If there's one thing that's confused some people about Windows XP, it's been the whole "Product Activation" feature.

As it's known now, when you register, WinXP
takes a "snapshot" of your hardware, and if the hardware is too different from the snapshot taken at install, then it refuses to run (because it thinks it's on a different computer). "But what happens when I install my new l33t GeForce 3 and Athlon 1.3Ghz processor?". Well, here's MS's response to OEM's:

The system does not allow end-user access to expansion bus cards. This means users will no longer routinely open their PCs to add peripherals

That's right, MS is working on the assumption that end-users of OEM hardware *can't* open their cases. While that probably won't bother those of us who make our systems ourselves or get their PC's from local shops AND who run an OS besides WinXP, it will mean that "most people" won't be able to get inside their PC's without serious repercussions.

Does anyone else see the release of WinXP as "the Windows that broke the camels back"? Did anyone besides me even get that last sentence? All I know is that Product Activation, along with lots of stupid things (such as not being able to move the taskbar in XP), will result in me panning XP for a while.

this could push me over to linux

i already changed
linux is goooooooooood!!!
=-)

but i got win 98se running aswell....

To a lesser extent, this also occured with MS Office 2000 - For registered users anyway, a key was given based on your hardware configuration. You had to ring up and get this key. This posed a problem for people who upgraded/formatted regularly as new keys would need to obtained.

One guy I know who was upgrading/changing config all the time was ringing MS Aus so often, that they started getting suss on him, asking around why he was getting new keys so much.

Its a f***ed MS idea, but hopefully a crack will be avaialbe soon (as always)

i agree - itl just be the most cracked os in history.

MS have enuf money now that they should sell windows and office etc for $15 for home users. Theyd still make a killing and people would actually buy it.

I havnt bought a MS os since Windows 3.11

i have never paid for my os...
i have had win 95, 98, 98se, me, 2000 and xp from MS
and red hat linux v6, 6.2, beta7, 7
also caldera v6.1, 6.5

and NEVER once paid... MWHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA!!!!!!!!!

linux is free anyway you mong.

And if you dont like XP, its not like the only option is to move to linux... how about just not using XP? Personally I'm just going to stick with 2k, XP sounds far far too gumbified for my liking.

Underline gumbified.

Attn Microsoft: COMPUTERS ARE NOT APPLIANCES - THEY ARE INTENTIONALLY HARD TO USE TO KEEP THE IDIOTS AWAY.

:P

Well, a few things.

As far as I have read so far, product activation will most likely not be on the 'pro' version. Maybe I'm talking out of my arse - but if this is right then there is nothing to worry about, I mean, who would want to run the 'consumer' version anyway?

Also, this quote:

The system does not allow end-user access to expansion bus cards. This means users will no longer routinely open their PCs to add peripherals

from what I read on the Ars forums, this is just a recommendation from Microsoft to OEMs, not some sort of evil master-plan to stop people from being able to tinker with their machine.


Oh well

It might be the same as Office XP, it had an online activation process, but if you entered certain CD keys it just skipped that part. You might be able to skip this "snapshot" part in winXP aswell

Try reading the shugashack. It points out that in fact zdnet are a bunch of cocks and they misinterprated what MS were saying.
MS were in fact saying that the end users *must* be able to be access the expansion slots etc. That the pc makers shouldn't make it so the user couldn't access them.

Of course I agree that the product activation is a really stupid idea and I don't see it lasting but that zdnet quote is just plain wrong.

put simply:

every1 will bitch and moan - but 95% of ppl will end up using it, liking it, but not admitting it - just like the CS community after a new beta/version ;)

f***, if CS was on Linux i would have no need for windows

mind you , the new version of wine is pretty good and can run most games

f***ing thats so lame

Yeah I agree. Product Activation is pointless, however the actual operating system, in my Xperience, is at least as good as Windows 2000 for stability and further excels in functionality. But why is Product Activation pointless ?

Note the below text:

"-----=WHISTER Activation and Evalution Crack=-------

FIRST! Use isobuter or equivilent to extract iso to a new foler.
SECOND! Copy files from the i386 folder in this crack and paste into the i386 folder of the extracted iso.
THIRD!Install winXP from your new folder, then run WinXP.bat file in this crack.Run No
Comment reg. if desired.
FOURTH!Restart. If you cant understand these simple directions then you dont need winxp!
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Have fun and f*** Micro$ofts cdkey and activation Bulls***."

Cheers for the new OS Bill, but it aint gonna stop ME from getting a new tbird.

Just one other thing that i would like to ask the many elite Linux users: WHERE-THE-f***-ARE-YA ??

I ask this because iam pretty sure, and correct me if iam wrong but the total number of personal systems using Linux at Lan Gaming Events, grand totals to a tally of.... ZERO. (*Hint* *Hint* KaKarot)

Not to mention that anyone that works for a large corporate and has access to MS Select won't be bothered by this in anyway way.

I haven't had to put in a CD-Key in years, and I'm not going to have to bother with any activation code garbage. Of course, where I work is pretty strict on access to the Select box, but there are enough government departments that leave them lying around.

I'll predict that almost everyone will have access to a pirate select version within a couple of days of the release of the select CD's.

Jeez you don't even need a crack for XP. You can just hack a couple settings in the install process to defeat the product activation - at least in the beta - check out CD FREAKS for the info.

And I must agree with Malthius about the Select CDs. I own four legit copies of Windows (2x95, 1x98se and 1xW2K) and I don't use any of them - I use copies of the Select CDs from work because there's no registration f**k around.

I am now proud to say that I just sucessfully installed
Windows 2000 pro all by my self :)
I'm soo happy.
but can someone help me.
I'm finding that all my drivers will not work with 2000?
do I have to D/L all the lastest drivers for my Sound and Video card?
and IT doesn't support all my software :)
however I am impressed with it's stability and speed compared to WIN ME
THough my MP3's sound f***ED!
Help pls

clients normally are charged $100 an hour for tech suppot but ill do it for 50

eds you are a class a f***wit

thank you ash, i will take note of you opinoin and add it to my, "ovoisly a d******* who dis's ppl for no reason" column and ill be on me way

and just becuuase i have a decent job

I think the main reason there's no linux users at Lan days is due to the sorry state of wine emulation for DirectX, which would be required to play CS and other non-ported games, as well as the painful installation of 3D cards under Linux.

There's a DX port for Linux that runs HL due to be released "any day now", but even still, I feel a bit kludgey using the current crop of window managers like KDE and GNOME.

Now, if we had a decent wine and DX port for BeOS, I'd switch rather quickly. Man, that was a really nice OS to use :)

let's vote

I say it takes 2 days for a hacker to release a patch for windows XP.

$50 i think it will be dont 2 days or more BEFORE the release of it...
WArez and pre-release versions

Spray, X v4 has a decent dx port, try it sometime =)

With X4 and the latest video binaries you should be able to run a very sexy linux system and still be able to play flawless winblows software

Only reason i'm not running linux is that i don't have neough hdd space =/

Did anyone reply to enigma? Yes you do need new drivers for most things. But most specifically your Sound card and video card. MS shipped really crap drivers for the SB Lives and GeForces with Win2k. If you've got a Live make sure you get the latest LiveWare from the Creative website. If it's a different sound card [shrugs] I dunno check the manufacturers website.

If your vid card is a GeForce you must get the nVidia or manufacturer drivers because (IIRC) OpenGL wasn't supported straight out of the box on the MS GeForce drivers. If it's not a GeForce same rules apply - check your manufacturers website.

Mmm BeOS! The only OS where you literally drop a driver into a folder and it starts working immediately.

sif thats not the most ingenious money making scheme EVER, the majority of computer users are idiots so they go, if they cant replace single peripherals, they have to replace the whole system to upgrade (were talkin idiots here), and microsoft will make people beleive theat they have to... mmm monopoly :)