Comments on: Week in review: Gates' farewell to CES troops

Bill Gates gives his "last keynote" at CES and tech is no front-runner in New Hampshire. Also: The decline of DRM.

[drwillow]

May DRM Rest in Peace...but....

I am very happy the DRM is going away. It inhibited users from general "fair use" activities like moving music from one device to another. It also protects the ability to retain the music as technology changes.

However, I'm not opposed to watermarking. I am opposed to music sharing which is real theft. It is too bad the our current society seems to have the belief that "if I can copy it, it is free for all."

[Too Old For IT]

"The data wants to be free"

This old Richard Stallman mantra has already caused a marginalization of thought, as print authors find their work spread around the internet for free (this despite copyright and digital rights) and musicians find their life?s work on some kid?s iPod "for free".

"Give music away for free" will never work, as long as musicians and authors and software developers still want to live with a roof over their heads and eat on a regular basis.

As a print author, I've told my agent that "digital rights are withheld" until publishers can figure out a way to account for EVERY copy out there, and make sure that I get the same royalty fee for a digital copy as a print copy.

[The_Decider]

Theft?

Copyright infringement is not theft.

You can not steal a digital file.

I am also opposed to copyright infringement, but calling it theft makes you look like an RIAA shill or just plain dumb.

[fokwp]

Can't wait

"the ability to connect practically all electronic devices to the Internet" -

Neat, pretty soon my refrigerator will part of a botnet.

[wbenton]

Misleading if you ask me...

>>>his software company has now shipped 100 million copies of Windows Vista.<<<

Yes, they've shipped 100 million copies... but there ARE NOT 100 million users out there.

What's happened is that he's shipped 100 million out to all of the Microsoft sales outlets around the world.

Try to buy a PC today with WinXP Home or PRO installed... YOU just won't find one.

But if you look at Vista... it still has both hardware and software (especially games) compatibility issues and bugs galore.

Very few people really want it, but they're forcing it down your throat regardless of whether you want it or not.

So if you count ALL of the dead stock sitting on the shelves of all of the outlets which sell Microsoft products around the world... you may end up with that number.

As for the rest... he needs to bow out ASAP!

His software company's products are still buggered galore when they are shipped.

His software company's security response is **** poor at best... albeit perhaps a bit better than their past track record, they're still not in a secure mentality boasting position.

Walt