Jerry,
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>>You said the key phrase: "My property". The EULAs in these cases clearly state that the device remains the property of the vendor. Examples were mentioned in Linux forums: A Tivo device (I don't remember its name, but it was a TV device that sold for $100. The hackers put HDs and NICs in them and turned them into $100 PCs. The next release contained hardware destruction devices and the EULA forbid such modifications.) The CueCat.
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>I see...well, I don't think folks in general will buy items that aren't 100% their property. Corporations especially. Sure, a corporation might lease, but they do so with the full ability to change the hardware in any way they need to in order to make that hardware work with their business. These free WinPCs just don't sound like something a business would go for, and businesses are where MS makes a lot of their money.

mmm... Gates became a billionaire because folks bought a 'license' to use software they don't own. In fact, outside of OpenSource and GPL, I would guess that all software vendors lease their software, they don't sell it. That is one thing that the GPL is fighting. A free WinPC would make plenty of sense to Microsoft, who is moving to sellng subscriptions to access their software (pay-per-use) on Passport servers. I think many folks would jump at the chance to get a free PC, even if it booted directly to a Microsoft and required paying on the 'installment plan', which, in effect is what it is. When they sign up for a 3 year contract, with stiff penalties for early withdrawal, Microsoft will more than make back the actual cost of the WinPC. A real question is why a professional coder would jump at something like that, but I'd wager that many VB coders would, and maybe VFP coders too.


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As for the $100 Tivo's...what exactly will happen to a person who does this "hack"? Jail time? I mean, if I pay _anything_ for an item, or even if it is given to me free, I have a hard time believing I can't do whatever I want with it. WHat if I don't read the EULA when the item arrives? There are no laws saying I have to read the documentation that comes with a piece of hardware?

The new components are made to be autodestroyed when tampered with. Try to break in and it will break.

As I said above, the consumer market might possibly tap into this, but a corporation will never give over to a fully online vendor without local support and warranties. Corporations _demand_ full control over hardware and full support from a reliable vendor. Do you really see corporations buying into these WinPCs? Corporations are smart enough to see through the short term gain and realize that the loss in flexibility and proprietary lock-in will result in a higher long-term TCO...,

Perhaps not. But consider..... a corp with 300 workstations that cost $1,000 will spend $300,000 on boxes. Microsoft comes in and says "We'll give you 300 WinPC if you will sign a 3 year bulk access license to use Word, XCell, ..., via a Passport server. It will cost you $100,000 per year." The 300 WinPCs would cost MS about $300@, or $100,000, if not less. The remaining $200,000 is profit. The company still has to pay for the T1 lines, but they don't have to pay for network support people any more. Cut six staff members, or $200,00 per year, which pays for Passport and still saves $100,000 per year. At the end of three years the company data is on Passport, in propriatary data formats that don't come with export features, and Microsoft sends a proposal for 3 more years at $150,000 per year. The company is still $50,000/yr ahead, and they don't have to worry about software audits, upgrades, license limitations,etc..
Meanwhile, MS has researched the cost of their WinPC down to $100 each. One of your WinPCs break? MS will send a new one FEDX and you will send them the old one back, or be charged $500 for it. Meanwhile, MS has dumped their CD replication charges, their documentation and knowledgebase charges, their sales staff... The oportunities just roll on...



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>>Perhaps. But, they've retired the DOJ sharpshooters and put in rookies who have a hard time figuring out how to shoot. :)
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>Maybe, but as long as the firing range and ammunition are available, the rookies will be good enough to keep MS under wraps...
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>>The people who supplied the cash had to be convinced. MS has the cash, they need merely warm the water a degree at a time to cook the frogs.
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>I know the adage...but I am pretty sure that people (especially in the commercial sector) are a tad smarter than frogs. *smile*
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>>We can only hope! And continue enjoying 4th of July's as long as our defense department isn't using unstable OSs :)
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>>Pop a few for me!
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>Oh, I intend to! You'll also be hearing the rattling of chains as I get in some disc golf (hopefully!). Have a great holiday!
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>JoeK