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Many have long speculated on the ramifications to open-source software if Microsoft and company really cracked down on Piracy. We may soon find that out if the abilities of Windows 10 are put into effect. MaximumPC writes: [maximumpc.com]
Have you read through the End User License Agreement (EULA) for Windows 10? If not, you might be in for a surprise if Microsoft decides to follow through terms outlined in Section 7b, which warns that Windows 10 can automatically check for and block access to illegal software, including counterfeit games, and unauthorized hardware.
Have a look:
Sometimes you'll need software updates to keep using the Services. We may automatically check your version of the software and download software updates or configuration changes, including those that prevent you from accessing the Services, playing counterfeit games, or using unauthorized hardware peripheral devices. You may also be required to update the software to continue using the Services. Such updates are subject to these Terms unless other terms accompany the updates, in which case, those other terms apply. Microsoft isn't obligated to make any updates available and we don't guarantee that we will support the version of the system for which you licensed the software.
These terms don't just apply to Windows 10, they also cover other Microsoft services and software, such as Skype, Office 365, Xbox Live, and several more.
(Score: 1) by elixir on Monday August 17 2015, @05:41PM
Is the user really in control when they choose to use any version of Windows?
(Score: 5, Informative) by Hairyfeet on Monday August 17 2015, @06:43PM
Well I have looked at the traffic coming out of Windows 7 and found nothing out of the ordinary, and talking to sources I trust the same seems to be true of Windows 8/8.1 once you kill the appstore (which frankly nobody uses, its filled with crapware and fakes) but with Windows 10 as I linked to the other day multiple sources have shown if you merely turn things off? It really does nothing, its still phoning home and sending data no matter what you choose. Personally I don't see how any business that cares about their data could even think about having Windows 10, the OS simply does not obey the user when it comes to data privacy.
So until I see sources I trust run one of the "Kill Win 10 spying" programs and show their traffic analysis showing it really does kill the spying dead? I would argue its best to err on the side of caution and avoid Windows 10.
ACs are never seen so don't bother. Always ready to show SJWs for the racists they are.
(Score: 2) by Joe Desertrat on Monday August 17 2015, @07:01PM
I'm curious, what happens if you do not have an internet connection for the Windows 10 PC? Are you plagued by constant connection attempts, or does all that stay dormant?
(Score: 2) by captain normal on Monday August 17 2015, @07:44PM
Well if you are not connected to any network, why bother with Win10? XP (or hell even 98) with legacy programs would likely be better.
"It is easier to fool someone than it is to convince them that they have been fooled" Mark Twain
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 17 2015, @09:10PM
I'm getting this image of people in 2015 running 9x (an OS that hasn't gotten an update since 2003, is always running as root, and which has zero security) and doing that on bare metal.
I am cringing.
Can someone name a 9x-compatible app that does -not- run under the current release of WINE?
(My impression has been that all those APIs were covered by the WINE Project years ago.)
-- gewg_
(Score: 2) by meisterister on Tuesday August 18 2015, @12:46AM
You rang? Windows 98 runs a hell of a lot better than Debian on my sig rig, and even my Athlon XP.
(May or may not have been) Posted from my K6-2, Athlon XP, or Pentium I/II/III.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Hairyfeet on Tuesday August 18 2015, @02:51AM
Question...have you tried any of the "tiny" versions of Windows, like Tiny Win2K, TinyXP, or even Tiny 7? Because its amazing what the guy that hacked Windows was able to do, Win2K tiny uses less than 45Mb on the desktop, TinyXP only uses 64Mb, Tiny 7 just 128Mb. The biggest? Tiny Vista at 256Mb...Dammit Jim, he's a hacker, not a miracle worker!
While I haven't tried on a K6-2 (in fact I haven't even seen one of those in like 14 years) I tried Tiny 7 on a 1.6Ghz Sempron socket 754 with just 756mb of RAM and it flew, the whole OS was running in RAM and it just ran and ran, no slowdowns, it was pretty amazing.
ACs are never seen so don't bother. Always ready to show SJWs for the racists they are.
(Score: 2) by Joe Desertrat on Tuesday August 18 2015, @05:57PM
I have not heard of these "Tiny" versions of Windows but they appear very interesting. I will definitely be checking these out.
(Score: 2) by Hairyfeet on Wednesday August 19 2015, @03:39AM
You really should as they are pretty amazing. I had a pair of P3 1.1Ghz Compaqs with 512Mb of RAM and on one I loaded XP Tiny and the other the official image of WinFLP, which was Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs, which was XP designed for lower spec older hardware...the result? Xp Tiny fricking SPANKED WinFLP, it was faster, more responsive, hell it even ran more software than the official MSFT product!
So if you have some older hardware? Give it a spin, its also kick ass for gaming if you have hardware that can't quite cut it anymore, I have a buddy running Win 7 Tiny on a C2Q with an HD4850 GPU and even though its pretty old it gets really good performance in his flight games.
ACs are never seen so don't bother. Always ready to show SJWs for the racists they are.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 18 2015, @03:08AM
The standard recommendation it to stop running software that is no longer supported.
better than Debian
The *default* install of a distro that competes with "7" and "8"?
How did "7" or "8" run on that box?
Did you also try to stuff a 427 in your Volkswagen?
antiX (pronounced "Antiques") [google.com] Base or Core [distrowatch.com] would appear to be a better fit.
Maybe even antiX Full. (That ISO still fits on a CD.)
The antiX guys are a friendly, helpful community. [freeforums.org]
Tiny Core Linux is a similar thing to antiX Core but is less beginner-friendly.
Debian also has a Net Install that doesn't install things you don't want|need.
...and, if having a single-user system is OK with you (no SO or kids or houseguests who will want to share the box), Puppy Linux will run on just about anything that can still boot.
.
...and per Hairyfeet's idea:
Will XP run on a box that does not support CMOV?
I know there are a bunch of distros that won't run on a P1|K5|K6.
(antiX has 486 spins that do support those old CPUs.)
-- gewg_
(Score: 2) by Joe Desertrat on Tuesday August 18 2015, @05:53PM
Well if you are not connected to any network, why bother with Win10? XP (or hell even 98) with legacy programs would likely be better.
I have a PC with XP that I use for a few programs (I'm not satisfied with how the ones I have tried run in Wine) that I do not allow to connect to the internet. Still, it is 8 years old, I do not expect it to last forever and someday I will have to replace it with something. I'm assuming that older versions of Windows will be hard to find at that point.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Hairyfeet on Monday August 17 2015, @10:07PM
Well I'm sure the Event Viewer would show error after error, as it repeatedly tried to open up connections and failed. Of course today a computer without Internet access is of somewhat limited use which makes IMHO Windows 10 all the more insidious as you atm really have no other option if you don't want to be spied upon than cutting off all access. Its bad enough the producer of Tek Syndicate has already stated he has no intention of allowing Windows 10 to run anywhere except as a VM with limited access due to the spying and so far every source that has attempted to kill the spying has come up unable to completely stop the connections.
That is why I hope somebody here with the time will run this tool [softpedia.com] which is supposed to automate all the editing required to disable the Windows 10 spying and see if it actually does as it says, I am in the middle of moving and have too much in storage to be able to run real comprehensive tests myself and when it comes to users privacy? I really wouldn't feel right doing the task if I couldn't do a deep enough analysis to insure my results. But until somebody runs this, some other tool, or comes up with some other way that has been verified to kill the spying? I would say the only prudent thing to do is to warn people away from Windows 10, as in its current state its simply an OS that is completely out of the hands of the end user and which is entirely controlled by a corporation that has made it clear in their own EULA and by their own actions that the users privacy is just not something they care about.
ACs are never seen so don't bother. Always ready to show SJWs for the racists they are.