Vista suicide note paper, read aloud

I've begun to read aloud Peter Gutmann's amazing paper, A Cost Analysis of Windows Vista Content Protection (the "suicide note" paper), doing half an hour a week or so in my podcast. This is one of the best papers I've ever read on DRM, and reading it aloud is a great way for me to really get my head around it.

Executive Summary
Windows Vista includes an extensive reworking of core OS elements in order to provide content protection for so-called “premium content”, typically HD data from Blu-Ray and HD-DVD sources. Providing this protection incurs considerable costs in terms of system performance, system stability, technical support overhead, and hardware and software cost. These issues affect not only users of Vista but the entire PC industry, since the effects of the protection measures extend to cover all hardware and software that will ever come into contact with Vista, even if it's not used directly with Vista (for example hardware in a Macintosh computer or on a Linux server). This document analyses the cost involved in Vista's content protection, and the collateral damage that this incurs throughout the computer industry.
Executive Executive Summary
The Vista Content Protection specification could very well constitute the longest suicide note in history [Note A].

Part 1 link, Podcast feed link

Discussion

Take a look at this

#1 posted by Anonymous , July 22, 2008 11:39 AM

I know this may be old. But I'm bumping for bumping sake that anyone that falls in my same hole knows why. I purchased a new laptop, much to my fighting myself, with Vista installed. I pretty much do four things on my laptop: 1. eMail, 2. surf, 3. play WoW, and 4. sound recording and editing.

With XP I could go to any website (and use any sound recording program) to record audio from any source going through my audio card. ie. See a funny webpage and record the funny talk (cool new ring tone).

With Vista and the same audio recording programs I found I could not record from any source that was not the WebCam Mic. No options for the sound card exist. Simply put: MASTER VOLUME is the only option had. Muting, lowering, disabling the WebCam Mic didn't help the recording. As the input - sole input - is the WebCam Mic. If I turn off the speakers... nothing but environmental noise is recorded.

After days of Gateway circles (Gateway M-1626) I am finally told that Vista disables sound card recording. Further found that Sigmatel complies with Vista to do so. Very bad for someone that likes to dabble with making videos and sound recordings.

Now here's the kicker. Due to the Vista requirements and Sigmatel's compliance. The WebCam Mic is ALWAYS on from computer start up - unless you intentionally mute or disable the microphone. Get kicked one more time as doing so also affects the remainder of the system as it is the SOLE source of audio input (without using any other microphone jacked in) to a recording program.

I was told of a program called FreeCorder which I have not tried yet. However, having to go the extra length to use a sub-par program (compared to programs such as Nero Wave Editor - which does not detect a sound card on Vista, only detects the WebCam or other Mic input) is very frustrating.

Consider what you buy. Please -don't do like me- read information such as boingboing and others put out and make a knowledgeable purchase before buying.

Vista = :(