Re: thought police

"Al Smith" <invalid@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:QwCee.8694$Ph4.250477@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> MS has yet to change the bogus PA message about XP being installed too
>> many times, because they use it to sucker people into buying software
>> they really don't need. 2 Service Packs, nearly a hundred patches, and
>> almost 4 years since XP been out and MS has yet to change it! PA is a
>> way to FUD people into buying software they really don't need, and so is
>> WGA.
>
> I agree with you. Product activation is really intended to intimidate the
> average ill-informed single computer user. It has nothing to do with
> piracy, since it does nothing to reduce piracy. It has two really
> unfortunate consequences, in my view.
>
> One is to inhibit people from upgrading their computers. Who knows how
> many users have decided that they don't want to make an upgrade, if it
> means they have to go through Product Activation, and maybe be denied
> permission to reactivate? This hits the sales of hardware, but it also
> boosts the sales of new machines, since people buy another box rather than
> trying to upgrade.
>
> The other terrible consequence is to make people frightened to reinstall
> Windows. Every time they reinstall, they face the dreaded inquisition.
> Eventually, they figure, the verdict will turn against them, and they'll
> be forced to buy a new computer, or at least a new retail copy of Windows,
> because they'll have used up all the "reinstall" numbers.
>
> How many people really understand PA completely? I'm guessing not one in a
> hundred. We see how obscure the subject is every day on this group. There
> are always questions about PA. Users don't know what they can do and what
> they can't do, and Microsoft likes it that way. The confusion increases
> sales. That's why they keep the bizarre OEM/Retail thing going. It
> generates uncertainty.

Activation has slowed down casual piracy. I am a small OEM. Before
activation it was somewhat common (maybe 10%) of the pc's I sold were
without an OS. I almost never sold a copy of office. Now it is very rare to
sell a pc without an OS and at least 50% have office installed. At the time
activations started I was selling about 150 pc's a year. Multiply that by
several hundred thousand. How much money has activations made Microsoft?
That's why they continue with activations. It will never stop the big
counterfeiters. It does put a big bite into casual copying. The most common
comment I used to get from customers was "I don't need office (or windows).
I'm getting it from a friend." I never hear that now. Yes it also causes
some confusion and hinders some people from doing things like upgrades
without making a phone call to explain to Microsoft what they have done, but
with that kind of money on the line I don't think activations is going away.
I am not arguing licensing or ethics. I am just offering some anecdotal
evidence that activations has made a significant difference with piracy.

Kerry


.

Relevant Pages

  • i have a question, please answer, or just read and respond
    ... It's one install, one license, one ... >I believe the full XP home allows for 2 activations, ... >not the upgrade:S ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)
  • Re: Getting a new activiation code
    ... Activations never run out. ... Install it and activate it. ... > Basicly i need to know if i can get a new activation code for my copy of ... > windows XP home edition SP1 (upgrade). ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)
  • Re: thought police
    ... >> nothing to do with piracy, since it does nothing to reduce piracy. ... >> One is to inhibit people from upgrading their computers. ... At the time activations started I was selling about 150 ... but with that kind of money on the line I don't think ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)
  • Re: thought police
    ... >>> nothing to do with piracy, since it does nothing to reduce piracy. ... >>> One is to inhibit people from upgrading their computers. ... At the time activations started I was selling about 150 ... but with that kind of money on the line I don't think ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)
  • Re: thought police
    ... I am a small OEM. ... At the time activations started I was selling about 150 ... >>> activations has made a significant difference with piracy. ... The Global piracy rate was much worse when computers weren't an every ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)