Palladium and classic computing

From: Frank McConnell <fmc_at_reanimators.org>
Date: Thu Jun 27 23:55:16 2002

"Bill Sudbrink" <wh.sudbrink_at_verizon.net> wrote:
> Basically, the ID in the PIII is disabled by all standard BIOSs... AWARD,
> etc. (although it can be enabled by software) and, in any Pentium 1.5GHz or
> faster, there is no ID or supporting circuits in the silicon.

It's this "it can be enabled by software" bit that I was getting at.
As I remember it, there was a great hue and cry from privacy advocates,
Intel said "look, we'll make it disabled by default, and give people
software they can use to turn it on", and the privacy advocates said
"well, then, that's OK" and got quiet. Hello? If I can run some
software to enable ID reporting, why wouldn't any closed-source software
provider who really wants to know just have their software enable ID
reporting, get the ID, then restore/disable ID reporting to cover its
tracks?

Anyway, it looks like something did happen: it got little enough use
that Intel dropped the feature. Or...maybe they just see that
something even better for this purpose is coming.

-Frank McConnell
Received on Thu Jun 27 2002 - 23:55:16 BST