Slashdot Mirror
MS Putting the Squeeze on Alternative Audio
renard writes: "Some interesting developments during the last two days of the Microsoft antitrust trial, as reported by AP: MS Executive Linda Averett has admitted that Internet Explorer trumps user preferences for audio playback, and explains away a failure of IE6 searches to find RealAudio sites as a "mistake by the search team." My personal favorite: an MS-internal email exchange where one employee suggests that everyone "Remember the 'embrace and extend' campaigns we've used in the past," and an MS executive admonishes that "We need to keep all of this off the airwaves." See also related stories at Yahoo, CNN, and the NYT."
Sorry about the AC post, but I don't have my password here to login.
I agree that RealPlayer is a nasty program that really messes up a lot of things in your computer, but I wouldn't go so far as to say that QuickTime is just as bad as RealPlayer. During the install of QuickTime, a dialog is displayed with checkboxes of the file formats to associate with QuickTime. If you don't want it associated, its easy enough to uncheck the box, and your done.
Also notice when you're installing RealPlayer and choosing your Spam Preferences, by default, all the checkboxes you see are unchecked. Scroll down to the bottom of that box, the rest are all checked.
QT asks me every damn time I look at something if I want to buy it.
;-)
1. Set your system time many years ahead (like 2010)
2. Run QuickTime
3. When it asks you if you would like to upgrade, say no (of course!)
4. QuickTime will then write some secret registry key to remember when it should next remind you to upgrade. Fortunately, your next reminder is now scheduled for the year 2010!
5. Be sure to set your system time back!
cpeterso
Hey, have you tried out any of the new movies encoded in realplayer 9 format. Amazing stuff.
Is the problem with universities? Are any researcher doing work on codecs that could end up in the open forum?
:-)
I agree with you, and have decided to do something about it. OIC is a video codec I am writing. I hope it will be ready for prime time in a matter of months. No promises though.
Check my sig for a link if you are interested.
---
...make them take out the ability to download files, or listen to music out of the box???
No, that is not what the proposal is about. The proposal identifies 9 key areas - browser, email client, and media player are three of them. For each key area, the Microsoft user tool must be removable and replaceable by an OEM without penalty. So, essentially, the OEM buys the stripped Windows and some subset of the 9 components from Microsoft, and gets the other components from other vendors. The OEM is free to configure Windows however it sees fit with respect to the 9 key areas.
Microsoft is NOT forced to ship an operating system that cannot download files. This responsibility has merely shifted to the OEM to configure these 9 tools.
Also, all the Microsoft add-ons must be priced at a pro-rated value relative to the stripped down Windows. That means the OEMs pay for Windows, and pay separately for each add-on based on value added.
With this proposal, and full disclosure of relevant APIs for each of the 9 key areas, competition for userspace tools would be restored to these key markets. Microsoft's leveraging power would be stripped, and its software could only compete on its own merits.
I've been using Internet Explorer 6 for over six months now, since I got a computer that was pre-loaded with Windows XP last year. Whenever I click on a link to an MP3, AVI, or other media file, I always get a dialog box saying "Would you like to play this in Internet Explorer?" I always check "Never ask me again," and click "No." However, for some reason, I keep getting asked this very same question every time!
Your OEM screwed up the install. Your user security database is most likely hosed; other symptoms will be passwords not being remembered in Outlook Express.
Unfortunately, I can't remember the exact fix. But I had to do it on my Gateway system when it arrived at work. It's in the MS knowledge base though - search for "outlook express" "user authentication", and you should find something about it.
When I installed my own copy of Windows XP (beta, full release, whatever), it didn't have this issue. Makes you wonder what the software Gateway preloaded is doing with the system.
Simon
Coming soon - pyrogyra
Funny. I have Real Audio, Quicktime, WMP, and winamp all installed on the same machine. No problems at all.
Of course, I pay attention when doing software installs and make sure it's not going to take control of media types that it shouldn't.
My Realaudio plays nothing but realaudio. Quicktime plays..well, quicktime. Winamp for mp3's and wav's. I actually use Gdivx for most other video, but fire up WMP occasionaly.
No problems. Nothing battling over file types..no sweat.
I think people are just whining too much.
If joe blow user uses WMP because it's there by default and plays everything itself, fine.
If he comes across something he wants to view/listen in realaudio, he's going to click the little button that says "download real audio".
If he blows through the install without thinking about what he's clicking, and realaudio starts playing everything (not to mention sending him all kinds of crappy email), sucks to be him.
I betcha he'll look more closely at those installation options next time.
my god, is it just me or do MS execs seem to just not get prosecuted for purgery?
If MS execs were to be prosecuted for perjury, then the Real execs would have to be as well.
Remember; Real Networks are the people who stood up in court at the start of the trial and claimed (under oath) that Microsoft had crippled their RealPlayer G2 installer.
The real story?
RealPlayer G2's Installer was badly written, and contained bugs.
Microsoft demonstrated where the bugs in the installer were, and hey presto - it worked fine. Any good installer engineer would have been able to fix that - I guess the Real Networks ones are too busy embedding spyware to get the basics right.
So... when are the Real Networks guys going to be prosecuted for perjury?
Simon
Coming soon - pyrogyra
I wish. I seem to recall seeing a former MS employee saying though that often there is no documentation even inside the company. Thing is you see, because of the internal structure of the company product teams often don't document their work so as to ensure their project isn't killed or they aren't split up. By keeping the docs inside their heads, they help increase their job security.
This leads to the "secret" APIs in Windows/Office/whatever that Microsofts enemies like to jump on - it's not really an evil conspiracy (though MS do enough evil stuff as it is), it's more an indictment of their internal corporate organisation skills.
this is completely off topic, but, i just recently upgraded to winamp 2.8 and it includes the .ogg plugin. it just made me happy.
References: CNet - Election 2000: High-Tech Politics