They are now preventing users from changing hardware more than once AND you can not run Microsoft Vista home edition as a virtual machine. The stupidity of Microsoft still blows me away. This will not prevent people from investing in a Mac, it will encourage them. It will also encourage Apple and Crossover to eliminate the Windows OS all together if you want to run programs designed to use the Microsoft platform.

Why doesn’t Microsoft spend a little more time fixing their software and less time finding ways to make life difficult on users. I have never owned a PC and never used Windows for anything but work. Looks like I’ll keep it that way also.
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Microsoft has just published on its license terms webpage the details of licenses for each Vista version. It contains 2 bad news, one targeting directly MacOSX and Parallels users:

- it will possible to install Vista only twice, so you will be able to change your hardware only once; after you will have to buy a new license.

- One can not use emulation or virtualization solutions with Vista Home (Premium and Basic). Parallels and soon VMWare will not be allowed to make this Vista version running on their system. One will need to acquire Vista Ultimate or Business (US$399 and US$299 respectively) to make it possible. It will for sure limit the usage to Pro users, probably a way for Microsoft to prevent PC users to buy a Mac or even considering switching...

Microsoft, in its battle against piracy, might generate so much frustration among honest customers, that the end it will lead to the opposite effect: push honest customers to get their software to work the way it is supposed to work, or look for hacked versions...