press -- eweek, Microsoft Seeks to Bottle Up Open Source Wine

[Tom]

Hello All,

I just ran across this at eweek:

http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1766843,00.asp

Ivan you are now famous can I get your autograph ;)

Tom

[Tom]

Tom wrote:
> Hello All,
>
> I just ran across this at eweek:
>
> http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1766843,00.asp
>
> Ivan you are now famous can I get your autograph ;)
>
> Tom

You can get "Microsoft's Response" from:
http://www.microsoft-watch.com/article2/0,1995,1766738,00.asp
page two......

Tom

[Mike Hearn]

Fascinating. For those who don't want to read the whole thing, here is
their response:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
WGA differentiates the value of genuine versions of Windows XP and Windows
2000 from other operating systems, including virtualized versions of
Windows, by giving them access to updates and premium content. As such,
only genuine copies of Windows XP and Windows 2000 are eligible for
content that requires validation through WGA.

It is important to note, however, that security updates are not part of
WGA. They are available to all Windows users – with or without WGA
validation -- via the Download Center where they can be accessed
interactively or automatically though the Automatic Updates feature.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Premium Content"? What on earth could that be? Maybe we should ask the
new legal clinic about whether they're breaking the law or not and if so,
what should we do about it?

Rather worryingly a guy claiming to be a ReactOS developer claims in the
same story that 99% of apps break if you set Wine to WinXP mode, which is
quite clearly false. I've seen similar misconceptions before though (that
Wine can only run Windows 98 apps or whatever). Maybe we should stick
something in the FAQ about it.

thanks -mike

[Tom]

Mike Hearn wrote:
> Fascinating. For those who don't want to read the whole thing, here is
> their response:
>
> WGA differentiates the value of genuine versions of Windows XP and Windows
> 2000 from other operating systems, including virtualized versions of
> Windows, by giving them access to updates and premium content. As such,
> only genuine copies of Windows XP and Windows 2000 are eligible for
> content that requires validation through WGA.
>
> It is important to note, however, that security updates are not part of
> WGA. They are available to all Windows users – with or without WGA
> validation -- via the Download Center where they can be accessed
> interactively or automatically though the Automatic Updates feature.
>
> "Premium Content"? What on earth could that be?

I would only guess IE7 when it ships this summer?
One more reason for windows users to install and use FireFox.

Maybe we should ask the
> new legal clinic about whether they're breaking the law or not and if so,
> what should we do about it?

http://www.stolaf.edu/people/becker/antitrust/statutes/sherman.html

Wonder when they will WGA security updates?
There just being M$ start slow and keep applying pressure.
I would expect 50+% of windows installs in less fortunate countries are 
non genuine. So all these people have a excellent
reason to make the switch to Linux now.
> Rather worryingly a guy claiming to be a ReactOS developer

Is this guy a real ReactOS developer? I don't recall the name
ever being on wine-devel, wine-patches.......

Tom

claims in the
> same story that 99% of apps break if you set Wine to WinXP mode, which is
> quite clearly false. I've seen similar misconceptions before though (that
> Wine can only run Windows 98 apps or whatever). Maybe we should stick
> something in the FAQ about it.
>
> thanks -mike

[Filip Navara]

Tom wrote:
> > Rather worryingly a guy claiming to be a ReactOS developer
>
> Is this guy a real ReactOS developer? I don't recall the name
> ever being on wine-devel, wine-patches.......

He's rather new to the ReactOS project and works on the kernel...
(http://reactos.com/wiki/index.php/People_of_ReactOS)

- Filip

[Mike Hearn]

On Sat, 2005-02-19 at 17:12 -0500, Tom wrote:
> I would only guess IE7 when it ships this summer?
> One more reason for windows users to install and use FireFox.

I should have read the press release more closely:

New software incentives, valued at more than $450 (U.S.), will be added
for users of genuine Windows software who take part in the program,
including these:
      * Microsoft Photo Story 3 for Windows 
      * Winter Fun Pack 2004 
      * Fifty percent off a selection of MSN® Games by Zone.com 
      * Six-month trial of Microsoft Office OneNote® 2003 
      * Fifty percent off hosted Windows SharePoint® Services
      * Fifty percent off Microsoft List Builder service 
      * Thirty percent off the new Microsoft Office Outlook® Live
        service

It appears that Photo Story is *only* available if you validate, it's
not optional in this case.

If you click "Download Photo Story 3" here you are told to validate:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/digitalphotography/photostory/defau...

While this app is given away for free, presumably it's still illegal
product tying as Photo Story *could* run on Wine, but due to this block
Wine users are being prevented from downloading it.

thanks -mike

[Tom]

Mike Hearn wrote:
> It appears that Photo Story is *only* available if you validate, it's
> not optional in this case.
>
> If you click "Download Photo Story 3" here you are told to validate:
>
> http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/digitalphotography/photostory/defau...
>
> While this app is given away for free, presumably it's still illegal
> product tying as Photo Story *could* run on Wine, but due to this block
> Wine users are being prevented from downloading it.

You can get it from : 
http://downloads-zdnet.com.com/Photo-Story-3-for-Windows/3000-2204_2-1033915...
and other servers out there as well.... This is just another M$ stunt, 
every piece of there software can be found on
third party servers. I've not looked for office updates but im sure 
someone is hosting them besides Microsoft.

In our FAQ we need to point out Wine can run applications that are built 
for a number of windows
versions. And the user should start with win98 and try different 
settings if they run into win version errors.

We should also point that due to WGA we suggest using google to search 
for third party
hosting of  files there looking for.......... and just  boycott these 
sons of bitches!.

Anything else that may be of  relevance?

Tom
> thanks -mike

[Ivan Leo Puoti]

Mike Hearn wrote:
> Rather worryingly a guy claiming to be a ReactOS developer claims in the
> same story that 99% of apps break if you set Wine to WinXP mode, which is
> quite clearly false.

Even if it was true you can just set winver to xp to get the download, then switch it back
to win98/2k or whatever your previous setting was.

Ivan.