Beware Vista's New Licensing
Winga
MrSouth Africa Icrontian
Before rushing out to buy your retail copy of Vista, you may want to take a look at Microsoft's new license terms.
Licenses for the Windows Vista operating system differ from those for Windows XP in that they limit the number of times retail editions can be transferred to another device and ban the two least-expensive versions from running in a virtual machine.
The licenses, which can be viewed on Vista's official blog add new restrictions to how and where Windows can be used. "The first user of the software may reassign the license to another device one time. If you reassign the license, that other device becomes the "licensed device," reads the license for Windows Vista Home Basic, Home Premium, Ultimate, and Business. In other words, once a retail copy of Vista is installed on a PC, it can be moved to another system only once.
The license also forbids users from installing Vista Home Basic and Vista Home Premium in a virtual machine. "You may not use the software installed on the licensed device within a virtual (or otherwise emulated) hardware system". Ultimate and Vista Business, however, can be installed within a Virtual Machine. Meaning if you are running Basic or Premium in a VM, you're violating the license.
Vista will also strip OS functionality should validation fail. What people feared with activation in XP is now coming true in Vista. The OS will periodically “validate” itself, and if it finds that you are a "dirty pirate" it will limit your use. Also the fact that it only allows you to transfer a license once has ramifications for PC enthusiasts. If you have a Vista-equipped PC and you rebuild it, you must transfer the license. You can never again repeat the process. Some people are used to replacing many components of their PC quite often, going through an entire rig in mere months. Enthusiasts beware!!
The Vista license calls out the ramifications of a failed validation check of Vista:
The software will from time to time validate the software, update or require download of the validation feature of the software," it reads. "If after a validation check, the software is found not to be properly licensed, the functionality of the software may be affected."
Vista's new anti-piracy technologies, dubbed "Software Protection Platform," have met with skepticism by analysts and criticism by users. Under the new program, a copy of Vista that's judged to be in violation of its license, or is counterfeit, is disabled after a set period, leaving the user access only to the default Web browser, and then only for an hour at a time.
Licenses for the Windows Vista operating system differ from those for Windows XP in that they limit the number of times retail editions can be transferred to another device and ban the two least-expensive versions from running in a virtual machine.
The licenses, which can be viewed on Vista's official blog add new restrictions to how and where Windows can be used. "The first user of the software may reassign the license to another device one time. If you reassign the license, that other device becomes the "licensed device," reads the license for Windows Vista Home Basic, Home Premium, Ultimate, and Business. In other words, once a retail copy of Vista is installed on a PC, it can be moved to another system only once.
The license also forbids users from installing Vista Home Basic and Vista Home Premium in a virtual machine. "You may not use the software installed on the licensed device within a virtual (or otherwise emulated) hardware system". Ultimate and Vista Business, however, can be installed within a Virtual Machine. Meaning if you are running Basic or Premium in a VM, you're violating the license.
Vista will also strip OS functionality should validation fail. What people feared with activation in XP is now coming true in Vista. The OS will periodically “validate” itself, and if it finds that you are a "dirty pirate" it will limit your use. Also the fact that it only allows you to transfer a license once has ramifications for PC enthusiasts. If you have a Vista-equipped PC and you rebuild it, you must transfer the license. You can never again repeat the process. Some people are used to replacing many components of their PC quite often, going through an entire rig in mere months. Enthusiasts beware!!
The Vista license calls out the ramifications of a failed validation check of Vista:
The software will from time to time validate the software, update or require download of the validation feature of the software," it reads. "If after a validation check, the software is found not to be properly licensed, the functionality of the software may be affected."
Vista's new anti-piracy technologies, dubbed "Software Protection Platform," have met with skepticism by analysts and criticism by users. Under the new program, a copy of Vista that's judged to be in violation of its license, or is counterfeit, is disabled after a set period, leaving the user access only to the default Web browser, and then only for an hour at a time.
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Comments
I am already running all of my folding rigs with Linux but I will much more seriously reconsider using Linux on desktops as well.
Yeh, this is rediculous. I expect a 3rd party workaround fairly quickly after the release. I dont upgrade that often, but even at that, I do it 2-3 time a year, so is MS telling me Im going to have to buy a new copy every 9-12 months? sure....
Microsoft is basicly forcing our community to rip-off their software. I have enough trouble stomaching the idea of buying a new copy of Vista for each machine I own, let alone the same upgraded machine.
Microsoft, you had better re-think how you implement this idea!!!! It's gonna bite you in the butt and cost you more than you can image!!!
amen there brother...
Remember the days when you could buy one copy of something, and do whatever the hell you wanted with it because it was yours? Yeah.
The real fun's going to come when I have to teach my mom how to use Linux.
I'm not sure how far along Wine is coming with emulation as far as game performance, but it looks like I'll definitely be switching to Linux regardless.
Way to lose customers, Microsoft. :rolleyes2
They've been sitting themselves up for this for years. It's no wonder the open source community has a huge open sore for MS for more than one reason. This just gives them another, plus it gives the malware community another reason to attack Windows, apart from the usual online fraud, theft, etc.
One of the posters on the blog said it best:
You couldn't be more right, based on this news, if they don't come off this crap their stern is already out of the water.
"I am a customer whose Hitachi hard drive died. Now, I have to buy a new copy of Vista because of their restrictive licensing. It is not my fault my hard drive died. Therefore, I am telling Hitachi that they need to pay for my copy of Vista."
"My ATI video card burned up. Now I'm going to make ATI buy me a new copy of Vista".
Seriously. This just won't fly. I'm sure we're not hearing the whole story.
I cheer the hackers on, but even with patches it's still going to be a pain in the rear-end to have to deal with this every time you install windows.
I also hate Microsoft getting into my computer and into my business. Please, stay out, or I simply won't buy the software and/or resort to 3rd party patches to bypass this garbage.
Worst of all, MS is shoving this down our throats.
Want DirectX 10? Buy Vista.
I've never tried Linux, but now it's looking very appetizing.
And new stuff is always fun. =D
The more Microsoft complicates things for the normal user, the less they will sale in the end.
I said once and I said it now.
Hasta la Vista baby - I will not be back.
-drasnor
I have been using Vista RC1 and OSX for the past couple of weeks (Vista on my main rig, and osx on my macbook) and imho OSX is just a better OS period. It is quicker (it is sad when my macbook can compete with my main rig) and more productive.
Now that I don't have time to game anymore, there is really not a whole lot keeping me stuck on windows. Once adobe CS3 comes out in q1 of 2007, I wouldn't mind trading my main machine for a MacPro... if i decide I need windows in the future I can always run it with bootcamp or parrallels.
cheers
oh yeah if anyone has toyed around with the new ubuntu in the works (efty i believe).. it is pure sex.
I tend to agree with prime and jared, this will most likely not happen. Just seems like it has bad press written all over it. The licencing is already strict enough, this is the last thing we need. It is really bad when those of us who actually buy the software get the dirty end of the stick
I'll probably star learning to use Linux on all my pc's.
This will most likely push a great deal of other people to do the same.
I am beginning to like OSX more and more, and contemplating Linux which I never liked much becuase it's utterly difficult to understand. OSX would at least allow some of my more important programs to work still.
Vista was a beautiful OS, but IMHO it was a pain to use, I can't describe what exactly it was, but it was just akward and I didn't like it much. Not very linear I suppose.
Ahhh, Windows 2000....Good times, stable times.....the times of our lives....
That makes a whole lot of sense to me. After reading the first post in this thread, practically anything they do which is not quite so draconian will look reasonable by comparison.
I will say this, though. While I have always bought a legitimate copy of Windows and have denounced piracy, if they do actually try a stunt like this I may just have to start rooting for the pirates. (And I don't mean the ones in Pittsburgh.) They would be handing a ready-made excuse to everyone in the world wanting a free ride, who could just claim that they are justified on the grounds that they upgrade their system frequently.
I'm know that my company will be 10% Vista-ized by this time next year.