Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Professor Michael Geist on Vista's Fine Print

Posted by Hemos on from the peering-into-the-dark-legal-innards dept.

Russell McOrmond writes "With Microsoft's Vista set to hit stores tomorrow, Michael Geist's weekly Law Bytes column (Toronto Star version, homepage version) looks at the legal and technical fine print behind the operating system upgrade. The article notes that in the name of shielding consumers from computer viruses and protecting copyright owners from potential infringement, Vista seemingly wrestles control of the "user experience" from the user. If you are a Canadian and think that the owner of computers should be in control of what they own, rather than some third party (whether virus authors or the manufacturer/maker), then please sign our Petition to protect Information Technology property rights."

14 of 314 comments (clear)

  1. That stampede sound you are hearing.... by 8127972 · · Score: 3, Funny

    .... are former Windows users running to the Apple Store to buy a Mac.

    --
    This is my opinion. To make sure you don't steal it, it's covered by the DMCA.
    1. Re:That stampede sound you are hearing.... by eviloverlordx · · Score: 5, Funny

      .... are former Windows users running to the Apple Store to buy a Mac.

      All three of them? I wouldn't have thought that three people makes a stampede, no matter how fast they run.

      --
      'Loose' is when your pants are three sizes too big. 'Lose' is when you misuse 'loose'.
    2. Re:That stampede sound you are hearing.... by gEvil+(beta) · · Score: 3, Funny

      I wouldn't have thought that three people makes a stampede, no matter how fast they run.

      It's not the speed of the running, it's the weight of the runners...

      --
      This guy's the limit!
    3. Re:That stampede sound you are hearing.... by DaveM753 · · Score: 5, Funny

      it's the weight of the runners...

      "...Developers! Developers! Developers!..."

    4. Re:That stampede sound you are hearing.... by tha_mink · · Score: 4, Funny

      That stampede sound you are hearing....are former Windows users running to the Apple Store to buy a Mac
      Amazon Software Bestsellers (January 29 12:45 PM ET)

      2 Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007
      4 Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate Upgrade
      5 Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium Upgrade
      12 Microsoft Office Professional 2007 Upgrade
      13 Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate Full Version
      14 Microsoft Office Student and Teacher Edition 2003
      15 Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium Full Version

      Microsoft has twenty titles in the top fifty.
      I'd say these numbers suggest that Vista is going to do just fine in the domestic consumer market.
      SHhhhhh. This is Slashdot, there's no place for money talk here. The POINT is that everyone will NOT buy it and only HATE it. I'll stick with BeOS thank you.

      --
      You'll have that sometimes...
    5. Re:That stampede sound you are hearing.... by captainjaroslav · · Score: 2, Funny

      "Microsoft has twenty titles in the top fifty."

      The truly hilarious part: Most of them are Windows or Office. Is this twenty titles or two?

      It's just the old Malibu Stacy with a new hat!

      --
      I'm just sayin'.
  2. Still missing some features. by purpledinoz · · Score: 5, Funny

    I wonder if they included the blue-screen-of-death feature that I've enjoyed for such a long time.

    1. Re:Still missing some features. by 140Mandak262Jamuna · · Score: 2, Funny

      Yup, they still support it. In vista they have a new and improved "translucent opalascent irridiscent coruscant blue" screen of death.

      --
      sed -e 's/Chuck Norris/Rajnikant/g' joke > fact
  3. It's all about marketing by spiritraveller · · Score: 2, Funny

    And so far MS's marketing is sucking really bad from what I've seen.

    Tried to open Office 2007 and got a message about a license key and if I wanted to enter it. I clicked "No," and the entire screen went black and wouldn't come back up.

    I shook my head and laughed as I walked away.

  4. Re:Futile petitions aside by ultranova · · Score: 5, Funny

    And if you start to talk about why they shouldn't be using Vista, their ears turn off because you are being too technical (no matter how much you try and dumb it down).

    "You shouldn't be using Vista, because it won't let you watch porn you downloaded from the Internet for free. It has this thing called DRM which will turn the good good parts to mosaic. We technical people call this downsampling. Oh, and it may even connect to Microsoft or the police and tell them what you're watching."

    --

    Forget magic. Any technology distinguishable from divine power is insufficiently advanced.

  5. Re:This calls for some new legislation by Dunbal · · Score: 1, Funny

    requires citizens to hire a lawyer before purchasing an operating system.

          Or was that purchasing a lawyer before you hire/license an operating system?

    --
    Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
  6. Anyone else find it amusing... by TBone · · Score: 2, Funny

    ...that the petition is the PITR petition?

    I wonder how much user freedom Pitr would want people to have once he takes over Google...

    --

    This space for rent. Call 1-800-STEAK4U

  7. Re:Futile petitions aside by thePowerOfGrayskull · · Score: 2, Funny

    Isn't the most effective way to "protest" it just not buy, to explain to your friends and workplaces why they shouldn't buy it, and most particularly, to aggressively pursue a refund for any bundled versions that you're forced to buy with hardware? Stop spreading FUD -- we all know that electronic petitions are the most effective means to sway the minds of corporations, politicians, and parents everywhere!
  8. Linux now illegal! by Roger+W+Moore · · Score: 2, Funny

    According to Microsoft's EULA: "You may not work around any technical limitations in the software"

    Just wait until we hear, "I'm sorry sir but installing Linux on your machine to get around the technical limitations of Windows is now against the EULA".