MSDNAA Rant

[Westyfield2]

Before I get sent back to the Mac corner.... I'm a lifelong Windows user, and have only recently switched to Macs. Today I'd use Windows 7 on a custom built PC for gaming, and Mac OS X on a Mac as a laptop . And infact, that's what I do.


I want to install Windows on my Mac laptop, as that's what I take into Uni with me everyday and as we're being taught Visual Studio I kinda need Windows, not OS X. Yes I know I've got Windows on my Desktop PC, but as that's in my bedroom I want it on my laptop too.

On my laptop I don't want Windows installed natively. I'm using VMware Fusion for Virtual Machines, as I'm gonna have multiple Windows and Unix and Linux VMs on the go, but obviously I'll only copy over to the laptop the one I need for that week/whatever. Similarly on my gaming PC I'll be using VMs.

Man that's a long preamble.


Anyways, my Uni has MSDNAA so off I go to it. Get a license key for Windows 7 Professional 64bit fine . Hit the download button to get the ISO and within a few seconds it's done. Blimey, that was quick I thought.

Open up my downloads folder and it's not an ISO . It's an EXE that will then run/install a downloader for it. I've got two problems with this.

One, I hate the ways companies do this. Just give me the file I'm after. If it's too big for my browser to download, I'll use a download manager program of my choice, or FTP. Heck you could do what some companies do and use torrents. I don't want your piece of **** download manager thanks.

Two, your download manager program is an EXE. That's Windows only. I'm downloading the ISO to install Windows on my Mac..... but to get at the ISO I need Windows to install their download manager program. But to have Windows to install their download manager program into I need Windows. Oh wait. Genius.


Obviously my solution isn't hard, all I need to do is go and install their piece of **** download manager onto my gaming PC, but just grrrrr .


P.S. Yes I know about Wine.

 

[Westyfield2]

Microsoft don't give the MD5/SHA-1 of the ISO, so I don't have a clue whether I should be, ahem, downloading OEM or Retail (and also when the EXE ISO download is done I can't verify that properly! )

to be fair, you are getting all the software for free (and legally).

Like the average student cares whether they're licensed legally or not!


What I find funny is I've met graduates who have just started working and suddenly found what licenses cost. After spending their time at Uni buying into the Microsoft way of doing things they're now shocked when every license has to be bought for £££.

Personally, I don't see why your uni doesn't have local copies of the ISOs to stop needless external traffic. That's what Southampton do, so you can get full gigiabit bandwidth.

You mean JANET bandwidth doesn't grow on trees?
Though yeah, that would be far more sensible.