Windows Media was developed in part by Sonic Foundry. They developed the first encoder (OnDemand Producer) and co developed the work on the MPEG 4 codec. To say Microsoft has no media savvy, that was true initially. They have gotten allot of experience and allot of help from Sonic Foundry.
If you go to Micorosft sites and watch any of the old streaming chats they had regarding Windows Media, you will see someone from Sonic Foundry in alomost every single one of them.
They talk about the relationship between to two companies.
If Pizza Hut is the only place in town that delivers but you REALLY want Joe's pizza that is 20 minutes away, you will probably get in your car and drive down to Joe's instead of settling for Pizza Hut correct, or are you going to sue Pizza Hut because Joe's pizza is harder to get?
I know MS did smoe shayd dealings with people and may have used it's monopoly to get its way, but that has been going on for years in other areas.
How about construction companies that pay city council people to not allow another contractor to get a license in the area or how about a major resturant chain paying city officials to not allow another chain to get a liquor license in town.
Us consumers have been dealing with this type of thing for years.
MS is no different than any other big business. They are all kinds of under the table deals along with black mail, bullying in big business.
MS is no different than any of the other big business companies.
They all do it, just some get more news than others. Bill just pushed a bit too far and got caught.
It's like poking somebody in the back of the head until they finally turn around and knock the shit out of you.
I have sat through that download of Netscape many times when I preferred NS over IE. Especially in the days of IE 2.0 and 3.0l.
I spent all day downloading Service Pack 6 for NT. I wanted it, so I downloaded the 35MB.
If I want a piece of software I put up with the download. That is like saying anybody with a strong prefereance to RH will not sit through the numerous hours of downloading the ISO from CROM.com. I have done it. I am downloading Slack 7 right now and I dont think it will be done until Sunday on my 56K dial up. I put up with it.
I never said anybody "should" use anything. I am saying the reason most people use Windows is because people want "ease of use". They want things as easy as they get.
Microsoft did not create the laziness of the world, they only capitolized on it and sales soared because of it and the monopoly began.
Start looking around your house to see the laziness of your self.
Do you have a remote or do you walk up to the TV and turn the channel?
Do you have a Microwave? Why? Because you want to heat up those left overs quickly.
Do you have an automatic or a stick shift in your car? Why? Because you get stick of pushing in the clutch.
Do you use chop sticks to eat chinese food or do you use a fork? Why?
Somebody that knows nothing about computers would rather point and click than sit at a prompt with a blinking cursor.
Think about it. Dont blame Microsoft because most people want things as simple as they get.
I enjoy using Linux. I enjoy compiling software, tweaking, playing and figuring out things I dont know, but most "computer illiterate" people dont. If they start getting into computers heavily, they usually turn to an alternative OS such as *NIX.
Instead of cyring/blaming/suing Microsoft, develop Linux/BeOS/BSD, etc to kick MS's ass and take over the desktop instead of Windows.
The reason Linux was never had big support in the begining was because it was not initially developed to overtake Windows. It was more of a college project. If it would have began as an alternative to MS Windows and marketed/promoted as such, it might have taken off.
I know this is going to start a slam fest and I know it is going to causes some serious flames my way but...
I actually dont mind the Windows OS and am glad they integrated the browser into Windows.
Just to let you all know, I prefer Linux to Windows, but as for ease of use and configuration for people I build computers for, I prefer Windows and the apps I use for my job requires MS Windows.
Some people will start screaming Mac, Mac, Mac but I cannot easily replace a chip in a Mac to make it a bit faster, a faster modem is 3 times the cost of a PC, RAM costs much more, a video card is outrageously priced, etc....
I do not agree with allot of the judges "finding of facts" and I really believe this huge waste of my damn tax dollars should never have begun.
I sometimes build computers for people that have never used a computer. It is much easier for them to start the computer, click on the big globe, dial up to the Internet and then surf around for a while and that is who most of the users are. They may change their desktop to put a picture of their kids on it, but that is about it.
If I install a Linux OS on their computer, it is going to be nearly impossible for them to get help with problems with their computer and they are going to call me. If they have Windows, they can usually get tips/tricks/help from people they work with, friends, family, etc. They are not going to want to get into IRC or newsgroups to solve problems.
It is kind of like owning a Benz or Saab. Finding people to repair them is allot harder than a GM or Ford.
Now I understand that if I took the time to show them how to compile a piece of software, or modify their path or mount drives, etc, they wouldnt need to find help or call me all the time, but face it, the average user does not want to know how to do this, they want to point and click and Windows has done a fairly good job at this. The Mac is much simplier but the cost of a Mac and the upgrade ability over shadows its ease of use to most people.
Average user: "Why is it telling me I need to be root to do this?"
Average user: "Why do I have to remember all these passwords?"
Average user: "What is/dev/hda1?"
Average user: "What is make? Do I do make or make install?"
Look at the cosumer market for other products. The clapper for example. How many times have we made fun of that commercial? I actually know a few people that bought it. Bread machines are another example. People want the smell, taste and texture of fresh bread, but they dont want to spend the time rolling the dough, letting it rise and then baking it. They want to open the packets, dump the ingredients in and then go watch soaps.
Now as far as browsers go, I prefer IE over Netscape. I have less problems with IE than I do with Netscape. They both crash just as often, but rendering HTML is better in IE.
The most annoying thing about Netscape is that if the HTML writer forgets to put the/table tag or/select or mispells the tag, Netscape displays only part of the page or anything at all. That is annoying. Now I know you are going to say "It's not Netscapes fault the developer is lazy or cant spell" or something similar but I think minor assumptions on the browsers part is fine. "Hey this guy started a table, but he didnt end it, maybe I should put an/table tag here instead of displaying a blank page."
Now I do have both installed and many versions of each on my Windows PC, but I prefer IE over Netscape.
I believe if there was a better solution out there for your average person to use easily, it would blow Windows out of the water, but it has yet to arrive.
The chip industry is a prime example. How long did Intel rule the world for processors?
Now that AMD has come out with lower cost, faster chips they are giving Intel a hell of a run for their money. I love that!!! That's the american way.
That is what we need, competition, not the tax wasting government to tell us/MS they are a monopoly on the desktop. DUH! We know that!
If we would have spent the tax dollars on further developing linux or BeOS and making it easier to use than Windows and make it free for computer manufacturers to OEM it on the new PC's, Bill Gates would be cleaning the toilets of the local McDonalds instead of the government blowing my tax dollars on a lawyers' vendetta because of a "General Protection Fault" or he wanted Netscape instead of IE. Hey dickhead, D O W N L O A D I T ! ! ! !
Hey Redhat 6.1 came with XMMS instead of X11AMP. I am going to sue Redhat because it did not include my favorite MP3 player. You're bad RH. You're evil!
Until something better comes along and is easy for the average "computer illiterate" person to turn the computer on without calling me to figure out how to untar or ask me what the hell gzip is, we will have to deal with Windows. Quit blaming Microsoft, pointing fingers at Microsft and develop something that can replace it. Think of Windows as a car. You get pissed at, kick it, hit it and scream at it sometimes, but would you rather ride a horse or walk? I would prefer the heated indoors of a car before I would shovel horse shit or walk out to the barn to feed the horse in the middle of Winter, even if I did get a flat or need an oil change/tune up.
If you dont like the color of your living room, you paint it, you dont go sue the house builder because you soon realized that the color of the wall clashed with the window treaments you decided to buy.
If you dont like Windows on every desktop and controlling the PC desktop market, make something better that can replace it. Dont go suing them because you think linux is better or you wanted Netscape instead of IE.
I am so f**king sick of this "I am going to sue you because I dont like the way I am being treated and I am not happy" world that it makes me sick when people back this huge, worthless waste of my f**king tax dollars.
Slashdot Mirror
Windows Media was developed in part by Sonic Foundry. They developed the first encoder (OnDemand Producer) and co developed the work on the MPEG 4 codec. To say Microsoft has no media savvy, that was true initially. They have gotten allot of experience and allot of help from Sonic Foundry.
If you go to Micorosft sites and watch any of the old streaming chats they had regarding Windows Media, you will see someone from Sonic Foundry in alomost every single one of them.
They talk about the relationship between to two companies.
Another thing to think about.
If Pizza Hut is the only place in town that delivers but you REALLY want Joe's pizza that is 20 minutes away, you will probably get in your car and drive down to Joe's instead of settling for Pizza Hut correct, or are you going to sue Pizza Hut because Joe's pizza is harder to get?
I know MS did smoe shayd dealings with people and may have used it's monopoly to get its way, but that has been going on for years in other areas.
How about construction companies that pay city council people to not allow another contractor to get a license in the area or how about a major resturant chain paying city officials to not allow another chain to get a liquor license in town.
Us consumers have been dealing with this type of thing for years.
MS is no different than any other big business. They are all kinds of under the table deals along with black mail, bullying in big business.
MS is no different than any of the other big business companies.
They all do it, just some get more news than others. Bill just pushed a bit too far and got caught.
It's like poking somebody in the back of the head until they finally turn around and knock the shit out of you.
I have sat through that download of Netscape many times when I preferred NS over IE. Especially in the days of IE 2.0 and 3.0l.
I spent all day downloading Service Pack 6 for NT. I wanted it, so I downloaded the 35MB.
If I want a piece of software I put up with the download. That is like saying anybody with a strong prefereance to RH will not sit through the numerous hours of downloading the ISO from CROM.com. I have done it. I am downloading Slack 7 right now and I dont think it will be done until Sunday on my 56K dial up. I put up with it.
I never said anybody "should" use anything. I am saying the reason most people use Windows is because people want "ease of use". They want things as easy as they get.
Microsoft did not create the laziness of the world, they only capitolized on it and sales soared because of it and the monopoly began.
Start looking around your house to see the laziness of your self.
Do you have a remote or do you walk up to the TV and turn the channel?
Do you have a Microwave? Why? Because you want to heat up those left overs quickly.
Do you have an automatic or a stick shift in your car? Why? Because you get stick of pushing in the clutch.
Do you use chop sticks to eat chinese food or do you use a fork? Why?
Somebody that knows nothing about computers would rather point and click than sit at a prompt with a blinking cursor.
Think about it. Dont blame Microsoft because most people want things as simple as they get.
I enjoy using Linux. I enjoy compiling software, tweaking, playing and figuring out things I dont know, but most "computer illiterate" people dont. If they start getting into computers heavily, they usually turn to an alternative OS such as *NIX.
Instead of cyring/blaming/suing Microsoft, develop Linux/BeOS/BSD, etc to kick MS's ass and take over the desktop instead of Windows.
The reason Linux was never had big support in the begining was because it was not initially developed to overtake Windows. It was more of a college project. If it would have began as an alternative to MS Windows and marketed/promoted as such, it might have taken off.
I know this is going to start a slam fest and I know it is going to causes some serious flames my way but...
I actually dont mind the Windows OS and am glad they integrated the browser into Windows.
Just to let you all know, I prefer Linux to Windows, but as for ease of use and configuration for people I build computers for, I prefer Windows and the apps I use for my job requires MS Windows.
Some people will start screaming Mac, Mac, Mac but I cannot easily replace a chip in a Mac to make it a bit faster, a faster modem is 3 times the cost of a PC, RAM costs much more, a video card is outrageously priced, etc....
I do not agree with allot of the judges "finding of facts" and I really believe this huge waste of my damn tax dollars should never have begun.
I sometimes build computers for people that have never used a computer. It is much easier for them to start the computer, click on the big globe, dial up to the Internet and then surf around for a while and that is who most of the users are. They may change their desktop to put a picture of their kids on it, but that is about it.
If I install a Linux OS on their computer, it is going to be nearly impossible for them to get help with problems with their computer and they are going to call me. If they have Windows, they can usually get tips/tricks/help from people they work with, friends, family, etc. They are not going to want to get into IRC or newsgroups to solve problems.
It is kind of like owning a Benz or Saab. Finding people to repair them is allot harder than a GM or Ford.
Now I understand that if I took the time to show them how to compile a piece of software, or modify their path or mount drives, etc, they wouldnt need to find help or call me all the time, but face it, the average user does not want to know how to do this, they want to point and click and Windows has done a fairly good job at this. The Mac is much simplier but the cost of a Mac and the upgrade ability over shadows its ease of use to most people.
Average user: "Why is it telling me I need to be root to do this?"
Average user: "Why do I have to remember all these passwords?"
Average user: "What is /dev/hda1?"
Average user: "What is make? Do I do make or make install?"
Look at the cosumer market for other products. The clapper for example. How many times have we made fun of that commercial? I actually know a few people that bought it. Bread machines are another example. People want the smell, taste and texture of fresh bread, but they dont want to spend the time rolling the dough, letting it rise and then baking it. They want to open the packets, dump the ingredients in and then go watch soaps.
Now as far as browsers go, I prefer IE over Netscape. I have less problems with IE than I do with Netscape. They both crash just as often, but rendering HTML is better in IE.
The most annoying thing about Netscape is that if the HTML writer forgets to put the /table tag or /select or mispells the tag, Netscape displays only part of the page or anything at all. That is annoying. Now I know you are going to say "It's not Netscapes fault the developer is lazy or cant spell" or something similar but I think minor assumptions on the browsers part is fine. "Hey this guy started a table, but he didnt end it, maybe I should put an /table tag here instead of displaying a blank page."
Now I do have both installed and many versions of each on my Windows PC, but I prefer IE over Netscape.
I believe if there was a better solution out there for your average person to use easily, it would blow Windows out of the water, but it has yet to arrive.
The chip industry is a prime example. How long did Intel rule the world for processors?
Now that AMD has come out with lower cost, faster chips they are giving Intel a hell of a run for their money. I love that!!! That's the american way.
That is what we need, competition, not the tax wasting government to tell us/MS they are a monopoly on the desktop. DUH! We know that!
If we would have spent the tax dollars on further developing linux or BeOS and making it easier to use than Windows and make it free for computer manufacturers to OEM it on the new PC's, Bill Gates would be cleaning the toilets of the local McDonalds instead of the government blowing my tax dollars on a lawyers' vendetta because of a "General Protection Fault" or he wanted Netscape instead of IE. Hey dickhead, D O W N L O A D I T ! ! ! !
Hey Redhat 6.1 came with XMMS instead of X11AMP. I am going to sue Redhat because it did not include my favorite MP3 player. You're bad RH. You're evil!
Until something better comes along and is easy for the average "computer illiterate" person to turn the computer on without calling me to figure out how to untar or ask me what the hell gzip is, we will have to deal with Windows. Quit blaming Microsoft, pointing fingers at Microsft and develop something that can replace it. Think of Windows as a car. You get pissed at, kick it, hit it and scream at it sometimes, but would you rather ride a horse or walk? I would prefer the heated indoors of a car before I would shovel horse shit or walk out to the barn to feed the horse in the middle of Winter, even if I did get a flat or need an oil change/tune up.
If you dont like the color of your living room, you paint it, you dont go sue the house builder because you soon realized that the color of the wall clashed with the window treaments you decided to buy.
If you dont like Windows on every desktop and controlling the PC desktop market, make something better that can replace it. Dont go suing them because you think linux is better or you wanted Netscape instead of IE.
I am so f**king sick of this "I am going to sue you because I dont like the way I am being treated and I am not happy" world that it makes me sick when people back this huge, worthless waste of my f**king tax dollars.
My $0.02