Microsoft unveils Vista editions

[GT98]

6 Different types...

# Vista Business
# Vista Enterprise
# Vista Home Basic
# Vista Home Premium
# Vista Ultimate
# Vista Starter

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4754462.stm

[Tjalfe]

I wonder which one will hit the pirate market first
.. I think it will be time for me to subsribe to the microsoft actionpack again.. should give me several licences of each version

[Jammrock]

I wonder which one will hit the pirate market first
.. I think it will be time for me to subsribe to the microsoft actionpack again.. should give me several licences of each version

Ultimate and Enterprise will be the big pirate versions. Ultimate because it has everything and, if initial rumors are true, won't have WPA. Enterprise will have a good deal of the OS, sans some media options, and will also be WPA free ... gauranteed. Because no enterprise would buy it if they had to register 50k+ copies.

Jammrock

[Tjalfe]

I guess in that respect, I am the same as a big corporation.. the registration / activation is pain in the butt.. I have a legal licence for XP Pro ( actually several) but still use the pirated version which does not need activation.. chances are I will go the same route in Vista, if that option is available

[Claymonkey]

I'd be very surprised if it wasn't. That's the funny thing about these kind of measures. They never stop the diehards that know what they are doing or where to look. However, it does get rid of the casual pirate for at least awhile, and that's Microsoft's concern in the end anyway.

[Paulr]

The rumours you've heard on the "Ultimate Edition" are incorrect (from the information I've been given (MS Beta tester here, so not 100% confirmed)) - it will require Activation.
The only version of Vista that won't require activation is the one aimed at business users and they will actually be crippling that version so it is no use to your average home user - lack of DirectX support etc.

The idea is two fold.
Firstly managers in the corporate environment will be happy as there is a good chance that people won't be able to bring games in for use on work PC's.
At the same time the versions of Vista that leak (sorry, are stolen by thieving scum who for some reason feel the world owes them a living) will be of no use to "Joe Public" at home with the crippled DirextX, etc.

It's an interesting way around the issue.

[Admiral]

You can imagine they'll find a way to bypass the activation... use some keygenerator for by phone activation...

[Paulr]

...and as for the "Registration/Activation" issue in WinXP - where exactly is it?
WinXP doesn't require any form of registration at all - so you can't really argue about that.
If you are using WinXP correctly you simply don't need to reinstall the OS very often - certainly not so many times that you've used up all of your automated online activations.
If you reofrmat every 30 days then you'll have never activated WinXP as it allows you to run it for 30 days without activation.

So, the only people who would have had problems with WinXP at home are those people that reformat every 32 days.
Even then a simple 5 minute phone call and the product is activated.
You know I'm sure people look for issues just to be awkward and attempt to find problems where there aren't any.

[Tjalfe]

after my second call to microsoft for activation after upgrading my computer, I started using the pirated version.. to most people it is a non issue, to me it was annoying

[Elie]

I'll probably get the one that supports 4 processors, and provide me with enough tools for networking and be enough to support my editing rig.

[Jammrock]

I will more than likely end up with an Ultimate Edition with an anti-WPA patch. I can get the software legit and cheap, but I don't like registering my software unless I absolutely need support from the maker ... which is just about never.

[Jessterw]

I'll probably be getting the... oh wait, I won't be purchasing or installing any of them. I just can't see any reason to justify such a purchase when XP works perfectly well if I need to run any version of Windows. Has nothing to do with being anti-MS, as I once was a staunch defender, but rather a decision based on a variety of factors, the least of which is MS' continuous dismissal of consumer and developer input where it matters. They're a lot like (F)OSS developers in that regard.

[GNEP]

I'll be waiting until SP1 as usual

[borat]

...and as for the "Registration/Activation" issue in WinXP - where exactly is it?
WinXP doesn't require any form of registration at all - so you can't really argue about that.
If you are using WinXP correctly you simply don't need to reinstall the OS very often - certainly not so many times that you've used up all of your automated online activations.
If you reofrmat every 30 days then you'll have never activated WinXP as it allows you to run it for 30 days without activation.

So, the only people who would have had problems with WinXP at home are those people that reformat every 32 days.
Even then a simple 5 minute phone call and the product is activated.
You know I'm sure people look for issues just to be awkward and attempt to find problems where there aren't any.

Thats not really how it happens, when I reinstall I activate it straight away - because I never anticipate having to reformat within 30 days. However I have had the worst luck ever over the past 3 months (2HDD failures, 2 Motherboard failures and 2 botched installs which were my own doing for not bothering to install virus/spyware protection). The last time I reinstalled it windows said it had been activated too many times, so I figured it was quicker to patch it than to go through the hassle with MSFT. The point is if people are going to pirate it activation won't stop them, and its a pain to everyone else.

[DJ]

Well I had the experience of setting up a Dell Computer for someone. He had it for a year but was not using it. After booting it promply asked for activation, tried to activate but it would not. Then it said that the serial number was invalid. Tried to renenter the serial number with no success. Nothing I tried worked and this was the original Install CD from Dell. Tell me if that is not a problem?

DJ