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VLC For Windows 8 Reaches $65,000 Funding Goal On Kickstarter
An anonymous reader writes "A Metro version of VLC, the popular free and open-source media player, is coming to Windows 8. On Sunday, the VideoLAN organization reached its funding goal on Kickstarter for its Windows 8-specific app. There are also plans to port it afterwards to Windows Phone 8. The project has now been funded by over 2,500 backers, who have pledged more than the £40,000 ($65,000) goal."
This is for the Metro version which will work on RT, Windows phone and Windows x86
Presumably it's quicker and easier to fund a complete new version of VLC that it is to work out how the fuck you're supposed to launch and run a program under Windows 8?
How about we start a kickstarter to not port VLC to windows phone?
Mod me down, my New Earth Global Warmingist friends!
... assuming Microsoft 'approves' it. Buying into a locked ecosystem is a mistake. It's rewarding a company for taking the ownership of your hardware away.
I would be much happier if nobody ported their software, and Windows 8 was allowed to completely fail.
Then Microsoft would be forced to fix the UI and bring back the start menu.
Why, that's annual salary of an entry-to-mid level programmer. Seems like it would take a whole lot more. Sort of a strange target.
I used to use VLC exclusively, but then it began to choke on newer codecs and more demanding resolutions. I upgraded and the latest build was far worse (no audio half the time, problems skipping, etc) so I had to revert back to an older version. I've switched to Media Player Classic (which I used to use over 5 years ago before VLC) and am very pleased because it "simply works". So IMO, MPC has leapfrogged VLC in their back and forth development surges. The fact that the latest releases of VLC were worse leads me to believe whatever developers are now active are not doing such a good job.
Until VLC can be made to halfway work on ANY platform, I'd be hesitant to try and push it out to Windows 8. There are fundamental problems with the low level decoding right now that need to be fixed first, before high level GUI / API / OS stuff is tweaked for a new OS.
Better known as 318230.
... assuming Microsoft 'approves' it. Buying into a locked ecosystem is a mistake. It's rewarding a company for taking the ownership of your hardware away.
Well, there's now $65,000 out there willing to test the waters. And the developers don't lose anything if it fails -- only the investors do. I'd guess a lot of that will be spent on the lawyer screwing about over patents... it might be the case that the only thing required is a few edits here and there to surgically transplant the UI. Porting an app usually costs a fraction of the original development cost. If portability was considered from the initial design, it might only require a few hours work to prep it for compiling on a different architecture. And it's open source; Projects that survive as long as VLC has do so because the programmers made it a goal to keep maintenance down. Release one bad app and you'll be supporting it for the rest of your life. :)
#fuckbeta #iamslashdot #dicemustdie
The article link in the OP has some interesting quotes, but to not include the actual Kickstarter project page (which still has 5 days to go) seems incredibly lazy...
There is zero chance that MS will not improve it. They are desperate for apps and they approve total crap. They will not ban a quality app. Also the music player has nothing to do with selling music. The player is not related to the files you get from their service.
That one asshole developer claims on his blog that it is "uncertain" whether or not the terms of the Windows Store are compatible with the GPLv2 and then goes on an incomprehensible rant about the App Store and Applidium (the developers of the short-lived iOS VLC app), all in the name of 'freedom'. As in beer.
So, yes, in short, he's still an asshole.
The issue is not whether they will approve it or not. The issue is in the principle of acting as if the hardware vendor has the right to choose what software the user and proprietor chooses to run.
As developers, we should not be complicit this terrible precendent, and we should not contribute in any way to the positive health of this system.
I have left slashdot and am now on Soylent News. FUCK YOU DICE.
That is incorrect. Nice FUD, though.
1. Admin Powershell prompt (easily available even on Windows RT).
2. Show-WindowsDeveloperLicenceRegistration (yes, this is a PS command. Try "show-wi" + [TAB])
3. Enter Windows Live credentials. They don't have to be the ones you sign in with (in fact, you don't have to be using Windows Live signin at all), and the don't have to be associated with a developer account in any way. In fact, they can be for a throw-away account.
4. Download an APPX package and run its install script. Congrats, sideloading achieved.
The status of the "developer registration" will need to be periodically refreshed, as by default it expires after a month. However, it costs nothing except a trivial amount of time, and you can refresh it repeatedly.
There's no place I could be, since I've found Serenity...
I was always under the impression his reasoning had to do with his irrational hatred agains iDevice users. When you explain your actions with "I don't care for iDevice users" there isn't much room for discussion.
Now when looking at his resume which is plasterd with Nokia adventures, I have the feeling it has a lot more to do with butthurt and frustration regarding the downfall of Nokia.
The whole freedom, fsf, whatever claim seems also weird for somebody that mentions different software patents on his resume. I find it kind of hypocritical for somebod with high freedom morals.
Seeing his works relations with Nokia I want to bet on it, nithing will happen. That ks typical for such kind of people.