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  3. Intel to artificially cripple chips then ask you to pay for them to be brought back to spec

Intel to artificially cripple chips then ask you to pay for them to be brought back to spec

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c++comarchitecture
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  • C Offline
    C Offline
    Chris Maunder
    wrote on last edited by
    #1

    http://www.crunchgear.com/2010/09/19/intel-selling-scratch-off-upgrade-cars-to-unlock-processor-power/[^] Wow.

    cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP

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    • C Chris Maunder

      http://www.crunchgear.com/2010/09/19/intel-selling-scratch-off-upgrade-cars-to-unlock-processor-power/[^] Wow.

      cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP

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      C Offline
      Christian Graus
      wrote on last edited by
      #2

      I am not surprised. It's probably cheaper to produce one chip and sell an unlock than it is to produce two, as well as providing a way to onsell without having to ship anything. Modern commerce is not based on selling items based on the cost of manufacture plus a profit, but on selling something for as much of a margin as possible. I've heard of other consumer products where the basic model is essentially the deluxe model without the control panel to use the deluxe features, which are still on the circuit board.

      Christian Graus Driven to the arms of OSX by Vista. Read my blog to find out how I've worked around bugs in Microsoft tools and frameworks.

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      • C Chris Maunder

        http://www.crunchgear.com/2010/09/19/intel-selling-scratch-off-upgrade-cars-to-unlock-processor-power/[^] Wow.

        cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP

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        Joe Simes
        wrote on last edited by
        #3

        Wow that is kind of like the undercoating car salesmen try to get you to buy!! Last new car I bought I passed on the undercoating and when I got the new vehicle home I climbed underneath and guess what I found? Black goopy stuff sprayed all over the underside of the chassis.

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        • C Chris Maunder

          http://www.crunchgear.com/2010/09/19/intel-selling-scratch-off-upgrade-cars-to-unlock-processor-power/[^] Wow.

          cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP

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          Distind
          wrote on last edited by
          #4

          So the return of Big Blue tactics?

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          • C Chris Maunder

            http://www.crunchgear.com/2010/09/19/intel-selling-scratch-off-upgrade-cars-to-unlock-processor-power/[^] Wow.

            cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP

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            H Offline
            Henry Minute
            wrote on last edited by
            #5

            That is how the old IBM Mainframe Disk Packs used to work. You'd start to get short on space, call your friendly neighbourhood Sales Rep, he would quote you an enormous figure to double the size, you would agree (you had no choice). Roughly a week later an engineer would come along and spend three hours or so changing your disk pack. Except that he didn't. He flipped a switch, job done! The rest of the time wasn't wasted though as he would do a general service/tidy around. For the feminists out there, I repeated 'he' in that because in over 5 years I never saw a female IBM engineer. There may have been some but I never met any. [Edit] Just seen that Distind recognizes this trick as well. [/Edit]

            Henry Minute Do not read medical books! You could die of a misprint. - Mark Twain Girl: (staring) "Why do you need an icy cucumber?" “I want to report a fraud. The government is lying to us all.”

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            • C Chris Maunder

              http://www.crunchgear.com/2010/09/19/intel-selling-scratch-off-upgrade-cars-to-unlock-processor-power/[^] Wow.

              cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP

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              DaveAuld
              wrote on last edited by
              #6

              I read that last week somewhere (engadget?) and the thing that crossed my mind was that it is a software update to changet the chipspec. Now, if intel have confirmed that the Master Keys to HDCP have been discovered, how long will it be before someone manages to find a way round this.

              Dave Find Me On: Web|Facebook|Twitter|LinkedIn CPRepWatcher now available as Packaged Chrome Extension, visit my articles for link.

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              • C Chris Maunder

                http://www.crunchgear.com/2010/09/19/intel-selling-scratch-off-upgrade-cars-to-unlock-processor-power/[^] Wow.

                cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP

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                H Offline
                HimanshuJoshi
                wrote on last edited by
                #7

                Chris Maunder wrote:

                http://www.crunchgear.com/2010/09/19/intel-selling-scratch-off-upgrade-**cars**\-to-unlock-processor-power/\[^\]

                When did Intel started selling cars?

                Place for Indians to hang out

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                • C Chris Maunder

                  http://www.crunchgear.com/2010/09/19/intel-selling-scratch-off-upgrade-cars-to-unlock-processor-power/[^] Wow.

                  cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP

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                  C Offline
                  Chris Losinger
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #8

                  i would never write an application which could expose or hide features based on information found in the license file. never. never ever.

                  image processing toolkits | batch image processing

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                  • C Chris Maunder

                    http://www.crunchgear.com/2010/09/19/intel-selling-scratch-off-upgrade-cars-to-unlock-processor-power/[^] Wow.

                    cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP

                    E Offline
                    E Offline
                    Electron Shepherd
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #9

                    It's only what software companies have been doing for years, with Lite/Standard/Enterprise etc editions. It's based on sound marketing experience, whereby you get the customer to tell you how much they can afford, and then the product they buy is "automatically" priced to their ability to pay. See http://www.microsoft.com/sqlserver/2008/en/us/pricing.aspx[^] Standard is just the "full product" with some functionality disabled. So why is Datacenter more than 7 times as expensive? Because they can sell it for that. If they priced Datacenter at Standard price, they lose that extra revenue. If they priced Standard at Datacenter price, they lose sales, and so revenue. The product variations are there to maximise revenue, nothing more. The automobile industry is going that way too. Audi are introducing cars with all the wiring and motors for electric seats, and those are "enabled" at the dealer for a fee.

                    Server and Network Monitoring

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                    • C Chris Maunder

                      http://www.crunchgear.com/2010/09/19/intel-selling-scratch-off-upgrade-cars-to-unlock-processor-power/[^] Wow.

                      cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP

                      E Offline
                      E Offline
                      El Corazon
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #10

                      If my brother still worked at Intel, I'd swear that would have him written all over it. He's the ultimate used car salesman...

                      _________________________ John Andrew Holmes "It is well to remember that the entire universe, with one trifling exception, is composed of others." Shhhhh.... I am not really here. I am a figment of your imagination.... I am still in my cave so this must be an illusion....

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                      • C Chris Maunder

                        http://www.crunchgear.com/2010/09/19/intel-selling-scratch-off-upgrade-cars-to-unlock-processor-power/[^] Wow.

                        cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP

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                        R Offline
                        Rutvik Dave
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #11

                        Wow... few years later... Now releasing Intel Core i12, redeem your coupon to make your 1 year old Core i7 processor, the new Core i12. :omg: This is ridiculous.

                        K 1 Reply Last reply
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                        • C Christian Graus

                          I am not surprised. It's probably cheaper to produce one chip and sell an unlock than it is to produce two, as well as providing a way to onsell without having to ship anything. Modern commerce is not based on selling items based on the cost of manufacture plus a profit, but on selling something for as much of a margin as possible. I've heard of other consumer products where the basic model is essentially the deluxe model without the control panel to use the deluxe features, which are still on the circuit board.

                          Christian Graus Driven to the arms of OSX by Vista. Read my blog to find out how I've worked around bugs in Microsoft tools and frameworks.

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                          R Offline
                          realJSOP
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #12

                          Christian Graus wrote:

                          I've heard of other consumer products where the basic model is essentially the deluxe model without the control panel to use the deluxe features, which are still on the circuit board.

                          This is only true for things that you buy, Christian. You'd be real surprised to find out what a macBook can really do.

                          .45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly
                          -----
                          "Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass..." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997
                          -----
                          "The staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - J. Jystad, 2001

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                          • J Joe Simes

                            Wow that is kind of like the undercoating car salesmen try to get you to buy!! Last new car I bought I passed on the undercoating and when I got the new vehicle home I climbed underneath and guess what I found? Black goopy stuff sprayed all over the underside of the chassis.

                            J Offline
                            J Offline
                            JimmyRopes
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #13

                            The car hasn't been in an accident and you are seeing cadmium yellow primer. It just used to be a yellow car and we gave it a paint job. :~

                            Simply Elegant Designs JimmyRopes Designs
                            Think inside the box! ProActive Secure Systems
                            I'm on-line therefore I am. JimmyRopes

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                            • C Chris Losinger

                              i would never write an application which could expose or hide features based on information found in the license file. never. never ever.

                              image processing toolkits | batch image processing

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                              M Offline
                              Member 96
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #14

                              Then you'd be firmly in the minority. It's been accepted practice in the software world for decades not surprising that Intel is simply taking a page from software. I just installed Windows server 2008 for testing and the CD contained *every* version of windows server 2008 and the license key only unlocks the version it's for which you choose upon installation.


                              “If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people together to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea” - Antoine de Saint-Exupery

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                              • R Rutvik Dave

                                Wow... few years later... Now releasing Intel Core i12, redeem your coupon to make your 1 year old Core i7 processor, the new Core i12. :omg: This is ridiculous.

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                                K Offline
                                Kyudos
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #15

                                I don't see why it is ridiculous. As CG said earlier, lots of other bits of hardware do this, why not computers? My dishwasher has all the control circuitry of the 'deluxe' model, but only the fascia and cabling of a lower spec model. My DVD player is multi-region capable and is only soft-locked to a region on purchase (most DVD players seem to work like this). Why should computer hardware be the exception?

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                                • C Chris Losinger

                                  i would never write an application which could expose or hide features based on information found in the license file. never. never ever.

                                  image processing toolkits | batch image processing

                                  L Offline
                                  L Offline
                                  Lost User
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #16

                                  Why? I've got an application slated for it's first release next year. There are 6 planned versions, all based on different licenses. Doing it this way is economical for me and it allows my customers to upgrade to more complex features if they need them, without having to reinstall (which in many cases has to involve corporate IT departments). Is there a downside I'm not aware of? Cheers, Drew.

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                                  • M Member 96

                                    Then you'd be firmly in the minority. It's been accepted practice in the software world for decades not surprising that Intel is simply taking a page from software. I just installed Windows server 2008 for testing and the CD contained *every* version of windows server 2008 and the license key only unlocks the version it's for which you choose upon installation.


                                    “If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people together to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea” - Antoine de Saint-Exupery

                                    C Offline
                                    C Offline
                                    Chris Losinger
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #17

                                    sometimes i'm too dry :suss:

                                    image processing toolkits | batch image processing

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                                    • C Chris Losinger

                                      sometimes i'm too dry :suss:

                                      image processing toolkits | batch image processing

                                      M Offline
                                      M Offline
                                      Member 96
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #18

                                      Damn, no you weren't, I was too stupid. :doh:


                                      “If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people together to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea” - Antoine de Saint-Exupery

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                                      • M Member 96

                                        Damn, no you weren't, I was too stupid. :doh:


                                        “If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people together to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea” - Antoine de Saint-Exupery

                                        J Offline
                                        J Offline
                                        Jim Crafton
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #19

                                        Yes but it was still comical :)

                                        ¡El diablo está en mis pantalones! ¡Mire, mire! SELECT * FROM User WHERE Clue > 0 0 rows returned Save an Orange - Use the VCF! Personal 3D projects Just Say No to Web 2 Point Blow

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                                        • C Chris Maunder

                                          http://www.crunchgear.com/2010/09/19/intel-selling-scratch-off-upgrade-cars-to-unlock-processor-power/[^] Wow.

                                          cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP

                                          M Offline
                                          M Offline
                                          Mustafa Ismail Mustafa
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #20

                                          Didn't IBM used to do something like this?

                                          If the post was helpful, please vote, eh! Current activities: Playing Star Craft II. Don't bother me, eh? Now and forever, defiant to the end. What is Multiple Sclerosis[^]?

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