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Malaysian Police Not Roping Longhorn Rustlers

Posted by simoniker on from the mechanical-bull dept.

Artifex writes "CNN/Reuters reports that an early release of Microsoft's next operating system, 'Longhorn,' is already being sold openly in markets in Malaysia, with local police doing little to stop it. Microsoft's response, of course, is that consumers should steer clear. I'm sure this chaps their hides, as crashing copies of this as-yet-unreleased product are sure to cause dilution of branding."

31 of 365 comments (clear)

  1. Buggy Leaks by skajake · · Score: 5, Informative

    Most of these are simply the same Alpha leak build 4015 that has been available on irc for months.
    They do NOT include WinFS, WinFX, and are extremely buggy.

    --

    ~ Maintainer of the Skajake Projects

    1. Re:Buggy Leaks by the+web · · Score: 5, Funny

      They do NOT include WinFS, WinFX, and are extremely buggy. The release versions WILL include WinFS, WinFX, and be extremely buggy, however.

      --
      __
      Thou hast besquirted me, O leotarded one.
    2. Re:Buggy Leaks by arivanov · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Ahem. I have seen this in at least several countries. Intentional leaks including leaks by authorized MSFT staff (on payroll). No persecution, nothing until the market penetration hits 90+% and Novell, Oracle, IBM and other companies stupid enough to ask money for software disappear into oblivion. And then comes Billy Boy to talk with the PM and starts tightenting the bolts. In three years the country is paying the standard MSFT rate and it cannot switch because there is no personnel trained in alternatives and there is no money for alternatives because all IT software budget money goes to MSFT. There is simply no free money around on the IT budgets for any conversions.

      --
      Baker's Law: Misery no longer loves company. Nowadays it insists on it
      http://www.sigsegv.cx/
  2. It has to be said by RobertB-DC · · Score: 5, Funny

    "It's not a ready product," [Microsoft attorney Jonathan Selvasegaram] said from Malaysia. "Even if it works for a while, I think it's very risky," to install on a home computer, he said.

    So how does that make the pre-release "Longhorn" version any different from, say, Windows XP?

    Longhorn promises new methods of storing files, tighter links to the Internet, greater security and fewer annoying reboots, Microsoft has said.

    Now that's truth in adversising: New, improved Windows! Almost secure! Less annoying than ever! Wow, whoever came up with that marketing line should get a promotion... to the mail room.

    (Hey, someone's going to get modded-up for taking cheap shots at Microsoft. May as well be me!)

    --
    Stressed? Me? Of course not. Stress is what a rubber band feels before it breaks, silly.
    1. Re:It has to be said by aborchers · · Score: 5, Informative
      So how does that make the pre-release "Longhorn" version any different from, say, Windows XP?


      I generally hate to jump to Microsoft's defense, but have you actually used Windows XP? Just curious. I run XP Pro with a major mismash of hardware and have crashed it maybe twice in the two years since it shipped, fewer than the number of times I've crashed X on the RedHat 9 partition on the same machine. Admittedly, crashing the UI system shouldn't nuke the OS, which is what usually happens w/ Windows, but IMHO XP was an incredible improvement in stability over Windows 98 SE, which crashed a couple times a week and would never even shut down properly...

      --
      Trouble making decisions? Just flip for it.
    2. Re:It has to be said by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

      The secret to Windows 98 stability is to install it and not install a bunch of crappy drivers. My Windows 98SE never crashes. It always shuts down and I've never had to reinstall. I use it for MM Fireworks/Photoshop/Mozilla/Flash Development. All that in 96MB on a 200 MHz P1. A bit slow, but it works. Connects to my Samaba box with no problems.

  3. Malaysian Police by JahToasted · · Score: 5, Funny

    are, however, cracking down on the use of bad puns.

  4. Crashing? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'm sure this chaps their hides, as crashing copies of this as-yet-unreleased product are sure to cause dilution of branding.

    Yeah, I expect to pay for an official branded crashing product. Being able to get one for free seriously undermines their market position.

  5. Windows is too stable for me... by Realistic_Dragon · · Score: 5, Funny

    So I'm going to run a knocked off version of a pre-pre-alpha with a hacked about XP core and an experimental interface from the company with the worst QA record in the entire universe.

    --
    Beep beep.
  6. What use could it possibly be? by StyleChief · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It seems that the utility of such a release would be limited at best. Perhaps the publicizing of this simply serves as more proverbial "egg on the face" of Microsoft than any other purpose.

    --
    StyleChief
    Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government! -M. Python
    1. Re:What use could it possibly be? by nat5an · · Score: 4, Interesting

      More than likely, it's simply a case of pirating whatever comes their way. So far as I can tell, the basic process for pirating stuff in SE Asia consists of making a good cover for the product with as many possible logos (DVD-ROM, CD-ROM, VCD, Windows, Microsoft, Logitech, Abercrombie, etc.), some misspelled/grammatically incorrect English, and then burning as many copies as the market will sustain. In my experience in the middle east, the copies were actually burnt on demand for customers. I don't think extensive market research and a serious analysis of product utility has much of a place in the business plans of pirates. Or of Microsoft for that matter.

      --
      Head down, go to sleep to the rhythm of the war drums...
  7. Wishful thinking by pvt_medic · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Maybe this will cause the price of microsoft products to drop, just like we saw with Playstation in China.

    --
    30% Troll, 50% Underrated, 10% Interesting
    Score:5, Troll
  8. Longhorn by nizo · · Score: 5, Funny
    No. 1 software firm says operating system, not due until 2005, now selling in Malaysia for $1.58.

    Hey, now there is a price I might pay for Longhorn. Actually the reason M$ picked that name is to deter software pirates here in the U.S. If you steal Longhorn(s) in Texas that is still a hanging offence.

    --
    I Am My Own Worst Enemy
    1. Re:Longhorn by grub · · Score: 5, Funny


      ...says operating system, not due until 2005, now selling in Malaysia for $1.58.

      Hey, that's $697.42 cheaper than Linux! I proclaim this the death of Linux.

      --
      Trolling is a art,
  9. finally ... by nicodaemos · · Score: 5, Funny

    Microsoft advises Malaysians to stear clear of the Windows operating system .... finally some good advice from Redmond.

  10. Okay by iamdrscience · · Score: 5, Funny

    PUN CONTEST!

    Rustlers, Chaps their hide, branding and steer clear.

    Are there anymore? Anybody who can think of another pun gets a "Talking about computer hardware made my mother board" t-shirt!

    1. Re:Okay by Valdrax · · Score: 5, Funny

      You missed the "from-the-mechanical-bull-department" tagline, which I have a small beef with. I'll chip in with the observation that sales of Gateway computers have inexplicably climbed.

      So, do I get the shirt?
      Could I get it as a jersey instead?

      --
      If it's for-profit but free, you're not the customer -- you're the product (e.g., the Slashdot Beta's "audience").
  11. What has more holes than a Microsoft product? by el_flynn · · Score: 4, Funny
    The article mentions that "software companies were working with the authorities on the problem, but the police were more concerned about controlling pornography."


    Nuff said.

    --
    The Wknd Sessions - Malaysian and South East Asia independent music
  12. There is one solution to piracy: free software by SexyKellyOsbourne · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The only solution to piracy in the third world is free, open-source software. Many countries being harassed by the various shady trade organizations for piracy, such as China, Brazil, and Vietnam, are switching over to open source as much as possible. There is no way that people who live on a dollar a day are going to be able to shell out hundreds of dollars every year for proprietary, closed-source software, and software companies are foolish to worry about it.

    In fact, the Malaysian authorities punishing such persecution, usually at the indirect prodding of US corporations and the US corporate government, will backfire. If there's no persecution Windows is 95% pirated, then Microsoft makes 5% -- if they are persecuted and forced to switch to free software, and FreeBSD gets used for everything, then Microsoft gets 0%. Supporting punishment of third-world pirates, thus forcing them to switch to free software, is actually good for the open source movement.

  13. no, no, no, it's all good business by ciaran_o_riordan · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Microsoft have to say "oh, we wish this wasn't happening". If they didn't say that, the west would get annoyed, and complain about unfairness. (because we all know how badly off the west is :-)

    Microsoft can get enforcement whenever they want, but in poorer countries, the market saturation is more important. (and that these illegal copies will train people to know Microsoft).

    When they want to flip the table, they complain to the US govt, the US govt threatens to put malasia on the 301 Watch List (list of countries where the US aren't happy with "IP enforcement). Once they go on this list, people are afraid to trade with them, the IMF stops loaning them cash, and the World Bank stops rolling over it's existing loans. This happened to Korea already (and it was Microsoft that made it happen).

    Add to this that the US delegation to the WIPO summits always contains Microsoft representatives (as "industry experts"), and you have a lot of control, without being visible, whenever they want.

    --
    Expert in software patents or patent law? Contribute to the ESP wiki!
  14. My 0.02 ringgit on the issue by GillBates0 · · Score: 5, Insightful
    He said software companies were working with the authorities on the problem, but the police were more concerned about controlling pornography.

    If, indeed, the police are treating this issue as secondary to illegal pornography, then I would say they are on the right track.

    Not that I am against pr0n as such, but a lot of human suffering goes into producing much of it, especially much of the cheap, street quality stuff. Most of the characters are drugged/coerced into performing by their overlords, any many do it out of necessity, in order to get their square meals. Most of them are prostitutes, who were forced in by pimps/etc.

    So, to end the rant, I think the police have their priorities right, if they're more worried about stopping the pr0n racket than protecting the rights of a multi-billion dollar company.

    --
    An Indian-American Hindu committed to non-violent thought/speech/action alarmed by the global explosion of radical Islam
    1. Re:My 0.02 ringgit on the issue by bmajik · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I agree with you completely, and i work for microsoft :)

      If the police only have enough time to attack one evil, and they get to choose between going after people selling burnt CD's of Longhorn Alpha, or, they get to go after illegal porn (where $illegal is something like snuff films, or child porn, etc), i say go after the illegal porn.

      I'd guess that they aren't behaving so virtuously though, if they're anything like most US cops. They probably just don't care about software piracy. Maybe there's no money to be made raiding $1.58 piracy rings as compared to the money to be made going after illegal porn vendors.

      I sure wish american cops would spend more time solving problems like rape and murder as opposed to setting up speed traps on highways where the speed limits are set artificially low..

      but, speed traps give much better returns than arresting rapists only so that they can get out of jail in 6 months and do it again.

      --
      My opinions are my own, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer.
    2. Re:My 0.02 ringgit on the issue by microcars · · Score: 4, Funny
      "..Not that I am against pr0n as such, but a lot of human suffering goes into producing much of it,..."

      as opposed to Windows, where a lot of human suffering goes into using it.

      Do you think the Pirated version has "new" Longhorn Startup Sound in it ?

      (sorry, repost, but I like it, :P )

      --
      I like microcars
  15. Cowboy references? by worst_name_ever · · Score: 4, Funny
    I'm sure this chaps their hides, as crashing copies of this as-yet-unreleased product are sure to cause dilution of branding."

    What is this, Subliminal Cowboy Reference Day on Slashdot?

    --

    In Soviet Rush, today's Tom Sawyer gets high on you.
  16. Can of worms by OMG · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Well, what will happen if some folks already use Longhorn and a new worm attacks Windows and Longhorn as well. Of course Microsoft is NOT going to provide a patch until Longhorn is officially released. I guess this will become a serious problem any time soon.

  17. Rumour? by t_allardyce · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I heard that the reason longhorn won't come out til 2006 is because there was a judgement in 2000 that Microsoft had to share certain source code with certain companies for 5 years (ie until 2005) and that they dont want to write the bulk of the DRM in until after that? Can anyone confirm or is that total crap?

    --
    This comment does not represent the views or opinions of the user.
    1. Re:Rumour? by advocate_one · · Score: 4, Informative
      You're partly right...


      MS/DOJ: Judge accepts most of settlement agreement

      "The "remedy" ruling is in effect for five years unless the court chooses to extend it, and orders Microsoft not to retaliate against computer makers who offer competing software products with the PCs they sell."


      Judge Goes Easy on Microsoft

      "In a related matter, Kollar-Kotelly ordered Microsoft to disclose and license communications protocols used by clients running on Windows to interoperate with Microsoft servers. The company is also required to disclose APIs and technical information that Microsoft middleware uses to interoperate with the operating system, but the disclosure provisions fall far short of the states' requests."

      DRM is not subject to the order

      "Microsoft does not, however, have to document, disclose or license APIs (application programming interfaces) or communications protocols that would compromise the security of systems used for antipiracy, antivirus, software licensing, digital rights management, encryption or authentication."
      --
      Donald 'Duck' Dunn: We had a band powerful enough to turn goat piss into gasoline.
  18. From the Article by ewhenn · · Score: 4, Funny

    Longhorn promises new methods of storing files, tighter links to the Internet, greater security and fewer annoying reboots, Microsoft has said.

    Fewer reboots, what a feature. I got a good laugh out of that. Imagine if GM claimed to sell you a car that would 'start more often'.

  19. They'll just change the name... by drywater · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Six months before it's released, they'll change the name to Windows 2006 or whatever and all of the bad press goes away. Sheep consumers hear Windows 2006 and think, "Well, it's not that Longhorn version I've heard so many bad things about, so it must be okay." They buy it up because they're too scared to try anything else even though the new EULA says that MS can turn on your webcam and watch you any time they want.

  20. Won't it be the PDC build? by Zone-MR · · Score: 4, Informative

    The latest build is 4051 not 4015. It was launched at the PDC two months ago.

    Here is a little review I wrote: http://www.betaone.net/index.php?showtopic=29402

  21. Death by Pun by HighOrbit · · Score: 4, Funny

    Enough puns already! Let's put this out to pasture before we all step in it.