Microsoft's Genuine Advantage...

Microsoft has announced that updates to their software will now require their Genuine Advantege check to get any downloads beyond critical updates. Things like Media Player updates, .NET Framework and the upcoming IE 7 will all fall under the vail of this new check. The whole point of the scan is to check your product key and make sure you are running a legal version of Windows.

If the check fails on your machine you are given the option of sending in the pirated CD with a Proof of Purchase for a free copy of Windows, or you are offered a copy of Windows at $99 for Home and $149 for Pro. The same prices you could find at most OEMs. So as it now stands, your system must be activated in order to get any updates from Microsoft, and Automatic Update will not function til activation is completed.

With Windows software becoming available at these cheaper OEM prices , this is a step in the right direction to thwart software piracy. However a lack of support for any browser other than IE just further shows the great monopoly at work. If they are really so interested in getting people to run genuine software, than why not do it for everyone? I guess the more things change the more they stay the same up in Redmond.

Ars Article Here