I don't know about you all, but I have to routinely reinstall windows about every 6 months. I have an OEM copy of windows, and I use my legal license that is installed on only one computer (mine). Pretty much the only cure I have for ANY windows problems is to reinstall, and it's only a matter of time, even with AntiVirus, anti-Spyware, Firefox, everything that windows comes crashing down. I've kinda accepted that as the way it goes.
Before, I have had trouble with activation, especially during times of hardware flux when I might have to reinstall a few times in quick succession. Usually, I jsut wait a few weeks until it makes me activate and it lets me, though the one time I did have to call microsoft, I explained what was going on and they basicly said "okay" and let me reinstall.
I am adamantly opposed to anything that prevents me from reinstalling software I've bought as many times as I need to make it work right. That's bad business. The way to create a profitable product with some decency is to make a product that works so customers buy it because it works right, not because their old copy won't work any more.
This is one step closer to the subscription model I always see people suggesting microsoft wants to revert to, ultimately. If you can only have it on two machines (for an average user, ~8 years, power user, 3 years, tops), it basicly IS a subscription because even though you own the OS, you can't take it with you.
Real Life? As far as I know, the sole reason school exists is to train people to be better at doing their jobs. As it happens, most people spend their time at work stumbling around the internet avoiding work, and assembling the occasional powerpoint with flashy fonts and crude clipart and animations. While my job doesn't quite allow for that (I work in retail...) I really think it's pretty hypocritical for parents to get home from emailing jokes and letters from deposed african officials to their friends on company time, then say that having laptops in school encourages slacking off...
And even if those aren't the parents, there are plenty of other things to waste time in school, if we don't have computers. I seem to remember spending all day nearly every day sleeping or talking with friends in class, even the ones where I was sitting right in front of a computer the whole hour! Hell, especially those ones! Maybe schools should ban paper, because students can draw pictures and waste time? Or ban friends because people talk to them and waste time?
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I don't know about you all, but I have to routinely reinstall windows about every 6 months. I have an OEM copy of windows, and I use my legal license that is installed on only one computer (mine). Pretty much the only cure I have for ANY windows problems is to reinstall, and it's only a matter of time, even with AntiVirus, anti-Spyware, Firefox, everything that windows comes crashing down. I've kinda accepted that as the way it goes. Before, I have had trouble with activation, especially during times of hardware flux when I might have to reinstall a few times in quick succession. Usually, I jsut wait a few weeks until it makes me activate and it lets me, though the one time I did have to call microsoft, I explained what was going on and they basicly said "okay" and let me reinstall. I am adamantly opposed to anything that prevents me from reinstalling software I've bought as many times as I need to make it work right. That's bad business. The way to create a profitable product with some decency is to make a product that works so customers buy it because it works right, not because their old copy won't work any more. This is one step closer to the subscription model I always see people suggesting microsoft wants to revert to, ultimately. If you can only have it on two machines (for an average user, ~8 years, power user, 3 years, tops), it basicly IS a subscription because even though you own the OS, you can't take it with you.
Real Life? As far as I know, the sole reason school exists is to train people to be better at doing their jobs. As it happens, most people spend their time at work stumbling around the internet avoiding work, and assembling the occasional powerpoint with flashy fonts and crude clipart and animations. While my job doesn't quite allow for that (I work in retail...) I really think it's pretty hypocritical for parents to get home from emailing jokes and letters from deposed african officials to their friends on company time, then say that having laptops in school encourages slacking off... And even if those aren't the parents, there are plenty of other things to waste time in school, if we don't have computers. I seem to remember spending all day nearly every day sleeping or talking with friends in class, even the ones where I was sitting right in front of a computer the whole hour! Hell, especially those ones! Maybe schools should ban paper, because students can draw pictures and waste time? Or ban friends because people talk to them and waste time?