Big $M just will not leave it alone...

[nikhsub1]

OK I am going to reopen this and watch it closely.

 

[Captain Newbie]

OK I am going to reopen this and watch it closely.

Thanks for correcting that.

i agree in thinking that a lower price would help cut-down on the piracy problem, microsoft might even make more $$$ in the process...but no matter what price they charge there will always be a number of people who will steal the software anyways. i think some people are software thieves because they get jollies in the fact that they are able to get away with it.

Extend the Southwest Airlines principle to computer software: do one thing, do it well, make it cheap, and be friendly about it, and the money will come. And it has, to Southwest at least.

Microsoft's a big place, and big corporations lack the ability to turn on a dime like small ones (or places where corporations aren't fully involved -- like BSD/*nix). That and if a recent article about working at Microsoft is to be believed, they're somewhat poorly managed, which makes it even worse -- the ship doesn't turn on a dime, and the helmsman is wasted.

 

[Avg]

Thanks for correcting that.

Extend the Southwest Airlines principle to computer software: do one thing, do it well, make it cheap, and be friendly about it, and the money will come. And it has, to Southwest at least.

Microsoft's a big place, and big corporations lack the ability to turn on a dime like small ones (or places where corporations aren't fully involved -- like BSD/*nix). That and if a recent article about working at Microsoft is to be believed, they're somewhat poorly managed, which makes it even worse -- the ship doesn't turn on a dime, and the helmsman is wasted.

The only problem with your analogy with Southwest Airlines is that if the airlines was to have as much security problems and crash as much as windows in all it's versions does, Southwest wouldnt' be selling that many tickes at any price.

 

[ShadowPho]

It wouldnt sell any tickets.

Anyway... as for the Windows I dont think that the pop ups will scare pirates. CD-Keys + activation + no updates doesnt.
Somebody will crack it really soon
There is always Linux tho.

 

[snafumaster]

I look at it very simply, It's their product, they can do with it what they'd like. These days there is plenty of competition out there and if this truely does bug those people who buy MS products, MS may be shooting themselves in the foot. It is inevitable that they will not always be the big kid on the block.(as much as I enjoy MS products) Live by the sword, die by the sword.

 

[Avg]

It wouldnt sell any tickets.

Anyway... as for the Windows I dont think that the pop ups will scare pirates. CD-Keys + activation + no updates doesnt.
Somebody will crack it really soon
There is always Linux tho.

I don't think microsoft wants to scare pirates, they want people that have a pirated version and don't know it to tell them who installed the pirated version on their computer.

 

[Captain Newbie]

The only problem with your analogy with Southwest Airlines is that if the airlines was to have as much security problems and crash as much as windows in all it's versions does, Southwest wouldnt' be selling that many tickes at any price.

Well. Southwest has a comparatively crappy safety record compared to several other airlines over the last five years, actually -- a bunch of incidents of running off the end of the runway since they're in such a goddamned hurry all the time...but most of the time, it's on-time and efficient.

 

[damarble]

The ReactOS® project is dedicated to making Free Software available to everyone by providing a ground-up implementation of a Microsoft Windows® XP compatible operating system.

http://www.reactos.org/xhtml/en/index.html

Check the compatability list to see what runs on it :-
http://www.reactos.org/support/
The list is currently new so put some effort in to add your opinions to the compatibility list, try the OS and help develop this wonderfull alternative to XP

Me like. I don't mind *nix OS's except for the fact that it's a major pain to run Windows compatible programs. Once one of these distros gets to the point that you can install any Windows based program in the same way you do in Windows, I'll embrace Linux fully.

It's only a matter of time before M$ falls, it's inevitable. How long until is hard to say. Since the majority of M$ customers are the non-geek type that don't really care (mainly through ignorance) about the crap M$ is adding to Windows, it may take a while.

 

[Dreamstalker]

Like everything worth learning it takes time, if retarded old me, can run linux you can too

I never touched Linux until this past summer, and I'm now remastering Knoppix. Many places have basic bare-bones Linux classes; better yet get a book and a Knoppix bootable CD and play around.

 

[Flip-Mode]

After pondering about it I think I know why M$ about us, the home users. They are selling M$ products to corporations and military all over the world in such large quantities that the copies sold to us are just small part of the whole sales revenue.
For example, just in my single base each computer has a copy of Win2K and Office and there are MANY machines there. I guess that every military around the world is buying M$ and so do large corporations...

 

[BokiOverclocker]

To the MODERATORS>> sorry if this thread went little overboard.

reading all posts i think we all have to agree to the point that M$ has big empire but if my history lessons from the school are correct no empire/kingdom etc. is for ever. Everything has downfall eventually and i think M$ may just about to find that out.

Don't take me wrong i have no problem to pay reasonable price for any software, but some of the software is just ridiculous overpriced and we know that software is really not worth that much.That is part where i get little mad.
I think this topic can go on and on, we are just small bunch that has big love working around the PC's and wish that one day someone will fell obligated to help us out on this issue.

Thanks a lot on all personal opinions.

 

[hafa]

...
Check the compatability list to see what runs on it :-
http://www.reactos.org/support/...

Still a big blank space here

I've said it before and I'll say it again, alternative OSs will need to run Adobe products before the graphics community will embrace them...

 

[El<(')>Maxi]

If you don't like MS then don't use their software, simple as that. If it was your product or OS that everyone was stealing you'd be doing everything in your power to stop them too. So many of you think it's OK to steal software because big evil Microsoft charges too much. Do you steal cars because the dealership has too high of a sticker price in the window?

Online activation for product control is becoming more the norm so get used to it. There are alternatives to paying a full retail price for a MS OS. Check your campus, many college's sell at way below what a MS employee would pay at the company store.

 

[Flip-Mode]

If you don't like MS then don't use their software, simple as that. If it was your product or OS that everyone was stealing you'd be doing everything in your power to stop them too. So many of you think it's OK to steal software because big evil Microsoft charges too much. Do you steal cars because the dealership has too high of a sticker price in the window?

Online activation for product control is becoming more the norm so get used to it. There are alternatives to paying a full retail price for a MS OS. Check your campus, many college's sell at way below what a MS employee would pay at the company store.

I'm not saying that stealing is a good in anyway but I'm just pointing out why most people do it.

Takes CD's for example, its the same deal. They jacked up prices so people started to download music, they lowered the prices and sales went back up again.
Stealing is stealing no matter what you steal, a candy, a car or software.

 

[BokiOverclocker]

If you don't like MS then don't use their software, simple as that. If it was your product or OS that everyone was stealing you'd be doing everything in your power to stop them too. So many of you think it's OK to steal software because big evil Microsoft charges too much. Do you steal cars because the dealership has too high of a sticker price in the window?

Online activation for product control is becoming more the norm so get used to it. There are alternatives to paying a full retail price for a MS OS. Check your campus, many college's sell at way below what a MS employee would pay at the company store.

I think you are correct if you don't like it don't use it.
BUT

Expl.
If you buy a private car that let's say can have 5 passengers seating do you pay to the manufacture every time someone else is driving with you a (fee, licenses, etc)? I didn't think so.
So that’s where I think M$ and other Software manufactures are not really far.
what is wrong if you buy software and have 3-4 computers in your house and use same software on them for your private purpse only( I'm not talking Business)
Believe me I have 95% of my software legal but I’m just pointing some facts that if they turn around the plan we all could benefit from it. not just them.


I agree with

Stealing is stealing no matter what you steal, a candy, a car or software.

 

[gt24]

One thing to notice is that Microsoft is making more annoying notifications to users if they are using illegal software. They aren't disabling the software necessarily with this notification, just making it more annoying.

Two things...

First off, I have first hand experience and observation... NOBODY READS SIGNS!!! In general, unless a person is forced to read something or is annoyed to heck and back to read it, they won't read it... in fact, doing the prior two things might make them ignore it even more. However, the information could be vital, if the person would absorb the information, which is difficult to do.

Second, this is not attacking software pirates. This is attacking people who sell counterfeit software, meaning software that is sold by a person that immitates a legitimate copy so that the person would get a huge profit and the company would earn nothing with the buyer now being a pirate unknowingly. Think about it... Microsoft had to adopt holographic disks, has to make hard to copy certificates of authenticity, and make major programs to simply inform the customer of when they are being had. This customer, by the way, is the same brilliant person who doesn't read signs...

I am not saying that signs should always be read nor am I saying that society is helping any. In fact, pop up advertising and advertising in general is making a society that largely ignores everything. However, Microsoft wants to eliminate any person claiming to sell authentic software when in fact it is a copy or a forgery. These issue is large enough to make software sales in a classifides section a risky business.

I have saw online a museum of counterfeit toys, which I won't link to unless a moderator says it is ok. In general though, many counterfeit items were of poor quality but some was so precise and exact to the original that you would be hard pressed to identify the real deal. Factories in other nations are anxiously awaiting orders to make any item, even if they don't necessarily have the rights to make that item. With CD-RW drives being commonplace, that factory has arrived to any computer and from people who try to copy money, a Microsoft product is another tempting target.

In general, pirates aren't necessarily the target this time, it is those who sell counterfeit software. Imagine how you would feel if you just bought Windows XP Pro and upon installation you were warned VERY BLATENTLY that it was an illegal copy? Now, take comfort in knowing that Microsoft will give you XP Pro for free if you can turn over your couterfeit software and kindly inform them of where you obtained it. Makes it a bit harder for such sales to occur and makes the crime of counterfeit software a more risky business for those involved.

I can understand why Microsoft is doing what they are doing. I still don't like it, however I do understand it.

 

[maelstromracing]

What sucks is you can't return software to a brick and mortar store if you don't agree with the TOS. So you paid for it and are stuck with it. WTF?

 

[El<(')>Maxi]

If you buy a private car that let's say can have 5 passengers seating do you pay to the manufacture every time someone else is driving with you a (fee, licenses, etc)? I didn't think so.
So that’s where I think M$ and other Software manufactures are not really far.
what is wrong if you buy software and have 3-4 computers in your house and use same software on them for your private purpse only( I'm not talking Business)
Believe me I have 95% of my software legal but I’m just pointing some facts that if they turn around the plan we all could benefit from it. not just them.

Interesting analogy. Then I suppose it alright to buy someone's book for instance and have a few copies made for you and some close friends. Then your friends do the same, can you see where this is going?

When you allow one copy to be made you are really inviting much more than one. The problem is what you want is not in the user agreement. MS is not forcing you to do anything, it's your choice. You have to pay for the other computers in your house, they're not free are they? How many other things out there that you want are overpriced, do you steal those also?

Hell while we're all busy copying copyrighted material we might as well just print up some money right? I mean paying $100 to hold a piece of paper in my hand with $100 printed on it is too damn expensive right

 

[Flip-Mode]

Interesting analogy. Then I suppose it alright to buy someone's book for instance and have a few copies made for you and some close friends. Then your friends do the same, can you see where this is going?

When you allow one copy to be made you are really inviting much more than one. The problem is what you want is not in the user agreement. MS is not forcing you to do anything, it's your choice. You have to pay for the other computers in your house, they're not free are they? How many other things out there that you want are overpriced, do you steal those also?

Hell while we're all busy copying copyrighted material we might as well just print up some money right? I mean paying $100 to hold a piece of paper in my hand with $100 printed on it is too damn expensive right

LOL, print money..... LOL

Why don't they do some multiple computers deal, lets say I get Win XP with 2-3 accounts for less money.
Sure people would scam left and right but at least M$ would get something from those guys who would pirate otherwise.

 

[benbaked]

yeah, like how apple sell os x for example. $129 for a single license, upgrade or not (doesn't matter either way, it's always a full version). or if you want to install it on multiple computers in your house, buy the 5-user "family pack" for $199. that comes out to about $40 a seat and is a good deal i think.

why hasn't microsoft implemented the family pack idea?