Paul Thurrott Bitten by WGA 591
suntory writes "Paul Thurrott, one of the most important Microsoft advocates, has been bitten by Windows Genuine Advantage. As some Slashdot users have reported, Paul installed a bunch of updates in his machine and now Microsoft thinks that he is using pirated software." From the post: "Truthfully, I can only imagine what triggered these alerts. The software was installed to a VM a long time ago and archived on my server. I no doubt used a copy of XP MCE 2005 that I had received as part of my MSDN subscription. If the WGA alerts are to be believed, it's possible that Microsoft thinks I've installed this software on too many machines, though that seems unlikely to me. I can't really say. Anyway, that's what it looks like to be a suspected pirate. Like many people who will see these alerts, I don't believe I did anything wrong. I'm sure that's going to be a common refrain in this new era of untrusting software and companies. Ah well."
Even if done by M$FT, it's still spyware... (Score:5, Insightful)
Dear Bill:
The following argument is so old it should probably be modded redundant, but given Steve's mental faculties [nyud.net], perhaps it bears repeating.
1 - Pirates will not be hurt by this as they have corporate keys, etc
2 - Genuine customers will be annoyed by this
3- Therefore this makes no sense
By presupposing your customers are dishonest Microsoft creates tremendous ill-will. This would, of course, normally be a bad thing. Worse - they have that nice monopoly so it doesn't really matter. This causes unhappiness and resentment, even amongst ridiculous Redmond fanbois like Paul Thurrott and Ed Bott.
So, my friends, there is only one way out. If we want to be happy [northwestern.edu], Windows must be kill -9'd [stanford.edu].
Re:Even if done by M$FT, it's still spyware... (Score:5, Interesting)
No, I don't revel in customers unsatisfactory, it bugs me, but I do laugh at how microsoft is loosing popularity and a user base extremely fast due to this.
Ubuntu, Here we come!
p.s. Ubuntu has released a version today based on the 2.6.17 kernel, and that kernel includes many new supported wireless cards, one of which I have in my laptop (broadcom 4308)
Re:Even if done by M$FT, it's still spyware... (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Even if done by M$FT, it's still spyware... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Even if done by M$FT, it's still spyware... (Score:5, Interesting)
I've forgotten why I mentioned this, but it had to do with the considerable overlap between our individual opinions of an "average user."
Re:Even if done by M$FT, it's still spyware... (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Even if done by M$FT, it's still spyware... (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Even if done by M$FT, it's still spyware... (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Even if done by M$FT, it's still spyware... (Score:5, Informative)
The vast majority of people out there are not doing anything remotely "important" with their computers, and most are just surfing and emailing and chatting an so forth. In other words, no difference.
I run Windows at home, but then I play a lot of games, and like most people when it's my leisure time I don't want to spend half of it getting Linux to play a game I can "just play" on Windows.
I would argue it's almost exclusively gamers who need to suffer Windows.
Re:Even if done by M$FT, it's still spyware... (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Even if done by M$FT, it's still spyware... (Score:5, Insightful)
Linux is ready for the desktop... it is the wrong question to ask...
The real question is, "Is Linux ready for you?"
And Linux still has quite a lot to offer gamers, it just depends on what your demands are.
From the top of my head, a few native Linux games:
FPS:
- Quake (1 through 4)
- UT (99, 2k3, 2k4)
- W:ET
- Sauerkraut / Cube 2
- Warsow
- Legends
Strategy:
- Freeciv
- Savage (1 and the soon to be released 2)
- Darwinia
Well the list goes on, and it quite extensive (not all are Tetris-clones).
And you can run games in Wine or in Cedega.
But the question you should ask yourself is, 'Is Linux ready for me?'
If the answer to that question is "no", then indeed Linux is not ready for YOUR desktop.
Re:Even if done by M$FT, it's still spyware... (Score:3, Insightful)
Ignoring that- my last Linux install time: 2 hours. My last Windows install time (including drivers and the like)- 3 days. Sounds like Windows isn't ready for the average user.
Re:Even if done by M$FT, it's still spyware... (Score:4, Insightful)
Yet I and my wife use it daily. I did nothing the average user couldn't do. We don't have many games, but then, we only play atitd really.
The hardest part was downloading and installing the game, or maybe burning the CD for the installation of Kubuntu.
I am, on the other hand, unable to install windows (XP). Since my wife's internet banking no longer needs windows, I luckily don't need it anymore.
But if you want the broad selection of games windows offer, there is no way around WGA, the cost, the upgrades, and the hopeless install. So for that group, windows (or PS3/Xbox/Gamecube or whatever they are called) is the only option.
As usual, what you really need for a succesful install of anything is...luck. So, take care of your Karma ;)
Re:Even if done by M$FT, it's still spyware... (Score:3, Informative)
It's funny you should mention video editing, as that was one of the things that was keeping me tied somewhat to Windows. Early in the Linux transition, I got apps such as DVD Decrypter, TMPGEnc, and VirtualDub working under Wine. Now, though, I've found that native apps such as vobcopy, mencoder, a
Re:Even if done by M$FT, it's still spyware... (Score:5, Insightful)
It would be a lot easier for them to port if all games were opengl. I remember way back when John Carmack had his open letter to microsoft on the merits of opengl. Unfortunately, it seems d3d (even though crap back then) has won out in the end. Not that it's better than opengl, it could be now, but that's beside the point. Microsoft saw how big gaming was getting and wanted to tie developers and as a result it's users to one platform.
I think a turning point was the release of half life. Even though being a quake 1 engine game (don't start the q1/q2 halflive thing) it's default support was d3d. If valve stayed native opengl when that game exploded, we might have seen co's like ati get their act in gear a lot earlier with better opengl support. And potentially might have become a more attractive option for future developers.
Glad carmack still codes for win,nix, os X just cause he thinks 'it's a good thing.' Too bad developers like him are far and few between.
Consumers can kill something off like a plague when they are aware of the hardware/software tie in, like the death of the original divx hardware players, but when consumers (even tech savvy ones) don't think about it, or don't care what goes on behind the scenes, things like this happen.
I can't really see it changing drastically now. You hear about the odd port from a company which is great but the only way a lot of games to be natively available on linux is for linux to all of a sudden gain huge market share (hopefully one day, but still a long ways off).
If/when that time comes, developers would have to look at their development strategy, it will be a hassle to support d3d and opengl. So if they did see a market for both windows and linux they'd most likely consider opengl from the get go.
So, it would be nice to at least have more developers using opengl now, so the option is there for a port, but again I can't see that happening. People would have to do something radical and boycott a game and state the reason is because it uses d3d which is enforcing the tie-in of games to only one platform.
And just look at the moves microsoft can pull when they have this clout. Halo 2 being directx 10 only. Please... An xbox 1 port requiring the latest d3d. A strong arm tactic for vista if I ever saw one.
So I'm going to add this, can we actually blame developers for the state of affairs of linux gaming? Should we hold them accountable? See the majority of people do not care about anything except (in this case) what's best for their company. I mentioned Carmack because someone should be recognized when they do something knowing it's not necessarily the profitable move, it's just that they think it's right.
Re:Even if done by M$FT, it's still spyware... (Score:2)
Bigger man than I (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Bigger man than I (Score:5, Insightful)
That's not someone who's being a "bigger" person. That's resignation. That's yet another person who'll refuse to look at alternatives and will stick with Microsoft. Why? I don't know, I really don't ... and I find it scary.
Re:Bigger man than I (Score:2)
Maybe the alternatives don't need his needs (or wants) ?
Re:Bigger man than I (Score:3, Interesting)
What are his requirements on Windows? Are there other operating systems which meet those requirements? Do those operating systems have similar "ah well" behavior as Windows?
Re:Bigger man than I (Score:5, Insightful)
-=-Upton Sinclair
Is Thurrott An Idiot? (Score:2)
Re:Is Thurrott An Idiot? (Score:3, Informative)
Because he's a Lackey Wuss (Score:5, Interesting)
He has an opportunity to voice the opinions and concerns of the people and instead chose to bend over and take one right in the arse!
Thanks Paul and Fuck You very much!
Re:Bigger man than I (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Bigger man than I (Score:4, Insightful)
I don't know anything about Linux... nothing at all. before I'd even get started I'd have to do research into what the best distribution for me is. before I even do that I need to find outlets online that I trust to provide me with a useful comparison of the different distributions as well as making sure it's up-to-date, unbiased, and complete.
Then I'd need to determine if all of my hardware actually supports Linux. If it fails this test it's probably not even worth it. My 5 year old laptop isn't exactly upgradeable and My desktop's got fairly new hardware which I'm not too keen on replacing if I need to.
If I get past the hardware hurdle then I'd need to do some research on how to install it. What new commands do I need to learn? how do I install hardware drivers (since they're not just plug and play like Windows where everything auto-magic-ly works). Is there a specific order I need to get my hardware up and running? What happens if I run into problems? I need to find places where can I get help. How do I get online to ask for help if Linux isn't up and running yet? Even if I have a 2nd computer how do I transfer data between the two if one doesn't have drivers for the communication outlets (NIC, CD, etc.) yet?
Now that I get past installing it I need to completely re-learn all the quirks of the OS where settings are hidden, what the right click menus look like. Even if I can customize it THAT would take a considerable amount of time learning HOW to customize it.
Now I need to find alternative software, Open Office instead of MS office, GIMP instead of Photoshop, etc. etc. etc. some are apparent others I'm not so sure. I do a whole lot of burning do they make Nero for Linux? what about video editing? I do that on occasion. What kind of Micro-controller tools are available or will I have to dual boot windows just to flash my pic chips and debug/compile my MCU code?
Once I've found all my new software I need to re-learn how to use all of those programs. And even after all of that I STILL have to use Windows at work making those old habits really die hard.
90% of the time Windows works fine for me. I've had fantastic up-time with XP SP2 (it's amazing how well your PC runs if you don't visit trashy web-sites and don't constantly install random garbage software). I know how to use Windows and I never have to worry about software or hardware compatibility. As long as there's a square hole for my square peg I just plug it in and it works, I don't even have to bother with drivers.
There's no good reason for me to switch other then for the sake of switching. I'm not adverse to the proposal but it's a whole mountain of labor just to get to where I already am... Security is not a compelling reason, I have a strong (linux based) firewall and use Firefox instead of IE. I keep a virus scanner running regular checks. and I can't even remember the last time my PC crashed (I'm working on an uptime of about 32 days right now, and the last re-boot was because of a power outage).
If I knew of a good resource to help someone like me; without any Linux knowledge at all, get up and running then I'd probably set aside some free time to at least ATTEMPT a dual boot... but as it is right now it's just too much work and without a compelling reason, not worth wasting my free time.
After all of that it would seem going to Apple would be an easier option then Linux... but then I'd have to buy a new computer, one more expensive then the computer I already own (provided it has comparable power). And then the argument comes back again... why waste the $$ and time just to get back to where I already am?
Re:Bigger man than I (Score:3, Informative)
if you are a home u
Re:Bigger man than I (Score:3, Insightful)
Exactly how can I boot any live CD distro? I know nothing of Linux I don't know what SUSE is I don't' know what Ubuntu is (though I assume they're different "brands" of distros). I don't know where to get a "live CD" and I until the helpful first response to my post I didn't even know who I could ask.
Doc Leaf (Score:4, Funny)
Only one thing to say... (Score:4, Funny)
Genuine Disadvantage (Score:5, Insightful)
You have to keep buying your Windows software every year or two in order to update it, how else is Microsoft going to stay the biggest software company in the world?
Re:Genuine Disadvantage (Score:3, Interesting)
Your analogy is flawed though. This is the equivalent of your GM car suddenly not working in some of the advertised ways because it thinks the car is stolen, forcing you to buy a new GM. Which doesn't happen, and would be a cause of many lawsuits. For the sake of honesty: I use Windows XP and prefer it over anything else I've tried.
Not that I expected (Score:2)
Anyway it's either another debacle of Microsoft (is this news?
Re:Not that I expected (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Not that I expected (Score:5, Interesting)
That is the ONE problem I have with Microsoft's software: they see pirates around every corner and their customers are criminals.
Re:Not that I expected (Score:5, Interesting)
MS: Thank you for calling Microsoft, can I have the installation id that's on your screen?
Me: (reads long number)
MS: Thank you. (pause) Ok, how many machines has this been installed on? (You could read this as someone accusing me of piracy, but it's a pretty reasonable question when some people might not realise you're not supposed to install on numerous machines)
Me: Just the one
MS: And why do you need to reactivate?
Me: Replaced the hard drive in my laptop.
MS: Ok, I'm going to read out an activation number for you to put in the box, and you should be ok. (Gives me long number)
Very polite, minimal questions, took less than 5 minutes, and it was at 11:30 at night on a Saturday.
Now, it's fair enough to say that there might not be a real need for activation, that MS is being boneheaded by requiring it, or that they should be more trusting of their customers; these are all fair comments. It's also possible that you might have had a phone agent on a bad day. I just know from my experience that they've been always very very polite and if they err, it's on the side of permissiveness. I also assume that if I was hyper-sensitive and acted like a jerk, they might have been less polite to me. I would never suggest that was the case with you of course.
re: No big deal? (Score:3, Insightful)
I do a lot of on-site computer service, and I regularly run into situations where a PC is dead and a motherboard has to be swapped out. After that, XP always thinks it's being installed on a 2nd. machine, instead of the original one. That means I'm always st
Re: No big deal? (Score:4, Interesting)
(EG. One time, I tried to explain that my Windows activation problem was due to experimenting with installing my copy inside Virtual PC, and I had since removed that - and just wanted to put it back on my original PC like it was supposed to be. That was met with the support person repeating the question over and over, "How many total computers have you installed Windows on?" They seemed to have no idea what I was talking about.....)
What is so weird about that? Because they work in one department of a tech company, they aren't suddenly turned into technical virtuosos, or even technically literate people. The person on the other end had probably never heard of a Virtual PC, and would probably be confused if the concept was explained to them, as well as not understanding WHY one would ever want to do a thing like that.
The other persons probably saw the conversation like this;
Support: Ok, can I ask how many computers you have this copy of Windows installed on?
You: I only have it installed on one computer. The only reason it is doing this is because I had it installed on a Virtual PC on another computer awhile ago, but now I want to put this back on the computer it came on
(The Support Person here hears that you (A) had it installed on another computer at one point and (B) hears a term they are completely unfamiliar with, adding to the confusion)
Support: Uhh...How many total computers have you installed Windows on?
You: Just one.
Support: Thank you...
Re:Not that I expected (Score:3, Informative)
as long as they let me know about it before I buy it.
The best way to avoid it is to get rid of windows.
The second-best way is to reinstall from scratch, disable product activation (reset5setup.exe - Reset 5.02), and update using AutoPatcher.
Re:Not that I expected (Score:3, Informative)
Well, look on the bright side... (Score:5, Funny)
I'ma coming, F/OSS folks! (Score:4, Insightful)
I will be royally pissed if I received one of these messages after spending hundreds of dollars on a software product. And if they disable the software beause they think it's pirated, they will lose me as a customer - forever.
I can just see it now, businesses trying to get work done while dealing with those messages.
Re:I'ma coming, F/OSS folks! (Score:3, Informative)
Re:I'ma coming, F/OSS folks! (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:I'ma coming, F/OSS folks! (Score:4, Insightful)
It's not just an annoyance.
It's yet another annoyance, in a long line of annoyances.
Could it be the "straw that broke the camel's back"?
Maybe. Or maybe the next annoyance will be.
Or the one after that.
This hurts legitimate users (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:This hurts legitimate users (Score:5, Interesting)
How are they all getting it so very wrong?
Re:This hurts legitimate users (Score:3, Insightful)
Yeah but what about all the people using cracked versions that don't know it. I imagine there's a TON. How many times do you install XP for a friend or something, and instead of telling them they need to cough up $XXX for an intangible license, you just install the cracked version.
Sure the user is using illegal software, but you can really blame the
Re:This hurts legitimate users (Score:3, Insightful)
This is an unneccesary moral delimma for the power user like me, do I help my friend, or do I help Microsoft's bottom line. GM doesn't make you buy another car when you lose your keys.
Tough choice? I think not. You should help your friend understand that, if the computer doesn't work because XP needs to be reinstalled without the media, money needs to be shelled out. That's just the way it goes with Microsoft. Sorry it sucks, but that's the scenario. Maybe next time your friend will think twice befo
Re:This hurts legitimate users (Score:5, Insightful)
In some cases you can get cracked versions of Windows that bypass all the serialization (it just drops in a corporate number), install faster than a legit disc, and have a lot of updates not in the MSFT discs slipstreamed in, so it reduces your update workload once you get the thing installed.
In many ways, the cracked products are superior to the legitimate ones from an ease-of-use standpoint.
Not that I'd know any of this from experience or anying
Seems like the way to go (Score:3, Informative)
Hoo-ray for Apple
Re:Seems like the way to go (Score:2)
Re:Seems like the way to go (Score:5, Insightful)
While it's true (and I'm damn glad) that Apple doesn't mess around with any "activation" crap per se, saying that they don't burden the user with any 'anti-piracy technologies' is a bit rich.
After all, I have a $1500 hardware dongle sitting under by desk to prove it.
Apple doesn't need any WGA-like stuff, because even if you pirate the OS (which, let's face it, happens all the time -- heck, you can dupe an OS X installation CD using tools provided with OS X), you can only run it on hardware purchased from Apple. Assuming they ratchet up the requirements accordingly every few years, they have a stream of income from you. Not as much as if you bought each version of the OS as it came out, but it's still something. Apparently, it's enough for them not to burden their users with onerous phone-home spyware.
The biggest reasons why I wish the OSX86 Project people would just crawl under a rock and disappear, is that if OS X ever gets severely cracked to the point where an average user can install it on commodity hardware, I can almost guarantee that Apple will go the activation route. Sure, I'm sure they'll be a lot friendlier about it than Microsoft has, and the whining will be suitably mild (and they'll have lines of pundits defending them), but it'll be obnoxious just the same.
I've heard this before (Score:5, Insightful)
The argument that the machine is a "dongle" only works if it were true. It's not. I can purchase a copy of OSX Tiger and give it to any number of other Mac users to install on their machine, and Apple lose money. Sure, you *have* already bought a computer from them, and I'm sure Apple are happy about that, but to claim that it somehow restricts you from piracy is just wrong.
Back when I were a young lad, I had an Atari XL (the first computer I ever had that came with a disk drive
People operate within their communities, if there is the potential for theft within that community there will be some people who will take that opportunity. For the mac, the community is mac-owners, and the potential for piracy is just as valid within that community as for PC owners within theirs. The Mac community is smaller, true, but that doesn't matter when you're (ahem) "swapping" software.
I just don't believe that spending $$$ on a computer entitles you to stop spending $ on software from the same company (can you tell I'm a reformed character
Simon.
Re:Seems like the way to go (Score:3, Interesting)
ah well, that's all we can muster? (Score:5, Insightful)
Ah well?, Ah well? This is the extent of outrage in "this new era"?!? Amazing!
Re:ah well, that's all we can muster? (Score:3, Insightful)
Why would he be outraged? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:ah well, that's all we can muster? (Score:2)
But this is a guy who's essentially made his career taking it up the rear from Microsoft and liking it. Or at least talking a lot about how much he likes it; one way or the other.
To somebody like him, who's completely sold to hell and back on MSFT's wares, this sort of thing is just completely inevitable. There aren't any alternatives. This is the future, so lie back and think of America, friends!
Luckily, not everyone thinks that way.
Re:ah well, that's all we can muster? (Score:2)
I mean, that IS coming with Vista anyway, but they could get a head start on finally killing off PC gaming for good.
Re:ah well, that's all we can muster? (Score:5, Interesting)
What's sad is how true this is nowadays. I'm 20, and so is my girlfriend. After getting shitty service at Best Buy, (and getting my bags searched every time I leave the place) I said, "This is enough. I'm never going back." And I haven't. If my friends want to get something there, I sit on the curb until they're done. Fuck Best Buy.
Anyway, my point: The other day I was sitting on said curb with my girlfriend while my friends went inside. She says, "I don't understand why you can't just even go inside. I'm done trying to figure you out." I replied, "What's so hard to figure out about not shopping at a place that sucks? Good companies get my dollar. Bad ones don't. That's how this is supposed to work." and she says, "Why do you have to be so political all the time?"
I'd like to think that most of America is like myself, and not like my girlfriend, but I have the feeling that most of my generation are idiots.
Re:ah well, that's all we can muster? (Score:5, Interesting)
And on to the other part: you, too, will realize that you don't have to make a crusade out of opposition. I'm not criticizing you: I think you're doing a good, upstanding thing. But you're doing it at the cost of damaging your relationship. In another ten years, you'll think twice about that particular tradeoff. That's why young people drive a lot of the change in the world: they're willing to sit out on the curb to protest things, where people with another twenty years are thinking "I support that, but I don't want to make waves."
Curbs (Score:3, Insightful)
That's why young people drive a lot of the change in the world: they're willing to sit out on the curb to protest things, where people with another twenty years are thinking "I support that, but I don't want to make waves."
Bag searches are optional (Score:4, Informative)
Ob (Score:2, Funny)
Looks like he's been Thurrottled. ba-DUM tish
Sadly Enough... (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Sadly Enough... (Score:3, Funny)
But it is! Windows has had product activation for years, and now they've come up with something even better. Apple has yet to give me any way to make sure that my copy of OS X is Genuine! Using my copy of OS X without knowing whether or not it's Genuine is nerve-wracking.
And don't even get me started on those Linux people!
Re:It's true though (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:It's true though (Score:3, Interesting)
He cares as soon as he puts in his World of Warcraft CD in and nothing happens. Then he assumes that the computer is broken, rings his supplier and asks to get a new computer that works 'properly' like his old one did. In other words, he wants Windows back, even if he doesn't know it himself.
A bit offtopic but (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:A bit offtopic but (Score:3, Insightful)
Most companies of any size have at least one software package that performs some business critical function that requires Windows.
Lots of home computer users own their computers to play games that aren't available for alternative OS's and which don't operate properly under WINE.
He simply doesn't get it (Score:5, Insightful)
No, not "ah well."
Customers have a legitimate expectation to be treated as if they are wanted and valued not as if they are a threat to the enterprise for using the product they purchased.
Companies that treat their customers as criminals instead of as their reason for being in business will find themselves at a severe competative disadvantage. Such actions will hurt companies who engage in them, in big and small ways.
WGA has already resulted in several lawsuits. Those court proceedings are sapping resources from Microsoft. There is time being spent by developers and software architects in helping lawyers prepare court cases instead of doing the more important parts of their job. Those resources aren't being used to fix bugs, develop new features, or in any way serve current or future customers.
That hurts the both the consumer and the stockholder.
Re:He simply doesn't get it (Score:3, Insightful)
Secondly, Microsoft has shown time and time again that it's great at drawing out long court battles into essentially nothing - at least in the US. The EU fine actually has a little teeth, but overall I get the impression it's eating up a lot more other resources - resources that could have worked for open standards
Thanks Apple (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Thanks Apple (Score:2, Insightful)
upgrades!
example from 10.3 to 10.4
Re:TPM (Score:5, Insightful)
lazy ass (Score:2)
corner cases will kill you... (Score:4, Interesting)
On the other hand, how many Microsoft systems are really all that vanilla these days? Perhaps the way WGA gets paid for is through Microsoft's 900 support number?
My appraisal (Score:3, Interesting)
What about the sticker? (Score:2)
I've Got An Easy Solution (Score:2, Insightful)
UGA - equivalent of WGA for Ubuntu users (Score:5, Funny)
Re:UGA - equivalent of WGA for Ubuntu users (Score:5, Funny)
"Could not run the specified command."
Does this mean my Ubuntu is pirated!?!/!111!one!!?!
Contributing back (Score:3, Funny)
Re:UGA1.0.1 (major bugfix) (Score:3, Informative)
kdialog --msgbox "Your copy of KDE is valid.\nPlease share it\!"
"Ah Well" (Score:2)
"Ah Well". "Ah Well"?! No, it's not "Ah Well"!
Why is this man so stoically up with putting this insidious crap?
(In fact, I don't use that silly operating system — so I don't know why I'm bitching...)
Outrage? (Score:3, Insightful)
MS more of an abuse company than a software co. (Score:2, Flamebait)
How would you like to be a programmer for a company that apparently cannot get anything to work correctly the first time?
After decades of good judgement about money, Warren Buffett [wikipedia.org] has made the biggest mistake
Happened to me on factory installed XPhome (Score:3, Informative)
When I replaced the memory & reinstalled the system from the restore CD, well then the same copy of XPHome was just fine with WGA.
Kudos Microsoft;)
And my wife says americans dont understand ... (Score:3, Insightful)
So where you from?
Hunt it Down . . . (Score:3, Funny)
Everyone should use FireFox for system updates.. (Score:3, Interesting)
You can keep you system up2date without having to fire-up Windows Update.
Re:Everyone should use FireFox for system updates. (Score:4, Informative)
http://autopatcher.com/ [autopatcher.com]
Nice response (Score:3, Informative)
Yet another reason to buy a Mac (Score:5, Funny)
The innocent will pay just as much as the guilty (Score:4, Interesting)
Maybe if Microsoft made the feature set crippled or mad Windows (Vista?) suck a lot less, this wouldn't be as much of a problem for them.
Corporate Double-Speak (Score:5, Insightful)
Small = Tall
Medium = Grande
Large = Venti
So why in the world is it called "Windows Genuine Advantage" anyway when it's really just an anti-piracy detector? What conceivable "Advantage" is there for the consumer and why wasn't Windows Update just left well enough alone? I know Microsoft has a right to protect it's products but at least have the decency to call it what it is: Anti-Piracy validation.
And before I get modded flamebait, I'm not particularly picking on MS or Starbucks here. I am trying to make the point that in many ways and in many different forms of media we are increasingly being conditioned to accept corporate and marketing double-speak that just does not make any sense. These are just the examples that came to mind first.
That short phrase says it all. "Ah well." (Score:5, Insightful)
The article's author, while lamenting the fact that Microsoft has just accused him of a federal crime, simply responds with a sigh and a recommendation that we should all get used to the idea.
EXCUSE ME?!? No.
This guy has already decided to go with the lemming mentality. He figures that lots of people will have this problem, so why worry? That's what people thought about the RIAA's threats too, until the lawsuits started.
Re:hypocracy (Score:5, Insightful)
...except that, if you were to read TFA, you would see that this is not a pirated version of Windows. Do you really want to start a program where you randomly accuse your customers of being software pirates, even when they are not? How will that help "stop piracy" when the real pirates are using corporate keys to begin with (and are immune from WGA) and the real customers are being falsely flagged?
But I guess you just wanted to whine about Apple.
Re:bit (Score:3, Funny)