[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                                 |  is obsolete.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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