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BBC Hails "fair" Microsoft XP SP1

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the not-the-microsoft-i-know dept.

Richard Bown writes "Continuing their current trend of only giving you half the story the BBC have this article on how fair and equitable Microsoft are these days. No mention of EULA changes."

17 of 458 comments (clear)

  1. Not that this is a warez site or anything by Powercntrl · · Score: 2, Interesting

    But I'm curious (and not running XP)... Is there any truth to the rumor that Windows XP with a hacked/unauthorized serial number won't allow you to install the service pack?

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    DRM is like antifreeze, to the MPAA/RIAA it's sweet, to the consumers it's poison.
    1. Re:Not that this is a warez site or anything by fregga · · Score: 2, Interesting

      A friend of mine has the "devils own" version of XP installed, and it refused to install the service pack, so to be able to install it he would have to reinstall XP with a different serialnumber.

  2. What kind of bs is that? by photon317 · · Score: 4, Interesting


    Is the article accurate? The settlement was just to "hide" the bundled software? There was no part indicating that the services offered to IE, Outlook, Media Player, etc by the OS have to be available to competitors, so that they can integrate and interoperate as seamlessly? No wonder 9 states dissented.

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  3. Data protection act by oliverthered · · Score: 5, Interesting

    UK companies that have taken data from me can-not agree to the terms of Microsoft's ELUA, any company found agreeing to the terms will be violating the data protection act by potentially allowing Microsoft to access my data.

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    thank God the internet isn't a human right.
  4. Hiding them? Get rid of them! by jsonmez · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Among the bug fixes and security updates are a set of tools that let people hide the existence of Internet Explorer, Outlook Express, Windows Messenger, and Windows Media Player.


    Gee, thanks for allowing me to hide the stuff M$, everyone likes having useless software that still takes up disk space and probably still loads DLLs into memory that they can't see. I want the ability to remove the stuff, not just hide it. If I wanted to just hide it, I just wouldn't look at it!

  5. A more realistic question by tkrotchko · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Since many under the age of 18 use computers, can a EULA be binding on a minor?

    I've asked this many times of many, and I've never received any response other than a shrug.

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    1. Re:A more realistic question by ConceptJunkie · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I don't think a EULA can be binding on anyone. As far as minors go, I don't believe a minor can enter into a contract, but IANAL, nor do I really even know much for a layman.

      Besides, Microsoft is going to keep doing what they want until they get smacked down, and it hasn't happened yet.

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    2. Re:A more realistic question by rmadmin · · Score: 2, Interesting

      This is very interesting. More interesting yet, take this for example. A minor installs software, accepts EULA, then adult comes by, and uses software, and breaks the EULA. The adult didn't accept teh EULA, the minor did, and if that minor isn't binded to the EULA, does this mean it can't be binded to the adult?

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      Can all fish swim?
    3. Re:A more realistic question by damiangerous · · Score: 3, Interesting

      This is one reason why companies have official corporate software packages and employees are not supposed to install other software. Use only the software the company tells you to and you're fine. Install your own personal software, even if it's to make your job easier, and you become liable. If you need something that bad get it approved. Have you ever heard of the employees being fined because there weren't enough Word license to go around? No, employees are only liable when they do things like install warezed Quake for their after hours LAN parties.

    4. Re:A more realistic question by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      um, no, minors aren't supposed to enter into contracts, and usually aren't bound by their terms. it's also very UNlikely that the parents would be held responsible in a case like this either. as for the work situation, your employer is responsible for the software you use, assuming you're a permanent employee.

  6. Yet when I try to use windows update with Mozilla: by Bonker · · Score: 2, Interesting

    When I try to access Microsoft's only *obvious* updating feature, I get this message:

    Thank you for your interest in Windows Update

    Windows Update is the online extension of Windows that helps you get the most out of your computer.

    You need to be running a version of Internet Explorer 5 or higher in order to use Windows Update.

    Download the latest version of Internet Explorer

    Once Internet Explorer is installed, you can go to the Windows Update site by typing http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com into the address bar of Internet Explorer.

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  7. Whither Windows Update? by tbmaddux · · Score: 5, Interesting

    What happens to Windows Update, which requires the use of MSIE, if a user chooses to "hide" the MSIE browser? How is that user going to download the inevitable patches that will be needed for XP SP1? Is Microsoft providing a new stand-alone update application (a la Apple's "Software Update"), and if so, how secure is it? Or, have they retooled Windows Update to work with non-MSIE browsers?

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    Can't you see that everyone is buying station wagons?
  8. XPSP1 already hacked by WCMI92 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Found this earlier today:

    http://www.trwxp.kit.net/xp_sp1.html

    Also, a download for SP1:

    http://download.microsoft.com/download/whistler/ SP /SP1/WXP/en-us/xpsp1_en_x86.exe

    This thing is a fucking pig... 137MB.. Woah! Lots of bugs...er..features fixed here.

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  9. My legal copy? by emarkp · · Score: 2, Interesting
    I wonder if this will affect my legal copy of XP? I activated it with a hack I found, because MS has no right to sell me something and then force me to ask permission to use it. The hack works not by avoiding activation (that is, some hacks work by eliding the code that queries to see if the system is activated), but by performing whatever is necessary to tell the system that it's activated (if I try to activate, it says "already activated").

    Activation is just DivX warmed over. I have no intention of submitting to it.

    1. Re:My legal copy? by RzUpAnmsCwrds · · Score: 3, Interesting

      "hack I found, because MS has no right to sell me something and then force me to ask permission to use it."

      That's a pretty lousey reason. Activation takes thirty seconds and doesn't require personal information.

      Microsoft has the right to protect their copyrights. Something like 80% of all windows copies ever purchased (OEMs excluded) were installed on more than one machine.

  10. Re:Anyone who's tried it... by delus10n0 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Probably yes, since those applications use the Internet Explorer API's. What would you want them to do? Just "not work" ?

    I think this is hardly to blame on Microsoft. They're not responsible for other people's programs and the APIs they use, obviously.

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  11. No journalism is unbiased by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    unbiased journalism is a myth. Humans are incapable of producing journalism that is unbiased since their writings will be tainted by there knowledge and expereinces. Besides, no one would want to read unbiased journalism since it would read like an almanac, with nothing but dry facts (which is probably why this article is on the boring side). This article is as close to middle of the road as they come. While not particularly stimulating, it doesn't really have much of an opinion either way (on anything). Think about it.