Microsoft Just Wants a Little Look 482
waynegoode writes "Do you want to let Microsoft check if your copy of Windows is legit? How about if they promise it's anonymous? How about if they give you some free stuff? Recently Microsoft launched their Genuine Advantage Program to let you (and Microsoft) check if your OS is legal. They hoped for 20,000 responses but received 800,000 without offering anything but piece of mind. Now they are throwing in a bunch of free and discounted stuff including Photo Story 3 and the Holiday Fun Pack to try to get more volunteers. Read more at news.com and Microsoft Watch."
Stupid. (Score:3, Insightful)
If anything, give away a tshirt or a hat or some other convention junk.
Re:You don't understand (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:You don't understand (Score:2, Insightful)
i'm sure the brilliant minds at microsoft have devised/gleemed all sorts of angles on how this information might help them.
somehow, i doubt 3rd rate shops even rank in the top 10.
Re:You don't understand (Score:5, Interesting)
I wonder how many stores are selling computers with xp corp. and generated keys just so they can undercut the competition or make an extra buck?
As for the free software.. no one was going to buy it anyhow, so why not give it out as a perk? I think my parents might be getting some legitimate crappy photo software this week, for free.
Re:You don't understand (Score:5, Insightful)
Wonder how many shops are reinstalling computers with XP Corp because the owner doesn't have / lost the original media and the computer had to be formatted. Telling them they're gonna have to shell out another hundred bucks for an OS is NOT a way to keep them happy
Re:You don't understand (Score:5, Interesting)
They have to be careful and I think they know it. If you piss off mixed sites (household or business sites that have a mix or paid-for and pirated copies) you run a serious risk of migration to Linux (as Windows - or any OS - without updates is pretty worthless). Also, you have the old "you have some type of responsibility to your code" argument that was made around SP2. Not that I think MSFT gives a shit about the idea, but as a PR idea it is of value ("MICROSOFT CODE PLAGUES INTERNET DUE TO REFUSAL OF PATCH!").
In reality, I think the recent trend towards copyright-with-an-iron-fist-double-checked will likely backfire. If every Joe User and even every Bob SuperAdmin had to pay full price (even OEM) for every single copy of Windows & Office (and Photoshop and x and y and z) out there, you would see a serious exodus to Linux and related. Fuck security, fuck philosophy
Actually, I have thought for a while that if the OSS community wanted to heighten the Linux desktop penetration numbers, the best way would be to form a "We Hate Dirty Pirates" group and spend six/twelve months devising & implementing (for free) anti-piracy mechanisms for the Win32 platform. Come up with a killer scheme, and you would have done more than anyone for your platform.
Re:You don't understand (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:You don't understand (Score:3, Insightful)
First, plenty of pirated versions of XP just use a cracked activator. VLK might make up for a larger percentage, only because it takes less effort. Fix that approach, and they'll just shift the balance rather than significantly affect the total.
Second, although to the average home user, the magic acronym "VLK" might sound like a godsend for piracy, for the average corporate IT person dealing with more
Re:You don't understand (Score:3, Interesting)
My first thought was that it is aimed at people who will do anything for a t-shirt; i.e., those "girls gone wild...just wait til daddy orders a copy of your 5 minutes of fame" types. Sort of a self-selecting sample population, IMO, making any of Microsoft's published statistics worth taking with a grain of salt.
Re:Mine is pirated XP. So..??? (Score:5, Insightful)
Justify your actions all you like, but in the end you're just helping Bill Gates while he's laughing all the way to the bank.
Re:Mine is pirated XP. So..??? (Score:5, Insightful)
That said, my primary OS is legit. But it happens to be made by Apple...
Re:Mine is pirated XP. So..??? (Score:5, Insightful)
Nope, you've just reduced the incentive for the software authors to port to another platform.
Re:Mine is pirated XP. So..??? (Score:5, Interesting)
I also run a cracked copy of XP Pro. In fact, on quite a few machines. All my copies of XP are legitimately purchased. I just don't want to go through all the activation rubbish every couple of months when I change hardware in the machines they're installed on, and after a few times, having to call up Microsoft UK to explain that yes, this is the 12th time I've activated it, and no, it is only on one machine, but that the hardware in said machine keeps changing.
I do exactly the same thing with games: buy them, then download the no-cd crack. Why? So I don't have to shove the disc into a drive, often in another room, before I'm able to play the thing.
Companies shouldn't assume that everyone who's using dodgy/generated keys didn't legitimately purchase their software...
Re:Stupid. (Score:2, Insightful)
The 800,000 who have submitted are end-users who *wanted* a legit copy and paid (some amount) for it but now are worried if it's legit. Notice (in the article) how easy MS is on illegit copies -- you submit BIOS and purchase information to help them spot the system builder/retailer, you get a courtesy key and get all critical updates nevertheless.
There's a strong element of hypocrisy, though. Notice how M
piece of mind (Score:5, Funny)
Re:piece of mind (Score:3, Funny)
Ewww... does it at least come in a plastic baggie?
Yeah. But it comes from Abby Normal.
Sure! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Sure! (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Sure! (Score:3, Funny)
Let them pester people to look... (Score:5, Interesting)
Bullying people into buying a $15 CD might work, but $200 is a lot more, esp. when there are alternatives.
incentives (Score:4, Funny)
no thanks - i'll stick to open-source goodness.
Re:incentives (Score:4, Interesting)
1. Market crappy software as if it was good.
2. Profit
3. Price fix, break law, pay both political parties.
4. Profit
5. Use money to buy competition and hire better developers.
6. Kill competing products. Make own software less crappy.
7. Issue new version less crappy, but more bloated than the last one.
8. Profit.
9. Goto 3
The result of this is software that's less crappy. Windows 3.1 , 95, 98, Me were pretty bad. XP, except Explorer, is actually pretty good, in my experience. Would it be this good without competition from Unix vendors, the open source community and Macintosh? I don't think so.
Why are they doing this? (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Why are they doing this? (Score:5, Informative)
Re:how does it work? (Score:5, Informative)
They way it works is that there's an algorithm that accepts an input string and checks some property of it - eg number of letters and numbers, add up the numbers and check their total (possibly modulo some other number), etc. Essentially, there is an algorithm that takes a string and says "yes, this is a valid key" or "no, that's garbage". That means that you can use any (valid) key with any copy of the software. It also means, if you can work out the algorithm, that you can *generate* valid keys. For example, if you know that the key has to be "letter letter letter number number number" then you know that AAA111, AAA112, AAA113, etc will all work, whether they've been issued by the software manufacturer or not.
I think the XP key checker is a little more sophistacted than that - I *think* that Home and Pro use different types of key, for example, and that the corporate site licence versions (which don't require product activation) use a third type of key. There may also be differences between full retail and OEM keys. (That's ok though, as Pro and Home are already different, and so require different duplication runs anyway, so there's no extra cost. OEM and full retail CDs are also different, at least as far as the writing on the CD goes.) That said though, at worst any retail XP Pro key will work with any retail XP Pro copy, and so on.
Re:how does it work? (Score:3, Informative)
Now, as for XP, the OEM CDs rarely have the same content as the retail CDs, unless your PC manufacturer is a whiteboxer. Notice on many newer computers the icon right below Run in the start menu? Dell puts "Dell Solution Center", I've seen Averatec puts something there, and I'm sure others do too. This is something on the CD. I know, because in a pinch, I had to grab a Dell W
Re:Why are they doing this? (Score:5, Insightful)
Everyday (Score:2, Funny)
Re:chump - no, there's more (Score:2)
Call me paranoid..... (Score:5, Interesting)
The article states that there is "no 'stick' as yet", and perhaps there never will be any official action taken against those with pirated copies who foolishly enough decide to tell Microsoft about it. [ After all, if they suddenly started sending out flying attack squads of lawyers, that would make for some bad press. ] However, how long will it be before such a check is integrated into the OS, and checked every time the computer goes online? It certainly wouldn't be that difficult to program in such a "feature', with the added bonus of locking down the system should the results not be acceptable.....
At any rate, it makes me sort of pity all those poor windows users who are going to get screwed over...and makes me very glad that I don't use windows.
Re:Call me paranoid..... (Score:5, Insightful)
People that know they are pirating aren't going to run this tool (unless they're idiots). So, most of those that run it will either know for certain their copy is legit (or think it is) and 99.9% of them will probably turn out to be legit. It's the guy that bought his copy at the 2-bit shop down the street that finds out that it's not a legit copy that might just get pissed enough to turn in the bastard that sold it to him. He's not responsible for having it, and MS knows that. They want the phony retailer, not the poor schmuck that bought from him.
Re:Call me paranoid..... (Score:2, Interesting)
Actually, it's sort of ingenious when you think about it.....for a modest expenditure of manpower setting up the authentication system [ they already have mondo loads of coders working for them, anyway, so what's one more project? ] and giving away some software they wouldn't be able to scalp for a high price, they potentia
Re:Call me paranoid..... (Score:2)
If MS provided decent after-sales support to people that bought legitimate copies, this would actually be a very useful tool to some of those people.
I mean that's the only reason anyone would pay for an operating system, right?
Evil? (Score:5, Insightful)
Look, you can argue that people should be allowed to make copies of software you have and distribute them. That is a defensible alternate view of copyright. However to sell software as legit when it's not, that's just fraud. We are talking about bussinesses lying to consumers to make extra money.
Re:Call me paranoid..... (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Call me paranoid..... (Score:3, Insightful)
Are we really comparing apples to apples?
Is Redhat a convicted monopolist?
Does Redhat have a history of serious privacy violations?
Does Redhat make it difficult to interoperate with competing OS vendors?
Under Microsoft, do you really "own" your data?
All they're doing is trying to enforce their licence; or is that not allowed, as "they already have plenty of money"?
Re:Call me paranoid..... (Score:2)
Is the RIAA aware of that? They seem to be going after a lot of "average users".
Support? Security? Hehe... (Score:5, Insightful)
Using genuine Microsoft software ensures that you get world-class reliability, security, and support...
I don't think I need to comment on the reliability and security issue around here. But I have a strange feeling if Microsoft really gave
"world-class" support, half of Slashdot's readers would be out of jobs. I think they need to come up with a more realistic explanation of why it's worth spending 300 dollars for Windows.
Re:Support? Security? Hehe... (Score:3, Funny)
To help pay the wages for the new MS campus in India??
/me ducks
Re:Support? Security? Hehe... (Score:2)
Re:Support? Security? Hehe... (Score:2, Insightful)
No, they mean that Windows is about as reliable, secure and supportive as the world at large is today.
Which world? (Score:2)
Do you mean the real world or the world inside of Bush's fantasy bubble? :-)
Free clue (Score:4, Interesting)
It means you can call when you have a problem.
And "world class" is a very relative term. Support from most companies is a sick joke nowadays. Support people are something like taxes: you pay them because you have to, but you don't want to pay a cent more than you absolutely have to. So the ones hired are the cheapest monkeys who can read a bulleted list. Occasionally even the right bulleted list, but no biggie if they read the grocery list instead.
So it's not even hard for MS to actually be in the top tier. You know, the thing about the one-eyed man among the blind.
E.g., having spent the last 2.5 years dealing with WebSphere, which is a buggy unfinished sick joke if you actually use EJBs. And reporting the bugs to IBM. Now IBM's WebSphere support is enough to drive one neurotic, to drinking, or both. And we're not talking support to end-(lusers) but to a big corporate client.
It's a feat just getting past the mindless check-list reading drones. They don't even read what we send them. The first _weeks_ are spent just with them sending us canned "solutions" off their check lists, that don't even match what we wrote in the bug description. That idiotic.
And once you got past those, it's like dealing with a corporate sized Wally (from the Dilbert comics.) It's an endless delay tactic. Including, but not limited to, asking if they can close the bug report just because they want to go on vacation. (No, I'm not making this up. It's too sad to make up, folks.) Or sending us a Jar file as a "fix" that didn't solve the problem, or one even broke WebSphere completely. Or once, after such a "fix" didn't solve the problem, they sent us the exact same file again, as the new "fix".
Or to get you an idea of software quality: they never run the tests we send them to reproduce the problem, and obviously don't have any test cases of their own.
An annoyed coleague finally actually asked them what test cases they used to prove they fixed the problem, 'cause their fix did nothing for us. The answer? A longer version of "no, we didn't actually test it, we didn't even reproduce the problem, but we're confident that we've fixed it. And we thatk you for testing it for us." (Again, I'm not even making it up. They thank us for acting as testers for them.)
Or here's one actual support case that didn't involve a bug: Another team needed to import a SSL certifficate to get IBM's WebSphere Portal Server to talk to another server. So they ask IBM. After getting nowhere with the phone support, they actually pay a big heap of money to get an IBM "consultant" to come show them.
Again, not some underpaid, overworked telephone support slave. A consultant. IBM consultants cost a small fortune.
So the consultant messed around with the server for a _week_, and then said something to the effect of "uhh... I have no bloody idea. Try searching for key store files in all directories and importing your certificate in all of them. It's got to be one of those. I have no idea which, though."
Sad.
So, well, again, it's not even hard for MS to be better than such clowns. It may not be the ideal support by the client's standards, but it's waay better than the sick joke you get as support from some other companies.
Re:Free clue (Score:3, Informative)
You can use iKeyman to figure out what certs you're using, btw. J
The MS van (Score:5, Funny)
Pie Rat (Score:5, Insightful)
They may not shut down your copy but you can bet they'll look into the company that bought that strand of registration keys that you just so happen to be piggy-backing on.
Re:Pie Rat (Score:2)
Re:Pie Rat (Score:2)
I'm more interested to learn what would happen if someone with an ille
Re:Pie Rat (Score:2)
Well, I have Windows XPSP2 installed on another boxen sitting here that is using the corporate edition and a VLK. Ran the Photo Story 3 for Windows "offer" and it didn't say anything (installed the ActiveX control, it ran for a second, then skipped ahead to the download instructions for Photo Story 3). So, either it's not reporting if you "passed" or "
ehhhhh (Score:5, Insightful)
I was going to run it, but it doesn't work under Mozilla. Oh well.
Clearly Broken (Score:5, Informative)
I have bought enough Dell's to have windows XP CDs out the ying-yang, but I hate having to go through the activation process each time I format a PC. I own licenses for each computer, all I want is a clean windows installation with no Dell OEM crap. So this is what I did:
1) Downloaded the Devil's 0wn corp version of windows.
2) Slipstreamed SP2 into the install CD.
3) Downloaded a keygen for SP2.
4) Installed Windows with serial from keygen.
I just downloaded Microsoft's authentication tool, and it said my copy was valid. I can download updates, their crappy photo software, and everything else. Im sure Microsoft is throwing millions of dollars into R&D to create this elaborate activation and serial number system, and yet their own tool says my obviously pirated copy is valid. Way to go.
Re:Clearly Broken (Score:2)
Dell? What about Toshiba. (Score:3, Funny)
The Toshiba guys have some sort of CLONED CD from a hard drive, and when something goes wrong with your legitimate Windows XP (Home - ack), there's no choice. You can't just insert the Microsoft Windows XP CD and choose "repair". No. You have to insert the cloned CD from Toshiba, make it repartition your HD, format it, and install their already-tweaked version.
Microsoft could do their users a BIG favor if they forced their re-vendors to distri
Result of the poll (Score:2, Funny)
Conclusion: Piracy doesn't exist for Windows.
Hey, if BSA can do statistics, so can we.
Free stuff? (Score:2)
I happen to know a little about this program... (Score:5, Informative)
Microsoft isn't going after the end users with this program. They honestly don't care whether you personally bought and paid for Windows, because face it, no one goes to Best Buy and plunks down $100 - $300 for an operating system. The goal of this program is to show the value to users of having a genuine copy of Windows. Create "mindshare" if you will, that genuine Windows has greater value than your borrowed/downloaded/pirated copy. This will hopefully, in turn, encourage users to demand genuine Windows when they buy a PC. Again, face it, when people buy a new PC, they buy Windows. Most never upgrade after that. By creating users who ask for genuine Windows when they buy a PC, Microsoft can indirectly assert pressure on small OEM's and System Builders, where the largest amount of counterfeit Windows is sold to unsuspecting users. Even Microsoft realizes it's unfair to punish users who honestly believe their copy of Windows is legit.
You'll notice that those who fail validation are asked to provide (largely generic) information regarding their PC and their purchase. They get a 'courtesy key' in most cases that allows them access to the content (creating the image of a kinder, more benevolent Microsoft). It also goes straight into a reporting database where Microsoft can track trends like which resellers are selling large amounts of counterfeit copies of Windows.
Regardless of your software ideals, stealing software is wrong, and it's certainly within Microsoft's rights to restrict premium content to genuinely licensed copies of Windows. Validation isn't locking any genuinely licensed users out of any content; in fact, a large percentage of those people with counterfeit licenses will still be able to access downloads. Microsoft has also committed to allowing all counterfeit licenses to access critical security updates via Automatic Updates, probably so they don't get lambasted in the press for "denying users security fixes."
I'll try to answer any further questions that get posted as a reply to this post.
Thank you for your post. (Score:5, Interesting)
Regardless of your software ideals, stealing software is wrong
hHere in my country, a 'developing" nation I'd wager the piracy rate(for MS) is at 70-80%. Roll back 5 years ago,, it'd be near 100%.
Piracy has actually helped MS entrech its position. Nowadays, the instances of non MS OS or office(in the office) software is still near 0%.. All "pirates" who uses MS in the past(i.e Univ) is now working, and they wouldn't be interested in learning about new "tools"
I'd wager MS would not view 'stealing' that led them to a dominant position is wrong.
IMHO all developing or poor nation starts with 100% piracy rate, as they gradually become more prosperous the rate will go down. The softwares most pirated will benefit the most from this growth.
Re:I happen to know a little about this program... (Score:3, Interesting)
So what's to stop people (who know they have illegitimate copies of Windows) from colluding and falsely reporting innocent vendors?
Re:I happen to know a little about this program... (Score:4, Interesting)
Sounds like a great opportunity for a joe-job of a b&m computer store.
1) Get a list of known warez registration keys
2) Get a utility that lets you reset your XP registration key
3) Get a DSL or dial-up account which gives you a new IP every time your reconnect.
4) Find a key on the list of warez keys that will fail the test, then set your installed XP to that bogus one, dial-in for new IP and run the test.
5) When it fails, fill out report form indicating local BestBuy or whatever victim you prefer.
6) Rinse, repeat until local BestBuy is raided by the SPA/MPAA/RIAA/DHS/DHL/UPS.
Re:I happen to know a little about this program... (Score:5, Interesting)
Perhaps not, but it was product activation that pushed me away from windows. I have legit copies of windows from 95 to xp. Once the activation stuff started, I started to look at linux. The hassle of having to reactivate my hardware when I changed things really bugged me. I know that someone is going to post how this isn't really a problem, you can change lots of hardware before failing activation, etc. From my perspective, it was the end of the road for microsoft. I don't ever want to be dependent on having to phone up anyone in the middle of the night (once was enough) and get asked stupid questions in order to prove I had a real copy, and get logged on a M$ database.
I vowed not to do it again, and I didn't. Initially I never installed a copy of windows, etc, until I had acquired a cracked copy first (I still bought the legit licence), but I also started to look around. I now use linux and mac's but I'm not ever going down an activation type pathway ever again.
So whose problem is this? Well, actually, not mine. Its microsoft's problem, because they aren't getting any more money out of me, and I've gotten a few people interested in mac's as well.
So no, I didn't get locked out of microsoft software. But even moving part way that way was too much for me.
My 2c worth
Michael
Re:I happen to know a little about this program... (Score:2)
Anyone who bothered to RTFAs posted above?
Re:I happen to know a little about this program... (Score:3, Informative)
That said, they're not collecting it - it's not useful to Microsoft, because, as explained above, Microsoft doesn't care about you, the end user. Login name, registered to name, registered to company are all
Why would a pirate check this? (Score:2)
I know some of you would suggest otherwise... (Score:2)
I worked for a computer store, and we had at least 4 scenarios in 6 months where one of our customer bought Office/Windows XP off ebay, then we try to upgrade to SP1 to fix a problem and
The "corporate" activation scheme is coming (Score:3, Interesting)
I would suspect that Microsoft could easily come up with some way to monitor an individual corporate license being used during product updates. Maybe they keep a head count of how many licensed copies are out there under a particular company's account. When 2041 licenses are detected for a corporate account of only 1000 licenses, Microsoft will skip going after the pirates and basically take the issue to the company in terms of fines and/or a nice big Microsoft bill.
Could they do it with IPs? Make each company register a domain and/or IP range for corporate clients? Probably not, given that corporate clients could be working mobilely and the prospect of spoofing. But perhaps they could account for that and start issuing a set # of desktop licenses (that don't move) and a set # of laptop/mobile licenses that can move off the network. A little harder to say "you gave out more product IDs/licenses than allowed," but still a means of tracking licenses outside a set number of mobile clients. There would most likely be a threshold of, say, 20% more than the license limit before the company got called on it.
I could see this as Microsoft's wakeup call to its corporate customers. Control your licenses, or you will be charged/fined accordingly. It might hurt business for Microsoft and cause some changeover to other systems, but for the most part, businesses are going to have to do business with software that meets their needs. And as long as Microsoft is the dominant player in the corporate world for desktop computing, businesses will have to make the effort to meet their licensing demands.
IronChefMorimoto
Re:The "corporate" activation scheme is coming (Score:2)
However, it will probably be very hard to get a company to pay for something like this, and then still have more corporate customers closing this deal.
What company wants to get liable for a leak like this, which will be impossible to trace to an indvidual, and for which it will be impossible to hold someone responsible?
In the end it will be cheape
Re:The "corporate" activation scheme is coming (Score:2)
So how would they know if a desktop license would move from the network? As you said, they can't check IP ranges, because this won't allow you to change ISP without notifying MS. And then MS has to deal with private networking IPs (RFC 1918 [faqs.org]).
And can't just a pirate use a mobile license key instead?
Re:The "corporate" activation scheme is coming (Score:2)
So what is Microsoft's internal corporate license key?
My SuSE and Solaris 10 are both legit, but OK. (Score:2)
The cost of product activation (Score:5, Insightful)
You know, this really makes me wonder.
The whole point of making users "activate" a new installation of Windows is to discourage the use or distribution of pirated copies. It didn't really work. The honest people stayed honest, but were inconvenienced. And the pirates kept pirating.
I might guess that activation is probably something of an inconvenience to MS as well. It didn't work as well as they had hoped, and in fact they had to keep track of illegitimate or "leaked" product keys in addition to the good ones. And it still hasn't stopped piracy.
So now MS is throwing "carrots" out to people in an effort to weed out illegal copies of Windows. They haven't said just what they're going to do with the data they've collected, or how they'll expect users to deal with it. More work for them, and potential pain for those that thought they had purchased legal copies of Windows, but didn't.
I don't know if I have a point... but this all just looks bad to me, and does seem to make product activation more and more of a hassle for everybody all around. It just seems to escalate, and I wonder if this is a case of diminishing returns. Maybe it gives MS some benefit (perhaps the marketing people get good data out of it somehow), but discouraging piracy doesn't seem to be one of them, from what I can see.
sigh
Greater reliability? (Score:3, Interesting)
Does it? A pirated copy of Windows still has exactly the same code as a genuine one. How can MS say that genuine software is more reliable?
Re:Greater reliability? (Score:2)
Original Windows is pressed, while priated copies are burned. Every child knows that a pressed CD's lifetime is between 10 and 100 years; a burned CD would last between 5 and 15 years. Ergo, genuine Windows is more reliable!
Oh, of course, the current CPUs won't exist anymore in 10+ years except in museums... ;-)
Re:Greater reliability? (Score:3, Insightful)
For the moment. How can MS say that genuine software is more reliable?
By denying known pirated keys access to future updates.
Personally, I'm all in favour of an anti-piracy drive. In this day an age, when you get get a decent OS for free, there really is no excuse for pirating Windows anymore. Cost doesn't come into it - perfectly serviceable alternatives exist and can legally be had for the cost of a CD-R.
Cheers,
Ian
Can you get Bob? (Score:2, Insightful)
I have a better idea.
How about I don't run Windows at all. Ever.
Just used it (Score:3, Interesting)
Interesting facts:
1. It works in Firefox. If the ActiveX control doesn't download, they give you a
2. They don't show the results.
Contrary to what another poster said, Windows Update seems to work fine with a pirate copy of XP, at least this one.
In their interests (Score:2)
If heaps of home-users pirate microsoft products, and become accustomed to them, this will encourage companies to use microsoft products.
Can someone more knowledgable on this matter explain why this is/isn't the case? (And yes, I can see the parallels with the music industry, but this is about microsoft, not them)
Re:In their interests (Score:5, Interesting)
Early adoption of Dos/Windows by 'casual' pirates is why Microsoft penetrated the market so quickly. (Tipping point again!)
Microsoft made HUGE leaps in market share by using "educational discounts" and having ineffective copy protection (for retail/business/edu versions). This merely accelerated the adoption process.
Bulletproof copy protection at a crucial time, like, say Windows 3.1/3.11 would have forced people to shell out hard cash for an OS, and would have allowed room for real market competition from the likes of OS/2, or the Apple hardware/OS bundle (granted, the Apple setup had its own lock-in woes). Instead, they played the crack dealer ("First one's on the house,kid") and reap the benefits of users' unwillingness to change to something new, and presented Industry with a workforce more conversant in the Microsoft Way. Eventually, people want the next version/office suite so bad, they're willing to pay for it.
It was a win/win for MS, and the consumers who are getting boned today are only doing so because, well, it's a habit.
I use an illegal copy of windows xp BECAUSE of ms (Score:2)
Nope, not gonna happen.
So I broke out my 8-in-1 CD a friend burned for me and installed a corporate license of xp.
Nice job, ms.
OK, let them do it (Score:3)
Girl included? (Score:2, Funny)
I am gonna give this survey a ride.
Firefox in the FAQ? (Score:5, Insightful)
Interesting either way though.
Re:Firefox in the FAQ? (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Firefox in the FAQ? (Score:3, Insightful)
I Buy (Score:5, Funny)
Since I am an extremely savvy and smart customer I shall certainly enroll in this program.
Just imagine how nice the Holiday Fun Pack will look at my recently purchased time share appartment in Cabo San Lucas.
Sure, why not? (Score:2)
How about if they promise it's anonymous?
Honestly, why would I care either way? They already have my name, address, email address, etc from when I ordered som
Windows ME (Score:3, Funny)
"Unfortunately we are unable to automatically validate your Windows installation. It appears that you are using an operating system that is not currently supported by the Windows Genuine Advantage validation process. We hope that you'll return later to retry the validation process so that you may enjoy the full benefits of genuine Microsoft software.
"
Guess what? Windows ME is on the computer I tested with!
Another cultural technique against Free Software (Score:2)
They get to sell people a load of crap: half price unoriginal software that they'll still be making a a profit on, that people think is a good deal for them; or services at reduced cost that require you to pay for every month.
Its a normal capitalist technique - make contact with the consumer and you'll invariably sell them something.
The sort of people that will buy this just want to be sold something, anything.
And I think, more importantly, they're engender
compliance is good for FOSS (Score:5, Insightful)
To put it differently, OpenOffice would probably have a big jump in market share if all the pirated or incorrectly licensed versions of MS Office wordlwide were replaced with OpenOffice.
Desperation (Score:5, Interesting)
1. AFAIK, XP is the primary version of Windows being sold by MS atm. There might be others for corporate peeps...Server 2003, etc...but I'm talking in terms of home users. ME is still *supported* AFAIK, but from what I read 95 isn't and I don't know about 98...but even if it is, it's not still generating MS money. So from what I can see, XP alone is pretty much where it's at in terms of current home user OS revenue for them.
2. There seems to be a fair amount of evidence that XP is currently being pirated to an insane degree. We know about MS bringing out Starter Ed in Asia to try and combat piracy there, and they had the serial number top 10 etc etc.
3. Although it's true that it is now at that stage of the game where from MS' point of view, pirate XP on someone's machine is still more desirable than legit Linux, (because of mindshare retention) they have been starting to feel (at least compared to what they're used to) a rather nasty profit pinch over the last year or two. Because of this, it's understandable that given where they are now, they're probably more interested in stopping piracy at the moment than they ever have been before...however, they're not likely to be successful IMHO because
4. They've destroyed/damaged consumer trust/credibility to the point where they're not going to be getting it back. Ever. For anyone who's been paying attention, Microsoft's list of crimes is a mile long, including violation of the Sherman Act, raping/destroying various other software companies and acquiring their software through dubious means, and more relevant to this particular topic, suspicion of engaging in various forms of surveillance of Windows users. I'm guessing Gates could quite literally donate his entire fortune to charity at this point and it wouldn't substantially improve most people's opinion of him. The PR crisis is actually Microsoft's biggest problem...Bigger than Linux...bigger than anything else currently challenging it. The plain and simple fact is that people passionately hate the company, in large numbers...or at the very least seriously distrust it...and it is utterly impossible to continue to successfully do business when the majority feel that way towards you.
Gates would do very well at this point to acquaint himself with what Machiavelli wrote about a leader who allows himself to become hated.
Because of this, however, I'm assuming that only the most gullible of casual users for the most part are going to go along with allowing Microsoft to check their copies of Windows...And I also have a feeling Microsoft know that. The line about improving reliability is one of their usual transparent-as-glass lies.
Re:Desperation (Score:3, Informative)
Support for Windows products up to Windows 95 was discontinued some time ago, and IIRC Windows 98 support will end next year. MS's plan is to only support ME and XP for home users, and Server 2000/2003 for...well...servers, just about forcing businesses and schools that run nonsupported OS's to upgrade.
So one of my students... (Score:3, Interesting)
It doesn't work. (Score:3, Interesting)
It validates fine.
I have MSDN universal, so I'm fine, but it seems that the "is it valid" thing should actually detect invalid copies.
I know a person who verified his Linux... (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Its a monster bite! (Score:2)
Re:its well knowm.. (Score:2)
The above comment is nothing but the wild speculations typed by, judging by the spelling, a thirteen year old browsing at school.
Re:its well knowm.. (Score:3, Informative)
What are you talking about? Its quite easy to verify if Windows is "Phoning Home". Its called a nifty packet logger, or even better a firewall.
The difficulty here is to know, what "Home" really is. Do you believe that microsoft.com are the only hidden servers that MS spyware would contact? MS can easily hide their "Phoning Home" as absolutely normal surfing to innocouus servers. You'd have a hard time to dissect the logfiles of your firewll or packet logger to find out!
Re:its well knowm.. (Score:4, Interesting)
The Reg had an amusing story of how some police forces got caught out..
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2001/02/19/dealers_c
Re:ermm I'm not getting something here... (Score:2)
After all, the legal costs are probably about the same to go after a pirate no matter what their offense is. It's good bu
Re:Feed me... (Score:2)
After all that song is worth $10, and windows is worht what, $200??
FUD works even better, is someone else is feading it for you.
Intentional typo! (Score:3, Funny)
That was intentional! MS is offering a PIECE of (their) mind to users. Users are expected to insert it into their own minds; thus lobotomizing themselves.