Re: [NTLK] [OT] Quicktime

From: Joel M. Sciamma (joel_at_inventors-emporium.co.uk)
Date: Mon Apr 19 2004 - 03:30:37 PDT


Martin,

> It's certainly not "the native format for mac". It is a complete cross
> platform development and delivery platform.

It is now but as I'm sure you will remember, it started very modestly as a
Mac only way to view animations and small movies. It has evolved enormously
since then.

> Actually there is no such thing as universal.

Oh yes there is! Find me Mac without QT.

>> The significant penetration of QT that you mention has not stopped the BBC
>> from dropping its initial QT support in favour of Real long ago.

> So? How is this meaningful?

Given the choice of how to support the viewing of its radio and TV archives,
QT got the boot by not being viewable in sufficient numbers to be worth
providing. I queried the BBC about it at the time and they told me that
while they use Macs and QT, less than 10% of their web site vistors
downloaded the QT content - so they switched to Real only for all users.

>> One that does thought it was a virus that was preventing his machine
>> from booting. (Must do the QA a bit better there...)

> Guess he needs some help then.

He's not getting it from Apple with this bug. He will be very wary of any
Apple product in future seeing it as a "contaminant".

> iTunes for one. Also, many movie trailers are initially released as
> Quicktime only.

Ah, yes, but this is QT by the back door - it rides in on the back of
another service but not in and of itself.

> Also it's rapidly being adopted by many of the largest cell phone
> vendors as a multimedia delivery system.

This might work because the phone guys are keen to keep MS out of their
space for as long as possible. I wonder if Apple makes anything from the
licensing of QT in this area or if it's a loss-leader to build "market
share".

Joel.

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