>From the masters of customer lockin...
A closer look at Vista's BitLocker technology
,----[ Quote ]
| Some of the highlights from the interview include:
|
| * BitLocker is using the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 1.2...
|
| [...]
|
| * BitLocker's integrity check may fail if the BIOS, MBR, boot sector,
| boot manager or other early boot components are changed without
| authorization
`----
http://arstechnica.com/journals/microsoft.ars/2006/3/7/3084
Yesterday:
Who do You Trust with Your Computing?
,----[ Quote ]
| Helios was speaking out against trusted computing (TC) and Digital
| Rights Management (DRM) that is humming softly at the hardware and
| software level inside YOUR computer right now. That's right! Chances
| are, it's already made it on a chip on your and my motherboards...but
| it's there. Soon, if what can happen does happen...we'll all be so
| very unhappy at being told how we can and can't operate our PCs.
|
| Some of you may be asking, "what the heck are you talking about?
| They can't tell me how I can use my computer inside my own home".
| Unfortunately, that statement is false. DRM chips are already on a
| majority of motherboards and even built into some processors (viiv
| anyone?). All it takes is a flip of the switch and you'll do what
| Microsoft or any other company that wants to manage your rights
| for you tells you to do whether you like it or not. That is, ofc
| ourse, unless you use Linux :) Linux has always been about
| choice...we choose to compute in ways WE want to...not ways
| that are defined for us.
`----
http://linux-blog.org/index.php?/archives/176-Who-do-You-Trust-with-Your-Computing.html
Also see:
Vista scoots to new boot, but it's still kinda rooted
,----[ Quote ]
| While Microsoft would like the world to believe that anyone running Windows
| has no need of any other operating system, that attitude doesn?t cut much
| mustard with many of its users.
|
| Why settle for one OS when your PC is easily capable of running two or
| more?
|
| [...]
|
| One of the more questionable tactics that Microsoft has implemented in
| Vista is to automatically overwrite any existing MBR during the
| installation process without asking if you mind or giving you an option
| to back up.
|
| Microsoft says that the Windows installation system can't intelligently
| interrogate an existing non-MS MBR, although such features are quite
| common in the install routine for other OSes.
|
| It also argues that an "official" Vista MBR is required for security
| features -- such as measured boot, which works with Trusted Platform
| Module (TPM)-enabled chips to check that the OS hasn't been hacked or
| altered each time it boots -- to work correctly.
`----
http://www.apcstart.com/site/akidman/2006/09/1656/vista-scoots-to-new-boot-but-its-still-kinda-rooted
How Vista screws dual-booting nirvana
,----[ Quote ]
| Now, the seriously ill informed amongst us may be wondering why the
| headline attacks Windows Vista, and I have yet to even mention it. Why,
| because of this blog post from late last year on MSDN about the Vista
| boot loader gentle reader, which explains that Vista will continue to
| wipe your master boot record on install. And so begins "The case
| against installing Windows Vista (volume 658, 943)".
|
| [...]
|
| No amount of posturing by some "frank and honest" (cough) from Microsoft
| is going to hide the fact that it's yet another example of business as
| usual at Redmond; embrace, extend and extinguish - in this case your
| entire system configuration.
|
| Every Linux distribution detects the presence of another OS and
| configures the system accordingly, even being nice enough to add Windows
| to your boot loader automatically (should you choose to keep it).
`----
http://www.apcstart.com/site/admin/2006/08/1087/how-vista-screws-dual-booting-nirvana
Microsoft Office lock-in and the deal with Novell
,----[ Quote ]
| It details how Microsoft has built into Vista the "trusted
| computing" ability to lock down Office files via DRM such that
| no unauthorized document reader will be able to decrypt and
| read them. This is perhaps one of the biggest hidden weapons
| Microsoft has in its arsenal that could sabotage Linux and
| OpenOffice.org if Microsoft succeeds in its attempt to plug
| SUSE and all Novell's "interoperability" bonuses.
`----
http://www.linuxjournal.com/node/1000142
|
|
