Don’t let your guard down. Maybe this time they’ll fully pull the TPM/UEFI trigger and make it impossible to install any other OS on new PCs… they have lots of leverage over manufacturers to tighten the screws on the BIOS and boot process.
The kind of fines that are based on global revenue are at least enough to slow them down. Right now we are a bit in a phase of Whac a Mole phase of the EU doing new directives with these kinds of fines and American companies trying to find loopholes, but I don’t see how Microsoft would weasel out of this one.
Also the US is interested in busting some trusts at the moment and that sort of behavior could cost Microsoft dearly. It’s one thing to demand that your software only run on your hardware, it’s a whole other thing to pay companies to block their hardware from software you don’t own
The funny thing is, they don’t need to weasel out.
You block for competiton from working (dualbooting Linux users) for long enough they forget there is anything else, then you pull the claws back a bit to avoid the fines after the damage is already done.
Microsoft had to provide a separate edition that gave the user a browser choice for 10 years because the EU successfully called anti-trust on Windows doing IE/Edge as default.
What are our options though? I’m a mechanical engineer. Work pays $10k+ annually for my CAD subscription, but at home I use Fusion 360. FreeCAD and Open SCad are nice, but limiting compared to the big platforms.
If I only did my data analytics, maybe I could use Mono on Linux at home and distribute to my colleagues on Windows, but needing CAD means I’m probably stuck with Microsoft for a little while.
I think most of the ultra-expensive CAD platforms have Linux editions now, but our IT group doesn’t want to consider using Linux machines to the engineering group. I don’t blame them, half of our engineers can barely use Windows (and still regularly complain about moving away from blueprints and drafting 20 years ago).
I don’t think they would hard shoot themselves in the foot like that thankfully/sadly? idk my opinions on it. They would start with company graded devices before doing a consumer lockdown, since they are less apt to get massive backlash from that, they have tried already and backtracked iirc with lenovo systems
I hope you’re right. But the only reason it hasn’t gone as far as it has it because everyone watches them and pushes back. I remember the ARM-based Windows laptops they tried pushing, which had fully-locked bootloaders (WinRT?) That’s their endgame…
Don’t let your guard down. Maybe this time they’ll fully pull the TPM/UEFI trigger and make it impossible to install any other OS on new PCs… they have lots of leverage over manufacturers to tighten the screws on the BIOS and boot process.
The European Commission would appreciate the multi billion euro “donation” from Microsoft if they did something so obviously anti competitive.
I agree, but also when has a threat of a fine ever stopped a capitalist from doing what they want? They just call it the cost of doing business.
Or doing it regionally
The kind of fines that are based on global revenue are at least enough to slow them down. Right now we are a bit in a phase of Whac a Mole phase of the EU doing new directives with these kinds of fines and American companies trying to find loopholes, but I don’t see how Microsoft would weasel out of this one.
Also the US is interested in busting some trusts at the moment and that sort of behavior could cost Microsoft dearly. It’s one thing to demand that your software only run on your hardware, it’s a whole other thing to pay companies to block their hardware from software you don’t own
The funny thing is, they don’t need to weasel out.
You block for competiton from working (dualbooting Linux users) for long enough they forget there is anything else, then you pull the claws back a bit to avoid the fines after the damage is already done.
Rinse, repeat.
iPhone 15 is heavily rumored to be USB-C. So… at least once?
Microsoft had to provide a separate edition that gave the user a browser choice for 10 years because the EU successfully called anti-trust on Windows doing IE/Edge as default.
Time to learn how to hack motherboards I guess
Time to not buy from shitty OEMs that agree to do this
What are our options though? I’m a mechanical engineer. Work pays $10k+ annually for my CAD subscription, but at home I use Fusion 360. FreeCAD and Open SCad are nice, but limiting compared to the big platforms.
If I only did my data analytics, maybe I could use Mono on Linux at home and distribute to my colleagues on Windows, but needing CAD means I’m probably stuck with Microsoft for a little while.
I think most of the ultra-expensive CAD platforms have Linux editions now, but our IT group doesn’t want to consider using Linux machines to the engineering group. I don’t blame them, half of our engineers can barely use Windows (and still regularly complain about moving away from blueprints and drafting 20 years ago).
I don’t think they would hard shoot themselves in the foot like that thankfully/sadly? idk my opinions on it. They would start with company graded devices before doing a consumer lockdown, since they are less apt to get massive backlash from that, they have tried already and backtracked iirc with lenovo systems
I hope you’re right. But the only reason it hasn’t gone as far as it has it because everyone watches them and pushes back. I remember the ARM-based Windows laptops they tried pushing, which had fully-locked bootloaders (WinRT?) That’s their endgame…
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Haha I have read about the ways to defeat the bogus Win11 CPU checks. A fake check to enforce the upgrade treadmill!
That’s never gonna fly as long as the EU exists. They’d never allow it.
I sincerely hope you’re right :)