Choosing not to Install SP1

[Shiromagius]

I had a question regarding SP1. I have heard much talk about the service pack and M$'s way they plan to deal with piracy. If these "pirates" choose NOT to install the service pack, will they still be able to get the latest updates from Windows Update? Or will the new Windows Update (version 5) be configured to gradually stop the "pirates" who chose not to install the SP? Also, if M$ does catch a pirate, what will happen to them? Will it just mean they are locked out of WU or will it disable Windows all together?

[Woogieman]

The "Pirates" will still be able to get updates - only by choosing individual items and downloading them from M$. However, IF they leave auto updating on, then sooner or later M$ will yell "gotcha". M$ has publically stated that SP1 is just the first round in their "XP - Pirate Wars". Subsequent SP's will most certainly contain new "Pirate Grabbers" themes.

M$ catches a LOT of pirates. Up until now, they have mainly went after the larger groups that are handling thousands (millions in a couple cases) - but there are exceptions. I personally knew a small computer shop owner that one day found himself confronted by the local law along side representatives from M$, complete with writ in hand. This one-person shop owner found himself with large legal bills, causing him to lose his business (what little there was), his house and what little life savings he had. His crime? Loading too many copies of Win98 for the licenses he bought it was stated. He claimed was that he didn't sell the thousands of systems that was claimed - he couldn't physically build that many. A Judge finally agreed, but by then he was out of money, out of business, out of his house, and out of luck.

On the other hand, M$ has grabbed some REALLY BIG fish!! Like container loads of millions of copies of various M$ software. And a high speed CD duplicating group in the general San Jose area that was pushing out giant quantities of M$ CD's. I certainly don't have any problem with M$ grabbing these type operators, though.

I've also been at Computer Shows where M$ had booths, while down the aisle a bit, college youths were doing a handsome business in "pirate" copies of M$'s favorite disks. Either the M$ reps were blind, or stupid, or really didn't care - or all of the above. Sure was strange though.

I happen to live in a city that houses a division of M$. And I can tell you that anyone can drive down to the University any time, and ask the first 3 or 4 students where can you get a fresh copy of Corp XP, and within a few minutes you'll be swamped with disks for costs ranging from nothing (freebees) to $15 (complete with scads of BlueList keys).

Go figure...........