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Black Screens For Unauthorized Copies of Windows
arcticstoat writes "In a bid to deter people from using pirate versions of Windows XP, Microsoft is now updating its Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) tool to introduce a few uncomfortable niggles for users of pirated versions of Windows. These include replacing the desktop wallpaper with a black screen every 60 minutes, although you can still replace it with your wallpaper of choice in the intervening period. As well as this, copies of Windows deemed to not be genuine will also have a translucent watermark above the system tray, which Microsoft calls a 'persistent desktop notification.'"
At least there's not some odd hidden process that the users have no visibility to running in the background using resources.
Oh wait...
"It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education." -Albert Einstein
"Some sites have also suggested that this is a sneaky scheme to get more people to buy Windows Vista after disappointing sales of the new OS"
It's going to be very funny if this does more for Linux than Vista.
If you could reason with religious people, there would be no religious people
Windows is shareware now?
AEIOU: open-source anonymous internet currency
I know several people who've bought new machines in the last 6 months
and been forced to have Vista pre-installed
they didn't want it
so pirated XP
are they trying to push people away?
cause it won't take much to annoy your userbase onto trying alternative OS's
And I'll tell you what,
once your average "mere mortal" Windows user, for whatever reason, tries Linux, and likes it
his testimonial goes a long way with other mere mortals in the same boat
My theory: This isn't actually an effort to get more people buying windows directly, but to maintain market dominance. M$ are squeezing the illegal XP 'market', trying to get them to use illegal Vista instead.
This is merely the first step, they'll eventually add checks for the most common cracks, followed by kill switches. This comes after service pack 1 removed the kill switch from Vista, making it less risky to pirate.
Whilst this might see a few people jumping ship to Linux or something, I'm guessing M$ decided the risks of losing a few freeloaers outweighed the importance of removing the XP-shaped-thorn from their side.
Get everyone doin' the downgrade, that way people will be used to it for when windows 7 comes out. M$ have learnt their lesson, and won't be creating any more good operating systems any time soon. It's less profitable!
mysql> SELECT * FROM `places` WHERE `place` LIKE 'home`; Empty set (0.00 sec)
From the very beginning of WGA the aim was to discourage those who don't know how to avoid it to buy a proper copy. MS has conflicting interests, which both aim at profit: Market share* and a low number of illegal copies. If they make it too hard to install a pirate copy they might encourage people to switch to free alternatives. Plus they have to sell Vista now, which gives a perfect opportunity to make it a little more annoying to run a pirate copy of XP.
I'd hate to give them just a cent for all the MS-related problems I had during the last years, but the good news is that many people switching to Vista can now sell their OEM licenses for XP (depending on what country they live in) and there is also a very huge chance to obtain a volume-license-key in my area. I'll legalize my copy in the near future, but not because I have to, but it has become so cheap. So the one time in a month I really want to play a decent computer game I don't have to worry about such things anymore.
*Market share usually means turnover, but in this case I'd argue that % of people using it is a far better number. Major competitors offer their OS for free or sell it along their hardware for a price which is rather abritrary. Software is a very special industry. It's not like the car industry, where fixed and variable costs have a relation...
I don't read replies by ACs.
Same here. I've got probably 3-4 proper, honest Windows XP licenses, but I keep on having to find new ones because the key either gets lost or decides it doesn't want to work anymore because Microsoft thinks I'm a thief.
XP is the end of the line for me, because of these shenanegans. I've got an ubuntu CD ready for the day I just give up on Microsoft and their customer hating practices.
Seriously, consider this. When I pirate, I've never been kept out of a product I steal. Never. Not once. However, I've lost thousands of dollars in software to stupid copy protection schemes as a legitimate customer. They are disincentivizing ownership. I'm acually better off stealing than paying for it.
These idiots need a clue, and fast.
It's been a long time.
Seriously, consider this. When I pirate, I've never been kept out of a product I steal. Never. Not once. However, I've lost thousands of dollars in software to stupid copy protection schemes as a legitimate customer. They are disincentivizing ownership. I'm acually better off stealing than paying for it.
I'm honestly do not mean to troll or flamebait, but it seems there's some Ayn Randian lesson there about the trouble with ruling honest people.
Some regimes require criminals. If there aren't enough, they keep making laws until there are.
That's a good thing. Treat the noobs respectfully. Ultimately it's lack of respect from MS that's driving them away. If they get that same attitude from Ubuntu they'll just label you as asses and go back to MS.
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
The reason I never used the XP theme (I stuck with the Win2k look while I still used Windows enough to care) is that the window chrome is huge. I don't give a stuff about looks, but I do give a stuff about my screen real-estate being eaten up by "cute" windows. It's not as bad as huge transparent chrome, but it's bad enough.
Chernobyl 'not a wildlife haven' - BBC News
The point is, the net effect of this crap is to treat paying customers WORSE than pirates.
If you've already joined those sailing under the Jolly Roger, why would you care?
If the company goes out of business because it annoyed legitimate customers so much that they became pirates, then I'll count that as the market working (albeit in a perverse sense).
"by that I mean people who don't sit on slashdot all day wondering why everyone else isn't building robots" DECS