>Jerry
>(first off, my name is Joe...)

My appologies. I must have had Matt on my mind when responding to you...

MS has a EULA relating to hardware? How can that be? If I buy a PC from Dell, wipe WIndows off it, how does an MS EULA keep me from doing anything?

Re-read what I said. I didn't say that MS has done it, but preventing hacks of hardware by EULA and technical means has already been done, amd MS has a model for it when they need it.

Anyone who would buy a solar-powered, Passport-crippled, GAtes-funded machine deserves what they get. Corporations and savvy users will never go for such a thing. AOL has over _30 million_ users how, and they are still growing leaps and bounds. I doubt Bill's machine is going to allow AOL on it, so how exactly is Bill going to sell these free, hardwired subscription machines?

NOT SELL, Joe, GIVE AWAY! Just like Standard Oil, which gave away lamps in order to sell the oil... Especially 3rd world citizens.


But they don't make PCs, and never will. The day they make PCs is the day that every OEM turns tail and stops using Windows as a default OS.

Now you are making predictions.... ;-) OEM's will be cut out of the game.

>Now I can get a Dell PC loaded with Linux right off their factory floor.
>>But with what peripheral options? And, on the desktop, Linux is still below 10% by most calculations. In the server room it is at 25% and growing at 28% per year. But not the desktop, yet. A WinPC could kill it in its tracks.
>
But that's still 10% MORE than where Linux was 10 years ago, because Linux didn't even exist then! How can you look at the progress that has ben made and say that it can all be obliterated by the production of some proprietary WinPC (which doesn't exist yet)

Because this excellent progress can be stopped dead in its tracks. 10 years ago MS didn't care about Linux. Now, they do. The DOJ won a conviction but when the Appelate court took the teeth out of their tiger its bite is not a concern any more. OF what force is a law with punishment provision unenforced. It will take at least two or more years for the DOJ to get the remedy issue into court again, and that is a life time in the computer industry.

, in a world where generic PCs are outlawed (which will never happen), running Hailstorm/Passport subscription services (vaporware for the most part) built by a company that will be allowed to leverage whatever it wants with its monopoly (which the appellate court ruled against). Hey, man, if you believe it, more power to you. I certainly can't say you aren't consistent, it's all just a bit to fantastic for my tastes.

Fantastic? Perhaps. But I'm old enough to remember when ideas of putting men on the mood were considered too fantastic to happen before 2050.

>
>>>What makes you think things are going to start going more in MS's proprietary direction?
>>
>>The Appeals Court said today that while MS broke the anti-Trust laws, the remedy didn't match the crime, and besides, the Judge was biased. Translation: For all practical purposes MS can go about "business as usual." It will take at least two or three years (a LIFETIME in computers) before these issues will reach decision phase again. So, if you want to use MSDN then start paying your PassPort dues. What's your choice?
>
>As I have said earlier, I very much disagree that the appellate ruling boils down to "business as usual".
>
>Thanks for bringing it back the MSDN thing...I was ranging a bit far...
>
>My choices are these:
>
>- develop in some other Windows environment: Borland, Qt, Python, Perl, Tcl/Tk, and various free databases.
>- develop in non-windows...Mac, Linux, etc.
>
Sorry, but those are the only choices you really need. They are the choice we have always had, and they boil down to one thing: If you don't like what MS is doing, stop using MS.

But may not have long... and I stopped using WinXX two years ago.

Have a nice 4th!
JLK