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Microsoft Giving Away Vista Ultimate, With a Catch
Opinari writes "In case you haven't heard, Microsoft is giving away copies of Windows Vista Ultimate (32-bit or 64-bit DVD), Microsoft Office Ultimate 2007, Microsoft Money Plus Premium, Microsoft Student with Encarta Premium 2008, or Microsoft Streets and Trips 2008 — you can choose any one. The caveat is that you have to let them monitor your use of the program."
Free as in Linux? No, free as in Microsoft!
Funnypics
"Flag on the moon. How did it get there?"
They want to monitor whatever you are currently using today, XP or Vista, and won't give the goods until after three months of watching your stuff.
XML is like violence. If it doesn't solve the problem, use more.
I'm to lazy to RTFA, so, any idea what happens if you suddenly stop responding to their survey questions?
Restore the madness of youth's lechery
Use it only for browsing pr0n! heh heh he
The caveat is that you have to let them monitor your use of the program.
This is how I would go about this. I would get a free copy of vista. Then, I would set web cam up outside on the driveway. I would grab a wood maul and just go to town on the disc, and do my best to savor the thought of MS technicians staring on in horror.
I got a catholic block.
At least not the free gift part. From an email received from Microsoft posted to hardwareanalysis.com forums:
"What happened to the free product option?
Thank you for your interest in the feedback program. Due to overwhelming response, the supply of gifts have been exhausted so we have closed our free product offer on 12/11/2007 at 2pm. Thanks to everyone that participated!"
this is going to be really bad if everyone rejects this offer too.. Funny too. I'm scared that if this is successful, it will show how less people care about their privacy.(yep, we have seen that with all those social networking sites with those drunk photos.) No thanks Microsoft, I love my ubuntu
They won't send the product to you. They only send you the 'prize' after they are satisfied, after three months of monitoring on whatever you are doing.
XML is like violence. If it doesn't solve the problem, use more.
Oh, wait - it's not. You're giving something (information to them) to get something (free OS). Nothing wrong with that.
"All the sex you want! But you're not going to like the catch."
Slashdot "libertarians": Small government for me, big government for those I disagree with. -1, I disagree with you
and let "the program" monitor a nice stream of goatse.
I should set up a honeypot with their products. Hopefully when they are watching, they will get a virus or infected by a bot net.
Instead of letting them see every single thing you do on your computer for a whole 3 months (or longer... who knows what stays on your computer after installing the software), why not install Windows XP in a VM, install their crap, run it once or twice a week to "check your email" or whatever, and then after three months, collect your software? They only see what goes on in the VM, you get your free Vista and everyone's happy. Well, if using Vista can be considered as something that would make you happy.
Just to show how bad their monitoring actually is:
They're basically looking at everything you do. Here's my favorite bit from the whole thing:
This sounds like spyware? Yeah, I'll say. But noooooooo, it's not at all harmful for your computer. Rigghhhtttt....
not going to do it.
Wow, you get Windows for free, but they monitor you???!?!?! I'm stick-in to Tiger.
They want us to let them monitor use of their program?? Don't they do that already???
I don't see the issue here. No question of privacy really, people can choose to do this or not, and it's openly the catch. Microsoft probably wants to watch people's use of it to see what people have trouble with and what they can improve..
FYI: I don't know what you guys are talking about half the time.
...have a usage report that shows you running VMware with an image called "Ubuntu" 100% of the time!
Does the software impact the performance of my computer? "We have gone to great lengths to design the Windows Feedback Program software to limit the amount of computer resources it uses to collect data. You may see a minor change in performance when you first log in to Windows; however, this typically only occurs during the first few minutes after login while we are collecting basic configuration information." In my opinion, that translate to... "The print out of the code is so lengthy the printer ran out of ink, twice. The software will not severely hamper the performance of the computer (as compare to Vista that already used up ~500mb of RAM on idle, there isn't all that much performance left to hamper anyway). After you first log in, we are going to collect some basic information and make sure you have an authentic Windows OS. We might decide to sue you or disable your OS if we found it to be pirated."
I would setup a dedicated box with XP on it that would just sit their with their spy software installed and 2girls1cup running on replay. Stuff it in the basement and forget about it for three months :D
Aikon-
They only want to spy on current users of their software, evidently. So you can get a free copy of Windows, but only if you are already running Windows. Guess they are not out to capture non-Windows users (they probably don't even fathom that concept).
XML is like violence. If it doesn't solve the problem, use more.
2007-12-11 00:00:00; PROGRAM: Explorer; DOCUMENT: http://www.hotporn.com/
2007-12-11 00:15:00; PROGRAM: Explorer; DOCUMENT: http://www.reallyhotporn.com/
2007-12-11 02:15:00; PROGRAM: Explorer; DOCUMENT: http://www.hot-girl-on-girl.com/
2007-12-11 04:30:00; PROGRAM: Explorer; DOCUMENT: http://www.hot-threesomes-with-food.com/
2007-12-11 09:30:00; PROGRAM: Explorer; DOCUMENT: http://www.midget-cocks.com/
2007-12-11 10:00:00; PROGRAM: Explorer; DOCUMENT: http://www.men-on-men.com/
2007-12-11 10:15:00; PROGRAM: Explorer; DOCUMENT: http://google.com/?q=how+to+tell+parents+i'm+gay
2007-12-11 10:30:00; PROGRAM: Explorer; DOCUMENT: http://www.men-on-men.com/
2007-12-11 10:31:00; PROGRAM: Explorer; DOCUMENT: http://google.com/?q=how+to+remove+stains+from+wallpaper
It's like this EVERY DAMN NIGHT!
I'd like them to throw in the "32,768 FREE hours of AOL" disks too.
I need to know which one I can throw farther.
..and monitor how it decomposes on the trash
Only recent MS OS customers. The last copy (i.e. only one I could install somewhere legally) of Windows that existed in this household was Windows 2000 (came on a system inherited from somewhere else). But, that would mean they were trying to market and have *new* customers, that's just crazy talk, companies don't want a larger customer base, no way...
XML is like violence. If it doesn't solve the problem, use more.
Catch #1: You have to let them watch you
Catch #2: You have to use their software (hugs linux)
Catch #3: You have to be American.
Now, I don't know about you lot, but I really don't care about #1 - if they can gleam useful information from my porn habits and game play time, go ahead.
Catch #2 is more of an issue for me, cos I hate using Microsoft software
Catch #3: Who wants to be an American? Why is my feedback any less important then an Americans feedback? Just because I say G'day at the top of my emails doesn't make my opinion that Windows/Microsoft sux any less valid.
I'll tell that what I use it for if you don't send me a copy of Vista. I'm a using it to download some porn. And I'm a using it to download some porn. And now I'm playing solitaire while I download some porn. And I'm using it to download some porn.
Now wash your hands.
They're still going to count it as another person "using" Vista. I'm guessing they'd be pretty happy. I can see the marketing spin now. "Even a skeptic like Jared found that the Vista user experience was extremely satisfying."
Something FREE! That's good!
...
Vista Ultimate? That's bad!
Monitoring? That's bad!
Can I downgrade it to Windows XP Pro and get a free Windows XP Pro license that's legit? That'd be good!
Just seems you can't even give Vista away.
This is my footer. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
Sounds like its not free, but a way to save money instead of paying someone to test the software bugs. Give it away and just don't call it Beta testing. I think its more complicated and business wise then just spyware.
"Guess they are not out to capture non-Windows users (they probably don't even fathom that concept)."
Don't worry. Your "guantanamo" is coming soon enough.
"The caveat is that you have to let them monitor your use of the program."
???
They've been doing that all along.
There have been countless cases and articles of M$ spying on Windows users, so what's new?
Uhm, that they're now doing it *openly*?
Note that the site mentions that comScore is part of the Windows Feedback Program. ("Microsoft, comScore, and MarketTools employees are not eligible to participate.") Also note that comScore has in the past been involved in very pernicious man-in-the-middle HTTPS attacks that have allowed them to sniff bank passwords (and everything else, of course) by installing a special certificate in end-user's browsers. If it were me, I wouldn't install any executables that may have been authored by comScore until there's been enough time for them to be thoroughly vetted by independent third parties.
I've given away software to beta testers too, but shouldn't a program released a year ago be out of beta by now? ;)
But seriously, I'm glad they are soliciting feedback for improving the user experience. Maybe the next update will have fewer distractions.
Only available to about 4% of the population, ie, you have to be a US citizen.
The question of whether a computer can think is no more interesting than the question of whether a submarine can swim.
At least it's completely voluntary and you make ~$400 off of it. Why are people getting upset that Microsoft is paying you for providing them with information? It's not like it's mandatory for Windows users.
They are not forcing anyone to do this. What you guys don't understand is that there are many people in this world who consider their privacy to mean nothing, Microsoft at least considers it to be equal a copy of their software. I'm sure that many slashdotters would say it's ok for girls to sell their bodies, but computer users selling their privacy, oh noes...
...that Vista is so bad Microsoft had to give it away to get people to use it.
"They're basically looking at everything you do. "
Only if you redefine "everything" for moderation purposes.
Why not install this on a couple VMs (or actual machines sitting around) and then install all kinds of free software on it? Let them chew on the fact that so many people, straight away after installing, go get Firefox and Open Office and GIMP and VLC and Thunderbird and Pidgin.. and never bother using IE or Office or whatever else. Make sure they also see all the useless services you disable and how quickly you can shut off UAC.
mirrorshades radio -- darkwave, industrial, futurepop, ebm.
I tried to sign up so that I could run my free XP in a virtual machine with this spy software of theirs and see exactly what kind of stuff it reports. I didn't realize they were out of "gifts" and completed their survey before realizing this. I went through the survey and answered their questions honestly, saying that I use Linux and never use Windows anymore. 5 minutes later, I wanted to remove myself from their database for this so that I don't get e-mails in the future related to it when I have no involvement with it whatsoever... being that they had no more software to give out and all.
I looked on their FAQ page and found conflicting information. Two separate sections saying to send a blank e-mail to two different e-mail addresses with 'remove' in the subject. I e-mailed both, and what did I get in return?
I did that. What did I get back? Two NDRs for separate reasons:
: host maila.microsoft.com[131.107.115.212] said: 550
5.7.1 (in reply to end of DATA command)
-- and --
: host maila.microsoft.com[131.107.115.212] said: 550
5.1.1 User unknown (in reply to RCPT TO command)
Good one MS, you never cease to amaze me!
That putting this up as a program isn't horrible so long as it is totally voluntary and glaringly obvious (though saying 'it's not spyware' in a faq answer is kind of disingenuous') However, saying you make ~$400 off of it is not a good characterization. First off, $400 is the MSRP of Vista Ultimate retail box, without upgrade. If you can participate in this program, first you'd likely be qualified for the upgrade cost. Secondly, OEM pricing is an option if not intending to 'upgrade' your current system (you'd be making a new one, fair chance). Putting all that aside, there are handfuls of ways to get Vista for 'free' or at least for less (i.e. the marketing programs that offer Vista as the free gift).
Simply, there is a good chance the user never would have possibly paid $400, and if someone actually wants Vista, there are plenty of less than blatantly obvious ways to acquire it legally without that money paid. Plus, with all the questionable press reception Vista has received, it's in Microsoft's best interest to give out the software as they can under whatever pretense they can. This way, they preserve the commercial image and pricing, but expand the market share.
XML is like violence. If it doesn't solve the problem, use more.
On any given installation of Windows, there are going to be multiple processes reporting back to various organizations about your usage habits - it's simply a result of the insecure nature of the operating system that no installation can escape unscathed. That said, a program that is installed with my permission to return non-user-specific information in exchange for a four hundred dollar piece of software is quite the anomaly. However, do you think the alternative to this is for them not to collect the information? No, it would be to simply put it in unannounced during a Windows update and put it in the Terms of Use that you don't read and that they can change without notifying you. If maybe this isn't quite doing the Right Thing(TM), it's certainly much much better than the alternatives.
Glad to see that you guys don't let facts get in the way of a good MS bash.
Anyways, just in the in case there's anyone actually curious about this and not just interested in kneejerk reactions about poorly-written, inflammatory summary.
I've actually RTFA (and a page linked off of it) and here's something the summary completely neglects to mention:
The automated data collection is one of two different options you can pick; the other is to be asked to fill out a survey not more often than once every two weeks. It sounds like you can pick either option.
Now, that all said, there's also one more big thing: They're giving away FREE copies of EXPENSIVE software* which many people NEED** or WANT with a perfectly reasonable caveat. They're being open and honest, and they're providing both a manual and an automatic method of data collection. The latter is particularly appealing to many, because it basically means they can just forget about it. Those who are worried about their privacy can take the surveys.
Disclaimer: I am a fanboy of many things, including Xbox 360, but not Microsoft in general. I like Windows XP and hate most everything that MS has put out which isn't an OS (i.e. office, internet explorer, etc). I'll definitely not be participating simply because I'm not interested in any of the offerings.
*Expensive for a typical end user, I don't care how much your company paid for its graphics design software
**Again, typical end user who doesn't know what OpenOffice is and just wants to be able to open their files at work without thinking about converting file types.
Then I was like hell no. They allow themselves to monitor basically everything on your computer processes, favorites, patches, cdkey Its just like nasty keyloggers and spyware except its from microsoft. I pass I like my private information away from them.
"A microprocessor... is a terrible thing to waste." --
GeneralEmergency
I can't believe all the cynical responses from Slashdot readers. Why would you doubt the sincerity and generosity of the company found by the man who will donate $100 to an orphanage each time I forward his email to someone?
EvilCON - Made Famous by
I'm actually tempted to take the offer. We have two (legal) XP installs here, one of which is on my pc. The only reason why I haven't formatted it into oblivion yet is because I can't get Civilization IV to run on Linux even though every forum online says it should. I'm more than happy to have them monitor my Civ victories and as a bonus, I'll browse the web for an hour using firefox, check my mail using thunderbird and draw them a nice cartoon using the Gimp. Heck I'll even install Cygwin! Then at the end of the three months I'll use the Debian w32 installer...
I have to admit that I'd be one of people openly against Vista until I received it for free after doing something similar to this. I've come to believe that the only reason people are so openly against it is that they have little to gain from spending so much for something that in their view is a relatively small upgrade over XP. I for one would of never gotten Vista if it weren't for it being free, and now I actually prefer it over XP many times over.
Do completely random stuff, install as much free non MS software (GPL, Mozilla etc) and do things that they would never expect. Then download a Linux ISO of some sort while making lots of documents as ".doc" in Word where the main thing is saying Linux is so much better. View mainly Linux sites, and so on... Basically shove it in their wistle-area :P
signature is pants
"The caveat is that you have to let them monitor your use of the program"
So they'll monitor my activities when I sell it on eBay?
------ The best brain training is now totally free : )
Out of morbid curiosity I had to know, and it installed just fine. Thankfully it uninstalled just fine too.
I wonder what kind of "useful" data Wine reports...
i read about it in a blog once
"The caveat is that you have to let them monitor your use of the program."
So how does this make the free copy any different than the one you pay for? Just askin'.
I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
Probably the same technology that Bill developed for tracking the forwarding of email!
Great! I want my copy of office for use in interior of Mexico about 750 miles away from the nearest network connection. Monitor me all you like.
There is no sanctuary. There is no sanctuary. SHUT UP! There is no shut up. There is no shut up.
...Satan is giving away free money. The caveat is that you have to give him your soul.
What am I agreeing to do?
To participate, you will need to agree to allow Microsoft to gather and record information about the use of your home computer on an ongoing basis. By agreeing to voluntarily participate in the Windows Feedback Program, you agree that:
* You will abide by all terms stated and referred to in the Terms of Use and Notices ("Agreement"), including granting Microsoft a license to use your data and feedback.
* You will install software provided to you by Microsoft to facilitate and allow data to be recorded, transmitted, and used by Microsoft.
* You will be invited to participate in occasional online surveys.
Then this one.
Will I be able to see what data I'm sharing with you?
Unfortunately, you will not be able to look at your specific data. We designed the Windows Feedback Program software specifically to avoid any interference with your work or how your computer functions. To do that, the data you are sharing is stored in a binary format (zeros and ones) rather than in text format. Storing the data in binary format makes it very small and easy to share with us, but difficult for you to translate and interpret.
Stop it, I'm gonnan pee. This one
Does my shared data have a unique identifier? Yes, we have a unique identifier for your data. This allows us to tell between one customer having an error 100 times and 100 customers having the same error once. Being able to make that distinction is very valuable in prioritizing how we improve our products.
Ooh, almost forgot my favorite
Can I install the WFP software on more than one Windows computer?
Yes, the software can be installed on multiple computers and registered using the same e-mail you provided.
This whole thing just feels .....right, you know. I'll do it!
HaHahaHAHaHAhaaHAhaHAahaa!
OSGGFG - Open Source Gamers Guide to Free Games
Trying to game them into giving me the copy of Ultimate. I very much want to sit there and let them watch all their usual spyware get ripped out of the registry.
Or possibly just complain that it won't run on my 256 meg PIII that 'runs Debian just fine'.
Or... well, the list is endless.
Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite (TM)
I'd use it to read http://annoyances.org/. I'd go around editing the registry and fixing common annoyances. Hopefully, Microsoft would realize what they need to fix.
Unfortunately, since I have no desire, need or intention of running Vista (until a game warrants it) or any "office/secretarial" applications, the install media wouldn't get any use (except as maybe a coffee mug coaster). My mind reels thinking about the usage report: "User #43912, Month one: Vista DVD aided in the delivery of 90 large mugs of sumatran dark roast coffee and 60 double espressos. Office DVD successfully extinguished 25 cigars."
/* MAGIC THEATRE
ENTRANCE NOT FOR EVERYBODY
MADMEN ONLY */
That way I would have known it was a MS shill trying to get people to go through the setup tool and not realizing that MS stopped giving anything away 6.5 hours BEFORE this was posted.
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
How would they monitor me playing frisbee with it? :]
This is actually not too bad of a deal for one not concerned about their privacy. I can see educational institutions, businesses, or low-income individuals welcoming monetarily-free software. Besides, it beats them just implementing a feedback system regardless and still charging you $300 for the software.
Fear the penguin.
But I don't see what monitoring hours and hours of porn surfing is gonna do for them.
Either:
A) MS will make some drastic changes to boost Vista. Like remove DRM
or
B) MS will go back to XP and continue selling that until they try yet again at a new OS.
The failure Of Bob and ME didn't exactly stop them, and neither will the failure of Vista.
Consider how much money MS has sunk on Office for Vista, there may be a chance they just Give Vista away in order to maintain there desktop office monopoly. I don't have high hopes.
Now, I run Win2K because XP brings me exactly nothing. I just can't see paying 100 bucks for nothing..for an OS. I have dropped 100 bucks at craps. Hell, nearly took me 60 seconds!
Now, Vista Ultimate does have some davatages for me..but not enough. It would need to be 100 bucks or less, and have no DRM.
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
As of 2pm Pacific time they reached there "while supplies last" limit. I tried to get myself a copy after I realized that although I don't much like them snooping, I don't do or have anything on my computer that needs to be kept under lock and key. That being said I signed up, filled out there survey, and installed there spyware only to realize that there was no longer any free vista. basically M$oft did a bait and switch, allowing reputable sites to post links and get there members a few copies before they turned off the incentive and racked in the free guinea pigs. I have sent them an E-mail stating my displeasure with there tactics and the complete failure to notify anyone that the incentive was over. I have demanded that they ether give me my free copy of vista or delete all data collected from me and my computer. Hopefully there corporate pansyness will shine through and I'll get a copy.
So what, I shouldn't have the right to voluntarily enter in to this sort of an agreement with a company? They shouldn't have the right to invite people to do so?
Help me out here guys, I'm trying to see what right is involved.
It's official. Most of you are morons.
Gee Microsoft finally realizes that Vista is about as useful as an AOL CD.
Who wants MS software anyway? Even if it's free, when there are alternatives such as Debian, MS can't compete. Hell, MS software comes by force with most laptops and prebuilt PCs (and usually you can't ask for a no-software machine... it comes by force in the meaning of "you either buy it as it is or don't buy it at all"), MS software is full of annoyances (clipper!) and bugs and is the central target of all crackers worldwide. It's okay to get MS Windows on a laptop and leave it there as dual-boot with a GNU/Linux distro just in case you ever need to run something on real Windows. But wanting to buy something made by MS or even wanting MS software for free is pure psychopathology.
I'll freak MS out by doing nothing with ULTIMATE Office except try to open OpenOffice documents all day long.
I read the entire web site [http://wfp.microsoft.com] you reference in your posting and I cannot find anything about Microsoft giving away free Vista or Office 2007. Where did you come up with that tag line? The only thing they are "giving away" is the monitoring software.
The Spice Must Flow!
But I would take them up on this. I'd set up an old computer I don't use, run Vista Ultimate on it, and point it straight to Goatse in hopes of catching an unwary newbie.
Surprise surprise microsoft is being misleading. Also, the FAQ says that in order to opt-out you just send a message to winsurv@microsoft.com but when you do the message bounces with
So you cannot ever get out of the programme after you find out that microsoft was screwed you.
From the privacy statement fineprint, they say what information they are collecting.
"This information includes, but is not limited to:"
Then they give a list of "harmless" things such as driver types, hardware, errors encountered. But where is the "not limited to" list? Can't find it on the site. They really don't want you to know what they are collecting.
And, of course, Office has its own set of things, which you helpfully have to look for yourself:
To display the privacy statement for Office 2003, please search for "Privacy Statement" in Office 2003 online help.
Plus, the Windows Customer Experience Improvement Program has its own set of things it collects.
Very Big Brother. Then again, most of my information is already out there floating around... Might be nice to have a free copy of Vista.....
Buses stop at a bus station
Trains stop at a train station
On my desk there's a workstation....
No, even better - install Ubuntu (or your distro of choice) in a VM inside of the copy of XP/Vista that's being monitored. That'd leave about one extra (on top of all the crapware) program installed/running, total. At the end of three months, collect your Vista disk and do as you please with it.
You all have Oo.o and Firefox, so get World Wind.
In this case Microsoft must be unhappy with how much their analysis is costing, so they're bypassing the middle man. You still volunteer to help their research by giving away information that is valuable to them - and that they will use for whatever they want.
Example - if they notice too many people using Opera or FireFox (or even IE6), they're going to try to figure out how to push IE7 -- how they do that may cost you indirectly via more incompatibilities, more FUD, whatever. Sure, it may not - maybe they'll just try to make IE7 that much better, but there are no guarantees. By giving them your information you gave them the right to do whatever they want with it, and it may well cost everybody a lot.
The cost is always passed on to the consumer.
Ha ha thats funny! Its like hey were going to let you test our shitty OS because people are going back to Xp! Fuck, I will take up their offer and put ME and 3.1 on VM and use them for the remaining three months. Also download all kinds of porn and tell them that Vista still sucks and burn the dvd and piss on the ashes and send back to them! I mean come Microsoft, just tells us your desperate and that you fuck up!
"There is no free lunch" Milton Friedman said..
So, free software means free usage information for capture.
Also, I am not qualify, not living in US or Canada...
AFAIK, Vista ALREADY snoops on the user, so as far as I can tell this "offer" is a bit like their mea culpa monopoly voucher, totally without value. Actually, given what's on offer they should GIVE you money to install Vista (install Vista, pleeeeeease. We desperately need the numbers).
:-).
The longer I look at Vista, the more those Apple ads appear to have been strangely accurate, and I don't even HAVE a Mac (although I think that will change next year).
Microsoft Vista, the best marketing campaign for 'anything but Microsoft' yet. It's a shame there isn't a Darwin award for companies
Insert
I'm no MS fanboy but hey, lets not get all emotional. If your company was putting out a similar offer for your own software your lawyers would be damn sure too to put "not limited to" after the list of data being collected. Its a standard legal phrase that you use unless you actually a) do have the complete, exhaustive list of what will be collected, and b) you are utterly confidnt that if someone changes what is collected that you will hear about it and get to change the terms of use.
[x] auto-moderate all posts by this user as insightful
What if I want to selectively say DONT cache any APPs, but DO CACHE all data in C:\work_files\ or C:\src ???
For most things, I really dont care that it has to read it of a HD, its bloody fast enough that I dont care if it reads it in 120ms vs 800ms.
And if future computers use faster and faster HDs, especially flash based "HDs" for their system C:\ drives, then all this prefetching is useless if the flash
can load at 100MB/sec. Its getting now to the point that is probably worth putting windows onto a 4-8gig flash drive of some sort (CF), rather than USB.
Maybe motherboards will come pre chipped with 8gig flash for the OS, no more HD needed, that would be bliss for silent systems, use a real HD only for media/games/big apps.
OT - how about firefox developers build a selective cache that has options like, cache all jpegs/gifs, or exclude blah websites, or always cache gifs 32kb permanently.
Liberty freedom are no1, not dicks in suits.
Someone already has got this idea :
http://xkcd.com/350/
"Sufficiently advanced satire is indistinguishable from reality." - [Tips: 1DrYakQDKCQ6y52z6QbnkxHXAocMZJE61o ]
I'm almost tempted do go in for this, get Vista 64 Ultimate and run it on my Mac Pro... maybe twice a year, just for shits and giggles. I wonder if they'd be able to monitor me correctly?
Multiplayer Gaming (defined): Sitting around, discussing single-player games with my friends, at the bar.
I don't think they really want to know what we're doing - they just needed a reason for giving it away, because nobody wants to buy it - and they might have figured that when vista is in more houses, others might accept and buy it...
The MAFIAA is a bunch of mindless jerks who will be the first up against the wall when the revolution comes
This will give Microsoft valuable information that will help them develop better software in the future. The quesiton is how many users are prepared to trust them enough to allow this. But as it is comleatly volentary I see no problem in doing so, other than that they may get some biased results as people that value privacy and security most likely will not participate. However, personally, I wourld like to be paid a little more than just with some free software to do this kind of testing for Microsoft.
I would actually like to see open source projects such as Gnome and KDE to do a similar thing (As long as it is volentary). Knowing how the users use their is essential to create good usable systems, and very few usability tests are performed on software in the FOSS world, so something like this would probably be even more beneficial to these kind of projects. I would also think that more people would be prepared to volontear this kind information to e.g. the KDE or Gnome team than they would to big evil Microsoft. After all very few Gnome or KDE users would worry about that a big evil company might discover unlicenced software on their systems.
God is REAL! Unless explicitly declared INTEGER
From an email just received (2:05AM 12/12/07):
What happened to the free product option?
Thank you for your interest in the feedback program. Due to overwhelming response, the supply of gifts has been exhausted so we have closed our free product offer on 12/11/2007 at 2pm Pacific Time. Thanks to everyone that participated!
"We'll need 2000 crickets, 4 cans of Easy Cheese, and the fluid from 18 glowsticks for this plan to work...." - ph0n1c
The only free software described on the site is the Windows Feedback Program software itself.
Only for folk who in live in a country called U.S. (anyone heard of it?!)
I think this is a desperate move to thwart Linux (getting windows costs now as much money as Linux). Except that the usage conditions are a lot worse as Linux.
I've been in that program for a while.... this is pretty old news....
It's really just expanded of what Windows already collects and sends anyway...
Not only that, but my wish to help make sure Vienna/7 isn't the failure that Vista is (although I do like Vista) is stronger than any worries I may have. In addition, Its nice of them to ask to do it, instead of just doing it.
Just my 0.002 cents
As someone who cares not one bit about my "privacy", I'd love to see more of these types of deals. The only thing that makes me wary when dealing with "privacy" is I prefer not to be spammed for the rest of my life. I could, however, give a flyin' f*&k if anyone is monitoring what I do on my computer. If you are monitoring me, be prepared to be bored to tears.
They'll just see me pressing Ctrl+Alt+Delete over and over again.
...they didn't necessarily make it "easy" either. I never got the first confirmation email they sent me(waited 15 minutes), so I tried having it sent to a non-hotmail account, which promptly received the confirmation. I bit because for me, it is essentially free, as the only thing that ever happens on my Windows install is playing games and browsing non-porn sites. Hell, I don't even have a decent audioplayer installed. So, for me, letting them observe me playing UT3 or CSS for an hour or two a day essentially constitutes free, which is incidentally enough, the only price that I could ever stomach for any version of Vista.
This ought to trip somebody out when they look at my report.
Death is life's great reward. R. Hoek
I would not take it. And I'm currently developing (Java) on Windows XP. Either tells you something about me or Microsoft products. You choose which one.
As the island of our knowledge grows, so does the shore of our ignorance.
And associate with microsoft.
I am happy with WinXp/Ubuntu dual booting.
Who in their right mind go to all that effort for a free downgrade ?
Apparently you have to email 50 of your friends and Bill Gates sends you a free copy! Personally!!
... and somehow, I don't think this means `download Vista or XP'It also says this --
This will probably be the way the Windows franchise is run in the future: no charge for the OS, but Microsoft will sell your usage info to the pop-up ad crowd.
I went through the survey, and I've seen nothing on the site about a free Vista...
This is my sig.
We'll be able to point, laugh, and say that "Microsoft can't even GIVE Vista away." I'm not a microsoft hater either, but vista is a colossal foobar. I work in an IT shop, and I've had to have it installed because I'm required to be one version ahead of deployment whenever possible, and I've hated every bleeding minute of Vista Enterprise. I even had to change settings to get it to hit our NAS shares, which are essentially samba shares on a huge redhat fronted storage device. (Incidentally XP hadn't any issues out of the box with it.)
Speak for yourself.
VMware is your friend. Go ahead and emulate that sumbitch while you do all those naughty things outside the sandbox. :)
Honestly though, this is just another monopoly-pushing move by MS. Most Windows people get their OS when they buy a computer (thanks to the lovely OEM cartel). This is probably targeted at people who have an unlicensed copy of Windows, and by "converting" them into legit users, MS can claim a bunch of big adoption numbers when the next round of FUD comes around. They could even pull a random number out of their ass and say "this many Linux commies switched over, the rest were pirated".
Then they can go to the supreme court and say "Your honor, we're not an illegal monopoly; People WANT to use our software, we can't help being so awesome!" or some weak paraphrasing.
-Billco, Fnarg.com
...a while ago in their Top Gear programme. They had three cars of the same model, one in red, one in blue, one in white, and had a phone in to see which was the least favourite colour. The loser would have the Hamster treatment (ie thrashed around a track until it self-destructed). That's right, folks, half a million quid's worth of car and the Ham gets to destroy it.
/couldn't get it in white/.
The result was, the white one got the treatment, and by a wide voting margin. When said car eventually went into production six months later, you
Microsoft are doing the same thing here, by seeing who would go for the Vista freebie and who'd go for the productivity freebies. They're heading for a major change in direction and whichever way they turn depends a lot on the results of this ongoing survey.
Operation Guillotine is in effect.
Ok, what is the major problem here ? M$ says their terms, you either want it or not, if you agree youl get hundreds of usd in M$ products, if you dont like it just do not sign up, the public reaction say it all, a few hours after the program opened they have their list full. Its a fair deal even from m$ Jorge
Don't they do that already (WGA, Activation, et. al)?
Are they trying to impress shareholders later on with an astronomic number of legally installed copies?
Visit http://ringbreak.dnd.utwente.nl/~mrjb/growingbettersoftware to download your free copy of the book
I don't see anywhere on the site where they promise anything, or did I miss it?
Install it, put in on the internet
write a program that does nothing put FTP files to itself for say 90 days straight
then remove it from the internet, when they ask, say I dont use it for the internet
I use it for a door stop...
-- I am the NRA, enough said...
They might hear some interesting comments!
The real catch is it's Vista.
*ducks*
Question everything
Seriously though, your voice might get heard more if they see the problems you have with the product. Installing a VM system and spending all day using the distro of your choice probably would send a strong message.
Doesn't Microsoft want to convert Linux users over to Windows? Sure, this would need a different kind of program. But still, monitoring what you do in Linux could give them some insight into what what Linux users do and maybe they can make their next products something people would want to stay with Windows for.
now we need to go OSS in diesel cars
Comment removed based on user account deletion
Or cocaine!
You better watch out, there may be dogs about . .
Comment removed based on user account deletion
I went through the registration and questionnaire process. At no time was I offered any kind of giveaway. I got as far as being told to download the monitoring program and stopped. I do not intend to install "spyware" without some kind of payoff. Possibly the free software is offered later, seems unlikely. From what I saw, I simply agree voluntarily to have everything on my computer monitored by Microsoft. Look this gift horse in the mouth carefully.
Microsoft is no longer giving away any free stuff. Here's the email from Microsoft:
"What happened to the free product option?
Thank you for your interest in the feedback program. Due to overwhelming response, the supply of gifts has been exhausted so we have closed our free product offer on 12/11/2007 at 2pm Pacific Time. Thanks to everyone that participated!"
Source: Spoofee.com
...with NSA on tap!
HEY! I just crasked the initial survey after telling them how to start the Windows Registry (it's one of the questions...). I think they didn't like some characters (I typed "Start > Run > Regedit").
The Windows Vista Ultimate experience seems REALLY promising!!!
I can't eat all these Vistas!
Actually, it's not an option of one or the other... you have to do both the online survey and the spyware to get any "free" software.
Terms of Use and Notices ("Agreement")
AGREEMENT BETWEEN YOU AND MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ONE OF ITS AFFILIATES
DESCRIPTION OF WINDOWS FEEDBACK PROGRAM.
The Windows Feedback Program ("WFP") is a voluntary participant-based project which will gather information about computer use in the home. The information collected is intended to allow Microsoft to identify how its future products may better serve you, our customer. You can find out more about what information will be collected and why, by going to the Windows Feedback Program website (WFP Program Site).
The WFP is comprised of various Web sites, servers, applications, and other services operated by Microsoft or its affiliates (collectively, the "Program Services").
ACCEPTING THE TERMS OF THIS AGREEMENT.
This Agreement constitutes a legal agreement between you ("Program Participant") and Microsoft. The Program Services are offered to you conditioned on your acceptance without modification of this Agreement. Your use of the Program Services constitutes your agreement to all such terms, conditions, and notices.
Portions of the Program Services may be governed by guidelines, rules, notices and other terms and conditions ("Additional Terms") posted at the WFP Program Site. All such Additional Terms are hereby incorporated by reference into this Agreement. In the event of a conflict between the Additional Terms and this Agreement, this Agreement shall control. However, the Windows Feedback Program Privacy Statement, discussed in the Privacy and Personal Information section below supersedes any conflicting language in this Agreement and in the Additional Terms published on the WFP Program Site. The Program Services are offered to you conditioned on your acceptance without modification of the Additional Terms contained herein and as posted at the WFP Program Site. Your use of the Program Services constitutes your agreement to the Additional Terms.
MODIFICATION OF THIS AGREEMENT.
Microsoft may wish to update or change the terms, conditions and notices for the Program Services from time-to-time, to reflect changes in the Program Services, changes in the law affecting the Program Services or for other good reasons. You understand and agree that Microsoft reserves the right to make these changes. Microsoft will post minor changes to the WFP Program Site. In the event of a material change to this agreement, we will notify you by email about the change. Once notified, you have the option of discontinuing the program. You agree that your continuation of the program after notification of a material change demonstrates acceptance by you of the new terms.
PERSONAL AND NON-COMMERCIAL USE LIMITATION.
Unless otherwise specified, the Program Services are for your personal and non-commercial use. Except to download/print for your personal use, you may not modify, copy, distribute, transmit, display, perform, reproduce, publish, license, create derivative works from, transfer, or sell any information, software, products or services that are a part of and provided under the Program Services except as expressly provided in this Agreement.
PRIVACY AND PERSONAL INFORMATION.
Microsoft agrees that it will only collect and use your personal information in accordance with the terms of the Windows Feedback Program Privacy Statement.
SOFTWARE AND CONTENT AVAILABLE THROUGH PROGRAM SERVICES AND THE WFP PROGRAM SITE.
All content and software that is made available to view and/or download from the WFP Program Site that is part of the Program Services ("Software") is owned by and is the copyrighted work of Microsoft and/or its suppliers. Your use of the Software is governed by the terms of the license agreement, if any, that accompanies or is included with the Software ("License Agreement"). You may not install or use any Software that is accompanied by or includes a License Agreement unless you first agree to the License Agreement terms.
For any Software not accompanied by a License Agreement, Microsoft hereby grants to yo
The only things I can think of that you could be thinking of are WGA (which is a hardware hash, not usage patterns) and error reports (for which it is easy enough to click 'don't send' instead of 'send').
What's purple and commutes? An Abelian grape.
At my university, students can get the latest Vista and Office for $15 ea. XP and the old Office cost $5. Not bad considering they retail for $300.
Maybe I'm the only one that went to the website but monitoring is not mandatory. You can choose to only answer email surveys and not be monitored at all. So in that case not a bad deal if you wanted one of the offered products. MS sent me .net 2005 for free through another program by watching a couple classes on it and answering a surveys without any hassle.
I still don't want it
I currently have a motherboard, CPU (Athlon 64 3200+ socket 939), and memory left over from various projects. This would be the perfect adjunct to it. No need to get a case, power supply, or hard drive, just throw the CD on top of the rest of the parts; it's not like I'm going to use it.
So few developers on the Redmond campus use Vista any more (it's all Ubuntu and OSX these days) that the only contact they're willing to endure with Vista is watching other suckers use it.
Sounds like a good way to get Vista in a VM for free and torture it in any way shape and form you like. Honeypot anyone?
LoB
"Anyone who stands out in the middle of a road looks like roadkill to me." --Linus
Its just a survey and some software to install that monitors PC use, no freebies to be found...
.. but can they monitor it, if I stuff it in a drawer and never install it? ROTFLOL!
Only 'flamers' flame!
Does slashdot hate my posts?
There's no free software. Just surveys and spyware.
nice headline asses!
They're using their grammar skills there.
yeah, wake me up again when they're giving away the hardware to run it on too.
Humpty Dumpty was pushed.
Will they provide me with a powerful enough computer to run Vista Ultimate?
~GO
I have enough machines lying around that I'd like a free copy of Vista. I signed up using my yahoo email account and the reply from Microsoft didn't show up in an hour, so I signed up using my .Mac account. The reply was immediate. The confirmation showed up on my yahoo bulk folder 22 hours later. Either this is yahoo's spam filter causing the delay, or Mac users are being given preference.
bah.
Would you take any freebies from this man?
Terms of Use and Notices ("Agreement")
AGREEMENT BETWEEN YOU AND MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ONE OF ITS AFFILIATES
DESCRIPTION OF WINDOWS FEEDBACK PROGRAM.
The Windows Feedback Program ("WFP") is a voluntary participant-based project which will gather information about computer use in the home. The information collected is intended to allow Microsoft to identify how its future products may better serve you, our customer. You can find out more about what information will be collected and why, by going to the Windows Feedback Program website (WFP Program Site).
The WFP is comprised of various Web sites, servers, applications, and other services operated by Microsoft or its affiliates (collectively, the "Program Services").
ACCEPTING THE TERMS OF THIS AGREEMENT.
This Agreement constitutes a legal agreement between you ("Program Participant") and Microsoft. The Program Services are offered to you conditioned on your acceptance without modification of this Agreement. Your use of the Program Services constitutes your agreement to all such terms, conditions, and notices.
Portions of the Program Services may be governed by guidelines, rules, notices and other terms and conditions ("Additional Terms") posted at the WFP Program Site. All such Additional Terms are hereby incorporated by reference into this Agreement. In the event of a conflict between the Additional Terms and this Agreement, this Agreement shall control. However, the Windows Feedback Program Privacy Statement, discussed in the Privacy and Personal Information section below supersedes any conflicting language in this Agreement and in the Additional Terms published on the WFP Program Site. The Program Services are offered to you conditioned on your acceptance without modification of the Additional Terms contained herein and as posted at the WFP Program Site. Your use of the Program Services constitutes your agreement to the Additional Terms.
MODIFICATION OF THIS AGREEMENT.
Microsoft may wish to update or change the terms, conditions and notices for the Program Services from time-to-time, to reflect changes in the Program Services, changes in the law affecting the Program Services or for other good reasons. You understand and agree that Microsoft reserves the right to make these changes. Microsoft will post minor changes to the WFP Program Site. In the event of a material change to this agreement, we will notify you by email about the change. Once notified, you have the option of discontinuing the program. You agree that your continuation of the program after notification of a material change demonstrates acceptance by you of the new terms.
PERSONAL AND NON-COMMERCIAL USE LIMITATION.
Unless otherwise specified, the Program Services are for your personal and non-commercial use. Except to download/print for your personal use, you may not modify, copy, distribute, transmit, display, perform, reproduce, publish, license, create derivative works from, transfer, or sell any information, software, products or services that are a part of and provided under the Program Services except as expressly provided in this Agreement.
PRIVACY AND PERSONAL INFORMATION.
Microsoft agrees that it will only collect and use your personal information in accordance with the terms of the Windows Feedback Program Privacy Statement.
SOFTWARE AND CONTENT AVAILABLE THROUGH PROGRAM SERVICES AND THE WFP PROGRAM SITE.
All content and software that is made available to view and/or download from the WFP Program Site that is part of the Program Services ("Software") is owned by and is the copyrighted work of Microsoft and/or its suppliers. Your use of the Software is governed by the terms of the license agreement, if any, that accompanies or is included with the Software ("License Agreement"). You may not insta
If people are given a choice between 'Free' Vista and 'Free' XP:
- Will they use it to try out an upgrade for free?
- Or will they simply use it to get a 'Free' license for Windows XP?
I think they already already got their answer,
and they're not very happy about it.
"I was in love with a beautiful blonde once, dear. She drove me to drink. It's the one thing I am indebted to her for."
Well, when I click Get Started, I'm given two check boxes. If you can provide a link that says you only get free software (I actually don't see that anywhere from the link submitted) if you do the automated survey, I'd be happy to check it out.
Everyone seems to be complaining about "spyware". Two comments:
1) How else can Microsoft address usability except by collecting data about which functions are used and when and in what order. I doubt they care about your document they just ned to know things like which of four methods you use to (say) make a word bold face. They are offing to pay you for this data and you get to decide if you want ot accept.
2) Other organizations have done the exact same thing. Do you really thing Microsoft invents new ideas? This has been done on open source projects
3) Software that runs on a web browser always does this. Your actions get written to a server log file. I wonder what slashdot.org serve logs look like. They likely contain a list of what each of is are reading and when we read it.
without a second thought. On a Borg product, you'd have to turn me into one of the Collective first ... and even then you might have to kill me before you could get my finger to push the send button.
It's called trust. It's free too. Free as in priceless.
While Vista might be a crappy host OS, they could at least see that Linux makes the Windows Vista Experience (tm) better. But only so long as you only have to have that experience when you're booting or the host OS crashes.
I think this is a good idea for MS. I will fill out the surveys hoping that their next OS will be better built around what customers want. Look at the change from ME -> XP that occured...I'm hoping that they'll listen and make a better product.
I couldn't find my Penn State XP install disk at one point, and had to be issued another.
:)
Turned out that my wife *had* been using it as a coaster, following earlier instructions on AOL CD's . . .
hawk
"the Bonzi Buddy license"
I think MS is brilliant for doing this. They've embraced, extended and tried to extinguish third party browsers and firewall software, might as well do the same with spyware.
It's like buying laxatives and tossing them straight into the loo...eliminates the middleman and probably more efficient.
I think I'll get a copy of Vista and NOT use it ...they need those datapoints, too.
This is great! The only thing I need Windows for is playing games that don't work on Linux.
billg can sit back and watch me pwn some n00bs
Sorry but your sample is really too small. I can find four of five people that thought that ME was great.
See my blog http://ilovecookes.blogspot.com/ for light hearted technical information.
Uh yeah.... they just closed it. Guess what? They didn't tell us :-)
http://onlineapps.newsvine.com/_news/2007/12/12/1158826-breaking-microsoft-removes-free-vista-offer-but-forgets-to-put-it-on-their-site
*uptime => approx. 4-6 hours per week
*usaage => playing video game X entire time
The rest of the time I'd be on different boot partition with a different OS.
That's because they don't give you free software anymore, it was apparently a limited time offer. You used to be able to get a free copy of Vista only if you agreed to both the survey and the monitoring software. Now they just let you sign up for the survey or monitoring software, but aren't going to give you anything for doing it.
I'm pretty sure Microsoft monitors your use of software one way or the other... http://badvista.fsf.org/what-s-wrong-with-microsoft-windows-vista
Let 'em track all the pr0n I download.
I wonder if their "free" offer includes a jar of Vaseline to ease the pain?
It seems that nearly every 'free' deal these days is only for US residents, maybe I should move, then again I'm sure it wont be long before the UK becomes US state anyway.
Microsoft used similar opt-in monitoring in Office 2003 to help make Office 2007. There's a decent blog post on the most used commands in Office which explains the influence on the design of Office 2007. The Office UI team were interested in things like whether toolbar buttons were used or keyboard shortcuts and frequency of use of individual items.
The monitoring is not too different from packages installed being monitored by the optin 'popularity-contest' in Debian/Ubuntu which help somewhat to get the most used packages in earlier disks.
From MS financial perspective it is that bad. Real money counts for little. It is shareholder perception that counts. For the first time in MS history, Joe Shareholder will likely have the opinion that MS screwed up. The shareholders will be saying: "We paid $5bn and we got this suckware! Give us new management!"
Remember too that this comes in the same set as some other rogue waves: Zune, Xbox360 with no really good news in sight. All setting up for a perfect storm.
Engineering is the art of compromise.
But that's ONLY for the Automated Feedback Program option.
Note that opting out is still an option. That page also expressly says what they collect too - nothing too spectacular.
For a site about things like basic rights, Slashdot users sure do like to censor "dissent".
The Lizard is giving you the sleeves of his vest again,,,,,,,,,,,, NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Is it telling that Microsoft Office Ultimate 2007 ($679.95 suggested retail) and Vista Ultimate ($399 suggested retail) are seemingly valued the same in this offer as Microsoft Streets and Trips 2008 ($39.99 suggested retail)?
Google has got some competition now.
This is worthless to me - the offer is ONLY valid for US residents. Talk about discrimination! Why does the American government and corporations treat the rest of the world with such disdain, as if we don't exist?
COULD YOU PLEASE AMEND THE DAMN WELL STORY TO SAY THAT IT'S ONLY FOR US RESIDENTS.
Dave
Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. --Martin Luther King Jr.
When I gave them my email, I started getting emails about
Hallie Berry drunk and exposed"
"Asain bagned by a bigidck" and "Free Windows" in my Junk Mail folder. That just is now funny. Where can I opt-out now?