One In Five Windows Installs Is Non-Genuine

snib writes "Microsoft disclosed Monday that, according to reports collected by the notorious Windows Genuine Advantage tool on millions of users' PCs, 22% of all Windows installs do not pass its validation tests and have therefore been deemed non-genuine. Quoting: 'Since WGA launched in July 2005, over 512 million users have attempted to validate their copy of Windows, Microsoft said. Of those, the non-genuine rate was 22.3 percent... [T]he Business Software Alliance... reports that 35 percent of the world's software is pirated (22 percent in North America)...'"

100% of Linux 2.6 installs contain stolen code

[Anonymous Coward]

from SCO.

What a load of BS

[Anonymous Coward]

There's no way it's that low

Re:100% of Linux 2.6 installs contain stolen code

[CapitalT]

I'm not sure whether mod you troll or funny, but that's OK since I don't have mod points.

Re:Really?

[fyngyrz]

Give me time.

Oh, I think that's a little excessive. Confiscation of your computer and a public whipping would satisfy me.

Who are the 4 saps who are paying?

[dwalsh]

I kid. Really, I kid.

Re:i dont think that word means what they think it

[Schraegstrichpunkt]

But virus-infected software is not. Maybe that's what this number is referring to.

Re:Really?

[Anonymous Coward]

Wait, who are we whipping?

80% of Windows Installs are Genuine???

[WaZiX]

That's a lot...

oh come on

[x2A]

Looks like SCO have managed to wangle some mod points on slashdot... anyone with a sense of humour and mod points like to mod that the way it should be?

Re:A thought....

[misleb]

Well, personally, I have reinstalled the same copy of windows on the same machine more times than the activation allows (~20?). So, no, I don't try to activate either.

Now that's persistence! If at first you can't make it stable, try, try again.

Re:Really?

[Anonymous Coward]

don't worry, slashdot keeps your IP address. we'll find you.

love,

bill g.

Re:My policy is...

[chris_mahan]

Yes he does! Linux itself is a computer game. A very long text adventure game full of twisty passages, all alike. Want to know your score? >uptime

Re:i dont think that word means what they think it

[Anonymous Coward]

Read it again...Genuine is an adjective modifying Advantage not Windows. Windows is Genuine in all cases but Microsoft's Advantage (presumably over you) is only Genuine if they've extorted money out of you and forced click "I agree" to their EULA (which gives them every right up to and including your first-born).

The presumably their Marketing department would say that this check provides legitimate customers with a Genuine Advantage over using a pirated copy...the piece of mind of knowing that your copy is legitimate and unaltered by the possibly-nefarious who gave or sold you your copy.

Re:100% of Linux 2.6 installs contain stolen code

[vertinox]

To be fair... 100% of Windows Installs has stolen code from BSD.

Oh wait...

Linux Genuine Advantage

[Anonymous Coward]

Fortunately for us, now we have Linux Genuine Advantage [linuxgenui...antage.org] to validate Linux installations. I wonder how many of them are non-genuine...

Re:A la Bash.org

[binarybum]

"All you had to do was call Microsoft and they would have validated you over the phone"

    That's such a creepy statement. You are not valid without microsoft's consent... fortunately, for your convenience, you may be validated by telephone.
  For an additional $199, Bill Gates will baptize you over the phone.

Re:A la Bash.org

[Schemat1c]

That was one of the most worthless comments I've ever read.

Who's more worthless, the original worthless commenter or the person calling the worthless commenter worthless?

Or something like that...

Re:A la Bash.org

[Schemat1c]

For an additional $199, Bill Gates will baptize you over the phone.

That's cheaper than the church charges.

Re:100% of Linux 2.6 installs contain stolen code

[x2A]

even the name, Windows, is a word stolen from the dictionary, made purely with letters stolen from the alphabet!

Re:A la Bash.org

[McGiraf]

me too!

Re:Sampling?

[Frosty Piss]

I doubt many geeks have non-genuine Windows installs.

Oh you've got to be kidding. This is the hight of Slashdot delusional thinking. You know as well as I do that the primary source of cracked XP is geeks. Same with cracked Photoshop and all the rest. Next thing, you'll be telling me that no one here has any pirated music.

Re:Really?

[Lost Engineer]

Oh, I think that's a little excessive. Confiscation of your computer and a public whipping would satisfy me.

For stealing windows or for using it in the first place?