One of the aspects of BitWise that surprises (impresses?) many users is that all three "versions" of BitWise - Personal, Plus and Professional - are all bundled in the same executable. Then, the various features are activated by the server when you log in. I was therefore very interested to see that Microsoft is doing something similar with Vista. From the news article at CRN:
Having a master Windows Vista operating system means customers that buy PCs preloaded with one Vista SKU, Home Basic, for example, will be able to punch their credit card into a Microsoft Web site to unlock Vista Home Premium and more speedily deploy media center features without an on-site visit or requiring a wipe and reload of the system.
I think this is a clear win for Windows users everywhere. I know it's not uncommon that a PC may come preloaded with Home, and upgrading to Pro can be a costly and/or time-consuming process. This obviously won't be useful to everyone, but it'll be a huge help for many.
In any event, it's good to see that the big boys are finally catching up. ;)
As someone who has used pirated software in the past, the absolutely first things that came to mind when I read that announcement were memories of using serial key generators and the "Register by Phone" option to get Pro (Premium?) versions of software. I'm curious how Microsoft will combat this. Phoning home?
That was also the first thing that came to my mind; how long till this system is cracked? probably not too long. I think it works well with an IM application because a connection to the internet is required and so it is controlled by the server. It however does not work like this on an OS. I'm sure that Microsoft has thought of this and either a) created something to prevent easy cracking b) does not care about the minor revenue loss due to hackers because the profit made will greatly exceed the loss.
There's always an activation process. Dial home and ask if you are an authorized user of this particular version of the OS.