this was a waste of time. went to nbcolympics.com to get some highlights and see that I have to plugin this Silverlight plugin to watch on a Mac. They say it’s a cross browser thing but looks more like a marketing ploy by Microsoft.
So I went to the Apple page to see what their support for it was like. They’ve got it on there, but do a very good job of concealing the Microsoft logo. It’s a funny trick by the graphics people.
Thanks for the heads up. I even restarted my computer to see if that would help it work. Nope. Toxic is a pretty good description. Even during the install they were like “oh it’s only 16MB aren’t we so cool.”
No! You’re not cool, you suck. I want to watch the Olympics in nbc.com, why the F can’t they just use Flash?
[quote=“naijeru”]It’s Microsoft’s attempt to compete with Flash. Toxic. Don’t touch it.[/quote]It’s worked fine on all three PCs I’ve installed it on (don’t know how it is on a Mac though). And I’m not aware of any particular security concerns with it. So why is it “toxic”?
[quote=“joesax”][quote=“naijeru”]It’s Microsoft’s attempt to compete with Flash. Toxic. Don’t touch it.[/quote]It’s worked fine on all three PCs I’ve installed it on (don’t know how it is on a Mac though). And I’m not aware of any particular security concerns with it. So why is it “toxic”?
Good link and the guys sure does sound knowledgeable. But if I can’t download a plugin and have it work as it’s supposed to, then I’ll think negatively of it. Rarely is it difficult to install an app on a Mac. Even if I install something that I use only once, at least I can turn it on, play with it, and then forget about 1 week later.
That’s cool it worked out for your 3 PCs, though. Can you see video on nbcolympics.com? I’m curious to know if I need to do more research to have it work on my computer at home. It might be worth it so I can watch some stuff over the weekend.
[quote=“rocky raccoon”][quote=“joesax”][quote=“naijeru”]It’s Microsoft’s attempt to compete with Flash. Toxic. Don’t touch it.[/quote]It’s worked fine on all three PCs I’ve installed it on (don’t know how it is on a Mac though). And I’m not aware of any particular security concerns with it. So why is it “toxic”?
Good link and the guys sure does sound knowledgeable. But if I can’t download a plugin and have it work as it’s supposed to, then I’ll think negatively of it. Rarely is it difficult to install an app on a Mac. Even if I install something that I use only once, at least I can turn it on, play with it, and then forget about 1 week later.
That’s cool it worked out for your 3 PCs, though. Can you see video on nbcolympics.com? I’m curious to know if I need to do more research to have it work on my computer at home. It might be worth it so I can watch some stuff over the weekend.[/quote]I just tried it. As far as Silverlight goes, it’s working fine. But NBC are trying to keep it for viewers in the US only. One of two things happen when you click on a video link:
[ol][li]A short video plays, with the text “We’re sorry, NBC is required to restrict this video to viewers within the United States.” Try a proxy server?
[/li]
[li]A dialog box asks me to enter my US zip code and TV provider. Maybe you could use a friend/relative’s details?[/li][/ol]
[quote=“joesax”]I just tried it. As far as Silverlight goes, it’s working fine. But NBC are trying to keep it for viewers in the US only. One of two things happen when you click on a video link:
[ol][li]A short video plays, with the text “We’re sorry, NBC is required to restrict this video to viewers within the United States.” Try a proxy server?
[/li]
[li]A dialog box asks me to enter my US zip code and TV provider. Maybe you could use a friend/relative’s details?[/li][/ol][/quote]
Yeah, I think the proxy server is the way to go, but I know there are security issues with anonymous proxies. I got the same issue with the login info. I did put my US address and chose the local cable provider but I assume they can see my IP and know that I’m outside of the US.
They’ve got some interesting stuff and links to some new sites. Would be great to see the closing ceremony.
Either way, I think I’ve got to bone up on this proxy server technology because with the new fall lineup of sitcoms coming out, I think I’ll try and access hulu.com as that’s where a lot of the newest content will be available.
nbc is owned (or partnered?) by microsoft so of course they use every avenue to force a new MS device into your machine.
what’s wrong with Flash? Microsoft doesn’t own it, and it’s much more widely accepted than Siverlight, so it’s only natural they would try and use something else. probably the exact reason why NBC outbid everyone else to get the rights for the online coverage.
[quote=“urodacus”]nbc is owned (or partnered?) by microsoft so of course they use every avenue to force a new MS device into your machine.
what’s wrong with Flash? Microsoft doesn’t own it, and it’s much more widely accepted than Siverlight, so it’s only natural they would try and use something else. probably the exact reason why NBC outbid everyone else to get the rights for the online coverage.[/quote]If Flash were non-proprietary, or actually technically better than Silverlight, then sure, I’d say stick with Flash.
But I really don’t see what the big problem is with this. It’s pretty common to have to install proprietary software to view/use files of all kinds. A pity in a way, but that’s the way the world works.
Of course if it were Apple we were talking about, that would be OK, right? They’re well known for being a very open, non-proprietary kind of company. I love the way that iPods work well in conjunction with any PC software; that anyone can put any applications on their out-of-the-box iPhones; and that OSX can be run directly on PCs without any workarounds…
not specifically defending Apple or Adobe here, just commenting on the fact that whenever there is a product, proprietary or not, that does a good job and has good market penetration, then Microsoft comes along and creates a different version of the same thing that doesn’t work with anything else, but finds some great way to lever it onto your machine. some call it progress, but really its business competition, and i have never liked microsoft’s business ethics or approach.
same as their so-called open-standards for browsers and internet-related software, where they sat on the standards committee, signed off on a great open standard for so much of the internet machinery and java and so on, and then as soon as they left the room, released their own non-compliant version of all that software and had the gall to criticise those who complained of microsoft treachery. just because microsoft is a big company, doesn’t mean that their product is good. a lot like Ford or GM, i suppose. brilliant business model for profit making, but lousy products behind the facade of “we’re helping you get the most of your computer experience”.
[quote=“urodacus”]not specifically defending Apple or Adobe here, just commenting on the fact that whenever there is a product, proprietary or not, that does a good job and has good market penetration, then Microsoft comes along and creates a different version of the same thing that doesn’t work with anything else, but finds some great way to lever it onto your machine. some call it progress, but really its business competition, and I have never liked microsoft’s business ethics or approach.
same as their so-called open-standards for browsers and internet-related software, where they sat on the standards committee, signed off on a great open standard for so much of the internet machinery and java and so on, and then as soon as they left the room, released their own non-compliant version of all that software and had the gall to criticise those who complained of microsoft treachery. just because microsoft is a big company, doesn’t mean that their product is good. a lot like Ford or GM, i suppose. brilliant business model for profit making, but lousy products behind the facade of “we’re helping you get the most of your computer experience”.[/quote]Regarding interoperability I think they’re learning their lesson. Apparently they’ve done a lot of work to make the browsers more standards-compliant, and I heard that Office will soon be able to save documents in OpenDocument format. And from what I’ve read so far about their recent collaborations on open-source projects, some people have been suspicious of their motives, but there’s nothing concrete that those people can pin on them.
Regarding the quality of the products, there are some really good ones and some not so good ones. Vista’s been great so far for me (have you actually tried it for any length of time?) Excel is pretty good, as is Outlook now. Lots of people like Flight Simulator. Windows Mobile is getting good now and you don’t have to jailbreak your phone to put the applications you want on it.
Adobe products are very useful, but they’re also very expensive. Apple’s really a mixed bag from what I hear. I think that right now the company is still arrogant in the way that Microsoft used to be.
[quote=“KingZog”]Personally I’m glad that Microsoft have reduced my Total Cost of Ownership through open standards like ISO OOXML [/quote]Yeah, well, OOXML probably wasn’t a great idea. But like I said, I think they’ve caught on to the fact that people might want to use the other open document XML format!
I certainly don’t “hate” Apple. I just have a sense of puzzlement. Vista and a bunch of open source software just works for me. I have a phone that I can install any software I like on (and it even cuts and pastes!) It also syncs music files with various applications on my PC. How would my life magically become so much better if I started buying into the Apple way of life?
i am not saying (here) that apple is better, or adobe is better, or whatever: i am saying that i don’t like Microsoft’s business model, in the same way that i really hate Starbucks and McDonalds. hugely succesful companies, to be sure, but they stand for everything i don’t like about corporate arrgance, bullying, homogenisation, and so on. that’s WHY they’re big companies. it’s not to say that they can’t change, and that Apple’s not a smug competitor either, just ‘why continually introduce something new that forces people to use the latest of YOUR software and YOUR operating system and cripples/ forcibly displaces/ overwrites other perfectly good software that people have been enjoying for ages?’. just because it’s new doesn’t make it necessarily any better. i far prefer my 25 year old motorcycle to my newest ones.
i don’t have a Windows box, so all i can comment on about Vista is what people have told me. notice i haven’t really bagged it apart from the parts that Microsoft calls ‘improvements’ ie locking yourself into their nanny hands and cycle of enforced redundancy. i like the fact that older Windows can be pirated, beacuse i want to see less profit for Microsoft so their dominance is broken faster. i don’t like their intrusion into the innards of my computer, or their surreptitious data gathering (i know, Google and everone else does it too, but i like google, so i’m allowing them and at the same time removing all my connections to Yahoo). i defend my right to arbitrarily admire some companies and pour scorn on those i dislike. so there.
[quote=“urodacus”]i defend my right to arbitrarily admire some companies and pour scorn on those i dislike. so there. :p[/quote]Oh, me too, definitely. Now, about those iPhone 3G connectivity problems…
I have Vista at home because it came with my new laptop. And initially I was going to nuke it and install XP, but it’s OK. A bit sluggish, though that’s supposed to get a bit better with SP1. Still it’s not XP which I thought was great.
I’ve installed Linux and it made me RAGE :fume: What the hell is wrong with those people? They should be fed to alligators for behaving the way they do.
If anyone says “Lee” or “Li” in a conversation you should immediately release the safety catch on your shotgun, so that you can kill him (and it will always be him) before he complete the Nux.
I played with Macs but they irritate me. My iPod Touch doesn’t make me RAGE, but it prefer Winamp on a PC because I can jump around the playlist easier.
It’s toxic because it’s junky technology, as the OP experienced. I gave it a fair shake when it was introduced, but the tools were absolutely abysmal. Ultimately, we really don’t need another propriety player that exists soley because Microsoft is jealous of Flash. If it were a solution to a problem then I’d have a different opinion of Silverlight, but so far it is just useless tech that further fractures the web experience. I certainly will not be supporting it on any websites I build.
So I tried it at work and couldn’t get Silverlight to work there either. And that was with an HP laptop on Windows XP (SP2), Firefox browser. Maybe will try with IE next time.
Either way, if I can’t just install the damn thing, I don’t care. It should work so I can enjoy these great benefits:
(Shown to me on the page telling me to install Silverlight, even though I’ve already installed it.)
Larger, higher definition video
Watch 4 events at once
Dynamic statistics and expert commentary
And many more great features …
If it was as user-friendly as Flash, I’d be all for it. But since this plugin has caused me to waste time without ANY benefit, I can’t help but think it’s rubbish.
