has made more artists known and richer than other standard mafiosi-like ways. Personal computers, including yours and mine, were born from a "piracy"-like inspiration (i.e. steal the computing power from the bigs to bring it to the smalls). And so far, non-piracy brings us tons of expensive, over-hyped stuff, loaded with instruments of control.Again, entropy will bring an alternative to that reign of self-anointed rightfulness and legacy. Linux or something else.Same goes, in my view, for flight-sim: FSX is the best we can get in this state of tension. But certainly not the best we are able to obtain reasonably as of now (e.g. real time satellite, tons of 3D projects).It's just that there are limits: I can make a point that a key-logger installed on every computer would indeed deter illegal activities. I can also make a point that I will not allow it. Thus implicitly supporting illegal activities?The question is to know where to put the limit. And Vista does seem to come preeeeeeeety close to this limit.

Of course, it is all about money. Every business is all about money. If there's no money, then there will be no more OS from Microsoft and then there will be no FS11. And I just want to hear the whining in here, if that should ever happen.People think that MS is this massive corporation that has an unlimited supply of money and god-like powers, but fact is also, that lawsuits and bad business decisions of the past almost threatened to put MS out of business. Vista is a VERY, VERY important milestone for Microsoft and the top revenue maker.Someone cannot seriously think that MS would jeopardize their business by applying illegal spying tactics - especially with all eyes from a tons of governments and anti-trust organizations on them.

Stuff and being on the "bleeding edge" has always been expensive and over-hyped. Take the Walkman, VCRs, cellphones, DVDs, Ferrari. Noone needs all that and I can give you plenty of examples of friends telling me that "they don't need it" and loudly proclaiming that they will "never ever get one" only to find them purchasing the item as soon as it enters mainstream.Little off topic:In the case of Microsoft: It never ceases to amaze me why people seem to have such a negative opinion of the company. Somehow they must have done something right or we would be all typing this from a Linux or OSX desktop?It is all about usability.That's right. People want to push a button and make everything work right away. Unfortunately, it is not that easy, because a PC is more complex and versatile than anything else in your home. What other device does support this massive amount of hardware? Graphic boards, tablets, mice, keyboards, sound, tracking, scanning, printing, home automation - just to name a few. You can have all this with the Microsoft OSes. Of course, not everything works 100%, but it doesn't need to.Why do you think most developers chose DirectX over OpenGL? Because they were paid massive amounts of money by MS? No. Because it is the more intutive, user-friendly API, which lets you develop games more rapidly. Is it better than OpenGL? Hardly.I have been using Linux since 1994 and always have a partition installed with the latest version - from Slackware, Debian, RedHat over to Gentoo, Arch, SuSE, Fedora and Ubuntu. Linux is a superior operation system ...but only for me, because I know what I am doing.Try to explain "lspci | grep 'ATI'" or more complex commands, like install an NDIS driver for a Broadcom card to a newbie, because in Linux you HAVE to be a computer expert to use the latest hardware. For me with 20+ years of intense IT knowledge, I love Linux, because it is so transparent. For the normal user, it won't work. Linux will never be a gaming platform unless MS releases DX for Linux or developers choose to go with OpenGL.OSX. I don't have any recent experience with OSX, but I bought an iBook out of curiosity a few years ago. I had really high expectatons and was terribly disappointed. The so-much hyped speed and performance boost over Windows was non-existent. Printer driver installation for an ordinary HP printer was tedious, despite my Unix/CUPS knowledge. Applications crashed just like any other application in Windows and Linux, if poorly written. The selection of high quality applications was extremely limited and even more over-hyped. Tried it, tested it over a period of 12 months and sold it.Compared to Linux and OSX, Windows just works. Applications integrate virtually seamlessly. Drag/Drop, Plug'n'Play. All the nay-sayers can complain about it all they want, but the OSes from Microsoft are good. Not superior, but the best solution so far for the average consumer. Vista is not perfect, but it is certainly the best OS on the market right now for the mainstream.

I'd just like to know why Microsoft have their hand in the movie and music industry piracy issue? its not because of some White Knight attitude by Bill gates, there is money involved for his organization.The problem of piracy of movies and music, or even to stop child porn is not Microsoft's responsibility, so why are they getting Vista involved in all this?While not advocating piracy or illegal porn, why should Microsoft get involved? there has to be big incentives for Microsoft to do this, but who pays for this? it seems we do with a restrictive and invasive unnecessarily bloated operating system :(Earlier today I was asking on here why people were slamming Vista, but as a guardian of freedom, I now have to ask why are Microsoft going this route? Of course I could be way off track, but Microsoft don't help things by not quelling the rumours.Its time Bill Gates did a rumour control speech and tells us what Vista really is all about, because if the rumours are true, then the next OS from them will drive that wedge even deeper.It will be interesting to see how things pan out in the long run.

I'm not talking "guys in dark suits and sunglasses" ... and I think we're a distance from that day (although not as far as I might wish).I'm talking about a company that's focused on "entertainment", and needs to know what "turns us on".If you don't want to tell them what TV shows and movies you watch and when, then they will find out, and push a genre your way.But, why not ...? My cable TV / movie provider knows all this now, and my grocer knows more about my diet than I know.

I understand what you are saying, but .. an application that checks 30 times a second if you are running an illegal media application seems to me to be a bit overboard, and as far as I can deduce, probably affects the performance of my machine. I recently read a review where a (respected) reviewer normally got 2.5 - 3 hours out of his laptop with XP, he now gets 1.5 - 2 hours doing the same tasks (watching movies on the airplane) on the same computer with Vista installed. Where'd all that energy go?Seems to me you could choose a random check on the order of once every 1 - 5 seconds, and this would work just as well.And if there is one overboard application, there are probably more.Thomas[a href=http://www.flyingscool.com] http://www.flyingscool.com/images/Signature.jpg [/a]I like using VC's :-)N15802 KASH '73 Piper Cherokee Challenger 180

It seems hinted at in this thread, but I have yet to see official verification - Anyone notice that your only choice on a Dell computer is Vista, at least for the XPS models (when are they going to change that moniker?, lol)? In the past, for quite a while, you could choose between Win2K and XP after the point of transition from one operating system to another.And I keep reading about all this "nothing revolutionary" about Vista over XP, other than the new copy protection schemes. Is there not being anything "revolutionary" a bad thing? XP was supposedly "incremental" on Win2K, but I like it way better now that I've gotten used to it. I think the expectations of the industry are way high. Rather than revolutionary changes, what a poster said above is what we really need - "It just works." - I wonder when that change in perception came for a Microsoft operating system.I for one, based on everything I have heard, am not interested in Vista just yet.Thomas[a href=http://www.flyingscool.com] http://www.flyingscool.com/images/Signature.jpg [/a]I like using VC's :-)N15802 KASH '73 Piper Cherokee Challenger 180

The verification stuff doesn't bother me. They put a lot of work into this and deserve payment for their work.What bothers me is the limitation that I'm not allowed to find solutions and/or circumvent issues that occur due to "technical limitations". That is a real problem to me. Talk about squelching innovation!Then again, we'll have to see how strict MS is about this. I'm sure they have something specific in mind, and, in the past, like the long history of their allowing hacks to FS and recently the issues people had with the verification of FSX, they do accomodate reasonable requests. I know that for the people who had verification issues the problem seemed interminable and insufferable, but MS did get up and do something about it (at least that's my understanding) rather quickly, and hopefully learned from that experience in terms of Vista. We'll have to see.But in the meantime, I'll let you guys figure that out. I just hope MS doesn't just cut off the supply of XP-Pro.Thomas[a href=http://www.flyingscool.com] http://www.flyingscool.com/images/Signature.jpg [/a]I like using VC's :-)N15802 KASH '73 Piper Cherokee Challenger 180

which is also why I reverted to Windows from Mac and Linux, But this really sounds like an argument for arranged marriages (lol)...

Portions of the article copied here under fair use clauses...The article's author sets the stage, and clearly demonstrates his agenda in the first few paragraphs. "Vista's legal fine print includes extensive provisions granting Microsoft the right to regularly check the legitimacy of the software and holds the prospect of deleting certain programs without the user's knowledge. "The author takes activiation and validation, which has been in existance throughout XP, and attempts to tie it in with Windows Defender, which is a VERY intellectually dishonest move. "During the installation process, users "activate" Vista by associating it with a particular computer or device and transmitting certain hardware information directly to Microsoft."No different than XP. (For better or worse)"Even after installation, the legal agreement grants Microsoft the right to revalidate the software or to require users to reactivate it should they make changes to their computer components."Different from XP in that Vista may do this outside of Windows Update runs, whereas XP only did this during update runs or when you ran the WGA tools. Very little change from XP. "In addition, it sets significant limits on the ability to copy or transfer the software, prohibiting anything more than a single backup copy and setting strict limits on transferring the software to different devices or users."How many backup copies of the software media do you need? Eight?! You really only need one! Check other EULAs as well - they indicate you can have a limited number of backup copies. Where are the "strict limits on transferring"?! Section 15 of the EULA states clearly that "You may uninstall the software and install it on another device for use". Nothing restrictive about that. As far as transferring licenses, it allows for the original owner to transfer the license. Realistically, how often does anyone buy a computer system and is the THIRD owner of it?"Vista also incorporates Windows Defender... scans computers for "spyware, adware, and other potentially unwanted software." The agreement does not define any of these terms, leaving it to Microsoft to determine what constitutes unwanted software.Once operational, the agreement warns that Windows Defender will, by default, automatically remove software rated "high" or "severe," even though that may result in other software ceasing to work or mistakenly result in the removal of software that is not unwanted."Read the EULA for Spybot Search and Destroy. Tell me that it doesn't disclaim the same thing about removing software and the ramifications of doing so. Microsoft just spells it out in clearer english, vs. the EULA for the freeware Spybot. The article fails to note that Windows Defender can be TURNED OFF, either by the settings in the program, OR on the service level to completely disable it. It isn't a required item to use. "For greater certainty, the terms and conditions remove any doubt about who is in control by providing that "this agreement only gives you some rights to use the software. Microsoft reserves all other rights." For those users frustrated by the software's limitations, Microsoft cautions that "you may not work around any technical limitations in the software." "Welcome to every EULA in existance. :) I've never seen a commercial EULA that puts the ownership of the software into the hands of the user. It is ALWAYS a license. Have people not understood this? (I can see where the layperson wouldn't, but those technically minded folks? Come'on!) The author DOES have some good points on the DRM side of things, which I am disappointed with, but I lean on the RIAA/MPAA for their influence here rather than Microsoft. If the media providers license their technologies, they could have made MS agree to put in restrictions before they would allow MS to access their licensed technologies. Either way, the article does more to perpetuate baseless fears of "Big Brother Microsoft", and little to portray the EULA in an honest light. Disappointed with that article and the blatent spin. It certainly isn't a productive discussion maker, that's for certain.

You guys are nuts.

A couple interesting (and somewhat entertaining) perspectives of the new OS.http://techreport.com/etc/2007q1/vista-lic...ng/index.x?pg=1http://enthusiast.hardocp.com/article.html...W50aHVzaWFzdA==Thankfully I'm not an alpha geek... I'm just a plain, simple geek. :-)

>of the monopoly. I'll wait for the intelligent, un-bloated,>OS that will inevitably come out within the next 5 years. I>say "inevitably" because of the second law of thermodynamics.>Since I, personally, have always been many years late on>"upgrading" Windows, to my greatest benefit, I'll just sit>back, sim-fly and enjoy the show.Unfortunately, it seems that you will be forced to upgrade to Vista eventually, if you ever want to fly your FS under DX10.I guess if a person doesn't care about flying FS under DX10, then they can continue on with XP or whatever I suppose.RhettAMD 3700+ (@2310 mhz), eVGA 7800GT 256 (Guru3D 93.71), ASUS A8N-E, PC Power 510 SLI, 2 GB Corsair XMS 2.5-3-3-8 (1T), WD 250 gig 7200 rpm SATA2, CoolerMaster Praetorian case

>Ok, you're against software piracy, but it's not the>responibilty of the consumer to react, but it's also wrong, if>a company takes measures to stop illegal activities, which is>able to wipe out and entire generation of artist, record>companies, software manufacturers and movie makers. Who should>take some action then?>It's wrong when they inhibit, degrade or otherwise interfere with my use of hardware I purchase. That's part of the DRM system incorporated within Vista. They can literally shut your audio card down as they see fit based on their own "rules" defined by the RIAA and MPAA. Own a DVD burner? DRM will disable it.>Substantial prosecution sounds like a good alternative, but>unfortunately not practical, because it would overwhelm any>judical system. You simply cannot throw every 12yo into jail,>who choses to download the latest Top 10 song.>No, you go after those who provide the access.>The problem has to be defeated by the source and that is,>unfortunately, DRM. You/We are paying the price for a>generation that has no respect for ownership. Mind me, I have>also created mix tapes for my friends back in the 80s, but>that is just nothing compared to the MASSIVE copyright and>illectual infringements that are being violated nowadays. I>welcome the change, even it does inconvienence me.>Respect for ownership? Last I checked I owned this PC and all it's associated hardware. Last I checked there was nothing in any legal system that allows third parties to decide whether or not hardware I own legally can or can not be used. I make a mere pittance by comparison to "them"... why are their rights more valuable than mine? They're not, you know it, I know it. The world's biggest lawsuit is in the near future and I see MS, the RIAA and MPAA and lord knows who else in this "axis of evil" losing a lot of cash.>Again, DRM or WGA will only affect the ones who chose to break>the law and use it. It will 'inconvenience' us, but that's it.>It has hardly to do with taking our freedom or liberty away.>>I have a DVD burner. I have a right, yes right to use it. Vista will shut it down, completely. That's not an inconvenience, it's theft.

They are removing availability of XP ANYTHING as I type. You had better whip out the C.C. and make a move on the web sites. Stores are in the act of removing all traces of XP..and are being told to ship their stock back to M.S. for credit.I just got off the phone with the store that I had purchased XP Pro from in fact this morning as soon as their doors opened.I had a feeling.....and was proved so right.Move, or lose, if you want a copy of XP Pro, or whatever!Mitch R.