And then they’ll be leveraging that built-in functionality to develop a built-in Windows content management system that’s integrated into the OS. For example, in Longhorn (I believe), Microsoft will be unveiling their new database-like “universal store” filesystem. If BigMegaApp locks you out of choice of components for performing small tasks because of its “black box” nature, then users ultimately suffer. I think the point is not that bundling is bad, but that massive applications are bad. …actually this is all idealic too but I hope my point was made, its never going to happen. People could begin converting to other OS’s with no fear of losing access to their data causing Windows sales to plummet. People are so pissed off and upset at Microseft yet so incredibly dependent on their software for the file formats alone, that if they were opened up to everyone then overnight everyone would switch to the many free open source apps and microsoft would never make money again. Microsoft has no reason to open its apis or file formats to its competitors. MS and WordPerfect fought for years over the file format issue and we all know who one that one. Microsoft has adopted and extended HTML, Java, kerberos, and I’m sure many other open apis. The article has it right concerning the open source problems and steps it must take to improve itself but it is rather idealistic about BESI (MS *cough*). Since file format compatibility is a necessity and everyone has set the proprietary format as the standard, it would take everyone to switch to the open standard all at the same time and leave some of their data behind in the transition because it is locked in the old standard with no way to convert or extract it to the open format. Worse, if the competitors don’t have much presence or the competitors import filters for the proprietary formats are inadequate then BESI can completely ignore them. This swallows up info written in the open format and locks it into the closed proprietary format. Similarly for open file formats, BESI can create perfect import filters for its competitors products but then omit an export feature to that format. If the open apis start to become popular then BESI will embrace that technology but then slowly start adding new extensions that are not compatible with the open standard. OSS tendency for open apis and formats allows BESI to use those to its advantage. … is that Big Evil Software, Inc has grown its empire with adopt and extend tactics. And what’s the point of bundling Windows if you’re going to be running Linux or some other OS on it? They’re just losing potential customers this way. For that money, you could get half a gig of RAM or a better graphics card. Although bundling MS Windows with a new computer is wrong unless the customer chooses that option. My take on it is that if it does not add (much) to the final cost then go ahead and bundle. Not beating anyone down here, just asking what went wrong with a superior OS?Īs for the whole bundling issue, it’s not all bad. I think I have a media player somewhere here… Oh and mmu_man wrote something cool too… And then there’s VLC but that keeps crashing…” (No, I cant really afford to buy Soundplay) Oh and BeOS was supposedly a media OS, right? So how come we have Windows and Mac OS X kids running around saying that their application X can play every format on earth, rip CDs, burn CDs, etc, etc and all you can tell them is “umm… yeah. I wont go into the commercial side though since not many people sell BeOS software anymore. And most of the free replacements are *still* unfinished. Sure, you had some very basic apps but they were not good enough. I’ve used BeOS and while the OS itself was wonderful, I always felt it to be a little lacking in the standard tools department. As for Be Inc having the right idea, you can see where they ended up.
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