[Info-vax] VAX cluster :-)

[John Wallace]

On Aug 10, 1:22 am, Single Stage to Orbit <alex.bu... at munted.eu>
wrote:
> On Thu, 2012-08-09 at 21:37 +0200, Paul Sture wrote:
> > "17.  Mandatory. On non-ARM systems, the platform MUST implement the
> > ability for a physically present user to select between two Secure
> > Boot
> > modes in firmware setup: "Custom" and "Standard" ...
>
> > 18.  Mandatory. Enable/Disable Secure Boot. On non-ARM systems, it is
> > required to implement the ability to disable Secure Boot via firmware
> > setup. A physically present user must be allowed to disable Secure
> > Boot via firmware setup without possession of PKpriv.
>
> They're locking down ARM systems to prevent people buying cheap Windows
> ones and installing Linux on them, that's what I'm thinking.
> --
> Tactical Nuclear Kittens

Given that apps for these boxes will only be available through the app
store, I'm guessing the boxes will be sold cheap (subsidised?) and
apps in the app store will be overpriced to make up the difference.
Letting people install Linux (or, heaven forbid, the Android they've
seen on their phones and tablets) destroys the profit for MS in that
market.

There's also an undercurrent of something going on between MS and the
x86-dependent outfits wrt the business desktop and laptop market.
Allegedly the Windows on ARM OS won't authenticate onto a domain.
What's the core prequisite in a Windows-based company or organisation?
Domains, Active Directory, etc. So if you want your desktop or
portable device to authenticate against a domain, you still need it to
be x86 based (at least for now)? Why might that be? There's no
technical reason I've seen so far (although there is the idea that
Windows 8 is irrelevant to businesses in general).