Next version of Windows to be locked to a single machine?

[hagbard]

I just read something about the next version of Windows "Whistler" will somehow "bind itself" to the computer your using, preventing its use on other systems. I'm not sure how they'd go about this, but it doesn't sound good. Time to switch to some other OS?

...hag

 

[Rick25]

What happens when you upgrade HDs or computers. Not gonna buy a new license each time that's for sure. Looks like Win2000 will be my OS of choice for quite some time to come.

 

[xyyz]

how do they plan on doing this? they can't exactly rewrite to a CD... will they implement some sort of card or do something with a floppy?

 

[hagbard]

Maybe Windows will registers what components you have in your system and fails to run if it varies too much from the original registry. Just speculation on my part, of course.

:disgust:

 

[GT1999]

Next to impossible. What happens if you throw in a DVD drive, video card, sound card, etc? Of course it will still work. Plus, you can't write to a CD unless if you have a burner, I don't think they'll have a CD-RW as a necessary hardware component.

 

[IamDavid]

Impossible and a total waste of time. After a week there would be a way to bypass it anyway.

 

[Homer]

Unfortunately it can be done through the registration process, with mandatory registration and your key, whether acquired on line, by telephone, or mail, being tied to a hardware configuration or a date of installation. I don't think this is brand new, I think it is already in use with some products. It is not good for those of use who believe in a more liberal definition of software ownership, or those who upgrade or clean-install frequently.

 

[ArkAoss]

hey r you people not also realizing they could use them printer "key" dongles and online registration, plus intel must have slipped in its proccessor id as an unknown feature, and microsft could tap that, thus making intels a required processor, the blind masses will not even realize they are falling for it, and yadda yadda

 

[GT1999]

<< thus making intels a required processor >>




LOL So I spent $200+ on my 1.1GHz Thunderbird and now it can't be used with Whistler?

 

[RBlount]

One reason that I would be suprised to see Microsoft do that would be that most IT departments utilize Ghost (or similar) to deploy 100's to 1000s of units. If an IT department had to install Windows on every machine one at a time, they will not be upgrading to &quot;Whistler&quot;.

-Rob

 

[ArkAoss]

exactly geekishthoughts, well linux might continue to get a following. . .or macs might see a boost,

 

[hagbard]

No doubt, it would be a bad business move on Microsoft's part, but hey, I'm surprised by what they get away with now (ever have a look in your User.dat file?).

...hag

 

[hagbard]

Check out the General Hardware Forum. Someone there is reporting that Intel and IBM are working on copywrite protection for hard drives. This is actually nothing new, they tried software copyprotection back in the mid-80s.

 

[Castellan]

Funny that you mentioned Ghost in an enterprise environment. I'm my corporation's Ghost admin (along with a dozen other duties). There has recently been a change in MS policy reguarding licenses. If you are a select customer, you can use Ghost or DriveImage freely, but if you buy computers from an OEM, and the OEM provides the license, you must *technically* use that license with that machine. Does anyone do that? Heck no. However, it's possible that MS would provide an out to Select customers (who get their software/licenses straight from MS), and add this &quot;feature&quot; to retail and OEM software.

 

[mjquilly]

<< thus making intels a required processor >>



Don't look for that to happen, I doubt MicroSoft is looking forward to any more anti-trust lawsuits.

 

[Bluga]

Nope, they are going to use .NET to control your usage.

 

[MGMorden]

As with what Rblunt said, I work in an IT department at a University. We use heavily use Ghost images and even for the machines we don't Ghost we always install the software from the same set of cd's we keep in a case, just buying a liscense for each copy installed. Our Windows 2000 install disk is setup so that we don't even have to type in a cd key when we install (no copy protection is needed since we get software audited every few years and fines are way to heavy to not have registered copies of everything).

 

[Usul]

Well, what if you upgrade your system by changing mobo and proc?
Or your HDD dies, and you get a new one?
New windows?

Thanks Linus

 

[Ladi]

How about the possibility that you just won't be able to use 2 machines with the same whistler serial on them on a network (including the internet)? Or how about this is just an absolutely unfounded rumor, brought up by hardcore-anti-MS-types, since no actual source for it can be linked to or looked up?

~Ladi

 

[hagbard]

Yeah...try http://www.wininformant.com/display.asp?ID=3043

...hag

 

[Bozo]

It will probably go something like this: You must register the OS with MS online within 30 days or the operating system won't run.

That way the operating system can only be installed on one machine at a time.

Doesn't Office 2000 already work like this??

Bozo

 

[hagbard]

Perhaps another method:

null

 

[jacobnero6918]

There was a rumour from inside microsoft that they were talking about charging a monthly fee for using &quot;THERE&quot; software.

I also heard from serveral sources that Micrsoft doesn't want you to buy the upgrade version of whistler when it comes out. Instead they want you to buy a new computer with whistler already installed. I think there going to make the upgrade price extremely high to force people to think it's not worth it and to just buy a new computer.


BTW: I was looking at Linux and it looks pretty good and it's nice and cheap!

 

[jacobnero6918]

Well I just saw all the screen shot for whistler 2410 and it looks like they will force you to register online in 30 days after installing whistler or you won't be able to use it past 30 days.

If you want to look at the screen shots go here: screenshots of whistler 2410

 

[hagbard]

I'd sure like to know what it says when you click the &quot;Activation Policy&quot;?

...hag