They are here! M$ and a new trick!

[Coder]

Hi,

Yup M$ is at it again. From now on companies that make camera's have to pay M$ 25 dollar cents for each sold camera. The payment is for the FAT filesystem. Also the creators of memory cards have to pay. And you have some others products that use it and will be next up.

Coder

[that_punk_guy]

Lame...

[mikeymike]

Yup M$ is at it again. From now on companies that make camera's have to pay M$ 25 dollar cents for each sold camera. The payment is for the FAT filesystem. Also the creators of memory cards have to pay. And you have some others products that use it and will be next up.

I thought it was hilarious, the article I read about it, where a supplier (who would be affected by the change) was saying it was a really good idea.  I wonder if MS waived the charge for him in exchange for his public comment.

It reminds me of a story I heard about the old days of IBM and mainframes, where they used to charge depending on how many CPU cycles were used by the customer.  Damn that would be expensive on Windows :-)

Another funny thing is that on the subject of the memory sticks - Sony have never shown any problem with ignoring a set standard if it isn't to their advantage.  They'll just create their own and carry on.  Who sells the most memory sticks?  Hmm, gee, let me think.  Sony's behaviour is obviously semi good and bad, but hey, if it screws MS I'm a fan.  :-)

[Hammer]

that_punk_guy wrote:
Lame...

What will happen to FreeDOS (MS DOS compatible)?  

[mikeymike]

MS-DOS compatible but with an incompatible filesystem? :roll:

Yes, think about it, there are wider-reaching implications in this.  Think operating system support.

[bloodline]

mikeymike wrote:
MS-DOS compatible but with an incompatible filesystem? :roll:

Yes, think about it, there are wider-reaching implications in this.  Think operating system support.

Um... Can't we cleanroom a compatible Fat12 FS?

[CodeSmith]

Microsoft rarely does anything without a good reason.  I can think of two possibilities, there's probably more:

1) The slip in the launch date for Longhorn is causing the Windows group trouble meeting internal profit quotas - this will easily solve that.
2) Yet another dig at Linux - distros probably won't be able to have the "fat" filesystem driver any more, this will cripple interop between Linux and Windows and make it harder for people to switch.  It's quite machiavellian actually - distros that pay Microsoft the driver license fee will be condemned for being in bed with them, distros that don't will only be able to r/w Linux formatted disks.

[GadgetMaster]

For those who are unaware the FAT file system was developed by Microsoft back in 1976

Forgive my ignorance but don't patents only last for 20 years ? maybe I am confusing them with something else.

Anyone with more insight?

[voytech]

It's really sick! Why people just don't want to use free software (GNU) and get away from M$ policies?? I mean, everthing is going to be "Designed for WinShit XXX". Do you know how much I had to search a driver for my canon S400 printer (now it's everywhere, but then..), it came with 2 cd's for windblows, and nothing for linux..

[CodeSmith]

Um... Can't we cleanroom a compatible Fat12 FS?

In an open source project it's going to be pretty hard to prove "cleanroom", if MS decides to sue someone.  Besides, one of the articles said that CF manufacturers have to pay a fee for each preformatted card, that means that it's the raw format that is being licensed, not the filesystem's algorithms.

[Hammer]

MS-DOS compatible but with an incompatible filesystem?

What will happen to Atari ST’s file system (I recall it was a modified version of FAT)?  

Currently, FreeDOS uses FAT.

Yes, think about it, there are wider-reaching implications in this. Think operating system support.

Perhaps similar to GIF style licensing?

[that_punk_guy]

mikeymike wrote:

Yes, think about it, there are wider-reaching implications in this.  Think operating system support.

It's very worrying. Let's just hope some new "standard" replaces FAT. It always confused me that FAT was used for EEPROM media anyway. Unfortunately rather than change things most manufacturers are probably willing to take it up the... well, y'know.

But can MS really stop people using FAT on Amigas and Linux PCs any more than they can stop people using the MS Word document format? I thought there was a loophole in copyright law allowing reverse engineering for interoperability...

[Acill]

Man thats just sad M$! After all these years and not that FAT is basicly the floppy disk standard you are going to start chatging people for it?? I tell you something needs to be done with M$ they are taking over the damn world with the $hit products they make!

On another note; what will this do to all the computers out there that can read and write to PC formated disks? Like Amiga, Mac, Apple II, C64 ect? Will they go after anyone for the cash?

[Hammer]

voytech wrote:
It's really sick! Why people just don't want to use free software (GNU) and get away from M$ policies?? I mean, everthing is going to be "Designed for WinShit XXX". Do you know how much I had to search a driver for my canon S400 printer (now it's everywhere, but then..), it came with 2 cd's for windblows, and nothing for linux..

The legacy support for applications, game and skills set would serve as a bloat achor for MS.

Linux driver ecosystem (2.4) model currently suck i.e. many of the open source authors scratching the same itch but still missing the mark.  Under guidance of Linus, perhaps it will be fix in 2.6 kernel.    

[voytech]

Just found something! M$ developped an ASSIGN command for their new windback longhorns command line interface emulator (couldn't find a better word for win shell). For how long Amiga Dos had it??