New Chips Keep Tight Rein on Consumers

banannaslug writes "NYTimes (subscription, etc.) talks about Microsofts Palladium. The article addresses how applications of controlling technology affect competition as well as the consumer, can be used to extend monopolies to new markets and has very serious implications for what happens to user driven innovation. We'd have the people's operating system, the people's web browser and the people's media player, and 'computers' would be as useful to innovation as a bicycle to a fish. This is the kind of behavior you expect in a mature industry that tries to add 'law' to preserve failing market models dependent on a lack of competition. Next thing you know they'll want to force customers to upgrade periodically." Point it out to your boss.

Comments

Irony...

[cperciva]

When I opened up an article which discussed, among other things, inkjet printer cartridges which were designed to fail if they were refilled, I found a popup ad telling me that I could save 80% off my inkjet cartridges by refilling them.

It's happening...

[CProgrammer98]

See the sig. 'nuff said...