Chris Samuel <chris@csamuel.org> wrote:
<irony> So a non-Windows8 Logo'd x86 system could lock you out, but a Logo'd one shouldn't. </irony> Of course on ARM you're out of luck as secure boot must be locked on for Logo certification.
What best explains the different policies? Anti-monopoly laws? The ARM and x86 competitive situations are different. For x86, Linux would be rightly seen as the main competitor in market terms, which is what matters for the anti-monopoly regulations. For ARM-based tablets there are several competing systems, with none dominant as yet - and therein we find the fundamental divide between the ARM and x86 scenarios (leaving aside x86 on servers, which is not relevant to this discussion and where Linux is widely used). Thus it seems plausible that MS didn't want to risk potential regulatory difficulties in connection with the desktop market.