Are leaked drivers "warez"?

[seti]

I mean, I wouldn't think so because they're free when released.

What about, lets say, Direct-X 8 beta 2?

What do you think? Is that different?

[OuTpaTienT]

No that's not warez. You'd certainly be using them at your own risk because quite possibly they are premature and maybe still contain some bugs. But warez is pirating of copyrighted software that you should be paying for.

[seti]

Yeah, but don't you have to pay to have access to ms beta softwear??

[OuTpaTienT]

I think you might have to pay to be a beta tester, and test things like upcoming operating systems or things that they will charge for. Direct X is not something they charge for, so I don't see the problem.

[voogru]

were all part of a beta
The win9x beta
That we pay for!

Why do you think WinME is the best of em all?
Because they have 6 years of beta **** behind them. and that we ran out and bought a new version of windows every time there was a new beta like 3x to 95,95 to 98, 98 to 98SE, 98SE to ME

[This message has been edited by voogru (edited 08-31-2000).]

[xtremsabu]

Like some said to me

WAAAAAAAAAREZZZZZZZZZZZ IS BAAAAAAAAD! http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/wink.gif

[qball]

Leaked software is not warez, shareware is not warez, freeware is not warez, demos are not warez.

My definition of warez is distributing stolen software. Wait, stolen isn't just right. Warez is distributing software illegally (in some people's eyes). That'll work.

voogru, you are oh so right. Microsoft has the largest beta test group in the world.

Iffin one can find someone who would pay Microsoft to beta test their ****, I would like to meet them (just to ask why rocks are smarter than them).

Don't confuse this with DevNet and TechNet, which are distributed to Microsoft partners (there may be compensation somewhere in this alignment). Good conspiracy, maybe we can start an Urban Legend about Microsoft and the people who pay to beta test. (Then again, considering the world, maybe this actually happened......)