Microsoft Windows Media Player for Linux?

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Thanks to Bob of ActiveWin for this one.

On page 19 of Microsoft's PDF Response to Real's Allegations: "141. Microsoft denies the allegations of Paragraph 141, except (a) admits that (i) there is a software development kit for Windows Media technologies and (ii) Microsoft has developed standalone applications called “Windows Media Player” for use with the Apple Macintosh and Linux operating systems; and (b) avers that those standalone applications are comprised of different software code and provide different functionality to software developers and end users than the media playback functionality in Microsoft’s Windows operating systems. " Proof is in the pudding.

View: Answer to Real Networks Complaint (PDF file)

News source: ActiveWin

Wind River has traditionally provided operating system software for mission-critical devices such as the Mars exploration rovers and jet fighter control panels. But as its clients become more interested in cheaper software for high-volume, low-margin business, the company said it started exploring Linux, a software which is free to use, copy, and distribute.

"Wind River brings their tools and platform to the table, Red Hat brings its services and Linux expertise to the table," said Richard Williams, an analyst with Summit Analytic Partners. "When you put these two together, it is a lot faster to provide Linux to the market."

Alameda, California-based Wind River said clients such as Nortel Networks Corp. and Lucent Technologies Inc. have asked for Linux. But its more expensive flagship VxWorks software, which is designed to be faster and more reliable, will continue to be used in areas where higher security is needed.

(3 replies) #1 freakyfriday on 24 Feb 2004 - 05:45

just make the OS more buggy if you add WMP

#1.1 weenur on 24 Feb 2004 - 05:56

How does a standalone app make the OS more buggy?

#1.2 Neobond on 24 Feb 2004 - 06:03

QUOTE (#1.1)

it doesn't but people with limited knowledge on how it all works might think it would.

#1.3 mipra on 24 Feb 2004 - 06:43

Hey hey..hey...What I have been waiting for

#2 INFERNO2k on 24 Feb 2004 - 05:55

No,

(1 reply) #3 jsuen on 24 Feb 2004 - 06:08

If you count Unix in general, its been available for ages for Solaris. And they make IE for Unix too. And it was ported by Mainsoft. Now, where have we heard that one?

#3.1 markjensen on 24 Feb 2004 - 08:31

Errrr... Mainsoft has recently 'ported' a chunk of code by "brute force" applied externally... Perhaps their last port as a Microsoft partner.

(2 replies) #4 pHuzi0n on 24 Feb 2004 - 06:09

The only way I can see this as being true is if the Mac version is able to run under linux on a Mac.

#4.1 JaggedFlame on 24 Feb 2004 - 14:00

That's not Linux, it's BSD.

#4.2 pHuzi0n on 24 Feb 2004 - 16:41

Whoop-dee-doo. BSD is a 'flavor' of unix while linux is a clone of unix. There's still a chance that the BSD app could run on linux unmodified as long as it was still on the same platform.

#5 squad417 on 24 Feb 2004 - 06:21

Hmm, that's interesting. WMP on linux? It's not like MS has to provide wmp for linux just like it doesn't have to provide office for linux.

(4 replies) #6 mipra on 24 Feb 2004 - 06:43

I am still wishing for the Lite version of Linux though

#6.1 roadwarrior on 24 Feb 2004 - 11:52

QUOTE (#6.0)

Huh??? What the F**K are you talking about?

#6.2 KXM on 24 Feb 2004 - 14:18

Knoppix much?

#6.3 EmuZombie on 24 Feb 2004 - 16:53

QUOTE (#1.0)

this has got the be the FUNNIEST comment I'v ever read on Neowin, and I've been here since the begining

#6.4 BTallack on 25 Feb 2004 - 01:15

Better crack open a can of Linux Lite.
I betcha with compression I could fit the kernel on a 5 1/4" floppy, is that lite enough?

(3 replies) #7 Tews on 24 Feb 2004 - 06:44

lol.. you ppl crack me up!

No one is going to force you to USE it.. sheesh.. this is not the end of the world, take a chill pill...

#7.1 tuxracer on 24 Feb 2004 - 08:22

It's not newsworthy because people are afraid this will cause Microsoft to take over the world. It's newsworthy because Microsoft has lied to the court. There is no such thing as Linux version of Windows Media Player.

#7.2 Wrath Delivery on 24 Feb 2004 - 09:31

Although the release says "developed" not "released". Perhaps they have actually made one and just not given it out. Useless either way

#7.3 blowdart on 24 Feb 2004 - 11:59

Is to. For embedded apps though, but it is a Linux version, done hand in hand with Intervideo.

(5 replies) #8 Rudy on 24 Feb 2004 - 06:53

that would be great because the current video playback in Linux is horrible....

#8.1 jardragon901 on 24 Feb 2004 - 07:47

Err what distro are you using? I have used Fedora, Mandrake, and now Gentoo, and have never had problems with video or audio(well with Gentoo I had to set everything up but thats just the way Gentoo is).

#8.2 Chicane-UK on 24 Feb 2004 - 11:14

You know MPLAYER is quite an awesome piece of kit.

Plays DVD's and just about any video format you can think of.

www.mplayerhq.hu

#8.3 eds on 24 Feb 2004 - 15:45

Mplayer is an awesome app. I dont think it will play any Windows Media formats though. Which is where this would come into play I think.

#8.4 rezza on 24 Feb 2004 - 15:51

mplayer can handle any format you throw at it. Lots of different AVI codecs, windows media, real media, quicktime movies, matroska and ogm container formats, etc. etc. As well as DVDs and VCDs. I have yet to find a media file which I can't play on my mplayer.

#8.5 eds on 24 Feb 2004 - 16:30

Sweet. Didnt know that. Thanks for the heads up.

(3 replies) #9 n3urotic on 24 Feb 2004 - 07:07

The OSX version runs like a dog. It doesn't play mp3/wmv/wma, it doesn't play anything on my Panther 10.3.2 period. Even after fresh reformat/install.

#9.1 roadwarrior on 24 Feb 2004 - 11:53

Hmmm, seems to work pretty well here. Same OS version.

#9.2 mr_da3m0n on 24 Feb 2004 - 12:07

It works "pretty okay" on OS X if you ask me, but it is very... crappy. It crashes randomly and doesn't play the way it should full screen in a random fashion...

#9.3 dougkinzinger on 24 Feb 2004 - 13:50

Well, what does it play?

#10 blowdart on 24 Feb 2004 - 11:58

This is not a shock, and with a little thought you'd realise why. Windows Media has been licensed for inclusion on set top boxes, including set top boxes running Linux. This does not mean you will see a stand alone player for Linux, that's very unlikely to happen as it's next to impossible to provide DRM support when anyone can change the OS code underlying the player.

Intervideo are doing the porting work, and have been doing so for some time.

So put the tinfoil away ok?

#11 Jugalator on 24 Feb 2004 - 13:57

A knee-jerk reaction might be "WTF NOOO! NO MS JUNK" since there already are mplayer for Linux, *but* it will sure be nice if you'd happen to come across something DRM'ed in the future but not want a Windows install just for that.

Assuming that version would support DRM.