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October 1, 2004
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http://eletters.eweek.com/zd1/cts?d=79-1168-20-37-22237-131833-1
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In This Edition
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David Coursey:
1, Microsoft Takes Its Courtroom Knocks
2. And Microsoft Wins One
3. Should Security Warnings Always Be Free?
4. C3 Expo: Fools Rush Into New York?
5. CA Fee Supports CRT Recycling
6. A Favor, Please?
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David Coursey
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Microsoft Takes Its Courtroom Knocks
Microsoft's legal battles were all over the news this week.
I've decided it doesn't much matter what happens in the
European Union's fight with Redmond, which went into court
this week in Luxembourg. Microsoft is asking for the
proposed penalties to be delayed while its appeal winds its
way through legal process.
As for those penalties, the $613 million fine sounds like a
lot of money, and it is. Unless you're Microsoft. As for
requiring Microsoft to offer a version of XP minus Media
Player, I can't imagine an OEM that would actually ship it.
When faced with legal trouble, a delay almost always works
in Microsoft's favor. That's because by the time a case is
settled the technology or business practice in question
exist only in the distant past. Business takes no prisoners
and there is no rewind button on technology. All this is
just fine with Microsoft.
Delaying the case may also keep the Euro regulators off
Microsoft's back for a while, which is reason enough to
appeal. But even if Microsoft eventually loses or must face
the penalties, nothing will actually change.
It must be really depressing being a prosecutor going up
against Microsoft.
For more on this, read my column.
http://eletters.eweek.com/zd1/cts?d=79-1168-20-37-22237-131836-1
On another legal front, I am not sure what to make of
Microsoft losing on its FAT patent claims. My first thought
is that FAT doesn't do much in my life anymore as all my
Windows boxes are on NTFS. I can't tell from what I have
read whether the two are closely related patent-wise. I am
not sure this is terribly important, but I will be
interested if someone what's to convince me that it is.
Microsoft's FAT Patent Rejected for Now
http://eletters.eweek.com/zd1/cts?d=79-1168-20-37-22237-131839-1
Microsoft's Trials
http://eletters.eweek.com/zd1/cts?d=79-1168-20-37-22237-131842-1
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And Microsoft Wins One
Microsoft did actually win one this week, a patent battle
over the Smart Tag technology that Walt Mossberg of the Wall
Street Journal single-handedly defeated a few years ago.
Smart Tag technology automatically creates hyperlinks to
words and characters (like stock symbols) in a document or
spreadsheet.
Microsoft Wins Office Patent Case
http://eletters.eweek.com/zd1/cts?d=79-1168-20-37-22237-131845-1
It was originally part of Internet Explorer, adding
hyperlinks onto Web pages the user was viewing. While I
usually agree with Uncle Walt on just about everything, I
didn't understand why he just about came unhinged in a
column about Smart Tags.
His concern was that Microsoft could hijack all the world's
Web pages by adding its own Smart Tags leading back to
Microsoft and its partners. I never believed that would
happen because MS just isn't that stupid.
Still, all that came down in 2001 at a time of maximum
paranoia about Microsoft's plans for the Internet and
people's personal information. Microsoft ended up backing
down on all fronts, which is sad because the company
actually had some good ideas. I like what Smart Tags can do,
though whether they will ever get back on Microsoft's front
burner is hard to tell.
Meanwhile, Smart Tags continue to be used in Office XP in
some very interesting ways.Most people don't know that there
are third-party Smart Tags available and that programmers
can create their own. The information on this can be found
by searching the Microsoft Web site.
Complete tasks quickly with Smart Tags in Office XP
http://eletters.eweek.com/zd1/cts?d=79-1168-20-37-22237-131848-1
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Should Security Warnings Always Be Free?
I wrote a column this week about whether vendors can
ethically charge for "premium" notification of security
threats. Read the piece and see how I managed to come down
on both sides of the issue.
Coursey: Security-Threat Basics Shouldn't Be 'Premium'
http://eletters.eweek.com/zd1/cts?d=79-1168-20-37-22237-131851-1
Rapoza: Shame on Those Charging for Early-Warning Systems
http://eletters.eweek.com/zd1/cts?d=79-1168-20-37-22237-131854-1
Coffee: Fair Market Needed in the Info Economy
http://eletters.eweek.com/zd1/cts?d=79-1168-20-37-22237-131857-1
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C3 Expo: Fools Rush Into New York?
Back during the heyday of Comdex Las Vegas I had buttons
printed that variously said "I'm Skipping Comdex" or had the
word Comdex superimposed under the red circle and slash
symbol indicating "no" on international signage. Comdex had
grown too large to be very useful, sort of like the Consumer
Electronics Show is today.
I found that I could skip Comdex and be none the worse for
it. In fact, I even had a little mailing list of PR and
marketing people senior enough to send their flunkies to the
show while staying back in the office themselves.
This is a far cry from the Comdex's of the mid-1980's to
early-1990's that were so exciting, so interesting, and so
much where things happened that you absolutely had to
attend. Computer shows aren't nearly what they used to be.
This year we are without Comdex and other once-mighty shows
are on life support. CeBIT America, the show that was
supposed to replace PC Expo over the summer in New York was
a misfire. Nevertheless, there will be another try for a big
show in New York City, this one called C3 Expo. Making it a
success will be a tough task.
Read my assessment.
http://eletters.eweek.com/zd1/cts?d=79-1168-20-37-22237-131860-1
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CA Fee Supports CRT Recycling
I am happy to see California's Governator sign bills that
should encourage the recycling of old monitors and cell
phones. This stuff is seriously hazardous waste and needs
to be handled properly. Adding $6-$10 dollars to most
monitors doesn't seem too much to solve the problem of
getting rid of our old TV sets and other CRTs. Of course,
how the state will collect from Internet merchants remains
to be seen.
But the new laws don't go far enough. We need something to
encourage the recycling of all rechargeable batteries,
especially the Lithium-ion cells that we've all started
using. People need to understand that rechargeable batteries
never belong in landfills. Maybe a recycling surcharge help
keep these hazardous items out of the environment when they
are no longer needed.
California to Step Up CRT, Cell-Phone Recycling
http://eletters.eweek.com/zd1/cts?d=79-1168-20-37-22237-131863-1
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A Favor, Please?
If you like this newsletter, please take a moment to share
it with a couple of colleagues. Word-of-mouth is the best
promotion and I would really appreciate your help in letting
people know what I am up to. See you next Friday! (Or before
when you visit http://eletters.eweek.com/zd1/cts?d=79-1168-20-37-22237-131866-1 or
http://eletters.eweek.com/zd1/cts?d=79-1168-20-37-22237-131869-1 .)
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David Coursey's first computer industry event was the final
Office Automation Conference, held in 1985 in Houston. He
then went on to the final National Computer Conference later
that year in Las Vegas. Remember these events? Just want to
comment or ask a question? Drop him a line.
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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