Ballmer claims that software piracy is what is holding down Vista sales, and pledges to tighten the screws on protection via the so-aptly-named Windows Geniune Advantage:
[from Ballmer blames pirates for poor Vista sales]Of course he is ignoring the fact that a lot of people are not buying Vista because it does not offer much more than XP and Windows Genuine Advantage makes their lives a misery. Cranking up WGA might backfire.
Vista will turn out to be the worst black eye for Microsoft, ever. It will be the turning point, when we look back in the future, where we will unequivocally say "that's where Microsoft demonstrated how lost they were."
Got to agree with you. I have Vista (though MSDN) and couldn't be bothered installing it. I see no compelling reason to try it and actually from reading various reviews believe it will impair my productivity (or at the very least slow my machine down).
Posted by: Chris Garrett | February 20, 2007 at 06:34 AM
Mr. "Baldy" Ballmer has become more of a liability IMO to Microsoft than anything else. It seems that when ever he opens his mouth lately he does more damage than good
http://www.winextra.com/?p=298
Posted by: Steven Hodson | February 20, 2007 at 10:42 AM
Microsoft are so sad now - and I was an avid supporter in the 90's. Time to dump Ballmer, and Ozzie. Where is the Microsoft Darlinghouse/ Yahoo memo!!!!!
Posted by: Colin Henderson | February 20, 2007 at 07:43 PM
The fractured future of WGA
http://theheadlemur.typepad.com/ravinglunacy/2007/02/windows_genuine.html
Posted by: alan herrell - the head lemur | February 21, 2007 at 05:37 AM
Re Ballmer's mention of "piracy" [sic] in China, India, Brazil, etc.: If MS cracks down too hard with Genuine Advantage, it may find Third World countries switching en masse to Linux for government offices and for state-funded entities like state school systems.
As for the next installment of Windows coming out in only 24 months or so, I hope by that time the OS "communists" have taken over and the vacant MS headquarters has been turned into a storage warehouse for manure.
Posted by: Kevin Carson | February 27, 2007 at 09:50 PM