MS, IBM, Apple, EFF and DTB [was : TIS, SKE, & CyberCash Inc.

["Pat Farrell" <pfarrell@netcom.com>]

  tcmay@netcom.com (Timothy C. May)  writes:

> - The latest "Internet World" (Oct. '94, p. 11) confirms that
> Microsoft is building Internet connectivity into upcoming releases of
> Windows and Windows NT.
              ^^^^^^^^^^ this one, at least has been released
and should be at your local computer store RSN. I've been on the NT
beta test, and it is really nice. The built in SLIP/PPP will massivly
increase the number of real internet hosts.

It is easy to use and robust. They don't ship Cello/Mosaic, but that
is trivial to add.

> (The scenario I think is likely: SKE is put in at the OS level,
> perhaps with these SLIP/PPP/TCP-IP protocols.
>
> And given the EFF's recent sell-out on Digital Telephony (which is of
> course related to this, especially since the OS makers like Microsoft
> and Apple are negotiating deals with the cable-telco companies, thus
> presumably making the OS makers partners in the "wiretapping"
> requirements), I would not be surprised to see similar deals being
> arranged behind the scenes.

Much more than working deals, Microsoft wants to be an Internet Serivce
Provider (ISP), much like Apple and IBM have recently become. IBM's new
OS/2 has a "one button" signon/configuration onto their service. Apple has
been bundling eWorld for a while.

But I don't see Tim's OS-oriented collusion.
The EFF sell out clearly focused on defining service providors and then
excluding then, specifically, from the burden of DTB. Doesn't look
like they like GAK any more than Tim or me.

Pat

Pat Farrell      Grad Student                 pfarrell@cs.gmu.edu
Department of Computer Science    George Mason University, Fairfax, VA
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