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Intel Will Remove Processor ID

Posted by michael on from the smell-the-coffee dept.

jbork writes: "According to this article on Wired News, Intel has decided to remove the unique processor ID from its chips, starting with the 1.5 GHz Willamette chip. According to Jason Catlett of Junkbusters, 'We can finally call off the boycott.' " Gee, it only took them 1.25 years.

2 comments

  1. Absolutely correct! by Atomic+Punk · · Score: 1

    They didn't care when all of the privacy oriented organizations raised hell about it in the first place. The only reason they are doing it now is because they're getting thier asses stomped by the chip juggernaut that is Athlon. Hey Intel, how
    many public relations fubars can your company handle?

  2. Re:yeah right. by driehuis · · Score: 1
    like they only NOW figured out that people hate it?

    Intel doesn't give a damn about whether consumers like it ot not. The serial number was killed before the PIII was even on the market: most motherboard vendors disable the processor id through the BIOS by default.

    The reason it got killed was most likely the fact that it is utterly useless for its stated purpose: to provide a secure identity on the Internet. Even if a web browser reports the serial# to a Web site, how is the Web site to know that the user didn't just stick his own header line in? See http://www.counterpane.com/crypto-gram-9902.html for Bruce Schneiers scorching review of its value as a security tool.

    --

    Bert Driehuis -- All I asked was a friggin' rotatin' chair. Throw me a bone here, people.