"Windows Vista includes an extensive reworking of core OS elements in order to provide content protection for so-called 'premium content', typically HD data from Blu-Ray and HD-DVD sources. Providing this protection incurs considerable costs in terms of system performance, system stability, technical support overhead, and hardware and software cost. These issues affect not only users of Vista but the entire PC industry, since the effects of the protection measures extend to cover all hardware and software that will ever come into contact with Vista, even if it's not used directly with Vista (for example hardware in a Macintosh computer or on a Linux server). This document analyses the cost involved in Vista's content protection, and the collateral damage that this incurs throughout the computer industry."
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Member since:2005-11-10
"How does Mac handle the protected content ?"
It doesn't at the moment. Maybe Apple will bake Bluray/HDDVD support into Leopard. The truth is that Microsoft can really scew Apple (and Linux) over by using Vista's complicated protection to produce content that only works on Vista - and with the support of industry giants (RIAA et al), Microsoft can claim that these are not monopoly tactics, as it is protection against piracy, backed up by the RIAA. That alone will delay the European courts long enough for Vista to take hold. Microsoft can then charge anything they please to licence the DRM support to Apple (who are rolling in cash right now)
Honestly, the next five to ten years looks really bleak for consumers. It will take the loss of an incredibly historically important piece of media, due to DRM and proprietry technologies before the general public, and government even begin to understand the downsides of DRM.
Member since:2005-10-12
"How does Mac handle the protected content ?"
Apple will implement the standard. If you play the wrong kind of media, your Mac will degrade like your Vista machine.
But then, you'll be able to buy all the content you can have any legitimate use for, from the iMedia store. So your Mac should never degrade. Everything should be fine.
Member since:
2006-12-07
Theese are serious drawbacks. I am pretty sure that there are better ways to protect content. I am pretty sure that whatever comes from Microsoft after Vista would have to be something completely different.
According to the specifications on Microsoft site, "2003 R2" server requires 128 MB RAM and 90 or 133 MHz CPU to work. They are supposed to be the same code base. What could be the reason of such performance gap ? Where have all those mergabytes and megahertzs gone ?
How does Mac handle the protected content ?
DG