Microsoft Is Taking WGA To The Next Level

[riahc3]

Umm, I am confused as to how that could be if it is supposed to be released this Tuesday?

heh I see you are a legit person and arent too in on the "scene". Im glad for you

Ill fill you in a on a little bit of what I know about the distribuation of illegal software in the pirate scene: everything leaks about a week or 2 before its release; including games, DVDs, music, software etc. Some employee/retail distrubutor employee always uploads the information/software to a pirate (sometimes the pirate(s) has(have) to pay a fee to represent their group as the first one to release it. A side note: a "nuke" means that the exclusive release was messed up {usually the reason is that they got the exclusive and just rushed it to get it out and oversaw to remove some copy protection or something}), then it usually hits (or the news itself) newsgroups first and from there p2p and other sources. Few people use newsgroups so they get it from p2p which see it about 6-12 hours after it appears in newsgroups. Its something that can never been stopped. If something can be done, it can be undone.

[markwolfe Veteran]

Do you like being treated like a criminal? I prefer the kinder/gentler past when people had real freedom.

I use Linux. I am very much into personal "freedom". However, you missed my point. Anti-theft mechanisms don't mean that you are being treated like a criminal.

[scandal]

Well, let me say something here.

MS cant protect any more his OS. Is year 2006, peoples have tools and knowledge, is just impossible to cant be cracked something, and distribuited for free over the internet.

One of the problems here is next: 2 users, one with a legit version or Windows, second with an emule version of windows. The one who paid for software, probable will ask himself, why he spent around $200 for Windows, when some one else got it for free? So, what you get? A legit copy of windows and nothing more.. dont tell me about online support, if you are the one who need online support for windows, then you should pay double for it.

MS should redesign the bussines strategy. Some one told here there are 50% XP pirate version right now... maybe have right, maybe not.

And there is always the free OS alternative. Just installed latest Ubuntu 6 beta.. i am really impressed, and even your grandmother can install it. So, the problem with linux is hard to install or hard to use is for past, now linux looks better that windows.

So, considering this, whats is the advantage to use Windows and more of that to use Windows legit?

This are just some problems, for every home user. Of course, for bussines users, depends on the company strategy and depends on costs, and more.

But for home user, what exactly are the avantages to be legit? Pls dont get it as a flame war linux vs windows. Is just a REAL problem now.

This WGA was only a loose of time and money, when MS should focus on real update on OS.

Cheers.

[mikill]

I use Linux. I am very much into personal "freedom". However, you missed my point. Anti-theft mechanisms don't mean that you are being treated like a criminal.

on the contrary. anti-theft anything is saying joe 'could' be a criminal, so let's try to deter him from taking something he hasn't taken or never thought of taking. it's that way world wide. so yes, in the eyes of humanity, you as an individual are a capable criminal. you could perhaps say we all are indirectly being treated as criminals. that might be a better way to put it since the cops aren't always busting down your front door for every little law you break, etc. the idea of being perceived as something you're not isn't going away either. call it human nature?

if theft never occured, then anti-theft wouldn't exist, in never-never land that is lol

[markwolfe Veteran]

^^^ It is not.

I lock my doors (house, car). Am I calling every person nearby a criminal? No. I am just using sensible deterrents to reduce the chance of theft.

[Toology]

Do your thoughts ever rise up to think what it might be like in a world in which people are honest and are taken to be so without question?

I think we all have. One day in the real world, not an idealistic fantasy, should have made it clear by now that we will never achieve that.

As for WGA, if you think you're being labeled a criminal by having to prove your copies are legitimate I don't see why you would moan over proving just the opposite by activating your copy.

[mikill]

^^^ It is not.

I lock my doors (house, car). Am I calling every person nearby a criminal? No. I am just using sensible deterrents to reduce the chance of theft.

i never implied that you're accusing anyone of anything verbally, but actions speak louder than words in most cases. our actions indicate who we are more than words. by applying detterants, it would be safe to say there is suspicion of others doing harm to you in whatever form. you lock your car because of suspicion of another taking it, though you're not directly suspicious of anyone in particuliar. it goes the same with anything else under the sun. one persons negative action causes a certain level of suspicion in others which is then applied to all. it's like a bad habit, hard to break. we do it everyday without thinking.

fear can lead to mistrust while not knowing can lead to fear/confusion. it would be nice to trust every person, but it's just not gonna happen. that is why there is the 'guilty till proven innocent' idea. i don't want people to think i may steal from them or harm them and i know inside myself i don't want to do that, but they might not believe it. at the same time i 'protect' my worldly possessions from 'potential' thieves. it's like being a hippocrit sorta, though you aren't intending to be one. so yes we all indirectly accuse others of all kinds of things because of the possibility and are also 'guilty till proven innocent'.

[Smigit]

I lock my doors (house, car). Am I calling every person nearby a criminal? No. I am just using sensible deterrents to reduce the chance of theft.

I'm with Mark

As long as the WGA works propperly and isnt getting falsepositives/negatives/Whatever I dont mind. It takes me 2 seconds to validate my copy and if I have a legit copy I have nothing to worry about. I already had to activate XP so it's not like MS is getting any information they didnt previously have access to. I'm all for it to be honest, I'm pretty much against piracy in any form.

[Daybreak]

To be fair, I think its only normal to expect Microsoft to take steps to protect their revenue stream, so you can't really blame them for it. On the other hand, the expected "pirate" response to such a move would be to circumvent Microsoft's actions. It remains to be seen if Microsoft's actions will be truly effective, or if like previous WGAs, they can be bypassed with minimal effort.

[Proforma]

Glad i'm on a Mac right now :)

Yes because clicking "Activate Windows" with your mouse is too damn hard.

Get over your stupid mac already. Nobody cares.

Macs are way overrated. Once Vista comes out the Mac will be behind in features.

There are going to be Direct 3D 10 games at E3 and there are going to be all kinds of applications

opening up with .NET and Windows Presentation Foundation to be even caring about the Mac.

Apple should start getting ready to make windows apps.... oh wait they already do!

[Barney T. Administrators]

My take on this...........

I understand that MS has full right to make sure that they get maximum money for their product. And to regulate how it is used.

However, their right to their software ends where my computer begins. So their rights to my computer... especially when they require re-activation if I change hardware (as in getting permission) even though I have purchased it... is too much for me to take.

With the less restricitve nature of Open Source and the less looming threats of viruses and spyware as well as being the owner and administrator of your computer and its inner workings...... it just makes sense. Plus, I can put any Open Source OS on any computer I want...... as many times as I want. :yes:

That is my opinion... and mine alone. It is not intended to start any sort of flame war, what-so-ever!

Barney

[aristotle-dude]

Yes because clicking "Activate Windows" with your mouse is too damn hard.

Get over your stupid mac already. Nobody cares.

Macs are way overrated. Once Vista comes out the Mac will be behind in features.

There are going to be Direct 3D 10 games at E3 and there are going to be all kinds of applications

opening up with .NET and Windows Presentation Foundation to be even caring about the Mac.

Apple should start getting ready to make windows apps.... oh wait they already do!

What does your troll have to do with WGA? Why do you care enough to troll? You could have left it at one sentence.

:rolleyes:

There will not be any DX10 only games at E3 if MSFT does not ship Longhorn. Those screenshots and movies you saw of Crysis were running on DX9 drivers and hardware.

:sleep:

[nekrosoft13]

My take on this...........

I understand that MS has full right to make sure that they get maximum money for their product. And to regulate how it is used.

However, their right to their software ends where my computer begins. So their rights to my computer... especially when they require re-activation if I change hardware (as in getting permission) even though I have purchased it... is too much for me to take.

With the less restricitve nature of Open Source and the less looming threats of viruses and spyware as well as being the owner and administrator of your computer and its inner workings...... it just makes sense. Plus, I can put any Open Source OS on any computer I want...... as many times as I want. :yes:

That is my opinion... and mine alone. It is not intended to start any sort of flame war, what-so-ever!

Barney

"especially when they require re-activation if I change hardware "

mine was asking me to re-activate after i flash a new bios :angry: and the pathetic is it only works frst 2-3 times over the web

[Radium]

Its good news I think, only thing is. I hate having to phone them when ever I reinstall Windows. I know i can back up my hard drive and all this, but why should I have to.

That's the only negtive side. I hate calling, and the automated validation always fails, so I always have to talk to someone who's only speaking semi-Swedish. *hmpf*

I never change my hardware either, the only thing that change is BIOS and device drivers.

[Nathanael]

Ah just more time to mess around for reinstalls......

Create a disk image. Works flawlessly for me. I can have a clean copy of windows in 10 minutes.

Acronis TrueImage which I use costs a bit though (but doesn't include anything like WGA).

[theyarecomingforyou]

Activating your system online is one thing, it barely takes any time and doesn't have to be done often. However, the main problem is that many people have to call up Microsoft to activate Windows, meaning that the activation process isn't very effective - it's effort and I don't like phoning people in general. That and OEM users are actually meant to buy a new version of Windows if they upgrade their motherboard... things like that irritate me. OEM versions of Windows should be a regular retail version, only available through OEM distributors, not some crazy licencing absurdity.

I'm fed up of the increasing security measures appearing with everything, though it seems to be a sad necessity. However, if they're going to use such security measures then they should at least be an unobtrusive as possible. Don't get me wrong, I have absolutely no problem with Microsoft punishing users running illegal copies... it would just be nice if they could make the lives of legal users a bit easier.

[L3thal Veteran]

There will not be any DX10 only games at E3 if MSFT does not ship Longhorn. Those screenshots and movies you saw of Crysis were running on DX9 drivers and hardware.

:sleep:

Actually my friend, those screen shots were rendered with DX10 software, just to let you know. They used the software portion of DX10 (which isn't done yet) to show how it will most likely look with DX10 hardware.

[xxdesmus]

OSX is one sixth of the cost of windows. so people have no problem spending $99 on it.

That has got to the be the funniest thing I have read all month. Use that little Calculator application on your Mac and show me some figures because you must have a very "unique" Calculator to come up with that little statistic.

[L3thal Veteran]

That has got to the be the funniest thing I have read all month. Use that little Calculator application on your Mac and show me some figures because you must have a very "unique" Calculator to come up with that little statistic.

Must be that fanboy calculator Apple provides ;)

[cyberfox2004]

Hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of PC users running pirated Windows operating systems will soon face the shame of being reminded of their illegal action every time they switch on their machines. The feature will be added to the operating system by Microsoft Corp from tomorrow and cannot be erased.

It will nag the guilty users and can be awkward if it shows up on corporate PCs.

Current users of PCs running pirated Windows will find their machines ?tattooed? the next time they update the operating system.

Basically, a message stating ?This copy of Windows is not genuine ...? will be permanently affixed to the operating system?s login screen, and a similar message will randomly pop up on the desktop whenever the machine is in use.

The anti-piracy move is being kicked off in five countries tomorrow ? the United States, Britain, New Zealand, Australia and Malaysia.

Users whose machines have been affected will only be able to get rid of the tattoo if they install a genuine copy of Windows or they can put up with being ?nagged? by the pop-up message every time they use their computers

Machines that have been tattooed will still be able to receive software updates for the operating system, but will not be allowed to download Internet Explorer 7.0 (IE7) and Windows Defender.

[Jeremy1]

Um, source?

[shanemca]

The news article on ZDNet (http://news.zdnet.com/2100-3513_22-6064555.html) says that its only a small subset of random users, via automatic updates, and you can disable it by right clicking on the message or not installing it in the first place... Plus its not going to prevent users from getting security updates.

[cyberfox2004]

Um, source?

http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?f...=nation&focus=1

[TCA]

oh man this is gonna suck for me! just kidding... mine is a genuine copy bought from staples. maybe now one of my friends that puts pirated xp on ppls pc's will stop doing it bc then they'll start getting mad because that will keep popping up. im glad MS is doing this.

[dkylau]

The feature will be added to the operating system by Microsoft Corp from tomorrow and cannot be erased.

exactly how r they doing that?? via windows updates??