But seriously, I do simmilar with my 98. I install on 3 hard drives then when it starts going buggy I start saving data to cd. When it gets too bad, usually after 2 or 3 months, I just pop a clean installed hard drive in.
Posted on 06/13/2006 11:45:10 AM PDT by Panerai
Millions of Windows users may unwittingly be test subjects for an unfinished Microsoft antipiracy tool.
The software maker has been delivering a prerelease version of Windows Genuine Advantage Notifications software to PCs as a "high priority" item in the built-in update feature in Windows. The tool, also known as WGA Notifications, is used to validate the authenticity of Windows software installed on a PC.
The move is a first for the software maker. Microsoft normally asks people to join test programs before it initiates the download of any such trial software.
"I don't think that we have done it before," David Lazar, director of the Windows Genuine program at Microsoft, told CNET News.com on Monday. "WGA Notifications is a unique program."
Microsoft has been expanding its effort to distinguish pirated copies of Windows from legitimately acquired ones. The original WGA program, launched in September 2004, calls for people to validate their Windows installation when they download additional Microsoft software from a Microsoft Web site. In November, it introduced the separate WGA Notifications program. It now sends prerelease WGA Notifications software to people in a number of countries, including the United States.
But some security experts are troubled by Microsoft's decision to deliver prerelease software to millions of Windows users without clearly notifying them. People may not realize they are participating in a trial and have in essence become unsuspecting guinea pigs, they said.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.com.com ...
Since you pose a hypothetical question, I'll give you a hypothetical answer: $89
"$299 for win xp professional ? Give me a f*** break !"
Hah, $135 from Newegg. $90 for XP Home, $110 for Media Center edition.
There's your break, happy?
I thought a lot of people on this board were happy with the "if you don't have anything to hide, why are you bothered" mentality. Jeesh. What's another bit of privacy gone? /s
If every copy was $60 there would be less theft.
C'mon, you think raising the price is incenting the public to NOT pirate??? That is kinda like raising the value and cost of a car incents thieves not to steal them.
Sure, That's gonna work!
It doesn't matter what it costs. I can do everything on my Linux laptop that I can do under Windows (including the games I enjoy)--and the software is much cheaper.
All corporations are like this. Once the diversity pimps and lifers become entrenched, they grow by sheer bloated momentum. Kind of like the horizontal momentum a fat person experiences when they sit down.
In the old days it was undestood clearly that once you bought a piece of software, you could legally install it into as many computers as you wished, so long as you did not run more than one installation at the same time.
That is no longer possible, since the operating system checks the hardware configuration to cerify if it is a "legal" copy.
My desktop crashed. The fix was a new motherboard. That required a new hard drive since new motherboards no longer have two IDE connectors. Also new memory was required... bottom line, the ghost image from my previous desktop was rejected.
I keep three computers "current" all the time now at home. My "main" Desktop; a backup in case the desktop crashes (and it always does a few days before bills are due) and a laptop.
I never have the need to run two at a time other than transferring critical files for backup.
Will I pay for three full legal copies of Windows XP Pro? Nope.
C'mon, you think raising the price is incenting the public to NOT pirate??? That is kinda like raising the value and cost of a car incents thieves not to steal them.
Sure, That's gonna work!
No. If everyone paid for their copy of XP, MS could charge less and still cover. We who do not pirate are footing the bill for those do.
It is possible to disagree with a law and obey it at the same time. You just choose not to.
windows 3.11 is abandonware, want a copy?
http://www.peteweb.com/index.php?showtopic=3987
totally legit.
Have they checked Asia and specifically China recently?
Remember Microsoft is a monopoly. It just means that you HAVE to pay that price if you are dealing with the real world of business.
Despite the enthusiasm of the nich offices, windows is for all intents and purposes the only game in town.
Competing operating systems could be free or they could pay you to use them, you would still have to buy the microsoft product to make the specialty software work with zero chance of emulator compatability problems. IOW the price difference is irrelevant.
How do you know it's legit?
Actually, if you read the posts on the site, there is one where someone asks about the legal implications & they explain. Interesting.
But seriously, I do simmilar with my 98. I install on 3 hard drives then when it starts going buggy I start saving data to cd. When it gets too bad, usually after 2 or 3 months, I just pop a clean installed hard drive in.
Have you considered raid?
No. I'm actually not really sure what it is. I just keep all 3 hd in the box with 2 disconnected then move the power and ribbon when I feel like it like playing a game on a clean disk vs. a hodgepodge disk.
I read somewhere that the proposed price for Vista will be about $450.
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