How about that for a stranglehold on the retail market! If you want to upgrade you will HAVE to buy XP and will be FORCED into the authentication system, so what is coming next after XP?

I am not at all sure why Microsoft (or any other company) should be forced or expected to keep old and out of date software available. For that matter, MS has a really good track record of supplying support for discontinued software well past any reasonable time frame.

In other words, you can still get support for Win95 if you call Microsoft for example.

One of the biggest problems with the software market right now is the incredible lag time between the useful life end of an operating system and the time people stop expecting things to support it. Win95 is dead as a doornail, has been for 2+ years and some folks still complain if a new software product doesn't run on it.

I think it is a smart move for Microsoft here, there is simply no reason for them to provide more retail copies of Windows2000... speed up the conversion and cut down dramatically ont he costs of both their own manufacturing and the computer retailers inventory.

Are people upset Ford doesn't still sell a 1995 model pick up truck in 2000? No. A product moves on and the old stuff stops being sold. That's life.

That said, large clients can still legally add Windows2000 to more machines without any problem, they simply purchase more licenses or expand their existing site license and all is well.

"Thanks for the heads up, Storm. I can tell you right now that if that becomes MS's world wide marketing policy, "black" copies of Win2k and Win98SE are going to become real prevalent out on the warez sites.
And a lot of techies will turn a blind eye to it..."

This won't change - the warez sites and newsgroups have had OEM and Retail versions of Win2K available as ISO images for years now - as well as the recent XP RC candidates and retail versions.

There has NEVER been any lack of pirate trading in the Windows systems - how in the world would the discontinuation of Windows2000 make it more available when it is already completely universal?

While we are talking about it, any techie who is willing to install/admin pirated software is already doing so - you don't honestly think many smaller companies actually purchase Windows2000 licenses for their workstations? 90% of them buy one copy and simply install it on all their boxes.

Exactly the sort of thing that drove the introduction of WPA. No matter how much pirating WPA will "drive" peopel to do - it will cut down on much, much more than it causes. That is a net win for MS.

If nothing else, but bringing the average user into the situation of having to find a "pirate" copy they will at least start realizing they are doing something wrong.

"I don't mind paying once for a software upgrade for my home use, but having to buy 5 licences for my family is rediculous - I think $500 every year or two is just too much for a single family to have to pay for the "right" to use Windows in their home!"

I am a little unsure why you would have any inherent "right" to a Microsoft product. BTW - there are discount packs available.

"Furthermore, as I understand it, my DSL router and hardware firewall which connect my little network to the internet won't work in XP because Bill Gates wants me to use his built-in software router (which forces you to use MSN messenger as part of the "bundle")."

You are incorrect. I am not sure where that information came from, but if I were you I would start looking for an unbiased source of technical information.

WindowsXP is perfectly happy to use your external router/firewall. You don't have to use connections haring if you don't wish to and you can disable the inbuilt firewall.

"I am really TIRED of Microsoft shoving INFERIOR TECHNOLOGY down my throat and calling it a "feature" of an Operating System!"

Personally, I get a little tired of  incorrect technical information based on a anti MS bias being passed as if it were a fact. To me, that is a much bigger problem than having to say "no" to a dialog asking me if I want to switch to Media Player. BTW - I was not speaking of you... but rather whoever gave you that technical info about the firewall.

Winamp, Quicktime, Netscape, Opera and many many other applications ask the same question about becoming your default tool for certain types of files - are they guilty too?

Just my opinion, but if this trend continues, in another year or two Bill Gates will want to be your default 3D editor too!

SoftImage IS a nice program... they can bundle that if they want :)