[LINK] Analyst: Microsoft anti-piracy efforts to backfire, By Antone Gon
David Boxall
david.boxall at hunterlink.net.au
Sat Dec 16 16:45:31 AEDT 2006
Ready, fire, aim ...
>From
<http://www.itnews.com.au/newsstory.aspx?CIaNID=43614&eid=1&edate=20061215>
Microsoft's push to get Windows customers to verify online that they're
running a legal version of the operating system will backfire next year,
driving some users to rival Linux, a market research firm says.
While the Windows Genuine Advantage program is voluntary, Microsoft is
forcing users to opt-in by refusing to provide some updates, unless it
can verify their OS is not pirated. This heavy-handed approach is sure
to drive users of illegitimate versions of Windows to the competing
open-source operating system, IDC said in its top 10 infrastructure
software predictions for 2007.
While it's true that losing people who aren't paying for the software is
arguably a good thing for Microsoft, it's certain to cause an uptick
over time in Linux's market share. "We don't think this is a pure win
for Microsoft," IDC analyst Al Gillen said. "This is going to accelerate
the Linux market as well."
...
--
David Boxall | Any given program,
| when running correctly,
| is obsolete.
| --Arthur C. Clarke
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