On 06/02/2012 12:20 AM, Sam Varshavchik wrote:
They won't have a choice. Microsoft will require that all
hardware an
OEM makes must be signed by their key, or none at all. Hardware OEMs
will have to choose whether their entire product line will only support
a Microsoft OS, or all other OSes. No collusion between OEMs will be
necessary. Each OEM can document how they arrived at their decision
independently.
I believe the decision will be easy for them. Excluding other OSes (or
intermediates) wouldn't be smart for any OEM; they have zero incentive
to do that, nothing to gain whatsoever. The only thing that would come
out of such a decision would be the name of their company on a hundred
headlines suggesting they've taken a bribe from Microsoft.
And if Microsoft is really paying them off, it would clearly be illegal,
and they would know it. I don't think even Microsoft could bribe enough
OEMs to make a difference, and I don't think they would even consider it
(everything gets leaked these days, it's too risky, it would be a total
disaster).
OEMs could certainly make OS developers and intermediates pay to have
their key included (provided they want it badly enough), so they would
also pass on some easy money.
Anyway, I completely agree with everything you've said.
--
t