Archive of UserLand's first discussion group, started October 5, 1998.

Re: Music Player: Competition

Author:Nick Sweeney
Posted:4/30/2000; 12:12:42 PM
Topic:scriptingNews outline for 4/29/2000
Msg #:16802 (In response to 16796)
Prev/Next:16801 / 16803

Oh, that's a little harsh. It's not just a matter of competition.

  • CDDB works best if you have a permanent net connection
  • In the two years between Win98 and Win2k, the proportion of people with permanent connections in the home has skyrocketed
  • Because of this, use of CDDB has also increased greatly

    So it may not be innovation, but it's hardly an attempt to stifle competition.

    And as for your last question: well, where do you think Microsoft's R&D budget goes? Many of its ongoing projects (ClearType, for instance) have been in development for years, but MS has the wealth and strength to plan on that timescale, unlike most startups. I'm reminded of the British software house in the early 80s which held back a game for an entire year because it was so ahead of its time, and they didn't want to damage the sales of their other games...

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