RM>> They want a lot of outside access or automated functions built
  >> in for those who know "Start Button" and not much else.
  >> It makes it very user friendly but also very vulnerable to
  >> outside attacks.

TR>Not so much, the RPC holes, for example, are intentional, and are usefull
  >features, as is the Messenger Service, and SMB(Windows Networking), however,
  >these are all usefull in business, and network environments, and belong behin
  >a firewall... not as a default in the consumer version... the XP SP2 goes a
  >good ways to helping this, making the firewall on by default.

Yes, that was a big help. It was amazing that they didn't at least ASK
during install about the firewall, recommending you use it. That way
the newbies would allow it, to be safe, and anyone who knows what they
are doing and knows they Don't want/need that firewall could skip it.

Better on by default.. Can't shut it off unless you know what
you are doing well enough to manage it..   B)

TR>> Plus "The Powers That Be" want a whole lot more direct access
  >> to your system to check for licencing and such which requires
  >> other open doors..

TR>Not so much as you may think... they don't want it to be
"impossible" to
  >pirate, just hard enough to prevent the casual user from doing it...

MS made their 'bones' by being the most Pirated software in history.
As you say, given the choice of a user using another OS or using
a pirated Windows OS, they would prefer to be the one that gets used.

TR>I'm more concerned about the DRM & High Def. limitations in Windows
  >Vista, it pretty much just pisses me off all around..

Other than seeing a few demo pages online I haven't looked at Vista
all that much. Seeing as I prefer Win 98SE to Win XP I likely will
not be looking at Vista for some time to come..   B)

---
 þ SLMR Rob  þ If turning it on doesn't help, plug it in þ
 þ PDQWK 2.52 #17
---
 þ BgNet 1.0á12 ÷ Capitol City Online * KY * 502/8758938 v34 * cco.ath.cx
--- SBBSecho 2.12-Win32