Can someone clear this for certain if this is a hoax? I'd heard of the 'reduced functionallity', I think I even remeber it saying about so if I didn't activate mine in a certain amount of time.
Since I don't have a pirated version it wont matter to me but if it's been confirmed a hoax then maybe headline/story needs amending?...
Premium does have media centre.

Um... don't you think they would FIRST have to perfect the WGA check system? Just a couple of weeks ago there was a big problem with WGA flagging legit systems as non-genuine.
I think it's a hoax.   

YA got that right Phoon...first legitimate business out there that loses money for being wrongly flagged is gonna sue.  

On a side note,why would you wanna pirate Vista?(it sux  )

A suggestion for news posters - check for updates before posting news...

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&taxonomyName=windows&articleId=9035918&taxonomyId=125

What do you consider a "normal" version of Vista? Are you referring to the Home Basic? I can't see why any one would want or should want to pay any amount of money for an OS that Isn't any better then XP Pro. There isn't any thing in Vista that The Average user needs. And there are far more average users then there are hard core or business users that might need or use any advantage of Vista.

As far as any of the eye candy in Vista goes, Any one using StarDock products have been enjoying the eye candy long before Vista came out.




What really makes me mad is the High price we are asked to pay for Vista here in the good old USA. They say part of it is because of Piracy. But yet in China where Microsoft says that piracy is running "Rampant" they cut the cost in half. Microsoft argues that if they cut the price of Vista more people will buy a legitimate copy.
Well DUH!!!! Now I ask you wouldn't it work just as well here in the USA. Oh Wait I almost forgot we are suppose to blindly let Microsoft shove it's products down or throats. It isn't suppose to matter How high the price or even if the product works. When I see some one say how good Vista is even though it has flaws in it (In a couple of years and god knows how many service packs Vista will run almost as good as XP Pro) I have to wonder how those same people would feel If after buying a new car they found out it would only run on three wheels but in a couple of years the auto maker would figure out how to make it run on all four wheels.

From Kickburn's link

So again, we have an MS OEM saying in a leaked email that this is for real.  Then we have a MS spokesman saying that thier not going to do anything this week but it's on it's way.
I still thinks the origianl new post can stand.

Zubaz, what you wrote in your reply #1 probably will be coming very soon. Just my personal opinion.   

if its true then good on microsoft for taking steps to combat piracy, my brother uses a pirated copy of windows xp and constantly complains that the O/S cannot be updated to which i just laugh in his face and tell him to buy a genuine copy. how about this system for cracked versions of windowblinds too? and it could replace your current theme with a u are a stinking pirate theme

ouch!!!.......buying is always best.....  

Nimbin I like you idea, unfortunately if the person was inclinded to use a cracked version of WB they just would probably think they got a free Premium Theme?           

I don't understand how some people think free ownership of commercially produced software is some sort of birthright.  
As much as I agree that some versions of Vista and a lot of the top end software (photoshop,ms office et al) are or can be prohibitively expensive I see this as no excuse for people just helping themselves to whatever they fancy,it's crazy.
I say yay for the BlackScreenOfDeath!  
If you don't want the grief don't be a teef.      

Extrapolating from what Phoon and Nimbin said:

If the users of pirated/cracked versions avoid updates and Microsoft does plan to 'deploy the update' some time in the future, it would stand to reason that it would be distributed via the very mechanism the pirates avoid.

Maybe that's where the 'stealth' updates come in



Meanwhile the legitimate users suffer when WGA has a 'fit'.



There has to be a better way that protects Microsoft's investment without negatively affecting and alienating legitimate users.

and if they try something new like this they will mess everyone else's puter up like be4 with the last update

true

A thief is a thief, no matter what the disguise, no matter what they are stealing.

As for the " its not lost revenues, we wouldn't have bought it anyways" B.S.... Fine don't buy it , but don't use it.

The way the world works... if you want something, you BUY it..

you don't steal it and try to justify it by saying "If I had to pay for it I wouldn't use it" the best yet Ive heard was "I'm doing the Dev's a service by pirating their software,I'm making it so popular" .... who gives a crap if the softwares popular among non paying thieves? You think Ford goes bragging about how many taurses are stolen every year????