This being my first post i shall play it safe instead of getting flamed like the rest of the newbs i've seen register here before me. Incidentally i've been here for nearly 1 1/2 years and never bothered to sign up, guess i'm a little lazy.
Since AMD has joined up with MS now alongside Intel, i've noticed people are looking for alternatives to those 2 chip makers as to avoid the wonderful new security features soon to be implemented by them. Would VIA become an option to make future purchases or can you see them going with the crowd as well and thats why nobody has bothered to mention them in this thread (as far as i can see)?
Looking into the future here on this one and i was only wondering, if this did really take off. Windows being the major platform and everybody running wincrap and being tracked by the likes of the RIAA can you see the major entertainment corporations making a target out of linux because (i doubt) linux wouldn't deploy these new features?
I suspect sadly that they would and make bad press of this wonderful OS, they could strangle its growth because the users of that OS would still have their freedoms intact. Would you not think then because of this, maybe the bigger linux distros WOULD implement this feature just so they don't go under or not to be "compliant" (but survive)(if it became a standard of such) and then the smaller ones as well? The last remaining few hunted down by the M$ Piracy Police because they don't conform.
It frightens me because our choices are cleverly taken from us because of rash desisions by political officials and Microshafts' need to rule the software world.
Another twist, would you think the likes of China or India would comply with this ho hum? I can see a case for them doing so and i can see a case for them not. If they didn't its because China and india hava a liking for linux and China doesn't fully trust MS or the MS way anyway, but because of this they could ironically remain being the last free markets in which computer hardware is bought and sold without fear of this Palliduim crap. Which means their economy would grow and the western worlds would shrink because who would buy this crap if they can get if off China without all these security enhancements!?!
Needless to say China could go along with the rest of western world because with them being communists they certainly do have a penchant for controlling the masses and this could do them no end of good.
Anyway thats enough from me.