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Though this is the first I've heard of it, a simple hack for any Windows machine since 2000 is to replace the executable file that run when you hit Shift 5 times (called sticky-keys). Since this can be run from the logon screen, as long as a hacker can gain root access to a machine once (say they're a legit user on a multi-user machine), they can use this to bypass logon.

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In a nod to people who actually understand the consumer psyche, here's an article explaining that users are likely to find the User Account Control so annoying that they'll just turn it off.

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There's buzz online about how a Symantec researcher has already broken Vista's firewall to pieces. This is hardly surprising, but what is surprising is how easy it was. While the firewall has a dialog box asking if a user wants to allow a program to access the Internet, Microsoft allows the program itself to click the OK button for the user. So basically, spyware programs can choose to get online or not. I wonder what they'll choose to do?

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Apple is laughing all the way to the bank with the release of Vista. In their recent ad campaign, you see two people where one represents a Mac and the other a PC. One of the more accurate ones describes the new security "features" of Vista that prevents you from doing nearly anything without constant warnings and dialogue boxes. It may be tounge-in-cheek, but it's pretty close to the reality.

It's stuff like this that make people turn off security features just so they can get work done.

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The Register has an article about a bogus Vista activation key generator, but lists this interesting bit near the end:

The latest attack exploits Vista's System Locked Pre-installation 2 (SLP2) mechanism, technology which allows Microsoft's favoured hardware partners to avoid users having to activate their Vista installs. SLP2 combines an OEM specific certificate along with markers in the machine's BIOS and an appropriate product key.

The hack involves creating a BIOS emulator that serves up the correct BIOS data when needed. Used in combination with the appropriate OEM certificate and product key this defeats the activation mechanism. Information on the OEM certificates and other information needed for the hack to work are available. Withdrawing the affected keys in order to defeat the hack would likely upset Microsoft's OEMs.

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Information Week asked six of its readers to give them a review of Windows Vista and the results weren't good.

Problems to date are mostly driver related. I am having all sorts of problems with power management (can't wake up out of Sleep, system starts up in the middle of the night for no identified reason, restart/shutdown often hangs). From what I've been able to find, there are apparently known issues (unresolved) with ASUS/nVIDIA drivers? This problem is really a pain!

Whoah, back up. Starts on its own?!

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When XP came out, I noticed that the cheapies (the really skanky brands) had 256MB of RAM while all the others came with 512. This is because 256 was the minimum recommended RAM size from Microsoft so it was technically "acceptable". The fact is, just because it runs doesn't mean it runs well. Well Vista is the same, only worse. The minimum recommended RAM size is a laughable 512 MB. I just recently upgraded to 1GB in my home XP machine and have been very seriously considering at least another 1GB for performance.

This Computerworld article recommends 4GB for Vista and explains why. From the article:

For instance, Dell offers a Windows Vista Capable configuration that isn't capable of much, according to what Dell says about it on its Web site: "Great for ... Booting the Operating System, without running applications or games."

To coin a phrase: lol.

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Today on Schneier's blog, he describes in farily decent detail why the DRM in Windows Vista is bad. Some choice bits:

And Vista continuously spends CPU time monitoring itself, trying to figure out if you're doing something that it thinks you shouldn't. If it does, it limits functionality and in extreme cases restarts just the video subsystem. We still don't know the exact details of all this, and how far-reaching it is, but it doesn't look good.

What the entertainment companies are finally realizing is that DRM doesn't work, and just annoys their customers. Like every other DRM system ever invented, Microsoft's won't keep the professional pirates from making copies of whatever they want. The DRM security in Vista was broken the day it was released.

In the meantime, the only advice I can offer you is to not upgrade to Vista. It will be hard. Microsoft's bundling deals with computer manufacturers mean that it will be increasingly hard not to get the new operating system with new computers. And Microsoft has some pretty deep pockets and can wait us all out if it wants to.

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Scot Finnie, a Windows expert who has been following the development of Windows Vista has given Macs a try for the first time.

After living with the Mac for three months and comparing it to my Vista experiences, the choice is crystal clear. I've struggled to sort out my gut feeling about Windows Vista (see "The Trouble with Vista"), but the value and advantage of the Mac and OS X are difficult to miss. While I continue to work with Windows XP and Vista on a number of other machines, I am now recommending the Macintosh for business and home users.

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In his review, he's quick to point out that 80% of the changes in Vista are good. In fact, it's very good. However, the company has shifted its focus and it shows. Some highlights from his article:

Microsoft stopped focusing on end users and now seemingly makes many decisions based on these two things: 1. Avoiding negative publicity (especially about security and software quality) 2. Making sure the largest enterprise customers are happy the deep focus on milking the installed base for every penny goes against my grain. I fault the DRM stuff quietly baked into Windows Vista in part because it is quietly baked in. The people who gain from this technology aren't the people who are paying for Windows. Microsoft has already made ardent enemies of previously more or less happy Windows users through the use of its previous-generation antipiracy measures, Windows Genuine Advantage, Windows Genuine Advantage Notifications and Windows Product Activation.