window-only BIOS
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| Author | Content |
|---|---|
| tuxchick2 Oct 01, 2006 11:16 AM EDT |
http://www.desktoplinux.com/news/NS7058002470.html
"I am currently in France. Here some companies sell computers whose BIOS prevents installation of anything but Windows." So I think that answers the "slippery slope" question of do locked specialized devices lead to locked general-purpose PCs. Actually I don't think there is a cause-and-effect between the two. It's just microshaft playing their same old tilt-the-playing-field-instead-of-playing-a-better-game strategy. There is always a workaround- re-flashing the BIOS, replacing the ROM chip. But then we have the good ole DMCA which outlaws everything in the world, and you can bet microshaft and anyone else who wants to lock up their hardware will find a way to make the DMCA apply to hacking their devices. |
| dinotrac Oct 01, 2006 12:04 PM EDT |
tc - DMCA does not outlaw everything in the world, but it certainly is nasty enough. Somebody would have to estable, I guess, that the BIOS is an anti-circumvention device....but, one would hope, that the law couldn't stretch that far. |
| peragrin Oct 01, 2006 12:53 PM EDT |
It's a good thing the DMCA is currently USA Only. With luck other countries will realize they can have a better system without. One where they don' t have to bow down to USA's corporate monsters. |
| dinotrac Oct 01, 2006 7:57 PM EDT |
>It's a good thing the DMCA is currently USA Only. Hmmm. I could swear that the EU has passed its own even worse law. |
| peragrin Oct 02, 2006 6:58 AM EDT |
I don't think it's actually passed yet. I do believe they keep trying though. |
| jsusanka Oct 06, 2006 10:52 AM EDT |
I hope and pray the hardware manufacturers see how stupid and dangerous this is and tell the companies that want to do this to fsck off. I know microsoft would love nothing else than to sell devices with their os on it and outlaw any other device that doesn't run windows. I mean WTF - who the hell am I hurting running my version of linux. Now they are going to try to ram their crap software down my throat ratther I like it or not. I dual boot linux at work so I can test scripts etc when I am not hooked up to the network. Now I know my work would run with this idea of bios not allowing installation of anything but windows. they are probably drooling over this and microsoft would be more than happy to pay off any hardware manufacture to sell these devices. what a bunch of crap - I just want windows to leave me the fsck alone - I don't want them in my life and I don't want them to be part of my families life. just leave me alone and stick vista where the sun doesn't shine. |
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