Comments on: Me and Microsoft, Part II http://factoryjoe.com/blog/2006/02/03/me-and-microsoft-part-ii/ This can all be made better. Ready? Begin. Tue, 02 Dec 2008 16:00:15 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7-RC1 hourly 1 By: Chris Messina http://factoryjoe.com/blog/2006/02/03/me-and-microsoft-part-ii/comment-page-1/#comment-2049 Chris Messina Sat, 04 Feb 2006 22:02:53 +0000 http://factoryjoe.com/blog/2006/02/03/me-and-microsoft-part-ii/#comment-2049 Daniel, I think you might be right w/r/t music DRM, but in the case of DVDs, I think DRM is very much an important part of <strong>Hollywood's</strong> strategy to control media distribution. With music, at 99 cents a song, you're not making a whole lot -- I've heard around 27 cents. Not that bad, but it's not like the markup on DVDs. And the only way to keep selling DVDs is to control both the means of playback and the formats in which said media is transferred. ...Hence the whole issue with Microsoft's Media Center (and soon to be the iMac Media Center)! Daniel, I think you might be right w/r/t music DRM, but in the case of DVDs, I think DRM is very much an important part of Hollywood’s strategy to control media distribution.

With music, at 99 cents a song, you’re not making a whole lot — I’ve heard around 27 cents. Not that bad, but it’s not like the markup on DVDs. And the only way to keep selling DVDs is to control both the means of playback and the formats in which said media is transferred.

…Hence the whole issue with Microsoft’s Media Center (and soon to be the iMac Media Center)!

]]> By: Daniel http://factoryjoe.com/blog/2006/02/03/me-and-microsoft-part-ii/comment-page-1/#comment-2047 Daniel Sat, 04 Feb 2006 15:18:51 +0000 http://factoryjoe.com/blog/2006/02/03/me-and-microsoft-part-ii/#comment-2047 Hum... I don't think it's really in the Hollywood & Record Industries intrest that DRM is still being pushed. After all DRM is not halting piracy. DRM is just preventing users from having freedom of choice as to what channel they use to purchase the media. It's the DRM owner and distributor that profits. Since people have invested so much in products (content and hardware) that use Apple's DRM, Apple has an assured flow of sales and greater negotiating powers with the content providers. They can maintain high prices on what they charge for distribution. Technology should allow the content providers to massively slash prices on distribution, but DRM has allowed the distributor(s) to keep these prices artificially high. The genius of the tech companies has been to maintain the illusion to the content providers that DRM is necessary to protect them, while at the same time convincing the consumer that the content providers will not be convinced to sell any content without DRM. Hum… I don’t think it’s really in the Hollywood & Record Industries intrest that DRM is still being pushed. After all DRM is not halting piracy. DRM is just preventing users from having freedom of choice as to what channel they use to purchase the media. It’s the DRM owner and distributor that profits. Since people have invested so much in products (content and hardware) that use Apple’s DRM, Apple has an assured flow of sales and greater negotiating powers with the content providers. They can maintain high prices on what they charge for distribution. Technology should allow the content providers to massively slash prices on distribution, but DRM has allowed the distributor(s) to keep these prices artificially high. The genius of the tech companies has been to maintain the illusion to the content providers that DRM is necessary to protect them, while at the same time convincing the consumer that the content providers will not be convinced to sell any content without DRM.

]]> By: Peter Mogensen http://factoryjoe.com/blog/2006/02/03/me-and-microsoft-part-ii/comment-page-1/#comment-2046 Peter Mogensen Sat, 04 Feb 2006 11:05:34 +0000 http://factoryjoe.com/blog/2006/02/03/me-and-microsoft-part-ii/#comment-2046 Is Apple to blame !?!? I never understood why anybody would buy that argument. I would expect MSTF folks to see through the(thier own) lies. Let's see... Both have proprietary DRM. Apple has a player for Windows. Where is the WMA/DRM player for MacOS ?!?! Ok... so MSFT has an API for those who want to build WMA/DRM into other players. But isn't that just a interface to MS-code doing the work? Have they ever documented the codec/protocols for anyone? No matter how "open" they would like you to think they are... don't you still have to use MS software to play the data? Is Apple to blame !?!?

I never understood why anybody would buy that argument. I would expect MSTF folks to see through the(thier own) lies.

Let’s see… Both have proprietary DRM. Apple has a player for Windows. Where is the WMA/DRM player for MacOS ?!?!

Ok… so MSFT has an API for those who want to build WMA/DRM into other players. But isn’t that just a interface to MS-code doing the work? Have they ever documented the codec/protocols for anyone?

No matter how “open” they would like you to think they are… don’t you still have to use MS software to play the data?

]]> By: Connor MacBook http://factoryjoe.com/blog/2006/02/03/me-and-microsoft-part-ii/comment-page-1/#comment-2042 Connor MacBook Sat, 04 Feb 2006 04:15:22 +0000 http://factoryjoe.com/blog/2006/02/03/me-and-microsoft-part-ii/#comment-2042 Actually I think Apple's success is because its DRM is relatively liberal. I mean, you can burn up to seven unprotected audio CDs from a playlist (and then make unlimited copies of the CDs). Actually I think Apple’s success is because its DRM is relatively liberal. I mean, you can burn up to seven unprotected audio CDs from a playlist (and then make unlimited copies of the CDs).

]]> By: Celerate http://factoryjoe.com/blog/2006/02/03/me-and-microsoft-part-ii/comment-page-1/#comment-2040 Celerate Sat, 04 Feb 2006 02:20:06 +0000 http://factoryjoe.com/blog/2006/02/03/me-and-microsoft-part-ii/#comment-2040 The funny thing about blaming Apple for DRM is that it reeks of dodging the issue. If Microsoft took the higher moral ground and fought DRM they would actually have more appeal than Apple. I'd say one of the reasons Apple is having success over Microsoft in the portable media player market is large part because people trust Apple forcing DRM on users more than Microsoft doing the same. Personally I wouldn't trust any company imposing DRM on me. The funny thing about blaming Apple for DRM is that it reeks of dodging the issue. If Microsoft took the higher moral ground and fought DRM they would actually have more appeal than Apple.

I’d say one of the reasons Apple is having success over Microsoft in the portable media player market is large part because people trust Apple forcing DRM on users more than Microsoft doing the same. Personally I wouldn’t trust any company imposing DRM on me.

]]> By: Brian Del Vecchio http://factoryjoe.com/blog/2006/02/03/me-and-microsoft-part-ii/comment-page-1/#comment-2036 Brian Del Vecchio Fri, 03 Feb 2006 15:32:41 +0000 http://factoryjoe.com/blog/2006/02/03/me-and-microsoft-part-ii/#comment-2036 Thanks for calling MSFT (and maybe Allchin personally) on "Apple did it!". For the last few years I've been thoroughly disgusted by the music industry's attempts to keep the stranglehold they've put on things. I hoped that if we all held our breath for long enough, the old media firms would just burn to the ground on their own, and something new and useful would spring up in its place. Something that didn't suck. Now I realize that unless Apple, MSFT, Google, and Yahoo all hold their breath, and deny SONY et al the special priviliges that they enjoyed under the old ways, it's not going to hapen. What we're seeing instead is AGYM competing amongst themselves to lead the old monsters safely into the new world. Steve Jobs will be a hero for leading the music industry out of the desert and into the promised land. Oh, and Disney, too. OK, that may be inevitable at this point, romantic delusions about Google's non-evilness aside. What's really depressing is how powerful old media is in DC, how likely it seems that they will get special dispensation from Congress to make the new world in the image of the old. The EFF is a fairly small voice, and anyone who stands up for digital rights is painted with a radical brush by those who benefit from the status quo. The only effect I can have at this point is to teach my children that Hollywood sucks, the music industry sucks. They think they own art and culture, but they kill everything they touch. The only solution is to make your own punk rock. Thanks for calling MSFT (and maybe Allchin personally) on “Apple did it!”.

For the last few years I’ve been thoroughly disgusted by the music industry’s attempts
to keep the stranglehold they’ve put on things. I hoped that if we all held our breath
for long enough, the old media firms would just burn to the ground on their own, and
something new and useful would spring up in its place. Something that didn’t suck.

Now I realize that unless Apple, MSFT, Google, and Yahoo all hold their breath, and deny
SONY et al the special priviliges that they enjoyed under the old ways, it’s not going to
hapen. What we’re seeing instead is AGYM competing amongst themselves to lead the
old monsters safely into the new world.

Steve Jobs will be a hero for leading the music industry out of the desert and into the
promised land. Oh, and Disney, too.

OK, that may be inevitable at this point, romantic delusions about Google’s
non-evilness aside. What’s really depressing is how powerful old media is in DC, how
likely it seems that they will get special dispensation from Congress to make the new
world in the image of the old. The EFF is a fairly small voice, and anyone who stands
up for digital rights is painted with a radical brush by those who benefit from the status quo.

The only effect I can have at this point is to teach my children that Hollywood sucks,
the music industry sucks. They think they own art and culture, but they kill everything
they touch. The only solution is to make your own punk rock.

]]> By: Tara 'Miss Rogue' Hunt http://factoryjoe.com/blog/2006/02/03/me-and-microsoft-part-ii/comment-page-1/#comment-2035 Tara 'Miss Rogue' Hunt Fri, 03 Feb 2006 15:28:34 +0000 http://factoryjoe.com/blog/2006/02/03/me-and-microsoft-part-ii/#comment-2035 Ah Jake...dontcha know that the newest Coldplay CD is seriously riddled with blocks and barriers? Can't play it on your computer and in various types of stereos. This means that CDs are soon to fall prey to the whole DRM, turn-our-computers-against-us syndrome as well. T. Ah Jake…dontcha know that the newest Coldplay CD is seriously riddled with blocks and barriers? Can’t play it on your computer and in various types of stereos. This means that CDs are soon to fall prey to the whole DRM, turn-our-computers-against-us syndrome as well.

T.

]]> By: jakedahn http://factoryjoe.com/blog/2006/02/03/me-and-microsoft-part-ii/comment-page-1/#comment-2034 jakedahn Fri, 03 Feb 2006 13:20:48 +0000 http://factoryjoe.com/blog/2006/02/03/me-and-microsoft-part-ii/#comment-2034 Well I definatley think that Microsoft could make a major difference in the DRM world. If they were against it... It wouldn't be around! Although I generally don't have problems with DRM, mainly because I just buy the cds. It doesnt have DRM (at the moment, till someone else pulls a Sony) Big deal it takes a little longer to drive to the store to buy the damn cd, but you dont have to worry about DRM. But yes I agree that it shouldnt be around and that it is crippling the way things work. Well I definatley think that Microsoft could make a major difference in the DRM world. If they were against it… It wouldn’t be around!

Although I generally don’t have problems with DRM, mainly because I just buy the cds. It doesnt have DRM (at the moment, till someone else pulls a Sony) Big deal it takes a little longer to drive to the store to buy the damn cd, but you dont have to worry about DRM.

But yes I agree that it shouldnt be around and that it is crippling the way things work.

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