I need to replace my six-year-old desktop PC. I had been waiting for Vista to come out, but have read that it will contain DRM (digital rights management) that will make it impossible to make or play backups of commercial DVDs. If that's true, I'd probably buy an XP computer now. Name withheld
As far as I can tell, before the launch, that isn't true. Windows Vista does include extra DRM features, but those are required to play high-definition movies on HD-DVD and Blu-ray discs, using HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection). This system was developed by Intel, is licensed by Digital Content Protection, LLC, and is required not by Microsoft but by those movie publishers who use it to copy-protect their discs.
In this respect, Vista doesn't seem to be any different from standalone players, Sony's PlayStation 3, Macs and any other devices that enable high-def playback. (Apple has been strangely silent on HDCP, but since it is on the Blu-ray Disc Association's board of directors, I expect it will implement the DRM it's promoting.)
Also, buying XP does not avoid DRM, and you probably have several DRM systems running already. There is DRM in both Windows Media Player and Apple iTunes, as required by sites that sell music and movies online. If you have legal DVD-playing software, you also have the Content Scrambling System (CSS) used to protect DVDs, and perhaps others.
Indeed, Toshiba's Qosmio G30 -- the first notebook PC with a built-in HD-DVD drive -- has Advanced Access Content System (AACS) keys integrated into the drive, and it supports HDCP screens via an external interface. In sum, Toshiba has implemented the same DRM restrictions even though the Qosmio is still running Windows XP.
Either way, you have several choices. You can test Vista now by downloading the free beta and running it in a dual boot system alongside XP. You can buy an XP system now and upgrade to Vista later, if you want. If you wait, you will still be able to buy a PC running XP even after Vista appears.
