"I realize that for IBM it is giving SCO just what they want as far as paying them off, but why not have Sun, IBM, Red Hat, SuSe and whoever else is pissed at SCO get together and spend 78 million and buy the bastards? Then open up the source to the world and laugh at what a dumbass Darl was."
Giving chump-change to SCO was a way Sun got to screw with IBM on the cheap. Its like the US giving money to what later became the Taliban in its efforts to fight the Soviets in Afghanistan. It doesn't hurt the bottom line and you get to annoy your enemy without committing major resources. After all, Sun probably views IBM as its main competitor (and Dell), not Microsoft as much as Scotty professes. Remember, the war has always been with EastAsia, and EurAsia has always been our friend.
"I think it's amazing that with all this legal mumbo-jumbo hitting the fan, people really trust MS not to cut off Mono. They have an incentive, they got the legal base for it, and soon they'll have plenty of cooperations dependant on a.NET platform."
Then keep Mono outside of any Linux distribution. That way Microsoft can't get the court to order "cease and desists" to the various Linux flavors.
At this point, the open source community better pray that IBM and Apple come to a joint decision that the only way to keep their companies independent of Microsoft's ambitions is to outright buy Sun and split the company up. IBM takes the Sun hardware business as well as their microprocessor team, Apple gets their OS coders, StarOffice becomes an independent foundation overseeing OpenOffice's development (ala the Mozilla Foundation), the Solaris IP becomes jointly owned by IBM and Apple, and Java is open sourced. Sun's Java is key to keeping Microsoft in check but Sun is walking a suicidal path that it doesn't seem to want to walk away from.
"While Sun may not be able to open source Solaris due to SCO license restrictions, as soon as a judge declares that IBM enhancements to AIX are not the property of SCO, Sun can roll whatever "high-end Solaris" code they have into Linux. This would have the added benefit of destroying whatever is left of SCO."
If Sun added their IP into Linux, then all of their competitors would benefit from it. It would be in Sun's best interest to implement their IP into one of the three BSD distributions, rename it "Solaris" and start selling it. Ditch their existing Unix and tell SCO to pound sand. Hey, it works for Apple.
Just watch. TiVo's founder is also on NetFlix's board of directors. Now if both companies would combine the viewer ratings. That would be so money. Although the US Postal Service will be screaming "uncle" over it.
"... now that TiVo has made the Home Media Option features available for free, what will they do to those folks who ponied up the $99 (or $59 during the 'special promotion period') for it originally?"
Believe me, as one of the Beta Testers of the Home Media Option, they better.
"but if Tivo-only distribution were to cannibalize the "traditional" delivery, network execs would be throwing themselves from windows."
Good! I nominate Jordan Levin of the WB Network to be the first out the window for cancelling *Angel* after its 100th episode, the whole season's improved ratings above the prior season, and in the face of the strong fan support.
And for anyone who really wants "a la carte," I would suggest you support Senator John McCain's efforts at forcing this issue at the Federal level.
Here's a press release/letter that was sent to Time Warner:
"Send my wife House Hunters from HDTV, send me some History channel and I don't have to go spend 50 bucks for cable because I get it sent directly to me."
Amen. No more having to add an extra $6 to my cable bill just so I can get (G4)TechTV. But oh yeah, they throw in BET Jazz with it. Joy! Pffff....
Replay allows users to share programs they've already recorded with others via the "Send Show" feature. This transmits up to 15 digital copies of shows over the Internet to other ReplayTV owner."
Only on SonicBlue branded ReplayTV units. Remember, that feature is the very reason why SonicBlue was sued out of existence by broadcasters and the MPAA. The transmission speed is about as bad as trying to download a highly sought movie off Kazaa. That's about as useful as Corinthian leather in Chryslers.
I'd also bet there are more MythTV units working out there than Replays at this point in the game.
"I would also add a "hidden" feature, better integration. If you have digital cable and TiVo you are going to have two set top boxes and more remotes, etc. The TiVo box is your DTV box. This may sound like a small issue to the slashdot crowd, but made a huge difference in getting my Mother-in-law set up and comfortable with this idea."
True. It does cause a wiring issue as well as occupying more plugs on the surge suppressor. However, the one drawback to integration is if something goes wrong with one part of the unit, the rest of the unit gets to suffer because you have to take the whole thing in for repair/replacement which means downtime no matter what way you look at it.
I guess I shouldn't whine too much over it, otherwise some Slashdotter here will start lamenting the end of AT motherboards in the wake of ATX integration years later.
"As Ars mentions, this is certainly a bit of bad news for Tivo (and people like me, who love the extra features in DirecTivo units as compared to normal Tivos, and thus fear a full seperation...) but not as much of a 'drop' as this post implies."
How is this any worse than companies like Comcast and Time Warner who own TiVo stock but won't distribute set-top boxes with TiVo built in to their cable subscribers? DirecTV with TiVo is a selling feature because a lot of the public is now familiar with the brand "TiVo" even if they don't actually understand what its all about.
There aren't really "extra" features of a DirecTiVo other than the fact that it can receive two digital streams at the same time, whereas the stand-alones do not. Thus in theory, you have a better quality picture as well because there is no digital-to-analog, or analog-to-digital-back-to-analog conversion going on. It stays digital while on the TiVo hard drive. As for other features, DirecTV has never allowed the TiVo "Home Media Option" to be enabled, thus DirecTiVo owners cannot stream JPEG photos or MP3's off their computers, they can't share programs between multiple TiVos in the home, and they cannot remote schedule their TiVos from the TiVo homepage (I don't know if that applies for DirecTV subscribers who are also AOL members since the AOL/TiVo partnership allows you to remote schedule directly through AOL).
As a customer who wants to drop Comcast for my television viewing, I am still amazed at how low-tech the DirecTV receivers are (or is it short-sighted?). For the initial setup (as well as ordering PPV movies), you have to have a residential telephone line. Sorry hans, but my home phone is VoIP over the only decent broadband connection available in my part of SacTown, that being Comcast. I'd rather throw pearls to pigs than give SBC any more money for phone service (or DSL).
"unless MSFT1 had to compete with MSFT2, there is no reason to do things like an office for linix. That is only going to happen when one group has to fight another group with a similar product and that isn't going to happen in the MS world except at the OS level and maybe some of the games which they aren't making any money on anyway."
What??? You propose the "Baby Bill" scenario that was talked about during the Antitrust trial. You are talking about multiple Microsofts marketing different distributions of Windows, or Office. That would only confuse customers.
The better strategy is to separate Microsoft by its divisions. If the Office division was free to make it for multiple platforms, don't you think they would do it? Certainly. Think about it. Microsoft Office on Linux would sell like crazy because the lack of an official Office port for Linux is one of the main reasons why people and corporations aren't switching in droves. A separated Office division would also make a "Palm Office" port which Senior Ballmer alluded to in an interview while the antitrust trial was still going on. As long as the Office division is a part of an intact Microsoft with the OS division, you will not get Office on Palm or Linux. The OS X version will remain because that's just gravy for Microsoft and a "see, we aren't really monopolists afterall!"
And yes, splitting up Microsoft would be best for shareholders. Not having to deal with the Feds over retaining the company altogether would equally be as good for shareholders. But that is not what Gates wants. Its obviously an ego trip. And no, I do not own Microsoft shares; I'm a wage slave.
"And for the energy and utility markets, they're making a new line of processors called the Enron. But I hear their beta version had problems with the floating-point unit... it kept inflating numbers by 20% to 50%."
Don't forget the other handy feature; it empties out the cache!:0
"I wonder if the companies that have a stake in Linux like RedHat, IBM, and so forth would be willing to pony up the dough to create our own illustrious-sounding "institution" complete with a European-sounding name that could "create reports and advice to policymakers and government" that would instead be backed by the truth."
Alex de Cokeville? Oh wait, that sounds a lot like that other institution.
"KB may find himself on the wrong (and losing) end of a libel suit once his book is published. I doubt he'll have much left from his proceeds even after the legal battle's over, whomever wins."
Good! Let him publish it and let Linus and the entire open source community (coders & fans) behind him sue the guy into oblivion. If enough pressure is applied, he will squeal about receiving funding and "advice" from Microsoft in the settlement proceedings. Then that testimony can be used in a complaint against Microsoft for not living up to the Antitrust Settlement.
Squeezing this imbletard (IMHO) would be much easier than relying upon squeezing SCO, the Canopy Group, and then finally Daryl and his brother Daryl into testifying or submitting statements about their little relationship with Redmond.
"It's kind of science-fictiony, but I believe when they go to work, the Slashdot editors are put in darkened rooms where they can't see, hear, or talk to anyone about anything."
Are you suggesting they use a Sub-Etha device to get to their location and are awaken by some friendly Dentrassis who like to piss of Vogons?
"Slashdot is the Ain't-It-Cool-News of the tech sector."
That's funny, since I've been an active poster on AICN for years too. Tee hee. Warner Bros. Pictures never met an idea of mine they didn't like...like how Ra's Al Ghul is the villain of the new Batman film for instance...:0
"That corporate mergers have increased(Peoplesoft&Oracle,Clearchannel) under the Bush administration and no one really cares until you turn on the Cnn/moneyline and notice that the corporations aren't hiring because of HIGH productivity by their businesses. Most hirings come from small business. To me mergers mean only one thing , an attempt to monopolize."
You blame the (George W.) Bush Administration for that? Which political party has catered to the interests of *small business* for twenty plus years? I do think it is the Republican Party. Every time a new *progressive* labor law is unveiled in Congress, it is the Republicans that challenge it until concessions are made for small business tax deductions to make up for the increasing costs.
Which administration did the Time Warner/Turner merger take place in? Which administration was the AOL Time Warner merger first proposed? Which administration allowed SBC to gobble up the majority of the former Baby Bell telcos? T'was not the George W. Bush Administration.
"I think truthfully, Microsoft's acquisition tentacles are to some extent being held at bay for the time being. This, of course, does not prevent them from continuing to screw everyone with the technologies that they currently control."
And that's the problem with Microsoft. They either are downright stupid or suffer from massive hubris. They seriously need to split apart because although they apparently won the antitrust case (in the long run), their size and market strength is keeping each division from making decent acquisitions to keep them competitive with other companies.
Microsoft seriously needs to split into at least three companies, and dump MSN outright. One company would focus on operating systems and web services technology. The second company would do applications (Office) and business software (Great Plains). The third would be the videogame division.
Microsoft's size is curtailing the success of their videogame division. The Xbox division needs to acquire some large scale publishers and try to guarantee exclusives for the Xbox Next so they don't have to heavily subsidize each machine. Buying for example Activision, Atari (Infogrames), Midway, and UbiSoft would do just that (EA will stay independent). But if they did that currently, they'd be hit with another antitrust case.
Separating the company into three and splitting the booty of ill gotten gains evenly ($20 billion a piece since Microsoft has $60 billion now) woudl go a long way to shoring up the companies and jettison antitrust concerns. After all, we all know Microsoft Office needs to be released for the Linux platform, but as long as Microsoft stays in tact, this will not happen out of concern of jeopardizing the Windows monopoly.
"Of course, but is there an ERP package that isn't bloat-ware? The fact is that MS wants to get into the market and Bill has $50 billion burning a hole in his pocket. On first-look, it made sense for Bill to at least "kick the tires"."
"Hardly conclusive evidence for intelligent dinosaurs, especially as most of these stories were passed down by word of mouth from generation to generation for thousands of years, but worth mentioning all the same..."
It may not be conclusive evidence, but myths often have a basis in some ancient fact, even if it is just a kernel of truth (no, not a Linux reference) with eons of embellishments added to it.
I can already predict one album that will never be sold via the Chinese version of iTunes*:
"Chinese Democracy," by GNR (or The Offspring).
Granted, it'll have to be released first, and the way its going, it'll also be the official soundtrack to Duke Nukem Forever.
*Yes, yes, I realize that the annoucement is not for the iTunes Music Store to be released in China but just the software so please do not flame me over it.
Slashdot Mirror
"I realize that for IBM it is giving SCO just what they want as far as paying them off, but why not have Sun, IBM, Red Hat, SuSe and whoever else is pissed at SCO get together and spend 78 million and buy the bastards? Then open up the source to the world and laugh at what a dumbass Darl was."
Giving chump-change to SCO was a way Sun got to screw with IBM on the cheap. Its like the US giving money to what later became the Taliban in its efforts to fight the Soviets in Afghanistan. It doesn't hurt the bottom line and you get to annoy your enemy without committing major resources. After all, Sun probably views IBM as its main competitor (and Dell), not Microsoft as much as Scotty professes. Remember, the war has always been with EastAsia, and EurAsia has always been our friend.
"I think it's amazing that with all this legal mumbo-jumbo hitting the fan, people really trust MS not to cut off Mono. They have an incentive, they got the legal base for it, and soon they'll have plenty of cooperations dependant on a .NET platform."
Then keep Mono outside of any Linux distribution. That way Microsoft can't get the court to order "cease and desists" to the various Linux flavors.
At this point, the open source community better pray that IBM and Apple come to a joint decision that the only way to keep their companies independent of Microsoft's ambitions is to outright buy Sun and split the company up. IBM takes the Sun hardware business as well as their microprocessor team, Apple gets their OS coders, StarOffice becomes an independent foundation overseeing OpenOffice's development (ala the Mozilla Foundation), the Solaris IP becomes jointly owned by IBM and Apple, and Java is open sourced. Sun's Java is key to keeping Microsoft in check but Sun is walking a suicidal path that it doesn't seem to want to walk away from.
"While Sun may not be able to open source Solaris due to SCO license restrictions, as soon as a judge declares that IBM enhancements to AIX are not the property of SCO, Sun can roll whatever "high-end Solaris" code they have into Linux. This would have the added benefit of destroying whatever is left of SCO."
If Sun added their IP into Linux, then all of their competitors would benefit from it. It would be in Sun's best interest to implement their IP into one of the three BSD distributions, rename it "Solaris" and start selling it. Ditch their existing Unix and tell SCO to pound sand. Hey, it works for Apple.
Just watch. TiVo's founder is also on NetFlix's board of directors. Now if both companies would combine the viewer ratings. That would be so money. Although the US Postal Service will be screaming "uncle" over it.
"... now that TiVo has made the Home Media Option features available for free, what will they do to those folks who ponied up the $99 (or $59 during the 'special promotion period') for it originally?"
Believe me, as one of the Beta Testers of the Home Media Option, they better.
"Boy, You Tivo users sure are missing out on the latest in internet based video."
You forgot about Bum Fights, Super Greg, and the Milf Hunter. Shame.
Oh, and I should add that Flash animation of the "differently-abled" Burger King worker singing.
"but if Tivo-only distribution were to cannibalize the "traditional" delivery, network execs would be throwing themselves from windows."
e ws center.ViewPressRelease&Content_id=766
Good! I nominate Jordan Levin of the WB Network to be the first out the window for cancelling *Angel* after its 100th episode, the whole season's improved ratings above the prior season, and in the face of the strong fan support.
And for anyone who really wants "a la carte," I would suggest you support Senator John McCain's efforts at forcing this issue at the Federal level.
Here's a press release/letter that was sent to Time Warner:
http://mccain.senate.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=N
Senator McCain's official webpage is at:
http://www.mccain.senate.gov
"Send my wife House Hunters from HDTV, send me some History channel and I don't have to go spend 50 bucks for cable because I get it sent directly to me."
Amen. No more having to add an extra $6 to my cable bill just so I can get (G4)TechTV. But oh yeah, they throw in BET Jazz with it. Joy! Pffff....
Replay allows users to share programs they've already recorded with others via the "Send Show" feature. This transmits up to 15 digital copies of shows over the Internet to other ReplayTV owner."
Only on SonicBlue branded ReplayTV units. Remember, that feature is the very reason why SonicBlue was sued out of existence by broadcasters and the MPAA. The transmission speed is about as bad as trying to download a highly sought movie off Kazaa. That's about as useful as Corinthian leather in Chryslers.
I'd also bet there are more MythTV units working out there than Replays at this point in the game.
"I would also add a "hidden" feature, better integration. If you have digital cable and TiVo you are going to have two set top boxes and more remotes, etc. The TiVo box is your DTV box. This may sound like a small issue to the slashdot crowd, but made a huge difference in getting my Mother-in-law set up and comfortable with this idea."
True. It does cause a wiring issue as well as occupying more plugs on the surge suppressor. However, the one drawback to integration is if something goes wrong with one part of the unit, the rest of the unit gets to suffer because you have to take the whole thing in for repair/replacement which means downtime no matter what way you look at it.
I guess I shouldn't whine too much over it, otherwise some Slashdotter here will start lamenting the end of AT motherboards in the wake of ATX integration years later.
"As Ars mentions, this is certainly a bit of bad news for Tivo (and people like me, who love the extra features in DirecTivo units as compared to normal Tivos, and thus fear a full seperation...) but not as much of a 'drop' as this post implies."
How is this any worse than companies like Comcast and Time Warner who own TiVo stock but won't distribute set-top boxes with TiVo built in to their cable subscribers? DirecTV with TiVo is a selling feature because a lot of the public is now familiar with the brand "TiVo" even if they don't actually understand what its all about.
There aren't really "extra" features of a DirecTiVo other than the fact that it can receive two digital streams at the same time, whereas the stand-alones do not. Thus in theory, you have a better quality picture as well because there is no digital-to-analog, or analog-to-digital-back-to-analog conversion going on. It stays digital while on the TiVo hard drive. As for other features, DirecTV has never allowed the TiVo "Home Media Option" to be enabled, thus DirecTiVo owners cannot stream JPEG photos or MP3's off their computers, they can't share programs between multiple TiVos in the home, and they cannot remote schedule their TiVos from the TiVo homepage (I don't know if that applies for DirecTV subscribers who are also AOL members since the AOL/TiVo partnership allows you to remote schedule directly through AOL).
As a customer who wants to drop Comcast for my television viewing, I am still amazed at how low-tech the DirecTV receivers are (or is it short-sighted?). For the initial setup (as well as ordering PPV movies), you have to have a residential telephone line. Sorry hans, but my home phone is VoIP over the only decent broadband connection available in my part of SacTown, that being Comcast. I'd rather throw pearls to pigs than give SBC any more money for phone service (or DSL).
"unless MSFT1 had to compete with MSFT2, there is no reason to do things like an office for linix. That is only going to happen when one group has to fight another group with a similar product and that isn't going to happen in the MS world except at the OS level and maybe some of the games which they aren't making any money on anyway."
What??? You propose the "Baby Bill" scenario that was talked about during the Antitrust trial. You are talking about multiple Microsofts marketing different distributions of Windows, or Office. That would only confuse customers.
The better strategy is to separate Microsoft by its divisions. If the Office division was free to make it for multiple platforms, don't you think they would do it? Certainly. Think about it. Microsoft Office on Linux would sell like crazy because the lack of an official Office port for Linux is one of the main reasons why people and corporations aren't switching in droves. A separated Office division would also make a "Palm Office" port which Senior Ballmer alluded to in an interview while the antitrust trial was still going on. As long as the Office division is a part of an intact Microsoft with the OS division, you will not get Office on Palm or Linux. The OS X version will remain because that's just gravy for Microsoft and a "see, we aren't really monopolists afterall!"
And yes, splitting up Microsoft would be best for shareholders. Not having to deal with the Feds over retaining the company altogether would equally be as good for shareholders. But that is not what Gates wants. Its obviously an ego trip. And no, I do not own Microsoft shares; I'm a wage slave.
"And for the energy and utility markets, they're making a new line of processors called the Enron. But I hear their beta version had problems with the floating-point unit... it kept inflating numbers by 20% to 50%."
:0
Don't forget the other handy feature; it empties out the cache!
"I mean Sempron? Opteron, Xeon, maybe I would by a new processor when they come out with the Orgasmatron!"
I'm waiting for the Megatron myself.
"I wonder if the companies that have a stake in Linux like RedHat, IBM, and so forth would be willing to pony up the dough to create our own illustrious-sounding "institution" complete with a European-sounding name that could "create reports and advice to policymakers and government" that would instead be backed by the truth."
Alex de Cokeville? Oh wait, that sounds a lot like that other institution.
"KB may find himself on the wrong (and losing) end of a libel suit once his book is published. I doubt he'll have much left from his proceeds even after the legal battle's over, whomever wins."
Good! Let him publish it and let Linus and the entire open source community (coders & fans) behind him sue the guy into oblivion. If enough pressure is applied, he will squeal about receiving funding and "advice" from Microsoft in the settlement proceedings. Then that testimony can be used in a complaint against Microsoft for not living up to the Antitrust Settlement.
Squeezing this imbletard (IMHO) would be much easier than relying upon squeezing SCO, the Canopy Group, and then finally Daryl and his brother Daryl into testifying or submitting statements about their little relationship with Redmond.
"It's kind of science-fictiony, but I believe when they go to work, the Slashdot editors are put in darkened rooms where they can't see, hear, or talk to anyone about anything."
Are you suggesting they use a Sub-Etha device to get to their location and are awaken by some friendly Dentrassis who like to piss of Vogons?
"Slashdot is the Ain't-It-Cool-News of the tech sector."
:0
That's funny, since I've been an active poster on AICN for years too. Tee hee. Warner Bros. Pictures never met an idea of mine they didn't like...like how Ra's Al Ghul is the villain of the new Batman film for instance...
"Q: What do you get when you merge Microsoft and SAP?
A: Microsoft"
Q. How do you pronounce BP Amoco?
A. BP...the "Amoco" is silent.
Which reminds me, Arco is now displaying logos telling its customers that it is part of the BP family.
"That corporate mergers have increased(Peoplesoft&Oracle,Clearchannel) under the Bush administration and no one really cares until you turn on the Cnn/moneyline and notice that the corporations aren't hiring because of HIGH productivity by their businesses. Most hirings come from small business. To me mergers mean only one thing , an attempt to monopolize."
You blame the (George W.) Bush Administration for that? Which political party has catered to the interests of *small business* for twenty plus years? I do think it is the Republican Party. Every time a new *progressive* labor law is unveiled in Congress, it is the Republicans that challenge it until concessions are made for small business tax deductions to make up for the increasing costs.
Which administration did the Time Warner/Turner merger take place in? Which administration was the AOL Time Warner merger first proposed? Which administration allowed SBC to gobble up the majority of the former Baby Bell telcos? T'was not the George W. Bush Administration.
Get your facts straight.
"It seems pretty counterintuitive to me that a monopoly would be allowed to merge with anything, even a small company."
That didn't stop Microsoft from buying Bungie or Rare. Bullfrog too, if I remember correctly.
"I think truthfully, Microsoft's acquisition tentacles are to some extent being held at bay for the time being. This, of course, does not prevent them from continuing to screw everyone with the technologies that they currently control."
And that's the problem with Microsoft. They either are downright stupid or suffer from massive hubris. They seriously need to split apart because although they apparently won the antitrust case (in the long run), their size and market strength is keeping each division from making decent acquisitions to keep them competitive with other companies.
Microsoft seriously needs to split into at least three companies, and dump MSN outright. One company would focus on operating systems and web services technology. The second company would do applications (Office) and business software (Great Plains). The third would be the videogame division.
Microsoft's size is curtailing the success of their videogame division. The Xbox division needs to acquire some large scale publishers and try to guarantee exclusives for the Xbox Next so they don't have to heavily subsidize each machine. Buying for example Activision, Atari (Infogrames), Midway, and UbiSoft would do just that (EA will stay independent). But if they did that currently, they'd be hit with another antitrust case.
Separating the company into three and splitting the booty of ill gotten gains evenly ($20 billion a piece since Microsoft has $60 billion now) woudl go a long way to shoring up the companies and jettison antitrust concerns. After all, we all know Microsoft Office needs to be released for the Linux platform, but as long as Microsoft stays in tact, this will not happen out of concern of jeopardizing the Windows monopoly.
"Of course, but is there an ERP package that isn't bloat-ware? The fact is that MS wants to get into the market and Bill has $50 billion burning a hole in his pocket. On first-look, it made sense for Bill to at least "kick the tires"."
That's $60 billion and counting.
"Hardly conclusive evidence for intelligent dinosaurs, especially as most of these stories were passed down by word of mouth from generation to generation for thousands of years, but worth mentioning all the same..."
It may not be conclusive evidence, but myths often have a basis in some ancient fact, even if it is just a kernel of truth (no, not a Linux reference) with eons of embellishments added to it.
I can already predict one album that will never be sold via the Chinese version of iTunes*:
"Chinese Democracy," by GNR (or The Offspring).
Granted, it'll have to be released first, and the way its going, it'll also be the official soundtrack to Duke Nukem Forever.
*Yes, yes, I realize that the annoucement is not for the iTunes Music Store to be released in China but just the software so please do not flame me over it.