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Uh, We Said WHAT? (12/9/98)
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Words, words, words-- it's hard to believe that the outcome of a trial as entertaining as "Redmond Justice" could depend so heavily on semantic debates. One of the central arguments in the case is, of course, whether Internet Explorer is a web browser application, or actually just an additional function in the Windows operating system. (As far as we're concerned, the very fact that Microsoft has a product called "Internet Explorer for Macintosh" pretty much answers the question, but that's apparently just us.) Isn't it interesting, though, how in recent months, Microsoft has apparently stopped calling Internet Explorer a "web browser" and now refers to it as "browsing technology?" Really! At least, that's what a USA Today article states.
But it may be too little, too late on Microsoft's part: in the deposition of Microsoft employee Hadi Partovi, he reportedly calls IE an "application," and the government is making quite a bit over that remark. Microsoft, on the other hand, is downplaying the deposition, claiming that Partovi wasn't talking about IE and "used the term 'application process,' which doesn't mean application." Okay, whatever-- but if it all comes down to niggling about definitions, and it seems that's where all this is going, then maybe we should check a dictionary. Like, say, Microsoft's own dictionary-- the 1997 Computer Dictionary.
Well, whaddaya know? According to an Industry Standard article, in Microsoft's dictionary "Internet Explorer" is defined as a "web browser." And guess what a "web browser" is defined as? An application. Furthermore, the definition for "operating system" doesn't mention anything about typically including any kind of web browsing technology. Draw your own conclusions, folks, but no matter whose side you end up on, you've got to admit-- Microsoft having to defend itself against definitions provided in its own product is pretty funny.
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SceneLink (1205)
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And Now For A Word From Our Sponsors |
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 | | The above scene was taken from the 12/9/98 episode: December 9, 1998: Sounds like Stevie's not playing nice with little Johnny Warnock in the Seybold Sandbox. Meanwhile, Jobs spills a few choice beans about QuickTime 4.0 and the P1 consumer portable at the CAUSE98 conference, and Microsoft finds itself embarrassed by definitions in its own computer dictionary...
Other scenes from that episode: 1203: Knifed Backs & Dirty Pool (12/9/98) We apologize; it's been a while since we've had any really sleazy soap-operatic stuff show up on AtAT. To be honest, Apple just hasn't really been playing very dirty lately-- they seem to be doing just fine by building compelling products and keeping them on the shelves the best they can... 1204: CAUSE and Effect (12/9/98) In other keynote news, Jobs took his favorite position under the spotlight today as he addressed the crowd at CAUSE98, a conference dedicated to the use of information technology in higher education. And while it certainly wasn't an explicitly Mac-themed show, there was still quite a bit of juicy information to be extracted from Steve's little talk...
Or view the entire episode as originally broadcast... | |  |
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