“8″ Is Neck-deep In Its Own Mess at Robert Pogson

“8″ Is Neck-deep In Its Own Mess

Published by Robert Pogson July 16th, 2012 in technology. 5 Comments

In his investigations of the response of the world to “8″ and “secure boot”, SJVN reports:

“In my conversations with original equipment manufacturers (OEM)s many of them have also had trouble laying their hands on this hardware. With Windows 8 being released to manufacturing (RTM) in early August That makes me wonder just how many Windows 8 systems actually will be rolling out in the 3rd and 4th quarters. That, of course, leaves aside the entire question of how much demand will there really be for Windows 8 PCs anyway.”

So, not only is M$ messing with competition by insisting on “secure boot” but M$ is making uptake of “8″ a “next-year” thing. More vapour-ware…

By the time M$ and “partners” get their acts together, the world will have moved on to FLOSS on ARM and hardware not locked-in to M$.

via Linux developers working on Windows UEFI secure boot problem | ZDNet.

- Robert Pogson

5 Responses to ““8″ Is Neck-deep In Its Own Mess”

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1 Clarence Moon Jul 16th, 2012 at 12:07 pm

So, not only …

It is not very clear just what SJVN is on about here, Mr. Pogson. The missing “hardware” seems to refer to the efforts by the Linux Foundation to obtain something that will support mods to use things other than Windows 8. If they are faced with a deadline, the OEMs might just forego bothering with such a low demand item.
2 oiaohm Jul 16th, 2012 at 5:05 pm

Clarence Moon to be correct to obtain anything configured or not EFI that supports the extensions to run secure boot is hard. About the only thing are developer boards that let you install you own keys. MSI has one of those out by default it fires up Secure boot off. You have to set bios password to turn Secure boot on. Lovely right supplied with a machine with secure boot on and you cannot change a bios setting without a password very user-friendly not. Remember MS insist OEM providing windows 8 turn Secure boot on. Suxs to be the poor end user.

Issue is the development cycle of a fireware for a x86 motherboard. From the time MS wanted Secure Boot to when they wanted it deployed should have been 15 months since that is the development cycle.

Problem is its release of windows 8 is before 15 months timeline. Feb 2013 would be 15 months from when MS stated intent. Please note 15 months is best cycle under normal bios extension requirements. Boards produced in that window will not be upgraded to the new tech either.

The MS timeline could be basically impossible. Final signing key public key will only be released when windows 8 will be as well. Thank you Microsoft for not understanding how bios development works on the x86 platform.
3 oe Jul 16th, 2012 at 5:33 pm

Then they ignore an exponential growth curve of demand for FOSS OS’es that is in the initial uptake portion….a bad bet to placate the decaying IT methodology….Nokia anyone?
4 Chris Weig Jul 19th, 2012 at 3:26 am

Syria will become a democracy before FLOSS rules the world.
5 Yonah Jul 19th, 2012 at 2:14 pm

oiaohm: “Please note 15 months is best cycle under normal bios extension requirements.”

Gimme a C! Gimme an I! Gimme a T! Gimme an A! Gimme another T! Gimme another I! Gimme an O! Gimme a N!

What does it spell? CITATION! WOOOOOOOOOOOO! Yay!!!

That makes three thus far, Oaiohom. We’re waiting for 2 others over at http://mrpogson.com/2012/07/12/wintel-stalls/comment-page-1/#comment-92012

Don’t leave us hanging, bro.

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