tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19798349.post5065586785791320003..comments2024-03-22T12:20:48.920+00:00Comments on open...: The Answer to Microsoft's Wrong QuestionGlyn Moodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04436885795882611585noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19798349.post-60309351395865602942007-09-28T16:04:00.000+00:002007-09-28T16:04:00.000+00:00I'm happy to agree that it's the monopoly that mat...I'm happy to agree that it's the monopoly that matters....<BR/><BR/>Part of the problem is that it's apples and pears: Real and MP3 aren't competitive, since Real is about streaming media. Real can't bleat about MP3 because it is a de facto standard; it can bleat about Windows Media, because it's not.<BR/><BR/>Another problem is that there's not a widely-used, truly open standard for streaming - is there?Glyn Moodyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04436885795882611585noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19798349.post-111717512125285572007-09-28T15:45:00.000+00:002007-09-28T15:45:00.000+00:00@Glyn: I think we just agreed with each other didn...@Glyn: I think we just agreed with each other didn't we?<BR/><BR/>Its the monopoly thing that is important not the standards. Had Microsoft used MP3 (is that a "standard") instead of Microsoft's own formats Real would have moaned just as loudly to the EU that it was being "locked" out of Windows. So, I don't think the sound/video formats themselves are particularly relevant to the complaint.<BR/><BR/>The control Microsoft has is that it owns Windows and it was using that monopoly to create a new monopoly for media players.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12916685024847207875noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19798349.post-10819974908324157222007-09-28T15:35:00.000+00:002007-09-28T15:35:00.000+00:00I think the standards *do* matter. If Microsoft h...I think the standards *do* matter. If Microsoft had adopted general industry standards, there would be no lock-in - people could switch to other media players supporting them. Microsoft would have had no control.<BR/><BR/>What the Windows monopoly did was to establish Microsoft's own media standards, over which it had absolute, monopolist control.Glyn Moodyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04436885795882611585noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19798349.post-24841808375586704282007-09-28T15:27:00.000+00:002007-09-28T15:27:00.000+00:00The standards implemented on the media player aren...The standards implemented on the media player aren't important. It is the monopolist extending its monopoly into a new business area that is the problem.<BR/><BR/>Nokia doesn't have a monopoly in phones so what it bundles with its offerings is irrelevant.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12916685024847207875noreply@blogger.com