Palladium: What's you opinion?

[overturfa]

OK, so I just crawled out from under my rock, because I hadn't even heard of Palladium until today. I did a search and ran across some threads posted here with a plethora of informative articles linked here and there. I skimmed through a few of these articles and I have to say that I found most of them to be littered with opinion and speculation without any cited information from reputable sources regarding the ins and outs of how Palladium will actually be used. I have yet to form an opinion regarding this technology. On one hand I'm all for something that will improve security, but I'm genuinely opposed to any technology boasting improved security at the expense of privacy and functionality. Now if that wasn't a self-contradicting statement, then I don't know what is. I mean, don't the words privacy and security bear a common thread to you? As for me, I'm still attempting to process what I've read and I'm left with more questions than answers. It seems like there are both good and bad aspects of Palladium. It?s a technology that could be easily exploited for the purposes of monopolistic domination over the entire IT world. In that sense I tend to agree with the man who likened trusting Microsoft being on the up and up with Palladium to the fox guarding the hen house. I?m curious as to what the AnandTech community thinks of Palladium. Post you opinion here.

 

[ElFenix]

no one knows much about it. MS is claiming it will be the greatest thing since sliced bread and will stop viruses and piracy and only let people you want to open your documents/attachments/whatnot. the problem is that theres far too much control built into that system and a huge potential for abuse. oh, and how it stops macro viruses and those outlook viruses i don't know.

 

[spanky]

i think it will be hacked... sorta like everything else.

 

[Swanny]

It's just one more way Microsoft is trying to take over the world.

 

[DaveSimmons]

MS' patent applications were for a "DRM OS" so at least the original focus was on protecting MS, the RIAA and MPAA not you or me.

What will actually be shipped is anyone's guess.

 

[silent tone]

All we can do is speculate until it comes out of development. I think it will have its uses, but generic computers will still be used. You could have two machines or one palladium machine with a regular, insecure mode. Whenever you want to access secure content or a secure network, boot up in secure mode, else run in regular mode.