Win XP -- an ominous news article

[bellgamin]

I found the following article about Win XP while surfing the news...
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"In addition, Microsoft is extending to Windows XP a new technology that could give the company some control over consumers' access to sites, content and services on the Web. The feature, known as Smart Tags, would strengthen Microsoft's ability to tie its newest applications and operating systems to its own Web sites or others that it favors, including those that charge fees. Microsoft introduced Smart Tags with Office XP, which the company launched May 31. But the software maker also is testing Smart Tags in the version of Internet Explorer 6 included with Windows XP."
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I don't really understand what the article is talking about, but it sounds pretty ominous to me.

Your comments/clarification would be appreciated.

Aloha,
Bellgamin

[sheila]

My understanding, is that through the XP line, MS intends to generate an ongoing stream of income ($$$).

For instance, with WindowsXP, you will not "own" the operating system. It will be licensed to you for a period of time. And when that time is up, you will have to pay for it to be renewed.

At least, this is what my better half told me.

[PaulKroll]

What it means is, and this is as-I-understand-it, not as-I've-experienced-it, is if the word "Microsoft" appears in a document that Office XP touches, there can automatically be a link to Microsoft's home page. Likewise with whatever list of words and phrases MS cares to include/incorporate.

The scary/ominous part is, of course, when you type "free e-mail" and suddenly it becomes a link: then you check, and find that Word or Frontpage has auto-linked your text to Hotmail.com.  Not that you can't change it back, of course: maybe even edit the Smart Tags associations as you please. But most people won't: tens of thousands of documents that otherwise would not have had links to any MS service, will now have such links. Then, of course, the subtle cascade effects kick in: the more pages link to a site, the higher that site ranks in many search engines.

It's brilliant, I'll give them that. There are some smart people working at the 'ol monopoly...

[PaulKroll]

Sheila's correct, but that's seperate from the Smart Tags.

Of course, you don't own the software you buy NOW, according to the license, but they've never before said "you not only don't own the rights to it, but now you can only use it for a year and then you have to pay another fee". I can only hope this meets consumer resistance, because otherwise, Win2K is the last Windows I'll be buying.
[This message has been edited by PaulKroll (edited 06-10-01@4:16 pm)]

[sheila]

Yes, that Smart Tags thing sounds like something I would turn off, if I were using MS Word.

Sounds like I'll be using LaTeX more and more.

As for consumer resistance: Most consumers who use computers will probably be completely unaware of the licensing change. They will purchase WindowsXP completely unaware that it will stop working after a certain date. (I work with people who "upgrade" just because it's the "newest version" without doing any research into whether there are any upgrade issues or anything like that.) Then, after their year (or whatever the licensing period is) goes by, and their computer stops working, all their data will be on that machine, and they will have to pay the renewal fee to access it. And they will pay, while grumbling, because they need their data. The second time this happens to them, they will just accept it and go along, since it already happened once before.

Windows is too ubiquitous and people don't know how to switch to a different operating system. I bet you that MS wins on this one. I bet you that shares in publicly traded Linux vendors go up right about the time that the first copies of XP start expiring.

Yes, Win2K is the last OS I will buy from MS as well, unless this little licensing scheme of theirs gets nixed.

[dank]

Hmm, this is rather disturbing news.  I suppose we can start guessing what XP really stands for...  My vote is for eXponential Pricing.  

Dan

[robpitt]

WindowsXP <snip> will be licensed to you for a period of time. And when that time is up, you will have to pay for it to be renewed.

I'm an MSDN member and have been testing XP and yet have heard nothing of this. I imagine its just one of the many false rumours about XP.

Microsoft are definitely looking into "pay-as-you-go" licenses but I know of no plan for introducing them just yet. When they do come allong they will represent better value for certain groups of customers.

Regards,

Rob

And my smiley for the day is...

[Bob]

You may be interested in this Article, that appears to more fully document "Smart Tags"
http://www.zdnet.com/anchordesk/stor...771967,00.html

Not that I would ever be accused of being a Microsoft Supporter, you do have to give credit where credit is due, and the bottom line is, Microsoft has captured the Desktop PC market, and that's nothing to "Sneeze" at.

Have a Good One
Bob

- Hmmm.... "Smart Tags" + "Microsoft" ? An Oxymoron If I ever heard one -

[Dunx]

And then there's this story about MP3 recording being removed from WinXP:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/19603.html

I'd call it sinister if it wasn't so obvious...