Wednesday, October 9, 2002
You think Microsoft's Product Activation is Draconian?
Posted by Ed Hansberry in "THOUGHT" @ 05:00 AM
http://www.infoworld.com/articles/op/xml/02/10/07/021007opgripe.xml
How would you feel about installing an OS that made you give your name, age, home address, phone number and other personal information or your device would shut down in 30 days after applying the upgrade? That is exactly what Casio is doing to BE-300 users that buy the $30 upgrade. I couldn't find anything on Casio's site stating these requirements and the person in the article says it is only on the fine print on the corner of the CD's jewel case. To make matters worse, he couldn't uninstall it.
This is crazy. Product activation? Ok. It is stopping the casual pirates and so far, I've not been bitten as an honest user. Registration requirements like this? HA! I'd sooner activate my Pocket PC with Passport, which I plan on doing right after I scrape the funge off the bottom of the hot water heater. As the author stated: "Things are seriously out of whack when, without any warning before you buy, you must give a manufacturer whatever information they demand or have your product disabled. Something needs to be activated all right, and it's our sense of outrage at the way we as consumers are being treated."
How would you feel about installing an OS that made you give your name, age, home address, phone number and other personal information or your device would shut down in 30 days after applying the upgrade? That is exactly what Casio is doing to BE-300 users that buy the $30 upgrade. I couldn't find anything on Casio's site stating these requirements and the person in the article says it is only on the fine print on the corner of the CD's jewel case. To make matters worse, he couldn't uninstall it.
This is crazy. Product activation? Ok. It is stopping the casual pirates and so far, I've not been bitten as an honest user. Registration requirements like this? HA! I'd sooner activate my Pocket PC with Passport, which I plan on doing right after I scrape the funge off the bottom of the hot water heater. As the author stated: "Things are seriously out of whack when, without any warning before you buy, you must give a manufacturer whatever information they demand or have your product disabled. Something needs to be activated all right, and it's our sense of outrage at the way we as consumers are being treated."
