Check page 116 of the document. Is this the final answer?


Windows 8 will lock out GNU/Linux on ARM devices

Free Market?
Gerard.

Free for Microsoft...

However, in practice may be only the last kick of the dying beast. Windows won't be as unavoidable on ARM as it is on Pentium, the choice will be more open between at least Windows and Android. What locks people on Windows isn't really the operating system, it's the availability of MS-Office and other apps such as Photoshop (or serious video games). But these Really Important Apps won't run with all their bells and whistles on ARM.

Let's also hear what the European Union Commission on Trade has to say about that. We may benefit from special UE models.

Se also http://softwarefreedom.org/blog/2012/ja ... -down-ARM/

Can anyone explain to me what the advantage is of "secure boot".
Given the vulnerability of Microsoft software I wonder how this would make a Windows system more secure.
Microsoft has been fined hefty sums by the EU in the past so I don't think they will not do it this time.
Gerard.

My understanding of the supposed purpose is to keep the system from being "rooted". Whether or not this will actually stop rootkits from being installed, remain to be seen.

We touched on this same issue a little in this thread.

I would never purchase a system or mainboard that didn't allow the disabling of so called "Safe Boot" and I'll bet millions of others wouldn't either. As far as Windows 8 or Windows on mobile devices, I won't be using them anyway...