From: Mike '/m' 

On Sat, 29 Jan 2005 10:49:32 -0500, "Rich Gauszka"
 wrote:

>
>"Mike '/m'"  wrote in message
>news:qc4nv0t27pp00ucaf5df9did3h9378de8s{at}4ax.com...
>>
>> So I see that, in addition to Passport's failure, Microsoft's Product
>> Deactivation feature is one of your hot buttons.
>>
>> Good, I'll have to remember that.  :-)
>>
>> /m
>>
>> On Fri, 28 Jan 2005 21:02:35 -0800, "Rich"  wrote:
>>
>>>   Thought through what?  George's lies or yours?  Why do you think that
>>> people are concerned with your lies?   It's especially true of the
>>> enterprise where volume license agreements with no activation are the
>>> norm.
>>>
>>>   More typical mike miller lies and propagada.  What's the matter?  Are
>>> you behind on your quota?
>>>
>>>Rich
>>>
>
>
>Soon your TV may be deactivated < please enter your product key to view a
>program >
>
>SEATTLE (Reuters) - Verizon Communications Inc. will use Microsoft Corp.'s
>software technology to deliver video services over high-speed data lines,
>the companies said on Friday.
>
>
>
>Microsoft, the world's largest software maker, also has similar deals with
>SBC Communications Inc. and Comcast Corp. and is trying to spread the
>adoption of its software beyond Windows into devices for the living room.
>


The last time Microsoft tried to pry its way into the living room, it was
resoundly blocked by the cable companies who did not want to pay a
Microsoft tax everytime someone changed the channel on their cable box.

From EETimes mid-1994 or so:

===
"TCI will depend on the GI/Intel/Microsoft team to carry out true
video-on-demand services in Seattle and Denver trials in '95.  'We'll test
how Microsoft's Tiger-based server software will actually work together
with a distributed operating system -- code-named Mimosa -- in a set-top
box.' [David] Wenaas [,director of international operations of TCI] said.
===

I believe HP was also using Microsoft software in their cable boxes around
that time period.  That was also about the time I first started to hear
rumblings about what might have become WINCE.

 /m

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