Windows Vista x64 To Require Signed Drivers

[Refalm]

Anomynous Coward writes "With little fanfare, Microsoft just announced that the x64 version of Windows Vista will require all kernel-mode code to be digitally signed. This is very different than the current WHQL program, where the user ultimately decides how they want to handle unsigned drivers. Vista driver developers must obtain a Publisher Identity Certificate (PIC) from Microsoft. Microsoft says they won't charge for it, but they require that you have a Class 3 Commercial Software Publisher Certificate from Verisign. This costs € 412 per year, and as the name implies, is only available to commercial entities."

http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/01/23/1719232

This obviously means more money for Microsoft, open source drivers not working on Windows, making it impossible for small hardware manufacturers to sell their hardware with a profit, Daemon Tools and VMWare getting fucked and drivers pubished slower then they used to.

[worker201]

Additionally, these big hardware companies will have little or no motivation to write Linux or Mac drivers.  One can only hope that the little guys will become pro-Linux, and let the big shitty consumer-ware companies write for Vista.

[piratePenguin]

Another case of Microsoft putting their own agenda before their users (this one is slightly different because they're without a doubt going out of their way to implement this). Their monopoly position is hurting Windows big time. They're not trying to build a good OS at all, and if this doesn't convince anybody of that, nothing will.

[Aloone_Jonez]

I'm sure this must be illegal, having to pay the M$ tax to make your hardware compatable with their OS. There must be a way to either crack the digitally signing or disable the service that handels it, in XP this was as easy as disabling the crytographic serivice, no doubt Vista wil be harder to hack.

[mobrien_12]

Well, strictly speaking it's not an MS tax, it's a verisign tax.  

It's bull though.  You know... people still write windows drivers for 3dfx cards, thanks to 3dfx open sourcing code and specs.  That kindof cool stuff won't be possible for Vista.

[Refalm]

The article forgets to mention that you also have to pay for the "Microsoft Quality Labs" on top of that Verisign certificate (getting Verisign certificates is very common).

There are some small NIC manufacturers that cannot afford WHQL because they have to pay at least $ 1 for every NIC they want a Microsoft certification with.

[Aloone_Jonez]

In a way they're actually taxing computer hardware. :nothappy:

[noob]

.. on top of VAT and other crap we have to pay.

[worker201]

Not to mention all the time and money lost waiting for Windows to do something useful

[H_TeXMeX_H]

Down with Winblow$ !!! :mad:

Well ... maybe I should make a list of reasons you should get Vista:

1) it's .... uhhhhmmmm ..... uhhhhhh .... BULLSHIT !!!