Anyway the problem that immediately occurred to me was backward compatibility.
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Yes, well apparently - at least for now - this does not appear to be something Redmond cares about. The game is all or nothing it would seem.
About which...
Windows 2003 compatibility issues upset some IT pros
By CAROL SLIWA MAY 05, 2003
Some IT managers aren't happy. Others are more understanding. But all of those planning to upgrade to Windows Server 2003 will find that many older versions of Microsoft Corp.'s most popular server applications won't run on the new operating system.
<snip>
full at
http://www.computerworld.com/softwaretopics/os/windows/story/0,10801,80931,00.html
My guess: retro-fitting older apps to join the digital rights management matrix is seen as more trouble than it's worth. Through monopoly pressure, Redmond probably hopes to force - sooner or later - customers onto the new platform. Once there, locked in by OS, applications and hardware, the circle, to paraphrase a pop culture villain, will be complete.
There are, I'm told, emerging economic theories (or clever adaptations of existing ones) that seek to provide explanations for this sort of thing. I'd be curious to learn more about that.
DRM
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