I have not heard anything new on the NZ guy but my comment was based on a BBC World Service interview with the EU commissioners, after Microsoft lost its case on XP earlier this year. The commissioners stated they are still investigating Vista but they indicated their initial findings did not seem that MS had addressed any of the fundamental anti-consumer/competitive issues which had triggered the largest EU fine in history.The400th wrote:Rhoel, that New Zealand guy has largely been discredited now.
As for the Vista vs EU fair trade commission, you're either misinformed
The problem with HD, Vista and EU is a complex legal one, one which Microsoft has not properly addressed (I am being coy, since I do not wish to be sued for libel if I said they have clearly placed two fingers up to the EU law). In America, MS can do what the hell they like. But in Europe, there are very strong pro-consumer laws, based on reasonableness and fair use - you buy music, you have the legal right to play it on whatever digital playback you want, be it computer speaker headphones or a tin can and a taught string: Apple have had to bite the bullet on reasonable use. They have also been forced to sell its music at one pan-European price as consumners in the UK have the legal right to but music from a French retailer online at the same price. Apple previously had different price strategies for each country - they were/are facing heavy fines for getting it wrong.
With HD playback, the same law applies - I have the legal right in Europe to play HD on any damn system I care to build without MS saying I must have a MS approved card. Any anti-pirating can be done within the Blue-ray- HD-DVD player quite legally, but one the signal has left the box, MS does not have the right to feck up the signal - that is illegal. MS does not have the right to dictate I have to throw away a $5000 HD card: That is anti-competitive and anti-consumer choice. Think of Detroit building a car that only runs on Shell gasoline. You can imagine the outrage if you put BP sourced gas into your new car and the electronic ignition system cuts out saying "the fuel you bought is not type approved". That is exactly what MS are doing, electronically turning off the system when it thinks your video card is not type approved.
Of the two companies I am working with at the moment, both have implemented a Vista ban. Further, I haven't found any broadcast guys running around saying how great the o/s is. I have seen heaps of technicians running around yelling how bad it is. I spoke yesterday to a broadcast mate I've know for near 30 year (he's working network TV in the UK) - his company have just trashed their entire PC based Edit system/s and moved to MACs and FCP - they are delighted with the results and faster work-flow it MAC permits.
Its not a flame war, just reality in the broadcast world: Vista seems to be going the way of Windows ME.
If you can think of one damn good reason in favour of using Vista for film, I'd love to hear it. To date, all I have heard is how shyte it it, how xyz programs and hardware will not work with it.
Rhoel
