Cursor: Microsoft Xbox; Apple UK Expo; Mesh Computers; boo.com

Wondering what Microsoft is blowing the £500m marketing budget for its Xbox games console on? Some, we hear, will be spent on the rather original idea of showing journalists a factory not making Xboxes. Confused? It'll be a chance, apparently, to see the factory in Hungary that will – one day – make Xboxes. But isn't yet. In the name of promotion, Microsoft will fly some bemused hacks to Hungary, most probably introduce them to some local booze, whizz them round the factory and send them home with some nice logo-ed goodies that the hacks will flog on eBay. And do stop feeling resentful about the £80 price tag for Windows XP, for goodness' sake.

APPLE'S UK Expo at the Business Design Centre in Islington, north London, last week was its first in years and well received. Apple bods were especially pleased with the 40ft-high iBook advert – "Your Life. To Go" – on a huge white canvas suspended outside an apartment block opposite the centre. One person was not, however: a woman who lived in the block behind the canvas complained that one of the halogen lights illuminating the sign at night shone right into her bedroom. Your Light To Go, Apple was told – and hastily complied.

LATEST HORROR story of a "customer services" department comes from Andy Taylor of Loughborough, who has been trying to get the hard drive on his Mesh Computers PC replaced. Not one but two hard drives were dead on arrival, and he says he was harangued by "customer services" for not being by his phone when they had agreed the company would call. (He disputes that.) Mr Taylor has now taken the matter up with Trading Standards. We asked Mesh what had happened, but apparently our e-mail with a copy of Mr Taylor's letter didn't arrive. We used to blame the Post Office; now we can blame BT.

TRY AS we may, we can't find any sign of anyone buying boo hoo, the tale of the flameout of boo.com by its co-founder Ernst Malstem. So far it sounds about as popular as the famed website, which was virtually impossible to use. Perhaps Ernst should get a job in customer services. He'd feel right at home.