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379 Comments
- wtfbatman, on 10/28/2008, -3/+286Chinese citizens complaining about invasion of privacy?
- Kronich, on 10/28/2008, -6/+267I don't have a problem with Microsoft doing this.. If you are using pirated software - that's the risk you take. Why legit users are supporting them I don't know. Maybe they haven't figured out that they pay more as a result of piracy..
Go open source though... - inactive, on 10/29/2008, -8/+192Hint to Chinese:
How to determine if you bought an illegal copy of Microsoft Operating System. If you paid less than 1/10th the official price and it came in a crappy plastic bag with a list of security keys to try to activate it, then it is probably illegal. So stop whining about the screen turning black and buy a legal copy, or switch to Linux. - inactive, on 10/29/2008, -6/+174We buy enough stuff from China. The least they could do is buy some software from the US to balance out the trade. It's not just Microsoft. All kinds of software is being pirated. So are movies. This could be a huge market for the US. The Chinese are stealing US products and then they threaten to sue if it doesn't work.
- inactive, on 10/28/2008, -11/+133Ah yes, a dumb move, pissing off its loyal user base of people who didn't actually pay for the software in the first place. >.
- ConAmoreEFuoco, on 10/29/2008, -0/+97"It turns the PC's desktop black, replacing the user's background image. Though the user can override the blackout, it reappears every 60 minutes."
That doesn't sound so horrible. Microsoft could lock them out instead. - inactive, on 10/29/2008, -5/+83Like hell they can't afford it. You have obviously never been to Asia. Cities like Shanghai make US cities look third world. If you can afford a computer in the first place, then you can afford the slight incremental cost of an operating system.
Intellectual property theft is just part of the culture of China that has to change. You can go to any public shopping area and this illegal trade is happening right out in the open. Officials are well aware of it, but do not enforce the laws. But if anyone happens to protest against the government, they are hauled off to jail immediately. The US government has been complaining about this theft for years and the Chinese continually promise to improve the situation but do nothing. - quentinp, on 10/29/2008, -0/+75Okay I read TFA...all MS is doing is blanking their desktop picture? So they have a fully functioning illegal copy of Windows, except their desktops can't show a picture of their cat or whatever? Seems like a pretty good deal to me, $100 software for free and all you have to do is not have some icon obfuscating image on your desktop?
- jemka, on 10/29/2008, -1/+67Once you go Mac...
...You never shut up about it. - j0hnk377y, on 10/29/2008, -2/+52If you use software, pay for the software. I don't have a problem with this. If I'm stealing a car, I can't complain when the car breaks down.
- atdigg, on 10/29/2008, -0/+41Black is fashionable. Why the hell Microsoft doesn't simply pull the plug? I tell you why because they still like the idea to be the "default OS".
- hoikarnage, on 10/29/2008, -2/+43Good. I have no sympathy for the Chinese. I had a thriving dvd store on ebay until it got driven out of business by Chinese pirates. Worst part is ebay let's them get away with breaking American law by allowing the claim they have "Chinese copyrights", despite they fact they are also selling series that arent even on the legit dvd market yet.
- Ovalteen, on 10/29/2008, -0/+38Or set the Free Tibet website as the background. That would be hilarious.
- Harabeck, on 10/29/2008, -1/+33@ absentmidedjwc: "Microsoft defended its actions, saying the company complies with Chinese law. It issued a statement promising its anti-piracy campaign would not be used to collect personal information. It is also offering steep discounts on some software to give consumers an affordable legal alternative, with home and student versions of Microsoft Office down to 199 yuan ($29) from 699 yuan ($102)."
RTFA - SamDuvall, on 10/29/2008, -2/+34Hmm... I wonder how many chinese goverment offices are going black hourly.
- unknownsoldierX, on 10/29/2008, -0/+31@absentmindedj
Way to just make up *****. Windows does not cost even close to $600 in China. MS cut prices in China by 50% over a year ago. Vista Home Basic is/was around $65 and Home Premium is/was around $115. - staticneuron, on 10/29/2008, -3/+32Once you go Mac....
.....You go broke
Lovely design but the stuff i want is still pricey. - Waiting2awake, on 10/29/2008, -2/+31What do you do when you can't afford something?
Steal it, or save up for it? - shiny75, on 10/29/2008, -2/+30If they cant afford a legit copy, then they have to use an alternative, like linux. I cant afford a Ferrari, but doesn't mean i should be mad if i steal one and it gets low-jacked. If i stole a truck and used it as my primary business vehicle, I cannot complain if it gets confiscated by police ( even if i dont get caught personally ), its my fault that my business no longer has a vehicle to use...just because it was too expensive to buy.
I use linux cause even though i can afford M$ products, i prefer to use otherwise. I think any company/person deserves to protect themselves from theft, no matter how crappy the product. Theives should just be happy they got away with it this long. - vertigo32, on 10/29/2008, -1/+27Exactly. If their software still works and Microsoft doesn't interfere with their using it, I don't see why they would even think of bitching. Personally, I wouldn't think it was unreasonable for Microsoft to have a 'Nag' screen pop up every hour and take 30 seconds or so to go away like old fashoned shareware.
If people don't want to pay for an OS or can't afford one, there are plenty of free options out there. If they insist on stealing Windows, don't be surprised when Microsoft makes a minor effort to stop piracy. If these people were PAYING customers, Microsoft might care about what they had to say.
I don't understand why China thinks it's ok to just steal anything they want - software, movies / music, intellectual property, etc. - GQCarrick, on 10/29/2008, -0/+26They already do that, its only $10 in China to buy a Legal copy of Windows. Maybe they should suck it up and buy a legal copy and sotp bitching
- inactive, on 10/29/2008, -26/+51Chinese people are criminals and knock-off artists, who give a crap about upsetting that market. They never pay for anything quality or genuine anyway. Funny how this pisses them off (individually at least) more than the contaminated baby milk scandal.
. - alkajazz, on 10/29/2008, -1/+26"Chinese have fumed about what they see as an invasion of privacy" What about the government?
- dOOBiEx213, on 10/29/2008, -2/+26"But for people who have already been detected as having illegitimate Windows, software patches to avoid the black screen are now circulating online."
Arrr, Mateys! - KungFooJesus, on 10/29/2008, -5/+29What a bunch of hypocritical ***** coming from the ordinary Chinese. ***** them. They just want pirated versions of everything with no consequences.
- jsdratm, on 10/29/2008, -4/+27lol, the Chinese are so used to stealing everything (ideas, movies, music, games, jobs) that they now think that anti-piracy efforts are violating their rights. Don't whine if you steal something and it doesn't work right.
- inactive, on 10/29/2008, -17/+40Linux
- inactive, on 10/29/2008, -2/+24So who are these Chinese people that seem to be able to afford a computer, but can't afford to pay for a Windows license? How many of these I wonder are businesses or government offices?
If they don't want to pay, there is something you might have heard of called Free Software like Linux. There is no excuse for stealing Microsoft software today. If they really can't afford it but must have it, then let the Chinese governmnent subsidize it. They are sitting on Trillions of dollars of trade surplus and could easily afford it. - ClubKnowledge, on 10/29/2008, -6/+27I have always paid for my software. I think it's fair. I am also a software developer.
- inactive, on 10/29/2008, -0/+19Once you go Mac...
... You'll talk a lot of smack?
... You'll never get a woman in the sack?
... You'll have fanboy sex with a guy named Zack?
... You'll have to cut back?
hmm.. thats all i can think of right now. - elendryst, on 10/29/2008, -2/+21I'll support them if they agree to stop loggin' meh keyz
- Murdats, on 10/29/2008, -3/+22"Since most of the Chinese users of pirated windows couldn't afford a legit copy in the first place, microsoft is just giving the Chinese a huge incentive to use open source."
and why does microsoft care if they do? they aren't getting money either way. - raydeen, on 10/29/2008, -4/+22Steve Ballmer talks about you often.
- JasonCox, on 10/29/2008, -1/+18"Microsoft goes black, making Chinese see red"
I'm pretty sure the Chinese have been seeing Red ever since Chairman Mao.
http://instantrimshot.com/ - martalli, on 10/29/2008, -0/+16Microsoft certainly has the right to protect their intellectual property as they see fit. However, their difficulties merely demonstrate the reason why open source solutions are much better. If I was still using primarily MS software, I would be indignant that the Chinese could get away with such piracy, or worse yet, be allowed to buy Windows for so much less than what I have to pay.
- Jaliyl, on 10/29/2008, -1/+17Legit copies of Windows are $10-$20 in china
- veriix, on 10/29/2008, -2/+18Why not?
- surfacewound, on 10/29/2008, -1/+16*****; if they couldn't afford a legal copy then they also couldn't afford the computer they're installing it on. Also, Microsoft's pricing in those markets are not nearly as high as they are in the US.
- inactive, on 10/29/2008, -7/+22FTA: "The reaction against Microsoft's black screen tactics shows Chinese consumers' persistent belief that there's little wrong with buying cut-rate pirated goods."
So what's the problem? - derekmas10, on 10/29/2008, -0/+15I guess a more fair statement would be "Chinese have fumed about what they see as an invasion of what their government has dictated to them as privacy"
- Tape99, on 10/29/2008, -0/+15All microsoft needs to do is to find a way to put a advertment as the desktop wallpaper every week only on pirated software so that way they make money and you dont need to pay for the software.
- veriix, on 10/29/2008, -0/+15In other news: bllions of chinese people suddenly realize they have way too many desktop icons.
- DaDiggydiggyDOC, on 10/29/2008, -2/+17Man that's s good point. talk about a real/ true example of IRONY...
- brocarl, on 10/29/2008, -0/+13According to you TF2 is a good value at $19.99 for 83 hours of usage. That's approximately $0.24 per hour. If $0.24/hour is a good value to you, then to get that value out of $150, you'd have to use Windows XP for at least 625 hours. If you used your computer (and thus Windows XP) for 2 hours per day then you would achieve your "good value" after 312.5 days, which is less than a year. Even if you only used your computer 1 hour per day, that's still 625 days which is roughly 1 year and 8 or 9 months. Windows XP was released in late 2001 and Windows Vista was released in late 2006. That's 5 years of usage if you happened to buy it on first-release. Not to mention if you posting on Digg, then chances are high you are the type of person who spends more than an hour per day on the computer. It seems to me that if TF2 is a good value, then Windows XP is an outstandingly exceptional value at $150.
- Mylf, on 10/29/2008, -0/+13They're concerned with "privacy", when their own government has regular crackdowns on internet cafes? Give me a break.
- MacParrot, on 10/29/2008, -0/+13I originally installed XP via VMware 1.x. When that wasn't really a pleasant experience I went to bootcamp using the same XP disc. I got an error message saying that the serial number had already been used. I called Microsoft, they gave me a new number to put in after I explained myself and everything worked fine.
Maybe you should have just called MS instead of ranting about it. - Waiting2awake, on 10/29/2008, -1/+14That is how MS got so big in the first place. While I was in HS it was just easier to get copies of MS 3.1 and word. They intentionally made it easy because back then they understood what all drug dealers instinctively know - you give the first hits for free.
That is how everyone came to use them. Prior to the mid-late 80's - you'd be more likely to see a commodore computer(The PET FTW) than a MS one. - CVL4317, on 10/29/2008, -1/+14stupid pirates do not deserve pirated stuff.
- bonuscheese, on 10/29/2008, -0/+13So we have to feel sympathetic for pirates? Or is it that Microsoft should be worried about losing the crucial market of people who steal their *****? Someone, please help me out here.
- noclss2000, on 10/29/2008, -1/+14The Chinese are only complaining about "invasion of privacy" because they know what they're doing is illegal and the peoples' screens that have turned black now know that they've been caught. Why people with legit copies would support the people with pirated copies is beyond me. Chinese shouldn't have to worry about "invasion of privacy" anyways, they live in CHINA!!!
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