Office Depot: Windows XP Apps Must Be Microsoft-Approved

An anonymous reader writes "According to an article at The Inquirer, by May 30th Office Depot will only be carrying computer products that have been certified by Microsoft and carry the 'Designed for Windows XP' logo. This may be an initial glimpse at how Microsoft could introduce Digital Restrictions Management by ensuring all retail hardware and software products are approved by Redmond."

Comments

Honestly...

[Quaoar]

How many people here can say they do their software shopping at Office Depot? Anyone? Bueler?

Re:Honestly...

[Jonny Ringo]

I surely do not! Ever since I seen them trying to hawk a computer made of cardboard. The desk it was on was nice though.

Re:Honestly...

[An Onerous Coward]

Back in 1997, I went in and bought a copy of "Microsoft Liquid Motion," thinking it was basically a light version of 3D Studio Max. $100 later, I learned the importance of researching a product before buying it, and of not buying software from any store that also sells office chairs.

Well, so much for

[BigGar']

buying anything at Office Depot. I'll take my business elsewhere.

Re:Well, so much for

[MisterFancypants]

Well, so much for buying anything at Office Depot. I'll take my business elsewhere.

Were you already shopping at Office Depot?

If no..they've lost nothing

If yes...fucking dumbass.

Windows? What's that?

[cyberlemoor]

I've decided that, in the interest of not becoming completely cynical, I'm just going to pretend Microsoft doesn't exist or went out of business or something. Who's with me? =P

This is terrible!

[$$$exy Gwen Araujo]

I do all my shopping for computer software at Office Depot! How am I going to get the latest Starworld Monkey Tetris 5.0 if Office Depot don't sell it?

I don't approve

[Subcarrier]

And my opinion is the only one that matters to me.

Re:Conflict...Hmm

[Xformer]

Slip of the keyboard...
"Designed for replacing Windows XP".

Re:Does it matter

[abcxyz]

Rick -- you Idiot, that's Office Depot, not Home Depot. I buy my real HARDWARE from Home Depot.

-- Rick

selling linux there.

[Cedric C. Girouard]

Wouldnt this be a funny way to slap MS in the face ?

Write a shiny wrapper whose sole purpose in life is to "extract" a linux distro ISO from a "database" and write such distro to a CD, then reboot the computer, forcing a linux install if you're configured to boot off cd.

Make sure your wrapper is working according to the WHQL "standard" and BOOM! Instant Microsoft Certified Linux distro. How's that for market penetration ?

I should get a patent on this. And on breathing...

Lord of the OS

[l0ungeb0y]

One OS to rule them all,
One OS to find them,
One OS to bring them all and in the Darkness bind them.

And thus began an age of darkness.

Linus, it is now your quest to take the OS and cast it back to the fires of Redmond.

Re:Lord of the OS

[usotsuki]

The full text is: http://danny.oz.au/danny/humour/one-ring

Recently one of my friends, a computer wizard, paid me a visit. As we were talking I mentioned that I had recently installed Windows on my PC, I told him how happy I was with this operating system and showed him the Windows CD. Too my astonishment and distress he threw it into my micro-wave oven and turned it on. I was upset because the CD had become precious to me, but he said: 'Do not worry, it is unharmed.' After a few minutes he took the CD out, gave it to me and said: 'Take a close look at it.' To my surprise the CD was quite cold and it seemed to have become thicker and heavier than before. At first I could not see anything, but on the inner edge of the central hole I saw an inscription, in lines finer than anything I have ever seen before. The inscription shone piercingly bright, and yet remote, as if out of a great depth:

4F6E65204F5320746F2072756C65207468656D20616C6C2C20
4F6E65204F5320746F2066696E64207468656D2C0D0A4F6E65
204F5320746F206272696E67207468656D20616C6C20616E64
20696E20746865206461726B6E6573732062696E6420746865
6D

'I cannot read the fiery letters,' I said. 'No,' he said, 'but I can. The letters are Hex, of an ancient mode, but the language is that of Microsoft, which I shall not utter here. But in common English this is what it says:'

One OS to rule them all, One OS to find them,
One OS to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.

From email, author unknown

Where can I get

[certsoft]

A "Not designed for Windows XP" logo?

Shopping for Software?

[Anonymous Coward]

You mean people have to buy software? Silly me, I thought you could get all the good stuff for free!

Re:I'm sure everyone's knees will jerk.

[Mac Degger]

So you have no secondary programs, internet links, help file links in the startmenu for your program? Now that is what I call sloppy, unhelpfull and just plain ignorant of user needs. I hope I never come across one of your programs.

Here is there community relations email address

[C_Kode]

communityrelations@officedepot.com

I sent the following email.

I read that you are.. I quote the title of the article. "Microsoft logo scheme means Office Depot won't sell non-compliant XP products". It is thoroughly clear to me that many of Microsoft's actions arn't in the best interest of it's customers. (or non-customers) A move like this on the part of your company appears to me that you are willing to support these actions. If this course of action is followed by your company, I will no longer be a customer of Office Depot.

The article in question is the following.

http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=8472

Thank You,

Re:Bias? Certainly not...

[Bull999999]

"Logo requirements exist to ensure a quality user experience."

That explains why Windows packagings themselve do not have the logo.

Re:I'm sure everyone's knees will jerk.

[jx100]

You're not a Dvorak user, are you?

Cheap hardware at OfficeDepopt ~May 30th?

[Spoing]

That's what this mandate says to me. Keep your eyes open folks! :)

People want a guarantee!

[wholecake]

This reminds me of the show 'Tommy Boy 1995'

Tommy: "Let's think about this for a sec, Ted, why do they put a guarantee on a box? Hmm, very interesting."
Ted: "I'm listening."
Tommy: "Here's how I see it. A guy puts a guarantee on the box 'cause he wants you to fell all warm and toasty inside."
Ted: "Yeah, makes a man feel good."
Tommy: "Course it does. Ya think if you leave that box under your pillow at night, the Guarentee Fairy might come by and leave a quarter."
Ted: "What's your point?"
Tommy: "The point is, how do you know the Guarantee Fairy isn't a crazy glue sniffer? "Build model airplanes" says the little fairy, but we're not buying it. Next thing you know, there's money missing off the dresser and your daughter's knocked up, I seen it a hundred times."
Ted: "But why do they put a guarantee on the box then?"
Tommy: "Because they know all they solda ya was a guaranteed piece of shit. That's all it is. Hey, if you want me to take a dump in a box and mark it guaranteed, I will. I got spare time. But for right now, for your sake, for your daughter's sake, ya might wanna think about buying a quality item from me."
Ted: "Hmm. Okay, I'll buy from you."
Tommy: "Well I...What?!"