Thursday, April 12, 2001

WinXP vs. MP3s -- 8:57 am CST, Update by A.T. Hun

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that WindowsXP will not allow users to rip MP3s at higher quality levels. Here's a snip:

Under Microsoft's new restrictions -- which prevent its built-in software from recording MP3 files at fidelity rates higher than 56 kilobits per second -- MP3 music "sounds like somebody in a phone booth underwater," says P.J. McNealy, an analyst who researches Internet audio issues for Gartner Inc. in Stamford, Conn. (Existing versions of Microsoft's audio software don't allow consumers to record music as MP3 files of any quality.)

The new restrictions in Windows XP won't prevent other vendors' software applications from recording MP3 music at a higher fidelity, but early testers of beta versions of Windows XP already complain that the most popular MP3 recording applications -- which compete with Microsoft's format -- don't seem to function properly, apparently because of changes Microsoft made to how data are written on CD-ROMs under Windows XP. Microsoft says that while other software vendors' products may not be "optimized" to run with Windows XP, those products should run acceptably with the operating system.

Now whether these limitations can be worked around remains to be seen. It's not surprising that M$ would be teaming up with the music industry to limit our fair use of the music we buy. Practically everything I hear about WinXP makes me want to vomit. I will entirely go over to Linux before I buy XP. Thanks Slashdot.

The Master comments: All Microsoft is going to do is drive the hardcore to Linux-which will cost them the profits they're grasping for. We'll see how long they're willing to push this Big Brother attitude.

J.t.Qbe comments: In a perfect world stuff like this would drive a mass exodus to Linux. However, M$ has an ace up its sleeve: the game developers. Most of the hot new games are going to be released for Windows, eventually for XP only. What are you going to do? Most users will cave in and go to XP so they can have their bread and circuses. M$ knows that.

News for 04/12/2001

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