"Windows Vista includes an array of 'features' that you don't want. These features will make your computer less reliable and less secure. They'll make your computer less stable and run slower. They will cause technical support problems. They may even require you to upgrade some of your peripheral hardware and existing software. And these features won't do anything useful. In fact, they're working against you. They're digital rights management features built into Vista at the behest of the entertainment industry. And you don't get to refuse them."
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Member since:2005-07-06
The problem is that Microsoft is not really all that vulnerable to a boycott. Their most important customers are PC builders, and the most common way to get it is with a new PC. There are also a lot of other uses for a PC other than playing music and film.
Microsoft also have a lot of money and can stand a boycott for a while.
The ones that are really vulnerable are the content providers. They have no alternative market or alternative products. If you are willing to accept some collateral damage you could go after your local record store if they sell contents from record labels that also sells protected material.
Other suitable targets would be companies selling home electronics. After all most CDs, DVDs are not played in computers but in ordinary home appliances. If you can convince them (as in you sell a blue ray player here, we buy our TV elsewhere) not to sell DRM related technology it will be harder for content providers to find markets for their products.
Edited 2007-02-15 19:11
Member since:2005-08-17
Here are the marketable aspects of Vista's DRM:
* You can actually watch the DRM protected movies that you really want to watch.
* you can listen actually listen to the DRM protected music that you really want to listen to.
People will give up their freedom for pretty much anything.
Member since:
2005-08-07
And you don't get to refuse them.
I have every intention of voting with my wallet and not buying Vista. I may go with Linux or I may go with MacOS (depending on whether or not I get a laptop or not) but I will not be bothering with Vista. I can build my own machine from parts thank you very much and I can always use HaikuSkyOSSyllableReactOSRISC OS*BSD instead of Vista.
Or I can simply stick with my copy of XP. I have two licenses for that OS anyway, along with the copy of XP Corporate I use because I got tired of the Mother may I procedure every time I reinstalled. If worse comes to worse I think I can rustle up a copy of 2000 or even NT4.x to hold me over. If I really feel the need to stick with Windows that is.... And I don't.
So really, I have every option to refuse to use Microsoft's Vista or giver up the right to know what is happening on my own machine.
--bornagainpenguin