Microsoft's new DRM policies

[angshuman]

Slashdot: Microsoft DRM To Get Even Tighter

 

Inquirer: Microsoft Media Player shreds your rights

[Diamond]

The funniest part in both articles is actually "using Windows Media Player".

[angshuman]

As a slashdot reader mentioned, the point is that not many people know otherwise. The average Joe doesn't even know there are alternatives. Also, don't forget that regardless of what Media Player you use, you'll be running it on Windows. How long before MS transfers these functionalities to the OS core? WMP could just be a testbed.

[Kaftan Barlast]

Coupled with the rumours about how the decoding of media will take place in a special "protected memory space" in WinVista that will be inaccessible to non-MS program, this looks even worse.

[Meshugger]

Quite evidently, this is a violation of your privacy. This function will be removed for users in the EU.

[alanschu]

If thinks are as bad as these articles make them out to be, then I wouldn't be surprised if people stick with XP, and don't use WMP 11.

[metadigital]

Microsoft's Guidelines for Customer Privacy

Microsoft has released its 'Privacy Guidelines for Developing Software Products and Services.' According to Peter Cullen, chief privacy strategist, Microsoft has learned about protecting user's data from such endeavors as Hailstorm and WGA. 'Certainly that and other things have contributed to us thinking deeply with how we provide security and privacy, as well as respect and control with how their information is used,' he said. 'We think others should join in this discussion.'

[Gorgon]

"As a slashdot reader mentioned, the point is that not many people know otherwise. The average Joe doesn't even know there are alternatives. Also, don't forget that regardless of what Media Player you use, you'll be running it on Windows. How long before MS transfers these functionalities to the OS core? WMP could just be a testbed."

 

If that happens we will finally start to see a rise in Linux releases because people will be deserting windows in droves. I can't wait.

[Slowtrain]

If that happens we will finally start to see a rise in Linux releases because people will be deserting windows in droves.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

On what planet?

[metadigital]

It can't be too hard to build a *nix PC that runs the latest games ... after all, the new PS3 will run Linux ...

[Slowtrain]

Right, my mom all her friends, my sister, brother, all the computer users at my job, the travel agent down the street, the hospital, are all going to abandon windows and go to Linux.

 

Yup. Sure they are

[alanschu]

If it's as restrictive as some are hyping it up to be, I bet many people don't stay on board, and will probably end up using a Unix system in Mac OS X.

[metadigital]

Right, my mom all her friends, my sister, brother, all the computer users at my job, the travel agent down the street, the hospital, are all going to abandon windows and go to Linux.

 

Yup.  Sure they are

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The barrier (it seems you are suggesting, and I would agree) is the user-friendliness of Linux alternatives.

 

If that issue were hurdled, then a Wine-enabled PC would certainly be a possibility ... especially when you consider that Vista could cost

[angshuman]

As far as everyday tasks such as web browsing, e-mail, and local file management are concerned, I would say that most modern distros such as Ububtu and Knoppix would be almost as easy to use as Windows. It's only when you get to system administration tasks (installing software, managing users etc.) that Linux becomes fairly more complex - and rightfully so IMO. For system security, you want only users with a fair amount of expertise to be able to perform such tasks. One of the biggest reasons behind Windows' security issues today is the abuse of Administrator accounts for day-to-day activities. Most people that use a machine for a dedicated application (such as travel agents, cashiers, bank tellers) wouldn't even realize what OS they are using since they are running a single application 24/7.

 

IMO one of the biggest the problem with Linux distros today is that Media/Entertainment support is pathetic. MPlayer and Xine are good products, but nowhere near as polished or as easy to get working as the players available for Windows. We all know the story with games. Microsoft is also trying hard to portray an image of Windows as a media platform. With the new DRM cartel in place, it looks like all OSS is going to be left out of the loop, so the problem is probably going to get worse.

[metadigital]

Interestingly, Intel-nVidia are forming a closed-loop DRM offering but AMD-ATi (ha ha!, before the merger, too) are a lot more forgiving, even allowing for Linux.

[Fenghuang]

Link?

 

If that's true Intel can suck it and I'll skip Core 2 Duo despite performance gains over AMD's current processors.

[metadigital]

I'll look it up when I get back from the gym; I read about it in PC Format a couple of months ago, but their site is not conducive to information extraction.