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.
Furthermore, I keep a copy of Windows running on VMWare, mostly for games, but also for testing, so the no-VM clause in the cheaper versions is a real pain as well.
I'm going to the bookstore and get a linux OS and run it on the backup and get up to speed. F Microsoft.
For ease of use, I recommend either Red Hat or Debian. I personally prefer Slackware, but I've been a *nix hound for almost 20 years now.
don't worry... it'll be circumvented by smarter programmers than the clowns at MS.
That's what I'm wondering too. If I upgrade my computer, and reinstall Vista, will that count against the transfer limit?
Disclaimer: I am a proud Mac user, but I work with Windows XP at the office.
It seems as though Vista is getting increasingly restrictive to the "low-end" users, and more complicated overall in terms of choice versus price point. Why should I have to get power locks and power windows just because I want air conditioning and automatic transmission? Why not offer a standard package with all features for home use, a family pack of the same version, and a business upgrade package that only larger networks would need?
The VM part is to make sure businesses buy the more expensive versions, even where the cheaper ones would do. Lots of businesses rely on VMs to test software and configurations before allowing them into a production environment.
I can't wait until Toyota starts making operating systems.
It's hard for me to say this, but Apple must be jumping up and down with glee. I know more than one person who are fed up with Microsoft and are switching to either Linux if they have know-how or to Mac.
Seriously.
4 of my 5 PCs run Linux. It just isn't worth all the money and BS from MS just to have Vista.
MS is already following the auto makers' business model, apparently. Financing will be available through MSAC Financing
Download Ubuntu. If you want to keep all your Outlook Express emails, ask me how.
Not to mention DR.
Right now VMware is THE hottest thing in IT. I sell it by the boat load.
"I'm going to the bookstore and get a linux OS and run it on the backup and get up to speed. F Microsoft."
You might try running WINE. It will run many (most)windows apps without any Mivrosoft code.
The following is from their website; http://www.winehq.com/
Wine is an Open Source implementation of the Windows API on top of X and Unix.
Think of Wine as a compatibility layer for running Windows programs. Wine does not require Microsoft Windows, as it is a completely free alternative implementation of the Windows API consisting of 100% non-Microsoft code, however Wine can optionally use native Windows DLLs if they are available. Wine provides both a development toolkit for porting Windows source code to Unix as well as a program loader, allowing many unmodified Windows programs to run on x86-based Unixes, including Linux, FreeBSD, Mac OS X, and Solaris.
More information can be read in the articles Why Wine is so important, and Debunking Wine Myths. If you are wondering how well a particular application works in Wine, please examine the Applications Database. For installation instructions and step-by-step help with running Wine, take a look at the User Guide.
Wine is free software. The licensing terms are the GNU Lesser General Public License.
Silly thoughtomator. Where do you think PalmOS comes from? *thwack!*
;o)
I think the answer is - yes !!
I help with a 20,000 node network. This just gave the open source advocates in my department a HUGE boost.
Hardest running app I run is spell check.
I just decided that my next workstation will be a Mac. This is fscking rediculous. Macs for my personal machines, Linux for my servers. I'm absolutely sick of Microsoft's Big Brother mentality.
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