Vista: World's Longest Suicide Note?

Anti-Trend

Anti-Trend

Nonconformist Geek
Is Microsoft's new Vista operating system going to be the world's longest suicide note? TheInquirer.net is running an article on a recent paper by Dr. Peter Gutmann, a technical enthusiast from New Zealand, which is claiming that very thing. From the article:

""Windows Vista includes an extensive reworking of core OS elements in order to provide content protection for so-called "premium content", typically HD data from Blu-Ray and HD-DVD sources. Providing this protection incurs considerable costs in terms of system performance, system stability, technical support overhead, and hardware and software cost," says Gutmann on his homepage."

Get The Inquirer's take here, and straight from Dr. Gutmann himself over here. Well worth the read, as this will affect us all, either directly or indirectly.
 
i think it will affect most of us directly, eventually we will have to use a vista machine for something, somewhere... im glad it will be at least 10 years before my college upgrades to Vista tho :P lol
 
Impotence said:
...im glad it will be at least 10 years before my college upgrades to Vista tho :P lol
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As for me, I'll buy Vista next time I have an uncontrollable craving for an OS who's primary feature is "enhanced DRM". :O So yeah, I suspect that means "never". But that doesn't mean that management types won't be sucked in by marketing hype and I won't have to use it in a business environment in the near future.
 
wow.... what a mind job!

i would seriously recommend everyone reads this! i managed to do it with a beer in my hand, so there's no excuse! if you don't read it you will have no idea what you might be walking into...

Im concerned what this means for Linux... I'm sure I'll find the words to describe what I'm feeling soon, but simply put, I don't Like it!

what have you got to say about it sniper? (your on the "Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread" list :P)
 
Microsoft works together with Novell for their SuSe linux. Steve Ballmer declared that linux is owned by MS. All other linux distro's are in danger. This means that MS is controlling almost any computer user. Windows Vista has many limitations to a user. So say goodbye to freedom :swear:
 
If Steve Ballmer thinks he can somehow stop me from using my lovely Debian OS because of some non-existent or superfluous patent infringement then he might as well be trying to get George Bush to do something smart for a change, and that is not going to happen.
 
ok seriously, i'm still reading essay, but seriously a couple of things have to be going on here, ether that guy is completely crazy and all that stuff is made up, or seriously Microsoft is really actually looking at global hostile take over. Really though, i can't seriously see how any of that would work. Any artist anywere you uses a computer with an OS, would never in their right mind use Vista, that goes along with anyone who edits or makes movies. Really, Microsoft might as well say they are going to shut down the company. They have power and money, but not that much, what they would be asking for would be a damn revolution on the world.
 
yeah, got through it all, skimmed some parts, thats all bullcrap, Microsoft is real dumb, and probably thought real hard about actually doing that, but there is no way any of that is going to happen, Balmer is a business guy, bottom line, in doing that he knows he would loose all his money.
 
I Woudln't put so much put so much faith in Balmers intelligence.

this is after all, the monkey dancing chair throwing guy that belive's M$ owns Linux. Be Aware!
 
Like i said Ballmer is an idiot, a business man, but an idiot. I don't think that the infringement was the only reason Novel just decided to join them. Why hasn't the other four or five big distro jumped on yet. I'm pretty sure Linux is completely ok. I don't have faith in his intelligence, but like i said he is a business man, and as much crap as he gets and how dumb he is, figuratively speaking, I highly doubt he would make such a dumb move as to implement all of those security things into Vista, as it would in the long run cost him money, as for trying to take over Linux, yeah cause Linux costs him money, not really that much because Linux has such a small share, but he's probably making stupid, and probably pointless moves. Most likely do to his obsession with using chairs as combat items....
 
The main objectives of Microsoft are: take highest position, make as much money as possible and eliminate the opposition with any means neccesary.
 
My strong belief is that Linux has zero stolen code, because open-source projects almost always have much tighter stipulations than closed-source projects. This is especially true of the Linux kernel, which requires each change to be signed off on. But actual code or some other kind of tangible thing is not what we're talking about here, it's patents. There are so many patents of obvious technology out there it's rediculous. I'm sure Linux is infringing on hundreds of patents, and that goes for Windows and OS X as well. Hell, that goes for the PB&J sandwich I made for my daughter yesterday (yes, peanut butter & jelly sandwich making is patented... multiple times). The US patent system is badly, badly broken. But what Microsoft is hinting at is all-out patent war.

There's an old story about Microsoft IP lawyers calling a meeting with IBM patent lawyers. The MS sharks dropped a handful of patents on the table and said, "We believe you're infringing on these patents. We are considering whether or not to take you to court for infringement." In response, the IBM guys had dozens of file cabinets brought in, each filled with their own patents. "We believe you are infringing on these patents." The MS lawyers decided not to proceed with their patent suit.

What I'm getting at here is that there are many, many companies which infringe on many, many patents. This isn't because those companies are conniving thieves who stunt innovation by pilfering original ideas from others, but because patenting software is essentially patenting math. It's like saying [2+2=4]© ... so basically every software company is infringing in some way or another. It should really be a matter of reforming the patent system, especially in regards to software.
 
Anti-Trend said:
patenting software is essentially patenting math. It's like saying [2+2=4]©
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Agreed! I have no problem with copyrighting software (if you created it, its yours), but software patents are plain wrong (how can you own the idea of doing something?)

but really, as software is nothing more than a number (a string of 0s and 1s), how is it possible to patent or copyright it?

there was a article on slashdot recently about medical patents, Slashdot | Nobel Laureate Attacks Medical Intellectual Property
 
Well, no, not really. There are certain applications in computing that are obvious, and some that are not. Some type of GUI is obvious, the NTFS file management system is not obvious. (And the various open-source code that allows linux to use it IS patent infringement.) If someone copies your proprietary way of doing something, you are intitled to compinsation. That said, yes, there are shit-tons of patents being infringed all the time. If the companies really cared to enforce them, they may get money, sometimes, with some judges. In the end it is really better for everyone that these patents are not enforced, because if everyone was enforced, software growth would slow to a crawl. As it stands, inovative software hangs around for a couple of years untill someone finds another way to code the same thing. The current standard is, "well do you blatantly steal from my source?" and that is that. M$ and friends do launch suits for software that just infringes on thier "ideas" but they are just threats. They rarely make it to a finial court. Anywho, to sum it all up, yes, sufficiently advanced mathematical techniques and software princibles are patenable (Just look at wolfram research), but it is better for everyone that they are only enforced in certain circuimstances.
 
There's nothing wrong with patents, but some companies seem to thrive predatory patent filing. On the flip-side, the patent system is also what has made people millionaires. Unfortunately, it's a two way street, and any legislation is going to be a tricky maneuvar. Not all patents are clear, so Microsoft can appear right and wrong on the *nix patent infringement. Additionally, they also need to consider that the Linux issue could easily be used as ammo. Secondly, without showing specifics, Microsoft may be denied their case. Right now, it's a lot of hot air from Ballmer, which doesn't tend to stand in court.
 
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