Where art thou Stuckists? Intel reveals share denial PC scheme. Digital certs in hardware, and re-education for all [The Register]

The Register's take on Intel's announcement.  (Excellent coverage, as usual.)  Author Andrew Orlowski makes an analogy with GSM.  America's wireless industry is years behind Europe's because of its insistence on taking device ownership away from users -- in order to lock them into proprietary networks and non-standard hardware.  The freedom to choose that GSM gives to European cell-phone users has engendered a vibrant market for new products and services. 

In contrast with our wireless industry, the American PC industry has been so successful because the hardware was open.  Users had the choice to do whatever they wanted with their computers.  But the copy-protection technologies Microsoft and Intel are building into the next generation of PCs will hobble the American PC industry by taking away that freedom and that choice. 

All so that Hollywood and the recording industry can perpetuate a business model that was made obsolete ten years ago.

8:44:00 PM   

MSNBC. "Intel to include copy protection functionality in new chips.  I personally won't ever buy a chip with type of stuff on it. [...] my aggressive upgrade cycle has ended." [John Robb's Radio Weblog]

More details of Intel's recent announcement that it will build copy-protection technology into its processors starting next year.  Plans have already been announced for building copy-protection into monitors, hard drives, DVD-ROMs, and other peripherals.  Expect to see Palladium-compliant keyboards before too long.

Where's the unbiased news coverage?  Where are the consumer groups that were outraged years ago when Intel put unique IDs in each processor?

8:00:53 PM