For prosperity's sake: This article is almost two decades old and no longer reflects . . . anything. We apologize!
An article by Lloyd Pick, posted on March 07. 2003.
Basics
Microsoft, Intel and AMD are producing the next generation of computers as we speak. The complete basics of it, is when you run any file or program, it has to be verified with a server to check the file's security, authenticity and access. Limited Platform DVDs would appear leading onto...
Digital Rights Management
LucasFilms will be able to sell you a DVD that will only run on a Palladium platform. The software will decrypt it through Palladium, but you will not be able to copy the DVD. This can lead onto the music industry selling music that will only be able to play 3 times, and music that you can't swap. This will also be the same with computer games as each CD will have its own code. So when you want to play your copied version of CMI, Palladium will connect to one of its servers and verify the CD number, and that it's not just a burned CD with CMI on it.
Pirated software will also be just plane deleted from your system as Palladium will check its digital signature against an online list. If your program checks as an unlicensed version then it will go ahead and delete it.
Confidential documents will be kept confidential, this is possibly the only good point of Palladium. This will keep your details safe on government systems, as they won't be able to be opened on any other system. Whistleblowers will effectively be stopped as documents will only be allowed to run on the PC that they were created on, but that still doesn't stop the good ol' pen and paper. Countdowns are a possibility; this would be where after a certain time-lapse the file is destroyed, increasing security for e-mails, but also for criminals decreases their chance of being caught as that file of the drug exports just got deleted. Shame that. To stop this, Microsoft is talking to the government about authorities having effective 'master keys' giving them total access to your computer. But what stops them from looking at whoever they please?
Back to the music industry, this will also go along the same lines as the unlicensed software. Remote Censorship will detect any files, whether they are music, images, texts that a court has decided are offensive, e.g. pornography. MP3s that you already have, will be 'safe' for a while as Microsoft has said that Palladium won't just randomly delete the files which could be pirated. If you've updated Microsoft's Windows Media player recently you have already agreed to the anti-privacy measures that will be in Palladium, which goes to the extent of deleting the pirated content. Eventually the CDs produced will only be able to play on the computer/hi-fi that they were first played on, which means a possible end to all CD lending. This would be the same for DVDs, games, etc.
What most people realize is that this can all be done today, Microsoft releases a patch and boom, and in some cases 100% of your mp3s are deleted. Not something I would like to happen.
Competing software programmers will also have the time of their lives as programs like Microsoft Word documents will only be able to open in Microsoft Word and not with any other word processor.
Yeah, and this works how?
The first stage is a chip, which will be soldered onto your motherboard called a 'Fritz' chip. With some lines of laptops like the ThinkPad IBM already have this chip in them. This can then check all your hardware is legit and 100% non-modified, if some anonymity is found you can bet your mojo voodoo doll that your pc won't work. The computer will then be taken into a Palladium mode, which will report your pc.
With DVDs Palladium will first off send information about your DVD player to the film makers' server. This will then approve it and send back the encryption key to decode the DVD so it plays. This would be the same with all file types.
Small Companies?
"Well the deal is we (Microsoft) make this program which will eliminate the use of your product, and you're going to agree and do nothing about it."
Which is the way it seems to be going, products such as mp3 players and storage cards will become obsolete as you wont have any information that you can move around, unless you've got the license for those files and the computer your going to open them on is yours and the files are legal and the Fritz chip allows you to have the decryption code.... well... nice to know they care about small companies.
Microsoft also wants Palladium to stop viruses, buy not allowing anything access to the vital system files, spam and everything else that's destructive and annoying on the internet. Now, if it does all this aren't we going back to the domination of Microsoft? Remember a few years ago the dispute of Microsoft giving Internet Explorer away with Windows? Well with Palladium aren't all the firewall, spam watchers, virus protection, and hacker detectors going to loose all business? Think about it, everything on your system would be Microsoft controlled, imagine a world without other companies providing software, I can honestly say that that is a world that most people aren't going to want to live.
Whose idea was this? I want to go kill them!
It's Senator Fritz Hollings of South Carolina who is constantly trying to make this digital checking part of all electronics, whether it be hi-fi's, microwaves, ovens, TV's, mobiles etc.
Big Brother
Ok, who gets to control this super chip? Well, anyone who has the proper access too, it could range from Palladium programmers to the chip manufactures, in other words... Anyone.
Expansion of the chip and palladium
In China most people don't pay for software, as it's so freely available on the black market. If the serial number of these was obtained first off those installations wouldn't work anymore and second any files created by that would open anywhere. This would hen circle round the globe in seconds rendering thousands of copies, for example Office, useless. The program would then be deleted and your computer reported to the police and the software company for your computer to be examined further. Again flashbacks to the Soviet Union and their typewriters are now brought forward to controlling every computer on the planet. (Sounds like 'The Matrix' coming true huh?)
Deactivate Palladium... Granted
Yes, this is an option in the programming, you could just turn all the digital signatures and checking off. But that would kind of leave you with a large lump of metal which you could use as an alternative doorstop. This would happen because most programs on your computer would be using the Palladium programming, a bit like trying to run a Windows only game on a Apple Mac, it's just not going to happen (in any lifetime).
Crack Palladium... If you've got the time
Of course like anything Palladium and the Fritz Chip could theoretically be cracked, it would just be a question of time and experience. Did I mention you would also require large amounts of money to purchase the hardware you need to crack it, and as each version is cracked a new one will be released which your computer will automatically update to. So after hours and hours of work, your computer would update and your work would be lost.
But now I hear you cry, "Why don't I just not let it update". This is also an option, but when you want to install that new game you've been waiting for, then you're going to have to go online to get the decryption key to install it.
"Ok, so what if I don't get the new hardware that the Fritz Chip and Palladium will be in". Again you want to run that new game, you're going to have to upgrade, and I'll again bet my mojo voodoo doll that anything you buy will have the Fritz chip in it. But that's not the end of it...
If lovely Mr. Fritz gets a bill through the US Congress then the Fritz chip will become compulsory for computers to have this in the US. Europe is another challenge, which will hopefully be harder to win.
Countdown to Disaster...
We don't know when the Palladium programming will be finished and released into next generation OSs, but the Fritz chip is already out in new PCs and will be in every new PC sold after the summer of 2003. So download your MP3s and upgrade your system before this area of time and you'll be safe, but how long will you last before you have to upgrade?
Alternatives...
The main problem with Palladium is that Microsoft believes at the time this is released everyone will either have broadband or dialup constantly connected, because if you don't it can't verify codes with its database so your pc isn't going to do much at all. My opinion is that Microsoft will lose 99% of its users to alternative OSs such as Linux. Microsoft cannot control this as they won't have the rights to make people get Windows. You can also escape to Macs, but compatibility is extremely limited as new software would be Palladium only. The other alternative is to just stick with the fastest pc you've got for the rest of your life and hope that Microsoft doesn't get what it wants... World Computing Domination.
Comment from Riffage
Comment from 8t88
Micrsoft have their meathooks into pretty much every small and large corporate business world over. I think quite few companies would applaud this move from Microsoft, (me not included) as to much tighter security. Ben's right; "When one thinks that one has built a better, foolproof mousetrap, one often forgets about the exceptionally talented fool who is building a better mouse."
There's always going to be someone out there willing to take the time to crack it.
In regards to the deletion of pirated software off your machine, it will not happen. It's my box, it's my data, I can do whatever I want with it. If I want to build my own co-processor boards, I should be welcome to it. Since when did Microsoft own 'my' data?
In my opinion, there are some aspects of this new tripe that could happen, and there are some that probably won't happen, and there are some that are very possible. However, one thing is for sure, the people in their right might will overcome their opressors, even if it is the richest dork in history. :D
Comment from cybernoid
On one hand I do believe that some people will (want to) take our future there.
On the other hand, where there's hardware, there's software. And software can be cracked. As it has happened all through computing history. Hell, if this world was run as They wanted, every time you watch a DVD or browse scummbar.com, they'd charge you extra for it. I don't believe M$ will fall soon, because they know how to adapt. I first heard about Palladium in this article and of course I wouldn't want to see that happen. But I'm sure someone will hack the Winblows 3000 Palladium device driver and be praised by all the community :-)
As far as illegality is concerned, I don't agree with the motto "if it's illegal, be punished for it". Heck, I don't have enough money to pay for Photoshop. When I do have (as in when I do it as a profession), maybe I'll buy it. Maybe I'll be made to buy it. But since -presently- I'm not making money with it (i'm still studying Multimedia graphics), I'm not paying for it. Those guys have made their money. When time comes, they'll make it from me as well.
I was a Linux advocate up until 2 years ago, when I realised the fact that if you want to be a graphician, you can only have Windows (and I don't like Macs). So I switched to Windows, although I'll never support Microsoft probably for the rest of my life. As for Matrix... I believe it's bound to happen (more or less) if it's not already here :(. The point is how we delve deeper into it and beat it from the inside.
These are my thoughts for now. Greetings to all ScummBar barflies :-)
Regards,
cybernoid
Comment from benjoyce
And I don't think Gates would lose users. He won't do anything. Well, anything, but cursing stupid users, who broke the Palladium.:)
Comment from Ben_Whatsisname
I like the MP3 format because of the ability to back up/remaster my store-bought cd's. I like it because it allows me to have hundreds of hours of music playing while leaving my cdrom free to use on data disks.
Now, even the 3-play idea, while looking fine on paper, has a flaw. Let's say I buy a palladium pc (not bloody likely, but still...) and keep my non-palladium online as well. Neither computer is "smart" enough to see where music is going to or coming from, so I load my "3-play" cd into the drive on the palladium, machine which pipes the tunes out to my "speakers", which have been *gasp* replaced with my non-paladium pc which is just sitting there recording like a fool. I id3-tag the mp3 with something that looks like a "legal" mp3, but isn't, and I add or shave blank space off the ends of the music so that it doesn't match up with the appropriate cddb entry. I then burn one copy to data cd, remaster the "3-play" into a regular audio cd, and copy the mp3 to my paladium box for enjoyment during a q3a deathmatch.
Congrats, MicroSlug - you haven't stopped me, just made it more fun to bypass your lame ideas. What's next?
Comment from Deja Voodoo
"Whoever thought up the Fritz chip's mind must have been on the fritz."
The Unveiling of a Palladium Computer at the LucasArts staff cafeteria:
Indiana Jones- "It belongs in a museum! A museum of useless stuff, that is."
Guybrush Threepwood- "It looks like a fabulous doorstop."
Yoda- "This will bring imbalance to the Force."
Comment from bundi_21
Comment from Balanchuy
Comment from LFO
It's a bit good tho, since the people with illigal LEC games will get them deleted.
BUT!? I'm not going to trust Microsoft in the future, and I'm not going to download the latest 'Mediaplayer'.
I'll only say that I don't like the sight from Microsoft or Bill never again. I hope they all will die, DIE!!!
Hmmm.... I was a bit bad on this comment, wasn't I? Sorry, but I only needed to say what I thought. :)
Comment from bgbennyboy
I dont have time atm to lay out a detailed arguement, but good article, very interesting.
Comment from B.B.J
The future is now.
The future is SHIT.
This is the first I have herd on this new chip and I can honestly say this will be the worst thing ever to happen to the computer user industry. Ofcourse this will probably line Bills already bloated coffers and thats all that matters to him. I and a lot of people I know get round extortinate prices by buying cheap pirated CDs and games and as I see it this doesent hurt anybody. The only plus I can see is that this will probably bee heavely opposed in europe which mite keep the wolfs for the door for a while longer. So down with Fritz and everything it stands for.
Nuf said I think.
Comment from Toby
Don't watch too many Matix style movies, or it could affect your brain!
Comment from MrManager
Also, I highly doubt we'll see the day where MS loses 99% of its customer base anytime soon.