[Lancaster] windows 8 and uefi

[Simon Hobson]

Ken Hough wrote:

>I really can't see the EU and other governmental/legal bodies letting
>Microsoft get away with doing this.

That's the good bit - this isn't something Microsoft is doing. And 
they are not, in any way, preventing other OSs from being bootable on 
any PC.

Neat trick eh ? Pull off a locking down of hardware to your OS, but 
not be the guilty party !

MS can quite truthfully say that they are not doing anything to PCs. 
All they are doing is to require PC vendors to enable the secure boot 
facility and load their keys in order to get a "<whatever> for 
Windows 8" sticker. They aren't preventing the manufacturers from 
offering a "please make my computer insecure" setting, nor are they 
preventing any other vendor from approaching a manufacturer to have 
their keys installed as well (such as to have a "ready for <foo> 
Linux" sticker).
Well that's the public and official line - what "gentlemen's 
agreements" happen behind closed doors could be a different matter.

And Microsoft don't even handle the keys, that's Verisign (IIRC).


Cefn Hoile wrote:

>So long as firmware 'bios' builds are being specified with the normal
>engineering lead time, we will already have a host of vendors
>committed to Windows-only devices based on this certification
>announcement, built that way from the ground up before even seeing the
>light of day in the market. Once built that way it will be easier for
>vendors to leave them that way.

Indeed, and it's also why "wait and see" isn't an option. By the time 
there's anything to see, it's far, far too late to change anything.

>The only thing we can hope is that the comprehensive shafting Nokia is
>getting in the marketplace, siding with Microsoft, will lead vendors
>towards Android+Ubuntu offerings instead.

Little chance of that, for too many people Desktop == Windows. A 
manufacturer that doesn't make their hardware "Windows 8 ready" *AND* 
include an OEM licence will be limiting themselves to a tiny market.

-- 
Simon Hobson

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