Microsoft slugs Mac users with Vista tax

[djinn]

Mac users wanting to run Vista on their Macintosh will have to buy an expensive version of Vista if they want to legally install it on their systems.

Article: http://tech.blorge.com/Structure: /2007/02/07/microsoft-slugs-mac-users-with-vista-tax/

 

[khunsanook]

Intel-based Macs should be able to run any version of Vista they want since their not emulating Windows. PPC, of course, will have problems.

I'm not surprised by this at all. Microsoft has been whining a lot about Apple in the press and they're clawing for ways to get back at them.

 

[djinn]

I just thought I would mention this since I read some posts in the past about Vista on the macs.

 

[flopticalcube]

Bootcamp is not virtualization. (BINV?) Parallels, otoh...

 

[djinn]

Correct.. bootcamp is native.

 

[breakfastcrew]

so.......it is their software let them do whatever they want.

 

[Abstract]

MS isn't punishing Mac users with this on purpose. You just aren't allowed to run the cheap-o version of Vista on a VM. They're just trying to make sure that they're making as much money as possible from "enterprises" by not allowing Home Basic version to be run on a VM.

It does punish Parallels users, but MS hasn't really done anything wrong here.

 

[Eidorian]

Home and Home Premium just can't be used on a virtual machine. That applies to ANY operating system. Just run it via Boot Camp is you want Vista that badly.

 

[iW00t]

Stay tuned to these guys:

http://www.reactos.org/

 

[BlackMax]

I just read this on slashdot.com... I'm wondering if Microsoft can "legally" make such a stipulation... Virtual machine or not...

Do we have any lawyers in the crowd?

 

[jeremy.king]

I just read this on slashdot.com... I'm wondering if Microsoft can "legally" make such a stipulation considering the new Macs are Intel based machines just like any other Intel based machine. Virtual machine or not...

Do we have any lawyers in the crowd?

The same could be said of Apple and OS X...

Whats funny is that this extends well into the PC market as well, as Eidorian mentioned. Many organizations use VMWare (and other products) for various reasons, such as testing and training. Microsoft isn't just targeting Mac users who use Fusion or Parallels, its ALL virtualization users regardless of platform. Just move along and don't buy Microsoft products.

It just bugs me that bloggers say that MS is targeting Macs just for personal gain.

 

[djinn]

Who cares with Leopard around the corner. I put Vista on my Dell M1710 and wasn't impressed with it at all. I went back to XP.

 

[Mavimao]

Can they really enforce this? In the words of JOB, "COME ON!"

 

[Mgkwho]

whhhhhhhhhy do people think that bootcamp is virtualization?

I just don't get it, I just don't, I'm sorry.

-=|Mgkwho

 

[mkrishnan]

whhhhhhhhhy do people think that bootcamp is virtualization?

Well, when your three year old pushes his Fischer-Price pickup truck around the yard because he saw daddy driving his F150, you call it pretend play. It's only right that when you put a real man's operating system on a Fischer-Price computer that you also call it virtualization.

 

[Eraserhead]

Well, when your three year old pushes his Fischer-Price pickup truck around the yard because he saw daddy driving his F150, you call it pretend play. It's only right that when you put a real man's operating system on a Fischer-Price computer that you also call it virtualization.

Hmm, I'm confused with your metaphor. probably I'm being stupid .

Anyway I thought Parrellels could boot your Boot-Camp version of Windows now?

 

[acoustics940]

Who gives a **** why do you want vista on your mac anyways just run xp?

 

[someguy]

Well, when your three year old pushes his Fischer-Price pickup truck around the yard because he saw daddy driving his F150, you call it pretend play. It's only right that when you put a real man's operating system on a Fischer-Price computer that you also call it virtualization.

I'm also confused. The way I read it, you are saying Vista is a "real man's OS" and Macs are basically toys. Either you are being sarcastic, trolling, or I completely missed your point. Most likely the latter.

 

[mkrishnan]

Hmm, I'm confused with your metaphor. probably I'm being stupid .

Anyway I thought Parrellels could boot your Boot-Camp version of Windows now?

I was being snide... saying that the Mac is a toy computer and therefore any running of Vista on it could only be a "virtual" computer at best. Because of the earlier press comments about Macs being Fischer-Price toys. Of course I love my Mac.

As for the Parallels issue -- as far as I know, it's a purely *legal* issue -- the cheapest version of Vista will *work* on Parallels, but it won't be legal usage of the product. MS announced that a long time ago. And it applies to all virtualization engines on all platforms -- it is not directed solely at Macs. If you run a PC with Linux or Windows XP and use virtualization sandboxes (e.g. for development), it applies to you just as much as it applies to a Mac user. Of course, most of those traditional users of virtualization have always been corporate users anyway.

 

[someguy]

EDIT: Nvm.

 

[mkrishnan]

Did you mean "will work on Macs or BootCamp"?

Sorry, no, Parallels -- I edited it.

1) All versions of Vista work and work legally on Bootcamp

2) All versions of Vista work but are not legal on Parallels. Only the virtualization-approved license levels are legally usable on Parallels.

 

[Eraserhead]

Because of the earlier press comments about Macs being Fischer-Price toys. Of course I love my Mac.

I thought XP was the Fischer Price OS .

 

[mkrishnan]

I thought XP was the Fischer Price OS .

The backstory.

I hate Macs. I have always hated Macs. I hate people who use Macs. I even hate people who don't use Macs but sometimes wish they did. Macs are glorified Fisher-Price activity centres for adults; computers for scaredy cats too nervous to learn how proper computers work; computers for people who earnestly believe in feng shui.

 

[Eraserhead]

The backstory.

So ironic. (I couldn't decide which link was best)

 

[nbs2]

As for the Parallels issue -- as far as I know, it's a purely *legal* issue -- the cheapest version of Vista will *work* on Parallels, but it won't be legal usage of the product. MS announced that a long time ago. And it applies to all virtualization engines on all platforms -- it is not directed solely at Macs. If you run a PC with Linux or Windows XP and use virtualization sandboxes (e.g. for development), it applies to you just as much as it applies to a Mac user. Of course, most of those traditional users of virtualization have always been corporate users anyway.

The point I was going to make (had I not read all the posts on the page). Most virtualizations will be in a corporate setting - this just ensures corporations don't buy the cheaper Home editions.

As for enforcement, the mechanisms have state to state variations. I can't remember how most states operate.