Well, I think Microsoft has changed its stance on Pirating and has dicided to throw the full weight of its name behind linux becuase that is effecivly what this decision will do. I would be willing (though it would hurt) to spend $399 to buy the full version of Windows vista Ultimate, now I build computers alot, I upgrade my machine proabably every 6 months, now I replace parts in these machines even more oftin than that and windows vista well detect your computer as "new" if you upgrade just about anything such as your motherboard and force you to buy a new copy if you have already used your transfer. Now after being a good PAYING customer and shelling out the cash for the EXPENSIVE windows vista I would be pissed as hell at being told "too bad you need to buy it again" just because I upgraded and would turn to one of the aformentioned options that Microsoft seems to be promoting. Now I personaly don't give a damn about vertual machines, but I will not buy multiple copys of Windows Vista ESPECIALY not if I only have them running on one existing computer at a time.

As to your comment "it makes me wonder why you would bother with Vista Home Basic or Premium when you could just use Linux and have every feature." the reason is because Linux is too complicated for the average user, if they would downplay command lines and get a graphical install interface like windows has they could take a chunk out of windows but as things stand there is not enough software support and it appears tediuse and difficult to the average user. Also many people do not know where they can get linux, oftin for free.

Hi,

When was the last time you've tried Linux Ian? There are several distros that include those features. Fedora Core, Ubuntu, etc offer graphical installation (not a copy of Windows installation program but still a graphical install) and completly graphical interfaces, and if you don't like shell access just don't use it.

My company is a small computer manufacturer and we normally blundle OpenOffice for Windows and a lot of other OpenSource software and sometimes we get reports from customers asking for versions with Microsoft Office, not beacause it is not compatible with their documents, but because they are so used to it.

I think the same goes for Linux. Different file system structure (where's my C drive), similar programs but not exactly the same (can't find zoom on OO), and other similar complaints is what we get.

We do have support for Linux, and the enterprise side shows a lot of interest, but again they prefer to stay with Microsoft because the familiar "usage pattern".

I see the truth reason behind the iso restrictions in Windows Vista... it's so that you CANNOT INSTALL/DOWNLOAD LINUX!
Think about it. Many of the distributions are either sold on CDs or downloadable in a .iso format. Once these people get Vista and they don't like it, they will hear people saying online "Linux is much better," "Linux doesn't crash like Windows," "Linux is FREE," and then they will want to get it. But, they won't be able to because of Vista. I know a lot of single computer families, and so I could see this as being a problem.

Also, I am like "Ian" above, in that I upgrade my machine all of the time. I built the entire thing, but I will never be happy with the configuration. I change something AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK! I pull NICs and stuff from other machines, and I test them in Windows to see if they will work with the other systems (because everyone I know runs Windows, and many things work BETTER in Linux than they do in Windows (it's GOT TO BE THE OS!). Anyway, If I have to keep buying new licenses, they are going to lose me, and the hundred-some people around me who ask me where they should get their next computer from!

I think that the only thing that this is going to do is INCREASE PIRATING! I won't pirate, but I am sure many will. If I pay $400 for Vista, and then I keep having to pay that again, then they have lost me!

Thanks for listening to my rant :)

MS is over-reaching w/ Vista. Too many versions, too many restrictions, too much of a horsepower hit for no increase in user productivity.

Today I installed Ubuntu on my Toshiba laptop.
Relatively straightforward. Still too tough for
most normal folks, though. I've spent the past 8 hrs googling around to figure out how to get multimedia and wireless networking and network file sharing with Windows boxes working smoothly. But it has lowered the installation barriers, and will continue to do so.

-- stan

Don't give me that Linux stuff - Microsoft can and do whatever they please. They have won the desktop market - Linux is a minor competitor. Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan; I'm writing this on Ubuntu Linux right now. However, most people are unwilling to try anything new or different, even if it is free.

Let me give a real life example. At college, there was a busy computer lab with one Macintosh in it in. Almost never got used. I know - I had a shift there. Even if people were WAITING to use computers, nobody would use the Mac. Sometimes, somebody would sit down, stare at the screen for 5 minutes, and then finally ask "where's the start menu?" Yet, even if you showed them how to use it, they wouldn't. If you can't get somebody to use a Mac, how do you get them to try Linux?

These are the bulk of the customers who buy computers. I mean, come on, your average user doesn't know or care what an ISO is! As soon as they find out that Linux is different and it won't play their games, they loose all interest.

People will use what they know. They know windows. And, all the games/programs are written for it. (Don't try to argue WINE - I use WINE and it's not ready for prime time) You can go on all day about how it's immunity to viruses and spyware, and how it is more stable and free. Two words, "Games" and "Familiarity." Microsoft has a monopoly. Microsoft can and will do as they please.

Sheesh... why not just get a Mac?... no viruses, no limits, no hastles... I think Vista may just push more PC users to switch...

I was considering upgrading 1 of my machines to Vista but after reading this there is no way I will buy Vista. I don't see any reason to switch from XP. It's still a decent OS and most of the bugs are now gone. I will leave it on my gaming machine. My work machines are going to move to Unbuntu Linux.
Could this the beginning of the end of Ultra Greedy Microsoft. Serve them right after all the hopes and dreams they have destroyed, when they rolled over all those small software shops. Now they are trying to do it to Semantic and McAfee. It will be interesting to see how that plays out.

How many 9x users are out there? With no security upgrades, it's hard to justify still using an OS. The same will happen to 2000 and XP. As for Macintosh, they are no saints either - they killed off MacOS 9 with a speed and tenacity that must have made Bill Gates green with envy. It was just this year that MS finally was able to drop all support for 98/ME! However, MacOS 9, which was being sold roughly about the same time, has been dead for years. I don't with to start a flame though - I am completely Mac neutral - I could argue for or against them. I almost exclusively use Linux and it has made huge strides, but there are still too many things you can't do as a direct result of MS (windows media player DRM for example) and Apple (iTunes for example).

the funny thing about all this mac vs windows argument is microsoft owns half of apple computers either way microsoft still turns a profit