I highly recommend everybody immediately email the ACCC about this. Hopefully we can some action done on this issue.

Is anyone up for a class action, dont want to go that far, but if we have to, we should.

ACCC:
1300 302 502 (Australian callers)
+ 612 6243 1305 (overseas callers).
http://www.accc.gov.au/content/maintain/create/index.phtml?contentTypeItemId=9133&informationSpaceItemId=268347&inPop=1&returnUrl=.&type=Other


here is a copy of my email.
"Hello,

I have recently found out that any new computer or laptop that ships with the upcoming Windows 8 Operating System will not be able to run any other Operating System.

 ( http://video.ch9.ms/build/2011/slides/HW-457T_van_der_Hoeven.pptx slide 11)

Microsoft's new UEFI Secure Boot system prevents 'unauthorized software' from running on any new computer sold with Windows 8. Making a system that ships with only Micrsoft Windows not being able to boot a copy of Linux or any other operating system.

I wish to use Linux on future computers, and this will not allow me to use Linux at all. Microsoft is engaging in seriously anti-competitive behaviour by forcing the lockout of all competitors.

(See: http://www.itwire.com/opinion-and-analysis/open-sauce/49889-will-windows-8-succeed-in-locking-out-gnulinux )

Not only will Microsoft kick out Linux off the computers, they will prevent 'upgrading' of windows versions: creating force obsolescence.

My question is whether this legal, does Microsoft have ability to engage in massively anti-competitive behaviour? Microsoft has been slowly becoming massively anti-competitive: Originally, they have forced you to purchase a computer with windows, with underhanded "high prices" to any vendor that chooses to sell computers with linux, making it unfeasable for OEM's to sell Linux Based Systems.

Computing used to be about choice, having the ability to choose the Operating System. Now Microsoft want to have complete control.

Thanks for your time,
 Luke Martinez"




This can't be legal, I will be researching the legalities of this thoroughly soon.

On Wed, Sep 21, 2011 at 7:28 PM, James Harper <james.harper@bendigoit.com.au> wrote:
>
> # Microsoft requires that machines conforming to the
> # Windows 8 logo program and running a client version
> # of Windows 8 ship with secure boot enabled. The two
> # alternatives here are for Windows to be signed with
> # a Microsoft key and for the public part of that key
> # to be included with all systems, or alternatively for
> # each OEM to include their own key and sign the
> # pre-installed versions of Windows. The second approach
> # would make it impossible to run boxed copies of Windows
> # on Windows logo hardware, and also impossible to install
> # new versions of Windows unless your OEM provided a new
> # signed copy. The former seems more likely.
> #
> # A system that ships with only OEM and Microsoft keys will
> # not boot a generic copy of Linux.
>

Or to translate - "Come on ACCC! Hit me in the stomach!"

James
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