Microsoft Forces OEMs To Lock Devices Into Windows 8 Using UEFI
Linked by Thom Holwerda on Fri 13th Jan 2012 16:20 UTC, submitted by moondevil
Windows And so the war on general computing continues. Were you looking forward to ARM laptops and maybe even desktops now that Windows 8 will also be released for ARM? I personally was, because I'd much rather have a thin, but fast and economical machine than a beastly Intel PC. Sadly, it turns out that all our fears regarding UEFI's Secure Boot feature were justified: Microsoft prohibits OEMs from allowing you to install anything other than Windows 8 on ARM devices (the Software Freedom Law Center has more).
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garyd
Member since:
2008-10-22

Really? I never do. And I'm sure I'm far from alone in this.

You've never looked at the list of drivers available in an operating system before buying components to run it?

Reply Parent Score: 1

Laurence Member since:
2007-03-26


You've never looked at the list of drivers available in an operating system before buying components to run it?

Not when the OS I primarily run is Linux.

Plus the rare occasion I have some hardware that doesn't work (eg onboard NIC when I was running a Solaris home server), I usually have some spare components laying about that I can swap around. But it's very very rare I'm ever in that kind of situation.

Sometimes it's also nice running the more obscure OS's on officially unsupported hardware as it helps their hardware testing.

Personally though; the only pre-built systems I buy are laptops, and as I don't game (or rather play hardware intensive modern games), I don't even worry about the state of graphics drivers on Linux.

I do get a great deal 2nd hand gear from family and friends who have upgraded their computer. As many of them tend to buy computers from high street stores - restrictions like the Win8 secure booting would still have a massive impact on me. It essentially means a lot of hardware would no longer be recyclable.

Edited 2012-01-13 17:55 UTC

Reply Parent Score: 7

cbcunix Member since:
2012-01-13

I know that this is a side note to the main argument, but I want to thank Laurence, as well as all those who help out the Linux/BSD/Solaris community with hardware testing.

I submit regular test results for Solaris 10 x86, using quite a motley array of systems and peripherals, because hardware testing is utterly lacking compared with Windows, and even Red Hat Linux. Most of the IT departments I have either worked in, or consulted with, look down upon OSes with a lacking HCL, and will not consider one of them (usually this concerns integration with legacy hardware, or brand spanking new systems).

Thank you again.....because this kind of 'grunt work' helps influence both IT professionals, as well as management who are wary of committing to anything foreign (OS-wise). For irrespective of the non-Windows OS of your choice, anything that would make it more palatable for the corporate and home user alike, is an honorable goal that is worth attaining.

Reply Parent Score: 3