Posted on 10/13/2006 7:22:58 AM PDT by Señor Zorro
Microsoft has released licenses for the Windows Vista operating system that dramatically differ from those for Windows XP in that they limit the number of times that retail editions can be transferred to another device and ban the two least-expensive versions from running in a virtual machine.
The new licenses, which were highlighted by the Vista team on its official blog Tuesday, 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 new policy is narrower than Windows XP's. In the same section, the license for Windows XP Home states: "You may move the Software to a different Workstation Computer. After the transfer, you must completely remove the Software from the former Workstation Computer." There is no limit to the number of times users can make this move. Windows XP Professional's license is identical.
Elsewhere in the license, Microsoft 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," the legal language reads. Vista Ultimate and Vista Business, however, can be installed within a VM.
Vista Home Basic, at $199 for a full version and $99 for an upgrade, and Vista Home Premium ($239/$159), are the two most-affordable retail editions of the operating system scheduled to appear on store shelves in January 2007.
Although the Vista team's blog did not point out these changes, it did highlight others. "Two notable changes between Windows Vista license terms and those for Windows XP are: 1) failure of a validation check results in the loss of access to specific features; and 2) an increase in our warranty period from 90 days to 1 year, which brings Windows in line with most other Microsoft products," wrote Vista program manager Nick White.
Specifically, 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, collectively 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.
I'd say get a good image backup product like Acronis, so instead of reformating you recover from backup.
So what is the advantage of buying a program to do that, as opposed to just reformatting? Does that program just do the same thing that the imbedded WinXP accessorie System Restore does?
It takes a bit level "snapshot" of your hard drive. When you restore, the system will be *exactly* as it was at the moment of the backup.
Thanks for that info on Acronis. Reformatting IS very time-consuming due to having to reload all my apps, redo all settings, etc. -- I looked it up on their website and it looks to be a $50 item for the download, plus 12.99 + S&H to get it in CD form, a little bit pricey. One impt question comes to mind: Will the product allow one to use one disc to perform the functions on all 3 of my machines, or will it limit me to using it on one machine? Thx again.
I think you'd need a copy for each system you're backing up. If they're worth backing up, it's probably worth the $5o.
You make your first backup immediately after you've got everything setup to your liking, but haven't started using it yet. You restore back to that point if/when you start having problems as usually related to application or browser clutter. You will have made other backups since the first one that you can go back to and individually restore data files as needed.
Yet another reason NOT to upgrade to Vista.
...as if anyone needs more reasons.
After all, with stuff like this, more people are going to use XP until push really comes to shove (with the possible exceptions of larger, heavy-duty systems such as those found in medium to large corporations and major universities)
New computers are really cheap now and usually come with Windows preinstalled. Just how many different computers would a person really need to install the same licensed copy of software onto anyway.
Interesting...
Though from the article, it sounds like it's simply Apple's own version of NX configured for Mac and iPod
Linux sucks. With all the new devices computers have now days you would be lucky to find all the drivers you need. And why do that when Windows does it for you.
Good for them, there's obviously nothing wrong with that, it does most everything you can do on the desktop as of today. Endless O/S trials and upgrades are not something most users want.
And just how many times are you going to keep upgrading the hardware on the same computer? At some point its just cheaper to buy a new computer.
You can't be low end user and install Vista.
I have used Linux for years and also use Mac OSX. OSX doesn't have anyof the licensing B.S. This use to be only at the corporate level in IT shops such as very long license keys that have to be typed in meticulously but now coming to M$h!t Vista.
I've got to agree-Vector's a good distro.
Heck, once I get a larger hard drive, I'll probably either throw it or Slack 11 on there. 8^)
Sure.
I've run both openSuSE 10.x and now SLED 10.
Between the Yast and the Zen, openSuSE (or, in the case of enterprise systems, Novell) keeps you covered.
Not to mention it's terrifyingly easy to update.
I get about four or five emails a week with recommended updates, once or twice a month with more important updates (last one was to upgrade the precompiled kernel), and security fixes as they arise.
All in all, SuSE is a pretty rock-solid system IMHO.
BTW--if you have any questions with Suse, feel free to freepmail...
Free 15 day trail if download from Norton-Symantec
I don't know if I classify CompUSA as a "best store", but I have seen boxed Linux sold there within the last three weeks, and those same distributions are also offered on their website:
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| SuSE Linux 10 | Linspire Five.0 | Xandros Desktop Home Edition |
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