Windows Vista's Self-Destruct Button

I've written previously on the horrors of Windows Genuine Advantage, the nagging pop-up in XP that tells you you're an evil evil pirate and need to send Microsoft a check, several times in the last few months. But Windows Vista has something far more sinister in store for the unsuspecting user caught up in Microsoft's frequently inaccurate piracy nets. Lauren Weinstein has the full report.

Instead of mere pop-ups, Vista appears to contain a host of anti-piracy technologies that could make your life a living hell. Instead, Vista might boot only in safe mode (the extremely limited version of the OS that strips out vital features) or require you use a web browser that quits once every hour. Thinking about using the upcoming, browser-based Office Live to compose your resume? You might not be so happy when your browser abruptly quits in the middle of the "Accomplishments" section.

The good news, if you can call it that, is that Microsoft hasn't yet said it plans to actually use this heavy-duty anti-piracy system in the real world. But as Weinstein notes, the very fact that Microsoft has the ability to kill-switch your operating system should give you pause. From the price to the bugs, there are already plenty of reasons to avoid Vista, at least in the short term. Is this more fuel for the fire or much ado about nothing? Because, you know, Microsoft has never made a mistake accusing innocent users of being pirates...