it profit a man to own the biggest software business on earth, asks John Carlin, if nobody likes you?

Every couple of months or so, Mrs W is irresistibly drawn to Ikea. Though she customarily buys nothing more exciting than a box of candles, my wife relishes a lengthy browse among the goods apparently named after characters in Beowulf - Skubb (shoe-tidy), Anfang (glass vase), Ranvik (chest of drawers), Skallid (CD tower). Meanwhile, I am obliged to wander this retail labyrinth like a suburban Theseus.