Mateo

.....someone posts a news story like this.

http://news.com.com/Fighting+Microso...?tag=nefd.lede

OSNews has another discussion here:

http://www.osnews.com/comment.php?news_id=14956 (usual vitriol)

Seems that is a slow day over a CNet: they compiled a story based on CNet user's responses to and experiences with Windows Genuine Advantage.

Now, give Microsoft it's due: they have a right to go after pirates, but when you see your customers bristling at your program, maybe you need to rethink how you implement your anti-piracy strategy.

Steeler

Hehe, that "update" has been popping away on my desktop for weeks. As soon as I read what it does, I said nooooooooooo thanks. Not interested in another background app to keep me uplinked to an MS server somewhere. The EA downloader is bad enough.

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Switchcraft

I really find it amazing that so many people who claim not to trust Microsoft are willing to blindly install software hacks written by people they don't know. But I also don't really buy the idea that it's all out of some kind of real indignation... I'm not even sure I've ever met a person who has never used a bootleg copy of Windows. I'm sure most people who don't like the WGA thing are just upset that they can't get all the new patches, etc, without it or a workaround.

TheFeniX

Wow, so Microsoft can get my IP ADDRESS and a TIMESTAMP from the Windows Advantage tool? We should stop this. Only web pages, AIM, MSN Messenger, Gaming servers, and every other device on the Internet should have this ability, but not Microsoft!

Now this actually does piss me off, because Microsoft (and many, many, MANY, other software companies) pull this "let the customer Beta test" crap. It's why I wait at least 6-12 months before upgrading to a new OS. But like I said: it's not unique to MS: almost all software developers do it.

Oh man, what an idiot...

Microsoft has been doing this same crap for over a decade and people are still going to be using their products a decade from now. People just love to hate them. And he'd be better off using Linux, not the overpriced, trendy, half-a-PC: Apple.

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RGM-79N_GM_CUstom

^^^^It is funny if Apple did the same thing they would be praised for it.

MS does something and the general reaction is ZOMG they are evil.

Apple does the same exact thing and the reaction from their fanbase is "about time they did this smart business move".

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RX-78-2 Gundam EFSF Protoype Close Combat Mobile Suit Armor: Luna Titanium Armament: 2x Beam Sabers, 2x 60mm Head vulcan guns 380mm Hyper bazooka, Beam Rifle, Beam Javelin, Hyper Hammer, Gundam Hammer, shield
TG Natural Selection admin. Need anything PM me.
7th Infantry FTW!!!!!
"Snob? Nah...I consider myself more of a PC Evangelist...converting the heathens to The Way." Prophaniti
"Windows is like Pokemon you gotta catch'em all." kenshinsama1

TheFeniX

Yea, that drives me nuts as well: MS has made HUGE strides in security over the past few years (they still have a long way to go, but that's not the point). People are NOW complaining that their products are too hard to setup. SOUNDS LIKE LINUX, EH?

Take ISA Server for instance (it's an MS firewall that runs on Windows Server). The original release allowed all traffic by default. People complained about security issues from ignorant network admins. So ISA 2004 blocked ALL traffic by default, and you had to manually open ports for Internet access.

Rather than praise this aspect, network admins then complained "it's too hard to setup." The worst part is a 5 second google search turns up step-by-step instructions for setting up almost ALL the advanced forwarding and security schemes (it even has PICTURES!).

Seriously, I have no love lost for MS, but at least don't be an idiot when you complain about them.

EDIT: That last comment isn't directed at anyone here BTW. It's just a snip at all the anti-MS arguements I've heard over the years.

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Mateo

Well, you know, SUSE and UBUNTU are complete contrasts from Vista and XP. They focus on getting rid of 90% of the "OMFG Linux is so hard", but underneath, the system is as flexible as ever. Of course, the precipice is steep: once you get past the wizards, you need to learn linux quick.

I expect that that is what is going on with Vista: XP, and by extention, Vista are enormously complex beasties, and they mostly insulate the users from that complexity. The minute you have to "open ports" to get what users think as basic computer functionality working, they go "it's broken!"

Honestly, Microsoft is right: sometimes you have to isolate the users from themselves, otherwise, you take the blame when something goes wrong.

For my part, I don't like giving Microsoft both my money, and my right to decide how I use the hardware I purchase: Ubuntu has served me admirably these past weeks.

RGM-79N_GM_CUstom

An example of that happened yesterday. On the IGN boards there was a thread about MS making Direct Physics. Everyone was happy about it then one guy comes by and is like it isn't open source. Of course then he goes on about how DirectX sucks and such.

Now while I wouldn't mind it being open source. (more for the Linux guys then the Mac users let em use boot camp.) It is hard to find fault in this considering we have two (maybe three) opposing camps that damn well won't compromise having a MS standerd helps us all.

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RX-78-2 Gundam EFSF Protoype Close Combat Mobile Suit Armor: Luna Titanium Armament: 2x Beam Sabers, 2x 60mm Head vulcan guns 380mm Hyper bazooka, Beam Rifle, Beam Javelin, Hyper Hammer, Gundam Hammer, shield
TG Natural Selection admin. Need anything PM me.
7th Infantry FTW!!!!!
"Snob? Nah...I consider myself more of a PC Evangelist...converting the heathens to The Way." Prophaniti
"Windows is like Pokemon you gotta catch'em all." kenshinsama1

Mateo

DirectX is actually pretty sweet, and I'm a linux guy. In fact, I would subscribe to DirectX for Linux (I'm already doing that for Transgaming's hacked version) if they offered it. If Microsoft want's to do software as a service, then that's what they should do. Package up the cool toys they develop, and port them so us Linux/BSD guys can buy them.