Barefoot in the wilderness
in search of understanding

Another reason not to go to Vista

Vista is Microsoft’s upcoming, “new and improved” operating system, due out early next year. In addition to the much-touted features, MS has introduced something they call the “Software Protection Platform”. And by “protection”, they mean that it protects their revenue, not you. What this new “feature” does is to escalate the Windows Genuine Advantage programme (you remember – when MS refuses updates to your OS because it doesn’t recognise the registration number of your perfectly legal software) so that Microsoft can “force PCs identified as running counterfeit Microsoft software, into reduced functionality mode in Windows Vista“. That’s right. Not only will they refuse you updates if their records or computers are broken. Now, they will stop you using the perfectly legal software you bought. It wouldn’t be so bad if we could be sure they wouldn’t get it wrong, but the evidence from the WGA programme strongly suggests that they will, quite often. As The Register said: “We predict tears. Lots of tears.”

This could be a good time to buy a Mac or, if you don’t want to buy new hardware, to install Linux (which is easier to install, run and use than Windows, can be run alongside Windows as you learn it, and is free – you can even order a free CD rather than download it, or buy an explanatory book which comes with a DVD that lets you run Linux straight from the DVD and only install it once you’ve decided you like it).
The Official Ubuntu Book by Array
Paperback: 448 Pages
Publisher: Prentice Hall Ptr
ISBN: 0132435942
My Rating: Rating: 5 stars
Buy from Amazon

Search Amazon:

(_Thanks to The Register for the tip._)

pax et bonum


Article posted at 09:34am on 05 October 2006
Category: Computers, General
  Follow comments using Co.mments.com
  Add to your del.icio.us bookmarks
No trackbacks

Hi John,

I have a friend wanting to get into Linux (using old hardware… early Pentium class processors)... have any recommendations for a good distribution? I used RedHat long ago, but gee… maybe it’s time for me to re-think scrapping Windows and “upgrading” to Linux! :)

Email me back if you’ve got any ideas. Cheers!

Chris (TX) () (URL)
3:30pm on 05 October 2006

Personally, I use SUSE but I couldn’t recommend the current distro (10.1) because the package manager is b0rked, which isn’t good for the newbie. So I’d heartily recommend Ubuntu (or buy the book I linked to above). It’s very good, even though its system-management tools aren’t quite as good as SUSE’s. In particular, Ubuntu lets you run it from (downloadable) CD to get a feel for it, and then install it (while still running the desktop!), repartitioning your hard disk for you without trashing Windows. There’s a huge universe of software installable for Ubuntu direct from the desktop, but the distro emphasises providing one or two good tools for each purpose, rather than long, confusing lists.

HTH!

pax et bonum

[John] () (URL)
4:36pm on 05 October 2006

If you have a low spec machine you might consider Ubuntu’s “little brother” distro Xubuntu (also available though the Ubuntu site). It runs beautifully on my 1999 vintage Toshiba Satellite 2180CDT which has only 192Mb of RAM.

drmoose (URL)
4:53pm on 05 October 2006