Week in review: Vista furor

Microsoft's Vista is still months away from formal release, but the next version of Windows is already raising the hackles of many consumers.

Under changes to Microsoft's licensing terms, buyers of retail copies of Vista will be able to transfer their software to a new machine only once. If they want to move their software a second time, they will have to buy a new copy of the operating system. In the past, those who bought a retail copy of Windows needed to uninstall it before moving it to another machine, but there was no limit to how many times this could be done.

" How much longer will consumers allow Microsoft to bully them? It is precisely because of actions like these that Microsoft products will be hacked more than ever."
-- CNET News.com reader

"How much longer will consumers allow Microsoft to bully them?" one CNET News.com reader wrote in the TalkBack forum. "It is precisely because of actions like these that Microsoft products will be hacked more than ever."

Security companies also have been crying foul over the new operating system--and they might have been heard if only they had gotten into a meeting scheduled to field their complaints. Microsoft had set up such a meeting with security companies to discuss some of the changes it has promised to make to Windows Vista in response to competitive concerns. But the conference, which used Microsoft's Live Meeting technology, crashed about 15 minutes after it started, and both Symantec and McAfee were unable to log back in.

In another Vista feature, Microsoft plans to put machines to sleep after an hour of inactivity. While businesses and consumers can change that setting, the software maker said that they would be smart to let their computers nod off. Microsoft estimates that allowing a PC to go to sleep during off hours saves anywhere from $55 to $70 annually, depending on the type of monitor.

Many businesses leave their computers on at night, in many cases to make sure that they can install security patches. By adding the new sleep option, businesses still would be able to wake machines to install security updates, while letting them remain in the power-saving mode the rest of the time.

Browser battle
Some 18 months after Bill Gates pledged to revamp Internet Explorer, Microsoft has released the production version of IE 7. The new Web browser, which has been in testing for months, is now available for download.

On the feature side, Microsoft is playing catch-up in many areas. It has added support for Web standards, RSS Web feeds and tabbed browsing. The new browser also offers protection against phishing sites--malicious Web sites designed to trick users into handing over their personal information.

After months of ceding market share to Firefox, Microsoft has gained back a bit, although the Mozilla Foundation is getting closer to the launch of its own revamp, Firefox 2, which has hit the "release candidate" stage.

Some minor issues with IE 7 have materialized, but overall the new Microsoft browser appears to be well received. Microsoft has defused what would be the most serious issue: a first security hole in the browser since its official release. There is a vulnerability, but in Outlook Express, not IE, according to a corporate Microsoft blog. Security firms, including Secunia, had reported a flaw in IE 7.

[zenodaddy]

Microsoft is aching to lose

I find it amazing that a company that is known for spending millions cleaning up their own gawd-forsaking code due to bloat ware and viruses would only allow their customers who purchase the software to install it once after the initial install. So if you get a virus that can be removed only by wiping your system clean due to the inability of the manufacturer then you will be required to spend an additional $199-299 to re-purchase software, which you already paid for. If I bought a car and could only turn the ignition on twice during the lifespan of the product, I would simply be happy to walk to work, or ride a bike.

I believe that Microsoft is pushing everyone towards the Linux environments unwittingly. Consumers have far more options today in the Linux OS than they ever had before... Ubuntu Linux or a Mac is the way to go...

Now if they can just fix the whole gaming issues with Linux?

[gary85739]

MSFT is the big dog...

but many computer users will go to Linux or Mac,,,

[gary85739]

MSFT is the big dog...

but many computer users will go to Linux or Mac,,,

[john55440]

Much Ado About Little

Pardon me if I don't join the hyperventilating anti-Microsoft hysteria.

I buy my operating systems preinstalled, and OEM operating systems aren't transferable anyway.

As for Symantec and McAfee, they are incompetent whiners. They should spend less time whining, and more time improving the low quality of their products.

[GOVEmployee]

There are going to be a lot of calls going through to India

So with all the patches and constant use that requires me to re-install windows, on average once a year, to regain something that resembles perfromance, you are now telling em I have to repurchase the OS? My hard drive dies more than once, I have to repurchase? My install gets borked after making it past the activation step more than once, I have to repurchase?

These are just things that have happened in the last year for me. If they can come up with a viable repair feature it may be feasable. Until then vista sits on the shelves.

[cristianodiaz]

How much longer will cnet continue to have such shoddy reporting?

I remain amazed at how constantly inaccurate the reporting is on this site - the quality has gone down dramatically. The statements about being able to uninstall a copy of Windows XP and reinstall it on as many times as you want is not true. This has not changed in Vista - there is no big news story there, but that doesn't stop cnet from trying to make one out of thin air to drive traffic to the site. It is sad what passes for journalism these days, and even sadder to see this site continue to slide farther and farther.

[Sumatra-Bosch]

Why Do They Think Everyone Calls This Rollout the Vistapocalypse?

The consumers will wretch!

Criminals will attack!

Businesses will revolt!

The code will crash!

Vendors will file suit!

Ballmer will blame Microsoft's enemies, of course, and chase cars on 520 and bite their tires.

Dell will introduce a consumer desktop OS using a Linux core that, with Google ads, pays for the computer over time.

Microsoft will point its 150,000 laywers at Linux and find itself shooting at smoke.

Multicore processors allow users to boot 9 simultaneous operating systems, one of which, Windows, is increasingly only booted to read and write to legacy data.

Ballmer will retire to star in monster movies that don't have budgets for make-up or costumes.

[cristianodiaz]

Re:

http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/winvista_licensing.asp

[gernblan]

I could care less HOW XP's EULA is written...

...the fact is that this restriction is WRONG, period. I buy my copy. I'll install it on whatever I want, whenever I want, as many times as I want... AS LONG AS I only have one copy installed on one device at one time, everything should be hunky dory. I paid once, I get to use it one one device.

Who are YOU, Microsoft, to tell ME that I have to pay YOU twice to use my ONE copy on any device as long as I'm not using it on anything else at the same time?

Thanks for clarifying your EULA, Microsoft. Now even I can understand just how hostile and greedy you are towards your "consumers."

[OneWithTech]

Just another reason to go buy a Mac

I'm telling you, if this article isn't reason enough to make a Mac
purchase than the fact that Microsoft is in the NEWS EVERYDAY
for security issues should get you running to the Mac factory!


Justin
Tech01
www.Tech01.net
Tech01 Mobil
Mobil.Tech01.net

[system001]

DO NOT BUY VISTA

i have been beta testing vista, and with the exception of the graphics i see nothing in vista to make me want to buy it. now you have the fact that you can only transfer vista to one new computer. so in a nutshell you buy a computer that is vista ready at christmas time a year down the road you deside to upgrade you can transfer this copy of vista to this computer another year goes by you deside to upgrade now because you have all ready transfered vista once you will have to buy a new copy. for what is in vista the price is not warranted. plus once you consider the above microsoft is just a legal thief.

[lebonmarchant]

Week in review: Vista furor

I've been trying to change over to LINUX for a couple of years, but have had problems due to owning a lot of expensive web design software.
I tried IE7 and there is something intangible that I hate about it. ( Perhaps the forced upgrade? )
I haven't heard anything good about VISTA, but now I don't need to. The new rules did it. It will NOT be purchased and I will be installing LINUX on the WIN2K machines as well.
If LINUX doesn't work out? Hey, I like the looks of the new MAC's.

[dotmike]

Hurts the wrong people

There will be activation cracks before the thing even hits the
shrinkwrap.

Anyone who WANTS to pirate it, WILL, and they'll be able to do it
in far less time than it takes someone who gets a false positive
to resolve it with customer support.

Activation will at most stop legitimate but budget-conscious
buyers of one copy from installing it on a couple of machines,
perhaps even the same machine they have upgraded (which is
now excluded in the license). The result will be that they simply
leave those machines running XP, and Microsoft doesn't get an
extra sale anyway.

In a small percentage of cases, they may shell out for an extra
copy, and that would seem to be the whole reason Microsoft is
targeting these otherwise honest users, who wouldn't have tried
to do the "dishonest" thing if the OS was more reasonably priced
and/or available in a home pack.

The claim that Microsoft is reigning in the rampant piracy in
developing countries carries little weight. These countries can
barely afford the excessive costs (the ROI for Microsoft has
always been excellent), and if WGA actually did work to stop
piracy, they'd switch away from Windows to something like
Ubuntu.

Having got the world hooked on Windows, Microsoft now
believes it can extort everyone, in the same vein as a drug-
dealer.

This sort of drug dealing should be illegal. Oh wait, it is! It just
so happens that the drug is software and not heroin.

[John Butler]

Vista only useable once: shame on Microsoft

Thanks for the news. I shall certainly never buy a retail copy of Windows " Vista" with this restiction although I always have bought retail in the past. I beleive Vista will have a hard enough time selling without this millstone rount its neck.

Thef ield is ope for OEM and greymarket venors and pirates will reap a rich harvest and several more Micosoft haters will be added to the politicl lobbies. Certainly in Europe we wil figth this

[chuck_whealton]

These guys never stop

This is wrong. I think it's funny that while corporate America scrutinizes employees through any unethical means available to them because they're worried about ethics, they continue pulling garbage like this - which is completely unethical.

If somebody purchases software, they should have the right to use it on whatever system they want to use it on, as long as they're only installing and using it on one system.

Charles R. Whealton
Charles Whealton @ pleasedontspam.com

[46thchief]

Vista

OK, I guess they have now pushed me to learning the
Linux stuff I'e been fooling with. Microsoft can be sure I'll never run Vista with the limitation on being able to reload to another machine when mine dies for whatever reason. If I paid retail for it it should be mine to use as I require, noy as Redmond thinks I should. I didn't know windows when I started, and I'm sure Linux will be as easy as Windows was in the early years.

[aqvarivs]

no choice

you'll take it and you'll like it. Everybody knows there's only one OS. If you had a choice you'd buy something different. You can't blame MS for spending some of it's billions it makes every year on anti-piracy measures. Imagine the billions MS could have if everybody wasn't a crook and stealing their products. So if your one of a very few who actually bought your MS product you can understand why MS treats you like a thief. Your just not important enough to consider. Obviously it's piracy that makes their billions for them and not the honest consumer. Vista is going to be a hackers dream come true and MS is going to rake in the billions. The message is quite clear. If you want to stay out of prison don't "buy" your copy of vista...

...the following has been a sacastic rant, it is not necessary to defend your leader. HAL, HAL, are you there HAL. Are you watching me right now? HAL...

[j.e.buhler]

There's a great alternative

Switch to the Mac....

[godam_registration]

Mass consumer action guys

That's how people always overthrow tyrants. No single group of people - whatever their power - can withstand the power of people united. Like all bullies, MS only picks as long as they think there will be no backlash.

I'm calling my senators.

[Ryo Hazuki]

Unheardof

Unheardof and unfair: a company trying to make sure you don't use its 5 year-hard-working and expensive software in an illegal way.