Wal-Mart Online Music Store -- WMA, $0.88 for every song

[Fake Boris]

They saw the heat from the Linux/IBM alliance. They would never have done that without it.

When I say we must stop them, I imply that it's not too late. Like, using Linux is a good start.

However, their attitude is not the same at all in domains that matter the most: content delivery and format. They use their OS domination to push WM*.

[Q Classic]

Why would a computer illiterate know or care what DRM is?

DRM is seamless to people. You can still burn it, you can still transfer it to your MP3 players.

The only people throwing a hissy fit about DRM are zit-faced internet pirates, zit-faced tinfoil-hat wearing conspiracy theorists, and zit-faced morons who don't know what they're talking about.

jesus, what is wrong with you ****ing people? b****h b****h b****h b****h b****h b****h b****h b****h, all about how microsoft sucks or how it doesn't. b****h b****h b****h b****h b****h b****h b****h.

here's a thought:

price wars have begun for internet music purchases. who wins? the consumer.

discuss.

[Fake Boris]

Originally posted by Asher

By the way, at what point does a company get a monopoly? When it reaches 70% marketshare or so?

There are obviously plenty of factors. Why don't you think of them yourself? Do you really believe it has to be 100%?

[Asher]

Originally posted by Oncle Boris
They saw the heat from the Linux/IBM alliance. They would never have done that without it.

When I say we must stop them, I imply that it's not too late. Like, using Linux is a good start.

However, their attitude is not the same at all in domains that matter the most: content delivery and format. They use their OS domination to push WM*.

Interesting: how would you proprose Microsoft to introduce WMA and WMV without including it in the media player that comes with Windows?

Wait -- let me guess. They shouldn't include Media Player with Windows.

Lord knows that will be a benefit to consumers, not having the capacity to play media files unless:
1) they have internet access
2) they know how to find media players on their own

[Fake Boris]

If Windows came with support for competing formats, that would be OK. Does it? It's not like they lost their case in the EU, isn't it?

[Asher]

Originally posted by Oncle Boris
There are obviously plenty of factors. Why don't you think of them yourself? Do you really believe it has to be 100%?

I'm just curious because it occurs to me that Apple has a monopoly in the legal music download market. Yet they engage in blatantly anti-competitive behaviors, locking that format in to only iTunes and iPod.

Even Microsoft, everyone's favorite example of anti-competitive behavior, lets everyone use their formats, while Apple does not.

Clearly Apple needs to be dealt with by the DOJ. Call the laywers, fetch Steve Jobs from Neverland, assemble the board -- we have a genuine crisis!

[Asher]

Originally posted by Oncle Boris
If Windows came with support for competing formats, that would be OK. Does it? It's not like they lost their case in the EU, isn't it?

Erm. Microsoft does include support for competing formats. WMP plays MPEG2, MPEG4, and MP3, for example.

It does NOT include support for RealPlayer, QuickTime, etc. because RealNetworks and Apple would not let them.

[Q Classic]

Seriously, now that the computer boom is over, we may ask that OSes be more strictly regulated. It sounds like to me they've won the VHS vs Beta battle, and that they're preparing to imbed crap like DRM in their 'tapes'.

embed. and it's not just them, either. apple "embedded" their drm into itunes, made it work invisibly with os x. or is it just when microsoft does it that it's T3H 3V1L?
that, and do you really think that os software should be regulated? here you are, complaining about how drm is being inserted into windows against your will, and you think turning it over to the government is a good idea? the same government which pretends to be mortally offended at the sight of someone's nipple, of being so mortified whenever someone utters any four-letter word? the same government which thinks it knows best for the people, so much so that it loves passing laws which detail what you can and cannot do to your own body?
sorry, i'll take my chances with the private sector, not the government.

Ahhhh.

Then, that would mean those who use Windows also use MS HTTP software?

the http server of choice when using a windows server environment is IIS (internet information services). imho, it's not as good as apache.

[Q Classic]

If Windows came with support for competing formats, that would be OK. Does it? It's not like they lost their case in the EU, isn't it?

bs argument.
even in linux, which is the open-source alternative, it's difficult to find players for apple's quicktime media and realnetworks's realmedia. why?
1. they both want to keep it under lock and key.
2. they both would rather you use their software, a problem because neither of them are keen on keeping their linux binaries up to date.
3. with that level of support, linux apps that can play them back either: capture the dll codecs themselves or try and reverse engineer them.

[Asher]

I'm 100% certain that if WMP played back RealMedia and Quicktime files out of the box, they'd be subject of a huge anti-trust suit for trying to run Apple and Real out of business.

[Q Classic]

well, of course. it's only evil with microsoft does it. when apple does it, though, they're thinking about the consumer, no matter how many third-party small developers they drive to the ground.

[Q Classic]

Microsoft has written .NET runtimes for OS X and *nix...Other companies, such as Ximian/Novell, are developing .NET runtimes and compilers.

just out of curiosity, where are these .net runtimes for *nix? i've yet to see any...

and mono isn't quite the same as .net, but rather an attempt to be an open-source alternative that does the same things as .net.

[Fake Boris]

Originally posted by Q Cubed
or is it just when microsoft does it that it's T3H 3V1L?

And Asher too: Apple just doesn't have a monopoly in the legal downloads market.

Oh, and where did I say that I like Apple? I just don't, so stop presuming.

that, and do you really think that os software should be regulated? here you are, complaining about how drm is being inserted into windows against your will, and you think turning it over to the government is a good idea? the same government which pretends to be mortally offended at the sight of someone's nipple, of being so mortified whenever someone utters any four-letter word? the same government which thinks it knows best for the people, so much so that it loves passing laws which detail what you can and cannot do to your own body?
sorry, i'll take my chances with the private sector, not the government.

And that's the problem with America, voting for governments so idiot they can't even trust them. You're the only western country that can't trust its government, and you desserved it. If you can't trust your government to regulate OSes, you've already lost. Better luck in two or three millenia, where you may rise again.

Now seriously, just make it constitutional and untouchable. "Embed" free flow of information in it.

BTW, you're an idiot to trust the private sector more. Why don't you give them elections, police and human rights management?

[Asher]

Originally posted by Q Cubed
just out of curiosity, where are these .net runtimes for *nix? i've yet to see any...

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=3A1C93FA-7462-47D0-8E56-8DD34C6292F0&displaylang=en

It's even open shared sourced.

and mono isn't quite the same as .net, but rather an attempt to be an open-source alternative that does the same things as .net.

Erm. Since when?

Mono is an open-source .NET implementation.

http://www.go-mono.com/

The Mono project is an open source effort sponsored by Novell to create a free implementation of the .NET Development Framework.

Mono includes a compiler for the C# language, a Common Language Runtime (CLR) for the Common Language Infrastructure (CLI) and a set of class libraries. The runtime can be embedded into your application. It implements both ADO.NET and ASP.NET.

CLR is the MicrosoftWord for VM.

[Fake Boris]

Originally posted by Asher
I'm 100% certain that if WMP played back RealMedia and Quicktime files out of the box, they'd be subject of a huge anti-trust suit for trying to run Apple and Real out of business.

If the others didn't want, that's OK. Still, they'll win the fight, and it would be false to think that the huge WMA/WM Player isn't helping.