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"Of course you know, this means WAR Gentlemen!" Microsoft makes its move.

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Nudel:
Sure does seem like Microsoft lied about this before. I don't remember (and can't find from a quick look) any qualifying clauses in their previous statements that made them only apply to Intel Windows and not ARM.

Secure Boot would be a much better idea if the user got to decide which keys the hardware trusted. If you're running Ubuntu, or whatever, they should be able to sign it with a key that you tell the BIOS to trust, and you can go about your business with the benefit that any unwanted changes to the bootloader will be flagged.

Carol Haynes:
I said this would happen ages ago and it will be round the corner for Intel/AMD based Windows boxes too.

Personally I am very happy that MS are doing this - it will galvanize action, particularly in business and the public sector where both Europe and America already has huge concerns about proprietary lockin.

I am buying a supply of popcorn and waiting for the fun to start in the courts.

The Europe Union didn't like having Internet Explorer bundled into Windows because they considered it anti-competitive behaviour. How is Europe going to view a complete lockout of all software on other people's hardware?

Apple (love them or hate them) have the right to do this sort of crap because they produce the whole package - hardware and software. It is a major reason why I think that anyone buying any Apple product is an idiot.

Microsoft don't make computers and I can't see OEM manufacturers putting up with this crap for long - either that or they will start selling boxes with a choice of OS. Seriously what is to stop them selling blank boxes with a choice of operating systems? People can still opt for Windows if they want, and if they want the cheap OEM version then manufacturers can lock the machine during production but there is no reason for them to make their entire production line on that basis. Heck how long do you think it will take UEFI to be cracked - every uncrackable protection that has been developed has been broken - most before they were even released to the public!!

As someone who builds a fair number of computers for customers (using OEM windows) I will certainly be stocking up on Windows 7 before Windows 8 is released and recommending all customers to avoid Windows 8 like the plague. It has absolutely nothing to offer desktop users.

Hopefully enough people will have the same attitude and Windows 8 as it si currently envisioned will go the way of ME and Vista - down the toilet where it belongs!!

One final thought (that has been mentioned before) if you can only boot from the OEM version of Windows (and not boot CDs/DBDs/USBs) how many people are going to be happy when Windows gets fucked up and no one can fix it? The OEMs won't fix software issues (hell they don't supply drivers or BIOS updates after a few months even when there are glaring problems and they are already obliged to support Windows as part of the OEM agreement but in practice how many do?) - and third party repair people, like me, will say OK I can only repair it using the restore factory settings mode. Going to be a lot of very happy Microsoft customers.

worstje:
I can't say much that others have no said before me. Ok, I can, but it involves Windows 8 looking like crap even before this failmove was announced, but that does not mean I approve of the general direction this ridiculous nonsense is going in. Secure Boot? Nice marketing. But the real development codename? Vendor Lock-In.

While I may not fully understand how this feature works, there may be another thing that might sort of save consumers in the short term, depending on the details I can't be bummed to find out. OEMs are cheap. OEMs need to automate. Which means Windows installations need to work with the BIOSes. Think key and keyhole. Looking at it the simplistic way, i just takes someone to properly copy the key Windows uses and pretend to be Windows. Obviously, there is the matter of a chain of trust that checks if it is a real or a copied key, but there will be a hole. On ARM, sadly, this is going to be the hardest part. Normal computers, you just take out the hard drive and fix the part where the 'bootsector' is to look good enough to pass BIOS verification. On ARM, it is likely soldered due to the embedded nature, and obviously Windows won't make it easy to change the bootloader either at that point.

But still, it is not a solution. It is a band-aid of freedom that basically devolves into the world of jailbreaks.

TaoPhoenix:

Sure, once we are reduced to the highly brittle world of "jailbreaks" (even the word says it all!) then we will have already lost.

Frankly, Linux is hard enough for new users to get a grip on, but now having to start with arcane secret hacks just to unhook Windows will be the end. Besides Secure Boot, watch for obscure hardware stuff that magically breaks the leading Linux distros "just by coincidence".

Deozaan:
Frankly, Linux is hard enough for new users to get a grip on, but now having to start with arcane secret hacks just to unhook Windows will be the end.-TaoPhoenix (January 15, 2012, 01:54 PM)
--- End quote ---

The "arcane secret hacks" don't stop them from "rooting" their Android device, "jailbreaking" their iOS device, or otherwise "hacking" their Wii, PS3, calculator, toaster, microwave, watch, printer, etc., to get Linux on it.

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