News Pirated Vista gets new features

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2007/09/12/pirated_vista_gets_new_features/1

Forget about the BSOD that became intertwined with previous incarnations of Microsoft's Windows operating system. Users of pirated copies of Vista can expect a black screen of nothing.

 

So microsoft are now saying that the've booby trapped their O/S?
I suppose thats one way of doing sothing about piracy but I'll give it about a week before there's a workaround or a crack for this feature.

 

So how is this any different then the retail version?

 

This already exists. It's part of the Software Licensing service. It's happened to me before when I've changed hardware.

 

It's all very well for a Western European citizen, where the cost of a OEM license is less than a days wages unless you are on a very low income. Slightly different story in most other areas of the world. The ones that need all the help they can get.

 

Don't worry, they're all running the original release of XP (i.e. FCKGW). There's little sign of Vista yet.

Oh and I very much doubt that this applies to all pirated versions of Vista.

 

Actually, there are subsidised initiatives in the poorer countries where you get a cut down OS for a lower price, or there's Linux!

 

I think it's a brilliant idea, buy the real version you pikey...pikes.

 

It seems that this could be a hoax as the email seems to just describe features already present in vista as part of its PPS.
http://blog.wired.com/monkeybites/2007/09/microsoft-vista.html

and from microsoft...

http://oem.microsoft.com/downloads/public/US/wgavista/Flash.html

 

I'll be interested to see if this actually works. The only time I was bitten by WGA on XP was when I was using a legal copy - switched over to one of those corporate ones and never had an issue. Of course I use OS X now so it hardly matters (I use XP as a dual-boot if needed, partly for that reason, and partly because I can't spare the hard drive space).

I'm torn between amusement and outrage at things like this. You know it never works perfectly, so you get legit customers getting shut out while plenty of pirates are going to be working perfectly. I've got several pieces of software where I use a cracked copy despite owning a license, simply because I've heard of horror stories with legit copies but never with the cracked one. And I've probably had a dozen bits of software that I've purchased after deciding I wanted to... uh, extend the trial period a bit. I'm still supporting the developers, but unfortunately I can't really do the one-man boycott regarding product activation on real tools (OS, Photoshop, etc) where I can with games and the like.

 

So Microsoft aren't just dumbasses after all? They actually thought a head for once?

gg ms

 

When the WGA servers died a few weeks ago, many genuine Vista users were chucked into the Reduced Functionality Mode because it was impossible for them to validate.

 

If this had been true it would have been a disaster for support teams. With no explanation or instructions people would just assume their PCs had broken and would completely tie up all the support lines.

 

puff, what's the point, Microsoft? you know the pirates will crack that in no time, so why bother?

*then hugs my business edition i got free from university *

 

So its ok to pirate if we are willing to put up with this? Sweet

 

haha, no sweet games for you! Solitaire ROOOOLS!

 

Yes, I know there are, but it doesn't mean that people use them. I can only speak out of my own experiences, but I spent a month and a half in Africa a couple of weeks ago and I only saw one computer with a legitimate copy of Windows. A computer is a serious investment over there and even the rich can't really afford one.

The computers that you can buy are all pretty similar and they come loaded with a load of expensive software, like MS Office, Photoshop etc.

EDIT: And as far as this news story is concerned, here's the Inq's take on it.

 

Maybe I am missing something, but instead of these reduced functionalilty gimmicks, wouldn't it be easier and simpler to just stop vista working at all rather turn odd bits of it off. Of course, in case of problems like the other week allow it to be activated and validated in case it is a real copy

 

this is bound to go tits up and people with real genuine copies are gonna end up with a unusable system. i can just see it now, i expect this to happen.

what would be funnier is if the screen was just tiled full of looped meatspin videos hahhah. still leave the OS usable, but the wallpaper would be locked to meatspin.

 

*hugs xp pro sp2*

glad to see it was just a hoax...

if it would be real microsoft should atleast leave a message on the screen as for why they disabled your vista along with the free phone number for the support for all the legit users who just changed the hardware once too often...