[Cialug] Restricted boot a very real possibility

[Nicolai]

On Tue, Oct 18, 2011 at 04:53:59PM -0500, Josh More wrote:
> The point I was trying to make involves branding.
> 
> If no computers are listed as "Windows 8 Compatible", the first manufacturer
> to cave and do this gets a disproportionately larger slice of the market.
> This provides encouragement to the other manufacturers to get "compatible"
> so they can defend their slice.  Over time, this means that everyone has a
> compatible system.  Sure, it's just sticker, but those stickers are on
> almost all systems available today.  Microsoft used to require that to get
> the "Windows 98" sticker, manufacturers were contractually forbidden from
> offering any alternate operating systems.

Choice of pre-installation of OS has vastly different consequences than
an OEM preventing their customers from running a chosen OS.  Do you
believe this "secure boot" thing will prevent open source OS
choice?  Because I'm saying no, and it sounds like you're disagreeing
with me.  If you disagree, and given that you say "Over time, this means
that everyone has a [Windows] compatible system" then there is either

 1. nothing to worry about (problems will be addressed etc.) or

 2. open source will effectively die

And since #2 is absurd, I don't see the cause for concern.

Nicolai