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Microsoft corroborates Windows Vista OEM hacks
At least Redmond can't say that no one told them so, as the folks at Microsoft are finally holding up a hesitantly-raised white flag and admitting that Windows Vista is indeed far from crack-proof. After depressing the mental "Allow" button, Microsoft Senior Product Manager Alex Kochis has come to grips with the Vista hacks that are currently floating around (and apparently functioning). Interestingly, he insinuates that the company will be looking at ways to "disrupt the business model of organized counterfeiters and protect users from becoming unknowing victims," but also mentioned that it wouldn't be rushing out in a likely futile attempt to nab every "mad scientist" (saywha?) on a mission to hack Windows. Hmm, wonder if that has anything to do with the barren efforts it exhausted trying to one-up FairUse4WM?
Microsoft pulling OEM Windows XP next January
Like it or not, if you buy a Windows PC in 2008, it's almost certain to be running Windows Vista. Next January is Microsoft's contractual deadline with PC builders for selling the OEM version of Windows XP, meaning computer manufacturers will be forced to stick customers with a copy of Windows Vista, despite the continued driver problems and beefy system requirements. Hopefully Microsoft is able to prep a service pack or two before that time comes, but it's hard to imagine all the kinks being ironed out before then. We're sure you'll be able to nab a retail copy of XP through standard or slightly-shady channels, so it's not like you'll never see that frumpy "Luna" theme ever again, but we still won't be surprised at an '08 backlash if Microsoft makes good on its promises.[Via Slashdot]
Finally, Halo 2 Vista achievements revealed
Even though Halo 3 is heading to the Xbox 360 this Fall, PC gamers will just be getting their first taste of Halo 2 next month. And, as an added bonus, those PC gamers who buy Halo 2 on Vista will get something Xbox gamers didn't, achievements. MyGamerCard.net discovered all 41 achievements for Halo 2 Vista that range from progressing in the single player campaign to all kinds of multiplayer honors. Overall, we think the achievements are pretty average and in some cases a tad unbalanced, but there is a wide variety so we can't complain too much. Take a look at Bungie's first foray into the achievement world, make the jump for the full list of Halo 2 Vista achievements.
Microsoft hit with lawsuit for "false" Vista ads
A new complaint has been aimed at Microsoft, seeking class action lawsuit status, and claiming the software giant put a bit more "wow" into its ads than it squeezed onto "Windows Vista Capable" PCs. Dianne Kelly of Camano Island, Washington, who's behind the suit, alleges that Microsoft was misleading buyers by placing Vista Capable stickers on PCs only capable of running Windows Vista Home Basic, and none of that fancy Aero, Flip3D or Media Center PC stuff that seems to be most everything the ads and marketing are talking about. Microsoft naturally disagrees, and has contested the suit. "We feel as a company we went beyond what we've ever done to try to educate people so that they understood and could make the right purchase decision," said Linda Norman, a Microsoft associate general counsel. Part of that effort even included a special "Premium Ready" sticker for retail machines that were up to snuff, but there's no mention of what you're missing out on affixed to Basic machines. There's no denying that Vista Basic is in many ways just a slight upgrade over XP, and that the multiple versions of Vista are expensive and unnecessarily complicated, but from how it looks right now, it's hard to see the suit going too far.[Via Slashdot]
Apple releases Boot Camp 1.2 with Windows Vista support
Apple has just released Boot Camp version 1.2, ushering in support for the 32-bit version of Microsoft Windows Vista. Plenty of other driver updates and new features are included in this release as well, such as: Updated drivers, including but not limited to trackpad, AppleTime (synch), audio, graphics, modem, iSight camera Support the Apple Remote (works with iTunes and Windows Media Player) A Windows system tray icon for easy access to Boot Camp information and actions Improved keyboard support for Korean, Chinese, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Finnish, Russian, and French Canadian Improved Windows driver installation experience Updated documentation and Boot Camp on-line help in Windows Apple Software Update (for Windows XP and Vista) This is great news for anyone who might (unfortunately) want or need to run the latest version of Windows.I want to issue one word of caution, however, as I don't believe the system requirements list on the Boot Camp page have been updated specifically for Vista's hard drive requirements: the last I remember, any version of Vista besides Home Basic wants nearly 15GB just to install everything that is included, so be sure you partition some extra space if you were still working from XP's numbers.With that said, get out a blank CD and head over to the Boot Camp page to download the new version.
Vista users complaining of slow file movements
Microsoft may be happy with the number of copies of Vista it's pushing out the door these days, but it seems that at least some recipients of the OS are finding that it puts as big a strain on their patience as it does their hardware, with numerous complaints cropping up of delays and stalls while moving, copying, or deleting files. According to The Register, Microsoft seems to be aware of the problem, and has already issued a "hotfix" for a related issue that may or may not also apply to this particular problem, although that's neither as easily accessible or as easy to apply than a proper patch. On that latter point, a Microsoft spokesman would only go so far as to tell The Reg that they'd check to see if a proper patch was in the works, though there doesn't appear to be any further word on that possibility as of yet.[Via Slashdot]
Microsoft: Vista sells 20 million, Microsoft Watch: We don't buy it
Microsoft says that Windows Vista sold 20 million copies in its first month of release, besting Windows XP's 17 million copies in its first two months. Engadget softens some of the press release spin, noting that 239 million PCs sold globally in 2006, so 20 million isn't a shock. But Microsoft Watch dismantles the original claim with a detailed editorial.Microsoft Watch says that Microsoft has counted sales beginning late last year before the general-public launch. The editorial also notes that license sales in the channel shouldn't count -- the "shipped" versus "sold" debate. Finally, analysts don't agree with the total.While Vista's sales numbers are being questioned, the OS is clearly going to end up on most PCs sooner or later, and the gaming world has had mixed reactions. Some developers have criticized the new OS, and some gamers have had initial driver problems. Hopefully Vista updates will fix any final issues for early adopters.Read -- Stacking Vista Licenses Too HighRead -- Windows Vista Debuts with Strong Global Sales
Windows Vista's doing alright for itself
In its first month of sales to the general public, Windows Vista sales broke 20 million, making it the fastest selling version of Windows thus far. Obviously, Microsoft is going to spin these numbers for all they're worth, but it's really only natural that a years-delayed OS released to an increasingly PC-ified world would sell like gangbusters. With 239 million PCs sold globally in 2006, 20 million doesn't sound like a terribly impressive number, but at least it's nothing to sneeze at. The number includes OEM sales, retail sales, upgrades and Vista Express Upgrades between January 30 and February 28. In comparison, Windows XP sold 17 million copies in its first two months on the market. Other fancy numbers Microsoft is bragging about include 4,500 "Certified for Windows Vista" products and 27,000 drivers, with a respectable portion of those appearing after Vista's launch. No word on how positive Vista's impact has been on general PC sales, and we're confused as to why people like Steve Ballmer would be blaming pirates for "poor" Vista sales when Microsoft sounds so excited about this 20 million number here, but we're guessing the good news from the PR side of Microsoft isn't going to do anything to slow a WGA crackdown.
Vista activation "more an irritation to legit users than an antipiracy measure"
Those are the words of Brian Livingstone, a renowned expert on the inner working of Microsoft Windows: in a post on WindowsSecrets.com, he exposes a backdoor route around activation which effectively destroys activation as an antipiracy measure. That, in and of itself, isn't a particularly surprising development (we've already seen two exploits that skip or bypass activation); no, the real story is the fact that the exploit was created by Microsoft itself. The "SkipRearm" process involves some simple editing of Registry files that can "extend the activation deadline of Vista indefinitely." This backdoor around WGA was created to help corporations keep machines working whilst they work under the heavy burden of prepping systems for Vista activation. If they can't do it within Vista's 30 day grace period, they can postpone activation by 30 days up to three times using the "sysprep /generalize" command: SkipRearm can be executed indefinitely. Specifically, Microsoft documentation says "Microsoft recommends that you use the SkipRearm setting if you plan on running Sysprep multiple times on a computer." Now that Windows Activation could potentially help pirates as well as annoy legitimate Windows owners, it's hard to see how Microsoft will be able to continue to justify using this ineffective, draconian system.[Via ComputerWorld, thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Guide for installing Vista in Boot Camp
As reluctant as we might be to admit it, we have our reasons for tinkering with Windows Vista behind closed TUAW office doors. Parallels has pretty decent support for it (3D hardware is still a work in progress), though we've been having to search across the vast interwebs for some help on how to get Micrsoft's latest... 'achievement' to play nice with Apple's Boot Camp. Fortunately, someone we only know as Nja247 has posted this walkthrough at a Geocities page that guides Mac users through every step in getting a 32-bit version of Windows Vista running on a Mac. The walkthrough delves into nearly every essential step, including stripping the necessary drivers off the CD that Boot Camp creates because Apple's auto-installer for Windows breaks in Vista.Don't get the wrong idea though: we still agree with the US National Institute of Standards and Technology in saying no to Vista. Per our duties as card-carrying Mac users and bloggers, however, we still need to tinker with a few things to make sure we're staying on top of what Redmond is up to. Kinda like Ze Frank says: we're testing Vista, so you don't have to.
Halo 2 Achievements for Vista
In a recent blog entry by Hired Gun, the MGS team responsible for bringing Halo 2 for Vista posted recently regarding the 41 Achievements the game will have. They cover the easy ones and the difficult ones the put in, from sticking your first enemy in multiplayer to killing someone who beat the game on Legendary to playing through the single player campaign without dying, although they didn't specify the difficulty required. Interestingly enough Silver members, while able to play multiplayer in Halo 2 Vista, they won't be able to unlock Achievements online or use the matchmaking, while Gold members get the full course. So, do you plan on taking your Xbox 360 account over to the land of mouse and keyboard to get Halo 2 Achievements?
Live for Windows priced, XBL accounts confirmed to work on Vista
Microsoft revealed yesterday the pricing for Live for Windows, the Vista equivalent to Xbox Live. The pricing plan is identical to Xbox Live: a Silver membership will be free and Gold will cost you either $8 for one month, $20 for three months or $50 for a full year, according to Game Informer.Appropriately, Xbox Live Gold members will be able to use their accounts to enjoy the Live for Windows features on their home PCs (and presumably vice versa). Some casual games and Halo 2 for Vista will reportedly add to your gamerscore. We don't have any details on how exactly gamers will benefit from a Gold account over a Silver one (other than Shadowrun cross-platform play), but hopefully Microsoft will stick to the modus operandi of PC gaming and keep non-MMOs free to play online multiplayer.
iTunes 7.1 out, claims to play nicer with Vista
It looks like those legions of iPod owners who have been taking Apple's advice to hold off on upgrading to Vista can finally dust off their month-old DVD cases and get their upgrade on, as iTunes 7.1 has officially been released with "a number" of the compatibility issues accounted for. According to the release notes, however, a few known problems still remain, with the most serious being the nasty possibility that your iPod gets corrupted when you go by the book and select "Safely Remove Hardware" from the taskbar to, um, safely remove your hardware. Instead, users are advised to choose "Eject iPod" from the iTunes Control menu or "Restore" if they're reading this just a little too late. Other remaining quirks include sporadic address book syncs, messed up text and graphics (resizing the window should do the trick), and annoyingly, continued lack of support for any 64-bit editions of Windows, be it XP or Vista. Meanwhile, in other news, the ten Zune owners who also rock a Mac are still waiting patiently for Microsoft to acknowledge their existence.[Via Digital Media Thoughts]
Another Vista activation bypass: for reals this time?
Considering that as recently as a couple of days ago lots of people (including us) were potentially duped into believing that someone had created a keygen utility that churned out working serial numbers for Windows Vista, you'll forgive us for being a little hesitant to recommend the latest Vista crack on the block. Apparently the result of a combined effort by an application cracking group called "Paradox," the utility is actually a "BIOS Emulation Toolkit" that skips the activation process entirely. As always, these kind of programs are an extremely gray area, so we're not going to maintain any illusions here: this utility will be used by individuals to pirate copies of Vista. That said, these kinds of hacks -- if this one actually works -- does a service by pointing out the ineffectiveness of "activation," a process which has caused an enormous amount of annoyance to a lot of consumers that have purchased software legally. Just like every other form of piracy prevention, the only people that really suffer in the end are the innocent users stuck in the middle. [Via digg]
Windows Vista "Brute Force Keygen" a hoax
It sounded too good to be true, and it turns out it was. KezNews forum frequenter "Computer User" confessed last night that his Brute Force Keygen hack for Windows Vista is a scam. "Fact is the brute force keygen is a joke, i [sic] never intended for it to work. I have never gotten it to work, everyone should stop using it! Everyone who said they got a key a probably lying or mistaken!" Oddly enough, Adrian Kingsley-Hughes of ZD Net, who we sourced the news from yesterday, claims to have found two activation keys with this method, so it's hard to tell who to believe: a confessing prankster, or a potentially duped but trusted source. For the moment, we're going to go with Computer User's word on this one, because the likelihood that Microsoft would issue enough keys to make a random key generator at all viable for obtaining 25-character product keys is pretty dang slim.[Via Slashdot; thanks Matt]
Brute force keygen cracks open Vista
There's already been a workaround discovered for using a Vista upgrade DVD to perform a full install, but some intrepid hackers now appear to have opened up an even bigger flaw in the shiny new OS's armor, developing a brute force keygen that spits out valid product activation keys. While the keygen has been confirmed to work by a number of sources, it's hardly a quick-and-easy hack, requiring some significant horsepower and quite a bit of patience, needing anything from a few hours to a few days to churn out a key. Not to mention the small problem that Microsoft could seemingly stop this particular hack in its tracks relatively easy. As ZD Net points out, however, the keygen could very well cause some additional headaches for Microsoft once the keys generated start overlapping with those already out there in legitimate copies of Vista, presumably leaving anyone who picks the wrong box out of luck.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Windows Vista gadgets running on WM6
If you're already a Windows Vista fan, are you using all the gadgets on your desktop too? If so, would it not be great to take some of the sleek usefulness of those Vista gadgets on your WM device? How about Vista gadgets on that shiny new WM6 handheld -- or even newer Windows Mobile-powered digital picture frames like the i-mate Momento 70? There is a proof-of-concept being worked up by Microsoft-ite Mel Sampat that may indeed allow you to get those wonderful gadgets on that WM6 device -- hopefully soon. Perhaps Microsoft will get official on WM6 gadgets soon before the iPhone's OS X steals a little thunder. Until then, those WM6 gadgets are apparently in pre-beta stage for the time being with no available timeline on an official Microsoft release. [Via Slashgear]
Today's leafiest game video: Crysis footage [update 1]
We're interested in upcoming shooter Crysis based on our time playing, but we're not yet sold on the graphic hype the game has been gathering. Today's video pick from GameTrailers shows off footage from the game the game engine, mostly highlighting plants and their shadows. We held on to our skeptic streak through the video, but the movement of the plants and the intricate shadows chipped away at our cynical shells; the engine looks good. But we'll have to wait for the Crysis release to decide how much praise -- and hype -- the game warrants.See the lovely leaves after the break.[Update 1: Thanks to the commentors who pointed out that the video is a tech demo and not directly from the game.]
Shadowrun: Keyboard versus controller in the final battle
With consoles on one side and PC's on the other, the room was literally divided between the two factions. The only unification between the them being that of Microsoft and FASA Studios' upcoming shooter, Shadowrun. Best known for its cross-platform gameplay, all eyes are on Shadowrun to bring some real gravitas to the never-ending debate between fragging with a controller or the staple keyboard and mouse. We received our Shadowrun training on the Xbox 360 and while it was educational, we wanted to play "the right way" over on the Windows Vista build of the game.A few rounds later and the collective butt of our team was sore from the repeated beatings it was taking. Next to us on a PC was Mitch Gitelman of FASA Studios. With every frag a taunt and every victory a celebration, you can only imagine our surprise when we realized that he was doing it all with the Xbox 360 controller.Sacrilege? Maybe. Boundaries? Shattered. And if Microsoft gets what they want out of the Games for Windows brand, get used to it. Read on to discover how Shadowrun is making the controller a serious contender.%Gallery-1774%
S1Digital's impressive new lineup of Media Centers
Media Centers are so in now and that you have to really do something to make your black box stand out, and S1Digital's new lineup of media centers and servers does just that. Actually there are two series, the ProLine for professional installers and home automation companies and the Home Series for the rest of us. The Home Series includes the Platinum, Gold and Mighty editions, all running Core 2 Duo processors and Vista Home Premium. The Mighty is the size of a book and includes built in WiFi and DVD burner. Up next is the Gold, which is a more traditional size and adds up to 1TB of storage, HDMI, 2 ATSC and 2 NTSC tuners (sorry no CableCARD here), 7.1 audio and Viiv. The Platinum tops the Home Series, adding a quiet design an internal scaler and optional HD DVD or Blu-ray drive. But they don't stop there and are trying to join Niveus in the high end market with the ProLine Series, which of course does everything the Home series does, but with Vista Ultimate, rack mountable, a silent design and two-way control for all your favorite home automation systems like Crestron and AMX. As impressive as this lineup is, we are once again left wonder, where are the CableCARDs?Read: S1Digital Introduces the Home Series Line of Media CentersRead: S1Digital Sets a New Reference Standard with ProLine Series Media Centers
