Re: [Flightgear-devel] Microsoft ESP

[Stuart B. <stu...@ya...>]

LeeE wrote:=0A> On Wednesday 28 November 2007 12:40, Jon S. Berndt wrote:=
=0A> > This is very interesting:=0A> >=0A> > http://www.microsoft.com/esp/=
=0A> > http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,2216455,00.asp=0A> >=0A> > Jon=
=0A> =0A> This _is_ interesting.=0A> =0A> FlightGear (and SimGear), as it (=
they) are, should be ok re patents =0A> because it (they) pre-date(s) MS-ES=
P.  We might have to be careful =0A> about major re-designs or major new fe=
atures though.=0A=0A<snip>=0A=0A> The troubling thing about MS-ESP is that =
it encroaches on our=0A> 'turf', =0A it  will be proprietary in format and =
it will be tied to the MS platforms =0A> and licencing.  Hopefully though, =
it will be irrelevant to FG.=0A=0A=0AI think it is interesting, but I doubt=
 there is anything for us to worry about. In=0Afact we might feel flattered=
 that MS have followed our lead in opening up=0Athe environment to external=
 I/O ;)=0A=0AMy take on this is that ESP is simply MS opening up the FS-X e=
nvironment =0Ato new markets that want the graphical environment, but don't=
 like their FDM=0A(which isn't particularly surprising - from what I've hea=
rd the FDM isn't much=0Ato write home about).=0A=0AGiven this, we don't nee=
d to worry any more about MS patents than we did=0Abefore the announcement,=
 i.e. hardly at all. All the I/O stuff they've announced=0Ais already prese=
nt in FG.=0A=0AI think their target market is very much the big boys - this=
 is=0Aonly available under volume-licensing, so no-one is going to be buyin=
g this=0Ajust to have a play around with it. I guess what is much more like=
ly is that some=0Asimulator manufacturers will be looking at this for their=
 eye-candy rather=0Athan developing it in-house.=0A=0AAcademia is another m=
arket, but that is one in which FG should be able to =0Aoffer a much better=
 solution.=0A=0AIn fact, this might be quite an opportunity for FG - there =
is the chance to market=0Aourselves as an open alternative to MS-ESP.=0A=0A=
-Stuart=0A=0A=0A      _____________________________________________________=
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