“Until a couple of days ago, like many others, I was looking forward to the long awaited release of Windows Vista. Then the news broke about Microsoft’s intention to crack down on software piracy by putting what amounts to spyware on users’ computers. Now I’m thinking twice about whether I really need or want this new operating system,” Stan Beer writes for iTWire. “As sure as night follows day there will be many cases in which the SPP will make mistakes and label legitimately acquired software as pirated. In such cases, users will have to convince Microsoft that they bought their software legitimately and, if they don’t succeed, they will have to hand over extra money or their system will be disabled.”
Beer writes, “Perhaps we should be grateful to Microsoft for letting its intentions be known in advance of the Vista release. It gives us a chance to evaluate the alternatives.”
“There is of course Linux, an operating system that enterprises are considering with increasing frequency. Relatively few have made the jump to the Linux desktop but they now have a clear choice between moving to Vista with its tight validation controls and Linux distributions without such controls from Vendors such as Red Hat and Novell, as well as freely available distributions such as Ubuntu,” Beer writes.
Beer writes, “As far as consumers are concerned, unfortunately no Linux distribution has shown itself to be ready for prime time. Perhaps for them, the best option is to upgrade to an Apple Mac. Then they can run their Windows XP stuff in a virtual window using Parallels or in dual boot mode using Boot Camp, while also taking advantage of all the cool Mac applications that come with their system.”
Beer writes, “Microsoft’s decision to try to nab Vista software pirates using spyware may be the best thing that ever happened to Linux and Mac OS X.”
Full article here.
Related articles:
Analyst: Microsoft’s new activation scheme will give users another reason not to upgrade to Vista – October 05, 2006
Microsoft to impose harsh crackdown, debilitate PCs with Windows Vista that it believes are pirated – October 04, 2006
Infoworld: Microsoft’s WIndows Vista not so revolutionary after all – September 11, 2006
Pirillo: Windows Vista RC1 disappointing, schizophrenic, disordered, inconsistent, and sad – September 07, 2006
Key Microsoft exec exits as clock ticks down on oft-delayed, much pared-down Windows Vista release – September 06, 2006
$399 for Windows Vista Ultimate?! (Hint: Get a Mac) – August 29, 2006
Apple’s Mac OS X Leopard is 64-bit done right, unlike Microsoft’s Windows Vista kludge – August 14, 2006
Microsoft Windows Vista: If you can’t innovate… try to impersonate Apple’s Mac OS X – August 10, 2006
Analyst: Apple’s new Mac OS X Leopard sets new bar, leaves Microsoft’s Vista in the dust – August 08, 2006
Symantec researcher: At this time, there are no file-infecting viruses that can infect Mac OS X – July 13, 2006
Sophos: Apple Mac OS X’s security record unscathed; Windows Vista malware just a matter of time – July 07, 2006
Computerworld: Microsoft Windows Vista a distant second-best to Apple Mac OS X – June 02, 2006
Microsoft’s greatest trick: convincing the public that the Wintel PC platform is open – March 06, 2006
Dude, you got a Dell? What are you, stupid? Only Apple Macs run both Mac OS X and Windows! – April 05, 2006
Reuters: Apple’s new ‘Boot Camp’ could draw millions of new Mac buyers – April 05, 2006
Apple shares surge over 6-percent in early trading on ‘Boot Camp’ news – April 05, 2006
Apple introduces Boot Camp: public beta software enables Intel-based Macs to run Windows XP – April 05, 2006
Defending Windows over Mac a sign of mental illness – December 20, 2003
zzzz
Here’s to hopin’!
I had a bad experience once.
MDN “death”– may be worse than my experience…
I think there are less than a dozen people on planet earth that are truly looking forward to the release of Vista.
Ho-hum. Some clever cracker will find a way to defeat Vista’s DRM sooner or later. (Mostly sooner)
Liked the headline. I can just imagine a disgruntled Vista engineer puts in a dialog box that says “This is your 3rd BSOD today. To get rid off this dialog buy a Mac!”
I have a bad experience every night!
with linux, you can also emulate Windows with free VMWare Server/Player…
“Microsoft’s Windows Vista spyware may prompt users to upgrade to Apple Mac”
Unless you’re on HP’s Board of Directors of course.
Get Stan a beer, for God’s sake! He’s got it!
Curious why he doesn’t consider a Mac suitable for enterprises. I think it would be their best choice, if only people could open their minds to a new way of seeing computers.
Could it be that someone has at long last turned on a light and God forbid there starting to get it – out there in M$ land!
Wow
It’s about time folks – better late than never!
I wonder what happens to the user who doesn’t want to go on-line with his PC – for secuirty reasons or because he/she doesn’t have access?
Buy new PC and a few weeks later it disables itself ?
Beer writes, “Microsoft’s decision to try to nab Vista software pirates using spyware may be the best thing that ever happened to Linux and Mac OS X.”
I must be daft??,, I did not see MAC OS X mentioned anywhere in the article
coolfactor,
Most enterprise will never consider Apple because of the single source lock in for OS AND hardware.
They have always had multiple bids on hardware but were locked in to single source OS through M$. With the maturing of Linux over the years they now can choose from a variety of suppliers in both hardware and software.
They certainly won’t jump into an even more restricted single source model. So we have to win the consumer side war.
Consider the number of pirated Windows installation there probably are out there, this would be a significant boost to Apple, if even a portion decided to get a Mac instead of paying Microsoft for Vista. But they may keep using XP for a while, and if they buy a new PC later, it will have Vista installed, so the impact to Mac OS X may be gradual, at best.
This could be the thing that does it. Here you have the company of the richest man on earth trying to squeeze the last drop out of the orange cause they don’t want to miss a thing. Can you spell GREED boys and girls. You’ve got 90+ of the world using your virius infested OS. WIll the hackers and virius spyware makers of the world be able to look inside like MS does? That can’t be good.
I don’t mind Window’s bloat or the fact that I had to buy a new machine just to run Vista. I got over the frustration that gaming has slowed considerably with Vista. And I still have to purge my machine of viruses and other malware regularly. But Microsoft spyware is the last straw, dammit!
The number of people who care about this, or who will even KNOW about this are minimal. And many of the people who will know about it are those who would be able to find the (inevitable) patches to circumvent the issue to begin with.
In other words, this is a pointless statement. The majority of people will continue to blindly buy “PC’s” with Windows on it from Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Dell, etc… because it’s what they know. This “spyware” is a moot point.
Windows users will not switch because of this, they are sheep and too stupid to realize how much Windows sucks. They will put up with it. It’s all they know and have been using their whole lives. Sad I know…..
I tried Ubuntu
I downloaded and burned the disk and booted my Mac with it.
I got a command line right away with all these funky instructions for drivers and other crap.
Linux is NOT ready for the desktop
Windows Vista will be cracked just like every version before it was. In fact the reason why Microsoft released public beta’s was to give the crackers plenty of time.
Microsoft is no dummy, they are not going to allow desktop Linux (or anyone else) to grab the low end of the OS market and work it’s way up.
Windows Vista will be free, as in in free beer, to anyone who knows where to look.
Good God People!!! Forget Linux! If you want a civilized command line unix environment simply fire up “TERMINAL” in Mac OS X. I’ve installed, compiled, and run all kinds of unix applications under terminal. And Shhhhhhhh!!!! Don’t tell anybody, but when you run the Mac OS X GUI you’re actually running UNIX! And guess what? The Mac GUI with the underlying unix OS is exactly what Linux hopes to achieve SOMEDAY.
D’you think a cleverly written virus could trick the authenticity mechanism into thinking an authentic installation is pirated, thus disabling your machine? That would be problematic.
MW: Possible — it seems possible, doesn’t it?
The author writes in relation to consumers:
“Perhaps for them, the best option is to upgrade to an Apple Mac”
Emphasis mine. He’s got that much right.
Zeke is correct too.