Vista's Legal Fine Print Raises Red Flags (All your computer are belong to us.)

The Toronto Star ^ | January 29, 2007 | Michael Geist

[quidnunc]

Vista, the latest version of Microsoft's Windows operating system, makes its long awaited consumer debut tomorrow. The first major upgrade in five years, Vista incorporates a new, sleek look and features a wide array of new functionality, such as better search tools and stronger security.

The early reviews have tended to damn the upgrade with faint praise, however, characterizing it as the best, most secure version of Windows, yet one that contains few, if any, revolutionary features.

While those reviews have focused chiefly on Vista's new functionality, for the past few months the legal and technical communities have dug into Vista's "fine print." Those communities have raised red flags about Vista's legal terms and conditions as well as the technical limitations that have been incorporated into the software at the insistence of the motion picture industry.

The net effect of these concerns may constitute the real Vista revolution as they point to an unprecedented loss of consumer control over their own personal computers. In the name of shielding consumers from computer viruses and protecting copyright owners from potential infringement, Vista seemingly wrestles control of the "user experience" from the user.

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. During the installation process, users "activate" Vista by associating it with a particular computer or device and transmitting certain hardware information directly to Microsoft.

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. 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.

Vista also incorporates Windows Defender, an anti-virus program that actively 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.

-snip-

[wastedyears]

Now I know I'll stick to Windows XP.

[LonePalm]

Sounds like the definition of a virus to me.

Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)

[hophead]

Bill Gates IS Big Brother!

[B4Ranch]

That kinda reminds me of the Patriot Act.

[snarks_when_bored]

Microsoft Vista:  the Soylent Green of PC operating systems.

[redgolum]

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. 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.

XP has a similar set up.

[rlmorel]

Ping for a later post of URL with interesting information.

[DonaldC]

I think the direction Microsoft is moving in is disturbing..but it is their product I guess.

Regarding defender, I ran that stuff on my w2k box for a while and it never found anything. That would be good if were not for the fact that spybot and adaware were finding things. Did anyone else run it and what did you think?

[Banjoguy]

I think his partner, Paul Allen is really the one who must be watched.

[Constantine XIII]

Someone contact Admiral Ackbar. I think we need his input here.

[Stonewall Jackson]

What do you think of this?

[VeniVidiVici]

Yawn. Same old ****, different day.

[NonValueAdded]

Vista seemingly wrestles control of the "user experience" from the user

Jeez, they're turning it into a Mac!

[Constantine XIII]

LOL, that didn't take long. Looks like someone's already cracked Vista's DRM.

http://it.slashdot.org/it/07/01/29/1811201.shtml

[theFIRMbss]

Someday, someone will build special asylums for the people who feel the imperative to spend every waking hour "informing" the world of Microsoft's "flaws" and attacking everything that Microsoft does. (If I'm put in charge of the asylums' IT, I'll make it a point to build our software around Vista -- then inmates can dream of escape . . .)

[WalterSkinner]

All Your Computers Are Belong To Us

..Gates knew it all along...

[Petronski]

Spyware.

[George W. Bush]

Now I know I'll stick to Windows XP.

Very smart. Vista won't be needed for years yet, if ever.

Needs a gig of RAM just to idle, more to do anything serious. The medium to high-end versions are needed for all the eye-candy. The 3d-view is awkward. The UI is a ripoff of Mac OSX right down to the Gadgets feature and the new Search gadget.

The most compelling reason to upgrade is if you are a high-end gamer with $2000 or more invested in your hardware. Even then, the games and even the video cards aren't yet widely available and won't be for at least a year.

Vista looks to be the new Windows Millennium (previously the worst known version of Windows). Oh, and it's annoying and confusing for anyone except expert users, spending most of its time forcing you to click on this or that authorization for something it doesn't explain to you. Early studies are showing that it's so annoying that people just turn off all the security features to keep it from pestering them so much and end up far worse off for security than they were with XP. Oh, and Microsoft locked out the other antivirus companies so you can't use your reliable security programs with it even though it's very lame.

I won't even start in on all the DRM stuff that is designed to degrade your HD videos if you don't have HDMI/HDCP monitors and video cards. Lot of people out there have over 2 grand of first-rate equipment and buy the HD-DVD drive for another $200 and still can't even play it on their screen. It down-rez's it to DVD resolution.

I warned all my friends, families and customers to get a new machine with XP on it before Vista is the only choice. Or to just get a Mac which is what I finally did (Mac Pro). I haven't been this content with my computer in years. I use it to multi-boot, running Mac OSX, WinXP and Ubuntu Linux all simultaneously, all on top of the lovely Mac rock-solid BSD OS. Very stable, an amazing setup.

Vista is the Zune of operating systems.

[DonaldC]

"Oh, and Microsoft locked out the other antivirus companies so you can't use your reliable security programs with it even though it's very lame."

I had not heard this. Is this a perm. situation?