Re: [MLUG] News Alert from NYTimes.com

["Dev Null" <EMAIL:PROTECTED>]

"Igor Izyumin Jr." <EMAIL:PROTECTED> wrote:

> First, there will be several SMALLER companies.  Second, they will compete
> with each other.  Third, they will not be able to monopolize the market by
> using stuff like dumping.  One example of that is their media player.
They
> are killing off the competition by offering their server free with the
> operating system, while competitors actually have make money off of the
same
> thing.  Microsoft can do that because they already get the cash with the
OS.
> RealNetworks or anybody else can't.

Interesting point.  How then, does Nullsoft make money because I'm using
Winamp instead of Media Player?  RealNetworks still have a very popular
format.  I choose not to use them because RealPlayer has, at one point or
another, come with "bonus" spyware.  Yick.  8)

> The only catch is that it only runs on windows platforms -- but who cares
> about the 10% that are not windows?

Apple.  Quicktime has a pretty big share in the Mac market, and has had some
success with the PC market as well.  Note to webmasters/net-broadcasters:

You choose the format, and by doing so, dictate the player your users will
have to download and/or purchase.

> As an end-user, unless you want to miss out on the streaming content, you
need
> to purchase windows.

Or a Macintosh.  8)

> The same thing applies to their office suite: if they want to make more
> money, they will have to make the stuff for non-windows platforms, too,
since
> they are not profiting from having control of the OS market.

Microsoft does produce Office for more than just the Windows environment.  I
heard that there was some talk of producing Office for Linux/BSD, but I'm
not sure how much of that was smoke.

> Who says you have to use linux?  Why?  Windows is not going to disappear
if
> you separate the company into 2 divisions, it will only get better.

Why break something that's already working?  Win 2K is the second most
stable OS I've used regularly.  Microsoft research and development benefit
from having the tremendous amount of financial backing that they do enough
to hire some of the best.

> Why would you want to download Netscape when there's already a browser?
And
> who says that websites must be compatible with Netscape?

Depends on what features you, the user, want.  I know plenty of people (of
all competencies) that prefer one browser over another.  About half of the
people I know like Netscape or Opera better.  The other half prefer IE, or
another browser.  As most browsers are a free download, it's a preference
thing.  Also, some companies and schools choose Netscape Communicator over
IE because of its other features (HTML editor, and I've met people who
prefer the mail program as well).

> And which browser is more stable?

Varies according to other installed software. . .

> Microsoft can make any piece of software incompatible with the OS,
> or just make it run not as reliably as Word or Excel.

Microsoft provides the api.  Developers do the rest.

The funniest example of this is the whole JAVA thing with MS v. Sun.  Sun
threaten to sue MS for not supporting JAVA.  MS support JAVA.  Sun are now
threatening MS for supporting JAVA. . .  *sigh*

> I don't like people that go off on anything without having a clue.

*hug*  You rock.

> So don't localize it to the OSS community, most of whom are NOT
> religious zealots.

You're completely right here, and I think I owe the whole group an apology
on this point.  I've been kind of sick these past couple of days, and I
guess I read too much Slashdot before I sent this to the list.

T3/Dev
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