Palladium

[robinturner]

Once upon a time, palladium was a rather obscure metal used for filtering hydrogen and in mountain bike components. Now it's the new Microsoft deathstar:
http://www.theregus.com/content/4/25415.html

Comments

[ex-elgecko29.livejournal.com]

I know, I read about it yeasterday and it really dampened my spirits.

I just hope R2 find Obi Wan in time...

[solri.livejournal.com]

Looking on the bright side ...

1. It could be one of Microsoft's many "innovations" that crash and burn, or at least fizzle out. Remember the Microsoft Network? Active desktops? Windows ME? .NET and Palladium could go the same way, especially since the PC software market is not terribly healthy at the moment. Most people only upgrade when they have to, and each new OS has fewer buyers - for example, I only know one person who uses Windows XP, and there are still a lot of PCs running Windows 3.*!

2. Even if hardware companies support it (which is by no means certain, given the recent spat Intel had with Microsoft and their growing interest in Linux) and even if a substantial numbwer of customers buy it, it could be a fatal error for Microsoft. MS only preserve their monopoly by successfully creating pseudo-standards like the Word .doc format. If they split their fiefdom into Palladium and non-Palladium, they lose that claim to be "standard".

[ex-elgecko29.livejournal.com]

Actually the Microsoft Network was re-engineered and is now offered with nearly the same zeal out here as AOHell.

I personally have more motivation now to buy AMD rather than Intel now, as well as seek out non-TCPA compliant hardware.