vincevincevince - 12:40 am on Jul 13, 2006 (gmt 0)

I don't quite understand how this will work unless you have high speed internet? With many users of older machines also using dialup internet or no internet at all this could be a fly in the ointment.

Microsoft have done a good job of dressing up a subscription based system for software licensing, an issue which I can see being increasingly divisive.

The biggest thing I have an issue with here is the limited nature of these new operating systems. I want to know if this means that the user will no longer be able to install third-party software.

Subscription based use may be an opening for open-source and alternative software packages as there will be more and more opportunities for the user to say "hey wait, let's give something else ago instead of renewing".

If you have a one in five chance of being short on cash at any given time then having to renew your software every year means you are likely to try free software once in the next five years.