Vista pirated half as much as XP, Microsoft rejoices

While it admits it's not possible to pin down an exact number, Microsoft has let out word today that it estimates the counterfeit rate of Vista to be about half that of XP, a figure that it seems to be more than pleased with. Of course, one could interpret those numbers in slightly less positive ways, but Microsoft claims the sharp dip in piracy is due to Vista's amped up authentication system, which it says is a "proven and effective way to combat piracy." To come up with the numbers, Microsoft apparently relied statistics based on Windows Genuine Advantage validation failures, as well as other unspecified internal data. As TG Daily notes, all this follows Microsoft's announcement of revised anti-piracy measures in Vista SP1 and, specifically, some big changes to the aforementioned WGA feature.

[TJ @ Dec 4th 2007 6:44PM]

That's NOT slander, it's libel. :)

[unbelievable @ Dec 4th 2007 4:00PM]

Do you really think that Microsoft didn't account for the year difference? That would be a pretty ridiculous error to make. Just maybe figure that in.

[wud_e @ Dec 4th 2007 11:25PM]

Well....when XP still works Dard Good...... why "Acquire" Vista? If I want Widgets I can just install Yahoo Widgets which work great.

[Joel @ Dec 9th 2007 9:39AM]

I have used vista. I hate it. To perform one operation on vista, you have to respond to 3 times the amount of questions as XP.... IT´s like this.. Delete folder G, then vista asks¨are you sure you want to¨, ¨are you really sure¨, ¨are you the administrator¨ then continue. Also, I haven´t gotten some games to run, like NFS carbon, FIFA 2007. On XP all of this function very smoothly.
A VISTA le hace falta mucho trabajo

[moldymac @ Dec 4th 2007 4:00PM]

Vista is a POS and wasnt worth anyone's time to pirate

[Ed @ Dec 4th 2007 4:01PM]

When people know they can get any version of an OS at no cost and at any time, they're going to choose the better one (Until they're forced to upgrade, again, at no cost)

[thesb @ Dec 4th 2007 4:01PM]

Simply Hilarious. Pat the guy that designed that stuff on the back. Way to go!!

[Bamboo @ Dec 4th 2007 4:06PM]

I have been on Vista 64 for a few months, with a few bumps, but no major hang ups till last week. I went to update my BIOS, and had a bad flash. After getting back up with the ASUS startup disk, Vista said that due to a hardware change, my Vista was no longer valid, and now keeps prompting me to buy a new activation code. I didn't change any hardware at all!!
I called tech support, and the lady wants my credit card # so I can pay $60 for tech support. I told her I am not paying any more money for MS help and I am not paying more $ for something I already bought. After a few mins. of arguing, she finally was about to issue me a new act. #, but I asked her that since I might have to RMA my motherboard (still having some bugs, so I ended up having to), would the new # work when I get the board back from ASUS, and she said no it would not work, so now I am in limbo. I am supposed to call back when I get my MB back.
You would think that MS would figure out that if in their phone support menu, the first 5 options are for problems with activation, and the #6 (of 6 options) is for all other issues and problems, that something might be really wrong here!!!

[Alan Friesen @ Dec 4th 2007 5:36PM]

Bamboo, at some point you've got to take a step back from your position, realise that you own a legitimate licence to run Vista, and consider how much time you've spent arguing with Microsoft about your legitimate copy of Vista. Isn't it time you downloaded a copy from a torrent site? Technically speaking, you have the licence and Microsoft has its money. Just get a copy that works!

[Bullitt @ Dec 4th 2007 6:00PM]

Heartless jerks. That's why I use mac.

[ericdano @ Dec 4th 2007 4:09PM]

Pirates aren't stupid. They know Vista sucks.

[Shadyman @ Dec 4th 2007 5:53PM]

Arr! We don't need no stinkin Vista!

[Tony @ Dec 4th 2007 4:11PM]

Vista is a good OS, acknowledged by many, but it just didn't meet our high expectations. Maybe the improved security is the reason for less pirating. Why do you people automatically assume it's because no one wants Vista?

Windows Vista still has a higher market share than all of OSX combined.

[stephen mcdermott @ May 3rd 2008 6:20AM]

And there are more ford escorts then ferrari enzos.

[Loonie @ Dec 4th 2007 4:14PM]

Just a guess...

More people want XP than Vista?

[Homeboy @ Dec 4th 2007 4:14PM]

I don't get all the Vista whining and bashing from Mac talibans who haven't even used Vista. Vista runs superb on my machine.

[Whiplash @ Dec 4th 2007 4:22PM]

It runs fine on my work PC as well. (I use a Mac & XP at home). But the only reason I use it at all is because my employer paid for it. I sure as heck won't shell out MY money for it.

[Razor @ Dec 4th 2007 5:23PM]

Not true. I'm a recent Mac convert (switched switched last year) and I don't like Vista at all.

[Tony @ Dec 4th 2007 5:33PM]

@Razor

If you switched to Mac last year, how did you even get to spend any substaniable about of time on Vista?

Vista was released late last year.

[kojo87 @ Dec 4th 2007 5:50PM]

or are you saying that you switched FROM Mac TO Windows. (never really hear of anyone doing that though)

im kinda sick of hearing people bitch about Vista. as far as im concerned its XP with a different skin. its kinda funny: i found Vista much easier to hack.

[Andrew @ Dec 4th 2007 6:55PM]

Same here

[jean @ Dec 4th 2007 4:16PM]

yeah right, it would be nice to know how many user actually use vista

[Tony @ Dec 4th 2007 5:37PM]

At 9% it is 2nd in market share only to XP.

http://apple20.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2007/12/01/apple-mac-hits-record-681-market-share-in-net-applications-survey/?section=money_topstories

[Ed @ Dec 4th 2007 4:20PM]

LOL! I have a pirated copy...I'm never gonna use it though! :D

[Mitty @ Dec 4th 2007 4:22PM]

>it would be nice to know how many user actually use vista<

I have the Vista "upgrade" disk that came for my Fuji P1610 tablet and don't have even the slightest interest in installing it. To run slower bloatware than XP? Why?

So I am a "user" by M$ count but not a user in the sense of using the product. I don't think I'm alone.

[Tom @ Dec 4th 2007 5:45PM]

Same here. Got the upgrade disk with my HP NC6400. Not gonna let it near my laptop for the near future. Or ever.

So I'm another non-using Vista "user" in MS books.

[RawBert @ Dec 4th 2007 4:24PM]

I bet if you could really dig into the statistics, you'd find that more people have PIRATED Vista than PURCHASED OSX.

[mike @ Dec 4th 2007 4:49PM]

Duh. Unless you are a 'hackintosh' fan, the overwhelming majority of computers out there can't run OSX. This doesn't make Vista better than OSX, its just the circumstance.

[Darkest Daze @ Dec 4th 2007 4:27PM]

My question: Is everyone saying how much Vista sucks because it's the trendy thing to do or because they've actually used it for more than 10 minutes within the last 3 months? I've been using it for about the last 6 months and since Nvidia and such released decent drivers, my overall performance is on par with my 32-bit XP install and I haven't needed to go back for any reason. Hell, dos-box still works, so I can even still play 16-bit games on a 64-bit system.

I'll admit, back during the RC2 days, Vista sucked. It was horrible and was everything that everyone above me is complaining about, but since the hardware companies decided to put out some drivers that aren't complete trash, it's actually a decent system. Sure, I wouldn't buy it, (free copy from Intel) but I don't have any issues with how it runs or getting programs to work.

[DMG @ Dec 4th 2007 4:31PM]

my copy of vista is pirated and i got it day 1

[Grant @ Dec 4th 2007 4:33PM]

the only thing i hate more than vista is the new office.
It's terrible, and they reformatted the menu system for no damn reason.

[Scoottie @ Dec 4th 2007 4:42PM]

used vista ultimate. hated it. went back to xp. better performance and better overall.

[P6 @ Dec 4th 2007 4:42PM]

"Vista sucks twice as much as XP"

Fixed the title for you.

[Ipaq3115 @ Dec 4th 2007 4:43PM]

thats cause vista stinks...

[DeWeese @ Dec 4th 2007 4:53PM]

They have only proved that making a shitty OS deters pirating.

[abadtooth @ Dec 4th 2007 4:57PM]

Is this because there is only half as many users as there is XP?
Or maybe people are instead of pirating something so horrible are getting Linux instead?

[Mike @ Dec 4th 2007 4:57PM]

i like pudding...oh yeah... vista too

[The Ron @ Dec 4th 2007 5:00PM]

Oxford Dictionary of Microsoft:

Security: A pop-up asking if you REALLY want to open this program.
Vista: A Server 2003 Kernel with a snazzy interface.
Aero: An overuse of transparency.
Backwards Compatability: Nothing
Apple: A company to copy off of.

[Tony @ Dec 4th 2007 6:59PM]

Oxford dictionary for fail:

• verb 1 be unsuccessful in an undertaking.

[Miles Cave @ Dec 4th 2007 5:08PM]

"Microsoft claims the sharp dip in piracy is due to Vista's amped up authentication system"

Or simply no one wants it.

[Peter @ Dec 4th 2007 5:32PM]

I've got Vista Bussiness on my work laptop, so far it has refused to activate and I'm pretty sure it is not a pirated copy.
And with the number of tries to activate it I've been doing I guess could account for half of the 'pirates'.

To be totally honest it have worked better than I expected after disabling UAC. But I guess unless I get activation sorted I'll be running in cripple mode in 3 days.

[Ayle @ Dec 4th 2007 6:30PM]

cough*paradox*cough....

[Ryan @ Dec 4th 2007 5:55PM]

I actually think Microsoft is telling the truth with this statement.
I mean come on its obvious that Vista piracy rates are going to be half as much as XPs are.
BECAUSE THERE ARE HALF AS MANY PEOPLE BUYING THE STUPID OPERATING SYSTEM!!!!!!!!!
Thats like when GM claimed oh yea our hybrid system increases fuel economy by 35%....um yea not too hard to increas fuel efficiency by that much when your starting with 9mpg!!!!
I FEEL LIKE IM TAKING CRAZY PILLS!

[roach @ Dec 4th 2007 6:00PM]

Funny. If you steal Vista, you don't get update that will make it stable. No wonder there's a lot of complainer who complain about Vista's stability--on top of Mac fanboy who just troll because it's MS. Go complain to Steve about your buggy Leopard.

Note: I been running 2 UPDATED Vista on a laptop for almost a year and happy with it that I am in a process of upgrading my home system.

[Dustin Frazier @ Dec 4th 2007 6:31PM]

Who told you update doesn't work with pirated copies? Beat that person with a stick. Imago update now.

[Ayle @ Dec 4th 2007 6:33PM]

I have vista business that I got from msdn academic alliance and also got vista ultimate using the paradox oem crack and it work perfectly: all the updates install correctly everything works and I've never seen any wga screen...

[roach @ Dec 5th 2007 3:11AM]

Gee...that's productive. You're one update away from your system being a brick...along with your datas.

[Noel @ Dec 4th 2007 6:10PM]

This statistic is completly wrong. If anyone has paid attention to the current releases of vista online, you will come to find that the most downloaded ones are the ones that have the bootloader in the begining alowing vista to look, feel, run and even show up on microsoft DOT COM as a legal copy. So I guess that statistic just shows that only HALF of the people who bootleg vista got some semi cracked version and the rest use the legit looking one. Terrible statistic. Go to any store... check out the vista section... see if there are any.. and I say ANY open spots.. ..NEVER..lol

[majortom @ Dec 4th 2007 6:19PM]

personally I don't care what OS you use. What caught my eye was the Vista logo. Compare it to any Mac icon. I'm just saying......

[Joseph @ Dec 4th 2007 6:19PM]

You are about to pirate windows vistas Ok or Cancel
You are installing windows vista pirated version ok or cancel
You have finished installing windows vista pirated version ok or cancel