Pirates Face Vista Black Screen of Death

Zubaz waits to see the "Wah!!!  WB made my screen go black" posts

I agree. Would start taking bets but it is a real sucker bet.

I wonder how this plays into it.

Because of the increase in malware, many companies and government offices forbid the use of software containing Easter eggs for security reasons. With the rise of cybercrime and the prevalence of the Easter egg's "cousin", the logic bomb, there is now concern that if the programmer could slip in undocumented code, then the software cannot be trusted. This is of particular concern in offices where personal or confidential information is stored, making it sensitive to theft and ransom. For this reason, many developers have stopped the practice of adding Easter eggs to their software. Microsoft, who has in the past created some of the largest and most elaborate Easter eggs such as the ones in Microsoft Office, no longer allows Easter eggs in their software as part of their Trustworthy Computing initiative.[5]

Sounds like a function Stardock should consider.    I only said consider, but then I have subcriptions to Object Desktop and WC, it wouldn't bother me a bit.       

This has already been debunked:

WWW Link

Although it wouldn't surprise me if Microsoft ever did something like this

I don't know, I think it's somewhat of an empty threat. Windows XP has been pirated on massive scales globally and Microsoft has never taken this aggressive a stance with that product. Coupled with how unsuccessful Vista has been on the whole I can't imagine they would really put that much effort into something like this. Besides, pirates will just roll back to a pirated copy of XP if this did go into effect. I guess I'll believe it when I see it.

Not sure it's all hoax . . . seems like no one at MS is coming out one way or the other.  It's "a spokesman for."

Should be interesting to watch play out.  I'd support the action though.

Another take

And aMS KB article describing "reduced functionality mode"

•	You do not activate Windows Vista within the specified activation period.
•	You modify the computer hardware so that Windows Vista determines that it is running on a different computer. Also, you do not activate Windows Vista within the grace period for reactivation. For retail Windows Vista products or for original equipment manufacturer (OEM) Windows Vista products, this reactivation grace period is three days. For volume licensed Windows Vista products, this reactivation grace period is 30 days. Note This situation is known as "out of tolerance."
•	You are running a version of Windows Vista that the Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) service detects as a "non-genuine" version of Windows Vista.

Can you really blame them



Software piracy resulted in a loss of $34 billion worldwide in 2005, a $1.6 billion increase over 2004, according to a study commissioned by the Business Software Alliance.


And then you have the music industry

Music Piracy Costs U.S. Economy $12.5 Billion, Report Reveals

Oh come on....

Just spreading the rumor will stop a certain % of people that were going to pirate it.

Don't want any type of problem like that?  Simply solution.....don't pirate.

 

First --- those studies of the amounts lost are generally paid for by the people claiming to have lost.
Second --- most of them aren't true losses, as the people never would've actually bought the stuff in the first place. So it's not lost revenue, but rather revenue that never existed in the first place.

And my biggest gripe with all these "piracy" arguments is they say "piracy drives up costs", so they put in all this anti-piracy junk, and claim to drastically reduce piracy, but do we ever see the costs come back down accordingly? No... instead they continue to go up, even MORE!

If it weren't for discount programs and free copies from launch events and the like, i wouldn't have gotten most of my software... who can afford 400$ for an OS + 700$ for an office suite? $1100 just for the basic software to run a business pc.

Another prime example is Photoshop. They keep adding more and more layers of anti-piracy to cut down "costs", but they continue to skyrocket the prices. Not to mention the other issue which Adobe brings up of the spyware/malware nature of some of the anti-piracy schemes. For myself, i've dumped Photoshop and gone with Paint.NET because it is rapidly approaching Photoshop's usability (it is quite close already), has no spyware, and doesn't cost the equivalent of three car payments or a months rent!

I don't see why anyone cares, everyone who pirates it uses a cracked version that runs fully.

And for all of the people bitching about Vista costing $400, just STOP. A normal version that everyone can use will only cost you $100 - $150.

the 150$ version is fine if you dont need any extras, but for a work pc, i need a lot of those, such as full RDC (which for somereason doesnt even come in the business edition), bitlocker (again which should come in the business edition). Even media center (which should come on Home Premium).
If you want (or need) any of these, its ultimate or nothing. Which means you're at the 400$ price point (unless of course you know where to go to buy).

do like i did and get the oem build of ultimate for 200 bucks. newegg, tigerdirect, and numerous other online sellers have it at that price.

Can someone clear this for certain if this is a hoax? I'd heard of the 'reduced functionallity', I think I even remeber it saying about so if I didn't activate mine in a certain amount of time.
Since I don't have a pirated version it wont matter to me but if it's been confirmed a hoax then maybe headline/story needs amending?...
Premium does have media centre.

Um... don't you think they would FIRST have to perfect the WGA check system? Just a couple of weeks ago there was a big problem with WGA flagging legit systems as non-genuine.
I think it's a hoax.   

YA got that right Phoon...first legitimate business out there that loses money for being wrongly flagged is gonna sue.  

On a side note,why would you wanna pirate Vista?(it sux  )

A suggestion for news posters - check for updates before posting news...

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&taxonomyName=windows&articleId=9035918&taxonomyId=125

What do you consider a "normal" version of Vista? Are you referring to the Home Basic? I can't see why any one would want or should want to pay any amount of money for an OS that Isn't any better then XP Pro. There isn't any thing in Vista that The Average user needs. And there are far more average users then there are hard core or business users that might need or use any advantage of Vista.

As far as any of the eye candy in Vista goes, Any one using StarDock products have been enjoying the eye candy long before Vista came out.




What really makes me mad is the High price we are asked to pay for Vista here in the good old USA. They say part of it is because of Piracy. But yet in China where Microsoft says that piracy is running "Rampant" they cut the cost in half. Microsoft argues that if they cut the price of Vista more people will buy a legitimate copy.
Well DUH!!!! Now I ask you wouldn't it work just as well here in the USA. Oh Wait I almost forgot we are suppose to blindly let Microsoft shove it's products down or throats. It isn't suppose to matter How high the price or even if the product works. When I see some one say how good Vista is even though it has flaws in it (In a couple of years and god knows how many service packs Vista will run almost as good as XP Pro) I have to wonder how those same people would feel If after buying a new car they found out it would only run on three wheels but in a couple of years the auto maker would figure out how to make it run on all four wheels.

From Kickburn's link

So again, we have an MS OEM saying in a leaked email that this is for real.  Then we have a MS spokesman saying that thier not going to do anything this week but it's on it's way.
I still thinks the origianl new post can stand.

Zubaz, what you wrote in your reply #1 probably will be coming very soon. Just my personal opinion.   

if its true then good on microsoft for taking steps to combat piracy, my brother uses a pirated copy of windows xp and constantly complains that the O/S cannot be updated to which i just laugh in his face and tell him to buy a genuine copy. how about this system for cracked versions of windowblinds too? and it could replace your current theme with a u are a stinking pirate theme

ouch!!!.......buying is always best.....  

Nimbin I like you idea, unfortunately if the person was inclinded to use a cracked version of WB they just would probably think they got a free Premium Theme?