I notice no one has gotten into the topic of Microsoft's new licensing
scheme. You can no longer purchase Microsoft software, install it on your
computer and start using it. Oh no. All Microsoft software, including
operating systems and applications, must now be activated online for it to
function. Microsoft operating systems must be activated online during the
installation process or it will not install. Microsoft applications will
install normally, but will not allow you to create new documents or save
changes if not activated. The activation process sends a snapshot of your
computer system (including hardware configuration, installed peripherals,
etc.) and retrieves a certificate required for successful completion.
The activation process includes certain "allowances" for hardware changes if
you need to reinstall everything from scratch, but only allows one copy per
license to be installed on different hardware. This sounds like you may be
SOL if you buy a new computer and need to install it on the new box. OEM
versions (such as Microsoft Office bundled with new computers) will not run
(may not install) on any other computer. I purchased a copy of Microsoft
Office XP with my notebook, for example, but I can't use it on my desktop
because it's an OEM version -- even though the retail version allows
installation on both.
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q293/1/51.ASP
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On
> Behalf Of Michelle Murrain
> Sent: Saturday, June 09, 2001 7:50 AM
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: [issues] Micro$oft, boycott, etc.
>
>
> I really agree with the sentiment about boycotting Microsoft,
> although I'm wondering how much a boycott would do. First off, many
> people don't have a choice about whether or not to use MS products -
> whether it be at work, or because there is a particular application
> that only runs on windows, etc. I'm not clear that using Virtual PC
> for the mac, or VMWare, WINE, etc. for Linux in any way helps. In
> fact, you could make the argument that that is just as bad. First
> off, you end up buying a Windows license for those (VMWare and
> VirtualPC) anyway, so that doesn't help. And it helps foster the
> notion that MS products are necessary.
>
> Unfortunately, I think that M$ is not alone in the "corporation as
> evil empire" genre. Time/Warner/AOL is getting there real fast too.
> And there are others.
>
> I don't have any answers, just complaints. Some intelligent folks
> deep inside the corporate world figured out that the control of
> intellectual property and the control of information was the way to
> control the world, and we're just now figuring that out ourselves,
> and I'm afraid we're way too late. Those of us in the US, anyway,
> don't live in a democracy anymore. If I wasn't convinced of that
> before, November permanently made up my mind. We're the frogs that
> have had the water slowly raised over time on us, and we never
> jumped, and we're about to get cooked.
>
> In the late 1980s and early 90s I was a serious reader of cyberpunk.
> (I am lifelong sci-fi fan - I lean toward hard SF these days).
> Although I really enjoyed the genre, I was somewhat unconvinced of
> the perspective and point of view at the time. Now, I realize that
> those folks were only wrong in the small details. The overall
> perspective of a dark era where corporations rule is coming true
> before my eyes.
>
> Michelle
> --
>
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