“Microsoft is aiming to capitalise on the user-generated video phenomenon by launching an online service to compete with YouTube, Google and Yahoo,” BBC News reports.
“Soapbox starts testing on Tuesday and will launch within six months as part of current service, MSN Video,” The Beeb reports. “‘It’s really early days in online video; this is still act one,’ said MSN’s Rob Bennett. YouTube had 34 million visitors last month, according to Nielsen/NetRatings, while MSN Video attracts about 12m. ‘We’re definitely not blind to the fact that YouTube has a big lead right now,’ said Mr Bennett, general manager of MSN’s entertainment and video services.”
“The firm said the service would work with users of computers running both Windows and Apple operating systems and would support browsers including Internet Explorer, Firefox and Safari,” The Beeb reports. “Soapbox will also support a number of video file formats and delivery methods, according to Microsoft.”
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Gary” for the heads up.]
Microsoft “innovation” in action yet again.
Investors must be really sick of MS and its inability to break new markets. They are the follower in everything.
Microsoft to design new animals, We’ll beign with a monkey followed by a chicken” said Balmer yesterday
So the question is…will Soapbox videos be “Plays for Sure” or “Zune” compatible, or perhaps MS will be innovative and create a third DRM scheme for this content.
Time for dictionary’s to redefine some of their entries, I think…
‘Imitation’ – see Microsoft
b, that’s what I was going to say, Microsoft in greek means “lazy follower”. It’s laughable…
_ Microsoft to copy successful ideas_
Follow the Soapbox link in the MDN article. There is a dancing MSN butterfly…it’s is so scary it is funny.
At least they’re including Apple compatibility. Someone must have told them that a lot of video editing happens on Macs.
Don’t count Microsoft out because they’re last to market. IE vs Netscape, iPod vs also-rans, Windows vs Mac…. sometimes first doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to win.
On the other hand, we live in Windows vs Mac Scene II…
They’re pitiful. Profitable. But pitiful.
‘Soapbox will also support a number of video file formats….’
Quicktime™, anyone?
Did anyone’s eyes bug out like mine did when I read that Microsoft is creating a service that is MacOS/Safari compatible, and isn’t from the MBU?
I naturally assumed it would be Windows only like everything else they do, so this new cross-platform stuff seems really weird.
Have you seen the loading icon?
I have seen that spinning thing before… But when? Yeah, it is when I boot my Mac. My mac doesn’t crash, so I haven’t got to reboot often.
MW: Stop, as in, when will MS stop copying?
Microsoft is the ultimate ‘me too’ company.
Yeah that dancing butterfly on the Soapbox link is giving me the creeps.
Whoever that guy is, he needs a better agent.
Hopefully the first video they’ll host is a secret spy cam shot of Ballmer throwing a chair at Kai-Fu Lee after he told Ballmer he was going to Google.
I’m sure they’ll bully their way to some respectable market share.
I get the feeling Microsoft are feeling the need to eat humble pie… Safari mentioned as a browser it will work on?!
Why oh why does MS feel the need th follow and copy every development there is. Why don’t they using their resources to create something original.
Its a mystery.
ballmers dancing is getting better… but how on earth did he fit in that butterfly costume?
M$ needs to spin off every division that isn’t Windows and Office related.
What has Microsoft ever invented? Anything? I’m serious.
Microsoft innovation in action again? No. Microsoft greed in action again.
Well that was a first… I went to the Soapbox page, watched that god-awful video and when I closed the tab, got a windows box up saying “are you sure you want to navigate away from this page?” What the f*ck are they doing? When I closed it, it took Safari down with it. Can you belive that?
Anyone else experience this?
Microsoft belies belief.
The problem I have with Microsoft is that they try to compete in all these different areas for the sake of it. Not because they have a good idea or can bring something good to it or integrate it well with some other market but because they feel they should because they’re big.
I don’t like the way our society has this obsession with everything being bigger and that equating to be being better.
Could this mean that Windows Media and the Windows Media Player will finally be updated for Apple? Be still my beating codec! (Actually, I really haven’t missed it at all–it’s been months since I’ve opened Media Player.)
You can guarantee, if somebody is doing something even mildly sucessful, MS will copy it, or at least announce they will six months to a year before they are actually up and running with the product. That tactic used to work years ago when they announced their vaporware to scare would-be product developers out of a market.