I guess my argument, which I did not make clearly (my bad) is that if you don't have one of these $15 adapters you are only kidding yourself, they're cheap and indispensable.
Sounds like a good idea. Just checked my local Compusa and Best Buy (I know lousy choices) and neither carry it. Compusa has it for desktop drives but not laptop drives. I looked online and I found one for $61 and some other ones for about $25 + S & H. If I spot one of these on the shelf someplace for under $20 I'll be sure to grab one.
It actually takes a lot longer to take a disk out of one machine and put it in another than to take it out and plug it into the magic adapter, which is so cheap that from an IT standpoint it might as well be free.
You are kidding? Right? One screw and a slide out drive.. Changing the drive is only slightly more difficult than changing the battery. The added bonus is I always know where my laptop is. I don't always know in which drawer a seldom used adaptor is located.
Some laptops may have a buried drive, but many have a drive that installs much like a battery with a single screw to prevent accidental removal.
An IDE to USB2 bridge with connectors for both laptop drives and full-size devices, with a power supply to power full-size stuff, is about $15. I have one sitting here to my right, currently connected to a 40GB IDE disk that I got free that I was testing (works fine, hooray.)
Thanks for making my point. I didn't have an adaptor. To get one is additional cost. It is true a laptop drive can be put into a USB adaptor. The additonal cost for my solution was about 20 cents for the CDR and no extra trip to the store was needed.
HSBC claims it will achieve cost savings by reducing the number of Linux distributions it uses and by improving the interoperability of its open-source operating system deployments with Windows.\
The true title of the article should be...
"Closed standards raise the cost of interoperability with Windows"
If they didn't need to converse with Windows, that cost would go away.
I have found depending on what you are trying to do, the cost and support level vary considerably between the systems.
On the other side of the coin is many data recovery applications where the TCO is much less on Linux.
A prime example I had a friend bring be a dead laptop.. Won't even boot into the BIOS. Please recover my documents..
In Windows it requires finding an adaptor so you can put in both hard drives in one laptop at the same time and configure the drive as a second drive, etc..
In my case I put the drive in my laptop, booted Ubuntu off the CD. Mounted the drive and copied the My_Documents folder to a network share. Zero extra cost, no configuration (auto found my network and got an address).
I needed to burn an ISO to make a Ubuntu CD. In Windows the aparant choice is to upgrade the limited function CD burning software bundled with the machine or search online for free software (possibly trojan), scan it for viruses (purchased subscription application) and then burn a CD. On a Ubuntu machine, simply right click on the ISO and chose burn to CD.
To be fair, on the flip side of the coin, I do some MIDI stuff and DMX512 lighting. There are tons of free applications for Windows and only limited support on Linux. So the TCO study to be unbiased would point out there are applications where both have their high points. That is why I have a Windows machine and a Ubuntu machine and Live CD's for laptop data recovery.
In the enterprise where I work, It's a Windows environment because of the platform the vendors write for for our customised applications and embedded control and for hardware support of the same. I don't see any easy migration path away from the entrenched environment any time soon.
At home and on the desktop and on some fileservers and network appliances, it's a mixed environment is the lowest TCO. My Router and my Fileserver and my Printservers are all Linux based.
This is old news. Why nobody picked up on this earlier is a mystery to me. It has been part of the course material for the Physics for Future Presidents series. The lectures are posted online for anyone to watch. If Real Audio files are a problem for you, do a Google search using the video tab for "Physics for Future Presidents". From there you can view the entire lecture series. In the lessons Universe 1 and Universe 2, the instructor Richard A Muller covers the subject. I mentioned this very subject on Slashdot a while back in the topic regarding man's brain wired for a God. It kind of started a small flame war when I mentioned the universe being created out of nothing seems to match the biblical description of the beginning of the univers. I made the mistake of mentioning on Slashdot, that the possibility the bible may be a history book and the universe and man may have been created. How would the author of the bible have had any knowledge of the origin of the Univers?
Anyway, let's not start a holy war over the physics theory that seems to match in some regards the biblical account. I thought that unlikely match was worth mentioning for evaluation.
The new theory in science and the bible both mention the creation of the Univers out of nothing. Before the creation there was nothing. Don't flame me for using the word "Creation". It is the same word used in the science theory for the name of the origin of the universe. Check out the online physics class if you don't want to take my word.
you'd have to compare selling/giving me a CD to giving me your hard drive (or any portion thereof, except that one assumes a piece of a hard drive platter isn't going to be much use to me
My point exactly. I can take a physical DVD or CD and remove it from my player and send it on. An iTunes track is electronicaly bolted to some other hardware that you own which is not from iTunes and can't be unbolted and sent on and not be unbroken. iTunes tracks are built to break if moved off the auth'ed computer. A CD or DVD does not break if removed from my hardware and sent along to someone else.
The people begging for pre-installed Linux are probably the same people who would, upon receiving a PC from a vendor with a pre-installed OS, immediately wipe that OS and install it from scratch
Exactly! Getting a laptop with one of their printers bundled with Windows only drivers and no support for the wireless adaptor and only low res in the video sucks. Getting something that works is important. Pre-installed Linux is a gurantee of compatiblilty.
Not haveing the time to hack a wireless card is the only reason my laptop is still running Windows 2K instead of Ubuntu. My desktop machines are either dual boot or Ubuntu all the way with everything working.
so, yes, a single copy of a [non-DRM'd] CD will play in any [normal] CD player. any single copy of Apples iTunes Music store songs will play on any Apple iPod MP3 player.
If I mail you a DVD or VHS tape, you can play it. If I mail you an iTunes song, I doubt you can play it.
The song won't play without a secure transfer of the keys. When you are done with a CD or DVD, you can pass it on to someone else. Take the iTunes song from your friends computer and send it to another friend. See anything not the same?
I do understand that an (any) iPod will dock to an authorised computer and load the song and key and play it. I also understand to give the song to someone else, you have to send them your computer or your account so when they are done with the song and want to pass it on, they then have to send the authorised computer or account along with it.
With 10 DVDs or CDs, I can send them to 10 friends. Try that with 10 used iTunes songs without haveing them come to connect to one of your auth'ed computers. Make sure the songs they get can be passed along when they are done just like a DVD or CD. I am not saying a copy.. I am saying an original. Burning a song to a Music CD doesn't count. Use the original purchased tune only with no alterations or re-encoding.
Now, why does the music business want to prevent piracy? So they can guarantee sales.
That's funny. It is their measures to prevent piracy which is keeping me from buying music. DRM CD's, and incompatible audio tracks are showstoppers for me. Next in line is low quality and high prices. They need to improve in all 3 areas to regain me in their sales figures.
And, how about ZuneTunesTM songs playing on a Fairplay or any MP3 player?
Who cares about the ZuneTunes TM songs. Have you seen the number of hoops to get to the store? Have you seen the layers on the onion to buy a tune? Did you notice that the songs do not take dollars to buy but require a new currancy called Zune Points to buy a tune? The Zune store is so obscure up a dead end alley that nobody is bothering.
Anybody seen any big announcements that they have sold their first million tracks? Me neither.
What's going to happen when Dell releases a flavor that can't play MP3s, or some media files, out of the box?
All that is needed is a pamphlet explaining the driver issues and a link to the repository site in the add/remove applications button. It would be right next to the pamphlet saying don't try using this with our AIO printers. Problem solved just like any other Linux distro. Those who request Linux usualy know something about it.
here is a quick summary of Dell printer Linux support. Notice all of the All In One printers are listed as paperweights. Novice Linux user has nothing to do with wanting hardware to work and having trouble doing it.
The argument for pre-installations is really about novice users who can't be bothered to install an OS onto a fresh machine
Some arguement for pre-installations is really about intermediate users who have given up trying to get the wireless to work. Maybe there is arguement to get more perifials supported from the manufacture. Have you tried to get a Dell all in one printer or the Dell MP3 player working on any Linux install? It's far beyond a novice. In many cases even the Experts have moved on to other hardware because even they give up trying. Try googling for a linux driver for a Dell all in one printer that includes all functions.
My guess is how much more will you pay to get a laptop where the wireless works out of the box? Wireless on laptops is the showstopper for many trying to run Linux on a laptop.
Maybe that'll help guide Dell's opinion of whether people want Linux on their PCs.
At the moment the site is back up. They mention the slashdotting. Even more important than filling out the survey, is leaving a comment at the bottom of the page. This is where I mentioned the bundled applications problems. With Ubuntu you get full featured applications, not limited function limited time trial software. I wonder if my review of my wife's XP machine compared to my Ubuntu machine will get my comment deleted. Even if it is deleted, they will have gotten the feedback and reasons for wanting something else.
Why don't you just say "games" and be done with it?
Voyetra "Teach me Piano" is not a game. It won't run without the CD in the drive. I use an older piano tutor instead because I don't have to dig out a CD to run it.
Neither of the two programs you actually mentioned (Photoshop and Office) require having a CD in the drive
I shifted gears to software that was simply too expensive to consider purchasing. That paragraph had nothing to do regarding needing a CD in the drive. I don't pirate those programs but use alternatioves instead.
One other catagory not mentioned besides needing the CD in the drive or high price is dongleware. Needing the CD in the drive is another type of dongleware. CD locked to a paticular piece of hardware is another type of dongleware I reject. As example, I once in a while get involved in local acting and provide support with sound or lighing. I am a registered user of a lighting console called "Light Factory" The original version of the software console had a problem in using MS SQL. SQL would run even when the console was not being used, even after a reboot. Many users complained at the ports left open and the drain on system resources. The original version used your registration information to brand your copy as yours. This is acceptable and does not lock out the use of a hot spare in case of a hardware failure in a show as may be triggered by some random Windows glitch. The company offered a free upgrade that fixed the SQL problem (YEA!) but changed the registeration to use your PC as a dongle so it would not run on any other hardware. (Boo Hiss) This would eliminate the ability to move to other hardware for problems such as a dropped or stolen laptop on the way to a show. This is totaly user unfriendly. They probably did that because they suspected users bought one copy and used many copies at places like lighting rental outfits. Not having a hot spare for something as critical as lighting for a live show is not an option.
That move lost them a consumer. I did not accept the free upgrade. (They were upfront about the change in registration before upgrading. I give them credit for doing that right.)I have also stopped using the software as alternatives became avaliable. I am now a user of Freestyler instead.
Hint to software developers.. Weigh the loss of consumers due to piracy to the loss of paying consumers due to reduced value software.
The user who pirates software is less likely to buy the product; this is a classic case of "why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?"
On the contrary. After buying software that had demos that worked much better than the product, I have on many occasions tried a pirated copy before buying a legit copy.
Most of the times it was related to copy protection problems. I have a hard drive. The demo can be installed and runs fine. The actual product won't run without the disk in the drive. This is unaceptable and not stated in the product literature prior to purchase. Running more than one application at once is normal operation of a PC. Running more than one CD in the drive at once is not an option.
Programs which work get purchased. Programs which don't work or don't have a working crack, get rejected. I have simply bought too much software which simply can't be installed and run without the CD. I no longer buy off the shelf software without finding if it meets my needs first. Overpriced software is not pirated. It is simply rejected. For example, I use Open Office and the Gimp instead of Adobe Photoshop and MS Office.
So, if I wanted to pirate a readily-available closed-source proprietary operating system for my PC other than Windows, what would I pick?
Leave out the words "closed-source proprietary" and replace "pirate" with copy and you find lots of alternatives. None of them will remotely shut down or have anyone smarter than SCO try legal action against you.
Now that they've finally admitted it, will they stop with their WGA and activation junk? Activation is a pain for legit users, and now it seems that MS wants illegitimate users to work around it. I'm not really sure what it's there for anymore.
It's simple, they haven't changed monopoly thinking. They have not recognised their actions could or would have consumers looking at alternatives. They were fully expecting everyone to migrate to Vista. Vista has had a pretty cool reception. I doubt it's being pirated very much (some) but alternatives are now popular. Instead of pirated versions of Vista being converted to paying consumers, Apple and Ubuntu are becoming popular instead.
Microsoft wants to increase its installed base even through piracy. The goal is to "convert them to use the software" later...
This is the intent, but they blew it with the WGA and BSA. Instead of piracy, and later buying a legal copy, the move to Open Source has been driven by this. They made it obvious that a pirated copy caries a big risk due to the big stick.. Their carrot compared to alternatives made the decision to go to Apple or Linux a simple choice for many.
Slashdot Mirror
I guess my argument, which I did not make clearly (my bad) is that if you don't have one of these $15 adapters you are only kidding yourself, they're cheap and indispensable.
Sounds like a good idea. Just checked my local Compusa and Best Buy (I know lousy choices) and neither carry it. Compusa has it for desktop drives but not laptop drives. I looked online and I found one for $61 and some other ones for about $25 + S & H. If I spot one of these on the shelf someplace for under $20 I'll be sure to grab one.
It actually takes a lot longer to take a disk out of one machine and put it in another than to take it out and plug it into the magic adapter, which is so cheap that from an IT standpoint it might as well be free.
You are kidding? Right? One screw and a slide out drive.. Changing the drive is only slightly more difficult than changing the battery. The added bonus is I always know where my laptop is. I don't always know in which drawer a seldom used adaptor is located.
Some laptops may have a buried drive, but many have a drive that installs much like a battery with a single screw to prevent accidental removal.
An IDE to USB2 bridge with connectors for both laptop drives and full-size devices, with a power supply to power full-size stuff, is about $15. I have one sitting here to my right, currently connected to a 40GB IDE disk that I got free that I was testing (works fine, hooray.)
Thanks for making my point. I didn't have an adaptor. To get one is additional cost. It is true a laptop drive can be put into a USB adaptor. The additonal cost for my solution was about 20 cents for the CDR and no extra trip to the store was needed.
From the article...
HSBC claims it will achieve cost savings by reducing the number of Linux distributions it uses and by improving the interoperability of its open-source operating system deployments with Windows.\
The true title of the article should be...
"Closed standards raise the cost of interoperability with Windows"
If they didn't need to converse with Windows, that cost would go away.
I have found depending on what you are trying to do, the cost and support level vary considerably between the systems.
On the other side of the coin is many data recovery applications where the TCO is much less on Linux.
A prime example I had a friend bring be a dead laptop.. Won't even boot into the BIOS. Please recover my documents..
In Windows it requires finding an adaptor so you can put in both hard drives in one laptop at the same time and configure the drive as a second drive, etc..
In my case I put the drive in my laptop, booted Ubuntu off the CD. Mounted the drive and copied the My_Documents folder to a network share. Zero extra cost, no configuration (auto found my network and got an address).
I needed to burn an ISO to make a Ubuntu CD. In Windows the aparant choice is to upgrade the limited function CD burning software bundled with the machine or search online for free software (possibly trojan), scan it for viruses (purchased subscription application) and then burn a CD. On a Ubuntu machine, simply right click on the ISO and chose burn to CD.
To be fair, on the flip side of the coin, I do some MIDI stuff and DMX512 lighting. There are tons of free applications for Windows and only limited support on Linux. So the TCO study to be unbiased would point out there are applications where both have their high points. That is why I have a Windows machine and a Ubuntu machine and Live CD's for laptop data recovery.
In the enterprise where I work, It's a Windows environment because of the platform the vendors write for for our customised applications and embedded control and for hardware support of the same. I don't see any easy migration path away from the entrenched environment any time soon.
At home and on the desktop and on some fileservers and network appliances, it's a mixed environment is the lowest TCO. My Router and my Fileserver and my Printservers are all Linux based.
It would almost be like if you were there!
+ future+presidents+Universe&hl=en
This is old news. Why nobody picked up on this earlier is a mystery to me. It has been part of the course material for the Physics for Future Presidents series. The lectures are posted online for anyone to watch. If Real Audio files are a problem for you, do a Google search using the video tab for "Physics for Future Presidents". From there you can view the entire lecture series. In the lessons Universe 1 and Universe 2, the instructor Richard A Muller covers the subject. I mentioned this very subject on Slashdot a while back in the topic regarding man's brain wired for a God. It kind of started a small flame war when I mentioned the universe being created out of nothing seems to match the biblical description of the beginning of the univers. I made the mistake of mentioning on Slashdot, that the possibility the bible may be a history book and the universe and man may have been created. How would the author of the bible have had any knowledge of the origin of the Univers?
Anyway, let's not start a holy war over the physics theory that seems to match in some regards the biblical account. I thought that unlikely match was worth mentioning for evaluation.
The new theory in science and the bible both mention the creation of the Univers out of nothing. Before the creation there was nothing. Don't flame me for using the word "Creation". It is the same word used in the science theory for the name of the origin of the universe. Check out the online physics class if you don't want to take my word.
The link to the physics classes are in this google search. Top two items..
http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=Physics+for
you'd have to compare selling/giving me a CD to giving me your hard drive (or any portion thereof, except that one assumes a piece of a hard drive platter isn't going to be much use to me
My point exactly. I can take a physical DVD or CD and remove it from my player and send it on. An iTunes track is electronicaly bolted to some other hardware that you own which is not from iTunes and can't be unbolted and sent on and not be unbroken. iTunes tracks are built to break if moved off the auth'ed computer. A CD or DVD does not break if removed from my hardware and sent along to someone else.
The people begging for pre-installed Linux are probably the same people who would, upon receiving a PC from a vendor with a pre-installed OS, immediately wipe that OS and install it from scratch
Exactly! Getting a laptop with one of their printers bundled with Windows only drivers and no support for the wireless adaptor and only low res in the video sucks. Getting something that works is important. Pre-installed Linux is a gurantee of compatiblilty.
Not haveing the time to hack a wireless card is the only reason my laptop is still running Windows 2K instead of Ubuntu. My desktop machines are either dual boot or Ubuntu all the way with everything working.
so, yes, a single copy of a [non-DRM'd] CD will play in any [normal] CD player. any single copy of Apples iTunes Music store songs will play on any Apple iPod MP3 player.
If I mail you a DVD or VHS tape, you can play it. If I mail you an iTunes song, I doubt you can play it.
The song won't play without a secure transfer of the keys. When you are done with a CD or DVD, you can pass it on to someone else. Take the iTunes song from your friends computer and send it to another friend. See anything not the same?
I do understand that an (any) iPod will dock to an authorised computer and load the song and key and play it. I also understand to give the song to someone else, you have to send them your computer or your account so when they are done with the song and want to pass it on, they then have to send the authorised computer or account along with it.
With 10 DVDs or CDs, I can send them to 10 friends. Try that with 10 used iTunes songs without haveing them come to connect to one of your auth'ed computers. Make sure the songs they get can be passed along when they are done just like a DVD or CD. I am not saying a copy.. I am saying an original. Burning a song to a Music CD doesn't count. Use the original purchased tune only with no alterations or re-encoding.
but an iTunes song will play on all iPods?"
This is news to me. Tell me more! Better yet, I'll buy a track from you. Send it to me. Be sure to include a warranty when it doesn't play on my iPod.
A single copy of a CD will play in any CD player.
A single copy of an iTunes song will not play in any iPod.
If you don't believe me, I'll send you an iTunes song to enjoy.
How different is FairPlay from, say, Macrovision?
With Macrovision, when I sell or give you my DVD, it will play in your player. It will play in anybody's player in the same region.
What happens when you mail me your iTunes track?
Now, why does the music business want to prevent piracy? So they can guarantee sales.
That's funny. It is their measures to prevent piracy which is keeping me from buying music. DRM CD's, and incompatible audio tracks are showstoppers for me. Next in line is low quality and high prices. They need to improve in all 3 areas to regain me in their sales figures.
1 Compatibility
2 Quality
3 Price
They have a long way to go.
And, how about ZuneTunesTM songs playing on a Fairplay or any MP3 player?
Who cares about the ZuneTunes TM songs. Have you seen the number of hoops to get to the store? Have you seen the layers on the onion to buy a tune? Did you notice that the songs do not take dollars to buy but require a new currancy called Zune Points to buy a tune? The Zune store is so obscure up a dead end alley that nobody is bothering.
Anybody seen any big announcements that they have sold their first million tracks? Me neither.
What's going to happen when Dell releases a flavor that can't play MP3s, or some media files, out of the box?
All that is needed is a pamphlet explaining the driver issues and a link to the repository site in the add/remove applications button. It would be right next to the pamphlet saying don't try using this with our AIO printers. Problem solved just like any other Linux distro. Those who request Linux usualy know something about it.
You'd have to be a complete moron to make a list of GNU/Linux distributions and leave off Debian GNU/Linux.
Debian? Didn't you mean Slackware?
--Ducks--
here is a quick summary of Dell printer Linux support. Notice all of the All In One printers are listed as paperweights. Novice Linux user has nothing to do with wanting hardware to work and having trouble doing it.
l
http://openprinting.org/printer_list.cgi?make=Del
These are listed under the paperweight catagory;
3010CN*
Photo 924*
Photo AIO Printer 920*
Photo AIO Printer 922*
Photo AIO Printer 944*
Photo AIO Printer 962*
Photo AIO Printer 964
The argument for pre-installations is really about novice users who can't be bothered to install an OS onto a fresh machine
Some arguement for pre-installations is really about intermediate users who have given up trying to get the wireless to work. Maybe there is arguement to get more perifials supported from the manufacture. Have you tried to get a Dell all in one printer or the Dell MP3 player working on any Linux install? It's far beyond a novice. In many cases even the Experts have moved on to other hardware because even they give up trying. Try googling for a linux driver for a Dell all in one printer that includes all functions.
Check what the price difference is.
My guess is how much more will you pay to get a laptop where the wireless works out of the box? Wireless on laptops is the showstopper for many trying to run Linux on a laptop.
Why reinvent the wheel?
+ compatibility+list
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Linux+laptop
Maybe that'll help guide Dell's opinion of whether people want Linux on their PCs.
At the moment the site is back up. They mention the slashdotting. Even more important than filling out the survey, is leaving a comment at the bottom of the page. This is where I mentioned the bundled applications problems. With Ubuntu you get full featured applications, not limited function limited time trial software. I wonder if my review of my wife's XP machine compared to my Ubuntu machine will get my comment deleted. Even if it is deleted, they will have gotten the feedback and reasons for wanting something else.
Next time, please try reading the article
Other than choice of fuel and the retention of a spark plug, how is this not the same as a turbocharged diesel?
Why don't you just say "games" and be done with it?
Voyetra "Teach me Piano" is not a game. It won't run without the CD in the drive. I use an older piano tutor instead because I don't have to dig out a CD to run it.
Neither of the two programs you actually mentioned (Photoshop and Office) require having a CD in the drive
I shifted gears to software that was simply too expensive to consider purchasing. That paragraph had nothing to do regarding needing a CD in the drive. I don't pirate those programs but use alternatioves instead.
One other catagory not mentioned besides needing the CD in the drive or high price is dongleware. Needing the CD in the drive is another type of dongleware. CD locked to a paticular piece of hardware is another type of dongleware I reject. As example, I once in a while get involved in local acting and provide support with sound or lighing. I am a registered user of a lighting console called "Light Factory" The original version of the software console had a problem in using MS SQL. SQL would run even when the console was not being used, even after a reboot. Many users complained at the ports left open and the drain on system resources. The original version used your registration information to brand your copy as yours. This is acceptable and does not lock out the use of a hot spare in case of a hardware failure in a show as may be triggered by some random Windows glitch. The company offered a free upgrade that fixed the SQL problem (YEA!) but changed the registeration to use your PC as a dongle so it would not run on any other hardware. (Boo Hiss) This would eliminate the ability to move to other hardware for problems such as a dropped or stolen laptop on the way to a show. This is totaly user unfriendly. They probably did that because they suspected users bought one copy and used many copies at places like lighting rental outfits. Not having a hot spare for something as critical as lighting for a live show is not an option.
That move lost them a consumer. I did not accept the free upgrade. (They were upfront about the change in registration before upgrading. I give them credit for doing that right.)I have also stopped using the software as alternatives became avaliable. I am now a user of Freestyler instead.
Hint to software developers.. Weigh the loss of consumers due to piracy to the loss of paying consumers due to reduced value software.
Light Factory
http://www.lifact.com/
Freestyler
http://users.pandora.be/freestylerdmx/
The user who pirates software is less likely to buy the product; this is a classic case of "why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?"
On the contrary. After buying software that had demos that worked much better than the product, I have on many occasions tried a pirated copy before buying a legit copy.
Most of the times it was related to copy protection problems. I have a hard drive. The demo can be installed and runs fine. The actual product won't run without the disk in the drive. This is unaceptable and not stated in the product literature prior to purchase. Running more than one application at once is normal operation of a PC. Running more than one CD in the drive at once is not an option.
Programs which work get purchased. Programs which don't work or don't have a working crack, get rejected. I have simply bought too much software which simply can't be installed and run without the CD. I no longer buy off the shelf software without finding if it meets my needs first. Overpriced software is not pirated. It is simply rejected. For example, I use Open Office and the Gimp instead of Adobe Photoshop and MS Office.
So, if I wanted to pirate a readily-available closed-source proprietary operating system for my PC other than Windows, what would I pick?
Leave out the words "closed-source proprietary" and replace "pirate" with copy and you find lots of alternatives. None of them will remotely shut down or have anyone smarter than SCO try legal action against you.
Now that they've finally admitted it, will they stop with their WGA and activation junk? Activation is a pain for legit users, and now it seems that MS wants illegitimate users to work around it. I'm not really sure what it's there for anymore.
It's simple, they haven't changed monopoly thinking. They have not recognised their actions could or would have consumers looking at alternatives. They were fully expecting everyone to migrate to Vista. Vista has had a pretty cool reception. I doubt it's being pirated very much (some) but alternatives are now popular. Instead of pirated versions of Vista being converted to paying consumers, Apple and Ubuntu are becoming popular instead.
Microsoft wants to increase its installed base even through piracy. The goal is to "convert them to use the software" later...
This is the intent, but they blew it with the WGA and BSA. Instead of piracy, and later buying a legal copy, the move to Open Source has been driven by this. They made it obvious that a pirated copy caries a big risk due to the big stick.. Their carrot compared to alternatives made the decision to go to Apple or Linux a simple choice for many.