"Microsoft is a software company and if they want to play encrypted content it is good business for them to support it."
The CONSUMER is not demanding the ability to play encrypted DRM content, the manufacturer is doing it. DRM adds nothing to the consumer [and arguably nothing positive to the producer too]. If Microsoft said no, there's no way for the MPAA/Sony/etc. to force DRM on consumers in a way that doesn't tip people off as to how they are being told to do less with their "more" hardware. If you want Microsoft to lead you into a dark alley where they can do whatever they want to you, just because they promise for now not to cut off your "unencrypted" video, be my guest.
"Sure it could play into your decision process to buy or not but it's not a feature of the product"
It's unfortunate you're locked into the mindset that you have to have the latest toys, and the ones that served you well and were cool 3 years ago aren't good enough for you anymore, even though they work as well. I'm sure we can find space somewhere at the landfill to put your old toys away to.
"That's all well and good, but what features exactly were taken away in Vista that were found in XP?" It won't work on computers already in place in businesses, so that's a heck of a feature retraction. I consider backward hardware compatibility an important feature.
"How is playback of encrypted content a bad thing? Is there some magic mechanism which disables your ability to play unencrypted content?" It's called DRM. Protected Video Path will one day require users to have a certain new monitor to play their store bought movies and video content. When Microsoft and software vendors decide what you get to play unencrypted on your computer, it's not even your own computer anymore.
"article about a study indicating how few corporate computers now deployed are capable of running Windows Vista"
That's exactly the point. They want businesses to toss away the old computers and buy new ones with Vista. The know that if they try and release Vista into the public market first, it will flop as badly as ME did because it brings no significant improvements over XP, while it takes away features, and adds bad things like PVP DRM.
Antitrust? No kidding. ATI doesn't make Linux drivers that work, and won't release the source code last I checked. They're pretty much the reason I couldn't move to Linux earlier, or I'd lose most of the function of my TV graphics card. But I guess the free market lets them lock up their niche since the competitors aren't that much better. Why can't they share the love with OSes other than Windows? It just doesn't make sense to limit your market unless you're being paid off.
Maybe I shouldn't attribute to malice, what can be explained by ignorance though?
" Fast InvSqrt(), which has been known to cause strong geeks to go wobbly in the knees "
I was a little worried when Slashdot posted the Britney Spears beaver pictures, but they now have their credibility back as the home of "News for Nerds".
The media is lapping this up. I just read about it on a blog for a CITY TV technology journalist, and was going to submit it to Slashdot, when I saw it had just been posted.
I used Tor for a while, but I think I'll try Psiphon and see if it's better.
The Green Party in Canada has an approach I'd like us to try, and that's to tax things people don't want - pollution, and remove taxes from things people do want - income.
We have to start balancing our society, but first we need leaders who set goals higher than "improving the economy". The problem with aiming at a good economy, is that and economy is simply a tool to build or achieve something, and if it's not directed at something it just runs full steam ahead into a brick wall recession.
How long until the Wii has lightsabre modifications [if it doesn't already]? I don't really keep my finger to the pulse of gaming, but it seems like a natural for the controls you can wave around.
I think you mean ??AA. *AA would include organizations like AAA, or Canadian Automobile Association along with the RIAA, MPAA. I'm no certain if it would include Alcoholics Anonymous, it might depend on the language.
Better still for the black hats, they can do their crimes in countries where they don't reside, further complicating prosecution if they even do get caught.
It's not so far fetched - and think of the bandwidth savings. Bandwidth will go to new content only, and our "video past" can be mass produced. If storage of that magnitude becomes real, it will revolutionize more than just the mobile video market. Datacenters could possibly look as different as computers from the 1960s do, compared to today's PCs.
Slashdot Mirror
Dissing girls who like mystery novels, is not cool.
;-)
This being Slashdot, dissing girls is not cool, period
When carrying wax cylinder music, it's important to not compress my music, or it becomes so lossy I lose it.
http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/
"Microsoft is a software company and if they want to play encrypted content it is good business for them to support it."
The CONSUMER is not demanding the ability to play encrypted DRM content, the manufacturer is doing it. DRM adds nothing to the consumer [and arguably nothing positive to the producer too]. If Microsoft said no, there's no way for the MPAA/Sony/etc. to force DRM on consumers in a way that doesn't tip people off as to how they are being told to do less with their "more" hardware. If you want Microsoft to lead you into a dark alley where they can do whatever they want to you, just because they promise for now not to cut off your "unencrypted" video, be my guest.
"Sure it could play into your decision process to buy or not but it's not a feature of the product"
It's unfortunate you're locked into the mindset that you have to have the latest toys, and the ones that served you well and were cool 3 years ago aren't good enough for you anymore, even though they work as well. I'm sure we can find space somewhere at the landfill to put your old toys away to.
"That's all well and good, but what features exactly were taken away in Vista that were found in XP?"
It won't work on computers already in place in businesses, so that's a heck of a feature retraction. I consider backward hardware compatibility an important feature.
"How is playback of encrypted content a bad thing? Is there some magic mechanism which disables your ability to play unencrypted content?"
It's called DRM. Protected Video Path will one day require users to have a certain new monitor to play their store bought movies and video content. When Microsoft and software vendors decide what you get to play unencrypted on your computer, it's not even your own computer anymore.
"article about a study indicating how few corporate computers now deployed are capable of running Windows Vista"
That's exactly the point. They want businesses to toss away the old computers and buy new ones with Vista. The know that if they try and release Vista into the public market first, it will flop as badly as ME did because it brings no significant improvements over XP, while it takes away features, and adds bad things like PVP DRM.
The illegal thumb trade is about to take off in India, that's for sure.
Meanwhile, illegal thumb drives are still the domain of the Chinese.
Go with a USB
-UnSubscribed Baby - one without parents yet.
You got your wish. You wasted it. Why didn't you ask the mods for world peace?
Antitrust? No kidding. ATI doesn't make Linux drivers that work, and won't release the source code last I checked. They're pretty much the reason I couldn't move to Linux earlier, or I'd lose most of the function of my TV graphics card. But I guess the free market lets them lock up their niche since the competitors aren't that much better. Why can't they share the love with OSes other than Windows? It just doesn't make sense to limit your market unless you're being paid off.
Maybe I shouldn't attribute to malice, what can be explained by ignorance though?
While on the subject of conspiracies, I heard that Jimmy Hoffa was found at the bottom of a river, with a few pyramids cast onto his feet.
" Fast InvSqrt(), which has been known to cause strong geeks to go wobbly in the knees "
I was a little worried when Slashdot posted the Britney Spears beaver pictures, but they now have their credibility back as the home of "News for Nerds".
"Only if you're doing it to get money out of it."
Which makes this very interesting, because the MPAA IS hoping to get money out of the pretexing, through court extortio... err, court settlements.
Link to interview.
Note to moderators: I meant to include this link in the parent post, so please don't moderate it up, unless it falls to 0.
The media is lapping this up. I just read about it on a blog for a CITY TV technology journalist, and was going to submit it to Slashdot, when I saw it had just been posted.
I used Tor for a while, but I think I'll try Psiphon and see if it's better.
And the moral of the story is that social engineering is good for you - if you're not a bank, and have lost something.
..go ahead, look.
If you see your password there, that proves I was in your place.
"In this case I wrote his password on a ream of paper and tucked it under the machine."
If it says "12345" it proves you watched Spaceballs.
If it's supposed to look like it's been used for a while, it ought to have a worm or two on it as well.
AC, if that were true, wouldn't Microsoft then be the one handing out free Ubuntu CDs?
It's not their fault. Their calendar's gears broke, and they keep thinking it's 2005.
My favourites are Ubuntu 6.06 LTS, Damnsmalllinux.org, and the Ultimate Boot CD [which my Dad loves for the hard disk utilities].
I plan on ordering Ubuntu discs from ShipIt, and handing them out at the Vista launch event on January 9th.
The Green Party in Canada has an approach I'd like us to try, and that's to tax things people don't want - pollution, and remove taxes from things people do want - income.
We have to start balancing our society, but first we need leaders who set goals higher than "improving the economy". The problem with aiming at a good economy, is that and economy is simply a tool to build or achieve something, and if it's not directed at something it just runs full steam ahead into a brick wall recession.
How long until the Wii has lightsabre modifications [if it doesn't already]? I don't really keep my finger to the pulse of gaming, but it seems like a natural for the controls you can wave around.
I think you mean ??AA. *AA would include organizations like AAA, or Canadian Automobile Association along with the RIAA, MPAA. I'm no certain if it would include Alcoholics Anonymous, it might depend on the language.
Better still for the black hats, they can do their crimes in countries where they don't reside, further complicating prosecution if they even do get caught.
It's not so far fetched - and think of the bandwidth savings. Bandwidth will go to new content only, and our "video past" can be mass produced. If storage of that magnitude becomes real, it will revolutionize more than just the mobile video market. Datacenters could possibly look as different as computers from the 1960s do, compared to today's PCs.