Two ways to get Windows 7 free

With story from ComputerWorld

Microsoft released the final code RTM for Windows 7 to manufacturers like Dell, HP and Lenova less than a week ago and pirates have already cracked the activation code.

This happens all the time. There is no lock made by one man that another skilled person cannot open. 

Copies of the RTM code started appearing last week on Chinese sites apparently copies of a Lenova master disk. The activation code was hacked this week.

Microsoft puts enormous effort into its efforts to thwart piracy and has had the same problem with Windows XP and Vista. They have in the past, changed code with SP1 or SP2 to render the hack useless.

On another note, if you were one of the first “invited” Beta testers, you will get Windows 7 free. That does not mean all the rest of us Beta testers who didn’t get a personal letter from Steve Ballmer. Rats.

Two classes of people – the invitees and the pirates will be getting Windows 7 free. Microsoft will get lots of publicity and the rest of us will be dying to buy it. Right?