Comments on: Is This the End of Fair Use? http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/1747 Independent Tech News and Product Reviews from former VP and head of CNET.com and Longtime Computer Shopper Columnist, Alice Hill author of the popular "Hard Edge" column. Originally named AliceandBill.com. Fri, 09 Jan 2009 21:56:36 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: play slots online http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/1747#comment-83419 Wed, 08 Nov 2006 14:25:03 +0000 http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/1747#comment-83419 <strong>play slots online for cash ...</strong> For example rack south play free cleopatra slots online out! ... play slots online for cash …

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]]> by: Alice http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/1747#comment-2775 Fri, 02 Sep 2005 15:45:00 +0000 http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/1747#comment-2775 As one of the writers of the Hard Edge, I can't remember if Bill or I covered the sealad computer, but I do remember writing a lot at the the time about how most people are frightened of opening their computers, and as PCs became more like stereos or TVs, where you just attach things to them, the sealed concept is a non issue for the bulk of consumers. Today, that's even more true, since USB nad firewrire have created what I call the "Hydra" effect. I have so many devices attached to my PC, it's a like an octopus or Hydra with so many cables and hubs and so on. I rarely open it up anymore now that extranal drives are so handy to use. But that's a hardware issue not a DRM issue. As one of the writers of the Hard Edge, I can’t remember if Bill or I covered the sealad computer, but I do remember writing a lot at the the time about how most people are frightened of opening their computers, and as PCs became more like stereos or TVs, where you just attach things to them, the sealed concept is a non issue for the bulk of consumers. Today, that’s even more true, since USB nad firewrire have created what I call the “Hydra” effect. I have so many devices attached to my PC, it’s a like an octopus or Hydra with so many cables and hubs and so on. I rarely open it up anymore now that extranal drives are so handy to use. But that’s a hardware issue not a DRM issue.

]]> by: Jon Berg http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/1747#comment-2713 Thu, 01 Sep 2005 02:10:20 +0000 http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/1747#comment-2713 I've seen these delusional fantasies before - I remember a "Hard Edge" column in Computer Shopper when I was in College about how there were plans to seal computers so that the consumer couldn't go in and tamper with them... Yeah right! Everyone has an Achilles heel but I don't think making extremely bad business moves is Microsoft's. Think what you will, the market makes the billionaire only if the billionaire makes it for the market and eliminating fair use is definitely not in the interest of the market and therefore not in the interest of Microsoft - they don't own the planet people, they can't even afford to buy the Supreme Court so forget about it. I’ve seen these delusional fantasies before - I remember a “Hard Edge” column in Computer Shopper when I was in College about how there were plans to seal computers so that the consumer couldn’t go in and tamper with them… Yeah right! Everyone has an Achilles heel but I don’t think making extremely bad business moves is Microsoft’s. Think what you will, the market makes the billionaire only if the billionaire makes it for the market and eliminating fair use is definitely not in the interest of the market and therefore not in the interest of Microsoft - they don’t own the planet people, they can’t even afford to buy the Supreme Court so forget about it.

]]> by: John Howard Oxley http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/1747#comment-2693 Wed, 31 Aug 2005 15:20:37 +0000 http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/1747#comment-2693 The standard objection given to the idea that 'home' users convert to Linux is that they already have Windows and it is "good enough" for them. Heavy-handed DRM like this will be a powerful motivator for change. Then consider the 'unpaid' benefit businesses get by having people practicing on Windows at home, for free, in terms of overall improved OS use -- all of a sudden this freebie is gone, as the home people are using Linux. Then the business people look at the TCOs of Linux, and see that one of the major barriers, retraining costs, is substantially reduced.... It would be indeed heartwarming if Microsoft received its just reward for this. I think the computer literate probably do not fully appreciate how beneficient Microsoft appears to the 'average' user, nor does Microsoft appreciate at all the implications of suddenly ceasing to appear beneficial -- and fair use certainly could be the spark that does it. The standard objection given to the idea that ‘home’ users convert to Linux is that they already have Windows and it is “good enough” for them. Heavy-handed DRM like this will be a powerful motivator for change.

Then consider the ‘unpaid’ benefit businesses get by having people practicing on Windows at home, for free, in terms of overall improved OS use — all of a sudden this freebie is gone, as the home people are using Linux.

Then the business people look at the TCOs of Linux, and see that one of the major barriers, retraining costs, is substantially reduced….

It would be indeed heartwarming if Microsoft received its just reward for this. I think the computer literate probably do not fully appreciate how beneficient Microsoft appears to the ‘average’ user, nor does Microsoft appreciate at all the implications of suddenly ceasing to appear beneficial — and fair use certainly could be the spark that does it.

]]> by: Mel Haney http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/1747#comment-2687 Wed, 31 Aug 2005 11:54:26 +0000 http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/1747#comment-2687 Yada-da, yada-da, yada-da. . . Assuming (and I do not agree) that this scenario played out as writen, Intel would perish along with Microsoft, while Apple would become (excuse the cliche) the apple of my eye. Not gonna' happen! Yada-da, yada-da, yada-da. . . Assuming (and I do not agree) that this scenario played out as writen, Intel would perish along with Microsoft, while Apple would become (excuse the cliche) the apple of my eye.

Not gonna’ happen!

]]> by: curio http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/1747#comment-2686 Wed, 31 Aug 2005 10:47:20 +0000 http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/1747#comment-2686 I don't watch dvd's or cd's on my computer it is to uncomfortable to sit there before the computer screeen and gaze.I don't burn music cd's either because they don't play on my cd player.I am still upset over the move to control what you can and cannot do with a system that you paid hard earned cash for,I think it is totally unfair to the consumer,I won't be upgrading to Vista any time soon for just that reason,Microsoft had a loyal and dedicated user untill they sold out to the money hungry establishment,I don't think this move is a wise one for microsoft they could loose it all over this one,the customer deserves better from someone like Bill Gates that could with his power be truly inovative instead of destructive.The hollywood pack will not support microsoft in the beginning or the end of this,they will just gloat and brag on how they over powerd Microsoft,I never thought microsoft would bow to the few and forsake the wrights of the people.Fair use will survive one way or another,someone will come up with a smart interface that will work around this hardware menace created by this unneeded extream. I don’t watch dvd’s or cd’s on my computer it is to uncomfortable to sit there before the computer screeen and gaze.I don’t burn music cd’s either because they don’t play on my cd player.I am still upset over the move to control what you can and cannot do with a system that you paid hard earned cash for,I think it is totally unfair to the consumer,I won’t be upgrading to Vista any time soon for just that reason,Microsoft had a loyal and dedicated user untill they sold out to the money hungry establishment,I don’t think this move is a wise one for microsoft they could loose it all over this one,the customer deserves better from someone like Bill Gates that could with his power be truly inovative instead of destructive.The hollywood pack will not support microsoft in the beginning or the end of this,they will just gloat and brag on how they over powerd Microsoft,I never thought microsoft would bow to the few and forsake the wrights of the people.Fair use will survive one way or another,someone will come up with a smart interface that will work around this hardware menace created by this unneeded extream.

]]> by: Lockergnome's Tech News Watch http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/1747#comment-2671 Wed, 31 Aug 2005 00:03:16 +0000 http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/1747#comment-2671 <strong>Is This the End of Fair Use?</strong> By David Johnston, Contributing Writer, RealTechNews There has been a lot of fuss on the internet recently about a new partnership between Intel and Microsoft which may mean the end of fair use for consumers. I've written before about Microsoft's new... Is This the End of Fair Use?

By David Johnston, Contributing Writer, RealTechNews There has been a lot of fuss on the internet recently about a new partnership between Intel and Microsoft which may mean the end of fair use for consumers. I’ve written before about Microsoft’s new…

]]> by: David Johnston http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/1747#comment-2662 Tue, 30 Aug 2005 19:26:53 +0000 http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/1747#comment-2662 Quote from the Inquirer on the EF Platform Driver: "The concept is collectively called EF, and the one key to this all is something called the EF platform driver. It does a bunch of neato things, it will use all the horsepower the CPUs can throw at it, and a lot more. The first thing is that it will transcode content on the fly, and is officially stated as 'Transcodes content that's not supported by Digital Media Adaptor into a supported format'. Sounds cool, except the, and I mean the supported format right now is .WMV. It also can do the same for bandwidth, basically it transrates on the fly. No abject evil here, it is a good idea in every way." I just didn't include that in the article because it would further complicate and lengthen it. If people really want to know the specifics, the Inquirer article is very thorough. Quote from the Inquirer on the EF Platform Driver:

“The concept is collectively called EF, and the one key to this all is something called the EF platform driver. It does a bunch of neato things, it will use all the horsepower the CPUs can throw at it, and a lot more. The first thing is that it will transcode content on the fly, and is officially stated as ‘Transcodes content that’s not supported by Digital Media Adaptor into a supported format’. Sounds cool, except the, and I mean the supported format right now is .WMV. It also can do the same for bandwidth, basically it transrates on the fly. No abject evil here, it is a good idea in every way.”

I just didn’t include that in the article because it would further complicate and lengthen it. If people really want to know the specifics, the Inquirer article is very thorough.

]]> by: David Johnston http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/1747#comment-2661 Tue, 30 Aug 2005 19:14:41 +0000 http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/1747#comment-2661 I didn't say the SPCM did the converting. That'd done by the EF Platform Driver. I didn’t say the SPCM did the converting. That’d done by the EF Platform Driver.

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