See slashdot.org for article.
As per the article, Computer World is reporting that Microsoft has just turned on “Reduced Functionality Mode” for Windows Vista users. What this means is that for users not running authorized versions of Windows, Vista functionality is crippled reducing the screen to a black screen with no start menu and no desktop after 1 hour of browsing.
The problem with this in itself is that Windows itself has had issues authorizing itself. A few weeks ago, the Windows Genuine Advantage had an outage. Not to mention there are a ton of cases where Windows has had “false positives” identifying legal licenses of Windows as “pirated”.
I seriously question Microsoft’s intentions here. I understand they want to battle piracy, which is noble on its own terms, but when you alienate your own legal customers, your business should be at risk. It’s no wonder that XP still retains a large portion of the market share and that alternatives such as Linux and OS X are becoming more popular. If Microsoft does not shape up and learn that you should not treat all of your customers like criminals, some changes could be in store for them in the future.