RE: Microsoft thwarted again -- MIDRANGE-L

With Product Activation, MS can expire the product whenever it wants.
Sure, existing installs will keep running, but once a significant
hardware config change occurs (or several minor ones), PA will kick in
and customers will be at Redmond's mercy for getting a new activation
code.  Also, by default, MS could send down a deactivation signal
through Windows Update (includes Automatic Updates).  I'm fairly sure
they give themselves that right in the EULA.

Oh, as far as I know, DOS doesn't support USB very well (if at all),
firewire, large hard drive partitions, graphics for newer video cards
(better than VESA defaults), and a host of other things.  Considering
that some new PCs are ditching the PS2 connectors for keyboard & mouse
in favor of USB, this could be a real issue.

That said, Netware _still_ uses a DOS boot partition.

John A. Jones, CISSP
Americas Information Security Officer
Jones Lang LaSalle, Inc.
V: +1-630-455-2787  F: +1-312-601-1782
john.jones@xxxxxxxxxx

-----Original Message-----
From: Walden H. Leverich [mailto:WaldenL@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] 
Sent: Thursday, December 16, 2004 12:15 PM
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
Subject: RE: Microsoft thwarted again

>as opposed to WinDoze boxes going out of date every year or so

I'm curious, what makes a Windows box "go" out of date. Sure, older
boxes may not support newer technology, but if you're looking for a
simple text-based interface, isn't DOS still viable?

To the best of my knowledge, there's nothing in the Windows codebase
that causes the OS to expire, or stop working, after a year or so.
Upgrades are driven by a quest for the new features of new versions
because the business requires them. If the business needs didn't change
I see no reason that the Windows OS would have to.

-Walden


------------
Walden H Leverich III
President & CEO
Tech Software
(516) 627-3800 x11
WaldenL@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.TechSoftInc.com

Quiquid latine dictum sit altum viditur.
(Whatever is said in Latin seems profound.)
  

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