Comment Re: No longer required (Score 3, Interesting) 362
If I understand you correctly, this confirm the possibility that Microsoft have the possibility to manage 2 classes of keys: the first keys class is the current one where Microsoft is willing to sign binaries not from them; the second keys class could be for 'lock in' machines where Microsoft keep full control on.
To be fair, I think that the 'lock in' keys class it's a logical step for Microsoft branded machines. But this could go very wrong if OEMs start to do the same by using the argument 'designed for Microsoft OS' because this will add 'and nothing else could run on it' to the argument. I suspect that the goal is to reserve top machines specifications to Microsoft and to only allow degraded specifications machines to run other OS. The market already have products with this kind of bias.
And yes, you are right. This evil plan was draw decades ago with the deep knowledge that it will only work at the time when the security feature will be so standard that no chip will be manufactured without it anymore.
The fact that Windows 10 is announced to be virtually free for almost everyone having a previous copy of Windows somewhere is a clear singe that the time have changed. The OS have no value anymore. The number of new software that only run on a single OS will drastically shrink, exacerbating the OS value problem. So the 'lock in' machines with exclusive specifications will be the only market where Microsoft could make money from the OS.
From my analysis, the Microsoft message is dual: 1) you don't need anything other that Windows 10 as it's virtually free for everyone; 2) You need Windows 10 to run top specifications machines. OEM market will almost certainly split the product range accordingly if no reaction prevent this.