[CS-FSLUG] OT? A sneaky change in Windows licensing terms

[Stephen J. McCracken]

>> Previously, a retail license could be removed from one computer and
>> reinstalled on another with no limits. Now, you get to reinstall 
>> one time and one time only.
[snip]
>> You may not use the software installed on the licensed device 
>> within a virtual (or otherwise emulated) hardware system.
>> 
> I'm pretty certain that this licensing change is in response to the 
> popularity that VMware has been gaining.  Microsoft is facing a 
> problem where they are losing the monopoly of the desktop and things 
> like VMware and other virutalization packages are making it easier 
> for people to not use Windows as their only operating system.

I might be fun to think that, but it's probably more for stopping
"piracy".  In an emulated environment, the "hardware" can be manipulated
and Vista probably can't tell the difference between one emulated
machine and another.  So, rather than trying to solve that problem and
only allowing the install on one Virtual Machine, they disallow it all
together.

sjm

P.S. Could we please try not to "top-post"?  It would be appreciated, at
the very least, by me.