Since it looks like the other thread went to shit, I'm starting a new one. Basically, German press earlier in the summer made allegations that their government would no longer support Windows because of a new security module Microsoft is releasing.
The German government has since refuted those claims.While it makes for good sensationalist journalism, readers need to do their research and make sure they know the whole story. The Trusted Computing Module is used as an encryption technology that is
no different from the Genuine Windows Activation Software that has been around since before Windows Vista; and User Account Control, which debuted with Vista.
What it means for the end user is this: it will be a lot harder for outside sources to tamper with the OS, but the same limits will be placed on the end user. Many of the ways we've been able to customize legacy systems (Vista/7/XP) will be taken away. And if you attempt something that violates the TOS, your computer can be locked down and a reinstall forced by Microsoft to undo the changes.
The other thing to consider, and this is more important: After the TCM 2.0 becomes circulated, ALL OLDER VERSIONS OF WINDOWS WILL NOT BE COMPATIBLE. Meaning you will NOT be able to install 7, Vista or XP on a 2.0 machine.
Now, the article I am sourcing does mention how a computer being locked out by Microsoft can be a bad thing, especially a computer that operates critical infrastructure. It is more likely that those types of users will switch to Linux.
Please take all of these points into account before you discuss this. Since it is a lot to take in.
