Topic: Activate Vista or else . . .

[Nemesis]

Link to full article

The world's largest software maker said Wednesday that people running an unlicensed copy of Vista that it believes is pirated will initially be denied access to some of the most anticipated features of the operating system. That includes Windows Aero, an improved graphics technology.

If a legitimate copy is not bought within 30 days, the system will curtail functionality much further by restricting users to just the Web browser for an hour at a time, said Thomas Lindeman, Microsoft senior product manager.

Under that scenario, a person could use the browser to surf the Web, access documents on the hard drive or log onto Web-based e-mail. But the user would not be able to directly open documents from the computer desktop or run other programs such as Outlook e-mail software, Lindeman said.

Microsoft said it won't stop a computer running pirated Vista software from working completely, and it will continue to deliver critical security updates.

This is a serious article unlike the earlier posting.

My take on this?  Microsoft has a business model based on growth.  There have been many hints that growth has begun to level off.  I think that this is part of Microsofts way of boosting sales by forcing people to buy whether they wan to or not.  Afterall just how can you prove you bought your copy?

Nevertheless, Kay said he expects that the anti-piracy tactics will keep some people from upgrading to Vista from the current operating system, Windows XP.

"There will be an XP backlash, which is to say people clinging to XP in order to avoid this," he said.

I was part of the XP backlash who objected to the activation nonsense, this creates more like me.  How tough will the successor to Vista be and how great the backlash? 

At some point Microsoft will have to adapt to the fact that the market is approaching (or has reached) saturation and revenues cannot skyrocket indefinitely.

[Centurus]

Sooner or later they're gonna implement a whole new activation system where if a CD key is used once, that's it, it can no longer be used.  And if you want to or need to reinstall Windows, you gotta pay 100 bucks for a new key.

[Nemesis]

Link to Microsofts site for details

Microsoft’s Software Protection Platform: Protecting Software and Customers from Counterfeiters
The company announces innovative technology in Windows Vista and Windows Server “Longhorn” to reduce the risk of piracy and software tampering while improving software licensing.

REDMOND, Wash., Oct. 4, 2006 – In the fight against software piracy, Microsoft today introduced an innovative set of technologies that will be included in Windows Vista and Windows Server “Longhorn.” The technologies are aimed at helping prevent piracy and protect customers from software tampering while making licensing easier to manage.

Collectively termed the Microsoft Software Protection Platform, the new technologies will introduce improvements in how Microsoft software activates, is validated online and behaves when tampering or hacking is detected. The upcoming releases of Windows Vista and Windows Server “Longhorn” – code name for the next generation of Microsoft’s server software – will be the first two products to ship with the new technologies included, but eventually more Microsoft products will adopt the technologies.

For more insight into the challenges posed by software piracy and how Microsoft plans to address them with the Software Protection Platform and other initiatives, PressPass spoke with Cori Hartje, director of Microsoft’s Genuine Software Initiative.

Link to article on the "True" costs of Vista

I estimate each Vista user will cost your company between $3,250 and $5,000. That's each and every Vista user. Money will go to Microsoft for Vista and Office 2007, to hardware vendors for new PCs and components

Depending on your volume purchasing agreements, new copies of Vista and Office will total between $750 and $1,000. After all, your company always buys the "professional" packages, right? And they have to be installed, right? If you're getting a much cheaper quote on both packages installed and tested, let me know.

The real value of Vista and Office 2007 includes new collaboration services. This means new back end servers. Most estimates place the back end support cost at $2,000 per user, but I used a range of $1,000-$2,000 for my calculations. Why get Office 2007 if not new SharePoint and Exchange servers? Can you run both on one box? Didn't think so.

Part of these costs are inflated (in my opinion of course) as I doubt there will be very many machines bought by companies just to run Vista so at least part of that cost should be ignored dropping the total price substantially.

[Commander Maxillius]

I can combat this by popping off copies of Mandrake Linux 10.0 community edition for anyone that wants it.  I'll only ask for the cost of shipping 3 CDs.

Upgrades are totally up to the user.

[EmeraldEdge]

I'm surprised they aren't going the hardware validation direction.  YOu have to have the 1000 dollar usb dongle in for your windows to work. lol.

[Sirgod]

Nem, I got this weeks copy of NWW in today, and the front page article addresses this perfectly.

http://www.networkworld.com/news/2006/100506-microsoft-antipiracy.html?t5

Max, I might take you up on that later this month, I'm planning on putting together a mid-range PC to use as a ftp/File server for friends here, and families.

Stephen

[Commander Maxillius]

I think you'll be happy with it.  Mandrake doesn't use much in the way of processor power or memory.  I'm running it on a 6-year-old Compaq at the moment with no problems at all.  600 MHz and 256 MB RAM.  It also doesn't care that the HD is only 15 GB.  Installation is totally interactive, but there isn't an easy option to install everything so you have to expand all the menus to check all the boxes.  Even so, a FULL full install takes just over a gig.

Word of warning, it doesn't have modem drivers so I hope you have high-speed through your ethernet port.  It should automaticly detect what hardware you have, but if it doesn't, it's got *something* that will do the equivalent job.

[Just plain old Punisher]

If I released an operating system, it would extort the user by forcing people to pay money at random times...for example you could only buy a weekly license and you had to buy it every week or the operating system would lock up and only display a naked picture of Bea Arthur until you coughed up the dough.

I believe that software, and especially operating systems, should hurt the user.

Apparently Microsoft attended one of my seminars.

[Commander Maxillius]

correction: a FULL install comes to just under FIVE gigs.  Putting it on my Toshiba laptop refreshed my memory

[Nemesis]

A bit more information on Vistas "limitations".

Link to full article

According to Techweb, the licences will limit the number of times that it is possible to transfer the operating system to another device. The two least expensive models will not be allowed to work in a virtual machine

The first is that once you have installed Vista on a machine you can only move it once. If you have an upgrade of your motherboard or anything else that will cause the operating system to think that it is a new computer you have to buy a new copy of Vista

2nd link

"The software will from time to time validate the software, update or require download of the validation feature of the software," it reads. "If after a validation check, the software is found not to be properly licensed, the functionality of the software may be affected."

Vista's new anti-piracy technologies, collectively dubbed "Software Protection Platform," have met with skepticism by analysts and criticism by users. Under the new program, a copy of Vista that's judged to be in violation of its license, or is counterfeit, is disabled after a set period, leaving the user access only to the default Web browser, and then only for an hour at a time.

I pass.

[Javora]

Yeah I saw that yesterday Nemesis, Microsoft is really getting greedy this time around.  I'm surprised they didn't just go the way Apple did and just start making the machines to and just cut out the middle men.  Maybe that is coming next time around huh??!?

If I could play games on Linux, I would have already switched.  Sadly as I've said here (too) many times before people won't switch to Linux until games makers start supporting the OS.  With Microsoft firm grip on that industry I don't see that happening any time soon.

[Slider]

Cost alot of money to run a business and if MS died tommorow, you'd see other operating systems start charging more and Open office shut down for a for profit option.

Despites MSs efforst most that want to will get around the activation by getting their hands on corporate edition of the program.


In the final analysis, if they didnt try to lock things down no one would pay, thats peoples nature. To pay the least amount possible.

Pushing developers to make stuff for Linux is a great solution. once 90% go to this well see a couple of things, developers rasing their prices and a favoratism to a brand of linux. once that brand is identified its price will go up. See the problem....

[Nemesis]

Cost alot of money to run a business and if MS died tommorow, you'd see other operating systems start charging more and Open office shut down for a for profit option.

I have to disagree on both of these points. 

Firstly Open Office is Open Source which means that even if Sun stopped supporting it others could (and I believe would) continue to support it.  Sun would also harm their reputation by dropping it and trying to kill it which would harm the company.

Secondly is raising the price of Linux.  The price is not the major issue with Windows in general or Vista in particular.  The issue is the increasing level of control Microsoft is trying to take of what you may do with your system. 

Despites MSs efforst most that want to will get around the activation by getting their hands on corporate edition of the program.

Which only helps those relatively few who can (and will - I won't) do so.  Also the DMCA (in the U.S.) makes such things illegal.  Smaller companies who can't legitimately use the corporate edition will be risking destruction if caught using illicit copies.  That drives people to other choices.  Mac and Linux are the primary other choices possible at present.

Microsoft has also been pushing BIOS and chipset makers towards building features into the motherboard designs that would require the OS to have a digital signature to boot.  Only corporations can get their OS signed which would kill Linux if universally accepted.  Consider the lockdowns on the X-Box and X-Box 360 to be prototypes for future computers done the Microsoft way. 

In the final analysis, if they didnt try to lock things down no one would pay, thats peoples nature. To pay the least amount possible.

If that were true then Linux would own the market and so would Open Office.  People are willing to pay if there is a reason.  Why else would Linux distributions like Redhat and Mandriva make a profit when there are free versions like Ubuntu and Debian around?

Pushing developers to make stuff for Linux is a great solution. once 90% go to this well see a couple of things, developers rasing their prices and a favoratism to a brand of linux. once that brand is identified its price will go up. See the problem....

One thing you may not know about is the Linux Standards Base (LSB).  Increasingly software is being configured not so much for one Linux distribution but for LSB.  So if Redhat were to become dominant people could easily abandon it for another LSB compliant distribution AND take their software with them if Redhat started to behave like Microsoft.  Taking their software with them is not an option when it is Windows software only.  If you can't migrate from your OS to another then your OS manufacturer owns you and can do whatever they want.  Example Microsoft.

[Nemesis]

Windows Vista EULA PDF.  Direct from Microsoft

4. USE WITH VIRTUALIZATION TECHNOLOGIES. You may not use the software installed on thelicensed device within a virtual (or otherwise emulated) hardware system.

If the software fails to protect the content, content owners may ask Microsoft to revoke the software’s ability to use WMDRM to play or copy protected content.  Revocation does not affect other content. When you download licenses for protected content, you agree that Microsoft may include a revocation list with the licenses. Content owners may require you to upgrade WMDRM to access their content. Microsoft software that includes WMDRM will ask for your consent prior to the upgrade. If you decline an upgrade, you will not be able to access content that requires the upgrade.

So if Microsofts player is "insecure" I can have my right to play media that I legitimately bought arbitrarily removed?

[Javora]

Windows Vista EULA PDF.  Direct from Microsoft

4. USE WITH VIRTUALIZATION TECHNOLOGIES. You may not use the software installed on thelicensed device within a virtual (or otherwise emulated) hardware system.

If the software fails to protect the content, content owners may ask Microsoft to revoke the software’s ability to use WMDRM to play or copy protected content.  Revocation does not affect other content. When you download licenses for protected content, you agree that Microsoft may include a revocation list with the licenses. Content owners may require you to upgrade WMDRM to access their content. Microsoft software that includes WMDRM will ask for your consent prior to the upgrade. If you decline an upgrade, you will not be able to access content that requires the upgrade.

So if Microsofts player is "insecure" I can have my right to play media that I legitimately bought arbitrarily removed?

Huh, so if someone breaks Microsoft's DRM, the Movie/Music companies can force Microsoft to make Vista stop playing the stuff they put out.  Well I guess if someone buys Vista that they make sure that the automatic updates are turned off.  Because an update is the only way that Microsoft would be able to shut off Vista.

Gee, if game makers would just start providing games for Linux/Macintosh this would all be a mute point.

[Nemesis]

Huh, so if someone breaks Microsoft's DRM, the Movie/Music companies can force Microsoft to make Vista stop playing the stuff they put out.  Well I guess if someone buys Vista that they make sure that the automatic updates are turned off.  Because an update is the only way that Microsoft would be able to shut off Vista.

Vista periodically checks its activation online. When it checks its activation it can (at Microsofts discretion) do anything else like update the revocation list.  If it were to cause "issues" they could just claim it was a "bug". 

Not updating your DRM would also mean that future releases with the modified DRM just wouldn't work.  Update to fix that and you can write off anything that has its access revoked.

You may not know it but one of the things Microsoft aims to eventually have is mandatory automatic updates.   They want everyone to be using the same version of Windows exactly and the exact same version of Office and so on.  Easier trouble shooting for Microsoft if the systems are absolutely uniform.  However if your hardware or non Microsoft software is incompatible with a given update - thats your problem.

Microsoft should be studying the issues with the world banana crop.  The problem is that the seedless bannanas are virtually all one "breed" that is essentially all clones of one tree (a biological monoculture).  Near perfect uniform genetics.  Any disease a given tree has no resistance for can spread without limit as none of the "clones" has any more resistance than the first one infected.  The same applies to a software monoculture.

[FCM_SFHQ_XC]

My viewoon this, is that all this anti-piracy protection could backfire. I mean, for one, its going to cause more of a backlash. If something should go wrong with the installation of Vista, then its going to be an extreme headache if we are going to have to call Microsoft for unsuspecting victims of the limited amount of Vista intallations.. also, well with everyone having the exact same version all it will take is 1 huge virus that targets Vista taking advantage of Vista's uniformal security and structure to make a lot of people angry very quickly. Lastly it will only make make really hard core hackers even more desperate to break though Vista's security system and hack it anyway.
All in all, its just wrong for Vista to have all this "extra" anti-piracy protection when it will probably hinder more then help and keep people from buying Vista.. right now XP is looking much more friendly to me then Vista for now.

[ChiefBrex]

This gives me a good reason to not upgrade to Vista, unless I buy a computer with it.

[Javora]

Vista periodically checks its activation online. When it checks its activation it can (at Microsofts discretion) do anything else like update the revocation list.  If it were to cause "issues" they could just claim it was a "bug". 

Not updating your DRM would also mean that future releases with the modified DRM just wouldn't work.  Update to fix that and you can write off anything that has its access revoked.

You may not know it but one of the things Microsoft aims to eventually have is mandatory automatic updates.   They want everyone to be using the same version of Windows exactly and the exact same version of Office and so on.  Easier trouble shooting for Microsoft if the systems are absolutely uniform.  However if your hardware or non Microsoft software is incompatible with a given update - thats your problem.

That won't work, at least not here in the U.S as about half the population still uses dial-up.  Vista can't check the activation on line if it can't get on to the Internet in the first place.  The minute Microsoft tries to require Internet access to own Vista then the Government will step in again.  The general consensus is that once the Government steps in again Microsoft will be broken up.

While future releases wouldn't work on Vista the titles that are already owned would still be ok.  Better that then having all the movies and music you already paid for not work either.  One thing about it if hackers totally bypassed every bit of DRM Vista has to offer how much to you think Vista would be worth then?  I’m thinking not very much when it can’t play any music, movies, or games.  Maybe hackers will have something truly worth shooting for this time.

Sometimes I think that the gaming industry should be sued as well, they help create the Monopoly that is Microsoft.  Would never work but...

[FCM_SFHQ_XC]

agreed. Hackers will only want to try to break Vista's code since it just gives them something to do. The harder Microsoft holds on(trying to gain more profits), the harder it will be for them to hold on to customers, and the company's survival in the long run.