“In the fall of 2002, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates stood on stage at Hollywood’s Kodak Theater, home to the Academy Awards, and pronounced this ‘the digital decade,'” Allison Linn writes for The Associated Press.
[MacDailyNews Note: Steve Jobs described the “Digital Hub,” with the personal computer at the center of digital devices in January 2001. Gates is hardly a visionary.]
“By 2010, Gates told an audience that included director James Cameron and musician LL Cool J, everything from paying bills to seeing movies ‘will be done on a digital basis, and the PC with its magic software will play the central role.’ He then proceeded to unveil what Microsoft considers a key part of that vision: a half-billion dollar upgrade to the Windows Media Player for music, movies and other digital content,” Linn writes.
“Eighteen months later, Gates’ endeavor could be facing a big roadblock,” Linn writes. “If Microsoft cannot settle an antitrust case brought by European Union regulators, the company may be ordered to remove Windows Media Player as an integrated feature of the dominant Windows operating system, at least for personal computers sold in Europe. The European Commission also could order Microsoft to include rival media players with Windows to make those products as easy for users to access as Microsoft’s own music and video player.”
Linn writes, “Microsoft argues that extracting the media player would be technologically difficult since the programming code is intertwined with the operating system and cannot simply be plucked out without harming Windows’ performance. Microsoft spokesman Jim Desler said that including rival players would be complicated and might create security problems.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: What a load, as usual, from Microsoft. Substitue Internet Explorer for WMP in MS’s idiotic arguments above and you get the idea. Here’s hoping they get their collective arse handed to them this time. Do people still believe their ridiculous statements?
Do people still believe their ridiculous statements?
Nope.
The greatest security risk is posed by the Windoze operating system. If they could just take that off the machines almost all of their security problems would be solved.
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“and might create security problems.”
Is this statement some kind of joke?
Well Real is spyware. MouseSoftware can move to QuickTime.
Bush is idiot. Then again who uses Microsoft anymore? I have already agreed to host a BBQ party with one Apple reseller when Shorthorn arrives. Bigger BBQ party we have when Longhorn arrives. It is important to have those BBQ parties immediately when those arrives so that there will be minimum amount of worms, viruses and other stuff.
Their statement does hold some validity. OS X relies on tight integration with Quicktime and iTunes for audio/video playback via finder. Not to say those things can not be removed, but Apple does not recommend it.
But to claim there could be security risks strikes me as a bit odd. I mean, when’s the last time MS software eliminated risk to begin with?
Oh well.
Ugh, did I just stick up for MS?
Bush is idiot.
So be you sentence formulashun.
Any particular reason you chose to make that statement, other than you were attempting to fit in?
Their “side” of the issue sounds like the same lame case that lost in the courts but got shunted aside in the midst of the post election carnival. Given the Europeans general attitude toward America these days, they may not be able to buy their way out of this one.
“So be you sentence formulashun.”
Come on, Rageous, not fair, unless of course your Suomi is perfect
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Oh. That. Well Bush was in television when I wrote that. I think that it was Freudian thing. I had to write it quickly. English is not my first language. It is my fifth. I’ve studied it for 1 year. I read it better than write it and I often forget to use speeling chicker.
There is on article about speeling chicker’s
Hoo Neads A Speeling Chicker?
http://www.macobserver.com/columns/rantsandraves/2004/20040227.shtml
The joys of the life over on the darkside! Windows Media Player should be banned period!
—
http://homepage.mac.com/johnhood
Come on, does Dresler realize that to innovate requires you to work on solving problems. The fact that Microsoft can’t ship a stable OS that isn’t prone to viruses and vulnerablities may also be the reason they can’t strip the media player. Microsoft no matter how hard they claim they do, can’t innovate. It is a bug inherrent in the minds of the people at Microsoft.
Could somebody actually point one thing that is clearly innovation from Micro$oft?? I can’t remember any. The only innovation that I can come up to is a security hole. There must be something more. Help!
Windows sales are puttin’ my kids thru college.
Bad argument from Microsoft.
1) We put Media Player in Windows in such a way that we couldn’t remove it even if we wanted to.
Reply: Tough…you built it, now rebuild it properly. Since when is “gee, it would be really tough to fix” and excuse for anti-trust violations?
2) It would be a security nightmare?
Reply: Really? How does Microsoft’s record on security compare to the competitors it would be asked to include?
one little girl from finland,
Look in the miror. No nead to ruin a thread by bringing up politics. You are the idiot for making that statement. Go put your head in the snow and pray the terrorists leave your pathetic ass alone.
Typical crap from the Mac crowd. Explain how the consumer would benefit by the elimination of WMP from Windows? If you want to talk about a monopoly look at Apple. Starting with hardware clear through the operaing system – all at a PREMIUM price. I gave on Apple when the IIe was replaced by the MaCintosh. Bought twice the IBM machine for half the cost.
Lastly for those calling President Bush an idiot try looking in the mirror or at any RAT candidate.
Just an opinion – could be wrong – but I doubt it.
“Bought twice the IBM machine for half the cost.”
That lasts less than half of a Mac’s usable lifetime and with near zero resale value compared to the Mac’s much higher resale value. Another typical PC fool who thinks he’s getting the “big Wintel bargain” when all he’s getting is a security nightmare and updates that never ends, a second rate GUI & OS, and a machine that ain’t worth the metal it’s encased in after 2 years. You can have it!
OSX Panther is the one and worth every dime. ‘Nuff said.
Tom in AZ,
Whole heartedly agree with you on Bush. Not at all on your Apple position. I run a large construction company with 65 networked macs running os x. It’s incredible. The computers last a very long time, very little maintenance required, extremely easy to train people, no worries about viruses, etc. They have been a huge success for us and saved us a ton of money.
Probably the only non-essential part of the Windows environment is the central kernal.
I agree.
Proud American look in the mirror and go put your head in the snow and pray the terrorists leave your pathetic ass alone. (Use sand instead of snow.)
Then again they wont leave you alone. For example the Iraqi people love so much Halliburton and US troops and all that Freedom of poverty that they want to use all different kind of explosive fireworks to celebrate the occupation.
It is interesting to know how much Microsoft have to pay fines for the EU. Hopefully that is billions not millions.
Must. Not. Reply. To. Trolls.
…
Sorry, I can’t take it anymore. Look up the definition of monopoly in the dictionary. Apple is not a monopoly. Microsoft is. Apple is not convicted of illegal monopolistic behavior. Microsoft was.
Nobody said anything about eliminating WMP, just for MS to compete fairly.
Bush is an idiot. If you said that just because you are a Republican, there are many Republican who is much smarter and has more integrity than Bush. Coming from Arizona, you should know John McCain. Bush is not even a half a man compared to him. Patriotism does not mean blinding yourself from the truth.
noboday and girl from iceland,
You two are the idiots. Bush is doing an excellent job in Iraq. Those cave men over there don’t realize what’s been handed to them yet. It will make the world a better place. After WWII Japenese children were taken away from their familes and debrainwashed. The result is today’s Japan.
Add me to that list Michael.
BUSH IS AN IDIOT. Oh and I love how you called Iraqis “cave men”. Typical Bush drone…
And don’t get me started on this Al Qaeda -Saddam link that was hyped up.
jaypus,
YOU ARE AN IDIOT!!!!! There is an Al Qaeda, French, Saddam proven solid link. The Saudis, Syrians, Iranians, N. Koreans, and probably the UN are connected and scheming against the US. They have been since before 9/11. The US has already uncovered numerous documents linking Saddam to Al Qaeda and France. France had all kinds of business deals going with him when they were supposed to be boycotting them. Keep calling Bush an idiot it only magnifies what idiot low life you are.