Open your pocketbook!

Microsoft’s EULA for Windows Vista allows one transfer of a retail copy of Windows Vista to a new machine. Of course, an OEM copy (now referred to differently) will not be transferrable to a different computer — and it never was legally according to the licenses.

Unfortunately, Microsoft has been taking steps in recent years to redefine “what is a computer.” All too often, they’ve determined that that a motherboard replacement with the same model motherboard and CPU is not a new machine, but that an upgrade of motherboard, CPU and memory in your computer now makes it a “new computer.”

The new Vista version of WGA (“windows genuine advantage”) is even touchier than the XP system checker in terms of deciding what it thinks are too many changes.

I recall, with Windows XP, adding a network card, changing a network card, adding a new hard drive to the computer (temporarily to transfer data from the old hard drive) and then disconnecting the old hard drive — and having to call Microsoft to get a new number to enter into Windows XP. Apparently this many changes to the hardware triggered the “new system” test in XP.

Well, MS says the new system is even more sophisticated and sensitive.

PC enthusiasts that like to frequently change their systems are not happy.

Under the new system, retail copies will be able to moved to a new “device” one time. After that, it’s “buy a new license” or call MS Tech Support to plead your case. MS has not released any firm rules (if they ever will) on how this will work, either.

It’s amazing. Just who does Microsoft think really drives the acceptance of their new operating systems. It’s not the corporations or the manufacturers — it is the PC enthusiasts who hound their friends that still have old PCs and old operating systems.

Yet, MS is attacking the pocketbooks of those very people. Bad move. We may see a ground-swell of support for Linux…