Downloading the Olympics

Bill Gates Microsoft

Bill Gates is taking over the Olympics. The supposedly retired CEO of Microsoft has taken his antitrust antics to new heights with the launch of NBC Olympics on the Go. Using a dedicated video player provided by TVTonic, users can specify their viewing preferences and events will download automatically when they're available. Commuters taking public transit can even watch saved video without an internet connection.

All of this is supported by advertisements and available for free--assuming your laptop is running Microsoft Vista. Yup, not only are Mac users out of luck, but people running Windows XP will need to upgrade their operating system before they can partake.

While this may seem appalling at first glance, there are alternatives. More traditional methods of coverage of the 302 events will reach all-time highs this summer in Beijing. Through live streaming video on NBCOlympics.com and old-fashioned TV coverage on NBC, CNBC, USA and Oxygen, more than 3,600 hours of athlete profiles and national anthems are promised. The website will offer 2,200 of those hours, viewable in four different streams enhanced with all the interactive features one could ever hope for. All together, that's more hours of coverage than every previous Summer Olympics combined. And a whole lot of Bob Costas.