WinXP

[Undertoad]

Originally posted by jaguar
Particualry with the anal retentive definition of computer which menas if i remember coreclty if you purchase a new system you need a new copy of winXP. (correct me if i'm wrong on that)

Not wrong, but it goes even further than that. If you replace enough components in your current system, XP will decide that you now have a new computer and will require verification. It doesn't have to be a motherboard, either...

It all goes back to a tiny little misconception that everyone has about their non-open-source operating systems. They think that they "purchase" the software and that it is then "owned" by them. In fact they do not. They pay some amount (or their vendor pays some amount) for the right to operate Microsoft's OS on their computer. If MS decides they shouldn't run it any longer, then they will not be able to run it any longer. XP just makes that transaction a little easier for MS.

But then there's the question of who owns your DATA. If it's in one of those MS-proprietary formats, such as Word, Excel, etc., you don't really own your data because you don't own software that can read that data.

MS likes the fact that most people think they "own" their software and data because it makes it easier for them to reach saturation point. But if everyone realized that they don't own their software, there would be a mass migration away from restrictive EULAs and proprietary formats. The support people at MS will not explain that you don't own your software as they help you get your XP back up and running after a hardware upgrade or computer change. But if for some reason you can't convince MS to get "your" XP back up and running after a hardware upgrade, you will have no recourse because it is not yours.

Disclaimer: this is not original thought by me, but I read so many pundits and computer columns that I forget who made the point. Maybe Robert X. Cringely at pbs.org, his column is a must-read every Friday.