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IP: Re: Windows XP WPA code reverse-engineered ?
From: David Farber <dave () farber net>
Date: Tue, 10 Jul 2001 15:11:03 -0400
From: "Steve Wolfe" <telomere () codon com> To: <farber () cis upenn edu> Subject: Re: Windows XP WPA code reverse-engineered ? Date: Tue, 10 Jul 2001 13:06:47 -0600 X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4522.1200Their conclusion is that there's less to worry about than we potentially thought. http://www.licenturion.com/xp/fully-licensed-wpa.txtActually, there's just as much to worry about. Three giant problems jump to mind: Convenience, cost, and product support. Changing any three of the hardware items that it checks will force you to re-activate your product. While changing three hardware items seems like a lot, It really isn't. Changing a motherboard alone, in a lot of cases, would require a re-activation, as you would have just changed the HDD controller, the video card, and the network controller - and of course, if you want a new CPU with that motherboard, that's another item that's changed. One of the problems that hasn't been addressed is cost to the consumer. Microsoft's call centers are going to be very busy for quite a while, activating new installations and re-activating installations when folks upgrade their hardware. Who's going to pay to fund that call center? Yep, you and I. Then again, what happens when Microsoft decides not to support XP any more? Then you're in a lot of trouble if you need to re-install or upgrade your hardware. All in all, this is a great thing for Bill's pocketbooks, and a very bad thing for consumers. Why is it that those two go hand-in-hand so often? steve
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- IP: Re: Windows XP WPA code reverse-engineered ? David Farber (Jul 10)