So much for XP product activation?

[Cody]

Well, ther will ALWAYS be a way around anything Microsoft tries to do to prevent piracy, so I don't know why they just don't make it easier on the rest of us and DROP IT!!! (Either that or make everything Open Source)

[hallam2003]

now THat would be cool, we all know it'll never happen, but windows as open source, well, i guess it might as well be anyway. Anyway, i haven;'t read the article, but microsoft stated that big time piracy was NOT their targeted deturant. they were targeting small time copying, sharing the disc with neighbors, drive images, thing like that, they will nevr be able to stop it all, hehehe, good for us. - disclamer for me, if do this, don't arrest me microsoft, please? please? eeeekkk, I'm scared, hehehe - end disclamer.


Hallam

[OuTpaTienT]

MS isn't using "product activation" to prevent priracy. They know darn well how futile that is. They're using it to squeeze even more money out of the average joe that might have 2 or 3 computers.

[1Old Fart]

Outpatient said it like it is Microsoft=$$$$$$ bottom line

[rockjockjared]

Great...this means that if you buy the software that it's just going to be a giant pain if you ever decide to change hardware! I'm all about cutting down on piracy, but they should do it in a way that this doesn't impeed on the daily use of a computer! I don't want to have to call up Microsoft (which probably WON'T be toll free!) and sit on hold for 1-2 hours of my time! At first I was really anticipating the release of XP, but now I could really care less. Think I'll just stick to 2000, Microsoft has already got plenty of my money...

[Sleep21]

What do they mean "Product activation is not fixed in place? Personally, I think the amount of costomers they will miss out simply because of "P.A." makes it worth junking it, anyone who wants to copy it will be able to anyway.

[Long Haired Hippie Phreek]

**Disclaimer - I will not do this, do not arrest me**

This seems like it would be a very easy thing to overcome, even in the final version. The OS is simply looking for a file, one that is locked to hardware. Autocad did the same thing, except they required an actual piece of hardware. So how did it get to the warez marketplace? The components that made it look for this hardware were removed. The same will most likely occur in windows XP, someone will de-compile it, remove all the registration stuff, re-compile it, and have a faster version, one where you will not even need the 25 digit serial that you need now.

-or-

They will de-compile it, and change the code that tells it to delete the file if more than 3 pieces of hardware change to something like "if more than 3 hardware is changed, do not delete" but in code, then make the file something wierd that no one has, and you have a universal file!

[palomarjack]

I don't know if this has ever been suggested before. Maybe if someone knows someone at MS could pass it on. Simply make the previous major release i.e. Win 98xx sharewhare, support with a $45 - $50 registration, the one before that (Win95xx) freeware, no support, and 3 generations back (win 3.xx AND MS-DOS) open source, no support. There is very little code in 3.xx that is used in a current release anyway, so who would (or should) care.

[acid_burn~187]

I use linux now so I could really care less. But even if it does get released with product activation.. it's already been cracked so it doesn't even matter.

~Paul

[spritegeezer]

The powers that be have actually done me a favor. I've already started to migrate my network to Linux. I've been a staunch supporter of Microsoft but the XP fiasco is too much. An OS is too important to have protected in this way. We're lucky we have alternatives.