One In Five Windows Installs Is Non-Genuine 481
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 (Score:3, Funny)
Re:100% of Linux 2.6 installs contain stolen code (Score:5, Funny)
oh come on (Score:5, Funny)
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Oh wait...
Re:100% of Linux 2.6 installs contain stolen code (Score:5, Funny)
Well... (Score:2, Interesting)
I'd probably count for four, but if it counts as a new installation each time you format, than more than double that. (No more now though, I've got a Mac. 3) I'd assume it's the same for many users here.
Re:Well... (Score:5, Insightful)
RE: Repeat Failures (Score:3, Interesting)
No need for Automatic Updates or WGA (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Well... (Score:5, Insightful)
I also believe Microsoft should 'suck it up' because if they have an 80% non-piracy rate for a monopolised operating system that is still very good returns, and the "20%" of pirated software merely helps to maintain that monopoly.
I'm certain Microsoft would prefer to keep those 20% on windows rather than have them on linux for example.
Re:Well... (Score:5, Interesting)
Just my $.02,
Ron
Define Genuine (Score:3, Interesting)
I have to wonder how many people fall into my category. If anything, this 1-in-5 statistic is an indictment WGA and it's reliability in determining whether or not you are "Genuine".
Re:Well... (Score:5, Informative)
Presuming you mean that seriously, rather than just to troll the guy...
He said, and I quote, "I added a gig of RAM and a different video card" (bolding mine). Two changes, depending on which ones, can trigger reactivation.
Really quite annoying, actually. I find it much easier to just pirate VLK versions. That way, no messy activation (or cracks thereof) to bother with.
To which I will reply: Fine, Why didn't you just call Microsoft?
Have you ever called a company to tell them they've made a mistake? Hmm?
Trust me, it takes far less time to just download a "third-party patch" to correct the problem, than trying to do things the "right" way.
Re:Well... (Score:4, Interesting)
Used to work at a computer store & a big part of my job was reinstalling Windows from viruses & such. Over 90% of the time...I had to call Microsoft to reactivate their copy of XP. Used to sit on hold at least 5 minutes & outside of US business hours...didn't even try. With that time I lost sitting on the phone waiting on Microsoft to get their stuff together meant that time I could've spent generating quite a bit of revenue waiting on their BS.
I totally agree with you about the patch...especially when Microsoft decides to end their XP activation service in 5 years or less.
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OEM's have been leaning to putting the install files on a second partition. Some actually ask you to make restore disks. I personally can't believe that they can't afford the 50 cents for the damn cd.
You also USED to be able to just use any xp cd and the key on the box and it would work. It would freak out after the first boot, but if you changed the key to what it actually was, t
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Yeah, but those same geeky pirates probably know enough to sidestep validation.
-matthew
Re:Well... (Score:5, Insightful)
Excellent point. That was the first thing I thought of...of all the people who pirate Windows, how many ever subject themselves to WGA? I suspect it is a relative small fraction of them. And then there is the reciprocal question, of the 22% that report as non-genuine, how many are really valid installs that raise a false positive? If it's even 10%, that puts the false positive rate at around 2%, which would be unacceptably high in my opinion.
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Not to mention, how many don't bother with XP at all and just use 2000 instead?
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Re:Sampling? (Score:5, Funny)
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.
WGA (Score:4, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
Re:WGA (Score:5, Interesting)
I've had trouble in the case of older machines (installed by my predecessor), and particularly with OEM installs. In the latter case, I've seen the failure rate of WGA approach 100%.
So, overall, of the 22%, I'd attribute most of it to failure. Particularly given that Windows and IE appear to use multiple different bits of code to accomplish the same thing (one of the first steps of an IE7 installation is validation). This means multiple avenues of failure, but only one chance to get it right.
No mention in the article of any attempt to account for failures.
Re:WGA (Score:4, Insightful)
I think that nearly 100% of the failures reported were false positives, and that the number is probably highly inflated by legit users frantically trying to get their critical security updates after WGA has randomly failed them.
The real pirates are dodging WGA and aren't trackable with these stats.
Re:WGA (Score:5, Interesting)
I recently had to fix a HP laptop with a reinstall of XP they'd done only 1 month ago (from the supplied CDs and the XP key stuck to it) and yes WGA failed because it couldn't update itself with the latest version. It wouldn't login without a 5 second timer on the WGA warning and many, many popups.
It looked like spyware and other nasties were preventing some
Bad numbers (Score:5, Insightful)
I would look at there program first, then accuse everyone of steeling second.
It really does not surprise me that there are a lot of pirated copies out there.
and? (Score:2)
What a load of BS (Score:5, Funny)
Re: What a load of BS (Score:2)
A thought.... (Score:5, Insightful)
I anticipate that some folks will say 'lolz if WGA doesn't false positive!!11!!eleventy!' (translated: Assuming that WGA doesn't falsely label a machine as pirated). The number of these seems to be reeeeeally low, I'm guessing it's not a big part of the final numbers.
Re:A thought.... (Score:5, Funny)
Now that's persistence! If at first you can't make it stable, try, try again.
The number is high (Score:4, Informative)
I obtained my copy of XP from a university site license that was given to all the students at the university of Pittsburgh. They just recently invalidated that site license...so you are looking at tens of thousands (if not a couple hundred thousand) students, faculty and staff that were all using that key that is now non-genuine.
Re:The number is high (Score:5, Interesting)
Disclaimer: this applies to Microsoft software obtained through the Academic Alliance program only. The actual words of the license agreement and my actual experience may disagree; however I'm going with my experience on this one, since it's similar to all other Microsoft licenses I've had to deal with.
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False.. (Score:4, Informative)
It's true that MSDN AA licenses are "restricted" in that you can't use them for commercial use, and you can't use new licenses/new installs after you leave an institution that is part of an MSDN AA program.
However they specifically state that you may continue using already installed software for as long as you wish after you leave your program, as long as you keep to the original non commercial rules - ie. follow the original license requirements. Therefore if they're marking an install as non-genuine, they aren't keeping to their own agreement. What I suspect happened here is that an institution has been giving out the shared media with a shared key, which isn't how it works (or at least not how it works wherever I've seen this) - students can share installation media but should still be granted individual keys by the MSDN AA administrator.
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Therefore if they're marking an install as non-genuine, they aren't keeping to their own agreement
Yes, that was exactly the point I was making. Please read my disclaimer more carefully; I am referring to the fact that Microsoft has some very cleverly worded license agreements that appear from experience to suggest that Microsoft doesn't keep to their own agreement. I agree that the spirit of the AA license agreement claims to allow you to keep the software after you finish school. However, you do not receive installation media in case your OS installation fails which mine did after 4 months. Therefore,
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However, you do not receive installation media in case your OS installation fails which mine did after 4 months.
You might not have, but I certainly did - and I'm fairly certain most MSDN AA members should be able to. I've got a standard issue MS printed XP CD in a wallet with my own unique license in front of me, which cost me £7 in postage. I've also got an MS supplied Vista business DVD .iso and a copy burned to DVD in front of me, along with a unique Vista Business license key. Infact, I've got two - for some reason they let me order both the CD and DVD download, and have given me two license keys.
Most
Re:The number is high (Score:4, Informative)
From the U of Pittsburgh's own software distribution site:
Plus I just read the official Products Use Rights statement and their isn't anything about loaning or revoking the license at any time.
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Most likely an undercount (Score:5, Insightful)
Why? Two main reasons.
One: Pirates are probably far less likely to attempt to run a WGA certification compared to a legitimate licence holder. For obvious reasons.
Two: "Borrowed" corporate editions, etc. will validate despite being, well, "borrowed".
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I don't want to turn this into flamewar... But, one problem of the current world is your boss "borrowed" your time even when you are at home. Boss: You want to leave "early" (which can be N hours already after your supposed end of your work hour) fine. But, still I want to see this {program/report/proposal/and what not} by tomorrow morning....
What's wrong with borrowing the corporate edition when the "home" PC
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Pirates have the WGA crack installed and it passes with flying colors downloading all apps and patches without problem.
Pirates have it way easier and better than the legit users. Hell there are even slipstreamed iso's out there with this crack installed already.
Btw: Yes some release groups can be trusted to not have it full of spyware and trojans. The bigger release groups pride themselves of releasing pristine packages...
not that I know anything about that stuff or am a member of any groups..... re
i dont think that word means what they think it me (Score:5, Informative)
genuine
1. possessing the claimed or attributed character 2. descended from the original stock; pure in breed:
Even pirated software is genuine.
Re:i dont think that word means what they think it (Score:3, Funny)
WGA only catches 99% of the XP installs... (Score:4, Interesting)
I managed to find a crack so I could download IE7 without WGA (I never use IE, I use Mozilla products, but it's the kind of thing you install just because you figure something Microsoft is probably going to require it sooner or later). And some other WGA-only updates are available in places as WGA-less downloads. You can also use Microsoft's Orca to disable the WGA check in some
Maybe someone will reply and complain about how I'm not using an official super-approved install of IE7, but WGA was created to stop people from illegally using stolen software (the stuff they charge actual money for, and you didn't pay for), and IE7 is a free download. I just preferred to get around their #$*!@% WGA stuff.
Probably much higher than that (Score:5, Insightful)
They say that that's 22% of those who attempted to be authenticated- anyone who knows they are using a pirated copy sure as hell isn't going to try to authenticate it. Those who failed either didn't know they had a pirated copy (installed by teenage son or shady computer store) or are really dumb pirates.
Or the third option, that WGA fails a fifth of the time. I can think of at least one instance where I have tried to authenticate a legitamite copy (which I had just unpacked from HP, and was doing updates on) and WGA said it didn't pass.
Invalid... or just no CD for the license key? (Score:5, Interesting)
So I'd say that a decent proportion of those "invalid" windows installs are actually perfectly valid but just suffering because a reinstall had to be done due to the MS security issues and couldn't be done from a CD that matched the key. You can actually get MS support (nice high cost phone number) to sort this out but it really isn't worth the pain, no doubt these days they'll be pushing a "Vista upgrade" as the solution.
So WGA failure doesn't mean it isn't legal, just that the key you have doesn't match the CD that had to do the re-install.
What is "Non-Genuine" windows? (Score:2)
Now, a counterfit windows, that would be interesting. I can see some company making a Windows-clone...
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"Who cares if it is pirated"
Can you really not think of anyone who might care? I mean, I personally don't, but that doesn't mean I can't think of anyone who would do. If even 1% o
Correlation to pre-installed Windows? (Score:2)
My policy is... (Score:5, Insightful)
Those who insist on using proprietary operating systems get to pay for them. Yes, even when that means they pay with their time.
If your copy of Windows won't validate, that's between you and Microsoft, my friend:
Oh, and there's a Linux installfest this Thursday. If things between you and Bill don't work out, why don't you stop by and install a real 64 bit OS on your machine?
But I do hate it for the gamers, man. What are they going to do?
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But I do hate it for the gamers, man. What are they going to do?
This has become less of an issue lately. Cedega is reasonably effective for running many of the more popular titles (no, it's not free, but the subscription is cheap. In practice, you can subscribe for as long as it takes to install all your stuff and then cancel. Seriously, it's really cheap if you need it to be). Pretty much every PC MMO is available now: WoW (including the BC expansion), EVE, SWG, D&D:Stormreach, Guild Wars). A few other really good titles (mostly FPS, though some RTS in there too)
Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)
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I know you're being funny, but last time I checked, Windows didn't play DVDs "out of the box" either. Try laying down a fresh XP or Vista install and playing a DVD. On that note, there is 1 "legal" way I know of to play DVDs on Linux, and (sadly) it's via the CNR [linspire.com]
Who are the 4 saps who are paying? (Score:5, Funny)
Sucks to be in the 80% (Score:5, Insightful)
Not to mention, the 20% must be either really stupid (I wonder if my Haxxored Windows copy will validate? Gee, let's try!) or, more likely, have misconfigured Windows systems or bugs in WGA that report them as invalid when they probably own a legitimate license.
Great marketing strategy though: punish your legit user-base as the pirates work around your system. Can't wait to see how Vista improves things. I'm excited to see what "advantage" I'm "genuinely" going to get.
Disclosure: I only allow WGA on my work machine, where I have little choice and didn't pay the license fee personally.
thats it? (Score:2)
Of that 20-30% how many of them would switch to an alternative, if they couldn't get a pirated copy.
That 20-30% is how windows gets to 90%+ market share.
80% of Windows Installs are Genuine??? (Score:3, Funny)
They need to crack down... (Score:2)
This is a statistic? (Score:5, Interesting)
It seems safe to say that Microsoft has no frelling clue how many pirated copies of XP are out there, and that WGA is approximately useless as a tool for trying to count them. Not that it will matter at all in the media -- "One In Five Windows Installs Is Non-Genuine" is too good a headline to pass up.
Piracy (Score:2, Interesting)
microsoft got a LITTLE generous with WGA (Score:2)
i use both machines off the same IP, so maybe that's the reason: maybe microsoft relented and allowed some X number of machines behind the same IP, or something like that. by relenting, it suggests a lot of people were in my position a
Not hardly (Score:5, Interesting)
If that's the only basis for Microsoft's estimate, they are *way* off, and I bet actually piracy isn't even half that.
I have 5 different machines running XP. 3 of them insist they are pirated...even though I have receipts and valid license certificates bought from OfficeMax for two copies, and the third copy came installed with the machine when I bought it new out of the box. When I contacted Microsoft about this, their tech's response was words to the effect of "You'll have to buy valid copies again." My response was, and I quote, "Fuck you, I'll just crack WGA on my validly purchased copies that I already own, and I dare you assholes to try and prosecute."
Yes, but (Score:4, Insightful)
2. How many installs are erroneously flagged as not genuine?
3. How many installs are not seen by WGA?
4. How many of those are genuine/not genuine?
Re:Yes, but (Score:4, Interesting)
1. How many installs are erroneously flagged as genuine?
> We don't have specific numbers on that but the system has been designed to give the benefit of the doubt in many cases. We are also in the process of designing a 'yellow light' scenario where instead of simply giving the benefit of the doubt we will be able to offer specific information to the user about whatever didn't seem right with the system. We can then offer tools to help them to figure out whether their copy is properly licensed and genuine and fix the cases where the system appears non-genuine when it really is genuine.
2. How many installs are erroneously flagged as not genuine?
> Not very many, there's an article now on Information Week that indicates the number is in the millions. This number was calculated by taking a previously disclosed 'half of one percent' estimate of false positives against into the total number of validations (512 million). Calculating the false positive isn't quite that easy, the rate of false positives climbs and falls when issues are discovered then fixed. Given that the false positive scenarios are time bound in this way it's not right to just use that number as a lifetime average.
3. How many installs are not seen by WGA?
> As has been pointed out in numerous places probably many of those that are aware that their copy isn't licensed or genuine won't visit one of our sites that require validation or attempt to install an application (IE7, WMP11 etc.) that have validation built into their setup. How many systems don't we see? Hard to say but it's a point worth making.
4. How many of those are genuine/not genuine?
> Again, I don't know but it's still a good question.
For more on this issue and others related to WGA visit my blog. http://blogs.msdn.com/wga/ [msdn.com]
Being legit is a pain (Score:4, Informative)
The laptops, i've only had issue with one, the Toshiba pen edition. I "wanted" to do a fresh install on a fresh drive, but didn't have the tablet edition, nor was downloading possible as no copy would take my legit key.
Desktops, I've had NOTHING but issues. Motherboard upgrades, pre WGA systems would fail to authentiate. Post WGA systems in all fairness the warning was a tad more tolerant. I could browse the net, and get a resolution, well, except for the fact that on my via based board you needed to download the USB drivers, so alot of hassle to backup a system who's motherboard failed, who due to Nortons wouldn't mount under XP, just to get the same glitch when trying to transfer the old install to a new system.
I understand what microsoft is doing. They are trying to prevent casual piracy, those casual pirates who would otherwise buy one copy and use on many machines are likely to just buy another copy. But what they are actually doing is encouraging people like my self to download a cracked version of xp pro corp.
It would be "nice" if you could tell freaking windows "I bought new hardware, transfer this license". They can be control freaks till their hearts explode, so long as they continue to permit me to
1) Backup my existing install of windows
2) in the event of hardware failure, restore a backup, and have it work, or transfer the hard disk to another machine without assuming i've gone rogue.
I smell some "statistical inflation".. (Score:2)
It could just be the same 100 people making the same, stupid mistake 512,000 times.. I mean, it's unlikely, but my point remains: are they inflating the actual numbers?
100% of Linux installations aren't "genuine" (Score:2)
Seriously - this is as meaningless as it gets. It's like the *IAA numbers on piracy. Why all the pretense? Let's just *ask* them "how much money do you want?" At least then we can just tell them "No."
All this polite fiction does is allow politicians to bloviate, legislators to introduce yet more legislation decreeing what our corporate overlords are entitled to, regulators to ignore ever more egregious
Pirated Software is a bane to the industry (Score:2)
Tag: Bullshit (Score:2)
This is exacerbated by the following points:
Lies, damned lies, and statistics. (Score:2)
22% of all Windows installs do not pass its validation tests and have therefore been deemed non-genuine
What they actually mean is that 22% of all machines that phone home fail their validation test.
This doesn't take into account false positives, or people who aren't on the net, or people who uninstall the MS spyware that calls home, or virtual machines, and so on.
Two invalid from major OEMs 50% of WGA fails valid (Score:4, Informative)
So of WGA-flagged installs I have seen in the past few years, HALF were, in fact, valid installs that were flagged improperly. What was REALLY goofy is that one succeeded in re-activation, and even after re-activation, WGA still insisted it wasn't valid! (The other didn't need reactivation.)
Even if you own M$ it's easier to pirate it (Score:3, Interesting)
Meanwhile, on my Macs, I'm continuing to be productive. No serial numbers necessary. Hard drive swap works. Any cd I plug in just works, no drivers. And no looking up install/driver/whatever procedures on arcane Linux/BSD sites either.
idiots (Score:4, Informative)
Using a pirated copy ... (Score:2)
Anyway, if you don't want to give money to Microsoft, simply don't use their products.
Identical copies of virtual machine installs fail. (Score:3, Interesting)
every once in a while the OS in the VM will require reactivation when booted.
The first time I did this I went through the online activation, the second
time it wouldn't reactivate and I had to go through the Microsoft phone operator.
Now when it happens I just restore from a copy of the VM file and keep going. The
virtual machine environment should present the same hardward configuration and system ID
to the OS, shouldn't it?
how could so many pirate windows? (Score:3, Insightful)
There's the key I guess. Most people don't care for their computer, and it shows, over time the install goes to hell, getting viruses spyware, etc. Then they may get a friend to come over and help them, and the friend may install a pirated version of windows, maybe a fancier one, maybe the same type (but not the same copy), or maybe even the same copy.
This is illegal . . . technically, but hard to really say it is, as the people do have the right to use windows on their computer, and that's often the only way they can.
With windows XP at least, I wouldn't doubt if more copies of it have been sold than their are copies currently in use! It seems like a crazy statement, but considering how many companies buy machines with windows preinstalled, and then install their site licensed copy on the machine. Plus how many people have had machines get outdated, or crippled, or break on them, and bought a new computer to replace it. How many copies of windows were thrown out because of that?
I can't speak for other countries, as I'm sure there are places where piracy runs rampant, and you can easily buy computers without windows preinstalled, or with an illegitimate copy installed, but in the US this generally isn't the case. Maybe MS should take these figures into account and say something like "-30% of windows copies in the US are pirated", after taking into account the anti-pirated cases of double licenses etc. Of course, things don't really work that way.
Now other software I imagine the number is much higher. What percentage of copies of office are less than legitimate? I imagine those are much higher, and a 20-30% install base being illegal wouldn't be too far off. of course, even here with so many copies sold to businesses, it dillutes the home market that's far more likely to pirate software than corporate ones (people can get in far less trouble generally).
Phil
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
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Re:A la Bash.org (Score:5, Insightful)
Yes, I should know better. Wish SoE would provide a decent Vanguard SOH port to Linux...
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Re:A la Bash.org (Score:5, Funny)
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 (Score:5, Funny)
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Re:A la Bash.org (Score:5, Informative)
Not sure, but we do work for schools. I walked in to a computer lab one day, and saw perhaps 5 out of 30 machines with a stupid WGA error message. Mind you, all of these machines were the identical model PC, purchased at the same time, imaged at the same time, with the exact same WinXP disk image and the exact same internet access.
Based on that, I'd say their 22% rate is just about accurate, though not for the reasons they think.
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I can well belive that,
Its going to be so much less effort to stick in a slipstreamed pirate CD and enter your standard pirate VLK than to try and find the correct big brand oem recovery CD and try to convince it to work in a way that didn't wipe the entire system and leave it loaded with shitware or to use a generic oem CD and try to convince MS to activate the result.
At the end of the day time is money and doing it the legit way
Re:A la Bash.org (Score:4, Interesting)
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Re:A la Bash.org (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Really? (Score:5, Funny)
Oh, I think that's a little excessive. Confiscation of your computer and a public whipping would satisfy me.
Offtopic but a reply to your post... (Score:5, Insightful)
> Photoshop has 20+ layer modes. We offer 70+ at 10% the cost. [blackbeltsystems.com]
Wow is that web-page UGLY. You'd think that a company offering image manipulation software would know enough about imaging to not have such an ugly webpage. Especially annoying shit like
* blue text on two slightly different blue backgrounds for the navigation links
* metalled embossed hard to read fonts as headers
* "link-heavy" text with more links than text (put it into a list of feature links)
* multi-column text that goes off-page requiring "back-scrolling" to read
* juvenile snipes at vague competitors rather than professional and objective feature comparisons
* overuse of exclamation points! Especially in testimonials! No Really!
* prominent google ads for a site trying to sell commercial software
For punishment, I suggest you make your web-page designer navigate this site for an hour or two: http://corson.tv/main/buttugly.htm [corson.tv]
Re:Offtopic but a reply to your post... (Score:4, Insightful)
I even considered taking your product for a spin, but if you can't be arsed to hire a web designer to sell image manipulation software, I can't be arsed to take you seriously.
I hereby deduct one point from your diatribe's validity score for presuming that programmers are artists. Then hire an artist. If OSS applications can get volunteers to make great icons, and sometimes even a useable UI, your commercial software company has no excuse. In addition to the webpage, those Windows 3.1-esque giant icon buttons in the UI have got to go. Oh, and the shitty fractal terrain example images, too (it's 2007, and terragen 2 [planetside.co.uk] is coming. Hell, Terragen 1 [planetside.co.uk] from years ago looks loads better, and it's free/cheap.) You claim big clients, show big results.
I deduct another point for not addressing product issues. Production artists have to ramp up on lots of applications quickly. Showing off a cluttered mess of a UI on an unreadable webpage with horrible dayglo fractal sample images in the screenshots does not give me confidence in the production-worthiness or ease of use of your tool. If you want to reach people, consider explaining why your morpher is a better option than Combustion, Fusion, Shake, or even an ancient copy of Elastic Reality from the top shelf in the closet, for example. Another example is that when examining your 70+ layer modes, fully half of the first ten [blackbeltsystems.com] should really be composed of multiple operators, both to increase flexibility and to reduce clutter (why should I have to memorize, and pick from, a list of 70, if half of them are "inverted foo"? Why layers instead of nodes, for that matter, if you're touting a powerful procedural compositor with a robust scripting language?)
Perhaps the most glaring red flag is the lack of a user-to-user forum. That suggests either that nobody is using the software, or that you don't want people talking to each other about it.
I deduct another point for characterizing your criticism as "constructive" when it was simply an opportunity to bluster about web pages. I just suggested some positive steps you can take. So did the GP, for that matter. Harsh criticism is a day-to-day reality of the industry you're serving, and people who take it personally wdon't tend to last long. Don't get mad, you're getting valuable feedback from your target market.
Finally, I deduct another point for being offtopic. Since I'm replying to your reply, it's on-topic now.
HAND.
Make a case that your software will make artists lives easier and more productive, with great sample images and clear feature examples, and you just might have a hit.
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That's not pirated, that's plain old 100% classic stolen.
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Re:Really? (Score:5, Insightful)
I never bothered with XP at all, precisely because of this product activation crap. But I too did the right thing, and legally bought a Mac. Curiously, I then started paying for all my (commercial) software - perhaps because I am older and richer than I was, but I think not having an adversarial relationship with my computer and not feeling like I was being fucked over by an abusive monopolist helped too.
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Or could have meant that the global average piracy rate is 35%, but america is below this average, at 22%. It wouldn't surprise me if the world average was above the US average, as people in most other places in the world have less money that they could spend on software.
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To play all the games that don't work with WINE/Cedega etc?
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Its the 80/20 rule. If Microsoft can stop 80 percents of the piracy, with 20 pe