Hmmm.... I am not really sure what it is going to affect - however, you would like to see such changes rather from ISO instead from MS. But I personnally don't think it is going to work. Every other Computer Architecture would have to do similar things in order to access. So what about Mac, Sparcs, Alpha etc Computers...
Just a thought

The questions is: who would like to have something like that? Not me...

The bit I am still not clear on is why this is such a bad thing for linux. The thought of having my PC applications controlled by a third party and what I can do with that system effectively dictated by them as well means there is no way I would ever stick compliant hardware in my system or software that is dependant on this method and hence whether I especially want linux or not I would migrate just to avoid this technology.

If I choose not to run a palladium based system (I stick for arguments sake with linux/win2k) then why does this affect me?

The problem mainly is, that communicating between Palladium and non-palladium is very hard - applications couldn't be used by Palladium since they don't have a Certificate. So - if everybody starts to use Palladium, you'll be left alone with your Linuxbox. I think this could be a problem.

Seems that the plan is to have every piece of software on the computer checked by the CPU for the certification. If it is not certified it doesn't work.Basically that means if you write your own software you can't even use it on your own box because it isn't certified.If certified software is changed is doesn't work anymore.That means every change has to be certified and that will cost a lot of $$$.It is a very good plan because GPL or not; you can't do anything anymore.And you guys think M$ is stupid.

It just won't work...

I hope...

crashmeister, how do you think programmers can be teached to program such chips? Every learning program certified? You must write your own software to learn how to program, in every architecture. So there MUST be version of this chips "free to program". So it may just creata a black market, but won't stop people by using programs they want to use.

No need to worry what i think or would do - i am sure there are people working on it that know much better what they are doing.

Let's just hope it doesn't work.
But actually it cannot be possibel that way. There are millions of people out in this world writing programs. If their programs won't run on Palladium, they won't use palladium. So M$ will have to try to make it possibel to write your own Software (otherwise, not many people will probably use it) and this would in term make life easier for the GPL.

There is some info at http://www.theregus.com.content/4/25378.html
-Forget it - link doesn't work

Its an interesting idea, but how are they going to implement it? certainly in our smallish company we still have a number of PCs based around Pentium and Pentium II hardware with no real plans to upgrade them because they are perfectly capable of doing their job. If we are put in the position of having to upgrade every machine in our building to ensure palladium compliance it is going to cost us an awful lot of money that the company directors will turn round point blank and refuse to pay (sorry we need to chuck out all this really expensive hardware that works perfectly well because?). Presumably that we are also a mixed 'nix/MS software house as well will make any transition that much harder and more expensive to accomplish.

Add to that the personal viewpoint that I am not going to bin my existing PC just to run the latest MS crap and I cant see my parents, friends or many other people that I know wanting to upgrade their entire pc just to run a new version of office, they'll just stick to the existing one.

Surely if anything this has more potential to boost a linux/Gpl environment. The big corporations who will happily chuck a few million pounds at upgrading perfectly good hardware will be running palladium, the rest of us who cant or wont spend that money will remain on non palladium technology. You cant force me to use it if I choose not to spend the money on it

That it costs a lot of money is the idea.This is not an M$ thing - Intel and AMD are into it,too.If you want to go on the internet and can't because of this you will have to upgrade.The only way this doesn't work is if customers just don't buy it - if they have a choice.But it's not like Passport. You just don't get it-end of story.It's also the hardware.

AMD and Intel won't change their whole production in one moment, it's too expensive. They'll release small numbers to see if they can sell it. That's the chance. And there's always place for another company to sell procs..