Probably one of the most hated parts of Windows are its anti-piracy measures - product activation and Windows Genuine Advantage. While most people acknowledge Microsoft's right to implement these measures, many have also been bitten by the measures' shortcomings, such as server outages or false positives. Microsoft blogger Ed Bott has been monitoring WGA since its inception, and in 2006 and 2007 he didn't give a passing grade to WGA ("a big fat F"). This year, the situation has improved somewhat, earning Microsoft a passing grade - barely.
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Member since:2005-06-29
This is exactly why I have an issue with Microsoft's strict licensing. Why should you have to purchase two licenses when you will only have one computer on your desk after the upgrade? Also, what happens when your motherboard dies and you can't replace it with the exact same model? Microsoft says you have to purchase a new license since the core of the computer is not the same, but that's quite silly to me.
Granted, most people in either situation can call Microsoft Support and get a manual reactivation, but to me this just stinks of "guilty until proven innocent". As I've said before, companies like Apple don't have to resort to these tactics to stay profitable. Keeping customer loyalty and trust should be a priority, yet Microsoft screams "We don't trust you!" to every single person who buys their products.
Member since:2005-11-13
Member since:
2005-11-13
But if you're doing an upgrade, what do you have to replace before it is considered another system/computer? The motherboard? CPU? A combination of both? I just replaced everything on one of my computers except for the case, so I guess technically it is not the same computer