Comments on: Lobster and Vista on a Mac

By: Clopin.be: Past is prologue » Vista Beta

Clopin.be: Past is prologue » Vista Beta — Fri, 14 Jul 2006 08:29:56 +0000

[...] Ik heb dan toch maar de stap genomen en de beta van Vista die ik op de bloggersmeeting bij Microsoft gekregen heb te installeren. Ik wil van de gelegenheid gebruik maken om de mensen van MS te bedanken dat ze die meetings doen, en dan nog wel in een bijna perfecte omlijsting. Meer details en foto’s over het event kan je (oa) bij Peter, Pieter en Smetty vinden. Om het kort samen te vatten: een kleine intro op Vista en een nog veel kleinere op Office 2007. Ik had graag de BI mogelijkheden van het pakket iets meer in de schijnwerper gezien, maar dat zal mijn professionele leven zijn geweest dat zijn kop opstak en dat was niet echt de bedoeling. Wat kan je verwachten? Om het in de woorden te zeggen van een van hun mensen zelf: Pain. Oh, en ook nieuw oogsnoep en versioning van uw bestanden. [...]

By: ‘Cross The Breeze » Blog Archive » Vista, Office 2007, IE7 and some lobster

Sat, 01 Jul 2006 22:06:45 +0000

[...] Forret: Lobster and Vista on a Mac [...]

By: Smetty’s Soapbox » Microsoft dualiteit

Smetty’s Soapbox » Microsoft dualiteit — Fri, 30 Jun 2006 22:34:50 +0000

[...] Een paar posts later lijkt vooral de “kreeft” het topic van de avond te zijn geweest. Kijk maar hier of hier en daar. Ik hoor de manager van Tom en David al vragen: “en mannekes, hoe is het geweest met die bloggers? Over wat hebben ze geschreven?” * Smetty drumt nu beide heren opzij en geeft zelf het antwoord: “Over Apple. En kreeft. En het mooie terras. En de goeie ontvangst.” * De tijd dat bloggers iets deden voor een blik Fanta lijkt definitief voorbij te zijn (grijns). [...]

By: Jurgen Van Duvel

Jurgen Van Duvel — Fri, 30 Jun 2006 13:18:22 +0000

Let me be very clear here, WGA (Windows Genuine Advantage) is NOT going to stop your PC from functioning, and activation is ONLY required if you have an OEM or FPP (Full Packaged Product) of Windows. This is not the case for Windows XP machines with volume license keys. Activation and WGA are 2 separate tools, each serving another purpose.

WGA is meant to provide end-users that have a legitimate Windows with additional value (anti-spy ware, enhanced Internet Explorer, screensavers …).
People that have paid for their Windows will continue to see additional value in their investment. And Microsoft does not charge for incremental updates to the OS.
For a description of what WGA is, and what it does you can always have a look here:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/892130
So claiming that ‘the puppy phones home’ is fundamentally flawed.
WGA is entirely optional and if a customer does not want to have the Windows license validated, they will continue to receive security updates through the Windows Auto Update client; however they won’t get the additional updates, which are WGA gated.

On the Windows Activation part of the posting:
The activation process is fully documented, audited and commented on by independent auditing bodies. The results of their findings are posted on the Microsoft website:
http://www.microsoft.com/piracy/activation.mspx
If you don’t activate Windows XP, and in the future Windows Vista, it will indeed seize functioning. However the process is very transparent and not intrusive to the end user, and if you don’t have an internet connection, you can always activate Windows by phone. It’s a one time process, and will not need to be repeated in the future.
And in case there are still some myths about activation, just look at this myth busting post:
http://www.microsoft.com/piracy/activation_myths.mspx

By: Patrick Viaene

Patrick Viaene — Fri, 30 Jun 2006 12:56:55 +0000

Igor, on you WGA comment:
- in fact, WIndows activation DOES limit casual copying of Windows XP (like my father not knowing he needs 2 licenses if he runs it on 2 PCs)
- WGA is intended to fight pirates who willingly and wantingly run a pirated copy. And therefore undertake an act: ‘finding’ a corporate volume license key online, using a keygen tool, …
(- to be complete: WGA also helps us find the victims of piracy; the ones that ‘received’ a copy when they bought a PC)

On your technical WGA remarks:
- the current WGA tool does no longer go check daily on Microsoft systems)
- even the prior version did not go and check to see if your system was still genuine; it only went our to see if a new version of the tool was available (Microsoft was still in a pilot with WGA, then)

Hope this clarifies

By: Igor

Igor — Fri, 30 Jun 2006 03:28:38 +0000

The thing with WGA is that it’s an add-on that should not be there. Activation was intended to curb piracy, but it didn’t.
Now Windows users will have WGA -on top of- activation. Anti-piracy technology on top of anti-piracy technology. And this puppy will phone home every day. Only to make sure my legitimate copy of Windows is still legitimate the next day, and the next day…. and what if I don’t have an internet connection? Is my system just going to stop working one day? What other product in the world keeps verifying whether the product you bought is still legitimately yours?

I read that this was bundled in a ‘critical update’, where there is nothing critical about WGA. It only serves to keep the punters under control. And control is the key word here. A PC turns out to be too much of a powerful device to be left in the hands of mere users and ever more onerous technology is implemented to make the user behave. I am deeply sceptical about anyone who would so curb my liberties only to make sure their product is safe. A product, if you allow me, of which the company in its own EULA states that they don’t guarantee that it will perform the functionality, or any functionality for that matter, for which they sell it to you. So, they admit that it’s useless, but they don’t care as long as you pay for it [and yes, Apple will be doing something similar, I'm sure].

Not on my Mac.

By: Tom Mertens [MSFT]

Tom Mertens [MSFT] — Thu, 29 Jun 2006 22:21:59 +0000

I think the Acer flatscreen TV was an AT3203 LCDTV which is sold for 1099 EUR VAT included. It might have also been the AT3205 DTV which is sold for 1.349 EUR VAT included. If you really want to know for sure which one it was, I can go and check out the screen again.