Comments on: Activation Restrictions Create Pirates

By: MSFT

MSFT — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 15:16:31 +0000

Ummm…last time I checked CCollins, you didn’t need an internet connection for activation. It is just the simplest way.

For those without an internet connection, there’s the automated phone based activation system. Failing that, there’s 24-7 operators to assist you for the special scenarios.

While I don’t necessarily approve of online activation, at least MS has got things pretty well covered.

By: CCollins

CCollins — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 13:06:13 +0000

And the software companies are hurting everyone. I have just helped my neighbors, a 78 year old retired man and wife, upgrade from Win98 to Vista because their tax software won’t run on less than WinXP now. After getting the machine setup, it *required* an internet connection to validate the system, new from the brand name store, and threatened to not allow the machine to work after xx days. I had to find a wireless internet connection I could borrow to get them registered, the updates downloaded and the software installed. This couple does their taxes on the machine, and some volunteer word processing for a local hospital and their church. Nice going, Uncle Bill and friends. Tell the old people they are theives and that to do something simple requires thousands of dollars of investment every few years. User friendly? Where did I ever get the idea that that was possible? Old people don’t count anyway, and computers are MUCH more important than their medications, food and utilities.

By: Li Yang

Li Yang — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 02:39:22 +0000

Can piracy be stopped by Activation scheme? No. I am a Chinese and I admit that pirate Windows is popular in China here (and a lot of other developing countries). We cannot afford a genuine version because its price is irrational. Even though my Dell notepad ships with an OEM version I find it does not worth the money I pay.

I prefer Linux and hope it is pre-installed on my next PC. In fact, MSFT does not do its best to stop Windows piracy in China. Why? That will force billions of people to turn to Llinux or Solaris, which will surely kill MSFT in the long term.

And you may not know that Chinese people used Kingsoft WPS in the DOS age. Then MSFT came to China with its Word (Office). It never tried to stop pirate Word until Word dominated the market. Sometimes, MSFT smartly uses piracy to kill its competitors.

So, piracy is a freak that we can not easily define it is good or bad.