Windows Content Protection (pure evil)

[mr_a500]

Computers used to be fun. Now they're pure evil.
http://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~pgut001/pubs/vista_cost.html

Here are a few quotes:

"The result will be a technologically enforced monopoly that makes their current de-facto Windows monopoly seem like a velvet glove in comparison..."

"As a user, there is simply no escape. Whether you use Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 95, Linux, FreeBSD, OS X, Solaris (on x86), or almost any other OS, Windows content protection will make your hardware more expensive, less reliable, more difficult to program for, more difficult to support, more vulnerable to hostile code, and with more compatibility problems."

"...a tiny, easily-hidden piece of malware would be enough to render a machine unusably unstable, while the very nature of Vista's content protection would make it almost impossible to determine why the denial-of-service is occurring."

[countzero]

I hope this will be downfall of the MS empire. I'm sure some vendors will manufacture x86/am64 boards without this {bleep} for linux/BSD users. The size of the linux market and the decreased cost of the hardware will make for it. And I'm sure some clever guy from a scandinavian country will manage to break vista to run on these non content protected boards. And everyone will happily use their cracked vistas/free linuxes on these boards free of evil.

/nostradamus over.

[dbrads]

Hey Countzero,

 How did that bloke in your avatar get that hood over his head with those big horns?

[countzero]

ask that to John Buscema and Ernie Chan.

[ZeBeeDee]

Isn't a great the miggy never had this crap? Listen up Bill 'fleece the customer' Gates, you can learn a thing or two instead of lining your pockets :-)

[Homer]

This looks surprisingly similar to my earlier thread on the same matter. It worked nicely in slowing down Chrizz's Vista cr@p.
While we are at it, why does Vista cost double the USA price in the UK ? Its a good job I never pay for Windoze  :lol:

[InTheSand]

Homer wrote:
...why does Vista cost double the USA price in the UK ?

It's the same here... most US companies seem to over-charge anyone outside the US or Canada...

Prices for Vista Home Basic upgrade DVD (e.g. pretty much the cheapest nastiest version with the fugly "scrap metal" UI):
USA (Amazon) US$98.99
UK (Amazon) £99.99
New Zealand (Ascent) NZ$229.43
Australia (Digital Home) AU$188

Using current exchange rates, US$98.99 should work out as:
UK - £50.51 (£49.48 overcharged)
New Zealand - NZ$142.41 (NZ$87.02 overcharged)
Australia - AU$128.16 (AU$59.84 overcharged)

This doesn't take into consideration the cost of living in each of these countries... New Zealand, for instance, has lower wages and higher costs of living, so the real cost of Vista here is even higher.

IMHO, "upgrading" from XP to Vista Home Basic would be a complete waste of time and I wouldn't bother with it... The "better" versions of Vista are even more stupidly expensive though...

"Upgrading" from any version of XP to Vista is pretty much a waste of time though - considering the cost, extra hardware requirements, and the lack of any real new features...

- Ali

[mr_a500]

This looks surprisingly similar to my earlier thread on the same matter.

I missed that thread because of the vague title.

It's the same here... most US companies seem to over-charge anyone outside the US or Canada...

The fact that Canada is included doesn't mean the US companies respect Canada. They just look at Canada as if it's part of the US - ignoring the fact that we don't use "US English" and use metric. The only time they ever modify their products for the Canadian market are when there are specific laws forcing them to. Apple is just as evil. They invented something they call "North American English" (which is US English) and you can't buy an Apple Computer or product in Canada with proper English. They won't even let you buy UK versions.

[AMC258]

1.  Not all of us (US Companies) look at Canadia as part of the US.

2.  Some people in the US with certain political and religious persuasions view the rest of the world as inferior and subordinate!

[ptek]

I hope this will be downfall of the MS empire

I simply don't believe in that. Most people are completely brain washed of the Vista thing! They pay whatever necessary for having the evil Vista.

[AMC258]

Most people will stand in line to pay 30% interest on their credit cards to get it!

SHEEP!

[huronking]

Actually Bill Gates threatened to move M$ to Vancouver to
show the US Department of Justice who was boss during the
antitrust suit less than a decade ago.

My guess is that Europeans get overcharged because of the
EU suit enforced on M$.

Point 2 is childishly phobic.

[koaftder]

blah blah

Not any different from back in the day. We have always had DRM, even back in the 80's. Those discs that had purposly bad sectors that couldn't be copied, serials and dongles, etc. Nothing new. The only thing that is new is that the average guy deals with this crap now instead of us "geeks".

[Jose]

@Homer
"While we are at it, why does Vista cost double the USA price in the UK ? Its a good job I never pay for Windoze "

Among other things, probably because of customs taxes in the EU. I've had some bytch there force me to pay tax on the shipment price too once:( It was either accept it or have the goods retained till the case was solved.  :pissed:

[mr_a500]

@koaftder

You obviously didn't read the linked article. Read it, then tell me that it's "nothing new". :roll:

Point 2 is childishly phobic.

No, I agree with point 2. Anyone who has ever personally seen American missionaries at work outside of the US (like I have) or who has done consulting work for a US corporation knows that this is 100% true. (I quit the job in protest, by the way)