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I'm Pirating the Next Version of Windows

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Re: I'm Pirating the Next Version of Windows

#61

Post by huggyface »

waffle_ss wrote: post #34

Seems like a pirated .iso would be a great place to deliver malicious code to Ring 0, hiding itself from the kernel and becoming essentially impossible to detect from the infected OS itself. I'm sure botnet creators are already well aware of this.

This is what I marvel at when I read such (poorly justified) piracy screeds.

Are people insane?

I might not have ultimate faith in Microsoft, but comparatively I have zero faith (and a lot of suspicion) of what are essentially bands of thieves among piracy groups.

I engaged in casual piracy when I was a teen out of necessity, though I never felt the need to invent justifications. In my adult life, though...pirating executables is the domain of the naive or the ridiculously trustworthy.

Re: I'm Pirating the Next Version of Windows

#62

Post by rickyc091 »

joebadmo wrote: post #4

While I'm entirely sympathetic to the author's DRM plight, buying the software and getting the pirate's cleaner experience are not mutually exclusive. If you want the best experience and a clean conscience (I'm assuming here you think piracy is wrong, since you've bought so many other copies of MS software), buy the software, then install a pirated a copy. I usually do this with new PCs that have Windows pre-installe…

"Buy the software, then install a pirated a copy."

Unethical, probably, but sometimes that solution is easier than dealing with MSFT's support. A friend of mine purchased a copy of MSFT Office 2011, but it wouldn't work. He called the support several times and they couldn't offer him a solution so he finally gave up and decided to just pirate it. Ten minutes later he had a working copy of office 2011 on his machine.

Re: I'm Pirating the Next Version of Windows

#63

Post by roc »

jiggy2011 wrote: post #47
w1ntermute wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Your trusting a .ISO image from a random website, how do you know there is not time bombed malware pre-installed? You don't have to use torrents. You can get a direct download of vanilla Windows 7 ISO's hosted by Microsoft: http://www.mydigitallife.info/official-windows-7-sp1-iso-fro... > Do you still have access to Windows update? If so for how long, I assume it can't be difficult for Microsoft to figure out who i…

Ok, so you can activate it but what happens if MS decides at some point to block your updates or track you. I assume they keep a record everytime they issue a license either to an OEM or wholesaler etc and if your using a keygen they could simply check their database and find that such a key was never issued. If you use a key that was already registered to someone else then surely they know because your computer name…

> "Ok, so you can activate it but what happens if MS decides at some point to block your updates or track you."

You run the same risk anyone who used the old FCKGW key ran. I'm not suggesting it's a good idea, I'm just pointing out that many, many people were willing to do just that. And they won't blink at the similar risks in this new workaround.

Re: I'm Pirating the Next Version of Windows

#64

Post by jsz0 »

reidmain wrote: post #54

One of the greatest features of the Mac App Store is the ability to download the latest version of OS X Lion and then make a bootable image of it. I upgraded from Snow Leopard to Lion the day it came out but then had to do a clean install a couple of months later. Instead of using my out-of-date installer I downloaded the latest version of Lion and did a clean install. No waiting hours fro system updates because my i…

With newer machines (2011 MBA, Mini, maybe the iMac too?) you can even start the OS install straight from the boot loader. It basically net boots the Lion Recovery image and then proceeds with downloading/installing the OS. Pretty slick.

Re: I'm Pirating the Next Version of Windows

#65

Post by re_todd »

csomar wrote: post #16

Huh, seriously? I purchased a laptop with a genuine Windows 7 version because of this particular issue. I'll spend weeks to find a relatively good Windows copy. The average seeded copy of Windows on the pirate bay or the likes is crappy. Cracks sometimes doesn't work. Sometimes the copy comes with a load of crappy software. Sometimes the cracker changes the Windows theme (not sure why he is doing so). And sometimes e…

I recently purchased a laptop with Windows 7 at a national chain, and there is no CD. If I set up a dual boot, which I normally do, I'll be forced to get a pirated version. There is supposedly a way to reinstall from a hidden drive or partition, but that would take over the entire drive. I always wanted to be legit, but I'm not going to pay again for something that I legally already have.

Re: I'm Pirating the Next Version of Windows

#66

Post by masklinn »

paulhauggis wrote: post #59

The problem is that it will never be enough. Even if Microsoft gave you everything to you exact specification and only charged $20/license, there would still be a group of people trying to defend piracy. Just look at the Android/Iphone app market. 99 cent apps are still not convenient or cheap enough for many users, so they pirate it. This is why I feel that all of these excuses are bullshit.

> there would still be a group of people trying to defend piracy.

Of course, just as you'll always find DRM apologists who find Ubisoft's insanity still isn't enough. That's not really a segment of the population worth discussing with though, since they won't buy either way (either because they don't want to, or because they just don't have the money, I was once that impoverished student).

What you can rely on are numbers and the results of those who thought convenience was a major reason[0] for piracy and tried to fix it. And what do you find out? That Steam and iTunes turn out to make money. Who'd have thought?

> This is why I feel that all of these excuses are bullshit.

Oh, bad apples are sufficient to dismiss out of hand anything that comes even remotely close to something they could say?

Well I guess you can trivially be dismissed as well, then.

[0] preempting your strawman, I did not write "the only reason".

Re: I'm Pirating the Next Version of Windows

#67

Post by Groxx »

jarrett wrote: post #56
melling wrote: post #23

If you don't like their product or policies, don't use it. If you use it then you should pay for it. Use Linux, a BSD Unix, or a Mac. People who pirate Microsoft products don't really hurt Microsoft, they hurt the rest of the competition.

Certain applications that professionals need are only available on Windows. Most games are as well. Even for software with Mac/*nix versions, a person may have quite a bit of money tied up in Windows-only licenses. I'm not commenting on whether pirating Windows is ethical. I'm just pointing out that sometimes you'll have to ditch a lot of software to ditch Windows.

You're just reinforcing their argument. By not using the competition, you're ensuring the market for those products on the competition's OS doesn't exist. It's actively strengthening Microsoft's hold on the markets you frequent.

Re: I'm Pirating the Next Version of Windows

#68

Post by mbreese »

Natsu wrote: post #32
jiggy2011 wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Would this still be legal though? You are still using an unlicensed copy regardless of whether or not you happen to additionally own another copy. For all they know you might install your licensed copy on another computer later and not remove your unlicensed one.

IANAL, so talk to one if this information is of more than theoretical interest to you, but the Psystar case makes me believe it would not be legal. Courts seem to take a copy-centric view of things, so an illegal copy can only make more legal copies and a legal copy can only come from a legal copy. So the pirate version would always be pirated in the judge's eyes, even if you had paid for a license for a legit copy a…

I'm not sure how applicable Psystar would be to an individual making a copy from an illegal one. Psystar was making copies of Mac OSX and then selling them. Even if it was buying licenses, it was making and selling copies. If this was one person doing it on their own PC, I'm not sure how different that is in the eyes of the law.

Re: I'm Pirating the Next Version of Windows

#69

Post by Splines »

wavephorm wrote: post #21
jcnnghm wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Says the guy that doesn't have any family members that persistently fubar their systems, necessitating enough reinstalls to trip the activation limit.

I hit the activation limit on my family pack (3 copies) and was never given any instructions on what to do. My system would go black and eventually become unusable. Instead of telling me how to reactivate the copies I bought, Microsoft puts up a message on how to purchase another new copy of Windows. I'm done with this company now. I bought a Mac, and I'm not coming back.

FWIW, I hit the activation limit in WinXP, and the activation dialog had a phone number and some numbers I had to read to the person on the line. A few minutes later everything was fine.

(I'm a MS employee but I was doing this at home with my "I'm a customer" hat on)

Re: I'm Pirating the Next Version of Windows

#70

Post by jcnnghm »

Groxx wrote: post #67
jarrett wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Certain applications that professionals need are only available on Windows. Most games are as well. Even for software with Mac/*nix versions, a person may have quite a bit of money tied up in Windows-only licenses. I'm not commenting on whether pirating Windows is ethical. I'm just pointing out that sometimes you'll have to ditch a lot of software to ditch Windows.

You're just reinforcing their argument. By not using the competition, you're ensuring the market for those products on the competition's OS doesn't exist. It's actively strengthening Microsoft's hold on the markets you frequent.

OK. The primary application that I need Windows for is Quickbooks Enterprise. I also still use my Windows Photoshop license since it was expensive, and not transferrable to OS X. My primary operating system is already OS X, and I only use Debian Stable on servers. I run Windows in a VM when I need those application, and only when I need those applications. How would you suggest replacing Quickbooks Enterprise? Do I just stop keeping accounting records? What about the 13 years of records that are already in the accounting system? Should I throw those out? What about inventory and accountant's copies? Will you train my customer's accounting firm to use some other package? What about the inventory database?
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