Windows 10: Windows 9 Preview to Launch This Year, New Activation System in the Works – Rumor

I meant that mobile devices with their limited storage might benefit.

Desktops and laptops normally have oodles of storage space, in comparison.

Sure.
MS Office 2007 does the same thing (I haven't seen what the later versions do).

 

@ lehnerus2000, yes I agree. For devices with limited storage a smaller install footprint would be beneficial. Personally I'd rather have the install media/upgrade media on a USB thumb drive or SD card than in the cloud. Each has advantages and disadvantages though. Physical media can be lost or misplaced. On the other hand if you have a slow connection or intermittent connection then doing a big upgrade from the Cloud could be an issue.

 

No, but if they weren't checking my ID I would. However, they need to check my credit and make sure I keep paying for their services, so it's logical for them to check my ID.

The difference with the OS is that it's a product, not a subscription service. I know they are trying to change this, but personally I will not go for it unless absolutely necessary. A PC is a tool, it's not a virtual store. Internet is also a tool, which I do use sometimes, but I don't see why do I have to be permanently connected to it. Of course, in reality I am connected most of the time, but certainly not 24/7.

Finally, it seems rather strange to demand this LiveID stuff just for the one-time activation purposes. I believe it actually costs them money to keep track of all those accounts. I am sure I do have several already - they do require you to have one when you want to download something from their site, like an OS preview for example. And every time I have to do that - I create a new one, since I can't be bothered to remember my password or which email address I gave them last time (let alone, when the last time actually was). But, it'll be what it'll be ...

 

Activation isn't a one time deal. Your PC rechecks activation status over and over again as you use it. There is more to the Windows Live ID than just activation. If you want to use the Windows Store and Apps you need one. It's also linked to One Drive etc. Anyway, there are advantages and disadvantages to doing it that way. If they actually do it that is. It's not going to impact me, but its going to complicate things for some that resist this change. I get that some don't want to use a Live ID, I just don't get some of the resining behind that choice. That's life I guess.

 

Well, for me it is a one-time deal. If the PC is not connected to the internet then it won't recheck anything. Moreover, even if it does so when the PC is connected, it does so quietly, I don't have to enter the LiveID or password again if I'm not mistaken. Now, I do not want to use the Store or Apps, I see no point in full-screen Metro Apps, and even if there is some improvement and they don't take the full screen now, they are still basically geared towards touch and I am using a desktop and not a tablet. In any case, I don't know of anything that I need to do that would require one of those apps. I don't use One Drive either. I just don't need it, I have plenty of storage space and I have no need for accessing the files on my PC while away from home. That's the reasoning - if I don't need any of the services linked to the LiveID, then I don't need the LiveID.

 

Why make it easy for for "ID Pirating" corporations (and cyber-criminals) to vacuum up your personal info?

Adobe, Apple, Google, MS and Sony (just to name a few) have proven track records of losing customer info to hackers.

Personally I object to having to sign up, just so they can sell the info to advertisers or "accidentally" lose it to criminals.
It must generate astronomical ROI (profits) for companies to bother doing it.

If people are going to use dodgy info for sign ups, I suggest using the names "Larry Page" or "Mark Zuckerberg". *Wink

 

You don't have to do that... just enter an invalid email... something like L: x@x.blah and when it tries to validate it, it will say it can't, then offer to let re-enter or create a local account. You don't have to unplug the cable.

 

Even though I have a Live account, I cannot live with a live account tied to your user account in Windows 9.

 

I’d like to know how many the members that complain about such a thing who have Google or Apple accounts to use their services. That must be a different story.

I don’t think they’ll force people to open accounts for activation. Either activate online or via phone, however, they may keep record of OS key with a machine or IP address. If it doesn’t match, then it’ll warn that the OS will shut down if there are changes of either one of the two. That includes offline machines.

If one desires to do so, I don’t think this will be performed via an Outlook (Live) account either, but rather a Microsoft account. They are two separate accounts. I’ve had both for years.





In the MS account one can set up a payment method to purchase items such as apps/software/OSs or hardware from either the 8.x Store or their online store. I find it handy when purchasing items. I purchased my Lumia through them saving $100. $50 less that what AT&T was offering plus $50 of store credit.

When I purchased 7 through them, there was a link in my account along with the key to it for years. Not there any longer for it expired. If or when I upgrade to 9 and perhaps purchase the license through them, everything will be automated. What could be easier?

With an Outlook (Live) account I can log in on any machine with any OS anywhere in the world to use any one of these via a browser:

 

I was not impressed when TAFE forced me to sign up to Google (as part of my Web course). *Mad

 

I prefer my license linked to my account than locked to a specific machine, but the right of choice of others should be respected !


*Smile

 

I don't have a problem with having an account per se. But I do have a problem with having to open accounts that are useless to me. These days almost every website wants you to register, open an account, create a password and so on. How many password can one remember? What's the point of creating an account on a site where I won't come again or will come next time in a year or two?

I do use gmail. I choose to have a web-based email and they seem to be OK. This is the service that I use. On the contrary, LiveID is the service that I do not use. What's the point of that account if I don't use it?

Finally, my PC is in my room, I may or may not use it to connect to the Internet. Somehow these days you get a feeling that a PC is simply a gateway to the Internet and that's how all those PC vendors are selling it. But for me it's not a gateway tot he Internet. It's a computer that I use to work and to actually *compute* (say, calculate integrals or something like that). Frankly, I do not need to have "accounts" on that machine, it's not open to public anyways, and nobody in my family is interested in changing my settings. But if the OS is made in such a way, that one has to have an account, then it needs to be a local account, so that I can set up my machine without connecting to the Internet.