Power to the Bimbos
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| Carwash, JB-style |
Surprisingly, the hunt was a lot more exciting than I had initially thought. While the first couple of shops were just routine stopovers, with me not expecting any success (as I didn’t get, anyway), the subsequent string of outlets became a bit of a chase—a game, almost—to see which vendor would trust me enough to tell me why they weren’t selling it, how many they sold a day and where someone as wide-eyed as I could get a pirated copy of Windows Vista.
Moving from one mall to a far shabbier (read: dodgier) mall, we finally found success in our eighth outlet, which claimed that our copy was the last one they had. Apparently, Windows Vista is flying off the (pirated) shelves.
The only catch is, the shops were selling different versions. Most sold the 30-day trial version, which really shouldn’t even be sold, since it’s available freely for evaluation. But I don’t think I can even think about legalities and moral values at this point.
Some shops said to buy the 30-day trial and crack it myself with help online. Those seemed wary. Perhaps they were on their guard for officious-looking folk like us. (While we were merely quaking in our pants, in case they got annoyed we were snooping about.)
Finally, the eighth shop said that the crack was within, bundled with a helpful little readme file. What I thought especially interesting is that often, cracks don’t come elaborately detailed within a CD, unless the copy really wasn’t permanently cracked in the first place. Usually, it’s a cracked or duplicated copy, with the readme containing little information apart from a serial number to punch in.
The copy I obtained had a detailed instruction guide showing you how to work around the trial time by muddying your hands in the registry and wading around in the muck of Safe Mode for a bit. Sounds way complicated.
It was fun, all the same. Now, to do more homework on the whole thing…My first piece on investigative journalism and I came away with only one lesson: there is power in acting bimbotic. I found, towards the end, I was getting better responses by just shrugging and giggling when they tried to explain the cracks to me.
A shrug and two giggles later, I found a pirated copy in my hands, with the store clerk explaining to me, in depth with a computer demo, how to crack it.
Power to the bimbos. I should’ve just done that at the first shop.
Hah. Somehow I’m having difficulty imagining you doing the bimbo giggle+shrug move. In my head you just kinda look like you’re choking. :) You must demonstrate it for me.
I was actually suffocating from the pretence but choking—yup, close.
As i always say, “Power to the BIMBOS…!”
Since the topic was raised…
Does anyone figure that this could be one of the reasons why there is not enough females in engineering/technical industries? Because if they just play dumb instead of spending time figuring it out, that someone will help them with it and thus they can get more done and actually be more efficient?
I know I may rub some people wrong, but I actually have encountered examples of this.
I’m glad you have pointed out that females are more efficient by stepping on the unworthy toes of drooling engineers.
Surely Malaysia isn’t being beaten by Mexico!
ref: http://www.stuff.co.nz/3953830a28.html
Came here from dubdew’s blog - hope you don’t mind me over in that corner :)
Anyway since I’m a geek I had to comment on this one - detailed readme’s of instructions aren’t that surprising.
The warez groups that make these “releases” pride themselves on making complete releases, as better working “releases” fetch more points on the topsites ( See this wonderful article on wired for more info - http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/13.01/topsite.html).
I have seen readmes for warez-d games that comes with instructions on how to get around copy-protection for games - some of which can involve having to unplug your CD-drive :O
congrats on your new found alter ego vic!!
Hey Balaji> Thanks for the link, and thanks for popping over from dubdew’s. :) I just wrote a story on the whole thing, but to cut to the point, it didn’t work. It was one of the cracks that relied on the Windows Vista Release Candidate 1 release, which expires, so the crack will likewise “expire”, too, come June 1. Ohhh well.
Cy> Thank you, I had to find my inner bimbo since there were none around me to help out right then.
Yep, free trials of many titles being sold up here in the malls of Bangkok too. Often wondered why people would actually pay for a free trial when, like you say, you can download them for free. In my hunt for original software in Bangkok (please note that I failed) I was laughed at by various shop owners and told that Thais don’t like original, fake is better. Ho-hum!
Thinking about it from a technical point of view, it is actually very hard to crack Windows Vista and then repackage it as an install CD. As you said, you had to muck around with the registry, and access to the registry is difficult when everything is compressed in cabinet files. But anyway, since you’ve done all the hardwork of locating the lovely gem and since you work just a block away from me… would you mind letting a fellow geek get his hands dirty too? *wink* *nudge* =)
Ben> Haha, no problem, you know where to find me. ;)
Max> I realise! They say that about other things too, not just software, don’t they. It would’ve been easier to do my story in Bangkok, probably. Haha.
True, I’d never thought of it that way. As well as everything else they even prefer fake women here (Thai ladyboy). Hmm, fake software ok, maybe, but I prefer real woman! It’s a Thai thing I guess.
max> Good point on the ladyboy thing! Hmm.