[Discuss] Fighting UEFI

[tmetro+blu at gmail.com (Tom Metro)]

Richard Pieri wrote:
> FUD.  No OS vendor is dictating that hardware vendors are not permitted
> to let other operating systems run on hardware they make.  HTC, for
> example, could sell the same phone with either Android or Windows RT.
> The only difference is that the Android version can have Secure Boot
> disabled or switchable while the Windows RT version must have it locked
> on if HTC wants to put a "Windows RT" sticker on it.

While technically correct, the reality is that most ARM hardware made to
 run Windows 8 will inevitably be designed specifically with that
intention and sold exclusively that way. No hardware vendor is going to
release a separate version for the 1% that want to run something else.

This is a Tivo-ization of hardware. Limiting what the user can do with
hardware they bought.

Hardware vendors, in my opinion, have a legal right to do this, and my
remedy is to never buy their products. (I do, however, think it reflects
poorly on the vendor's ethics and attitude toward their customers.)

The only difference here is that this time the restriction is being
imposed by the upstream software vendor. That means that *no* hardware
from *any* vendor made for the (presumably large and high volume)
Windows 8 market can be repurposed for low volume applications.

You're scenario of a vendor making an identical product with alternate
firmware to serve another high volume market (Android) is plausible, but
it isn't likely to happen often.

 -Tom

-- 
Tom Metro
Venture Logic, Newton, MA, USA
"Enterprise solutions through open source."
Professional Profile: http://tmetro.venturelogic.com/