Microsoft and AOL...

[ardvark71]

Hi all....

http://www.registerguard.com/web/bus...oogle.html.csp

Any thoughts?

Regards...

[Goeroeboeroe]

I'm not happy at all with this news. I've read on different places it are patents about things like cookies, SSL, JavaScript, etc. Very fundamental things.
Firefox is built on top of Netscape. Maybe there's still code in it that has to do with this patents.
If it is really true among these patents are fundamental things about JavaScript etc, I think Mozilla, Opera, Apple, Google, etc. are going to get a hard time. It could mean Microsoft has patents about everything that has to do with surfing, streaming media, etc., etc.

[GreyGeek]

These royalties can add up: Analyst Pierre Ferragu at Sanford Bern*stein estimates that Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC Corp. pays about 10 percent of its revenue to license patents from other companies.

Apple and Microsoft ganged up on Motorola in the EU (thus attacking Google indirectly for its MMI) and in the process whine about the license fees they would have to pay:
http://www.investorplace.com/2012/04...aapl-mmi-goog/

What is at the heart of the MMI patents that Apple (and Microsoft) are so upset about? The patents cover a range of technologies related to wireless 2G and 3G communications, as well as video compression for online and wireless use. Microsoft and Apple argue that these are “essential” patents; under EU law, a company that owns patents to technology that is required in order to meet industry standards must make them available to rivals at a fair price. MMI is asking for 2.25% of net sales per unit as royalties.
In Apple’s case, with a base iPhone 4S going for $649, that represents $14.60 from each handset going to MMI; with four million iPhone 4S phones sold on the device’s opening weekend last year, Apple would have been signing over $58 million of the proceeds to Motorola. Apple feels that nearly $15 per handset (or 3G equipped iPad) is excessive. That royalty would shave roughly a tenth off Apple’s industry-leading 25% profit margin in mobile devices. Microsoft may have it worse, claiming in a Seattle courtroom that MMI’s demands would amount to a payout of $4 billion yearly from sales of its Xbox game console (of $8.9 billion in sales in 2011).

Meanwhile, even though whining about potential IP license fees to MMI.....

Microsoft is collecting royalty payments from a range of Android phone makers including HTC and Samsung, with the HTC deal worth a reported $5 per device. Goldman Sachs thinks Microsoft will end up scooping up $444 million in revenue from its Android patents in 2012. Ironically, that’s roughly what Apple and Samsung alone are estimated to havespent on legal fees during their ongoing legal brawl.

Or, put another way, Android license fees paid to Microsoft for an OS it did not write (Linux) has reimbursed it for advertising MS spent on WinPhone7, which has less than 2% market share.

[Guest]

I have never really used AOL since there is no need for me to, nevertheless, it was curios to read the article, and I understand those who are disappointed with the news.

[oshunluvr]

AOL started to die when the internet really opened up - like in the early 90's. This transaction will result in a plethora of new law suits over the next few years.

IMO, this signals the beginning of the end for Microsoft. Clearly this is the only way they have left to make money. They stopped innovating after Windows 3.3 and since then their primary work has been focused on getting new fees via incompatible "upgrading" - for the most part for no real benefit to the consumer - and lawsuits. Hopefully, as the rest of the world moves away from their products, some new tigers in the US Justice and Commerce Departments will get together and try and make a name for themselves and break them up or at least curtail their monopolistic behavior.

I think a well written book or two on them plus a couple real manuals on how to install and run linux could do some damage. I've considered testing out a beginners linux course here in Long Beach through our Adult Education section of Parks and Rec. just to see if there is any real interest. Unfortunately, I'm too busy at the moment.

[ardvark71]

They stopped innovating after Windows 3.3 and since then their primary work has been focused on getting new fees via incompatible "upgrading" - for the most part for no real benefit to the consumer - and lawsuits.

Hi...

No innovation since 3.3? Pre-Windows 95? Wow....

I've considered testing out a beginners linux course here in Long Beach through our Adult Education section of Parks and Rec. just to see if there is any real interest. Unfortunately, I'm too busy at the moment.

That would be pretty cool when/if you found the time.

Regards...

[oshunluvr]

No innovation since 3.3? Pre-Windows 95? Wow.... ::

I was using OS/2 by then and Apple had the Mac interface, both of which were better then than WinXP+ is now. Just my opinion of course.

[woodsmoke]

oshunlover....

I was home ported in Long Beach back in the late sixties/early seventies...an old WWII "can"....loved the "Pike", now gone, the sound of Pachinko machines....and that wonderful carousel with real wooden horses...

the library....spent many, many pleasant afternoons there..... loved playing CHECKERS with the world class players in the "Senior Center" that was on the "left" as one faced the front of the library....

Learned to play Bocce from a REAL bunch of "Italians" down at the park by the beach...

The "median" running down the main drag with palm trees that were decorated with Christmas Tree lights during Christmas...

Great Place....great place...really....

anywho...

oshunluver wrote:

OS2 etc...

The Commodore 64 had the GEOS operating system which was a COLOR version of the Mac and had real time drag and drop, just amazing how many really GOOD things got hijacked, deflected, misdirected, or otherwise sidelined..

couple real manuals on how to install and run linux could do some damage.

SURELY there is a combined IQ of the "regulars" at the forums that is AT LEAST equal to the "combined IQs of Sheldon Cooper and Leonard"....(in joke there), so that the denizens of this forum could write such a couple of such manuals....

really!

woodsmoke

[Ole Juul]

AOL started to die when the internet really opened up - like in the early 90's. This transaction will result in a plethora of new law suits over the next few years.

I just looked up AOL on Wikipedia (yes I had to) and I'm still not clear on what they do that could have any meaning to my computing and internet experience. I was also just looking at a 3-1/2" floppy from them (I collect such memorabilia) and fondly remembering their offerings. Those were very useful because you could reformat them and that would be worth 50 cents. Later they went to distributing CDs which you can't reuse. I think that was their downfall. If they had kept to using floppies they would have been more useful and people wouldn't have forgotten about them as fast.

IMO, this signals the beginning of the end for Microsoft. Clearly this is the only way they have left to make money.

Hopefully they'll go back to distributing free floppies. That would be innovative.

They stopped innovating after Windows 3.3

So no floppies then. Bummer.

and since then their primary work has been focused on getting new fees via incompatible "upgrading" - for the most part for no real benefit to the consumer - and lawsuits. Hopefully, as the rest of the world moves away from their products, some new tigers in the US Justice and Commerce Departments will get together and try and make a name for themselves and break them up or at least curtail their monopolistic behaviour.

I liked MS products, but when they started selling Windows, I found I could no longer do things my way and I just didn't have whatever it takes to swallow that one. When I first saw their Windows 3.1 TOS, I realized they really didn't want me to do it my way. Somehow MS and I never really could see eye to eye.

I think a well written book or two on them plus a couple real manuals on how to install and run linux could do some damage. I've considered testing out a beginners linux course here in Long Beach through our Adult Education section of Parks and Rec. just to see if there is any real interest. Unfortunately, I'm too busy at the moment.

A book would be a good idea. I am amazed at how many people don't know what's been going on. There's lots of dirty material that would make a book sell. You may be a tad early with the Linux courses though. It's hard to tell, but it's getting close. Someone has to start, and I think it would be a wonderful thing. I wish you the best and encourage you to do that.

[SteveRiley]

Dude...apologies in advance...but I just couldn't resist!

I liked MS products on floppies, but when they started selling non-floppy Windows, I found I could no longer do things my way on floppies and I just didn't have whatever it takes to swallow that floppy-less one. When I first saw their Windows 3.1 TOS not on a floppy, I realized they really didn't want me to do it my floppy way. Somehow MS and I never really could see eye to eye about these floppies.

[Ole Juul]

Dude...apologies in advance...but I just couldn't resist!

I actually just got some new 5-1/4" DD (360K) disks for vintage use. I think they're great fun.

[ScottyK]

Back in my Air Force days (mid- 90's) I delivered many EPR's (Enlisted Performance Report) to the commander on AOL floppy disks. The AOL had been scratched out by a sharpie marker and someone had written "EPR" instead.

For a while nobody was buying floppy disks, we would just get them out of the mail.

[ardvark71]

Hi all...

Hmm...this is an interesting development.

Regards...

[GreyGeek]

...

the arrangement amounts to an agreement between Facebook and Microsoft not to sue each other over any of the AOL patents

Watch, I'll wager that before the end of the year they will sue Google for IP violations. But, if Google's purchase of Motorola is completed (which MS and Apple are fighting tooth and nail) then Google will have ship load of cannons to fire at them.

[SteveRiley]

Uh, anyone up for some Famicerobosookft?

No?

Didn't think so.