November 13th, 2006

Vista Mythbusters #8: That license isn't so bad, after all

Posted by Ed Bott @ 6:40 am

Categories: Licensing, Vista Mythbusters, Windows Vista

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Myth: The new end user license agreement (EULA) for Windows Vista is loaded with draconian restrictions, and you're not even allowed to troubleshoot bugs!

Reality: For the most part, the Vista license agreement is clearer than its predecessors, and many of the so-called restrictions in it are based on misunderstandings.

Lest anyone accuse me of raising a straw man argument, let me name some names and quote some quotes here.

Start with Cory Doctorow of the hugely popular Boing Boing, who seems like a really smart guy but who lapses into a Hulk-like rage when the name Microsoft comes up. Doctorow's November 3 post, Vista license improves, but still broken, contains this completely over-the-top statement:

When you unwrap your copy of Vista, you "agree" not to publish damning information about the OS — benchmarks, security vulnerabilities — except under terms dictated by Microsoft (and those terms can change at any time). … This is a piece of software that comes with a gag order.

Uh, no, you don't, and no, it doesn't. First of all, the restriction refers to

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October 10th, 2006

Vista Mythbusters #7: How much DRM is too much?

Posted by Ed Bott @ 10:49 am

Categories: Digital media, Vista Mythbusters, Windows Vista

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Myth: Windows Vista is loaded with new forms of digital rights management (DRM) that will make the Vista experience more frustrating than ever.

Reality: A new code-checking subsystem that protects the Windows Vista kernel and signed drivers is arguably a new form of DRM. How well will it perform in the field? We won't know until new hardware to take advantage of these features hits the streets.

Much of the DRM code in Windows Vista is a a straightforward upgrade of the infrastructure introduced in Windows XP and Windows Media Player 10. There's some confusion over whether and how DRM-encrypted music tracks from the new Zune service will interoperate with tracks from older rights-protected services certified with the Plays For Sure logo, even the much-hyped MTV Urge service, created in partnership with Microsoft. But in general, that code is just an evolution of the original Windows Media DRM.

One key chunk of code is brand-new, however.

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September 21st, 2006

Vista Mythbusters #6: Is Vista really more secure?

Posted by Ed Bott @ 5:59 am

Categories: Image Galleries, Vista Mythbusters, Windows Vista

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Myth: Microsoft touts Windows Vista as the most secure Windows ever, but the changes are mostly cosmetic. In addition, the new User Account Control feature is so annoying that most Vista users will simply turn them off.

Reality: There's a lot more to security in Windows Vista than just a few dialog boxes, and anyone who takes advantage of all the new features will certainly be more secure. But no one can say for sure how effective the new tools will be for the broad community of Windows users until Vista is widely available.

User Account Control is the security star of Windows Vista. It gets the lion's share of the publicity, and through Beta 2 the reviews weren't good. In early builds, beta testers complained that User Account Control was annoying and confusing, overwhelming users with a blizzard of consent dialog boxes for seemingly simple actions.

In Vista Release Candidate 1, UAC has been toned down dramatically. I've put together an image gallery that shows what the security features in this near-final version look and feel like so you can see for yourself. If you install RC1, you'll see UAC prompts only

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September 19th, 2006

Vista Mythbusters #5: Aero isn't rocket science

Posted by Ed Bott @ 6:19 am

Categories: Vista Mythbusters, Windows Vista

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Myth: You’ll need heavyweight hardware and a premium Vista version to use the new Aero interface, and without Aero there’s no reason to upgrade.

Reality: The Windows Vista interface is essentially identical with all Vista versions. Aero describes a set of visual enhancements that will run on relatively modest hardware and are hardly a make-or-break feature.

No single aspect of Windows Vista is more confusing than the new Windows Aero user experience. Microsoft has encouraged this confusion by mixing and matching terminology using the same set of words so that even a certified Redmondologist can barely make sense of it. For starters, there’s the confusing Windows Vista Basic theme, which runs on any Vista version, not just Home Basic. But if you have a decent video card and you’re running Vista Home Basic, then you get the Windows Vista Standard theme, which isn’t available at all on the premium Vista versions, although you can choose the Windows Standard theme on any edition of Vista, and…

Oh, I give up.

Today’s myth is actually a three-fer. Let’s break the whole thing down, starting with what Aero really is. It’s not the Vista user interface. It’s

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September 13th, 2006

Vista Mythbusters #4: Yes, Microsoft really is price-gouging

Posted by Ed Bott @ 4:57 pm

Categories: Microsoft, Vista Mythbusters, Windows Vista

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Myth: The officially announced prices for Windows Vista aren’t any different from previous versions.

Reality: It all depends on how you look at it. By most measures, Windows Vista prices will indeed be virtually identical to prices for Windows XP. But one price in particular stands out, and unless Microsoft has a real surprise in store, Windows customers who buy Vista Ultimate are being gouged.

Microsoft says they haven’t raised prices for Windows Vista. And if you hold your head sideways and look at the official price list just right, you have to agree. The two Vista editions that are directly comparable to Windows XP editions available at retail will be released with the same price tag as their predecessors. The estimated retail price (ERP) for Vista Home Basic is $99 (upgrade) and $199 (full license); that’s identical to the ERP for XP Home Edition. Similarly, Vista Business has the same ERP as XP Professional: $199 (upgrade) and $299 (full license).

What about the other three editions? Well,

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September 8th, 2006

Vista Mythbusters #3: Will Microsoft dump XP to push Vista?

Posted by Ed Bott @ 8:12 am

Categories: Vista Mythbusters, Windows Vista

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Myth: Microsoft plans to drop support for Windows XP shortly after the release of Windows Vista, forcing Windows users to upgrade or else.

Reality: Under Microsoft’s published guidelines, consumers will have more than four years to safely say no to Windows Vista, and business users will be able to hold out until at least 2014.

In the Talkback section of many Vista posts, I read lots of speculation from conspiracy theorists who are convinced that Microsoft is plotting to push unwilling Windows users into Vista upgrades. That common comment inspired today’s edition.

The key dates are all available via the Microsoft Support Lifecycle, which lays out Microsoft’s support commitments for every product it sells. Unlimited support isn’t an option, but neither is arbitrarily ending support.

So how long can XP users say no to Windows Vista? A lot longer than you might think.

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September 5th, 2006

Vista Mythbusters #2: Dual-core and 64-bit support

Posted by Ed Bott @ 2:22 pm

Categories: Vista Mythbusters, Windows Vista

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This is the second in my series on Vista myths. A pair of questions keep popping up in the Talkback section whenever I write about Windows Vista, so let's deal with them right now.

Myth: Some versions of Windows Vista won't support dual-core CPUs or 64-bit processors.

Reality: Every Vista version supports dual-core processors, and every version is available in a 64-bit native version as well.

Part of the confusion rests with the specifications for some fairly exotic hardware. If you have a PC with multiple physical CPUs - that is, two or more chips installed on the motherboard - you'll need Windows Vista Business, Enterprise, or Ultimate to take advantage of both CPUs. If you install Vista Home Basic or Home Premium, the OS will only recognize one CPU. That's similar to the way Windows XP works today - if have a dual-CPU machine, you need to install XP Professional to use both CPUs.

So what about dual-core CPUs? That's different. All Vista versions, even the lowly Home Basic, support multiple cores on a single chip, with no additional configuration required.

Update 13-November: Don't just take my word for it. Before dual-core chips reached the market, Microsoft publicly declared that its definition of processor encompasses physical CPUs, not individual cores:

On October 19, 2004, Microsoft announced that its server software that is currently licensed on a per-processor model will continue to be licensed on a per-processor, and not on a per-core, model. This policy will allow customers to recognize more performance and power from Microsoft software on a multicore processor system without incurring additional software licensing fees.

The story with 64-bit Windows is a little more complicated. Today, Windows XP Professional is available in separate 32-bit and 64-bit versions that are functionally identical but must be purchased separately. In Vista, every version will be available in both 32- and 64-bit versions. A Microsoft spokesperson tells me they're still working out the details, but the current plan is to include 32-bit versions in retail packages; if you want to install a 64-bit version, you'll have to call and request that the alternative media be sent to you. The same spokesperson says Microsoft may include both 32-bit and 64-bit DVD media in the Windows Vista Ultimate box. For $399, that sounds like the right thing to do.

Previously in this series:

Vista Mythbusters #1: It's not a hardware hog

August 30th, 2006

Vista Mythbusters #1: It's not a hardware hog

Posted by Ed Bott @ 10:56 am

Categories: Vista Mythbusters, Windows Vista

Tags:

I’m continually amazed at just how much misinformation is out there when it comes to Windows Vista. Part of it, of course, is Microsoft’s fault. They’ve split the product into multiple versions, added and removed features, and generally done a terrible job of articulating why this actually will be a desirable upgrade for most people.

Oh, and there’s a large and vocal anti-Microsoft contingent that is only too eager to spread FUD if it will help their cause.

So, in the spirit of helping the community of Windows users make sense of the Vista landscape, I’m going to present a series of 10 myth-busting posts over the next two weeks. This is number 1:

Myth: You’ll need to spend a small fortune on hardware upgrades to run Windows Vista.

Reality: Most mid-range and high-end computers sold in the past three years will run Windows Vista just fine.

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