[OS:N:] RE: European Libré hardware

[<charles.macdonald@hrdc-drhc.gc.ca>]

> Date: Sat, 16 Aug 2003 09:08:52 +0200
> From: "M. Fioretti" <m.fioretti@inwind.it>
> 
> On Sat, Aug 16, 2003 16:31:18 at 04:31:18PM +1000, Les Bell 
> (lesbell@lesbell.com.au) wrote:
>  
> > The major stumbling block I see is the use of schemes like 
> Palladium. If
> > Microsoft was to stitch up a deal with Intel et al to use a
> > crypto-protected BIOS so that only "licensed" OS's can boot 
> . . . Well, you
> > can see the problem.
> 
> There is one thing about this that US citizens should keep in mind, as
> it looks much more concrete than philosophy to a politician who needs
> US votes in this period. Deals like the ones above would put in danger
> quite some American jobs.
> 
> Sometimes I almost hope that deals like this happen. It may be the
> only way to wake up the EU (which has the money and skills to do it)
> and build its own CPU/semiconductor industry with the billions of
> Euros that today go overseas. We can probably count on Asian countries
> to do it before us, however, so in the medium/long term it would be
> bad only for American economy.

Remember though that the US is a major importer, and so there rules no mater how strange tend to affect design world wide.  They decided folks could not be counted to buckle up, and now all cars come with explosives wired into the steering wheel to punch the driver back into the seat if they hit something.  The Americans decided that they could cut energy use by switching 40 Watt florescent lights with 34 W lights so they banned all 40 W lights except for the Full-spectrum ones that are less efficient. (we can't buy them anymore in Canada, and have to use the Less efficient ones in places like the Garage, as the 34 watt ones don't work well in the cold.

Will the European and Asian industries make and sell non-palladium mother boards for computers?  Will Trade agreements make them legal to sell outside the US?

Remember that the USA seems to be willing to take rather extreme measures to get their way these days.

<my personal opinion and all that>?


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