[wonder if the xhtml worx like I think it does?]

Cristi, I am glad to hear that Microsoft has finally decided to do something significant about piracy. I would have taken an extra step in this direction: if users fail to authenticate their license, then their copy of Windows should be set into a limited functionality/demo mode. From the security point of view, it is bad that millions of computers with illegal Windows copies will no longer be able to get critical updates, thus have a high risk of getting infected. But consider how many Windows users do update their operating system, automatically or manually: very, very few. Therefore, the fact that the Internet is and will have many vulnerable Windows computers is very little related to Microsoft’s measure. Besides, I expect this change in update access policy to be only one step in Microsoft’s anti-piracy campaign, with more changes to follow. Cyber criminals shouldn’t have the same benefits as legitimate users of Windows, such as access to free updates.