Windows Advantage Validation Process On Firefox 283
GraemeDonaldson writes "According to this IE Blog entry, Microsoft seems to be serious about supporting non-IE browsers. Mention is made of a Windows Media Player plugin for Firefox. The Windows Genuine Advantage validation process now works in Firefox too. From the article: 'Basically, customers said "We want to make sure our PCs are running genuine Windows and have access to all the content on the Microsoft Download Center; the experience when we're running a Mozilla browser is not great. Do something about it." Brad's team did. I think that's a good thing for customers.'"
Brrrrrrrrr, cold here (Score:3, Interesting)
Just kidding, I am glad that this is the first positive sign that MS is taking Mozilla seriously.
Although they could have a trick up their sleeve.
First impression of this is positive though
Second impression is that they might break Firefox stuff on purpose to bring people back to IE, but that's the cynic in me.
Good news (Score:3, Interesting)
This can only be good news. Just last night, lack of ability to get downloads easily from Microsoft cost someone else (a small games publisher needing a recent DirectX version) money, as my other half and I gave up on the hassle of downloading from MS, and therefore didn't pay to download the puzzle game in question either. We both have 100% legal installations of Windows on our machines, and she was willing to pay the small asking price for a simple puzzle game she found enjoyable. Everyone lost.
Very usefull (Score:5, Interesting)
Coming next... (Score:5, Interesting)
I use firefox as much to avoid the heavy-handed control Microsoft and other corporations are trying to exert over how my PC should operate. Just now I'm noticing that macromedia is poping up an icon in my system tray! Hello?, it's a browser plugin. It should only do stuff within the browser!
Development $ Fine $ (Score:2, Interesting)
I'm not going to care... (Score:3, Interesting)
This machine has 1.25 GiB of RAM. Most of the time when I try to hibernate it -- if I've ever run anything memory-intensive, whether or not it's still open -- I get an "Insufficient resources to complete the API" error, and it doesn't hibernate. (I have about 30 GB of disk free, so that is most certainly not the issue).
There are all sorts of glaring flaws in Windows. Do I really care if I get access to the shit on Windows Update (Ooh, new version of Windows Media Player that probably still won't play oggs without me having to mess with codecs)? Not really. Security updates? Yay, I'll lose my install of Guild Wars, at worse, if someone gets past my firewall and "4dminist4t0r5" (doesn't quite sound like "r00ts", but whatever) it. All my *important* stuff is on the Linux half of this machine, and since Microsoft *still* doesn't have an ext3 filesystem driver, it's safe from the kiddies.
When Windows Update works like emerge, I might consider using it.
What?? (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Windows Media Player for Firefox on Linux (Score:3, Interesting)
an open source OS. I can't see why it should be an issue porting to linux , after
all , the only difference is in the draw-to-screen API. ANyone know why its
not supported?
Google pays a dollar for Firefox switchers (Score:5, Interesting)
I have read here [explorerdestroyer.com] that Google is paying a dollar for everyone you can get to switch from IE to Firefox. Is this true? Any Slashdotters acually made any money from this?
I'll be interested to see what Microsoft is going to do in Vista to try to spoil things for Firefox. My guess is even further integration of IE into Windows, and lots of stuff that doesn't even feel like you're using IE will actually be through their browser. Also, they're going to try to get more lock-in on the corporate intranet rather than the public web.
Mozilla Site Rendering (Score:3, Interesting)
I loaded it on both IE6 [nyud.net] & Firefox(1.0.2) [nyud.net]
Strangely, it renders very differently on the 2 browsers.
It renders much better on IE.
What's the story?
LMFAO. I haven't even installed it... (Score:2, Interesting)
Try installing Firefox/Mozilla/Whatever Mozilla-compatible browser you use in a non-standard installation folder (i.e. NOT [root]:\[Program files folder]\Mozilla [Firefox]) and try installing the plugin; it won't even ask you to look for the damn correct directory and blow up in mid-installation. XD
This is why I love Microsoft: Unsurpassable jokes every now and then. =p
Re:Yeah but... (Score:2, Interesting)
Just out of curiosity you understand..
Bingo! (Score:3, Interesting)
Just a moment ago I posted a reply elsewhere in this item. I suggested that installing Microsoft's media player plugin might open a backdoor {BARNdoor} in Mozilla/Firefox (like the one that APPLYING for Sony's rootkit uninstaller opens in IE). This would eliminate the big driver of migration from IE to Mozilla/Firefox: improved security.
I do believe you've found it.
Counting the hours to the first exploit...
Re:Coming next... (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Google pays a dollar for Firefox switchers (Score:4, Interesting)
No signs so far of further IE integration in Vista so far, at least in the most recent public October build. The November one is supposed to be out tomorrow btw. However, beta 2 (due ~January 06) will be much more interesting as it's supposed to take a leap in features. But I still don't believe there's much to fear in this specific area as they have both the DOJ and EU's knife on their throat here since quite a while ago. And they have acted before, not only by forcing them to provide an accessible UI for default browser switching, but also on the Media Player bundle.
It is always possible.... (Score:3, Interesting)
IEBlog... (Score:3, Interesting)
*ahem* Anyway, remember it's the IE7 team doing the Firefox WMP plugins and such. Yes, the same ones that fixed those nasty guillotine bugs that made web programmers' lifes become a nightmare.
So, yes, I support their cross-browser compatibility effort. Now the only thing that worries me is that windows media DRM that can run remote code on your machine.
Re:Google pays a dollar for Firefox switchers (Score:3, Interesting)
You're not going to get rich quick :)
Don't be too quick to give kudos to MS (Score:1, Interesting)
Re:Technical details (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Google pays a dollar for Firefox switchers (Score:3, Interesting)
If you are already running FireFox it will prompt you to install the Google toolbar into your current install. If you are running anything else, it will prompt you to download a version of FireFox 1.0.7 with the Google toolbar enabled. You make the money after the person has run Firefox with the google toolbar installed.