Vista- Yay or Nay

[Jacx]

I been looking at reports and such and im wondering how many of you lot want to upgrade to Vista?

So far i been humming and arring over wanting it with a future new pc.

However a report today really got on my tits:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6286245.stm

Basically Vista can downgrade the quality of the movie you are playing depending on the provider..due to so called security issues.

"

It follows reports that Vista would "downgrade" the quality of all video and audio, if they were not output via approved connections on the PC.
Microsoft said only the quality of "premium content" would be lowered, and only if requested by copyright holders. The measures are in place, says the firm, to protect content such as high definition movies from being copied. "

Now if im not mistaken, if i buy a pc with vista, its my property, and if i download/buy a disk with a movie its my property...so who the fuck are they to decide if im gonna copy it or not!


Anyways who knows other stuff they are upto and whats your thoughts.,..worth upgrading or not?

[steff]

I'll wait until everyone else has tried it out because I'm happy with XP anyway. :)

[nfc]

I read a piece last year on vista. Pretty scary knowing that MS are scanning your pc for pirate movies and music with a capability of removing . Where is the line drawn. Can it read all files saved on your pc too ? Not very secure for companies that have sensitive data stored.

[Jacx]

theres also supposedly another twist to this, becuase the markets are ever changing and that countries are turning to open source for govenment work, microsoft seem to be taking a new direction...result

No more new windows! Basically Vista will be the last one offered, and from then on it will be updates and upgrades.

[Santo]

Well to be honest, there are enough open source or nearly free OS that work just as well as Windows, in the spirit of helping them out with piracy, i think im going to go in that direction, it is wrong not to pay for your OS, but it's a million times wrose to overpay for a product simply because there is no serious competition in the market.

[Pleb]

Graphically Vista looks very nice, and having seen a demo, the functionality is quite nice too. The new Office suite is also pretty tasty.

I don't fully understand the content protection issues. Are they saying that you wouldn't be able to install unsigned drivers? If so, they can keep it.

I certainly won't be running out to get Vista. I'm happy with XP, and I reckon for my next upgrade I'll be looking at Open Source.

[Dymond]

I'll wait until everyone else has tried it out because I'm happy with XP anyway. :)


WOW..Did the earth just stop rotating? Cause guess what people..I actually agree with Steff!!

Seriously like Steff said XP is working like a champ and I'm not sure I'm confortable with the steep requirements for the upgrade. I might try Vista later but maybe not until other people are done 'beta' testing all the bugs for SP1.

[tim|away]

Microsoft said that if picture quality was degraded it would still be better than current DVD quality.

What the devil is all the fuss about and how are their methods effective? Am i missing something? The whole article seems to be slightly blown out of proportion.

[Psychostyle]

nay, i was playing with it back when it was longhorn, and i was playing with it a cppl days at work on my bosses new toy..im still not impressed

[Metall_fan]

I am sure there will be hacks and patches all over the Internet to avoid copyright issues if they come up. XP was supposed to be hack-proof also with the whole Internet registration bs.

I will not go out of my way to get Vista, but when I get a new computer 2-3 years from now I am sure it will come bundled with it anyway, like all the previous Windows have. If I hate it I'll switch back to XP.

[-=REMO=-]

Definitely a nay here.

To be honest the digital rights management doesn't really bother me, chances are that it there will be a work around discovered/released shortly after it goes public and if not, I'm already dual-booting my XP with Linux, it would just be one more thing that I use Linux for.

This article (http://www.tomshardware.com/2007/01/17/gameplay-only-gets-worse-with-vista/), however ensures that I won't be getting it atleast for a year or so. Given that the main reason that windows is still on my computer is for gaming there's no way that I'm upgrading to something that's going to reduce my already mediocre gameplay (still using an AGP video card).

But, I always say that I won't be getting the latest version of windows, then eventually I cave in due to hardware incompatibilities etc. I do usually manage to wait out until most issues are solved though (eg. SP2 was out before I upgraded to XP from 98SE).

theres also supposedly another twist to this, becuase the markets are ever changing and that countries are turning to open source for govenment work, microsoft seem to be taking a new direction...result

No more new windows! Basically Vista will be the last one offered, and from then on it will be updates and upgrades.

To be honest, this is the best news I've heard regarding windows in ages. I'm sick of being expected to pay for a new copy of windows every 3 years or so when what I have does what I need it to. If they stop producing new operating systems then, theoretically, I won't have to pay just to get my new Hardware working with my computer as the drivers will be compatible with my current OS.

I somehow doubt that it will be the last OS that they release though, simply because you can bet that they're not going to get out of the OS game when 128-bit computing comes in, and they're not just going to remodel Vista and continue supporting the 64-bit version alongside the 128-bit version. Even if the name stays the same there will be new versions of windows, and they won't be giving it away for free to owners of the last version.

[steff]

WOW..Did the earth just stop rotating? Cause guess what people..I actually agree with Steff!!

Jesus this is becoming too common. ;)

[anti-duck]

Basically Vista can downgrade the quality of the movie you are playing depending on the provider..due to so called security issues.


Not quite true. HD DVD's (HD-DVD/BluRay) may be downgraded to something similar to standard DVD quality (960x540 instead of 1920x1080 I think) if the copyright owner demands it and if your components are too old. If you're using a DVI or HDMI connection for your monitor you should be OK, anything older may not suffice. There's probably some restrictions on your graphics card too, I'm not sure about that though. This isn't specific to Vista though, all HD DVD devices will have to do this shit. They're trying to prevent people from accessing an unencrypted HD stream at any time but the whole thing is beyond retarded and I hope it never takes off. Audio is not affected by this at all.

Also from what I understand this is only going to come into effect in 2010, no media on the market right now is affected by this in any way, and since HD-DVD has already been partially cracked and Blu-ray is well on the way too I'm sure our friendly neighbourhood hackers will have come up with some way around it before then.


Now if im not mistaken, if i buy a pc with vista, its my property, and if i download/buy a disk with a movie its my property...so who the fuck are they to decide if im gonna copy it or not!

That's not even remotely true in the land of the free. When you buy a DVD you buy a licence to view the media, you don't have to right to decrypt it or give away copies. In fact the DMCA explicitly forbids breaking any type of copy protection. Lovely huh?

I read a piece last year on vista. Pretty scary knowing that MS are scanning your pc for pirate movies and music with a capability of removing . Where is the line drawn. Can it read all files saved on your pc too ? Not very secure for companies that have sensitive data stored.

They can't do that and they never will. Corporate users make up the bulk of their customer base and they would never stand for it. Could you imagine the uproar if people discovered Microsoft was deleting their files? What if their scanner made a mistake and deleted something that wasn't pirated material?

I somehow doubt that it will be the last OS that they release though, simply because you can bet that they're not going to get out of the OS game when 128-bit computing comes in, and they're not just going to remodel Vista and continue supporting the 64-bit version alongside the 128-bit version. Even if the name stays the same there will be new versions of windows, and they won't be giving it away for free to owners of the last version.

Yep, too many things change for them to stick with one OS for that length of time. Maybe they won't call the next one Windows but they will have to make a new OS one day.


For those who are wondering what good things Vista click over here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Features_new_to_Windows_Vista). Of particular interest are DirectX 10, Aero, improved security features like more functional user accounts and improved stability thanks to better driver management. The biggest change for most people though is that Solitare has been updated.

I reckon I'll install it when my work gives me a copy, I'm not going to go out of my way for it though. My computers work just fine the way they are and unless I have some compelling reason like a shiny new DirectX 10 graphics card I can't see any reason to switch.

[hoos]

Yes I will probably because my school will require me too, which is gay. Seeing as everyone says it's not going to be good.

[the squid of despair]

That's not even remotely true in the land of the free. When you buy a DVD you buy a licence to view the media, you don't have to right to decrypt it or give away copies. In fact the DMCA explicitly forbids breaking any type of copy protection. Lovely huh?



Actually I believe it is perfectly legal to make copies of DVDs and CDs for your own Private use.

Now, my question. My mother is getting a new computer soon. The one she is going to get comes with Vista. I told her to go with XP (for now). Should she get Vista?

[Jacx]

Not quite true. HD DVD's (HD-DVD/BluRay) may be downgraded to something similar to standard DVD quality (960x540 instead of 1920x1080 I think) if the copyright owner demands it and if your components are too old. If you're using a DVI or HDMI connection for your monitor you should be OK, anything older may not suffice. There's probably some restrictions on your graphics card too, I'm not sure about that though. This isn't specific to Vista though, all HD DVD devices will have to do this shit. They're trying to prevent people from accessing an unencrypted HD stream at any time but the whole thing is beyond retarded and I hope it never takes off. Audio is not affected by this at all.

Actually thats the point, it can effect stop you from watching a legal movie you have bought from playing becuase MICROSOFT deem your hardware to not be pwoerfull enought, the thing is, it might be powerfull enough, but regardless you cannot play it becuase THEY say so!

Also from what I understand this is only going to come into effect in 2010, no media on the market right now is affected by this in any way, and since HD-DVD has already been partially cracked and Blu-ray is well on the way too I'm sure our friendly neighbourhood hackers will have come up with some way around it before then.

Not sure cannot answer yet


That's not even remotely true in the land of the free. When you buy a DVD you buy a licence to view the media, you don't have to right to decrypt it or give away copies. In fact the DMCA explicitly forbids breaking any type of copy protection. Lovely huh?

Wrong, its is perfectly leagal to make a copy of any disk, regardless of it being a program/music/game/movie if its only done to protect your purchase, aka so that if the original disk gets lost or damaged you have a backup! With the windows system that RIGHT gets lost!



They can't do that and they never will. Corporate users make up the bulk of their customer base and they would never stand for it. Could you imagine the uproar if people discovered Microsoft was deleting their files? What if their scanner made a mistake and deleted something that wasn't pirated material?

Agreed



Yep, too many things change for them to stick with one OS for that length of time. Maybe they won't call the next one Windows but they will have to make a new OS one day.

its all speculation right now!


For those who are wondering what good things Vista click over here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Features_new_to_Windows_Vista). Of particular interest are DirectX 10, Aero, improved security features like more functional user accounts and improved stability thanks to better driver management. The biggest change for most people though is that Solitare has been updated.

I reckon I'll install it when my work gives me a copy, I'm not going to go out of my way for it though. My computers work just fine the way they are and unless I have some compelling reason like a shiny new DirectX 10 graphics card I can't see any reason to switch.

[steff]

Wouldn't your firewall block that too?

[steff]

Get a new firewall (Y)

[Dymond]

Actually I believe it is perfectly legal to make copies of DVDs and CDs for your own Private use.



and here lies the CRUX of the DRM movement.. Both the RIAA and the MPAA are backtracking on this law and say it doesn't apply to the digital era.

[anti-duck]

Actually I believe it is perfectly legal to make copies of DVDs and CDs for your own Private use.


Making a copy of a DVD is legal, however all DVD's have a copy protection system called Content-Scrambling System or CSS, and the DMCA forbids breaking that. If you're like me and you rip your DVDs to your computer where it's much more convenient to use you've just breached the DMCA and can be arrested. Don't ya just love laws like these? A fun example of this law being used is Dmitry Sklyarov (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dmitry_Sklyarov), a PhD student studying cryptoanalysis, who was arrested after giving a presentation on the flaws in the security measures in eBooks.


Actually thats the point, it can effect stop you from watching a legal movie you have bought from playing becuase MICROSOFT deem your hardware to not be pwoerfull enought, the thing is, it might be powerfull enough, but regardless you cannot play it becuase THEY say so!

It's not Microsoft making the decision, it's the MPAA. They REALLY don't want people playing thier valuable disks on any sort of computers and the only way Microsoft could get them to agree to allow Windows machines to play HD DVDs was to incorporate all this stupid Protected Path crap in the OS. The MPAA is so desperate to ensure that no one can access the unencrypted hi definition stream of Snakes On A Plane that they'll prevent you from watching it entirely if necessary. If Apple decides they want Macs to play HD DVDs they'll have to do the same thing.

Now, my question. My mother is getting a new computer soon. The one she is going to get comes with Vista. I told her to go with XP (for now). Should she get Vista?

Is Vista going to cost more than XP? If it's the same price you might as well go with the new one.

[tca]

smokie, mine blocks updates unless i tell it to let them through.....

i don't trust microsoft at all........

[steff]

Also from what I understand this is only going to come into effect in 2010, no media on the market right now is affected by this in any way, and since HD-DVD has already been partially cracked and Blu-ray is well on the way too I'm sure our friendly neighbourhood hackers will have come up with some way around it before then.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/01/23/blu-ray_drm_cracked/

:)

[hoos]

er yeah it is the cheapest i have seen is £300 or $600USD and its 14 times bigger as well with xp being 1.45GB and vista being 14.2GB

well shit, I'll need a new harddrive to get Vista. I only have 25GB left on my comp.

[PunkRock]

I Don't See Why Not, It's Obviously Going To Be Better Than XP, Just Like XP Was Better Than ME Or 98. An I Hate Mac's, Don't Ask, I Just Do :)

The Only Down Side Is The System requirements And The Price, And In Consideration For A 13 Year Old.

[Dymond]

I Don't See Why Not, It's Obviously Going To Be Better Than XP, Just Like XP Was Better Than ME Or 98. An I Hate Mac's, Don't Ask, I Just Do :)

The Only Down Side Is The System requirements And The Price, And In Consideration For A 13 Year Old.


LOL have you SEEN Vista?? OMG it looks like a MAC OS..