The News Review:
- Time for Apple to face the music?
- Presentation Added to Google Docs
- PowerPoint-like software also added
- RedHerring.com — The Business of Technology
Time for Apple to face the music?
BBC News – Sep 19, 2007
The court found that Microsoft had abused its monopoly power in pushing an embedded Windows Media Player out with Windows XP and Vista and that the lack of detailed technical information about the programming interfaces and data formats for Windows Server products was an illegal barrier to competition. Both rulings will have significant implications for other cases before the commission including those against chipmakers Intel Rambus and Qualcomm who can all expect to be questioned further under EU rules concerning the abuse of market dominance. Microsoft has been a target for a long time. The court case resolved this week concerned a judgment made four years ago about a complaint filed in 1998… If Apple was serious about building a music industry around downloads and digital devices then it would open up its devices and interfaces to allow greater innovation and greater competition. It would have faith in its own products to compete in this larger ecosystem instead of trying to lock everyone in with tactics that resemble those of IBM in the days of the mainframe. I wrote a presentation this morning using Microsoft’s PowerPoint but displayed it using Apple’s Keynote. Apple can sell Keynote because it took PowerPoint apart and figured out how the files work. Had Apple been unable to do so or found that every time it figured out what was happening Microsoft changed the format it would have complained loudly. Yet this is exactly the technique it is using against third party jukeboxes. And it is time it stopped.
Presentation Added to Google Docs
Techtree.com – Sep 19, 2007
Reportedly starting today the application named ‘Google presentation’ has been added to Google Docs. Using this application users can create Web-based presentations as well as view and update them from any Internet-connected PC anytime. Similar to what Microsoft’s PowerPoint offers ‘Google presentation’ users will be able to create presentations including series of slides with text and graphics on them. Users will be able to manage and share presentations with colleagues by sending simple email invites to the latter. This would enable them together edit online in real-time or contribute at different times to the same presentation online. In addition users will be able to present and control slide shows over the Web without any additional software and simultaneously chat with viewers via integrated chat. Google Docs is a Web-based platform for creating sharing storing and publishing documents; and it now includes capabilities for word processing spreadsheets and presentations.
PowerPoint-like software also added
China Post – Sep 19, 2007
has expanded its online suite of office software to include a business presentation tool similar to Microsoft Corp. ?s popular PowerPoint adding the latest twist to a high-stakes rivalry.
RedHerring.com — The Business of Technology
Red Herring – Sep 19, 2007
17 as the official beginningof the end for Microsoft?s dominance. Two separate events signaled the shift;one was the European Union court?s harsh ruling against Microsoft itselfcharging that the world?s No. 1 software maker had abused its monopoly power toharm competitors. The verdict was expected ? and showed that Europeanbureaucrats had more courage than the U… Most users could care less about operating systems he saidbut they wanted to run Microsoft ffice to be compatible with everyone else. It is no surprise then that Google has gone after Microsoft by providing anever-expanding list of online office applications that include a wordprocessor a spreadsheet a calendar ? and soon presentation software tocompete with PowerPoint. thers have been chipping away at the office marketthat provides 40 percent of Microsoft?s revenues. Sun has also distributed itsversion of pen ffice a suite of apps developed under the open source modeland therefore improvable by users that is also the basis of IBM?s offering. Microsoft fully loaded with smart guys has not ignored thedangers that free online apps pose to its dominance. The company has thrown afull court press at the open office movement which wants to set standards fordocument formats.