"A genuine crack for Windows Vista has just been released by pirate group Pantheon, which allows a pirated, non-activated installation of Vista (Home Basic/Premium and Ultimate) to be properly activated and made fully-operational. Unlike cracks which have been floating around since Vista RTM was released in late November, this crack doesn't simply get around product activation with beta activation files or timestop cracks - it actually makes use of the activation process."
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Member since:2006-02-27
Well, I was watching people buying Vista Ultimate Retail in a Saturn here in Germany last week and they didn't moan about the price, so I guess there must be some people that don't think it's overpriced. (Or they just don't think...)
On a side note: A lot of people run Windows 2000 because it was the last version that required no activiation and you could legally get an evaluation version from Microsoft that was limited to 120 days but never stopped working (even the Advanced Server version).
I have like 10 or 12 MS-branded Windows 2000 Evaluation discs lying around, all from my MCSE days. Fun fact: The discs were pressed before they renamed it "Professional" and actually say "Windows 2000 Workstation", the way it should have been all along.
Member since:2006-01-21
Well, I was watching people buying Vista Ultimate Retail in a Saturn here in Germany last week and they didn't moan about the price, so I guess there must be some people that don't think it's overpriced. (Or they just don't think...)
Correct. As I have written, there are customers for Vista Ultimate, that will pay the price without moaning, simply because there is little competition in the market (e.g. there is no second, Windows compatible vendor that competes on the price level with MS, so free-market forces can not necessarily be applied to this scenario and the prices tend to be higher than the simple law of supply and demand would suggest). However, most people I know who are interested in Vista wait for a crack/emulation, so that they can take a free-ride. Perhaps I know the wrong people, or software "piracy" is more common here in rural Austria than in Germany, but I somehow doubt this.
A lot of people run Windows 2000 because it was the last version that required no activiation and you could legally get an evaluation version from Microsoft that was limited to 120 days but never stopped working (even the Advanced Server version).
That is certainly true. But most of time, when I arrived at someones house in the past in order to fix his/hers computer and asked for the installation media, they gave me a CD-R with hand written "MS Windows 2000" label, most of the times with a (generic) key on a separate sheet of paper. Back then (e.g. before I refused to provide tech support for systems with non-genuine elements on it), I had a "don't ask, don't tell" policy, but I doubt that most of this disks were legit backup disks.
EDIT: Concerning Windows compatible alternatives: Yes, I'm aware of ReactOS, but that is far from being a valid alternative for someone who is ready and willing to shove out 500€ for an operating system. In related news, I guess the fact that most OEM systems come with Vista Home editions pre-installed makes retail Ultimate versions particullary more attractive than other flavors of Vista.
Still I hope, that my arguments hold: Most people running Vista Ultimate in a year or so will get it the usual way (which is the same way they got their other non-OEM OSes and programs): By relying on software "piracy".
Edited 2007-03-04 22:36
Member since:
2006-01-21
amazon.de has Vista OEM for roughly 185€ (OEM, 32 or 64 Bits) and the full non-OEM for about 499€. I can't comment on the availability of cheaper regular non-OEM versions here in Austria or Germany, but most local vendors I am aware of have the full Vista Ultimate advertised with prices starting at 500€ and settling at around 549€, leading to a pretty consistent and (if you allow me this personal statement) mind boggling high price-range of roughly (converted using[1])
657 - 724 USD.
My take on this is, that there is only a very limited market here in Austria for non-OEM versions of MS operating systems. Joe/Jane Doe kind of home users usually either settle for the OEM version that comes together with their computer or have a "computer expert" among their friends/relatives anyway, who supplies them with a "pirated"[*] version of a more capable /less restricted MS operating system (an astonishing high number of individuals run Windows 2000 Professional as their operating system, without having ever paid for it). SMEs rely on their existing computer support or volume pricing schemes from larger resellers or MS direct to get (OEM) versions and - judging from my experience - usually do not care whether they have an OEM version or not, as long as they can run their tools on it.
The only people I know who have actually bought the non-OEM version of MS operating systems in the past were individual contractors/freelancers/etc. who can't run pirated copies due to their occupation and are outside the usual corporate sales channels, and enthusiasts. This groups will pay the price of Vista ultimate without much bitching and the rest of the crowd can maybe now get their hands (at least temporarily) on a copy of Vista Ulitmate without paying a cent beyond the cost of the DVD+-R media.
While I'm not as familiar with the situation in Germany, I have a feeling, that it is not much different there.
Disclaimer: I'm against software "piracy"[*] and I have for the last three years refused to provide tech support for individuals who run "pirated"[*] copies of operating systems or applications, simply because this usually hurts the competion more than the market leader/nearly monopolist.
[1] http://www.xe.com/ucc/convert.cgi
[*]Personally, I find the usage of the word "pirate" for people who distribute non-genuine copies of operating systems pretty pathetic. Still, the mental image of buccaneers with parrots on their shoulders who are sitting on the deck of a ship with a blowing jolly rogers on top and try to crack Vista Ultimate on their shiny new notebooks is amusing at least
Edited 2007-03-04 16:12