Ok, so Bill Gates and Co. is bitching because pirated copies of Longhorn are appearing in Asia. Turns out that MS released 8,000 copies to a programming convention.

So, they release 8,000 copies and they are surprised that pirated copies are showing up ??

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3255120.stm


Microsoft suffers Longhorn loss
By Jonathan Kent
BBC, Kuala Lumpur

Pirated versions of Microsoft's next generation computer operating system are on sale in Malaysia, more than a year before the official release date.
The software, codenamed Longhorn, is on sale in Johor Baru, a city in southern Malaysian, costing less than $2.

The episode is an embarrassment to Microsoft whose products are favourites with pirates.

The new program, which is due to supersede Windows XP, is not expected to be officially released until 2005.

Microsoft's unveiling of its next operating system is expected to be its largest software launch of the decade.

Longhorn makes big changes to Windows by altering its filing system, improving security and graphics and make the software less prone to crashes.

A Microsoft spokesman told the BBC it believed pirates obtained one of 8,000 trial copies of Longhorn handed out to programmers at the Professional Developers Conference held in Los Angeles in October.

The software is still in an early stage of development known as pre-alpha.

The company says it would be extremely risky to load the still unstable operating system onto a home computer.

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In 2001 pirate copied of Windows XP were on sale in China before the official version was launched. They cost 30 yuan (£2.45) compared to 1,498 yuan (£123) for the official version.

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Bill Gates has been bothered by piracy since the earliest days of Microsoft.

In 1976 Mr Gates wrote a letter to the pioneering Homebrew Computer Club, where many Silicon Valley legends met for the first time, decrying the pirating of a paper tape version of Basic he and Paul Allen had written.

In the open letter to the club Mr Gates said piracy prevented good software being written.

He wrote: "As the majority of hobbyists must be aware, most of you steal your software

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missed it.............

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missed it.............[/b][/quote]
oh my...you are another writer and not a reader?
I feel competition breathing down my neck
;-)))

Considering how Bill Gates got to where he is today he has little room to bitch. That said, it still doesn't make it right to pirate that software.

oh my...you are another writer and not a reader?
I feel competition breathing down my neck
;-)))[/b][/quote]
lololol...

No I read all the time... However, I can sometimes miss something once it has slid down the board a ways .........

:awinky: