- Activation terms are not so different than those in XP. Shame on MS for not wanting you to pirate their OS.
Similar, but from everything I've heard it takes less modification to an existing system to trigger a re-activation, they are enforcing activations more strictly, and they are requiring activation of volume license copies (even if it does activate to your own KMS, it's a pain in the ass). XP Activation was bad enough that even though I own a legal copy of XP Pro, I install a volume license copy from work because of how much easier it was to get working.
- Recourse used to check if protections are in place apply to DRM HD content, I doubt these checks are running while you decode a DIVX you found lying around.
The checks for HD content probably mostly won't be running while watching a divx. Though something like your video driver / video card / monitor all talking HDCP is likely using resources whenever the monitor has a picture on it. And then there are all the other various security checks for activation and @%&# that are always running - don't limit yourself to just thinking about HD, Vista has issues all around.
- Restrictions on driver are required to ensure security for DRM HD content, it has also been cited many times that poor drivers are the number one source for system instability. This also keeps 3rd parties out of the kernel where they don't belong.
It also limits useful functionality such as tools like Deamon Tools. I believe I should be able to run whatever code I want on my OS, including kernel-level hacks and bad 3rd party drivers. I know they cause most of the instability in Windows, but it should be my choice between having a stable system or a system that does what I want.
- Not sure what is wrong with the user-account-control system? Is this a home edition issue? or did they drasticly change something I am not yet aware of.
The biggest problem with it is that things that fail due to UAC have horrible error messages that don't point you in the right direction at all. eg. when I had installed a very small 3rd party program (a small app that puts info onto my G15 LCD) and I needed to configure it by editing its .ini file, located somewhere under Program Files - EVERY file under program files is protected by UAC apparently. When notepad gives me a "read only" error saving changes, but the read-only flag is not yet, and NTFS security says I have full write access, but I can't change anything - I get pissed off. At the time I was running Ultimate edition, RC1. Maybe UAC's gotten better since then (that was the release that supposedly had the better UAC), but if I ever do run Vista it'll be the first thing I turn off.
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