Posted on 02/23/2003 7:08:02 PM PST by gaucho
Here's yet another reason to be glad we don't use a Microsoft OS. The Trusted Computing Platform Alliance, headed by Microsoft & Intel, provides both hardware and software standards that will allow only licensed operating systems to run on a machine. This means unlicensed operating systems such as Linx can no longer even be installed on a TCPA-compliant system.
In a not so distant future (2004) the TCPA hardware will take charge, when you turn on your PC. This onboard chipset checks the integrity of your boot ROM, executes it and measures the state of the machine. After that, it checks the booting process of your operating system. If the chipset detects a TCPA-compliant OS it will load and execute it. Furthermore, the chipset maintains a list of your hardware (means: soundcard, videocard etc.) and checks them for TCPA-compliance, too. So, let's assume, Fritz (remember? the name of the chipset) detects, that all the stuff in your PC is on the TCPA-approved list, it will be finally happy and boot your system to the login screen. Be careful: If there are significant hardware changes, you will have to go online and re-certify your machine (like XP does).
After the booting process, Fritz hands over the control to the software part of TCPA: Palladium.
This piece of Operating-System-Integrated software is going to determine what you are allowed to do with "your" PC. Let's say: What you are not allowed to do with. Before you can start an application or open a document, it checks wether it thinks you are allowed to or not. No, that's no joke. It really does. Via the Internet, Palladium keeps an up-to-date list of software (the blacklist), you can't start. One can imagine what's on that list. e.g: every kind of cracking / hacking software, illegal copies and so on. Sounds like Microsoft installed a DRM via the backdoor? And that's not even all it is. Every PC with a Fritz chip has an unique ID. Only the software you bought for THIS ID (means: your PC) would be able to run. There's not even the chance to sell software you don't use anymore. Palladium / Fritz won't allow it to run on ANY other machine. There's also a blacklist for documents. Imagine: You're not able to play one of your thousand MP3's anymore, because they don't have a valid certificate, even though the original CD sits in your rack. Not one of your Movies. You also gave Microsoft the permission to delete all the files, once it has found them. You don't believe me? Read the last EULA of your Media Player.
For more information, visit http://www.notcpa.org/.
Well, that is partly true. While you own the hardware, you don't own the operating system. What you buy is a license that allows you to use Microsoft's software. Microsoft owns the operating system software. You just buy the right to use something that belongs to them.
That has always been the case. They are just coming up with new ways to make sure you comply with the license. If you don't like that arrangement, then buy different hardware that will allow you to install whatever operating system you want. You don't have to buy Intel processors. And Linux is certainly an option for a different operating system.
I suggest if any of you have stocks in these two companies, you should think about cashing out because the consumers are not as stupid as Microsoft and Intel thinks they are.
What downfall? Can't you read an annual report?
What?
You've got it all wrong. Macs coexist with Windows. I can use Novell on PC and Mac. I can use Lotus Notes on PC and Mac. I can share drives on PCs and Macs. You and dcam started in on Mac users without a single Mac comment being posted.
But you are an ass.
Where do we get these freaking morons?
Or more likely, they will stop buying the HARDwARE that incorporates it (i.e. the chipset). This is as much Intel as Microsoft.
I too have bought my last Microsoft operating system, but because of their outrageous licensing terms.
1. my new Dell laptop with XP takes about 20 seconds longer to boot than a slower desktop with W98se. Also slower than the latest release of RH Linux.
I'd call Dell tech support if I were you. I run XP along with Win95, 98, and RH 8.0 on my test box here and XP is the fastest to boot.
2. My Dell with XP is always trying to "call home". It got away from me before I loaded Mozilla, and now keeps pestering me to load "updates" to my Microshaft software that I don't want.
Control Panel/System/Automatic Updates - uncheck the box that says "Keep my computer up to date", if this bothers you.
3. After installing Linux in seperate partitions (OS & swap), XP decided to reformat those partitions before I could stop it.
Employ an exorcist. I dual and quad boot XP with about every flavor of Linux out there and have NEVER had XP reformat anything I told it not to.
Perhaps by "non-technical view" you meant you had an aversion to RTFM?
I hae XPHome and have been happy for the most part. But suddenly I have 2 probs, that I haven't investigated thoroughly yet.
One, the most recent set of updates trashes my machine when I try to install it. I get all sorts of warnings of the general form "AD9Ef-XXXXXXXXX-Yadda could not be written -- the data has been lost" and then scandisk comes on when it reboots and for some reason, no keystrokes will stop scandisk. This has happened 4 times, all with this most recent set of updates. My DVD player has been behaving erratically ever since the first time it happened.
The other is a popup dialog that comes up at odd times advertising male "member" enlargement. It has popped up twice while I was browsing FR. Spy++ indicates that the dialog is a child of the desktop, no process to kill. I have heard of a trojan that does that, and my daughter or one of her friends could unwittingly have downloaded one, but I did not find the file indicated to be the culprit, so I may have a new one.
For all I know, the two problems are related. The timing is certainly a coincidence.
Other than those two recent(but very troubling) problems, I have been happy with XP, once configured to be a little less dummy-fied.
I have another machine(older), that has win98SE on it. I think I am going to set it up with linux eventually, just for kicks.
I've already "released" your meaning. IBM is hardly on the skids. They're doing just fine for their stockholders. Before the PC, they were the evil monopoly pursued by the government until Reagan finally shut all that nonsense down. Using a percentage of the computer market from the 80's is foo comparison.
No it is a good comparison of how history might repeat itself. My point was if Microsoft and Intel continue down the road they have chosen they may lose a good percentage of their consumer base by alienating their costumers.
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