Happy Microsofting - or the end of Rondez-vous before it started
It seems as if Microsoft is taking on Rendez-Vous and wireless networking:
<a href="http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/Features/2002/Jul02/07-11wirelessqa.asp"; target="_blank">MS Press Release</a>
And I don't think they will use open standards, i.e. ZeroConf as in Rendez-Vous, nor will they lay the sources open.
I really think there needs to be a requirement to make all standards open-source and standardised via an independant organisation.
So, is this the end of third-party Rendez-Vous adaption. By-the-way, are their any products out yet or announced rather than sole commitments?
<a href="http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/Features/2002/Jul02/07-11wirelessqa.asp"; target="_blank">MS Press Release</a>
And I don't think they will use open standards, i.e. ZeroConf as in Rendez-Vous, nor will they lay the sources open.
I really think there needs to be a requirement to make all standards open-source and standardised via an independant organisation.
So, is this the end of third-party Rendez-Vous adaption. By-the-way, are their any products out yet or announced rather than sole commitments?
Comments
rondezvous is something completely different.
their stuff is going to use standard 802.11b, just like everything else.
Ringer: Microsoft has an outstanding track record of making technologies simpler, more enjoyable and more productive for people to use in all areas of their life. This is evident in the software that people use every day, from word processing and creating spreadsheets at work to accessing digital pictures, music and movies over the Internet at home. We intend to apply this expertise and vision toward wireless networking, to enhance the ways that people work and play.<hr></blockquote>
May be you should read the article again and give it a second thoght!
If Microsoft is to make (wireless) networking even simpler it will not be sufficient to deliver what everyone else does. There is enough competiton on that market already.
There certainly will be a change on the software side, too. And this is what Apple is trying to do with Rendez-Vous, isn't it?
And my point is that MS will not use open standards in accomplishing this goal but to tie more and more users to its own propriatory ones.
<a href="http://news.com.com/2100-1033-958540.html"; target="_blank">Microsoft unveils networking hardware</a>
More specifically, out of the article:
[quote] Microsoft believes the software provided with its home networking products will distinguish them from competitors' offerings.
For example, the MN-500 wireless hub can automatically detect Internet service provider (ISP) settings that a consumer would normally have to input manually. Once a standard feature on ISDN broadband routers, the "autodetect" function has not been widely adopted for either wireless or wired routers--an advantage Microsoft hopes to exploit.
The setup process also takes advantage of Microsoft's knowledge of its own operating system to automatically configure a PC to use a wireless base station.
Another setup feature involves the Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP), which is used to protect data transmitted over the wireless network. Most base stations support 40-bit and 128-bit WEP security, but not necessarily turn on the feature by default. This has led to a proliferation of unprotected wireless networks that anyone can access either for free Internet access or hacking. <hr></blockquote>
Based on that, there's really not that much that it's offering over its competition outside of a marginally simpler setup... and it's a tad more expensive than current networking hardware. Nothing particularly interesting, just seems like they're testing the waters to see what other forms of additional revenue they can get.
<strong>For example, the MN-500 wireless hub can automatically detect Internet service provider (ISP) settings that a consumer would normally have to input manually. Once a standard feature on ISDN broadband routers, the "autodetect" function has not been widely adopted for either wireless or wired routers--an advantage Microsoft hopes to exploit. </strong><hr></blockquote>
Now hold on just a second. My Asante Router can detect my ISP settings and will configure automatically. And it can configure all the other computers on the network. It's called DHCP! <img src="graemlins/bugeye.gif" border="0" alt="[Skeptical]" /> What makes this any different? (Or is it Micro$oft's own version of DHCP)
<img src="confused.gif" border="0">
keyboards/mice. standard hardware add-ons. ms doesn't really want to dominate in hardware, not enough margins and it all ends up a commodity. they make the stuff, but it's not like software where they seek and destroy.
rendevous, IIRC is creating an auto-detecting opensource standard to detect computer, printers, phones and the like. (including bluetooth connections) it's a standard to allow computers to connect to accesories, not the 'net.
well heck, if you want to get more info about it, just go <a href="http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2002/sep/10rendezvous.html"; target="_blank">here</a>
[ 09-22-2002: Message edited by: Eugene ]</p>