I've heard the rumour that Microsoft is teaming up with Sony too! If you don't activate your Vista on your laptop within a short time after the 30 day expiration date, they remotely send out a signal that makes your battery explode!
I too use a pirated version of XP Pro, even though i own an original Legitimate version ( i build computers )Two points i would like to make. If Microsoft Lowered thier price by a third, it would encourage more people to buy legit versions. Secondly, if microsoft were less intrusive and less picky about how many times you may activate a product, people wouldn't resort to using/buying illegitimate copies of thier product. After all mr Bill Gates is one of the richest men in the world, surely if he took a small cut in profits to make his products cheaper many more peeps would buy. I for one will NOT buy Vista ( legally or illegally )untill Microsofts policy/policing changes. sorry for the rant,just needed to get it off my chest.
I'm still using Windows 2000 Professional and even though I have a valid copy (it came with the PC I purchased and includes the OS on CDs) I am unable to validate it with the Genuine Advantage online feature the MS site provides, apparently because it is an OEM version.
It is precisely this kind of thing which makes me very apprehensive about the kind of thing Microsoft intends to do with Vista.
I guess the only good thing that could come from this is MS will have provided another significant incentive for the development of truly competitive alternatives. Unless they make significant changes in the way they operate, at some point the alternatives will be good enough that switching is sensible and easy.
I was one of the people whose version of Windows XP Pro was seen by WGA as not being authentic. However, I purchased the OS directly from Microsoft. That's right - I bought the OS from Microsoft's online store, installed it, attempted to get the latest updates online and was told by that Windows Update that my version was not valid. Before Microsoft starts turning out the lights for bills unpaid, they need to get their *hit in a pile. I was patient with Microsoft as they resolved my issue the last time, but if it happens again, they will pay for every minute they cost me in resolving the issue again. I urge all who encounter this treatment by Microsoft to do the same.
Between the WGA "Phone Home" Technique, and these rediculous new rules? I'll be sticking with my XP Professional.
In addition, I can see the problems occuring already, between the fact that you can only install on one machine before having to buy a new copy (unlike XP which you could uninstall on one machine and move the install to another an unmetered number of times)
Also, I had enough problems with activating my XP install when migrating to a new machine. Between Windows Activation online telling me that it was not a legitimate install (thankfully, a tech support guy - after running through 3 different representatives - helped me out) and it now telling me that my install is not legitimate and "To learn more about the advantage of Genuine Microsoft Software, Click Here" which will not let me install Microsoft Windows Media Player 11 Beta 2. Microsoft Tech Support has yet to get back to me on this...
Anyway, until I see some impressions of Vista from certified news sources (such as this one) and friends, as well as personal experiances with it, I'll be sticking with XP and Linux...
AFAIK that while Windows Product Activation is in place as before .. there's a new feature along the lines of a "forced WGA Notifications plus" where at ANY TIME Microsoft can revoke your licence and freeze you out of your computer. It's called "Software Protection Platform".
It is intrusive in a number of ways. It sends your IP address to Microsoft .. a whole list of hardware components that make up your computer, possibly it also lists software installed (maybe not). It also sends your product key to be checked against a blacklist.
If your key has been put on the blacklist or for any other reason Microsoft decides at their caprice and whim, you will be locked out of your computer. It can happen anytime, not just within the first thirty days.
In other words, two years from now you may wake to find Microsoft has locked down your computer from you i.e. has seized WITHOUT WARRANT your personal papers stored on the computer.
Well I recently saw Bill Gates and Waren Buffett on TV talking about all the billions they were going to be giving away to poor countries etc..hmm were did all that money come from ..Probly all them high prices they charge for all their crappy software ...Well that only tells me that piracy hasnt hurt them at all in fact MS is one of the richest companies in the world so why are they crying that piracy is hurting there business...seems to me every new pc made uses windows xp hmmm so how many is made and sold everyday with legitimate os systems already installed...and if you wanted to buy one of their os systems well its not cheap...so if you ask me the only thing MS is really upset about is the fact that they are not making trillions of dollars instead of bilions wow boy do I feel sorry for these poor old greed barons we should maby set up a donation box somewhere so we can send them more money so they can afford to make more high priced software so they can hose us down all over again...They cant even make a simple browser that will keep hijackers and addware peddlers out of our pcs and yet they think they can make a os that will be expensive and hack free hah......The problem with most major software companies is the greed factor they want to cater to the rich companies who pay their high prices so the software is not available to ordinary citizens whose only source is to get the hacked software ...Lower prices will do more to deter piracy than anything else that they have tried and they usually spend millions on security when making it affordable will be cheaper and profitible.....VIVA LA HACKERS
Seems to me that Microsoft are the real pirates. Nice of Bill to give away his profits so freely. Every computer manufacturer in every country in the world should seriously look at Microsofts "Blackmail" policy. Piracy or extortion?
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If Microsoft Lowered thier price by a third, it would encourage more people to buy legit versions.
Secondly, if microsoft were less intrusive and less picky about how many times you may activate a product, people wouldn't resort to using/buying illegitimate copies of thier product.
After all mr Bill Gates is one of the richest men in the world, surely if he took a small cut in profits to make his products cheaper many more peeps would buy.
I for one will NOT buy Vista ( legally or illegally )untill Microsofts policy/policing changes.
sorry for the rant,just needed to get it off my chest.
It is precisely this kind of thing which makes me very apprehensive about the kind of thing Microsoft intends to do with Vista.
I guess the only good thing that could come from this is MS will have provided another significant incentive for the development of truly competitive alternatives. Unless they make significant changes in the way they operate, at some point the alternatives will be good enough that switching is sensible and easy.
In addition, I can see the problems occuring already, between the fact that you can only install on one machine before having to buy a new copy (unlike XP which you could uninstall on one machine and move the install to another an unmetered number of times)
Also, I had enough problems with activating my XP install when migrating to a new machine. Between Windows Activation online telling me that it was not a legitimate install (thankfully, a tech support guy - after running through 3 different representatives - helped me out) and it now telling me that my install is not legitimate and "To learn more about the advantage of Genuine Microsoft Software, Click Here" which will not let me install Microsoft Windows Media Player 11 Beta 2. Microsoft Tech Support has yet to get back to me on this...
Anyway, until I see some impressions of Vista from certified news sources (such as this one) and friends, as well as personal experiances with it, I'll be sticking with XP and Linux...
It is intrusive in a number of ways. It sends your IP address to Microsoft .. a whole list of hardware components that make up your computer, possibly it also lists software installed (maybe not). It also sends your product key to be checked against a blacklist.
If your key has been put on the blacklist or for any other reason Microsoft decides at their caprice and whim, you will be locked out of your computer. It can happen anytime, not just within the first thirty days.
In other words, two years from now you may wake to find Microsoft has locked down your computer from you i.e. has seized WITHOUT WARRANT your personal papers stored on the computer.
Such - at this point - is Vista.
Every computer manufacturer in every country in the world should seriously look at Microsofts "Blackmail" policy. Piracy or extortion?