"As long as the consumer doesn't follow a herd mentality and believe they must accept whatever drek is fed to them, things like this will not come to pass." There is truth is this but: I doubt the majority of 'Joe Users' is going to accept the task of switching to Linux, finding & perhaps buying alternative applications, if they exist (Star Office isn't the only thing many people need), etc. The same applies to getting a (more expensive) Mac. Next month, they start testing the system which will check the credit histories, buying profiles medical records, etc. of airline passengers - in the name of protection of course. Because enough people are scared they'll get blown up going to visit Aunt Tillie, they will go along with it. In the same way, if the gov't. can scare people into thinking that Osama Bin Laden is going to get into their computers make them spew anthrax, they will go along with whatever intrusive scheme they're told will protect them. I also don't think in the end it would be just a MS thing. It will be mandated for all computers and neither Linux nor Apple will be a safe haven. If the entertainment industry can convince enough pols that they need it to survive, it will happen. Perhaps there will be a massive backlash that will change things but I'm not optimistic. As long as there are enough bread and circuses provided, along with a healthy dose of fear, most folks will bend over and take it like a taxpayer, and not even ask for a kiss.

"Democracy is a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance." - H. L. Mencken