I was wondering how tight the OS manufacturing companies will be of constant communication with cloud? I refer here to the need to eliminate any running illegal copies of OS? I think cloud can be used to perhaps end piracy of operating systems. On the other hand you loose the freedom to work with software you bought. What do you think?
It’s a moot point.<p>The “OS companies” are already there. Windows, macOS, and iOS all send vast amounts of telemetry to the cloud.<p>Apple is aware of all hackintosh installs out there. Microsoft is aware of all un-activated Windows installs.<p>Clearly now, unlike the old days, they’re not too concerned about it. I remember a couple of times where Apple quietly issued a macOS fix that fixed a hackintosh-specific issue.<p>Pirated installs get additional users onto their service platforms. Their cloud service platforms are what OS vendors care about.
It's less about piracy and more about collecting data for advertising purposes. Microsoft for example couldn't care less about "piracy" nowadays, in fact Windows 10 will work just fine without being activated and the only restrictions are cosmetic annoyances like not being able to change wallpapers or accent colours.