Vista pirated half as much as XP, Microsoft rejoices


While it admits it’s not possible to pin down an exact number, Microsoft has let out word today that it estimates the counterfeit rate of Vista to be about half that of XP, a figure that it seems to be more than pleased with. Of course, one could interpret those numbers in slightly less positive ways, but Microsoft claims the sharp dip in piracy is due to Vista’s amped up authentication system, which it says is a “proven and effective way to combat piracy.” To come up with the numbers, Microsoft apparently relied statistics based on Windows Genuine Advantage validation failures, as well as other unspecified internal data. As TG Daily notes, all this follows Microsoft’s announcement of revised anti-piracy measures in Vista SP1 and, specifically, some big changes to the aforementioned WGA feature.

[Via Engadget]

Oh brother I guess that means Vista is getting popular I hope not. I am still having some trouble with the OS. Oh well I thought people would like to know!!

Synchronize Folders with SyncToy 2.0

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Windows only: Synchronize the contents of two folders, either across your home network or on the same PC with a free utility from Microsoft, SyncToy. The 2.0 beta’s been released and gotten smarter since the first time we pointed out SyncToy, adding smart drive letter detection (for when your USB drive gets assigned a different drive letter when you plug it in) and a more robust mechanism to include or exclude files from the synchronize action. Great for sync’ing files from your desktop to a USB drive or between two different computers on your home network, Adam uses it to sync his iTunes library between PC’s. The SyncToy 2.0 beta is a free download for Windows only.

Monitor Drive Space with Vista-Style Icons

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Windows 98/XP/2000 only: Want to keep better tabs on your drive and partition space without having to right-click or open “My Computer”? Free application Vista Drive Icon replaces the standard hard drive icons with Vista-style models that display how much space is taken up and turn red when nearly full. The program runs in the background, shows up in almost every folder view and uses only a small amount of memory. If you’re seeing red a bit too often, check out Gina’s guide to visualizing your hard drive usage to make clean-up fast and easy. Vista Drive Icon is a free download and runs on Windows versions earlier than Vista.

Keep Your Start Menu Sorted Alphabetically

Experienced Windows XP users likely know how to manually alphabetize their Start menu’s programs list, but doing so after every new program installation gets old pretty quickly. The Elder Geek offers a solution that keeps your programs alphabetized at all times—even if you try to re-sort them. The trick involves making a registry hack, and the Elder Geek points out that this one in particular could do some damage if done incorrectly, so make sure to back up your registry before venturing in.

Fully Customizable Sidebar with SideSlide

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Windows only: Like the convenience of the Vista sidebar but wish it offered more customization, or even just a hiding option? Free application SideSlide gives you program and web site launchers, RSS readers, notepads, reminders, pictures, clipping holders, and more in one skin-able bar that hides on the edges of your desktop. It’s the kind of tinker-friendly widget that shortcut lovers can easily get lost in—containers to launch multiple programs at once, feed combiners with group searching and updating and lots of keyboard navigation options, to name just a few hacks. Check out this quick start guide by SideSlide’s makers to get started. SideSlide is a free download for Windows XP, 2000 and Vista, and requires that Microsoft Core XML Services 6.0 be installed (a link is provided on the SideSlide link below, but Vista users should be set up already). Vista users who just want to get more out of their pre-installed sidebar can check out our roundup of useful sidebar gadgets.