[Random-bits] WinME and Media Player 7

[James Love]

This is from a discussion on the ABA antitrust list about the Microsoft
investment in Corel.
Jamie


Subject: RE: Forwarded mail.... (fwd)
   Date: Thu, 5 Oct 2000 09:27:51 -0700
  From:  Wayne Jones <WJones@fenwick.com>
    To: 'James Love'" <love@cptech.org>, AT-MEMBERS@MAIL.ABANET.ORG


Microsoft has already been allowed by the DC circuit to essentially eat
the browser market alive (how, exactly was Netscape supposed to beat a
free, integrated browser?)so I have no reason to believe they won't be
allowed to devour what's left of the competition in office application
suites.  If one looks at their new OS, WinME, they are doing the same
thing to Real Networks that they did to Netscape: WinME has a mandatory
installation of Media Player 7, which supports all APIs except those
used by Real. Microsoft's new "video editing" tool can use all of the
video codecs, except the one used by Real. This video editor is also a
mandatory install when you put WinME in place.  Look familiar? 

I have had my doubts for some time as to the viability of Section 2, and
the further MS progresses in their blatant efforts to acquire, extend
and preserve monopoly power not just in the OS space but in the various
applications and potential cross-platform middlewares, the more I become
convinced that Section 2 enforcement has become a dog with no teeth, a
bad leg, and one good eye. 


-- 
James Love  mailto:love@cptech.org http://www.cptech.org
Consumer Project on Technology, P.O. Box 19367, Washington, DC 20036
voice 1.202.387.8030  fax  1.202.234.5176