3 responses to “Windows Genuine Advantage is still genuinely bad”

1. 

   Todd April 17th, 2009 at 00:01

   I agree. However, I don’t think MS has crossed the line yet. They may be getting close but I still have the ability to install a legally purchased copy of Windows on 3 PCs and the quality service MS provides and ease of registering the software (at install and over the internet) is usually a snap.

   Moreover, when I get the occasional crashed PC (and I have I’m sad to say) re-install usually doesn’t require the hoop-jumping I did the first time around, the installation goes through smoothly and I didn’t need to speak to anyone of the phone or even re-enter information.

   That said, the trend in the industry is obviously a bad one. SecuROM and DRM licence “features” turn me off to buying software. I can think of two recent “purchses” (yes, I actually pay for my software) that I returned or didn’t buy because I don’t own the software and am not respected enough to manage the software I legally paid for; those being SPORE and Strategic Command 2.

   The authors of SPORE are totally out of their minds. I get three installs (literally 3) – raised to 5 – so if I purchse the software install it on my laptop, desktop and workpc and one crashes, which it will at some point (requiring a rebuild) – I (the customer) has to call EA or whomever and “requalify” for more installs. Some software I bought legally 10 years ago, I still play/use. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to re-install it on my laptop after a crash, hard-drive upgrade, new laptop purchase etc. Does anyone think I’m going to be able to “get a green light” ten years from now or after several calls to customer service? Nevermind the giant time suck and hassle that calling customer service is in the first place.

   No.

   It’s just a “SCAM” to get me to re-purchase the software after a few years to inflate the corporate bottom line.

   Well I’m not going to just “rent” their software for a little while. I buy and if I can’t be respected enough to manage my own personal software use.

   NO SALE!

   Moreover, there’s an old saying “locks are for your friends” if I don’t pay for it, they don’t get paid. However, “pirates and hackers” are going to crack the protection anyway.

   Wasn’t SPORE the most pirated game of all time?

   No sale and still stolen, massively. Boy they suck.

2. 

   EP April 18th, 2009 at 00:26

   If you thought WGA was bad, how about WGA Notifications? WGAN from kb905474 was even worse.

3. 

   rc primak April 23rd, 2009 at 00:18

   I have (reluctantly) accepted both Windows XP SP3 and WGA Notifications months ago. No messages, no lock-outs, and no software installation problems from either one. What have others been doing, that they run afoul of WGA Notifications, I wonder? Even my ever-growing collection of freeware NEVER sets anything off.