I haven't acknowledged or addressed this point because I don't know anything about it. I don't consume that much content, and the content I do consume is apparently immune to this issue because I've never run across it. I don't create content.
I can't justify that, but I don't really know what the protected path does anyway, so I don't really have any idea what you're talking about. Judging by how active torrent sites are, though, it seems quite possible to "steal" content still on Vista or 7.
I'm not talking about stealing content. I don't support that in any way. I'm talking about creating content, and MS's "protected path" (which doesn't actually do what it's supposed to do - prevent stealing) prevents me from doing so.
"Protected Path" means that all audio (and I think all video as well, but I'm a musician - not a cinematographer) MUST go through Window's software mixer. It is an attempt to add hardwired support for software based protection. No Direct Memory Access by the soundcard is allowed. This prevents me from using low latency ASIO drivers which are absolutely essential in multi-track recording AND realtime effects. It also prevents my software from directly communicating with my sound card, or with other audio apps. It also prevents me from recording at 96kz - cutting my raw quality in half and degrading my softwares ability to produce quality audio. Much the same way as a photographer uses a higher resolution than he needs for the final product, being able to sample sounds at higher-than-CD quality allows a much better final product with less artifacts.
I understand, and sympathize with the copyright owners desire to protect their assets, but copyright protection schemes don't work any better than "prohibition" does. Protected Path only works if the media file has the "protected" flag, and no-one has come up with any way to prevent hackers from stripping that flag. Those torrents you spoke of are all files with copyright protection removed. "Protected Path" just doesn't work except "in theory", it's only there as a way for MS to cuddle up to an industry that is desperately clinging to an outdated and unsustainable business plan. It's just a part of MS's publicly acknowledged desire to be the "Sole Entertainment Gateway" (in other words, have a monopoly on all means of electronically delivering and using media, from songs to movies to games, etc.) MS lobbies extensively (and expensively) to get laws passed that will require ALL hardware capable of playing digital media (from your mp3 player to your DVD or Blueray player, to your cable/dish box, Tivo, game console, cell phone, computer, etc) to require an OS that supports "Protected Path", a proprietary tech (essentially meaning that EVERY media device would require a Microsoft OS), and the devices would be physically (ie, hardwired into the board) unable to function without said Microsoft product.
I think that MS hasn't been spanked nearly hard enough yet, and hasn't learned their lesson on trying to cram monopolies down the public throat.
That's why I will never buy another MS product. I have one legal unused copy of XP Pro left - after that I simply won't have Windows at all. If the day comes when Orbiter cannot be run on XP, or on Linux (even if only through Wine, not natively) I will have to give up Orbiting. It doesn't look like it will come to that, thankfully.
DISCLAIMER: This is not another "Orbiter should be Open Source" post. I fully respect martins' choice to use whatever license and development platform he chooses, and am thankful that he allows us to have it.
