Apple Computer Inc confirmed that it has told subscribers to its eWorld on-line service that eWorld will cease operations on March 31 as part of the company’s transition to new Internet-based services. Apple will continue to handle mail for eWorld subscribers for an additional three months and provide an Apple Internet kit – at a good price, not for free – to enable them to migrate to the Internet; a teleconference with analysts, planned for earlier on Monday, was postponed to enable the company to complete the eWorld transition plans; rather than create a single eWorld site on the Internet, as had been the plan when Apple first acknowledged that eWorld in its present form was in trouble, Apple is now leaning towards setting up a whole string of separate Internet sites, each with a different focus, but is not ready to give any details of these yet. Now that there is no putative bidder for Apple Computer Inc on the horizon, nothing underpins the share price, and the eWorld news, sent the shares down 62.5 cents to a new low for the year of $26.25.
