Link

Microsoft in mid-2005 will put a piracy lock on two of its download Web sites, requiring all Windows XP and Windows 2000 users to validate their copy of Windows as genuine before downloading software, the company says.

The lock will be placed on the Microsoft's Download Center and Windows Update Web sites, which offer applications such as Windows Media Player and the new Windows AntiSpyware product as well as security updates for Microsoft products.

First and foremost, the automated update tool built into xp will continue to work regardless (according to a few sources) so the critical updates will still get patched.

However, other MS "Extras" like the Anti-Spyware Tool (Ad-Aware/Spybot), Internet Explorer (Firefox), Media Player (Media Player Classic), etc... won't get updates. So, imho, its no big concern. MS would be stupid to only patch "registered" copies with security updates being that 1.) It would make no sense for corporate users with hundreds (thousands) of licenses to each have to access the website 2.) the unpatched copies would just spread whatever virus/exploit to the registered ones regardless and 3.) Its going to be cracked fast ;) I mean look at the boogieman that was WinXP activation....

But MS has the $$$ to waste so let them waste it. Guaranteed its crackable just like if you used an key that was not supported by SP1 you could just change your key and continue on, business as usual.

_ _ - - = = Pr3tty F1y = = - - _ _

I needed to clean up a friend's PC so I downloaded the Anti-Spyware software; when validating his XP it wouldn't validate, he's got a Vaio desktop PC with a legit Sony OEM install of XP. Fortunately I just skipped the validation and downloaded the software.

Thing is I dunno if he's got his key anywhere. I don't think that computer even came with a restore disc or maybe it was lost. Guess for those that for some reason can't get their legit copy past validation will still be vulnerable.

> Link
>
> Microsoft in mid-2005 will put a piracy lock on two of its download Web sites,
> requiring all Windows XP and Windows 2000 users to validate their copy of
> Windows as genuine before downloading software, the company says.
>
> The lock will be placed on the Microsoft's Download Center and Windows Update
> Web sites, which offer applications such as Windows Media Player and the new
> Windows AntiSpyware product as well as security updates for Microsoft products.
>

haw, i was thinking about posting about that.
but it won't matter too much.
first of all, most patches are becuase if internte exploder, use firefox.
secondly, all your base belong to gates

so if you really need to get your ms crack fixed (err patched) there will still be ways.
but like pf was saying, if you ain't using ms for anything other then windows itself, it's going to that big of a deal (there is still service packs).


------------------------------------------------

you wanna overthrow the monopoly? install fucking linux. otherwise, shut the fuck up.

CSP

> you wanna overthrow the monopoly? install fucking linux. otherwise, shut the
> fuck up.
>
> CSP
>

Am tired to hear that what is you point. mine its very clear sun. shit uuuuuuuuppppppppp - Dany

> I needed to clean up a friend's PC so I downloaded the Anti-Spyware software;
> when validating his XP it wouldn't validate, he's got a Vaio desktop PC with a
> legit Sony OEM install of XP. Fortunately I just skipped the validation and
> downloaded the software.
>
> Thing is I dunno if he's got his key anywhere. I don't think that computer even
> came with a restore disc or maybe it was lost. Guess for those that for some
> reason can't get their legit copy past validation will still be vulnerable.
>
>

Supposedly you can call MS and they will give you a new key, but they rarely do this. It would suck if he had to purchase a new copy. Guess people have to learn to keep those safe...

it's the end of the world

> you wanna overthrow the monopoly? install fucking linux. otherwise, shut the
> fuck up.
>
So you're saying my only choices to carry on using my PC are to move to a platform that unfortunatly has 5% of the entertainment options i can have on Windows or pay 500 bucks for an original WinXP so i can continue using my PC the way i intend to? No. Fucking. Way.

If M$ has some top minds working for them, the "free kevin" crowd has twice the numbers and skills to breakdown whatever block they come up with.

If other software companies weren't such assholes themselves, linux might not be such a bad option, but as it is, the average user is either fucked or screwed.


Gives us a kiss precious.

> it's the end of the world
>
>



Gives us a kiss precious.

I'm not trying to say that MS' pricing scheme doesn't suck, i just think it's bullshit that people expect their software to be free then bitch and whine when suddenly they can't pirate it anymore.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying anti-piracy measures are always a good thing. Most of the time, anti piracy measures are intrusive, annoying, and they fuck over legitimate users more than the pirates. Just like before, there's going to be hacked/cracked patches for Windows since MS won't let you download them directly.

Of course, you could always do what I did and just say "fuck you" to both Microsoft and the retarded fuck knobs that like Linux... buy a Mac (boost the RAM up to 768mb-1gb on that thing and it's a fucking dream machine for everything except games and emulators):)

> I'm not trying to say that MS' pricing scheme doesn't suck, i just think it's
> bullshit that people expect their software to be free then bitch and whine when
> suddenly they can't pirate it anymore.
>
> Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying anti-piracy measures are always a good thing.
> Most of the time, anti piracy measures are intrusive, annoying, and they fuck
> over legitimate users more than the pirates. Just like before, there's going to
> be hacked/cracked patches for Windows since MS won't let you download them
> directly.
>
> Of course, you could always do what I did and just say "fuck you" to both
> Microsoft and the retarded fuck knobs that like Linux... buy a Mac (boost the
> RAM up to 768mb-1gb on that thing and it's a fucking dream machine for
> everything except games and emulators):)
>
>



Gives us a kiss precious.

You don't need all of those updates and patches from Microsoft if you're just going to be playing games and emulators. A vast majority of the updates are security fixes for net surfers. Once MS makes it impossible for people with pirated copies to update, pirates will warez out the cracked updates (just like they did with the SP2 beta).

So just get a mac and surf the net with that and use your PC for games and emulators... Then you have nothing to worry about.

> You don't need all of those updates and patches from Microsoft if you're just
> going to be playing games and emulators. A vast majority of the updates are
> security fixes for net surfers. Once MS makes it impossible for people with
> pirated copies to update, pirates will warez out the cracked updates (just like
> they did with the SP2 beta).
>
> So just get a mac and surf the net with that and use your PC for games and
> emulators... Then you have nothing to worry about.
>
>



Gives us a kiss precious.

> > You don't need all of those updates and patches from Microsoft if you're just
> > going to be playing games and emulators. A vast majority of the updates are
> > security fixes for net surfers. Once MS makes it impossible for people with
> > pirated copies to update, pirates will warez out the cracked updates (just
> like
> > they did with the SP2 beta).
> >
> > So just get a mac and surf the net with that and use your PC for games and
> > emulators... Then you have nothing to worry about.
> >

it's not as bad as you think.
just use firefox and re-read my other post in this thread about this matter.



------------------------------------------------

A friend of mine stole the development licence before his division went under. Now he has 3000 seats. None of his friends are ever paying for XP.

"As long as they are going to steal it [software], we want them to steal ours. They'll get sort of addicted, and then we'll somehow figure out how to collect sometime in the next decade." - B.G. speaking of Chinese computer users

My point was - suck it up and quit complaining, or do something about it. It's just so irritating to see people whining about the same things over and over and over and over... Yes MS sucks, yes they're a monopoly, fucking shut up about it, you know that's how it is. That's cool if you want to pirate it, god bless. I just get tired of the whining.

CSP

> you wanna overthrow the monopoly? install fucking linux. otherwise, shut the

lo que sucede sucede

anyway, pirate groups will surely come up with something

> If other software companies weren't such assholes themselves, linux might not be
> such a bad option, but as it is, the average user is either fucked or screwed.

It depends what software you need, but for the average user who just wants to browse the web, check their e-mail, watch movies, scan photos, instant messaging, etc etc, Linux suits those needs now and it's simple enough for the average user. It wasn't good enough a year ago but things have progressed.

Software for Linux by commercial providers is starting to show up now that the OS is actually viable for a larger group of people. Before now the concentration has only been on the server or as a hobby OS, but now it is being used seriously by a wider group of people than just hobbyists/servers.

People are realizing that Windows is not enough for the average user, as it is now over 80% of desktops have some form of spyware on them and there are enough viruses and exploits going around to guarantee a huge number of clueless people are going to be infected. SP2 is but a start in heading towards the right direction but a lot has happened before even that step was taken. Security is just not tight enough and it's insane that it's gotten to this point, especially when you consider that it happened just because Microsoft has ignored security.

Anyway it's not like Linux is getting the most attention, it's just getting a lot more than it used to, and some people believe it's a great solution. It might not be all the time, but right now in many more cases it is, and a very important part of that puzzle is flexibility, and Linux just became a lot more flexible and desirable to some companies. There will be a lot more commercial interest in Linux and perhaps when there is enough of a user base more games and stuff will start appearing for it. There already are a few, even Doom 3, UT2K4, and The Sims. Granted it's not much but even the Mac had a modest beginning in that department, but it will get there somehow because enough people want it to.

Even now Cedega runs most new Windows games, there are good emulators for all systems, the media players play all movie and audio formats, TV capture cards and PVR are supported, Crossover and Wine run many Windows programs, Mono allows cross-compatibile programs between Windows and Linux and is an attractive development platform, many programs that run on Linux are becoming popular in the Windows world such as OpenOffice, Audacity, Gaim, Abiword, Gimp, VideoLAN, FireFox, Thunderbird, and there are many applications gaining interest such as Inkscape, MythTV front ends, and there are enough Linux-only applications that are nice alternatives to Windows applications such as K3B = Nero, Ark = Winzip, MPlayer = Media Player, XMMS = WinAMP, Rhythmbox = iTunes, xMule = eMule, DCGui = Direct Connect, GThumb = ACDSee, gFTP = CuteFTP, Kuickview = irfanview...

More important are the things it does that Windows doesn't do, you don't have an antivirus taking up CPU cycles, you're protected with NX in software and only SP2 and Win2k3 Server do that, you don't have to worry about constant patching and whether you WANT all the automatic updates, you don't have to worry about updating your software seperately (everything updates through auto updates), you have the right to use all of the software and the software is licensed to protect your rights, it's amazing how much you get, the software is yours to do with what you want.

The GUI can be drawn with double buffer and 3D acceleration already which is nice even to speed up the normal 2D GUI, you can access your desktop anywhere at almost realtime speed with VNC or even manage everything through telnet, it's amazing how easy it is to get along without the GUI when you need it, you get simultaneous users logged in with their own desktop (switch between CTRL+F-keys) and their applications are not put on hold when you switch, you get so many things by default that you would have to go and download such as weather indicator on your taskbar, dictionary software, PDF reader, firewall, PPPoE software, all your drivers are already included, etc.

Things are pretty comfortable for the Linux user. It might not be ideal for everyone but it's amazing how far it's come, in what ways it actually surpasses Windows, and how much better it can get from here.