Windows XP activation!

[andreadebiase]

this is what i got in my e-mail today. Read and comment please

"Windows Product Activation (WPA)… The new licensing and registration provisions of Windows XP are quite controversial. In a nutshell, when you buy XP (if you do) it will come with a Product Activation code like previous versions of Windows and one installs Windows in a similar manner. During the installation process Windows generates some sort of code (“hardware hash”) based on what hardware the user has installed in his or her computer, such as the unique MAC address every network adapter has, hard disk serial number, etc. The user then has 30 days (the Beta version allows 14 days) to call Microsoft of connect to Microsoft’s web site via the Internet to activate Windows or it will stop working. Although the scheme is supposed to be forgiving so a user may do minor upgrades, etc. a major upgrade will probably deactivate Windows. If that happens, the user may have to call Microsoft and convince them that the cause of the deactivation is innocent. Also, Microsoft may limit the number of activations for given product key (I’ve read that it is five times during the first month or so and 10 times altogether, and that Microsoft support personnel may have some latitude on this). Besides inconvenience and possible snafus, what does this mean? The license is technically for a PC and when the PC goes so could the license, unless mighty Microsoft allows otherwise. Also, one has to wonder what will happen if Microsoft’s computer(s) go down just when one needs XP activated. Of course, any or all of this could change by the time XP is released.

As I recall, in the past a license was sold to the user and the user could use it on any one computer at any given time. I remember years ago when Lotus (and others selling commodity software) tried the copy protection thing with their 1-2-3 spreadsheet. It failed and they recanted because customers didn’t like it and they had competitors (remember Borland Quattro?). Also, expansion boards were designed and made widely available which defeated the Lotus copy-protection scheme.

There other XP concerns as well… Users of Windows 95 or older versions of Windows will not be able to upgrade. They have to buy the full version. I’ll bet that rubs a lot of people very strongly the wrong way. About 10% of the people who visit my web site are still using Windows 95 or older versions of Windows. There are indications that the Home version upgrade will cost about $100 and the Pro version upgrade will cost $200, and full versions will cost $200 and $300 respectively. How many will pay that much money for software with that kind of license? Who is to stop Microsoft from expiring Windows XP (or Office XP which also has the activation gizmo) when they feel like it? The Justice Department? There’s more, but I’m running out of space.



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#!@$*%.....just format the damn C:

[iisbob]

i've already gotten replies from comrades who have " cracked " the activation code; ie-they found a way to disable it while testing beta versions of XP. I don't give the " anti-piracy " tactics of MS much time, after sales drop and linux or macs start selling in greater no#'s( or people like me who just stick w98/95 and 2000-some linux) they'll see the error of their ways. They couldn't fool me with ME ( simply w95+++ ), so i don't have any plans for XP either.

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iisbob
"Soap and education are not as sudden as a massacre, but they are more deadly in the long run."

[andreadebiase]

I was thinking to change drastically OS or even computer (Mac). But i like to put them together and i don`t think i could do so with a Mac!
The most crazy thing of this activation code is that will be impossible to upgrade drastically your PC (change mobo, hard-drive!!!!). I think is full nonsense!


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#!@$*%.....just format the damn C:

[Ghost_Hacker]

My 2 cents

I don't see a lot of reason to upgrade to XP. As a standalone desktop OS it offers no real improvement over Windows 98se for the home user or Windows 2000 for the office user. XP the server may be worth the upgrade as it might offer security/management features not currently in Windows 2000.

When MS puts out an upgrade that is not just an attempt to keep their revenue stream alive, I may give it some consideration.


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Comment heard from a Klingon programmer.

"Our users will know fear and cower before our software! Ship it! Ship it and let them flee like the dogs they are!"



[This message has been edited by Ghost_Hacker (edited 07-17-2001).]