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KB=Knowledge Base
Bootz, There were no System Updates today
for Windows XP. (or yesterday or all this week, for that matter.)
Obviously,it was something YOU did wrong.
What a Surprise.
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;327838
http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/en/default.asp
As you wish, Bootzie,
In other words, you can't, or won't answer my questions, even though I answered yours. Seeing as AAPL lopped off another 5% of it's share's value since Wednesday, maybe it's just too difficult for you to admit?
P.S. Just as you requested, all bolded. Now will you answer the question?
Do you think AAPL will sink below $20 a share once again?
(You know I'm sure of it.)
[Suppressed Sound Link]
Politically Corrected:
Bootz, To answer your questions:(from your post # 8901)
The relevant ones anyway,
"How many posts are over there, anyway? 842 is it? How long will I have to wait for #8888? A year? Two years?
Gosh, take away the following:
the Howard Dean Cheerleader posts,
the "why did Panther fry my firewire drive?" posts,
the "sheer amazement of those who had Panther install without it hosing their system" posts,
all the comparisons to fiscally successful companies like Dell & Microsoft,
the continued worrying about every other digital online music store company,
the continuing saga of what's broken on (poster who wishes to remain anonymous)'s "Donna", (going on it's 28th or 29th "terminal issue" ,although she'll refuse to admit that thing is a lemon) ,
Jr's spamming of his website,
the Chinese Portal speculation, (well, I guess you've got to discuss an actual positively performing stock once in a while... AAPL sure isn't one),
as well as the usual daily meaningless chit chat, and you'd maybe have 1000 posts, tops. Your point?
Contented users usually don't feel a constant need to comment on their competition daily, they just use their computers.
"You seem awfully concerned with AAPL's chart."
Of course! Apple's never failed to make me $$$, as I short it, exclusively.
"Have you looked at MSFT's lately?"
Yes.
"Do you think it'll finally be able to hold $26 this time? When do you honestly think it'll see $30 again and why?"
Normally, I'd restrict commentary on this to the appropriate company's board. You should try it sometime... Perhaps you missed todays analyst comments giving MSFT a short term price goal of $32? My speculation? pre-earnings in January MSFT will probably see 30 again.
Do you think AAPL can stay above $20? I DON'T.
In fact, I'm counting on it not holding.
I think AAPL will continue to not fail me in this respect.
Edit* I see AAPL is DOWN ANOTHER 1.42% today. Good for me! =)
"To fill an hour, That is hapiness; To fill the hour, and leave no crevice for a repentance or an approval."
Ralph Waldo Emerson
That's very interesting, Bootz.
Do you know if that $250,000 is an annual license fee figure, or a perpetual license? If so, anything over 4 million units is gravy for the licensee.
Nice, either way.
8888
And AAPL "8" it again yesterday, shedding another 2.5% of shareholder value.
Continuing down today,
Anyone know why?
Bootzie, THAT'S a Grub!
Record Numbers of Consumers Are Reaching for MSN Hotmail And MSN Messenger As New Version of Hotmail Debuts
New Features for Reporting and Bypassing Junk E-Mail, Microsoft SmartScreen Spam Filtering Technology, Updated Look and New PIM Features Make E-Mail Management Easier
Wednesday, December 03, 2003 15:02 ET
REDMOND, Wash., Dec 03, 2003 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via Comtex/ -- Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) today announced that more consumers than ever are taking advantage of MSN(R) communications services, with more than 145 million customers worldwide visiting MSN Hotmail(R) and 110 million customers worldwide logging on to the MSN Messenger instant messaging service each month. The company also announced the availability of a new version of MSN Hotmail that brings key functionality of other Microsoft(R) and MSN products to customers of the world's most popular free Web-based e-mail service, including vast improvements for reporting and managing junk e-mail, contact lists and schedules. These changes -- including a more consumer-friendly Outlook(R)-like interface, more integration for customers of MSN Messenger, a new Today page and new contact-management features -- come together to make sending, receiving and managing e-mail more convenient than ever with MSN Hotmail.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000822/MSFTLOGO )
Hotmail Helps Users Be Part of the Solution to Spam
The new version of MSN Hotmail puts more control into consumers' hands by adding features that help consumers bypass and report unwanted e-mail. MSN Hotmail uses Microsoft-patented SmartScreen spam-filtering technology, which uses machine-learning technology to not only help protect a customer's own inbox from junk e-mail, but also help others who use MSN Hotmail. With a single click of an on-screen Report Junk E-Mail button, Hotmail customers can now help Microsoft more effectively root out spam before it gets sent to other customers. To date, Microsoft has used more than 5 million pieces of spam -- identified by 200,000 volunteer MSN Hotmail customers in a filter-training program -- to define the criteria used by SmartScreen Technology to help block spam. On-going feedback from MSN Hotmail volunteers helps ensure that the SmartScreen Technology is continually trained and improved.
"The new MSN Hotmail provides consumers with a wealth of tools to gain control over their e-mail, calendar and contacts. With Microsoft SmartScreen Technology, people can take an active role in helping block the spam they and others receive," said Blake Irving, corporate vice president of MSN Communications and Merchant Platforms at Microsoft. "This is just one example of how MSN is providing people with the tools and technologies they need to better manage their e-mail and, ultimately, their time."
The new version of MSN Hotmail also includes increased protection from viruses that can reach computers through unwanted e-mail attachments. MSN Hotmail now blocks more attachment types than ever and, as always, automatically scans attachments for viruses using McAfee VirusScan.
MSN Hotmail offers several other ways to combat spam:
-- Technology from Brightmail Inc. helps defend against spam before it ever reaches customers' inboxes.
-- Three personal e-mail filter levels, including Exclusive block e-mail from senders not included in the customer's MSN Contacts or designated as safe in the customer's mailing list.
-- Image filtering prevents images in e-mail from automatically opening. Spammers rely on information sent back by such images to locate active e-mail addresses.
-- Human Interactive Proof helps ensure that MSN Hotmail accounts are registered to real people, not to the computer programs used by spammers.
As part of its effort to promote greater customer awareness about how to fight spam, MSN has launched MSN Spam Buster, a new education site available in 15 European markets and online at http://www.msn.co.uk/antispamsites/ . Spam Buster features a How to Stop Spam page, which details the ways in which customers can protect their inboxes against spammers; a series of easy-to-follow step-by-step guides for effectively using and activating e-mail filters in MSN Hotmail; and links to regular updates and the latest educational tips on how to help protect against spam.
New Interface Makes Managing E-Mail and Calendar Data More Convenient
The new version of MSN Hotmail offers the most significant redesign of the customer experience since the service's launch; it will be familiar to people who use Microsoft Office Outlook 2003. The new, more intuitive and consumer-friendly interface makes it easier for people to manage e-mail and keep in touch with friends and family they care about most, using the following features:
-- The new default page upon sign-in, called Today, includes an at-a-glance view of the e-mail account that displays e-mail from known senders and contacts only, lists the size of the customer's e-mail account, and reports the status of the Junk E-Mail folder. The neighboring Mail page provides customers with access to all e-mail.
-- New e-mail management icons similar to those found in Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 provide information about incoming e-mail, including whether it has an attachment, requires an urgent response, or comes from someone not listed in the customer's Contacts or from outside the MSN system.
-- Customers can instantly reply to e-mail via MSN Messenger; they are told whether the sender is online and given the option of routing their reply via MSN Messenger.
-- Updated Contacts functionality enables consumers to add, import and manage all their contacts, designate favorites, and create groups. Customers can now also share contact information with others by sending it in the industry-standard vCard format.
-- The Contacts list can be printed.
Subscribers to MSN Premium communications services, such as MSN 8 or the upcoming MSN Premium and MSN Plus, also can access new integrated calendar features in MSN Hotmail, which enables them to create meetings and appointments and manage tasks from virtually anywhere. Subscribers also can choose to receive via e-mail or their cell phone reminders of meetings listed in their calendar, electronically share their calendar data with others, view the calendars of friends and family, or print out calendars for convenient reference throughout the day.
MSN Messenger Experiences Enthusiastic Worldwide Adoption
The features and conveniences offered by MSN Hotmail aren't the only components of MSN communications services that keep growing. Phenomenal growth in MSN Messenger usage followed the recent global launch of Messenger 6.0 in July, which provided consumers with personal and fun ways to express themselves and communicate and share online with their friends. By offering innovative communications services that evolve along with the needs of consumers, MSN continues to make more people passionate about MSN products and services. Since the launch of Messenger 6.0, customers have downloaded more than 12 million images from the MSN Messenger Online Group. Several "ilovemessenger" fan sites also were launched in France, Germany and Italy following the launch of Messenger 6.0. The images include custom emoticons, backgrounds and display pictures, as well as more than 600,000 Halloween images that were downloaded on Oct. 31. Also, more than 10 million unique customers of MSN Messenger are using the integrated webcam feature, powered by Logitech, each month, with more than 2.5 million webcam sessions taking place each day.
Both free services, MSN Messenger and MSN Hotmail, are used in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. The new version of MSN Hotmail is part of several new offerings coming from MSN in the coming months.
MSFT expands IP Policy -Increases IT availability
Expanded Intellectual Property Policy Will Increase Availability Of Microsoft Technology to IT Industry
Wednesday, December 03, 2003 11:32 ET
REDMOND, Wash., Dec 03, 2003 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via Comtex/ -- Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) today announced an expanded intellectual property (IP) policy to provide the IT industry with increased access to Microsoft's growing IP portfolio. Based on broad consultation with others in the industry, the IP policy streamlines Microsoft(R) licensing programs to provide broader availability to Microsoft's IP portfolio, furthering interoperability with other technologies and reinforcing the company's commitment to innovation. The policy also broadens Microsoft's commitment to provide the academic community with IP under royalty-free terms for noncommercial use. The policy was announced in conjunction with two new IP licensing programs: one for ClearType(R) technology and the other for Microsoft's File Allocation Table (FAT) file system.
"Many in the industry have been asking Microsoft to clarify our licensing policy and to provide broader availability to our IP portfolio," said Brad Smith, general counsel and senior vice president at Microsoft. "The changes we are announcing today will promote greater collaboration across our industry, and we look forward to partnering with a broad range of companies."
Microsoft has been licensing IP on a limited basis since its initial formation and has established cross-licensing agreements with a variety of industry leaders. The company's industry-recognized research and development (R&D) commitment has generated an increasingly expansive IP portfolio. Microsoft's new policy will expand Microsoft's cross-licensing initiatives and will also make it possible for smaller companies and others to license aspects of the company's IP portfolio.
Managing the IP portfolio, and the increasing requests for IP access, is the responsibility of Microsoft corporate vice president and deputy general counsel, Marshall Phelps.
"Access to and exchange of IP is essential to the growth and development of the broad IT industry," Phelps said. "The licensing discussions with Agfa Monotype and Lexar Media, as well as our work with academia and industry organizations, signal our intention to increase our partnering with the industry as part of the broad, commercially progressive IP marketplace. We are open for business and want to create win-win opportunities with the industry."
"By opening up more of its IP portfolio to licensing, Microsoft will allow other companies to leverage its creativity," said Herve Gallaire, chief technical officer and president, Xerox Innovation Group. "Xerox has been licensing its IP for many years. With thousands of patents in our portfolio, we have seen the inventiveness of our researchers yield considerable benefit not only to Xerox, but also to others that have licensed our patented technologies."
Commitment to Academia and Continued Royalty-Free Programs
As part of the new IP policy, Microsoft will create programs to license IP rights on both royalty-free and royalty-bearing terms, consistent with industry norms. For example, the company is committing to provide IP to the academic community under royalty-free terms for noncommercial use to further research and development. This builds on Microsoft's growing base of initiatives to license certain IP rights on a royalty-free basis to promote Web standards and, through its Shared Source programs, to provide access to source code for a variety of Microsoft solutions to developers, partners, customers, academics and the industry. In addition, Microsoft recently announced the availability of a royalty-free licensing program for its Microsoft Office 2003 XML Reference Schemas. Microsoft also made clear that it will continue its existing approach of licensing intellectual property royalty-free to Windows(R)-based application developers through the company's software development kit offerings.
Increased Availability of Popular IP Solutions
Technology licensing is an essential part of maintaining a healthy cycle of innovation in the IT industry. To mark Microsoft's commitment to enable greater access to its IP, the company announced the availability of two new licensing offerings: one for ClearType technology and the other for Microsoft's FAT file system. These offerings will be made available under fair and reasonable terms. Both technologies already have experienced early adoption and support.
Microsoft's subpixel rendering technology, branded ClearType, improves the readability of text on liquid crystal display screens to a point where words look almost as sharp and clear as those on a printed piece of paper. The popularity of this technology and its broad applicability for a range of digital devices led a number of companies to ask for licenses from Microsoft.
"As the world's leader in fonts and font technologies, Agfa Monotype has developed high-performance solutions such as iType, a font-rendering subsystem operating in millions of consumer electronics devices worldwide," said Steve Kuhlman, vice president of Display Imaging at Agfa Monotype. "By licensing its subpixel rendering intellectual property for inclusion in iType, Microsoft is making it possible for manufacturers to build products that deliver even clearer, more readable digital text."
The FAT file system is a popular file storage format used for exchanging media between computers and digital devices. Through FAT file system technology, operating systems can identify unused storage clusters and keep track of all file parts across the storage medium. The result, for implementers of the technology, is rapid identification and access to any part of a file while maximizing full use of the storage medium. By licensing documentation, sample code and patents to this technology, Microsoft makes it easier for other companies to take advantage of enhanced file transfer compatibility and build effective, compatible implementations of the FAT file system in their offerings.
"Lexar Media is glad to support Microsoft's goal of standardizing the industry around the FAT file system, which will further ensure interoperability of our memory cards, cameras and other consumer devices," said Jim Gustke, general manager of marketing of Lexar Media. "We believe that such standardization will prompt more consumers to buy Flash storage products, as well as accelerate the innovation of new technologies to fuel the demand for memory cards with capacities of 4 GB and higher."
Industry Support
Others in the IT industry offered positive comments about Microsoft's efforts to provide broader access to the company's IP portfolio, including companies such as Borland Software Corp., VeriSign Inc., Azure Capital Partners, Orbiscom Ltd. and Info2clear. Network Appliance Inc., one of the industry's storage leaders, commented further on the benefits of IP access.
"Network Appliance is strategically committed to architecting storage solutions that are highly compatible with Microsoft technologies," said Patrick Rogers, vice president of partners and alliances at Network Appliance. "IP licensing enables us to better achieve this tight integration with licensed Windows protocols, thereby ensuring ongoing support for Microsoft platforms. We're pleased that Microsoft is further enhancing its commitment to license IP to others in the industry."
Further information can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/mscorp/ip/ .
Excellent link Yofal.
And true. One thing he left out was the "Industry Standard" of labels being obligated to only paying mechanical royalties on 90% of record sales vs. 100% of sales,
OR the ever popular label requirement of giving 1/2 your publishing rights to the label in a "co-publishing" deal.
Bootz, The art of the grub
is that the number has got to mean something.
As for PC Mag's award for the G5, yes, it's a nice kudo for them, however it hasn't seemed to help that stock any... it tanked about 4% today, 2% yesterday, 2% last Friday, 4% last Thursday. etc. , etc.
In fact I think it's only had 1 UP day in the last 7 or 8 trading sessions.
Speaking of PC Mag, I see they also named Carly Fiorina person of the year, or something...
So much for credibility.
Glad you had a trouble free install Bootz:
I recently dug out my Belkin 1.1 USB 4 hub & plugged it in, just to make it access easier for unloading my digi-cam. I too had no problems,& get the cheap thril of the 4 green LEDS & 1 Red one (power) Between that,the DSL Modem, & the power conditioner, plenty of blinky leds... Call Star Command...
So I assume...
"You raised the subject, expressed your view and went on to post ten posts about it. And it's past time to drop it. Just drop it! No one else posted so much about this -- they answered you a few times and they let it go. You need to let it go. ALL of it, including your new campaign to "get" me!"
So I assume that we've heard for the LAST time about your being excluded from AAPLTalk?
If ever there was an overplayed, tired subject, That's it.
And y'know what? No One Cares But You.
JMHO
Europe's Case On Microsoft May Be Too Late
Nov. 13, 2003
By BRANDON MITCHENER
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
BRUSSELS -- Europe's antitrust case against Microsoft Corp. may come too late to prevent the company from taking a decisive lead in the market for digital media-player software.
The programs, which play music and video on computers, are at the center of an antitrust investigation of Microsoft's business practices in Europe. In closed-door hearings this week, Microsoft is defending itself against allegations that it is abusing its dominance of desktop-computer software to also dominate the markets for media-player software and the powerful computers called servers.
European antitrust regulators say the ubiquity of Microsoft's software stifles competition and innovation and "ultimately reduces consumer choice." Microsoft says it is merely making life easier for consumers and businesses, and has told regulators it still faces plenty of competition.
Outside the hearing room, however, Microsoft has been making key conquests. With the exception of Apple Computer Inc.'s iTunes Music Store, all the major online music downloading services rolled out world-wide recently -- and almost all portable digital audio devices on sale -- support Microsoft's Windows Media Audio (WMA) standard. The standard is a combination of compression and encryption technology designed to ease downloads, store more music in less space and prevent piracy. Some 400 device manufacturers and more than 150 software companies support the Microsoft standard, including RealNetworks Inc., Musicmatch Inc. and Roxio Inc.'s Napster 2.0.
Analysts and competitors agree with regulators that the fact Microsoft's WMA-based Windows Media Player is installed on more than 90% of all new PCs world-wide gives it a leg-up on the competition for related services. "Windows Media Player is going to be the dominant player" despite the current success of Apple's iTunes and RealNetworks' RealOne players, predicts Mark Mulligan, senior analyst at Jupiter Research in London. "The majority of consumers like to have the easy option. They don't want to have to download another piece of software."
When the European Union began its investigation almost five years ago, few companies were selling music or video online, and the music industry's biggest preoccupation was keeping music off the Internet, where songs saved in an unencrypted format called MP3 could easily be e-mailed and traded free. Today, a number of companies are contending for leadership in the booming markets for downloading and "streaming" music and videos.
The choice of music-player software is important because such a program -- often available free -- is also a portal to services selling music and gadgets. Apple's iTunes player, for example, helps Apple sell its high-margin iPods, a device the size of a deck of cards that starts at $299 and can store and play thousands of songs on the go. Music companies also want competing music standards.
Microsoft attributes the success of its Windows Media standard to years of investment and innovation. Indeed, Microsoft's WMA technology allows users to compress near-CD-quality music in one-tenth the space uncompressed music would take, helping squeeze more music onto a hard drive and pump songs across a dial-up Internet connection more quickly. It also has encryption technology that sets limits on how many times a song can be copied -- important to record companies burned by rampant piracy.
Dave Fester, general manager of Microsoft's digital media division, said in an interview the main reason other companies haven't adopted Apple's music standard is that Apple, unlike Microsoft, has limited its market by deciding not to license it. (Fred Anderson, Apple's chief financial officer, has described the company's music player software and standards as a "Trojan horse" to help it sell more iPods and other Apple products, including its Macintosh computers.)
Microsoft cites the success of iTunes and the fact that RealNetworks has more than 335 million registered users, along with numerous exclusivity deals with broadcasters and sports associations, as evidence of healthy competition in the media-player software market despite the ubiquity of Windows Media Player.
But companies selling music online say there's another compelling reason the vast majority of them are using the WMA standard: ubiquity. Windows Media Player has come preinstalled on most new computers for the past 10 years.
"We chose the Windows Media format because it is the de facto standard for secure content with the PC, and the only secure format with widespread support across nearly all software players, and dozens of portable players," says Jennifer Roberts, director of corporate communications for Musicmatch, which sells a popular music player by the same name.
That kind of comment prompted European antitrust regulators two years ago to add media-player software to an investigation of Microsoft's market power that originally focused entirely on servers.
In August, the European Commission, the EU's chief regulatory authority, said a new survey of content owners, content providers and software developers in Europe and the U.S. showed that "the ubiquity of Windows Media Player on PCs artificially skews their development incentives in favor of Microsoft." That, in turn, "weakens competition on the merits, stifles product innovation and ultimately reduces consumer choice," it said.
Lawyers familiar with the case say the commission bases that finding on a worst-case scenario in which companies such as RealNetworks and others abandon their attempts to compete with Microsoft's WMA standard altogether. That would stunt subsequent competition in future media-player technology.
Unless Microsoft succeeds in convincing the commission it's wrong, or it settles the case or wins on appeal, the company faces a fine that could run in the billions of dollars as well as an order to remove Windows Media Player from Windows, at least in Europe. Microsoft has said such an order would be "problematic."
--Pui-Wing Tam contributed to this article.
Write to Brandon Mitchener at brandon.mitchener@wsj.com
Updated November 13, 2003
StarOffice Improves Performance, but Still Can't Rival Microsoft
Wall Street Journal
PERSONAL TECHNOLOGY
By WALTER S. MOSSBERG
It has been years since Microsoft had any real competition for its Office productivity suite -- the software package that includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook. Once-popular competitors like WordPerfect and Lotus 1-2-3 have been reduced to tiny niche players.
But there is a competing office suite that is the darling of those companies, software developers and users who have made hating or battling Microsoft into a sort of religion. It's called StarOffice, and is sold by Sun Microsystems, a maker of high-end hardware and software that is one of Microsoft's biggest critics.
Originally developed in Germany, and constantly improved by open-source developers outside Sun, StarOffice runs on Windows, Linux and Sun's own Solaris workstation systems. It includes a word processor, a spreadsheet, a presentation program and database functionality. It lacks an e-mail, calendar and contacts program like Microsoft's Outlook.
The program has its own file formats, but Sun boasts that StarOffice can read and edit Microsoft Office files faithfully, and can save files in Microsoft Office formats so that most of the world can open and edit them using Microsoft Office. You can even set up StarOffice so it always saves all files in Microsoft Office formats, rather than its own format.
Sun has just released a new version called StarOffice 7, and I've been testing it. It's slightly easier to use and much better at importing Microsoft documents than last year's version. But it's still not flawless at interchanging documents with Microsoft Office, and for that reason I still can't recommend it wholeheartedly for users who need to exchange more than very basic documents.
The key virtue of StarOffice is that it's cheap. Sun sells it for $80, compared with the hundreds of dollars Microsoft charges, especially for versions of Office that include the Access database program.
In fact, StarOffice can be had free. Users can download a free open-source version of the program, called OpenOffice 1.1, at www.openoffice.org. OpenOffice is essentially identical to StarOffice, except Sun provides a better spell checker, more fonts and more database capabilities.
But these price advantages aren't as great as they once would have been, because Microsoft has been stealthily cutting the price of Office for consumers. A version of Microsoft Office called the Student and Teacher edition costs only $149, and can legally be installed on up to three PCs in a household. It is supposed to be sold only to students and teachers, but Microsoft also says it can be purchased by anyone living in a household with pretty much anyone who attends, or teaches at, any kind of educational institution. And, in fact, most stores ask no questions at all when you buy it.
I tested StarOffice 7 for two main things: ease of use, and the ability to import and export documents in Microsoft formats -- a necessity in a world where most people use Microsoft Office.
This program has a strong techie heritage, and is now controlled by a company and an open-source community that couldn't tell a normal, nontechnical computer user from a bag of Cheetos. But in version 7, the help system has been vastly improved. Most of the icons and menus follow the conventions set by Microsoft. Installation seemed simpler.
There are still techie vestiges in some of the options menus. The new version retains my favorite inscrutable option choice: "size optimization for XML format (no pretty printing)." And some tasks, such as inserting page numbers and viewing word count, are still too hard. One annoying feature tries to complete words you type.
But all in all, StarOffice is a bit easier to use. The biggest improvement has been in the import and export of Microsoft Office documents. I tried several of the same highly complex Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents I tested last year, and version 7 handled them better. When they were opened in StarOffice 7, some formatting was still messed up, but more of the files looked about the same as they did in Microsoft Office. One complicated PowerPoint file, with various transitions and sound effects, reproduced perfectly.
I then composed a simpler test file in Microsoft Word, mainly consisting of text in various colors, fonts and oddball styles, plus embedded graphics files, tables and clip art. StarOffice 7 rendered this file very well, even replicating unusual formatting, like engraved and embossed fonts. The spacing between the graphics was a little off, but easily corrected.
But StarOffice choked on the exporting side of the equation. After editing the same file in StarOffice, I then saved it and reopened it in Word. The text, with the right fonts and formats -- even columns and tables -- came through fine. But several embedded graphics were missing, which could be a disaster in an important business document sent to a Microsoft user.
Version 7 has a few nice added file features, like saving any file in Adobe's PDF format, which Microsoft Office can't, and saving presentations as Macromedia Flash files, common on the Web.
But as I said last year, this program is mainly for light users preparing basic documents who either can't afford Office, or hate Microsoft so much they'll live with some complexity and limitations.
Write to Walter S. Mossberg at mossberg@wsj.com
Updated November 13, 2003
tes-TUH
Bootz- your USB Question
Programs>Accessories>System Tools>System Information
That will give you all the hardware info on your computer, Your best bet is the owners manual for your particular computer so see whether or not you have USB 2.0 ports.
If you do, XP will support it.
Skewed?
Of course it's skewed...by a bunch of kids 7-13 years old.
Who else would you ask what they want for XMAS?
I've seen the new GameBoy thing in the hands of kids at my child's school... a definite step up from the old GameBoy.
No GameCube on the list.. hmmm..
NGage looks nice in pictures... have yet to see anyone actually use one...
SSX3 is on my shopping list.
XBOX tops Holiday wish lists:
NEW YORK, (Reuters) - Video games rule, but kids still enjoy playing with traditional toys, according to a survey by Yahoo Inc.'s Web site for kids.
The list of top ten toys, conducted by Yahooligans was compiled from 130,000 votes from kids aged 7 to 12 years old.
Electronic toys took the top three spots in the poll, with Microsoft Corp.'s XBOX narrowly beating out Nintendo Co. Ltd. Game Boy Advance SP and Sony Corp's PlayStation 2 System coming in third.
Barbie and Bratz dolls made the grade, as did a giant inflatable room kids can jump around in.
"This list speaks volumes to the success of these items for the holidays," said Jason Hovey, senior producer at Yahooligans. "It's not industry leaders, experts or even manufacturers weighing in. It's just kids. And it helps parents know what to shop for for kids in this age group."
The top 10 toys in order of popularity:
1. Xbox: Microsoft's video game console.
2. Game Boy Advance SP: An updated version of Nintendo's popular handheld video game system. The screen is foldable and backlit.
3. PlayStation 2 System: Sony's video game playing console.
4. Sty'l It Bratz Dana: One of the newest dolls from MGA Entertainment.
5. Bounce Around Room: An inflatable room for kids to jump in. Inflates in 45 seconds. By Spin Master.
6. The Dog Feature Plush Beagle: A barking, tail wagging tail Beagle from Play Along's The Dog collectible line.
7. Bratz Karaoke with TV Screen: MGA Entertainment's karaoke machine, includes a video camera.
8. Real Meal Oven: Kids can make chocolate chip cookies, soft pretzels and macaroni and cheese with Hasbro's (NYSE:HAS) miniature oven.
9. Fur Real Go Go, Puppy: Hasbro's electronic plush puppy that has movements, sound effects and mannerisms like a real dog.
10. My Scene Chillin' Out Barbie: A hipper version of Mattel's Barbie for older girls.
LJK,
No... & No.
ACE
Jeez Z,
You challenged me to meet you here over a week ago,
I called your bluff, & you didn't show...
'til your "change of address" here.
What was it you wanted to gurgle?
And is it worth listening to?
Tell your pal Tulipz & her alias du'jour
I said hi. See ya Fryday.
Smeu-Chee
p.s. fna
Bootz, Sorry to have harshed your grub...
I'd have let you have #800 if only I'd known.
And you're correct: Duke Of URL DOES have the best screen name on the Net.
We're all forever jealous of it.
fna.
ACE
Bootz: That's a grub.
Since you were asking me about the subject, elsewhere last week.
ACE
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.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
WM9 & digital Clearasil:
One more for the party
"Amazon is expected to announce the adoption of Windows Media Player 9 to power its online music service. In the arrangement, Loudeye Technologies will handle all encoding and encryption needs, while Microsoft supplies the player. The arrangement helps Microsoft spread their newest player, while Amazon benefits from higher sound quality and delivery.
Coming in March, Sterling Records will release "Ike and Tina Turner: The Early Sessions," a second session audio CD in Windows Media Audio which is compatible with both standard CD players and PC's, yet has restrictions on music re-distribution. Built by Suncomm, Inc, the CD uses the new Windows Media Data Session Toolkit so you can listen to the music in your home or car stereo as well as enjoy a rich media experience on the PC."
P.S. Well, it looks like the offending pustule is gone.
As you were.
Case closed.
Thank you, Marshall Dillon.
"The difference between a clogged pore and stupidity is that ...well, there isn't one.
Aww. Zanny, FACTS bother you?
Beyond name calling, you provided nothing to refute my factual statements.
Come on big mouth!
Provide something resembling a fact to refute what I said!
YOU CAN'T.
You need me to break it down further so your 3rd grade educated mind can understand it?
"The Sheep" are wailing on the Zits.
Out of all this hype, you got ZERO in increased traffic.
NADA.
As you were. (which means out shopping for a replacement firewire drive, most likely.)
You should be happy now, Finally, you can realize your fantasy of working for Apple...
Every time you say "You want fries with that?"
Kevin, your math is correct(mostly):
"[i}Steve Jobs said iTMS had 80% of the paid downloads last week. I dug around and that works out to 685,000 songs are now sold per week."
That's the total reported by SOUNDSCAN for ALL online music stores. Putting iTMS's sales @ 548,000 songs for the week ending 10-28-2003 . (which is also prior to Napster's re-launch... expect more attrition next week.)
"When iTMS for Windows was released, Steve Jobs crowed that the Mac user base was sustaining around 600,000 a week (30M a year). He set out the goal of 100 million songs by the end of April. It seems to me that purchases should be ramping up more quickly than 685,000 a week at this point."
So, going by Steve's numbers, iTMS actually declined in the week after launching a Windows version.
"but Windows users haven't embraced the notion of paying for music rather than stealing it like the Mac users have."
Windows users have next to no interest in anything Apple branded. (and after all the hoopla about iTMS crashing Win2K machines, iTunes2 & Panther erasing hard drives, Why would anyone consider using iToons?) EVERYBODY knows about it's release, most Windows users just don't care. Apple-ites pipe dream of doubling, tripling, or even increasing usage of iToons beyond Mac users using PC's at work, is nothing more than another unfulfilled Mac fantasy.
Remember when Apple's stated goal at the opening of the first store was "5% down & 95% to go" ?
2 years later,Apple has to more than double it's usage just to get back to that 5% figure.
NOT gonna happen.
"Check out what a Panther "upgrade" destroyed this time!!! another Firewire drive!"
MSFT puts a bounty on virus writers
“Applying Wild West bounties to modern Internet crimes, Microsoft Corp. set aside $5 million Wednesday to pay large cash rewards to people who help authorities capture and prosecute the creators of damaging computer viruses.”
They ought to go after this guy then…
Perpetrator shown holding another toasted Firewire drive, a victim of his "Panther" virus
For releasing a virus that maliciously destroys people’s data & sending hardware to the trash heap, all under the guise of an operating system update. And to add insult to injury, this guy CHARGES $130. for a copy of his hardware trashing virus… which is called “Panther”.
Think of it this way
"Microsoft Corp. (NasdaqNM:MSFT - News) on Monday said it would turn to International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE:IBM - News) for microchip technology that it will use in the next version of its popular video game console, the Xbox.
Question for Zstar - does this mean that Microsoft will be a bigger customer of PowerPC than Apple?"
Think of it this way, What we'll be using to power a toy, "they" use as their central computing CPU. But it does ask a more serious question, in a crunch, who's IBM going to service first, The customer that buys 8 million chips a year? (XBOX), or "the 2.5% club" who almost purchases 4 million a year.? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
Canada gets it's own online music store.
But NOT from Apple.
Puretracks.com
beaten to the punch again... But hey! At least they let you Mac users know they're thinking of you.
"Currently our website supports Internet Explorer 5.0 and above on the Windows operating system, and is available to Canadian residents only.
We value our Mac audience, however the Windows Media Player for the Mac platform is not currently compatible with Microsoft protected audio content. Puretracks is currently working to make our service available to Mac users. "
Nice ad, though.
http://www.puretracks.com
OK Zit..
Called your bluff... Here I am.
Whatcha want?
Z, I agree!
" Even if this one isn't Apple's problem it is an unacceptable one based on the fact that Panther has been available to many more than a month before it was released. Someone needs to get FIRED!"
I'll be watching for you to ask for Steve Jobs' head on a platter in public. After all, he is the CEO.
I won't hold my breath, though.
Correct Lango...
"That's a crock Zanny
Your record remains intact for whistling past the graveyard and pretending if it doesn't happen in your universe it just doesn't exist.
Apple is LYING when they "claim" it only applies to FW 800 drives. They know darn good and well that there are a host of verified incidents with every flavor hard drive ... INCLUDING iPODs."
It was a given that the "legend in his own lunchtime" would say that there was was no problem with this. When it comes to Spin Doctors, he's the Chief Surgeon.(incredibly adept at removing any sense of truth or reality from any situation).
"Given Apple's past history of actively purging messages that reveal problems or contradict denials of problems, there's no telling how many there might have been. I'd bet the number of people who have problems who actually make it to this message board are a tiny fraction of the total, and the number that bother to post are an even smaller fraction. That many nightmares means this is a very widespread and serious problem."
One article said OVER 800 people have complained already, so over 400 messages purged is the bare minimum they've removed.
Too bad that there's already yet another issue following up this one, & it's more bad news for Apple. For someone shorting AAPL, it's a gift!
http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/7148746.htm
PowerBook's white spots have owners seeing red
By Jon Fortt
Mercury News
Apple Computer's newest 15-inch-screen PowerBooks have mysterious white blotches showing up on the LCD screens, and annoyed owners are flocking to the Web to complain.
One of Apple's biggest advantages -- its loyal and vocal customer base -- can look like a liability when the tone on the company's own discussion boards shifts from doting praise to bitter gripes.
More than 600 users have signed an online petition asking that Apple acknowledge the problem and either fix it permanently or refund their money, even when customers have not requested a refund within 10 days of purchase.
Some customers on Apple message boards have said the spots appeared gradually over the course of several days, while others said the spots were visible the first time they turned on the computer. Some customers on the discussion board said they sent their laptops in for repair, only to see the spots reappear when the systems came back.
The 15-inch PowerBook starts at $2,000, making it one of the more expensive laptops on the market.
Richard Doherty, director of research at Envisioneering Group, a Seaford, N.Y., tech consulting firm, said he has seen product defects in laptops from many manufacturers recently. His company has been getting less product testing business over the past couple of years, as computer makers tightened their budgets, he said.
``It's getting more and more frustrating for consumers as they find themselves unwitting participants in the final test cycle,' Doherty said. ``When you sign up for that, you're excited. It's something else when you think you're getting a finished product.'
On Monday, someone who identified himself as an Apple technician posted a message on a discussion board at Apple.com, saying he had taken apart his own PowerBook to find the problem.
``There are several spacers placed behind the screen which keep the aluminum casing from bending in,' he wrote. ``It is in these places that the white spots are appearing.'
Apple has not yet said what the problem is, and it's not clear whether the company even knows for sure. Apple did not make anyone available to discuss the problem, but it did release a statement Thursday:
``The new 15-inch PowerBook has been a big hit with customers since its introduction last month. However, some customers are reporting the appearance of faint, white spots on their displays after using the system for a short period of time, and Apple is investigating these reports right now. Any customers experiencing this problem should contact AppleCare.'
Mark Mentovai, a law student at Fordham University in New York, said he bought a 15-inch PowerBook in late September and noticed the spots within a week. He said that because he bought it under Apple's education program, the company agreed to send him a new one. After he got the new one, that one developed spots, too. Now he's waiting for another replacement.
``They said, `We know how to fix it when it happens, but we don't know what causes it,' ' Mentovai said. ``I can't really fault them on service. If they don't know what causes it, I might as well take my chances with a new one again. It's not a bad deal -- it seems I get a new one every three or four weeks.'
Dang..Posted that on the wrong board...
I'll have to repost it in the correct one.
"They Melvined Me..."
Death - 1991
Scariest Halloween Story: OSX eats your data!
02:00 AM Oct. 31, 2003 PT
Mac users are roaring in rage because of a nasty installment glitch that erases data on external hard drives.
After upgrading to Mac OS X 10.3, better known as Panther, they are finding external FireWire drives are no longer recognized by the host machine. In many cases, all the data the drives stores are also gone.
The problem appears to be widespread, judging by dozens of posts on forums and websites like MacFixit and Macintouch. Apple's own discussion forums (Apple ID required) had more than 274 postings on the issue by Thursday afternoon, far more than any other issue.
No clear pattern has emerged about which particular Macs or drives are affected. The problem seems to affect all models and a wide range of drives, both older FireWire 400 and newer FireWire 800 drives, from a range of manufacturers.
"It's not a fluke or an isolated incident," said Ben Wilson, senior editor of Macfixit, a respected Macintosh troubleshooting site. "Based on reports we've seen, I'd say it was pretty serious."
The glitch is particularly troubling because many Mac users backed up their files to an external FireWire drive before installing the Panther upgrade. In some cases, the glitch erased files on the main machine and the external backup.
"Panther has managed not only to lose my iTunes Library and my iPhoto Library, but also their backups kept on -- you guessed it -- my external FireWire hard disk," reported John Irvine on Apple's discussion forums. "I've lost ALL of my baby pictures for my two small children. My children's BABY PICTURES.... I'm astonished.... It's a monster."
Apple is aware of the issue and says it is working on a fix.
However, it claims the problem is limited to FireWire 800 drives (those capable of 800 megabits-per-second data transfers) using the Oxford 922 bridge chipset with firmware version 1.02.
"Apple is working with Oxford Semiconductor and affected drive manufacturers to resolve this issue which resides in the Oxford 922 chip-set," Apple said in a statement posted on its site and discussion forums. "In the interim, Apple recommends that you do not use these drives."
However, Macfixit's Wilson disputed this. People with FireWire 400 drives have also experienced the problem, including a couple of members of the Macfixit staff, Wilson said.
"There's definitely problems with other FireWire drives that aren?t the ones Apple is blaming," he said.
According to Wilson, the problem affects FireWire 400 and 800 drives attached during the Panther upgrade procedure. Unattached drives are not affected.
"Your best bet is to disconnect all FireWire drives before installing Panther," Wilson advised. "In fact, disconnect all external devices, then test whether or not your system is able to properly recognize them afterwards."
Wilson said in the majority of cases, the external drive is toast: It will no longer function on any computer running any version of the Mac operating system (OS 9, Jaguar or Panther), and data-recovery programs like Alsoft's DiskWarrior are unable to salvage the disk.
"In most of these cases the only recourse is to use Prosoft's Data Rescue X to attempt to recover files, or send your drive to a professional data-rescue company," Wilson said.
Wilson said reformatting the drive allows it to be used again. Trouble is, all the data are lost.
In some cases, the problem is not the drive but Panther's ability to recognize it, Wilson said. The drive may appear to have major problems under Panther, but looks fine when attached to another machine running a previous version of OS X, such as Jaguar.
See also
The Panther Roars(in Pain)
Today's Top Stories
Bye-Bye Data: Glitch in Panther
http://www.wired.com/news/mac/0,2125,61031,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_1
I smell a class action lawsuit in the future... I'll say one thing for Apple, they sure know how to build a drive eraser! First iToons V.2 & now Sylvester...uh Panther. Sounds like some people are really paying the "Sufferin' Sucker Tax".
Scariest Halloween Story: OSX eats your data!
02:00 AM Oct. 31, 2003 PT
Mac users are roaring in rage because of a nasty installment glitch that erases data on external hard drives.
After upgrading to Mac OS X 10.3, better known as Panther, they are finding external FireWire drives are no longer recognized by the host machine. In many cases, all the data the drives stores are also gone.
The problem appears to be widespread, judging by dozens of posts on forums and websites like MacFixit and Macintouch. Apple's own discussion forums (Apple ID required) had more than 274 postings on the issue by Thursday afternoon, far more than any other issue.
No clear pattern has emerged about which particular Macs or drives are affected. The problem seems to affect all models and a wide range of drives, both older FireWire 400 and newer FireWire 800 drives, from a range of manufacturers.
"It's not a fluke or an isolated incident," said Ben Wilson, senior editor of Macfixit, a respected Macintosh troubleshooting site. "Based on reports we've seen, I'd say it was pretty serious."
The glitch is particularly troubling because many Mac users backed up their files to an external FireWire drive before installing the Panther upgrade. In some cases, the glitch erased files on the main machine and the external backup.
"Panther has managed not only to lose my iTunes Library and my iPhoto Library, but also their backups kept on -- you guessed it -- my external FireWire hard disk," reported John Irvine on Apple's discussion forums. "I've lost ALL of my baby pictures for my two small children. My children's BABY PICTURES.... I'm astonished.... It's a monster."
Apple is aware of the issue and says it is working on a fix.
However, it claims the problem is limited to FireWire 800 drives (those capable of 800 megabits-per-second data transfers) using the Oxford 922 bridge chipset with firmware version 1.02.
"Apple is working with Oxford Semiconductor and affected drive manufacturers to resolve this issue which resides in the Oxford 922 chip-set," Apple said in a statement posted on its site and discussion forums. "In the interim, Apple recommends that you do not use these drives."
However, Macfixit's Wilson disputed this. People with FireWire 400 drives have also experienced the problem, including a couple of members of the Macfixit staff, Wilson said.
"There's definitely problems with other FireWire drives that aren?t the ones Apple is blaming," he said.
According to Wilson, the problem affects FireWire 400 and 800 drives attached during the Panther upgrade procedure. Unattached drives are not affected.
"Your best bet is to disconnect all FireWire drives before installing Panther," Wilson advised. "In fact, disconnect all external devices, then test whether or not your system is able to properly recognize them afterwards."
Wilson said in the majority of cases, the external drive is toast: It will no longer function on any computer running any version of the Mac operating system (OS 9, Jaguar or Panther), and data-recovery programs like Alsoft's DiskWarrior are unable to salvage the disk.
"In most of these cases the only recourse is to use Prosoft's Data Rescue X to attempt to recover files, or send your drive to a professional data-rescue company," Wilson said.
Wilson said reformatting the drive allows it to be used again. Trouble is, all the data are lost.
In some cases, the problem is not the drive but Panther's ability to recognize it, Wilson said. The drive may appear to have major problems under Panther, but looks fine when attached to another machine running a previous version of OS X, such as Jaguar.
See also
The Panther Roars(in Pain)
Today's Top Stories
Bye-Bye Data: Glitch in Panther
http://www.wired.com/news/mac/0,2125,61031,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_1
I smell a class action lawsuit in the future... I'll say one thing for Apple, they sure know how to build a drive eraser! First iToons V.2 & now Sylvester...uh Panther. Sounds like some people are really paying the "Sufferin' Sucker Tax".
Wow.
Now I know it's Halloween.
"The Exorcist" must've dropped in!
Happy Halloween everybody.
"I'm giving out MSFT MSN Butterfly wings filled with candy to each kiddie ...
(you know how they hate getting Apples)"
And that answer is...
"NO"
"The only question is whether you can play Apple's AAC downloaded files in these players. Otherwise AAC is a widely used standard you should know more about."
Other(non-Apple)AAC files can be played in other computer based players (like WMP from version 7 on). It's Apple's proprietary wrapper that is keeping iToons files from being useful to anyone not using an iPlod. You know Z, the OTHER 7 out of 10 portable media players sold.
Did you apply for SMPTE membership yet? I'm sure many more of my card carrying brethren are giggling at your rants, wondering when you'll figure out the difference between fact & fiction.
Zspam, enough already
I can only laugh at the depths of your misinformation
Microsoft Puts Windows Media Video 9 Codec on Standards Track
Microsoft is submitting the compression technology used in the Windows Media Video (WMV) 9 codec to the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) C24 Technical Committee for consideration as an openly available international standard. Windows Media Video 9 provides compression efficiency approximately three times that of MPEG-2. The technology scales from SD to HD video and can support multichannel audio, positioning it for content creation, broadcast production, content management and distribution over a variety of networks.
At this week's International Broadcasting Convention in Amsterdam, Microsoft is showcasing a number of applications where Windows Media 9 Series is being used to distribute content over IP and standards-based Digital Video Broadcast (DVB) and Digital Audio Broadcast (DAB) networks. Microsoft is also highlighting hardware, middleware and content partnerships for Windows Media 9. These include:
Monaco Telecom, working with Moviesystem of France, offers more than 400 movies in its VOD service using Windows Media Video (WMV) 9 Series streamed from Windows Server 2003.
NTL Broadcast, Capital Radio and RadioScape will begin live IP datacasting of Windows Media Audio 9 Professional (WMA Pro) 5.1-channel content over L-Band in the central London area starting October 2003. The trial will deliver 5.1-channel surround sound at bit-rates as low as 128 Kbps.
SES Astra will demonstrate high-definition 720p television transmission via Digital Video Broadcast -- Satellite (DVB-S) using Windows Media 9 Series at bit rates as low as 6 to 8 Mbps.
TANDBERG Television has developed a professional broadcast-quality encoding platform for Windows Media 9 Series.
Harmonic will add Windows Media Video 9 support to its DiviCom real-time encoding platforms, which also provide MPEG-2 compression.
Set-top box manufacturers with Windows CE .NET-powered devices supporting Windows Media 9 include Biostar, Costron Company, Pace Micro, Samsung, Tcom&dtvro Co Ltd., and Wyse Technology.
Alcatel has enhanced its carrier-class 5950 Media Manager software platform to support Windows Media 9 Series and Microsoft Windows CE .NET on a number of leading set-top hardware platforms.
Orca Interactive Ltd.'s RiGHTv for Windows middleware enables live TV, near-video-on-demand (NVOD) and VOD services powered by the Windows .NET Framework and Windows CE.
Stellar One Corp. is supporting Windows Media 9 Series in its middleware solution for IP broadband networks.
Infogate Online's On Dema for IPTV utilizes the capabilities of Windows Media 9 Series to DSL operators, ISPs, satellite operators and broadcasters to deliver high-quality television services.
SeaChange's VOD system now supports streaming of Windows Media 9 Series.
Oh yeah, and right in your own backyard ,Z... Directrix is providing PPV-VOD using Windows Media 9.
I assure you ALL of these companies are posting quite a nice profit.
P.S. Let me know when you apply for membership to SMPTE. Only when you have any sort of informed opinion, will you be viewed as more than an entertaining diversion attempting to pump your failing company of choice.
Bootz, I supressed it
So no one would be tempted to click the link.
Thanks for the public warning.
No Harm, No Foul.
No Bootzie, no grub
Posting flaw.
Z, WM9 for OSX announced last September.
MSFT announces WM9 for OSX.
Sept 12th, 2003
Tech industry Goliath Microsoft today announced that a version of it's award winning multimedia standard Windows Media 9 would be coming to Apple's beleaguered Macintosh OSX platform.
Jupiter Research analyst Joe Wilcox said: "Windows Media Player 9 Series for the Mac is a big deal. The player's availability could open up quite a bit of digital content that currently is locked to Mac users; that would mean DRM-protected content on CDs and DVDs, too," Wilcox added. Microsoft's Jason Reindorp denied the strategy shift had anything to do with Apple's DRM success. "I think it's actually the opposite. Our DRM has been proven and is well liked and well used. As the music industry has been looking for ways to expand Internet distribution,[/v] I think that has put some pressure on Apple to come up with a solution," Reindorp said in an interview with internetnews.com.
He dismissed Apple as a serious rival in the DRM space, arguing that the "closed system" plays to Microsoft's advantage. "Apple's DRM works on a closed system. You have no option but to use a Mac or an iPod," Reindorp said.
Microsoft's newest Windows Media DRM 9 Series, launched in January this year, features real-time encryption (Live DRM) to allow for the immediate protection of live streams. "One of the most recognized strengths of our DRM is the flexible business rules. We let the content provider assign the usage rights so it puts the power in the hands of the providers.
"It's important to understand we have a well established DRM solution that works across many different types of devices and services. For example, all five major music labels use it, as do many of the online video distribution companies. Apple's, by contrast, only works in a 'closed system' and is much more basic than a flexible DRM system that can tailor usage rules to different applications," he argued.
Steve Vonder Haar, an analyst at Interactive Media Strategies sees the latest move as simply Microsoft expanding its already huge digital media footprint.
"The [digital media] platform war is now a three-way battle between Windows Media 9 Series, RealNetworks' Helix and the open MPEG-4 standard. At the end of the day, Microsoft will be there," Vonder Haar said.
"When it becomes a two-horse race, it'll be a fight between RealNetworks and the MPEG-4 crowd to to be the viable alternative. If you're Microsoft and you want to make sure that you're relevant across a broad number of platforms with Windows Media 9, developing a version for Mac is a way to take some of the wind out of the MPEG-4 sails," he argued. Apple's own QuickTime player uses MPEG-4.
"This is just a good old fashioned war for the hearts and minds of developers. if you make WM9 available and viable on the Mac platform, there will be some percentages of developers who won't bother with MPEG-4. Developers can now reach the Apple audience with Microsoft," Vonder Haar added.
"I would assume other music distributors depending on Windows Media DRM might want a crack at that market, too. Granted the Mac's paltry compared to Windows, but it's also a market primed for digital music," he added.
It has been a busy week for Microsoft's digital media division, which also submitted the video compression technology in Windows Media 9 to the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) in a bid to make it an industry standard.
That move, which surprised industry watchers, could eventually lead to the WMV 9 codec becoming an international standard and would remove barriers to adoption, a company spokesman explained.
"It means companies can adopt Windows media without having to contact Microsoft directly," the spokesman said, noting that licensing fees would still be applicable if the codecs are used in set top boxes and other consumer electronic devices.