Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Microsoft Admits Targeting Wine Users

Posted by Zonk on from the why-wouldn't-they? dept.

Buddha Joe wrote in to mention that the lack of Windows updates for Wine users is the result of a Microsoft's active targeting of Wine users. ZDNet has the story. From the article: "As the most popular third-party translation technology in use, Wine was the first emulator to be specifically tested for via WGA"

11 of 541 comments (clear)

  1. No obligation... by mythosaz · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Microsoft is still not under ANY obligation to update YOUR emulator.

    1. Re:No obligation... by Doesn't_Comment_Code · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Microsoft is still not under ANY obligation to update YOUR emulator.

      That is true. And if it required additional effort to update the emulators, I would expect them not to. But it appears as if they are are putting forth additional effort to hamper emulators. And that just makes them look like jerks.

      --

      Slashdot Syndrome: the sudden, extreme urge to correct someone in order to validate one's self.
    2. Re:No obligation... by QMO · · Score: 5, Insightful

      True, but it is under (anti-trust) obligation to not exclude a person running an emulator from getting updates to their MS software (like office), even it that obligation hasn't been court tested, yet.

      MS says that someone running an emulator can get the updates somewhere else, but it is still a practical exclusion.

      --
      Exam 4/C again. Maybe I'll do better this time.
    3. Re:No obligation... by RonnyJ · · Score: 5, Insightful
      And if it required additional effort to update the emulators, I would expect them not to.

      Well, if a Microsoft update accidentally broke a part of WINE's compatibility, some people might accuse Microsoft of deliberately breaking it. Why should they take the chance?

    4. Re:No obligation... by bersl2 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      This is just something to get us pissed off. We have no recourse nor reason to do this. "The spokesperson said users who are not running Windows XP or Windows 2000 natively can still download updates for Microsoft Office from the Office Update Web site." They are pushing our buttons. To quote a Fark cliche, "It's a trap!"

      How many ways should I say this?

  2. Wait just a minute! by zoloto · · Score: 5, Insightful

    First of all, wine is not an emulator as noted on their web page. And of course MS isn't under obligation to update the emulator, only their software. IE- WINDOWS. Their targeting of Wine and other API translators (like Wine) is nothing more than a stunt to anger the users of Windows within a Linux operating system.

    If you're going to post rants, make them obvious so we can mod them down. This is nothing more than the obvious BS it is.

  3. A true businessman by No.+24601 · · Score: 5, Insightful
    For this reason, White (chief executive of CodeWeavers) said he was excited rather than worried to hear that the WGA validation tool was blocking Wine. "The reason we love this is because this shows that Microsoft is aware of Wine at very high levels," said White. "For us it's exciting -- it is an acknowledgement of us as a threat."

    This is a true businessman at work. While everyone else is crying foul, this man is rallying around this news. Anyways, most of the updates coming out of MS might mess up a working Wine installation.

  4. -1: RTFA by p3d0 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The issue is not Microsoft updating WINE. It's Microsoft refusing to update copies of their own software because they are running under WINE rather than their own OS. Remember, these could be legitimately purchased copies of MS applications that MS refuses to update.

    --
    Patrick Doyle
    I mod down every jackass who puts his moderation policy in his sig. Oh, wait a sec....
  5. Can this be exploited against Windows users? by Noksagt · · Score: 5, Insightful

    So, they check for a registry key to see whether or not it is on WINE. Do virii/worms/other malicious intruders now have an easier way to prevent software updates in a slightly secretive manner? Can't they just make the same key on a valid copy of Windows?

  6. The EULA is meaningless by Peaker · · Score: 5, Insightful

    and cannot cancel rights granted by the Fair Use doctrine.

  7. Re:Yes, it is... by Profane+MuthaFucka · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Right. And Gnu's Not Unix. Except, it is UNIX in everything but the official license.

    So I take that to mean that Wine is not an emulator of Windows. It's Windows, from someone other than Microsoft.

    In the computer world, most uses of the word 'emulation' are referring to making a piece of software work like and replace a piece of hardware. VMWare works like and replaces an X86 box. A microprocessor emulator works just like a physical chip. Mame simulates a piece of hardware that is found in game systems.

    When we write pieces of software that work just like some other piece of software, we consider that to be an alternative implementation, not an emulation. Linux is not an emulation of UNIX, it's an alternate implementation. Wine is not an emulator of Windows, it's an alternative implementation.

    Emulation isn't about just the implementation, it's about the LEVEL of implementation. Emulation is about making a useful device in software that behaves just like a device in the physical hardware world.

    OK, this is the cue for anyone else to jump in with some counterexamples to prove me wrong...

    --
    Fascism trolls keeping me up every night. When I starts a preachin', he HITS ME WITH HIS REICH!