Malaysian Police Not Roping Longhorn Rustlers

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."

Comments

Buggy Leaks

[skajake]

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.

Re:Buggy Leaks

[the web]

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

It has to be said

[RobertB-DC]

"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!)

Re:It has to be said

[aborchers]

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...

Malaysian Police

[JahToasted]

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

Crashing?

[Anonymous Coward]

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.

Windows is too stable for me...

[Realistic_Dragon]

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.

What use could it possibly be?

[StyleChief]

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.

Longhorn

[nizo]

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.

Re:Longhorn

[grub]

...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.

finally ...

[nicodaemos]

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

Okay

[iamdrscience]

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!

Re:Okay

[Valdrax]

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?

There is one solution to piracy: free software

[SexyKellyOsbourne]

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.

no, no, no, it's all good business

[ciaran_o_riordan]

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.

My 0.02 ringgit on the issue

[GillBates0]

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.

Rumour?

[t_allardyce]

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?