There is a very important point for people to realize. There really isn't any good reason why Microsoft would want to win this case. For them, it would be much better to not support plug-ins, so their competitors plug-ins are screwed e.g. Real Player, QuickTime, Flash, Java, etc. Since Microsoft has IE there is no reason why Windows Media Player has to be a plug-in; it could just be integrated directly into IE itself.
-Matt On Saturday, September 13, 2003, at 12:45 PM, Jim Davis wrote: >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Jochem van Dieten [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] >> Sent: Saturday, September 13, 2003 7:51 AM >> To: CF-Talk >> Subject: Re: No so good news >> >> Jim Davis wrote: >> >>> No problem. It's just that some people are taking this as an "MS >>> finally gets theirs" situation when the ramifications are >>> (unfortunately) really much larger than that. >>> >>> I'm waiting for the definition of "browser" to come up - any > hyper-text >>> system (CD ROM encyclopedias, help systems, computer assisted > training, >>> etc) may be affected by this. >> >> Any hypertext system capable of network operation is affected by >> it. The text of the patent is quite clear (and entertaining). >> >> >>> I fully expect it to be thrown out in a higher court >> >> I don't. The only conceivable reason for it being thrown out is >> prior art. I fully expect Microsoft to be capable of finding >> that, so I presume it doesn't exist. > > Actually I remember an IBM presentation from the mid 80's (after laser > discs hit, but before CD ROMs). They demonstrated the "teaching > computer" using "Ulysses" as the example: > > The system (made up of, I believe several IBM computers and two laser > disc players) would allow the user to "interact" with the story. They > could read passages, then click a passage and see a short movie of it > from the laser disc. Words could be selected for definitions, names > for > profiles, etc. > > It was primitive compared to the web of today of course, but definitely > hypertext and definitely launched external players. > > A video tape of the demonstration was used by an old boss for folks new > to Intermedia Services (my old department)... perhaps I should try to > track her down... > > However there is also the possibly that it will be thrown out as too > broadly applicable. > > Jim Davis > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm?link=t:4 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm?link=s:4 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.4 This list and all House of Fusion resources hosted by CFHosting.com. The place for dependable ColdFusion Hosting. http://www.cfhosting.com
