Is Windows getting more expensive?

CNet ^ | 27 February 2007 | Ina Fried

[GrandEagle]

So you're upset that Vista doesn't let you break the law
Everyone who copies movies is not interested in breaking the law. I back up everything we buy. DVD's, CD's, everything. A DVD typically lasts about a month with my children. CD's a bit longer because it is my oldest who use them.
I don't copy things I don't buy and I don't "distribute" my backups. And yes, I would not be happy that Vista will not allow me to backup my stuff.

[TommyDale]

Why would Microsoft care what I use my sound card and video card for? Do they know for a fact that I'm using the optical interface for my own purposes? I happen to have a recording studio, so I will NOT use Vista. Also, if I want to use the component video inputs from my own video equipment, Microsoft assumes I must be illegally obtaining a video? This is ridiculous. I have paid hundreds and even thousands for equipment that will now be rendered useless by Vista.

[Squawk 8888]

On MS office, it is more expensive and a bigger hassle than ever...

And Outlook is the worst email client ever, bar none. I was upset that Netscape dropped its mail client, but glad that Mozilla came out with Thunderbird.

For the other Office apps, the Office 2000 Word, Excel and Powerpoint are all I'll ever need. The new "features" are pretty useless IMO.

[flintsilver7]

The thing is, it's not a matter of Vista preventing you from doing anything. It's the protected content. There's no reason to think that Vista would prevent you from copying anything that isn't protected content - and again, Microsoft doesn't decide what the protected content is.

[50sDad]

Living life gloriously here on the trailing edge, where the disgarded hardware and software is plentiful! (Now you know how I have five computers in my house!)

[Gorzaloon]

Just because I find it disturbing that Microsoft would disable certain functionalities doesn't mean I use them. The fact that they did this without telling anyone is really poor business practice, and will likely end in a class action suit.

No, no, no...You have to put this in Vista Format, like this:

Just because I find it disturbing that Microsoft

**DO YOU WANT TO READ THE NEXT LINE? (Y)/(N)**

would disable certain functionalities doesn't mean I use them.

**DO YOU WANT TO READ THE NEXT LINE? (Y)/(N)**

The fact that they did this without telling anyone

**DO YOU WANT TO READ THE NEXT LINE? (Y)/(N)**

is really poor business practice,

**DO YOU WANT TO READ THE NEXT LINE? (Y)/(N)**

and will likely end in a class action suit.

(The above lampoon style was stolen from a newsgroup!)

[Sam Hill]

What a great article for the "news/activism" forum!!!

Congrats!

[flintsilver7]

Did you read my link? Do you understand that Vista does not disable any audio or video outputs UNLESS THE CONTENT IS PROTECTED?

People like you seem to think that S/PDIF is disabled in all Vista environments when it is disabled only in protected content environments because it does not support DRM.

You don't have to buy Vista if you don't want to. It's your choice. If you think (incorrectly) that unprotected content will not play through Vista, that's fine. If you think (incorrectly) that Apple computers don't have DRM, that's fine. Go right ahead.

[CedarDave]

My sister bought a new Dell just after the switch from XP to Vista. Trouble from the git-go. Has spent countless hours with tech support in India and Manila who she had a hard time understanding. Couldn't get it working so they had her get out her OEM disk and reinstall the OS!!

She's the newest newbie you can imagine; has no knowledge of internet, computers, wireless, passwords, spam, firewalls, routers, common lingo (like FAQ, BTW) etc. Has gotten along for her 60+ years without having one, whereas most of us came on board probably around 2000.

So far its been a trip from hell for her. She didn't tell me what she'd done till she spent $1,000 or so. She had to learn that you don't turn it off and on like a TV or lightbulb (which is probably why she could get it to work in the first place). She asked the Cox cable guy who came out to install hi-speed broadband how to get on the internet and he told her to get an email address from Yahoo (she didn't know that she has to get access from her ISP who is Cox). I've already come across a Phishing scheme alert from Cox; I know if she had received an email that looked like it was official, she would have provided them with everything the thieves asked. Scary.

If I'd known what she was going to do, I probably would have told her to get a Mac as it would probably solve about 50% or her problems.

[TommyDale]

Microsoft has done a very poor job of explaining this to consumers.

[TommyDale]

It's not as if most people trust Microsoft anyway. As for Apple, I couldn't care less.

[Maury]

I've copied DVD's on a Vista machine with no problem. Keeping the native 480p resolution and burning to a DL DVD. Exact duplicate and no blocking me with any of the titles I've tried so far.

[ejonesie22]

Don't read too much into that. Look at the time frame of the buy up, late this year, early next, a year after the product rolled. Looks like the XP roll out. 2000 was stable so there was no pressing need to upgrade, plus XP 1 was a dog.

Two things will boost Vista, aging hardware, IT departments have been holding hardware purchases waiting for Vista longer than planed. Remember its been 5 years since a new OS and it is well past schedule. Also with in that time frame (end of 2007-2008) will be the first major patch or even a service pack.

So the truth is some where between the Apple fan and Forbes...

(PS the only Apple I like is my Nano...)

[NY.SS-Bar9]

I have recently returned from vacation where I lugged around my old WIN98 SE laptop to back up pictures.

It hanged a number of times - something I don't see with XP.

I'll skip Vista.

[Maury]

So far it let's me. Have also done the same thing with my kids computer games, as they do the same thing your's do!

[Publius6961]

So you're upset that Vista doesn't let you break the law?

Vista doesn't care if you own the original or not; it eliminates the concept of "backups"...

[ejonesie22]

Did you use the built in Windows media software for burning or a third party product.

See that's the rub for some. have a friend in Video production who asks for advice from time to time. Put Vista on a pridcution maching and his custom software is throwing fits. Seems to be 50% Vista being well, Windows, and 50% DRM, becsue a DVD drive keeps comming and going

[Vinnie]

Another unmentioned maintenance cost each year with Windows is all the ANTI-SPY software and the ANTI-VIRUS software licenses that I have to keep buying every year for my PC machine.

Bingo !!!

[GrandEagle]

Are you running Vista? I've not used it; I'm only going on what I've been told.

[Publius6961]

I read that paper some time ago. Why don't you post the link a third time, though, if it makes you feel better?

I never saw it before, and I appreciate it.

But --- dammit! Don't you know some people are so full of themselves that they would rather you never let others know that the stuff they like isn't really that good a value?

This is all about them, you see...