Microsoft didn't build it, but now they want it

[Fatchops]

So MS wants to be like Apple and Google where you have to buy everything through their store? Apple and Google don't get called evil for forcing everyone to use iTunes or Play to buy apps so MS is just hoping they can get a cut of revenue for every purchase whenever someone buys an app for Windows. While I don't like the idea, I can't say I'm surprised.

 

[SSgt Dickweed]

It might take me about a week to fully understand the topic of this thread, lol.

 

[Rod1]

The fact that Microsoft-- one of the last holdouts-- is signaling this is precisely the motivation for the article.

They didn't come off as the good guys. You clearly misread what I wrote. There are no "good" guys. There are no white hats. You're the only one that appears intent on presenting one of these companies as such. You sound like you work for Microsoft.

I don't need to guess. I explicitly made a point of observing the fact that everyone is migrating towards walled-garden environments, or has already adopted them. That is the source of my forlorn tone.

You utterly and completely failed to comprehend the central theme of my thoughts.

You clearly made Gabe Newell as some kind of hero, shunned by all and then proven right in the end with Steam just to have evil Microsoft come and try to steal the goodies.

Seriously, Microsoft is the last one on the picture to go for such system, this is just relic hate for microsoft for the monopoly they had in the 90s, like those that claim Steve Jobs was some sort of nice guy and not a corporte ruthless individual.

 

[Rod1]

Its not just that Microsoft wants their own app store right? Microsoft has the power to kill other companies, like Steam, in the process. How is that even legal? Basically Microsoft is targeting Steam and specifically killing them. Surely there has to be lawsuits on the horizon?

Microsoft has that power because Windows is popular, you dont like it, then make your own OS like Apple and Google.

 

[KreamPuff]

This article written by nerds smarter than me seem to think Sweeney is an idiot.

http://arstechnica.com/information-...microsoft-will-use-windows-10-to-break-steam/

I also doubt M$ will ditch win32 and make millions of programs obsolete just so they can create a walled garden.

 

[Rod1]

This isnt the 90s anymore, we have high power internet and computers at the price that anyone can afford.

We can have multiOS systems without having to open the case as opposed when i had to manually set disks as masters and slaves by shuffling the jumpers.

If Microsoft loses the edge Windows has which is a lot of programs by constraining start-ups then someone else will pick the tab.

If Windows becomes unbearable then Microsoft risks losing that platform to competition.

 

[ObsoleteSoul]

I work for them, so I would be a shill if I gave my opinion, but it's sad to always see the hate when they do a lot of great things for the world. They are not unlike 90% of the market, which always wants the same thing.

 

[Scott Parker 27]

It sucks, but it's the way the software market is going now. It's not the fun wild west days of PC's anymore.

 

[Rod1]

Spare me your condescending, affected anti-alarmist drivel, etheist. You didn't even accurately comprehend what I wrote until I handed you the Cliff Notes.

The increasing concentration of wealth, and control over communication & IP isn't a trivial matter. The hastening global oligarchy isn't a trivial matter. Here it is framed as concisely as possible within the sill of a concrete paradigm shift of the monopolistic global desktop OS.

That theme predated cyberpunk. The significant development is that it is no longer fiction, unfortunately.

All disruption will stem from the Chinese (who don't generate any valuable software IP and monolithically block western attempts to protect it). So even the underdog isn't a comfort.

"How dare corporations create products that we like and then decide to make a profit out of it by controlling its distribution!!!"

At the end of the day you are talking about software, there are no physical limitations to consumers, this is not the same fight as with ISPs who can physically control the market.

The reason Linux aint that popular is because people like their OS to be supported by a big company that will standarize things and provide easy to consume products.

Its not like you have to manually compile drivers for Linux anymore.

 

[Rod1]

It sucks, but it's the way the software market is going now. It's not the fun wild west days of PC's anymore.

Really? with internet as fast as today its even more of a wildwest since anyone can distribute any software globally without any issues.

 

[Pixelated Porn]

Spare me your condescending, affected anti-alarmist drivel, etheist. You didn't even accurately comprehend what I wrote until I handed you the Cliff Notes.

The increasing concentration of wealth, and control over communication & IP isn't a trivial matter. The hastening global oligarchy isn't a trivial matter. Here it is framed as concisely as possible within the sill of a concrete paradigm shift of the monopolistic global desktop OS.

That theme predated cyberpunk. The significant development is that it is no longer fiction, unfortunately.

All disruption will stem from the Chinese (who don't generate any valuable software IP and monolithically block western attempts to protect it). So even the underdog isn't a comfort.

The new generation just does not give a fuck. They don't give a fuck about this. They don't give a fuck about the constitution. They don't give a fuck about any decent music or entertainment. they do not give a fuck about art.

 

[Scott Parker 27]

Really? with internet as fast as today its even more of a wildwest since anyone can distribute any software globally without any issues.

A buddy turned me on to this though. I had never heard of it before now. Also, yes, it was the wild west back in the day. It wasnt that hard to download whatever software you wanted even on a slower connection because, well, the software file sizes were not too large. Hell, you could just search for example, "photoshop for free" from a search engine and get results that wouldnt be pulled for up to a year. It wasnt policed like it is today.
https://chocolatey.org/

 

[JosephDredd]

I've got my word processor. I've got photoshop. Pretty sure I can use Ubuntu and tell Microsoft to go fuck themselves.

My editing suite is still Mac, however....

 

[Rod1]

A buddy turned me on to this though. I had never heard of it before now. Also, yes, it was the wild west back in the day. It wasnt that hard to download whatever software you wanted even on a slower connection because, well, the software file sizes were not too large. Hell, you could just search for example, "photoshop for free" from a search engine and get results that wouldnt be pulled for up to a year.
https://chocolatey.org/

The only thing that its argueably harder to find is the really illegal stuff like child pornography or terrorist manuals.

When i was 13-14 years old i looked for 13-14 years old girls pics (because looking for older women would be weird pubescent me) in mIRC, that was insane.

Music was incredibly hard to get and movies were absolutely impossible.

Games were not really that small, Quake 2 was i think 200MBs without music or videos while the internet was 56Kbps so it was still like downloading 30 gigas on a 10Mbps connection, and back then of course it used the phone line which also costed money.

Plus there was no way to ensure you were actually downloading what you thought you were downloading, that Quake game engine could very well be someone bestiality porn collection under that name.

There was nothing comparable to torrents when it comes to piracy and nothing comparable to the deep web for illegal things, of course survellaince is greater today for the serious illegal stuff but that doesnt affects the vast majority of people whose illegal activities concern downloading the latest episode of an HBO series.

When it comes to distribution of course there is no comparison, digital distribution is the norm today, even among start ups.

 

[Rod1]

Its ridiculous to assume that oppression in the internet is going to come through software, its not.

As long as you can assemble your own PC and as long as the internet companies are net neutrality is a thing, then whatever the software companies conspire is going to be meaningless

Thats why im not scared of Microsoft as opposed to Apple, because Apple has its own hardware and its own standards.

 

[Scott Parker 27]

The only thing that its argueably harder to find is the really illegal stuff like child pornography or terrorist manuals.

When i was 13-14 years old i looked for 13-14 years old girls pics (because looking for older women would be weird pubescent me) in mIRC, that was insane.

Music was incredibly hard to get and movies were absolutely impossible.

Games were not really that small, Quake 2 was i think 200MBs without music or videos while the internet was 56Kbps so it was still like downloading 30 gigas on a 10Mbps connection, and back then of course it used the phone line which also costed money.

Plus there was no way to ensure you were actually downloading what you thought you were downloading, that Quake game engine could very well be someone bestiality porn collection under that name.

There was nothing comparable to torrents when it comes to piracy and nothing comparable to the deep web for illegal things, of course survellaince is greater today for the serious illegal stuff but that doesnt affects the vast majority of people whose illegal activities concern downloading the latest episode of an HBO series.

When it comes to distribution of course there is no comparison, digital distribution is the norm today, even among start ups.

LOL, you don't get it. Seeing if what you downloaded was actually beastiality or not was part of the fun. Like opening a gift at christmas, not exactly sure what you were going to get. Hell, I remember ordering the anarchist cookbook and peoples old medications over ebay. Good times!

 

[greygoose]

If you replace the word Microsoft with any other company/conglomerate, you'd have typical capitalism. I can envision them buying Steam and incorporating it into their platform just like every other large company does when they acquire superior technology compared to their inhouse product. On a side note, Steam digital distribution isn't a bad idea, but that platform has fucked my interest in pretty much any PC game/series I used to play

 

[jabba the punk]

Great post. Next time just add an introductory paragraph so that I may judge whether or not to keep reading. But seriously, good read.

 

[ehtheist]

So MS wants to be like Apple and Google where you have to buy everything through their store? Apple and Google don't get called evil for forcing everyone to use iTunes or Play to buy apps so MS is just hoping they can get a cut of revenue for every purchase whenever someone buys an app for Windows. While I don't like the idea, I can't say I'm surprised.

YU NOT COMPREHEND ME GENYUS WORDS.

 

[Hoof Hearted]

Must be quite satisfying to leave a company, set up a new business and have that company buy the business from you for humongous amounts of money.