rec.autos.simulators

Paul

Unfortunately, Microsoft is trying to promote IE3.0 and higher by limiting
this ability. The excuses given range from " netscape wouldn't work with us
to make it happen" to "We don't care" . I contacted Microsoft via phone AND
email on 5 seperate occasions this week about it. Honestly, I think they
are jsut being A$$h0les.

TrenT
--
CatchMeIfU................................Can

Imagine this, if you will.  You wrote / distribute a web browser and
numerous games.  Next you put up a site so that users of your browser can
meet and play thse games over the internet, for free.  Would YOU support
your competitors browser?  I would not.  You wanna use my FREE game site?
Use my browser, or go to your browsers free site.  What? They don't have
one? Ah, that's too bad.

Since IE is FREE, no additional requirements tossed in there, and Netscape
is only free if you fit in one of their catagories, what is the problem
with using IE?  I purchased Netscape, but still perfer to use IE.  Install
both of them and just use IE for your game site.  That's a Win / Win
situation.

I guess I just don't get it.  Someone sets up a site where you can play
games through the internet, and offers the service for free.  All you have
to do is use their browser.  And this makes them a$$holes?  Were you just
substituting the $$ for s's, or were you implying that they are making
money off this decision?  If so, how?  By distributing a free browser to
use on their free game site?  

Go play games on Netscapes " Netscape's *** Zone ".  What?  They don't
have one?  Those a$$holes!

Happy trails,

Robert

You're a heck of an honest guy...

--

        The point about them being ***s was the responses I got from tehm
about it. As for the fact that they dont accomodate other browsers, yeah
that makes them ***s too..... I'll just hang my " I really think
microsoft is a bunch of ***s" sign on my car door now ;) It just seems
really petty that they do it to force people to use their program, and
thats all it is, there is no real problem making something work on both
browsers, and I think I am more pissed that they haven't had the effort to
create an IE for Linux, which I would gladly use...but Ohhhh no, not
microsoft...

Companies that have this much control need to learn some humility.

Damn the Man! Down with microsoft!

TrenT

Read the fine print on the zone... it's not going to be free for long!
That's too bad.  A bit of competition for Ten would be healthy.  Guess
Microsoft isn't a bunch of Santas giving away free things afterall.  

But, lets get on to some real information... Since it is free for now

Does anyone have any data on how to make N2 work on it?  For example,
on my PPP connection do I need to have the IPX service installed, or
does it figure it out over TCP/IP?  How many players?  Which room are
the N2 players*** out in (simulators, or sports)?

Kurt

If they gave you the run-around, then yes, you could call them a bad name.
What they should have done was explain to you that this was a business
decision, that they wanted everyone to use their browser, and it didn't
make " market share " sense to add support at the IGZ for a competiors
browser.

If you were paying for the service, I might actually agree with you.  No,
that's not true, I still wouldn't agree with you.  Don't you have to use
Ten's front end to access Ten?  Or C-Serves Wincim, or Aol's front end
software to access their networks?  How is this different?

on my car door now ;)

I don't if you are aware of it or not, but there are other OS's out there.
If I thought MS was a bunch of ' A-holes ', I sure wouldn't give them my
business.  Try OS/2, or Mac.  Perhaps they will be your kind of people.

They aren't forcing you to do anything.  You don't wanna / can't use their
FREE software, stay off their FREE site.  Pretty simple.  Sounds like you
are the one being petty.

People who *** about free software need to be examined.  Go see a
doctor.

 Happy trails,

 Robert

We're sorry, but the new Zone no longer supports Microsoft Windows=AE 3.x=
;
or Apple=AE Macintosh=AE or Unix=AE operating systems, or Microsoft=AE
 Internet Explorer version 2.0 or Netscape=AE Navigator browsers.

                     If you've received this message in error, please
report it to the Zone as a bug.

In other words, buy a PC with win95 and load the latest IE or we don't
want to know about you. Sure, it's a marketing choice. However, it's not
one that's going to make people want to rush out and buy a
PC+win95+IE3.0 *just* to see what's there.

-- =

Theoretical Comp. Sci. Lab.  | X400: S=3Dballim;OU=3Ddi;O=3Depfl;
EPFL, Lausanne               | PRMD=3Dswitch;ADMD=3D400net;C=3Dch
CH-1015  (Switzerland)       | http://www.racesimcentral.net/~afzal
Phone: (+41 21) 693 52 34    | fax: (+41 21) 693 52 78

Yes you need IPX installed, up to 8 players can run, the host needs to
answer while those joining his game need to dial. I've run 4 actual
races successfully..but we get the warping effect really bad. I hosted
all four, and as yet have never been able to join a game successfully.

TrenT

--
CatchMeIfU.........................Can

=8>]

-DG-

I would not go as far as call the igz guys a-holes... but it is rather
a stupid idea to block out other browsers. While at home I use a OS/2
machine (Netscape/2 3.0) to do all my internet "commuting". I have a
Win95 machine that I use for my *** and it is setup to dial into
the net also, but I do not have a browser installed for it. I just use
it for Battle.net as of this point. But just to even see what igz has
to offer, I would have to download MSIE, install it, look over the
site, then probably delete it afterwards.

I can see where it might be required to use a certain broswer once you
"join" igz and use it. But I just wanted to find out what games were
supported and other info about igz.

I am surprised MS doesn't have a similar lock on the MSIE download
page. That would be just as stupid if you ask me.

Kev

|> >Just tried to visit The Zone for the first time (http://www.zone.com/)
|> >and they had a message that said they couldn't support Netscape
|> >Navigator 3.0 or higher for technical reasons. Are they perhaps trying
|> >to eliminate half of their potential users buy not supporting this
|> >popular browser?
|> >
|>
|> Imagine this, if you will.  You wrote / distribute a web browser and
|> numerous games.  Next you put up a site so that users of your browser can
|> meet and play thse games over the internet, for free.  Would YOU support
|> your competitors browser?  I would not.  You wanna use my FREE game site?
|> Use my browser, or go to your browsers free site.  What? They don't have
|> one? Ah, that's too bad.
|>
|> Since IE is FREE, no additional requirements tossed in there, and Netscape
|> is only free if you fit in one of their catagories, what is the problem
|> with using IE?  I purchased Netscape, but still perfer to use IE.  Install
|> both of them and just use IE for your game site.  That's a Win / Win
|> situation.

Okay, where do I get IE for my UNIX workstation?

Besides, I don't necessarily accept your argument.  For one thing,
you said yourself that the site is a free service.  That means, I presume,
that they aren't making any money from their visitors, so what difference
does it make if I am using browser A or B?  Okay, well maybe they are
trying to get people to use browser A (their browser).  Okay, but you also
said that the browser is free, so they aren't making money on that either.
So why does it matter?  And finally I would argue that so what if a company
happens to make games in one division and browsers in another.  Does that
mean that the games division has to limit their audience just because the
browser division wants them too?  Well, maybe that is what they are doing,
but that doesn't necessarily have to be the case.  In fact, the games
division may be losing revenue because of this.

I must admit I don't know anything about The Zone and who operates it.
I assume from your comments that it is operated by Microsoft.

--


IBM Microelectronics                  ICQ UIN: 216830
Burlington, VT                          Phone: (802) 769-7104 (tie 446)

I guess you are just SOL.

Exactly.  If your OS can run IE, and you want to use the Microsoft IGZ, why
not just use it?  No cost would be incurred.  As opposed to the masses that
use Netscape and did not pay for it, and do not fit into the " free "
catagories.

I apologize for being an evil person, but if I made a browser, and had a
FREE game site, you can bet you rear end that you would have to use my
browser to do so.

Gee, let's see, when I use IE, right after the page name, I always see
three little words " Microsoft Internet Explorer ".  Perhaps they like
having their name on your screen, where you have to see it.  Something to
do with free advertising for them. Or not, maybe they are just a bunch of
nice guys/gals.

Like you say, you don't know anything about the Zone, and your above
argument does not apply.  The board games that MS offers there are not, to
my knowledge, for retail sale, nor would I, or anyone I know actually
purchase them if they were.  You download the software, and it lets you
play.  The other games, C.C, Hellbender, MTM, all come with the TCP/IP
protocol built-in.  So the better, more detailed games don't even need the
Zone or IE to play. It is just a simple way of connecting people with like
interests.  Just go to a IRC server and see if anyone there want's to play.
 Or use Khan to find someone.  Easy stuff.

Don't see how, the games you can't play, you didn't pay for.  The ones you
did pay for, you don't keed the IGZ to play.

That would be a safe assumption.

On Mon, 12 May 1997 21:10:54 -0700, DJD

==Wonder how much they will charge for it, and how much lag will be
involved using a checkers multiplayer system to play N2 over.==

Kurt