Some interesting articles about Longhorn...

http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000143050582/

http://www.boycott-riaa.com/article/17543

So longhorn is gonna try to prevent privacy?
English is not my first language so maybe I read that wrong.

To be fair – it’s not just Microsoft. The next generation of digital content will, by and large, be protected to the display.

Click to expand...

And

What makes the PC situation so insidious is that nearly every monitor being sold today will fall victim to this gotcha.

Click to expand...

So even us linux users will eventually be screwed....

No, not exactly. They are going to try to make it harder. Thats the point... The same way the police cannot try to stop crime but only hope to control it, everyone should be aware that anti-piracy efforts are much the same, attempts to control and limit, not eradicate. Anyone who says different is either undereducated in the matter, delusional, or just posturing trying to send out a tough message.

That said, I believe I was reading on /. that there is going to be a component built into longhorn which detects the type of monitor in use, and if it is not deemed "secure" enough, certain types of video media will not display without using a different monitor.

is longhorn going to be distribute to everyone who owns window xp for free?

I.M.O.G. said:

That said, I believe I was reading on /. that there is going to be a component built into longhorn which detects the type of monitor in use, and if it is not deemed "secure" enough, certain types of video media will not display without using a different monitor.

Click to expand...

I think the article is saying is that the special componet Longhorn will utilize will also be included in future media as well. - So its protected no matter what operating system you use. Of course as you said, there will (hopefully) be ways around it...

So if I dont get a new monitor or longhorn in the future Im fine? I just got a monitor recently and dont plan on getting another for another few years.

I think, as is typical on /., there's an overreaction to some of this. First, I'm obviously not objective (just in case that's pointed out later -- however, I do have my own opinions and thoughts on this and I think to be reasonable this doesn't have much to do with Longhorn as it does DRM in general.

Before I forget, just to address the question about Longhorn being free -- nope, Longhorn is a whole new product and I'm sure there will be upgrade options, but it won't likely be free. Sorry...

I digress. What I'm saying is people are up in arms over DRM, activation, et. al. -- and now, this new type of DRM. We're still -- give or take -- a year from Longhorn being RTM.

When I first read about DRM, I was annoyed because of the limitations it imposed on me. It's not any more MSFT than it is Apple, Tivo, and a host of others. Whether anyone likes it or not, most businesses need a viable model and in the case of audio, video, or print (eg eBooks) in some cases, DRM is the only way to get there.

The problem is how do you balance "customer intrusion" or inconvenience with ensuring some degree of integrity? There will always be some intrusion -- and in some cases I recognize that this means people will walk away from a product because the intrustion is seen as too extensive. But I think we're seeing a lot of bridges being built w/ DRM in DRM compatible devices (I'm thinking of MP3 players and the like).

The preceived inconvenience has kept me at bay for a long time. But just recently, I jumped in: I pay about $5 or $6 a month now for a Yahoo Music subscription and I gotta say, it's really sweet. (And, I'm not just pimping Yahoo, it just happens to be that I love Launchcast.)

Would we be seeing any of these services or devices (even an iPod, for example) without DRM? I don't think there'd be a viable enough business model to go on to make it successful. Looking at it _now_ with the given businesses and devices available, would we be better off w/o DRM? (And not just "making DRM magically disappear but leaving everything intact" -- I mean "making DRM never have happened to begin with.")

I'd like the think there's opportunity for innovation here, not just "restriction." I'll probably regret posting this later...

Longhorn is the successor to XP, as XP was to 2k. It will not be "free".

Rockafella134 said:

So if I dont get a new monitor or longhorn in the future Im fine? I just got a monitor recently and dont plan on getting another for another few years.

Click to expand...

No. The protection may be built into media also, so if you want to play media with this protection, you will need to buy a new monitor that is deemed secure. It has been mentioned that no current monitor would fit this security requirement, so basically, if/when this is included in media, you'll need to buy a new monitor. I don't know how likely this is however, it sounds rather far fetched... But thats what I was seeing discussed.

Hopefully, though, there will be a device similar to a DVI to VGA adapter - an inline device that tells the OS that there is a DRM-compatible monitor attached when there is not. Similar to "ZOMG i wont be able to use my CRT when DVI comes out" I would imagine. That failing, I'm sure you will be able to buy a modchip-like device to install in your current monitor to trick the OS.

Packrat said:

Hopefully, though, there will be a device similar to a DVI to VGA adapter - an inline device that tells the OS that there is a DRM-compatible monitor attached when there is not. Similar to "ZOMG i wont be able to use my CRT when DVI comes out" I would imagine. That failing, I'm sure you will be able to buy a modchip-like device to install in your current monitor to trick the OS.

Click to expand...

While this might be possible, not many people are going to, or should, do this.

Working inside a monitor is generally more dangerous than working inside your PC. Stick your hand in a PC you might catch your finger in a fan, but stick your hand in a monitor, and you might not be able to feel your arm for a week.

I was thinking more along the lines of LCDs than CRTs, which are (if you aviod the CCFL wiring) very safe. CRTs, however, would be best left untampered with.

Ahh I see, good call.

Couldn't we just stick to XP to avoid all this BS? Especially people who like to pirate their stuff...

rofl @ that last comment.. yeah, what the heck about all this "safe" monitor crap?.. sounds like windows long-wang is going to suck more than I thought..

Careface*

What next? All those MP3's you have won't play because your sound card or speakers aren't 'secure'. Heaven forbid your keyboard or mouse won't work because they aren't 'secure' What a pile of hoohah.

there will always be ways around the "legal" side of things.

i dont know any of this DRM crap, but what if you download a legal copy of a movie off the internet, say like thebroken? even though its legal, you wont be able to watch it because you downloaded it?

and if you have to buy a new monitor for this new "security", whos actually going to upgrade to anything that requires it? im sure as hell not going to. i spend enough money keeping my computer hardware up to date, unless they drop the price of monitors or give a special deal like free monitors with longhorn, im not getting it if this is true.

^^^ you wont

but think about the millions of Dell/ gateway / hp / laptops etcs sold a year - the technology will be intergrated into those system to "unknowing / joe sixpack" people who wont know the difference because they bought the "whole package" as one.


it can be made - it will be broken.

I wouldn't worry about this applying to games. That probably applies to only DVD movies.

There's still the ability to burn movies to DVD. Unless, of course, MS starts implementing DRM into burners and burning software.

LOL at the previous comments.
Why not just implement DRM into graphic cards instead of monitors.