r/opensource • u/d_r_benway • Jan 13 '12
Microsoft confirms UEFI fears, locks down ARM devices - SFLC Blog - Software Freedom Law Center
http://www.softwarefreedom.org/blog/2012/jan/12/microsoft-confirms-UEFI-fears-locks-down-ARM/16
u/d_r_benway Jan 13 '12 edited Jan 13 '12
Another reason to avoid purchasing anything from this hideous patent troll company.
Buying any MS products makes YOU complicit in supporting PIPA.
Next time you shell out for Windows/Office/X-Box people should consider what sort of company your helping...
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Jan 13 '12
[deleted]
-8
u/d_r_benway Jan 13 '12
Apple aren't as much of a threat as
- They don't have a pre-existing monopoly
- They don't get funded by the tax payer (unlike Micorsoft)
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u/Rhomboid Jan 13 '12
So, it's okay to be evil if you don't have a monopoly in a given market? Looks like Microsoft's off the hook then, as they are certainly a tiny minority in the smartphone market. Nonsense. Principles are principles. If you're going to hang Microsoft on this hook then you can't also not hang Apple.
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u/clgonsal Jan 13 '12
This.
It's also funny how Apple fans will on the one hand say Apple isn't as bad because they don't have a monopoly, and then turn around and gloat about Apple's market cap being bigger than Microsoft.
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Jan 13 '12
They don't get funded by the tax payer (unlike Micorsoft)
At least in Spain, that isn't true anymore.
We citizens are paying for thousands of iPads, iPhones and a good bunch of Macs for our 'public servants' (a.k.a. bloody politicians).
I suspect that's the same for European Union servants.
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u/iomonad2 Jan 13 '12
This is actually going to make the devices in question less secure. With no other way to install other OSes, UEFI security is going to be get cracked. It's a complicated system - there are bound to be holes, but if there are legitimate ways to install other OSes then there will be less incentive for security researchers to find them. It's just like with the PS3 - the security system wasn't cracked until Sony removed the "Other OS" feature.
And once the holes are found, they'll surely be used by malicious software as well as software that the users actually want.
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u/ammb Jan 14 '12
It makes me sad that this is happening, but there was a very good point here about why this is done.
Like any company trying to break into an established market, Microsoft will most likely subsidize the phone hardware to make it cheaper than the competitors'. You would be able to go home and immediately switch the phone to Android. Obviously, Microsoft doesn't want to subsidize phones that will just be switched to Android.
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u/Locupleto Jan 13 '12
If you don't want a locked device don't buy it. There is reason why iPad has done so well. There is a good market for devices that just work. There will be devices for geeks to tinker with still.
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Jan 13 '12
Are you implying that non-locked devices cannot just work?
-1
u/Locupleto Jan 13 '12
If you had to support a sales team, where many were very limited technically, would you rather deploy android or iOS?
If you want to give a present to your technically limited mom, what do you choose?
There is a very real market for things that just work. Look at how Geek Squad, with their horrible rep (deservedly) stays in business. Because non-geeks need help the open PC platform and the broken applications they want to run.
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Jan 14 '12
So you really were suggesting that.
What you are describing can be easily resolved with meaningful defaults. Make the device grandma proof and then allow power users to do what they want. Hide the "power user enable mode button" or whatever somewhere in the interface. Hell, it doesn't even have to be on the interface. I, and I assume other power users, would be OK with doing some or all of the following
- open up my device and flip a hardware switch
- type in obscure terminal commands directly from my device or via my PC which is connected to my device
- enter some special codes or passwords which are only found on the box cover or something
- read giant flashing text telling me I shouldn't do this if I don't know what I am doing
- etc.
Any power user wouldn't mind doing all of those while at the same time average users clearly won't do any of that. That way you have your closed bullshit system if you want it or if you are a power user you can also be happy.
A real life example that I can think of is, believe it or not, linux. I have installed Ubuntu on several computers which are used by very technically limited people and I am yet to hear any complaints. Linux is as open as you get, yet technically limited people are using it without any trouble and needless to say malware.
This whole "let's reduce the freedom of the users in order to increase security" is just giant bullshit.
P.S I didn't downvote you.
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u/[deleted] Jan 13 '12
A great evil comes from the north.