The travel industry has been hit hard by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and last week's crash of American Airlines Flight 587.
Recently declared an illegal monopoly by the U.S. Supreme Court, Microsoft is crossing its fingers that its Windows XP release on Thursday will bring more sales than controversy. The latest version of the Windows operating system, XP is short for "Experience." According to Microsoft advertisements, the system is easier to use because it combines the stability of its Windows NT and Windows 2000 products. But according to the Associated Press, government regulators are already accusing Microsoft of using its new operating system to pressure users into signing up for online services and using proprietary Microsoft file formats for music and video. Windows XP Home Edition is expected to cost $99 for an upgrade and $199 for the stand-alone version.
The Melissa virus hit last year, ILOVEYOU spread last spring and Code Red hit this summer. Last week, another bug struck computer users as the NIMDA virus spread around the globe.
Last week, North Carolina-based banks Wachovia Corp. and First Union Corp. announced a merger, surprising many industry experts.
