Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon, and for the... ah, wait, wrong cliche.

Still, the fact is that someday, Microsoft will stop supporting XP even when it comes to security. That'll mean all those businesses who try to hang on will be forced to seek another option then, assuming MSFT hasn't learned and made something that would be a logical, worthwhile upgrade from XP. Assuming things stay the same by that point, you might start seeing a frenzied stampede away from Windows.

I was actually contemplating buying this when I got my hands on a newer machine after the holiday season. Now I won't, and by extension, I've no incentive to buy the high-end machine, either.

I'm sure the hardware manufacturers will really appreciate Rockstar and Sony costing them a sale as well.

As mentioned in parent, a non-compete will screw you before you even get off the ground, since your very plan for the software could be construed as very direct competition, even if it doesn't share a single character of code with their product.

Assuming you didn't, retain a lawyer anyway. Anyone can be sued for anything in this day and age. The trick is, with the help of the lawyer, you can make sure any suit wouldn't be able to stick in the first place. Even if there's never any legal action, the lawyer will still prove helpful to you.

This feature doesn't seem to be aimed at stopping blackhats or organized criminals, two of the more "intelligent" varieties. No, this thing is meant to royally screw Joe Crackhead.

The feature doesn't appear as if it's ever going to stop a sophisticated high-tech criminal, naturally. Nor does this seem the intent. Identity thieves and data miners don't even need possession of the laptop, so no good there. Even then, the new feature is easily defeated. Organized criminals tend to know what they're doing as well, and any safety measure can be defeated by competence and planning. Still, they're both rare enough.

No, this sounds perfect for the two-bit junkie, the most common of criminals. Brick the laptop, especially remotely, and suddenly it's worthless for him to offload for his fix.