Even on mac, M$ does its thang!

alright, the only M$ product i use is M$ office, since my entire house runs it other than me...alright no biggie, it hasnt acted too stupid..

Now i have a huge essay due, ive been typing away all day, and i get this error : "Word cannot start because it is already in use".....WELL DUH!

i click "more information"

takes me to the microsoft site, where they explain, how word will noncholantly scan my network, for other macs, and users on my mac using the same serial number of word. CMON NOW!

It said if it finds one, it will report a message, and contact microsoft, requiring me to call and get a new key.

I dont know about you guys, but i think this is outrageous. Other macs i can see, but USERS!! And cmon, no one will admit it, but im sure we install the simple necesities on multiple machines/users, something like a word processor? god.

So i guess that means all the parents out there who have maybe 3 or 4 kids all using different user names will have to purchase their own liscense per kid

I can understand a higher package, like FCP, or maya, none of them even pull this!

If i could return this copy of word to my college, id be switching back to NeoOffice, or just compiling O

Your gonna tell me the community college paid for 500 word.Mac liscenses, and over a thousand word 2004? i know theyre SUPPOSED TO

I guess ill find out tmr if everyones locked out

anyone else see this as kind of invaision of privacy? did i give M$ permission to go all over my network? NO not to metion, it shut down word and i had to reopen. thank god for autosave

violates the EULA

Fully Check the EULA on Word Processor.

read it carefully, and see they say anything about being allowed to search multiple user accounts/other computers on the network without your permission.

By installing it you agree to their terms, and its listed that they will search your computer/network then it really sucks.

if it doesn't say anything ( specificly the network i'm thinking ), then you technically have a Lawsuit on them.

Also you could find out if they are allowed to search multiple accounts/network on a Mac PC or not.

If now...it would be kinda funny for a single person to take microsoft to court and win.

heh.

Most likely though, its in their EULA, and by installing it you agreed to their terms. Microsoft likes to cover their butts on stuff like this.

Back up a second there. Do I have this right: You are the only person in your house who uses a mac and it somehow scanned your hnetwork an concluded that there was another copy of office for mac running on another machine?

no it did not, but it just complained about it.

Microsoft is junk. Use OpenOffice.
http://download.openoffice.org/index.html

yea i know O. for mac we have neo office ..its to windows looking though, and kinda sluggish