Food for thought

I truly don't know the answer here, so don't bother looking for a hidden meaning.

How long till Microsoft gets slapped with an antitrust lawsuit for including a DVD movie codec in Vista?

 

Will the codec work in Windows Media Player? And will that work in XP?

 

Its in the Vista Codecs package, from what I can see. Now, if thats codecs taken from Vista, then the answer is yes. I don't know for usre.

 

Why should anyone?

M$ is a strong supporter of DRM and Media player has the capability to go way beyond DRM for DVDs

Most CD/DVD writers whether supplied for domestic or commercial applications, now contain DRM in firmware. It is actually quite difficult to obtain drives and blanks that don't have this control, (unless you are a manufacturer in China).

 

Why should they? For the same reasons they were sued over IE integration.

What, pray tell, does DRM have to do with other competitors losing business due to people not needing to buy a decoder anymore?

 

Already happened with XP in Europe.
They got into an antitrust suit over WMP being bundled.
So MS released Windows XP: Reduced Media Edition (at the same cost as full blown versions)
And THAT got them into MORE trouble. <sarcasm>Apparently</sarcasm>, it was market manipulation.

I think it's called Windows XP N edition, now.

 

MS just lost a class action suit in Iowa. I was eligible for part of the 176 million pay out.

My share was ~$16 woot

Wasn't even worth filling out the 4 pages of forms to get my taxable $16 dollar check.

 

Yeah, they lost one here, too, a while back. I didn't fill it out either, as a 10 dollar voucher wasnt worth my time.

 

that is so wrong, I don't begrudge the lawyers a pay check. but that much of a pay check is a bit much in my opinion