Defining hackers as people who take control of your computer (in whatever form) for their own ends, then this scenario of a "secure walled garden" is a win for the hackers, not a win for security. My idea of security is to prevent exactly this crap happening.

Never mind that the hacker is a corporate entity listed on the stock exchange, they are still hackers. Never mind that they will claim that you agreed to this scenario by buying their kit (as if it will be possible to buy anything else, except similar rivals' kit) - that sounds just like an old style hacker claiming you agreed to their adware/botnet/malware by clicking on their email attachment.

I recently bought an Android tablet. I keep getting a full screen advert for some game pushed in my face without even a clear way to dismiss it. It is a game in the Android app store they want me to buy. It severely pisses me off; but it is not (by their definition) malware, it is "official". This takes place within what would be the "secure walled garden". I would rather take my chances in the shark pool - at least I am in control.

I don't know where to begin with what's wrong with this idea.

What is it they say about computer security? I remember - no system can be defended if the hacker has physical access. Real data centres have high security : guards, locked doors, and even inside the building the servers are within their own locked cages. Let me know me what hosting companies are proposing to house their servers in Joe Sixpack's basement, and I'll avoid.

I had heard of it, not sure how. This is Wikipedia (under Gulf of Mexico):-

I did not say I supported the theory, only that it was suggested. I am not a geologist. Clearly it is now out of favour.

There was a theory that the Gulf of Mexico is a meteor crater. About 1000 miles across.

It is probably as much to do with excercising a right. Like I have a second right of way from my property which I never need to use, but I do use it at least once per year just to maintain that right.

No. If you are looking at objects seen in the mirror you are focussing at the total distance of : you-mirror plus mirror-object
The mirror wraps the distance but does not reduce how far the light must travel or the object appears.

At last : all those hours I spent in school physics drawing light ray diagrams has come in useful.

You have not just spent too much time indoors, it has been in an echo chamber.

FTFA :

Doesn't that amount to the same thing? Not spending much time on distance focussing?

Where and how did "MASSIVE increase in Desktop Linux market share" come in to this? I never said anything about it, and never forsee such a thing happening either. WTF has it got to do with this topic?

More to the point, Microsoft are fanatical about trying to stop even a handful of people from using anything but Windows. Microsoft rate them as criminals, and are like some fat Roman emperor hearing that some people at the edge of the World are not sacrificing half their cattle and virgins twice a day in homage to him, and sending a legion there to exterminate them. Every user is "important" to Microsoft, no matter how few.

You underestimate car enthusiasts. They can do things like that. And Toyota does not deliberately put in features to stop them.

Rightly or wronly, perhaps they fear that their help lines will be tied up with people who have installed Linux (or are trying to) asking for help. Perhaps this happens - I do not know, but can imagine it can in some cases.

Now they will be able to say : "It can't be done, end of story, have a nice day." [Click]

We nearly all started with a pre-built system. What Microsoft want is to prevent someone with such a system from trying out Linux, perhaps with a live CD, and liking it.

I started with a pre-built (did not have the knowledge back then to try anything else) pe-loaded with Windows, but have built my own ever since running Linux. Microsoft wont stop me now or ever, I am a lost cause to them; but they'd love to stop others following my path. That is what this is about.

But will it come with a full set of manuals ?

Windows97 ? You must have been scammed. I'm running Windows99 myself and I'm sure it's genuine.

I'm unclear : where exactly is this $900 per month coming from and going to ?