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Windows 10, the TPPA of operating systems?

Why is Microsoft giving away Windows 10 when traditionally, the release of a new version probably creates massive revenues as millions of users rush to upgrade.

Okay, since the Windows XP to Vista fiasco, most people approach the upgrade process with some trepidation but never the less, new releases do mean cash in the bank, regardless of the problems or complaints.

If the claims of some folk are true, the money that MS loses by giving away Win10 will be more than compensated by the money the company can make by acting as the piracy police via special mechanisms built into the new operating system.

The first hint that something like this may be planned came in the Terms of Service to which users must agree before getting their "free beer" in the form of Win10.

Under this TOS agreement, you agree that Microsoft "may automatically check your version of the software and download software update or configuration changes, including those that prevent you from accessing the Services, playing counterfeit games, or using unauthorised hardware peripheral devices"

Hmmm... automatic updates are one thing -- but updates that may effectively kill any unlicensed software you're running or which stops you from accessing certain services?

More recently, reports have surfaced in the media which suggest that Windows 10 will nuke illegally downloaded software.

Even the purveyors of such downloads are now considering the prospect of blocking/banning Win10 users from accessing their services, for fear that those computers will dobb-them-in to authorities by reporting critical identifying info back to MS.

So has Microsoft realised that there's probably going to be a hell of a lot more money to be earned from crippling piracy than there is from selling "yet another version of Windows"?

Will MS charge various rights-holders a huge annual stipend to ensure that their intellectual property doesn't get illegally downloaded onto computers running Win10?

I suspect we won't see *anything* happen until Microsoft has cleared its distribution channels of previous Windows versions. The last thing they want is for people to suddenly realise that Windows 7 will do the job just fine *and* allow them to continue downloading stuff "for free". There would be a stampede to roll-back OS versions by all those who were engaged in such activities.

Of course even if it is Microsoft's intention to act as piracy police, they significantly underestimate the smarts of the folk out there who really want to get their stuff for free. The hard-core pirates will start using patched versions of Win10 that have the anti-piracy stuff disabled -- but Microsoft won't care.

They won't care because although 0.1% of the Net's users may account for 10% of the piracy, the other 90% is being done by folk who have neither the desire or the knowledge to install such patches. These are the low-hanging fruit that Windows 10 may well disable.

Never the less... I'll be keeping an eagle-eye out to see what other little "features" Windows 10 contains that we don't know about.

Windows 10, the TPPA of operating systems -- filled with stuff you can't be told about but which is there for your own good -- right?

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