windows xp

[Greg Torres]

Reading articles like this only suggests to me that we are coming even more
closer to having a real "Big Brother" type society where people who really
have no business to do so are watching our every move...

As far as licensing/copying issues are concerned, a lot of big software
software companies have found that making copy protection schemes and such
for their products have only made it marginaly difficult for people to copy
or hack their software. People are always trying to get the most out of
their computers by tweaking & upgrades and such, so I find it very
disturbing that MS (or anyone, for that matter) would put code of any kind
into their OS that keeps track of changes to hardware/software installed by
the user...

So once again I will stick with 98 SE. Heck, if I could do all that I do on
my PC currently and all my hardware would work I would switch to Linux or
something else in a heartbeat.... ; )

Best,
Greg Torres


----- Original Message -----
From: "Mark Story" <mstory@smbnw.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Saturday, June 22, 2002 10:13 PM
Subject: RE: windows xp


> This is a licensing issue. MS is really getting strict about copying.
> Personally, I don't think the approach they are taking is the right one -
> but I don't think they are being nefarious either. The amount of money
that
> they are losing overseas is fenominal - at least at their, _ahem_,
"premium"
> prices. All you have to do if you change key hardware elements is give
them
> a call and they will give you a new key. I would suggest that if you have
to
> do this, check in advance to see if your particuar upgrade or replacement
> will invoke the protecion scheme. Here's an excerpt from ZDNet that's
pretty
> clear:
>
> From the time you first boot XP, you have 30 days to activate it either
> online or via telephone. The activation is based on a 50-digit
installation
> code that consists of the XP software product ID and a hardware hash
value.
> Once you activate XP, you can't make more than five major changes to the
> hardware configuration without reactivating. Every 120 days, the clock is
> reset and you can make an additional five hardware changes. If you replace
> or reformat the hard drive, you must always reactivate.
>
> Product Activation has sparked concern from users who feel it will be
> onerous and an invasion of their privacy, but these fears seem exaggerated
> for several reasons. First, Product Activation does not involve personal
> information; it is separate from Product Registration, which gives you the
> option of providing your name, company name, address, phone, and e-mail
> address. Second, the hardware hash value is generated locally on your PC
> using a one-way algorithm that, according to Microsoft, can't be decoded
to
> reveal the hardware makeup of your system. Finally, the provisions that
> Microsoft has made for hardware configuration changes should satisfy most
> users.
>
> It's at this address if you want to check out the entire article:
>
>  http://www.zdnet.com/products/stories/reviews/0,4161,2808636,00.html
>
> Mark Story
> SMB Northwest
> mstory@smbnw.com
> www.smbnw.com
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-pianotech@ptg.org [mailto:owner-pianotech@ptg.org]On Behalf
> Of Don
> Sent: Saturday, June 22, 2002 6:06 PM
> To: pianotech@ptg.org
> Subject: windows xp
>
>
> Hi Jim,
>
> It's a bit worse than Greg suggested. It often goes "awol" and changes
your
> settings when yet another patch is *auto installed* while you are online.
> It also *locks* onto all your components so adding things later may cause
> it to not run, if you change an item like for example a sound card.
>
> At 08:19 PM 6/22/02 EDT, you wrote:
> >
> >In a message dated 22/06/02 8:14:34 PM, Tunapiana440@cox.net writes:
> >
> ><< WIN 98 is also a lot less intrusive than XP. >>
> >
> >Ok Greg... since I am a Macophile and have a new laptop on which XP is
the
> >OS...boy talk about a challenge!! :-) Can you tell me what is meant by XP
> >"being so intrusive"? You are not the only person to make this comment
and
> I
> >have no idea what it means... {:-)
> >Jim Bryant (FL)
> >
> >
>
> Regards,
> Don Rose, B.Mus., A.M.U.S., A.MUS., R.M.T., R.P.T.
>
> mailto:pianotuna@accesscomm.ca
>
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>
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