Unsurprisingly, Pirates Target Windows XP Over Vista, Says Microsoft
Posted 10/22/08 at 04:24:40 PM | by Andy Salisbury
Evidently, software pirates have been passing up on Microsoft’s latest flagship OS, Vista, in order to get their booty plundering hands on a counterfeit version of XP, according to Bonnie MacNaughton, a senior attorney at Microsoft.
“Historically, counterfeiters tend to focus on the 'n-1' version of software," explained MacNaughton. "Because of the more robust antipiracy and security features in Vista, most sophisticated piracy rings still continue to focus on XP. But that's changing over time.” For the very same reasons, counterfeiters are only copying Office 2003, rather than Office 2007.
Given the current future of Windows XP, and the high possibility of its piracy it’s entirely likely that any copy of XP that you get after January 2009 (with the exception of downgrades available through HP and Dell) is pirated. Because of this, Microsoft is planning on rolling out a brand new ad campaign in early 2009 to remind people of XP’s demise, and this possibility. “We're planning [a campaign] in January or February to make sure our customers know what our rules and policies are about Windows XP," stated MacNaughton, "to make sure they understand what may be illegitimate and what may be legitimate. We want to make sure that the XP they might be getting is genuine.”
Image Credit: Microsoft (Mostly)
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Microsoft is retarded
Submitted by fdwhacker on Thu, 2008-10-23 12:25
Does Microsoft honestly think that if they discontinue XP, people will buy Vista? No f-ing way! They'll download or buy cracked versions of XP, and Microsoft will lose millions because no one wants there cr*ppy product.
Vista bashers
Submitted by digital demon on Thu, 2008-10-23 08:30
I always wonder if all of you Vista bashers have even used it...or have just fallen victim to popular opinion. I've used Vista for over a year and a half and love it more than I ever did XP...which I used since its launch. Admittedly, it sucked ass at first, but so did XP...if you recall.
Submitted by neo1piv14 on Thu, 2008-10-23 06:51
Microsoft, this isn't some kind of win for your Vista activation scheme. This is more just a nice way of noticing that, when given a choice, people would rather have something older and less expensive for free than something new and shiny. At least when it comes to how they want to crash. Take pride, MS, Windows XP was a fantastic operating system. Now stop trying to shove Vista down our throats and let us keep the OS we love.
Submitted by rancidjello on Thu, 2008-10-23 05:36
"We want to make sure that the XP they might be getting is genuine.”
Do they really think people are that stupid to not realize, hmm i didn't buy this at a retail store so is this considered genuine? i don't know maybe i'm giving more credit to people than they deserve.
Submitted by ferds7 on Thu, 2008-10-23 03:47
Oh Microsoft, you make me giggle. If people actually thought Vista was better than XP (and i'm not going to say which I think is better, that's a debate in it's own), I would bet that more people would have downloaded Vista for free than Linux for free! (No offense Linux, some day and hopefully soon, you will rule the OS world!)
Yes indeed...
Submitted by Antilogic81 on Thu, 2008-10-23 02:10
The robust countermeasures are unstable drivers, hardware compatibility problems, and frequent crashes. Can't do anything legal or illegal without the OS barfing on itself.
Submitted by Matarsak on Wed, 2008-10-22 22:47
"Given the current future of Windows XP, and the high possibility of its piracy it’s entirely likely that any copy of XP that you get after January 2009 (with the exception of downgrades available through HP and Dell) is pirated."
“We're planning [a campaign] in January or February to make sure our customers know what our rules and policies are about Windows XP," stated MacNaughton, "to make sure they understand what may be illegitimate and what may be legitimate. We want to make sure that the XP they might be getting is genuine.”
Read: "We want to force people to buy our new, overpriced buggy operating system rather than the old, cheaper (somewhat less) buggy operating system."
If I'm building an i7 box and Windows 7 (interesting coincidence there) is just a rehash of Vista with the same issues, and the only way to get a copy of XP is to pirate it, then hand me my eyepatch, peg-leg and parrot.
Submitted by Bustout on Wed, 2008-10-22 16:41
Could it be possible that no one is pirating Vista because no one wants Vista? Just a thought.
I was laughing, ROFLOL, even
Submitted by Wildebeast on Wed, 2008-10-22 22:23
I was laughing, ROFLOL, even before I read the comments.
If I made delusional statements, like these, they'd lock me in a rubber room.
I wonder what the pay-scale is, for a wishful thinking PR job --like coming up with this garbage is...
I thought no one was selling
Submitted by dankers on Wed, 2008-10-22 16:15
I thought no one was selling XP anymore, wouldnt piracy be the only way, other than that downgrade nonsense
hmmmmmm
Submitted by servantsoldier on Wed, 2008-10-22 15:45
Vista Home Premium is the first OS I ever paid for... 79 dollar student / upgrade. It was less annoying that putting up with all the WGA crap.
Well TPB.org and Demonoid
Submitted by Keith E. Whisman on Wed, 2008-10-22 14:29
Well TPB.org and Demonoid both have lots of cracked cd and dvd images of both versions of Windows.
Microsoft just get back to making great OS's and we'll worry about cracking them and pirating them... Err I mean pirates will do that stuff..
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