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Kay also doesn't expect the new piracy measures to be that effective against hardcore pirates, who have built de facto businesses selling illegal Windows copies. But he thinks it will stop some lower-level piracy.

See, this is just a question of professionalism. If you decide to nab some copies of Vista to go install into your home computers from your corporate license, yup, they'll be dumbing down your computer. But if you buy it from the Mexican on the street corner who got it from the guy in Hong Kong, well, then you're golden.

Advice to Microsoft: Make the price reasonable; people will pay for it. Make all your products licensed for an entire home or a certain number of seats in business, and you'll make far more money. Do it now; the next generation is getting used to pirating.

Advice to Microsoft: Make the price reasonable; people will pay for it. Make all your products licensed for an entire home or a certain number of seats in business, and you'll make far more money. Do it now; the next generation is getting used to pirating.

You know what's funny? I have a very minor connection to Microsoft, but it's enough to allow me access to an "insider" program where I can buy a limited number of copies of most major MS stuff. You know what they want for a copy of Windows XP? Twelve dollars. Not a stripped down OEM version where they just give you the CD in a paper envelope with a license code sticker on the back, either, but the full retail version. You know, the one where you get a big colorful cardboard box and open it up to find nothing but a CD in a jewel box with a license code sticker on the back. ;) All shipped straight from the MS factory.

And MS is still making a profit off of me if I buy it for $12, because the cost of producing the CD and box is pennies, and shipping's maybe $1.50 or $2.00.

I've played with the Vista beta, and I can absolutely guarantee that the only reason I'll be buying a copy for my laptop when it comes out is because I have access to this deal where I'll be able to get it for $12 (or more likely $15 or $20; you know they'll try to up the cost even for their "insiders"). There's no way in hell I'd ever pay $150-$300 for the off-the-shelf upgrade (or $200-$400 for the "regular" non-upgrade version). Not for what little Vista is offering.