Copy protection scheme for Whistler!!

[Planktune]

I found over at Ars Technica. Would they (Microsoft} go this far.
Poll Question:
WinInfo has confirmed the various rumors concerning Microsoft's desire to use an OS-level ID scheme to tie OS installations to specific machines.
quote: Microsoft says that product activation does not scan a user's hard drive or register the make and model of the PC with the company. Instead, a random installation ID is generated using unnamed parts of the hardware configuration, and the Product ID, and that number is registered along with the Product ID at Microsoft.
This is likely the same scheme to be used in Office 10. Will it work? Do people have a chance to fight this without simply changing platforms? More importantly, is this right?:|

 

[IamDavid]

There will be a crack for it released the same day Whistler is... Don't worry about it..

 

[ToBeMe]

Crack's already been done..........

 

[Planktune]

I just think that you shouldnt have to crack something you paid for to use it. It's none of thier business what i do with my disk. If I have 4 computers in my house I shouldnt have to register the computers with microsoft. I dont have to register my cd player with Geffen records. I think Microsoft just wants to do business with the computer. not the owner of the computer. It' like 1984 man..

 

[blstriker]

This is old hat for the Silicon Graphics machines I use at work. The OS will only boot on a particular cpu with the proper serial number. I think SGI has been doing this for decades!

Acutally, I was pretty surprised when I found out that the w2k cdrom was not protected. I mean, even crappy video games are protected.

 

[kw3i]

yea i agree

 

[Nitsuj]

Get one thing straigt. MS is NOT forcing REGISTRATION, they are forcing ACTIVATION. Registration is a sperate optional entity of Whistler.

 

[Cubensis]

Yeah sure ACTIVATION. Do you know what that means ?
Privacy issues !! Do I have to activate my pants when I buy them ? No !! And my shoes neither...
Hey, I can't wear my girls pantys because they are activated on her already ! What ? activated on her ? you dirty b*****ds !

 

[Planktune]

I am swapping hardware in and out of my pc all the time. What is this gonna do to a guy who builds computers from used parts and sells them in a spare time operation. I am testing hardware for compatibility overclocking and drivers and such. If this OS becomes popular I'll have to ask microsoft if it's OK. This won't fly. Nobody I know will use such software. SGI yes and other expensive specialized softwre needs to protect themselves, but this method dangerous and arrogant. Microsoft fancies itself the friendly, ubiquitous, benevolent, all in one, everyman's OS. This will put an end to that delusion for good.
I am tring convert more people to Linux anyway, This copy Scheme ought to do wonders for that.:|

 

[Rogue]

I don't see what the big deal about this is. Microsoft is trying to protect it's better interests by protecting itself from the theft of it's products. This is no different from many other things we encounter of a similar nature in our daily lives. A great example is when my friend totalled out my motorcycle 5 days after I bought it (Lesson #1: Never let a friend ride your motorcycle!). I decided to take my insurance money and rebuild it myself. In doing so, I found out that by replacing the frame of the motorcycle, I was in essence creating a new motorcycle which required me to have to get a state issued VIN number for it. Now, from my perspective, I did the work, bought the parts and rebuilt the bike, but the law says that I have to have a unique ID number to represent my motorcycle in the event of theft, damage or other activities. I had to wait to ride my re-built motorcycle until a state trooper came out to my house and stamped my bike with this new VIN number. All that just to replace the frame on my motorcycle. Fact of the matter is, over the long term I benefitted from it. Now my motorcycle is considered to be a '96 rather than the '85 it was with the original frame. Good for resale value. I suspect that over the long term, Microsoft can pass back the savings gained from preventing piracy and theft back to the consumer in some form. Everything that initially sucks is not always bad over the long term. Why do most people have trouble paying for something that someone else worked so damn hard on anyway? If you consider all the time, money, research and effort that goes into building a major Windows release, the price we pay for it is low to say the least. You can say "But Linux is free!" and all that BS, but truth be told, Linux will never compare to Windows because it is so fragmented. Linux is like buying a used car from a friend. They say everything works as it's supposed to, but you always find out later that something you want to do to it just won't work because they have added this custom part or that custom part to the car. Windows is like a new car, you know exactly what you're working with as soon as you drive it off the lot. It may have a factory defect or two, but at least you have full support from the manufacturer. The same can't be said for Linux and that's why it's free.

 

[Planktune]

Your motorcycle like linux is open source because you recompiled the bike to fit your specifications. I assume you consider your bike to be as good or probably better than the factory version. The VIN number is there from the state not the corporation, it's to protect your bike not the corporations profits. But this isn't about Linux. It's about being innocent until proven guilty. If someone sells bootleg disks that piracy. If a company buys one disk and installs it on all their pcs, thats piracy. If I install it on my four computers and maybe a friend or two thats not piracy, because There is no monetary gain or commercial use other than general home office stuff, Which is why I bought it in the first place.

 

[mylam]

stupid MS

 

[Raincity]

What about people who are constantly formatting and reinstalling every other week. Is Microsoft going to deny you a activation since you have already requested three other activations this month from the Microsoft clearing house.

Rain

 

[Davegod75]

ms = more gay now

 

[mofo888]

this will be a pain in the butt for people without internet connections...
or people who need to setup DSL modem drivers *after* installation.

 

[Planktune]

THEY are going to protect themselves right out of business

 

[JW310]

<< Microsoft is trying to protect it's better interests by protecting itself from the theft of it's products. >>


Only problem with that statement is that the copy-protection scheme will do nothing to prevent the piracy of the OS. As already stated in this thread, a crack has already been developed to get around the activation process. I can almost guarantee you that someone that wants the OS bad enough without paying for it will also use that crack to get around the acvitation process. All this copy-protection will do is be an inconvenience to the computer user who is consistently changing the configuration of their system and reinstalling their legit copy of the OS.

JW

 

[boris78]

according to the folks on slashdot.org, it keys off of multiple pieces of hardware, so if you change one or two pieces, it'll still work, but if you rebuild your whole machine (audio/video/network/etc), you might have to re-activate it.

 

[CTho9305]

that really sucks... I sure hope cracks come out fast

 

[Nitsuj]

As far as personal information goes, you gave out more personal info registering for this message board then you will activating whistler. Kinda makes me laugh how people make a big deal out of this when just browsing the web violates your privacy The difference is with the web you are not aware about the information being collected most of the time.

 

[PliotronX]

The fact is, software pirates will never be defeated, and little attempts such as this will only discourage customers from buying the software.



<< Do I have to activate my pants when I buy them ? No !! And my shoes neither... >>



I had to activate my watch