My apologies for not replying earlier, but our entire LAN was down
all day and I had no email access.
The original article I read in the Wall Street Journal is no longer
available, as WSJ has a nasty habit of wanting you to actually PAY for
their online news. However, it's referenced at this link on the Register:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/18276.html
...and by our good old friends at Slashdot:
http://www.slashdot.org/articles/01/04/12/1159253.shtml
Here's the actual Microsoft take -- highly sugarcoated, as expected, with
a focus on their own WMA format:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/en/windowsxp/mpxpmp3.asp
There was also another article in WSJ about how Windows XP can re-edit
websites using something called Smart Tags, which put in extra links
and so forth. I realize that's a tad off topic, but it still illustrates
the Microsoft tendency to take power away from the user, which I
thought some people might find related. I found a reprint here:
http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a3b1f678c3f18.htm
And while we're on the subject, let's take a look at the highly
controversial "Windows Product Activation" feature, as well:
http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a3b44b876263e.htm#10
I think this ought to keep all you kids who think MS "ain't so bad" busy
for a while.
m@2zo
www.thechisa.com
On Wed, 15 Aug 2001, Adam Piontek wrote:
quoted 62 lines Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 23:44:18 -0400 (EDT)
> > Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 23:44:18 -0400 (EDT)
> > From: The Chisa <matt@holland.deathhouse.net>
> >
> > You still have to install CODECS to encode
> > mp3s, and Windows XP suppresses THAT, too.
> > Yes, it does.
>
> I've been out of the puter/techy loop for a while, so
> maybe I've really just missed this - could you please
> forward to me any information documenting that Windows
> XP actually somehow suppresses and disables the MP3 or
> other audio codecs of other companies? Not that I
> don't trust you, I just find it difficult to believe
> that, for example, upgrading to Windows XP will render
> LAME.EXE (or WinDAC, or Audiograbber, or whatever's
> yer poison) inoperable or crippled...
>
> I find it difficult to believe that MS would release
> an OS that openly and blatantly cripples commonly used
> software written by other people - that seems like it
> would be a major, obvious antitrust violation right
> off the bat. It seems especially wrong if it somehow
> cripples your music-making software.
>
> Even if they did do that, I find it difficult to
> believe that I and many other would not simply drop
> Windows and switch to Linux. I've been contemplating
> doing it lately, anyway, and the only thing keeping me
> from it has been that I'm used to Windows and don't
> have too many problems with it. Were they to cripple
> the main software I tend to use on my computer, I'd
> switch in a heartbeat. It'll be harder if the rumors
> are true that Loki is going under, as I'd want to get
> Linux versions of my favorite games, I'd still make
> do.
>
> Not that I have to upgrade to XP, either - we can all
> keep running 98 or ME or whatever.
>
> > > Even MP3 must be replaced/deprecated someday...
> >
> > I also agree with this, as I tried to illustrate
> > in my "they did it with DVD" section of my rant.
>
> You're correct, and I got your point earlier - I was
> talking about other audio formats, not breaking the
> copyright protection that people might be putting in
> place. Which I guess, in a way, is kinda the same
> thing.
>
> -A?am
>
>
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