“Tell me which of your basic civil rights have been lost?”

How about habeas corpus?? Turn off FoxNews, put down the remote, Google the Military Commissions Act, and read where fundamental civil rights that we’ve been fighting to preserve since the Magna Carta was signed were flushed down the tubes.

What? You can’t upgrade from the beta/RC to the final – you have to do a clean install. So, when the beta/RC times out, just buy the version you want and install it.

Guess what Microsoft will be counting on them doing?

My guess is that they will head straight to their favourite torrent site, where broken copies of Windows 7 are already available for download. So Microsoft’s expected profits will be zero.

Of course if they were really smart they’d buy a Mac or convert to Linux, but hey, these are Windows users.

This version of Windows 7 that’s being given away is Ultimate. When it expires in 2010 and a fully licensed version is required, I’d bet that users won’t have the option of purchasing a lower-priced version – instead they’ll be faced with two options: wipe and reinstall, or purchase Ultimate.

Guess what Microsoft will be counting on them doing?

Now THAT’S for heroin. :p

“How can you possibly have a problem with this? It’s not like PCs are being *shipped* with a “free” version of Windows that then has to be purchased later. You make it sound like a bait and switch campaign. Everyone who downloads the beta/RC knows exactly what they’re getting into. Personally, I think it’s pretty generous.”

“Has anyone here even USED Windows 7? I have the beta on my MacBook and it’s surprisingly speedy and stable. I haven’t had a single crash or anything, and again, I’m running the beta – not even the RC.”

How is it generous? Its not really a year. For you its like installing a program because its just a file on your computer. For a regular user it is replacing the whole OS. I run XP using parallels on my Macbook. I also use to have it on a mac mini. It has always run better than on any of the PCs I was forced to run at work. Even when they were new.
Parallels has optimized their Virtual Computer in such a way that it runs more consistently. The other part is its hardware is consistent.
Even XP runs fine on a PC when you first install it. Its when you run it for a while and install and load things that its registry gets compromised. When it is in the wild with the millions of configurations and with all of the functions activated you will see what it is made of. It’s still Vista. Until the put down a better foundation which is currently the registry it will always be like building your house on a stack of cards. Move the wrong one and it falls apart.

I always refer to a comment by Microsoft 2nd level support. When Windows decided to put a pass word on one of my computers on its own and all I could do is pay Microsoft $50 for phone support, Setup. They had me to dive about 10 or 12 levels deep into the registry to change two letters in a long text string that was in this folder. I asked him is it good to have to fool around in here. He said, “I don’t even like having to go there”.

On the other hand most windows programs you install changes these files. Load a program with sloppy programming and you are toast.
System 7 continues this foolishness. Instead of using self contained packages.

Now lets look at their generosity. A normal non tech consumer downloads system 7 and installs it. Keep in mind the article say a year but if it is released in October and March is the deadline thats really 6 months. It starts asking for payment. If they are not satisfied, how easy will it be for them to go back. Well, if they still have their XP disc and passwords provided no equipment has changed they could reinstall XP. But wait, would you really want to install it on top of system 7? Would it even let you? They would most likely have to backup their data, reformat the drive, then do a clean install of XP and all of their software. Very time consuming. Or they would have to pay someone to do this for them. So even it they don’t see the benefit of 7, it could still cost them money to go back. Then if they have installed any updated versions of theirs software they are stuck and have to pay Microsoft like it or not. If they need to go back and don’t have the XP disc or have change their configuration they have to pay Microsoft.

Slick, but not generous!