People in Microsoft probably like dominance. Microsoft introduced the Windows Media Photo picture format - .WDP - that promises better quality and smaller file sizes than JPEG files. The format uses a new compression algorithm that, according to Microsoft, can compress photos to 1/25th their original size - without visible impact on image quality. Windows Media Photo will be supported in Windows Vista and Windows XP, officials said. Microsoft boasts that its compression technology can offer better images at half the size of a JPEG file.
Although Microsoft plans to take a huge piece of graphic media formats market, it will be a hard fight. The support in Windows Vista may be a big help though, because we all know how does the story about IE and WMP ends - millions of people use them just becuase they are “default”. Microsoft already published some closer specifications in the Word document, but it may be still just a nice try to get some attention. There were already some serious attempts to start new graphic format, mainly from competitors like Adobe, but they had ended without bigger success. New format requires cooperation of many companies, mobile phones manufacturers, web browser developers and so on, so I don’t expect bigger changes in next few years…
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