So Jobs Didn't Outfox Microsoft
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News Brief. Maybe the magic of Apple marketing is half-truths. Surely, Apple CEO Steve Jobs tells no lies. Ah, right? |
File this in the You Can't Believe Everything Jobs Says category. Last week, I scolded Microsoft for letting Apple snag that deal with Twentieth Century Fox for digital copies on DVDs. Jobs made the announcement seem pretty big. Buyers of certain Fox DVDs can download a digital copy to iTunes, nicely wrapped in Apple DRM.
But in typical Jobs sleight-of-hand fashion, something was missing. Digital copies are available in Windows Media Video format, too. An Apple-only deal would have helped proliferate Fairplay DRM to even more places.
Microsoft's Sean "Addicted to Digital Media" Alexander spotted the WMV digital copy on Fox movie "Family Guy: Blue Harvest." Fox has a Web site explaining the digital copy concept, and, sure enough, WMV is the other format.
I would have missed this one, since I rarely buy DVDs. I've been renting from Netflix since February 1999. Of course, I'm assuming digital copies aren't available for rental movies, but what a steal deal they would be if available.
Comments (5)
Most of what's worth reporting about VCSY is contained in its latest 10-Q. You can find it at:
http://yahoo.brand.edgar-online.com/fetc...
This is the report where VCSY talks about its negative cash flow and how its debts are many times its assets. That report also offers choice tidbits like:
>
also
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In summary, the company has been losing money consistently. It has not paid its payroll taxes. The 10-Q also shows that the company is in default on many loans. Read it carefully. It shows in exceuciating detail why I-Man is so desperate.
Posted by Tom Berber | January 22, 2008 6:28 AM
Well, in looking at the page you link to, the it looks like the WMV file uses Plays For Sure. So that would rule out loading it on the Zune, right?
Posted by Jonathan Hoffmann | January 22, 2008 3:34 PM
I have the DVD. I believe it states it doesn't work with the Zune. Other than the Digital Copy novelty, it's not worth the money in terms of entertainment value.
Posted by Apple Abuser | January 23, 2008 10:34 AM
Joe, please ban T*m B*rger and I-m*n for the religious war in which they are engaged. This constant posting in comments about VeeCeeEssWhy is merely a way to get pagerank and google hits. As far as I can see they have both posted a comment on every recent article--the vast majority have nothing to do with whatever the heck they're selling.
Please--no one further their case by clicking on their links.
Anyone who makes financial decisions based upon comment spam is a fool.
Posted by Tanstaafl | January 23, 2008 12:37 PM
Joe;
Informative article, as many of your articles are and I enjoyed in the past to come here and read up what Microsoft is up to and to read other comments that may differ from your (keen) insight that not all the time I may agree with, but interesting just the same.
I've been coming here for a long time, a big fan of Mary Jo before she moved on -- I still read her stuf along with Adrian's.
I also understand that there are folks who come to Microsoft Watch to spew their opinions or love for other software and operating systems that are not Microsoft. I could care less. I use Mac, Ubuntu, and Solaris.
When I go and want to read about the latest happenings of these "other fellows" I go there. I may comment on this site about other systems, but I do not come here to rave and put down other folk's choice for their operating systems. I come hear to read up on the happenings at Redmond. Once again, saying this, I am fed up with the outlandish VCSY crap that seems to be choaking up the comments section to these fine posts.
I agree with the majority of others that this has become intolerable. Might I suggest doing something about it?
Just chiming in on this problem...
Posted by Douglas S. Taylor | January 23, 2008 3:33 PM