It's Windows vs. Windows as Microsoft battles piracy

CNet ^

[Happy2BMe]

The little and weak-minded always resorts to slander and insult.

[HAL9000]

Personally, I like the guy and respect him as a worthy adversary in technology debates. But I can't understand why he feels the need for personal attacks occasionally. It's unnecessary and unhelpful to his own interests.

[dennisw]

sites such as The Software Patch.......


Great site. Thanks

[Happy2BMe]

You must be an adult. You certainly have an mature attitude like one. I'd like to see more of that around here.

tnx

[Central Scrutiniser]

One 5 minute trip to Panthip Plaza in Bangkok, and you can get Windows XP with both service packs for about $5, or you can get the full suite of Windows Office programs with 11 different programs on it for the same price.

You'd be nuts to buy a neutered XP version legit, when you can get everything you want for a fraction of the price.

[Happy2BMe]

You should see the software duping shops in Saudi Arabia. The user's manual's (copied also) cost more than the software. They have cd burners right there in the shops for you to burn whatever you want for pennies.

And so it goes.

[Central Scrutiniser]

There have been some crackdowns a bit in Thailand, software used to be sold in the open, then you just browsed pictures of the software and made an order which was filled in 10 minutes, nowadays, they take you back into a kiosk, or they have legimate magazines with the catalouges inside of them, then you order and wait 20 minutes!

Its different in other cities, I saw no software in Krabi, but plenty of DVD's out in the open, in Phuket I had to go behind a false door in an art gallery to peruse the wares.

But its everywhere, I'm going back in a few weeks for a long trip and up to Laos, to see what its like there.

[LTCJ]

When I purchase a new machine am I going to have to purchase a complete new copy of Windows?

Probably. I believe your biggest problem is going to be avoiding the "Microsoft Tax" to begin with, unless you "roll your own". It's been over a year since I shopped for a new system but I had a hard time finding reasonably priced white boxes with all the hardware I wanted. I ended up Newegging all my HW components and putting them together on my dinning room table - highly recommended if you're comfortable with the innards of a box.

[N3WBI3]

The recommended way to do image deployements is to use a sysprep image..