|
|
User Controls
|
New User
|
Login
|
Edit/View My Profile
|
|
|
|
ActiveMac
|
Articles
|
Forums
|
Links
|
News
|
News Search
|
Reviews
|
|
|
|
News Centers
|
Windows/Microsoft
|
DVD
|
ActiveHardware
|
Xbox
|
MaINTosh
|
News Search
|
|
|
|
ANet Chats
|
The Lobby
|
Special Events Room
|
Developer's Lounge
|
XBox Chat
|
|
|
|
FAQ's
|
Windows 98/98 SE
|
Windows 2000
|
Windows Me
|
Windows "Whistler" XP
|
Windows CE
|
Internet Explorer 6
|
Internet Explorer 5
|
Xbox
|
DirectX
|
DVD's
|
|
|
|
TopTechTips
|
Registry Tips
|
Windows 95/98
|
Windows 2000
|
Internet Explorer 4
|
Internet Explorer 5
|
Windows NT Tips
|
Program Tips
|
Easter Eggs
|
Hardware
|
DVD
|
|
|
|
Latest Reviews
|
Applications
|
Microsoft Windows XP Professional
|
Norton SystemWorks 2002
|
|
Hardware
|
Intel Personal Audio Player
3000
|
Microsoft Wireless IntelliMouse
Explorer
|
|
|
|
Site News/Info
|
About This Site
|
Affiliates
|
ANet Forums
|
Contact Us
|
Default Home Page
|
Link To Us
|
Links
|
Member Pages
|
Site Search
|
Awards
|
|
|
|
Credits
©1997/2004, Active Network. All
Rights Reserved.
Layout & Design by
Designer Dream. Content
written by the Active Network team. Please click
here for full terms of
use and restrictions or read our
Privacy Statement.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Time:
16:38 EST/21:38 GMT | News Source:
MSOffice Pro |
Posted By: Viper |
Microsoft has announced their decision to cancel the launch of smart tags, a software feature that was to be included in the Windows XP. This decision follows criticism that smart tags would redirect users to Web sites chosen by Microsoft. "This will not affect Office XP at all," said Anders Brown, Lead Product Manager of the Microsoft Office Developer and Solutions Group. "In fact, we'll continue to invest in developer resources for smart tag development. This does mean, though, that recognition won't occur natively in Internet Explorer 6. But developers can still create the smart tag HTML markup by hand and distribute smart tag DLL's if they want to, using the Smart Tag SDK." Brown stated that smart tags will still work when Office XP is running on Windows XP. The report said the smart tags won't appear in the version of Windows XP or in the latest version of its Internet Explorer Web browser. Smart tags would have allowed Internet Explorer to turn any word on a Web site into a link to Microsoft's sites and services, or to any Web site that it chose.
|
|
#1 By
182 (Unknown)
at
7/7/2001 7:37:00 PM
|
I really wouldn't mind if somebody (other than JaggedFlame) would engage their BRAIN before posting on here.
They do not remove WPA because WPA, whether anyone LIKES it or not, makes more money for MS by reducing piracy.
Removing Smart Tags, if people don't like it, reduces sales, so they removed it.
|
#2 By
116 (Unknown)
at
7/7/2001 11:35:00 PM
|
I for one think WPA is the "killer feature" in Windows XP. Its about time MS starts trying to protect my investment. Its not fair for me to make an investment in technology when someone else is just going to rip it off for free. If you don't like it then by all means don't use it...
RA
|
#3 By
182 (Unknown)
at
7/8/2001 4:14:00 AM
|
JaggedFlame, I find that you are one of the most intelligent people who post ActiveWin. Most of the postings I find on here, as with most places in response to tech news, fall into one of the following categories:
1) Show an absolutely total lack of any understanding of business computing from the user's end.
2) Show absolutely total lcak of any understanding of Microsoft's ultimate goal (make money), and/or the reality that *ANY* company would do in Microsoft's market situation EXACTLY what Microsoft itself does.
3) Are so fundamentally wrapped up in their own perspective that they cannot see how anything which they don't like might be of benefit to MILLIONS of other users. Smart Tags are an excellent example of this.
4) Don't have the faintest idea what they're talking about because they don't even know what the issue is. WPA falls into this category in that most people don't know what the parameters are for Windows XP because it hasn't been finalized yet. Smart Tags are another example; people haven't actually played with them so they assume things about them that are not true. And the whole "XP sucks" when it hasn't even been released yet.
I'm getting really tired of it, but intelligent posts like yours keep me coming back.
In closing, two things.
1) You're right to correct me. I meant that the public PERCEPTION of Smart Tags would reduce sales. You also rightly point out that a half-assed implementation of them would only frustrate people.
2) WPA won't alienate nearly as many people as you all think it will, because most people will never run afoul of it. Geeks are frightened by it because it keeps them from pirating software and/or inconveniences them when they do their inevitable upgrades. Most of Micorosft's customers don't do the latter, and will put up with the former.
|
#4 By
182 (Unknown)
at
7/8/2001 4:15:00 AM
|
PS
How do you insert effective carriage returns into this POS dinky small text box to post?
|
#5 By
2 (Unknown)
at
7/8/2001 12:35:00 PM
|
15, I removed that per your request
|
#6 By
182 (Unknown)
at
7/8/2001 4:52:00 PM
|
Serious question.
*WHY* will anyone in Microsoft's core business target market refuse to buy Windows XP on the basis of WPA? For that matter, why will a large percentage of home users refuse to buy Windows XP?
And once you answer that question, there is this one. What will they use instead? Do you *REALLY* think that any significant percentage of those who buy a new Dell computer after October 2001 are going to wipe their HD and install 2000 or 98SE? And don't even talk to me about Linux. It's not even close to ready for any significant percentage of desktops.
Lastly, do you think Microsoft are a bunch of idiots? They are the *ONLY* company in the history of the computer to be able to dominate two different paradigm shifts (to PC's and to the Internet) in the business computer market. They are not unaware of the backlash that WPA will create, but they are aware of one overriding fact, because they've researched it; WPA itself will not be a factor in the purchasing decisions of 99% of the people in the market for a new OS in the next two years.
|
#7 By
2 (Unknown)
at
7/8/2001 5:23:00 PM
|
21 - Anonymous users will not be able to post in the forum.
|
#8 By
116 (Unknown)
at
7/8/2001 5:27:00 PM
|
As to people commenting on the lack of carriage returns I say bah. I think it would be good for everyone to learn a little html.
If you want to add a carriage return use <br>
or you can enclose your statements in the <p> tag. Like so:
<p>I am a <p> tag.</p>
|
#9 By
182 (Unknown)
at
7/9/2001 10:18:00 AM
|
Actually, specifically I asked why "anyone in Microsoft's core business target market" refuse to buy Windows XP on the basis of WPA.
I hadn't thought of your point, I will admit. And while WPA has been received by pretty much no one (including myself) with welcome, I see it as primarily an annoying footnote in most reviews, not a blaring "Don't but XP because of WPA.". In addition, because you won't have a choice from most vendors after October, (certainly 9x will be off the shelves, with NT and 2000 soon to follow in the OEM market) I still don't see this hurting MS sales all that badly.
As for whether it's worth it? That I cannot say without the kind of market research that a company like MS has already done. They've piloted this program three times, IIRC. To misquote you "better brains than ours" think it's worth fighting now.
Time will tell.
|
#10 By
182 (Unknown)
at
7/9/2001 10:27:00 AM
|
Well, according to MS, WPA is targeted at the IRC hackers, newgroup hackers, business ignoramuses, and home proles alike.
According to MS, no one has yet cracked the algorithm for creating a WPA key. Now, they may have disabled the WPA feature itself, but MS is also aware of that and will have a solution in place.
That being said, do I think WPA will remain uncracked? Not a chance. But it will make it more difficult, and the IRC/newsgroup warez crowd isn't cost MS much anyway.
Where MS loses money is, as you say, in the casual home user installing his OS on multiple systems at home and/or giving it to his friend to install. And as you say, this will prevent them from doing so, for the most part. Certainly many will still be able to find the hacks and cracks and keygens, but most will not.
Where MS loses most of its money, however, is in companies that don't know or don't care how MS licensing works. They install MSDN versions of products for production purposes, they install products on systems which are not licensed, and they can do it on a hundred thousand PC's and no one is the wiser. Heck, I did it myself until I found out the actual licensing stipulations. WPA will enforce this on IT departments, and MS will benefit.
But how will this affect the purchasing process?
I don't think it will in any very strong manner. Certainly a small percentage will avoid it on this basis, but considering that you can call MS and get a key that unlocks all 10,000 MS Office installations you have, it's not a significant inconvenience at all. The only place that I see WPA impacting sales is if the geeks who are the admins (not IT managers) fall into one of the four categories of AW/ZDNN Talkback morons get the ear of the IT managers and fill their heads with the same doomsaying FUD (there, I gave in to it...I finally broke down and used that fad word) that The Register puts out, then we might see a backlash. But I don't think a big one.
I could be wrong. Time will tell.
|
|
|
|
|