Open QT is a requirement because RealVideo has so much market share. Now, though, when people work on new applicatiosn that can use video, why not just include QT for free? It won't just be Apples player, but everywhere: Mozilla, Linux apps, etc.
Apple needs a strategic partner to switch to QT from RNWK in order to create pull for it. We all know MSNBC will switch to Microsoft's standard to force its customers to download that video browser.
Once video becomes part of the browser (an apple's support for industry standards here will help alot) QT should be unstoppable. Its the open source over proprietary victory all over again. RNWK will have to open source soon to survive, and they probably will this year because of this.
Sounds dramatic, I know, but the growth rate for open source products is amazing--giving away your player for free isn't enough anymore.
Apple's recognition of this change in the direction the wind is blowing is the biggest single sign the company is viable. Apple flubbed the opportunity years ago when they let QT (which was the leader) languish without a streaming component, and missed the whole internet thing as well. The Apple Store should have premiered at the same time Power Computing started selling boxes online.
But, better late than never!
Dragonfly |
