The New Microsoft Paranoia

Microsoft's Windows Client team says that by mid-2005 it plans to start requiring Windows users to

 "authenticate" that their copy of Windows is genuine before the Windows update feature will allow them to download security updates. 

Microsoft is calling it The Windows Genuine Advantage Program and claims that it is designed to reduce the number of potential zombie-bots out there. If experience should have taught Microsoft anything it is this, "Whenever Microsoft comes out with some new idea to curb Pirated Software, someone else has already found a way around it. Usually before the software, to prevent pirating, has even left the beta stage".

In a little experiment we tested two of our machines on this Authentication scheme and it told us that neither of our Windows Products were authentic. Oh Really? Want to see the box it came in Bill? The Receipt maybe? We think that this newest in a series of schemes is going to sour a lot more Windows and Microsoft Office users really fast. Ya know, Linux's little penguin is looking a lot quiter to me lately. 
Dare I say it? I have even been looking a little closer at (Shudder!!) a Mac!
~ Bo