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Microsoft Piracy Plan Means Concerns for IT
coondoggie writes to mention an article on Information Week about possible unintended consequences of the Microsoft Software Protection Plan (SPP) discussed on Slashdot on Wednesday. The new initiative is intended to protect consumers from pirated software, but may cause major headaches for IT shops. From the article: "Microsoft will support SPP in current and future reporting and asset management tools such as System Center Operations Manager. 'On paper it might sound pretty good, but we have to see how it works,' says Jeff Allred, manager of network services for the Duke University Cancer Center. One of his concerns is that a reduced functionality mode kicks in three days after changing out a motherboard in a server if the software is not revalidated. 'That really jumped out at me. We change out motherboards in our servers all the time,' he says. The provision only covers a swap with a non-OEM motherboard, which Allred admits doesn't happen often."
I believe this is the correct link to the story: http://www.networkworld.com/news/2006/100506-micro soft-antipiracy.html?t5
What does XP give me that 2k doesn't?
On XP on a 32-bit box, you can allocate 3 GB for your apps, instead of 2 GB. Support for Physical Address Extensions (PAE), too.
There is support for 64-bit machines on the 64-bit edition of XP or Windows Server 2K3.
Better support for flat panel displays. (ClearType)
XP will stay fully supported for quite sometime. Win2K is likely to be EOLed soon.
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That would be a lot of servers, I ran a 2500 server shop for a few years and I think I can cound motherboard swap outs on my hands. Hard drives 10-20 a day memory a few a week power supplies about the same but motherboards generaly lasted till the server got decommisioned. Now we did move an OS from one box to another very often and this whole activation garbage would be annoying.
No sir I dont like it.
If hardware, other than the hard drive, goes down and needs swapped then most likely you will need to reactivate. It will depend on the type and amount of hardware that goes down, but the article was about MOTHERBOARD swaps. Those will frequently trigger WGA and require activation, unless you replace it with the exact same make & model.
Learning HOW to think is more important than learning WHAT to think.
Actual link is to a Network World article. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2006/100506-micro soft-antipiracy.html?page=1
The music is all around us. I can hear it. Can you?
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The company behind VMware, EMC Corp. makes roughly 9 billion in revenue, and 1 billion in profit a year. They have no reason to sell VMware really. So it's not that big a concern right nows.
There are also open source replacements for VMware. Granted, they're arguablly not as good or integrated as VMware, but they do their job.
Then you are clearly a pirate, and as we all know pirates like to hump little cabin boys, making you a pedophile as well. Furthermore, pirates spread terror, so you are a terrorist too. Rot in secret CIA prison after being tortured to death, you enemy combatant scum, you !
Forget magic. Any technology distinguishable from divine power is insufficiently advanced.
Microsoft has already set up a huge problem with keys. Single copy OEM editions of Windows require that the OEM tag is affixed to the outside of the computer. Great now the validation key is in plain site of anyone who wants to steal it. A pissed off employee could copy them all down and post them on a message board...
The local grocery store has registers that run windows (this already seems like a dumb idea), the CD key is stuck to them in view of the customer. Just whip out your cell phone cam, and you have another cd key.
What is the solution, I'm not sure, but I do have a theroretical idea, though I wouldn't do it because its probably not legal. Copy every cd key you see and post them to the internet. Make product activation such a huge problem that businesses look to other operating systems for relief.
To summerize, since an LCD panel is made into subpixels next to each other (as opposed to CRT style triangular groups) and an LCD panel can directly address each (red, green, or blue)subpixel, greater horizontal resolutions can be achieved for black and white text.