Wow. He just came right out and said it. I mean no theory, no conspiracy, no hidden agenda, no nothing. Right out in broad daylight from The Man himself. Very interesting read... Nice find damgar.

That's interesting. So..."piracy" is okay, then?

Reading into it: Not just "OK," but necessary to keep them at the top!

+1 on that. Why would I like to pay MS for the crap when I can get Ubuntu for desktops and servers alike for free? And that too disks shipped to my home?

A few posts back one mentioned the USA when talking about Windows piracy in China. That's all fine and dandy but the way it is stated makes it look as if you were saying that it is not happening in the USA. There is a plenty of piracy in the USA too. "Maybe" not as many (at least "if" you go by percentages) but it is still something regularly happening. Sad but true.

As far as reading the EULA, the WindowsXP EULA was the "last straw" for me. I didn't like or approve of MS's tactics in business. They quit supporting hardware I "needed" to use (at the time) but when they also decided to tell me they could decide what things I could and couldn't install on "my own" computer if I had their OS installed.... that was it. I broke for the door. I had already been using Linux in conjunction with Windows on my network (I had to have support for my hardware somehow) so, the logical next step was to finish moving "everything" to Linux. I sold all but two of the licences and "official" CDs and haven't looked back.

Hi,

I think M$ is aggressive with piracy here in the U.S.A. Locally there was a case just a few weeks ago. The pirate was selling pirate copies of M$ Windows. This guy was shipping everywhere and that includes off shore. The copies did look legit but to a knowledgeable user the obvious violation. Thousands of copies were confiscated that were boxed an ready for shipment(s). Pity some of the major purchasers with their lose(s). The news release indicated the DOJ & M$ relationship along with the local law enforcement agencies to bring this violation to justice. Look at Microsoft Anti-Piracy Filed Lawsuits to see the work here in the U.S.A.

Another suit was with a local computer shop that had installed M$ Win/Xp (Corporate) & M$ Office(Corporate) on systems that were sold. These violations were performed by a previous owner of the shop. The new owner is having to continue a fight with M$ that his current shop does use licensed software properly.

So I think it's a lot of FUD about M$ permitting piracy here in the U.S.A. As for the China issue(s), how would M$ control or manage a piracy problem within China? BG can say what he wants but there would be no firm way to do any action against violators within China to get a market hold legally. Look at the hoops Google has been going through with China. M$ had some of the same issues with China. There's International Law and then there's China Law. Big mess! China is not an true International Partner but becoming a International Dictator with their growing economic power. Wake up America!

I would not like to comment on China and America, but a lot machines running any version of windows here in India actually run pirated software. The systems that come with the OEM version from the manufacturers are the only people using the legit software. There are very few who buy box pack or paper licenses. But I am here talking about individual users and not the organizations or corporations, though there are lot of small companies those use pirate software.
And the systems sold as assembled machines from the local hardware stores always have pirate version of some windows and other softwares.

The cynic in me reckons MS can get more money from suing infringers than from preventing or dissuading the infringement in the first place.

At least, Micro$uck has one less person to worry about from pirating its OS.

I wouldn't use window$ whether it's paid for, through piracy or if Bill Gate$ himself hands deliver windows 7 to my house on a silver platter.

That's it in a nutshell. Here, the state will do the dirty-work and prosecute. China is actually smarter though- as they do not use their own resources / taxpayers funds to do the policing for foreign corporations.

Kind of funny when you think about it: People clamoring to have crappy Win-D'ohs...government agencies working to protect it..people going to jail....all for what, when better OSes are available for free.

Make that "two less people"!

Unfortunately, when it comes to business, often one has to. My company works with a lot of other organisations. We've got web applications from providers that only support Windows (and sometimes only IE). We've got specialist desktop applications that need Windows. We've got complex spreadsheets that risk breaking under OpenOffice. We deliver computer courses that are MS Office specific. Moving all company desktops to Linux just wouldn't be viable. Moving some, or dual-booting, would but would bring no real advantages, except for some old machines that lack Windows licenses - but those machines are junky spec anyway.

So, while I'd very much like to be shot of Windows, I'm stuck with it.

(On the server is another matter. We use Linux servers and they've done fine. Although even there, I'm not sure how they compare in technical capabilities to Windows servers and I rather suspect if there were Windows servers in use migrating would not be possible.)

Hi,

Yes, but China dictates to the people their worth unlike here in the U.S.A. So the government here taxes to achieve the ability to enforce the law via the people. Federal government today wants the control of the people for the people instead of allowing the intended free choice by our forefathers. Throw the bums out come November. Term limits for all, YES to citizen leadership not professionals.

That is true- we are becoming/have become much more like communist China rather than the vision of a free republic that our Founders tried to maintain.

I don't hold any hope for November though- as our current morass is largely a result of the values of the majority of our citizens- and until and if those values change, things will continue on the same couse as they have for many decades now.

And term limits can work just as effectively to stifle the good as they can to remove the bad. It sounds good when the bad are in office...but if somehow someone good were in....

No matter who we vote for and whether we have term limits or not, the actions and values of our culture are going to dictate what happens (and it is not looking good at this point)

Yes, I am aware of this. I know there are people and businesses that rely on window$ for there situation and preference.

That's fine, I have no ill will towards them for using window$. I was just making a personal statement for myself when it comes to window$.