So is Windows Vista still going to be BS?

Veggita2099 · Post by **Veggita2099** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 2:31 am

I remember the rumors about how Vista would basically not be sold but leased to buyers. Something about if you upgraded your PC more then 2 or 3 times you would have to buy the software again. Is all of that supposed to be true, or does it rank in there with the Ps3 rumor (you know the one about buying a game and only being able to play it on that ps3)?

hearld500 · Post by **hearld500** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 10:53 am

They check to make sure your copy is authentic every 180 days if I remember right. As far as changing the hardware goes, I think it's the same deal as XP. After three installs you have to get ahold of them for a new install code.

ben15dc · Post by **ben15dc** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 1:41 pm

thats kinda lame, because i like to format my pc at least every few months

Post by **Roofus** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 1:44 pm

I've made up my mind that XP is my last version of Windows.

bizzle · Post by **bizzle** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 2:00 pm

I bought a Mac.

Sir Savant · Post by **Sir Savant** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 2:04 pm

I broke grub so now only Ubuntu loads. Once I get more ram in this machine, I will stick with it. The ability to set everything just how I want is a godsend.

Veggita2099 · Post by **Veggita2099** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 3:09 pm

hearld500 wrote:They check to make sure your copy is authentic every 180 days if I remember right. As far as changing the hardware goes, I think it's the same deal as XP. After three installs you have to get ahold of them for a new install code.

I can live with that. I just remember hearing rumors that they would only lease the software to you. Supposedly under that agreement if you upgraded your computer over 3 times you would be forced to buy the software again. Sounds like it was just a false rumor.

If somebody locally runs a super deal on it I might buy it. I know when XP first came out I got a heck of a deal on it. Basically after a rebate you got XP pro plus a 256 meg strip of memory, crappy digital camera, Macafee Virus checker, HP Scanner, and I think a 10 pack of floppy disks. At the time that ram was worth like $60 itself as was the Scanner. My dad still uses that scanner to.

BlackAura · Post by **BlackAura** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 5:25 pm

Sounds like it was just a false rumor.

Well, not really. However, the EULA does seem to be designed to further screw over people who buy a retail version. Under the license terms for Windows XP, you can completely transfer the license from one machine to another (or from yourself to someone else) as many times as you want, as long as you don't actually have two copies installed at once. Under the license terms for Windows Vista, you can only do that once.

Of course, this stuff is enforced by Vista's activation requirements. If it decides that you've got a new machine (maybe you just upgraded most of the components in your old one), then as far as the license is concerned, it's been transferred to another machine. Do that more than once, and you have to call up Microsoft and beg them to let you reactivate. If they don't believe you, then you're out of luck.

I assume this was intended to stop people buying the most expensive version of Vista once, and when it's time to upgrade their machine buying a Dell or something with Vista Home Basic and installing Ultimate over the top of it.

Post by **Roofus** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 5:55 pm

Under the license terms for Windows XP, you can completely transfer the license from one machine to another (or from yourself to someone else) as many times as you want, as long as you don't actually have two copies installed at once. Under the license terms for Windows Vista, you can only do that once.

Actually, I heard they changed that.

mariobro · Post by **mariobro** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 6:03 pm

Some weeks ago, I read that MS had reconsidered, and left out that "feature", after public outcry from "enthusiast" hardware sites. It seemed legit, since they had a quote from a MS spokesperson.

They realized that gamers and diy'ers change hardware frequently, and that they buy the OS's premium version, and that it would be a huge disservice to them killing their license after a few, non-essential hardware swaps.

Boy, is this issue getting complicated. I guess it is tough "tying" a OS to hardware, but that also the key to success for the "Wintel" business model. They have to figure out a better way.

I don't know why, but I get the feeling that Microsoft is slowly painting itself into a corner.

perry · Post by **perry** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 10:39 am

Roofus wrote:I've made up my mind that XP is my last version of Windows.

I'm in the same boat. I'll probably always have an XP install around, but it's time for me to begin getting into linux more than 'just enough'. I now want it to become my main OS.

Wagh · Post by **Wagh** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 11:19 am

As long as they have game developers I'll never leave.

Post by **|darc|** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 12:24 pm

Wagh wrote:As long as they have game developers I'll never leave.

That's true for me, too. I will always have Mac portables, but for a desktop machine I will probably from now on have Macs running Windows in Boot Camp. Though, it does seem like more developers are going crossplatform these days.

mariobro · Post by **mariobro** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 1:37 pm

Well, I'm STUCK with Windows, how about that? Autocad is one of the very, very few programs that's a true Windows exclusive.

Hell, they used to make Solaris and Mac versions fer god's sake...

curt_grymala · Post by **curt_grymala** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 2:09 pm

Roofus wrote:I've made up my mind that XP is my last version of Windows.

I made that same decision about Windows 98 a long time ago. Unfortunately, however, my office switched over to a Windows server network that required us to run WinXP Pro (or I think we could have run Win 2000, but I'm not sure), so I got that installed on my work laptop.

From there, it was a nightmare trying to network my home computer to my work laptop, so I ended up upgrading my home computer as well.

We'll see about Vista. It will probably be a long time before I upgrade, but I'm sure I eventually will.

I still prefer Linux, but there are some things you just can't do with Linux, unfortunately.

Wagh · Post by **Wagh** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 2:31 pm

|darc| wrote:
Wagh wrote:As long as they have game developers I'll never leave.
That's true for me, too. I will always have Mac portables, but for a desktop machine I will probably from now on have Macs running Windows in Boot Camp. Though, it does seem like more developers are going crossplatform these days.

Where are you getting this idea? Games are still a year to a year and a half behind. With Subpar ports and a high price tag. And only say 10 out of 1000 games will get ported.

perry · Post by **perry** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 6:43 am

That's the unfortunate reason why I'll always have to have an XP install around. Hopefully nothing will get pushed Vista only, or I might just plan to assasinate (oh piss off I tried spelling it 10 times and none look right today) some key people.

I'm hoping to move to linux for my main web/storage etc machine.

Post by **melancholy** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 7:57 am

I'm just curious how school licensing will work. I can't wait until Ball State offers Vista, but I worry that the problems I'm having with XP and licensing through schools will only be amplified.

Disheveled DrFreeze · Fri Jan 19, 2007 10:41 am

there are only two things keeping me from going full linux only right now:

1.games, i dont game that much anymore, but i enjoy the hell out of the occasional game of C&C or UT
2. work, im going into software development, and from the looks of it ill probably have to do a lot of windows based stuff

im not entirely decided on vista though, ill probably never buy a legit license myself, i dont see any reason too, but i guess if work offered me a vista license, id go dual boot at least

Lartrak · Post by **Lartrak** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 12:05 pm

You could always just wait til people hack Vista and get rid of these "features".