... because anybody who doesn't use WGA by this fall might not get to use their computer:
http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/06/29/1657241
Meh.
Will it help increase MS's legit sales? probably.
Will it piss a bunch of people off? definately.
Will most of those people be people that wouldn't give MS money anyway? of course.
Will there be a hack to bypass this? I don't see why not.
Cool.
Quote from: iago on June 30, 2006, 09:38:18 AM
... because anybody who doesn't use WGA by this fall might not get to use their computer:
http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/06/29/1657241
I wonder if this will affect 56k users. :P
Quote from: unTactical on June 30, 2006, 09:47:47 AM
Will it piss a bunch of people off? definately.
Tough shit. The only thing that they have the right to complain about is that they were too cheap-ass to get a legitimate copy of Windows in the first place.
Quote from: MyndFyrex86] link=topic=6459.msg77902#msg77902 date=1151688491]
Quote from: unTactical on June 30, 2006, 09:47:47 AM
Will it piss a bunch of people off? definately.
Tough shit. The only thing that they have the right to complain about is that they were too cheap-ass to get a legitimate copy of Windows in the first place.
:(
Quote from: MyndFyrex86] link=topic=6459.msg77902#msg77902 date=1151688491]
Quote from: unTactical on June 30, 2006, 09:47:47 AM
Will it piss a bunch of people off? definately.
Tough shit. The only thing that they have the right to complain about is that they were too cheap-ass to get a legitimate copy of Windows in the first place.
Quote from: unTactical
Will most of those people be people that wouldn't give MS money anyway? of course.
;)
Are there going to be alot of Linux conversions then?.....that'd be interesting
Probably some, but not many. Perhaps more Mac conversions.
Lol I'd point someone to Linux before Mac..
I bet Microsoft would too.
Somehow this sounds like an idle threat to me. It'd go against all common sense and opens the door for a shitload of legal problems to go around 'disabling' windows installs without WGA. The first time some critical windows box gets disabled and Microsoft would be in lawsuit hell.
well in that news i better get a genuine copy :o
They're getting really aggressive on pirating and I can't blame them really. I'd do the same and then some. If I were them I'd block out all Windows updates unless you pass WGA. I do think their continous checking is somewhat extreme.
Heh, I don't need to worry about this, Windows 2000 Pro :).
2000 Pro always did every I needed, so I never upgraded to XP.
I'd be interested in real numbers about how much $ they predict they are losing out on and how much they are actually losing out on. You also have to wonder how many people have legit claims to windows but are using a pirated version for a reason like the copy that came with the computer is crap?
I wonder how many here alone have illegal copies of windows.
Quote from: CrAz3D on June 30, 2006, 06:44:35 PM
I wonder how many here alone have illegal copies of windows.
Make a poll.
Quote from: zorm on June 30, 2006, 05:27:40 PM
I'd be interested in real numbers about how much $ they predict they are losing out on and how much they are actually losing out on. You also have to wonder how many people have legit claims to windows but are using a pirated version for a reason like the copy that came with the computer is crap?
Yeah, that's exactly what I used to do.
I think that if they actually go through with it, it could be dangerous. I mean, sure they lose money off pirating, but they also get loyal customers. The customers will continue to use Windows, and will demand it at work, and they'll insist that family members get it, etc. By how proliferated Windows is, legal and otherwise, I think that's proof that that works. I'd be willing to bet that they make as much money off pirating as they lose, just by gaining customer loyalty.
That being said, if they force people to buy Windows, then it'll be more likely that the local geek will set up the computer-moron with Linux, because the computer-moron wants a low-end computer that doesn't cost much. The computer-moron will learn to use Linux, and will probably never buy a Microsoft product. I doubt it'll be common, but it'll be much more common if Microsoft makes that change.
I don't think this decision will hit them hard, but I definitely think that their market share will slip as a result. And I don't think Vista is going to introduce any exciting new developments into the personal computer world, so I can't help but think that their market share will slip even more. Only the future will tell, though.
Well, mine is legal, but how much do you figure Microsoft is spending on this anti-piracy campaign? I'd much rather them stop worrying so much about pirates and work on improving all their products even moreso than they try now.
Quote from: iago on June 30, 2006, 08:31:26 PM
Quote from: zorm on June 30, 2006, 05:27:40 PM
I don't think this decision will hit them hard, but I definitely think that their market share will slip as a result. And I don't think Vista is going to introduce any exciting new developments into the personal computer world, so I can't help but think that their market share will slip even more. Only the future will tell, though.
We all know DirectX10 isn't exciting or anything. Or for that matter WPF..
Damn.
I'm gonna go out on a limb here & say if customers were truly loyal that they'd buy a legit copy...otherwise they wouldn't be customers ;)
Quote from: CrAz3D on July 01, 2006, 12:20:40 AM
I'm gonna go out on a limb here & say if customers were truly loyal that they'd buy a legit copy...otherwise they wouldn't be customers ;)
What about customers who
think they're buying a legit copy?
Quote from: CrAz3D on July 01, 2006, 12:20:40 AM
I'm gonna go out on a limb here & say if customers were truly loyal that they'd buy a legit copy...otherwise they wouldn't be customers ;)
I doubt it. Just about everybody here is loyal to Windows, but I'll bet a lot of people here have illegal copies. However, if the people with illegal copies were put in charge of a network, they would likely buy a volume license which would make Microsoft a lot more money than the money they lose on a single copy. And that's my point.
Quote from: MyndFyrex86] link=topic=6459.msg77974#msg77974 date=1151732176]
Quote from: CrAz3D on July 01, 2006, 12:20:40 AM
I'm gonna go out on a limb here & say if customers were truly loyal that they'd buy a legit copy...otherwise they wouldn't be customers ;)
What about customers who think they're buying a legit copy?
Those are the customers who are going to get screwed.
Quote from: MyndFyrex86] link=topic=6459.msg77974#msg77974 date=1151732176]
Quote from: CrAz3D on July 01, 2006, 12:20:40 AM
I'm gonna go out on a limb here & say if customers were truly loyal that they'd buy a legit copy...otherwise they wouldn't be customers ;)
What about customers who think they're buying a legit copy?
...how do you not buy a legit copy?...would it just be from some random person online?
@ iago: k.
Quote from: CrAz3D on July 01, 2006, 09:19:36 AM
Quote from: MyndFyrex86] link=topic=6459.msg77974#msg77974 date=1151732176]
Quote from: CrAz3D on July 01, 2006, 12:20:40 AM
I'm gonna go out on a limb here & say if customers were truly loyal that they'd buy a legit copy...otherwise they wouldn't be customers ;)
What about customers who think they're buying a legit copy?
...how do you not buy a legit copy?...would it just be from some random person online?
Maybe the Guy Down the Street sold you a copy, or maybe a seedy local computer store sold you the copy.
That can be solved if you have the authenticity seal on the box. If not then yes, you got fucked. I don't see people who get fake shoes getting compensation, it's their fault for being idiots.
I have a real fake. It's awesome. Yes, it's burned, but it's a special edition, so it's still legal :)
I'm pretty sure they've already started putting this into practice in small numbers. My dad does tech support (yes, shitty job, but he's staying because he gets a VPN), and he gets ~3 calls daily where people cannot boot up. He tells them to boot into safe-mode, and once it's passed the Windows screen, it says something to the extent of "Microsoft Anti-Piracy Team: You're version of Windows is illegal and has been shut down", and after that, the computer restarts.
Anyways, I think it's kind of smart that they're FINALLY putting this fully into practice this fall, right around when Vista comes out. Definately not a coincidence.
Okay, I'm glad I spent less then thirty dollars on my legit copies, or I wouldn't have them.
Where did you get such legit copies for cheap? Also I saw it posted someplace yesterday that Microsoft is backing down on the hardline tactics after outrage.
Mine are copies of the IT Teachers' edition, which means a few hundred allowed copies. My cousin gave it to me (he taught new Microsoft employees XP for a while when it came out). It's pwn.
My university offers 'student' versions at drastically reduced prices of many different MS products. I have no idea if the university is paying the rest of the cost or if they actually get them cheaper though.
Quote from: unTactical on July 04, 2006, 07:19:13 PM
My university offers 'student' versions at drastically reduced prices of many different MS products. I have no idea if the university is paying the rest of the cost or if they actually get them cheaper though.
I've heard of MS donating products to schools (In fact they donated XP to every computer in my school), I think theres maybe one computer running Linux and 1-2 ancient iMacs.
Speaking of which, Drexel is awesome about the computers. They have deals with the computer companies (which most of them generally cut about $600 off laptops), and Drexel also provides all the software free. And I'm talking expensive stuff, for legal, like AutoCAD, Maya, 3DSMax, etc... ooo so sweeeeeet.
I had a student version of MSDN Universal which included 10 activations of Windows and Office, and 1 for each server product, for right around US$1000.
Quote from: Warriorx86] link=topic=6459.msg78362#msg78362 date=1152056169]
Quote from: unTactical on July 04, 2006, 07:19:13 PM
My university offers 'student' versions at drastically reduced prices of many different MS products. I have no idea if the university is paying the rest of the cost or if they actually get them cheaper though.
I've heard of MS donating products to schools (In fact they donated XP to every computer in my school), I think theres maybe one computer running Linux and 1-2 ancient iMacs.
MS does a lot of donations to schools and charity, as long as it benefits them. At work we were recently doing a contract for a local charity. We went to get the usual charity version from MS, and suddenly they're charging 10x what they used to /license ($30/seat -> $300/seat). Just remember, that whatever kind of charity they do, they're still a big (evil) corporation that's only worried about its bottom line.
I don't see how anyone in my school could possibly help MS. Probably make them worse off lmao.
Quote from: Warriorx86] link=topic=6459.msg78376#msg78376 date=1152057795]
I don't see how anyone in my school could possibly help MS. Probably make them worse off lmao.
Just a thought, but here goes. By having everyone in your school use Windows while they attend that school, the people are getting comfortable with it. Now, when they go to buy a new computer, they already know how to use Windows, so they'll buy it.
That's a good theory. I doubt anyone in my school cares about a PC. I'm sorry but that's just how things are. Either way I doubt Linux will be sold by OEMs on the desktop for a while so chances are they'll get Windows. LOL imagine one of the dumbasses in my school with Linux.
It's a tax write-off.
OU got a shit deal on microsoft stuff. They offer Office and then an upgrade to Xp Pro for $80. Total crap but whatever.