In the magazine CPU (Computer Power User), they did a 2-page spread on Palladium. The way they described it, it didn't sound so harmful, but then again why would a magazine do a 2-page spread on something just to flame it?

http://www.computerpoweruser.com/editorial/article.asp?article=articles%2Farchive%2Fc0212%2F32c12%2F32c12%2Easp&guid=edssf13o&searchtype=0&WordList=palladium

Or perhaps if the truth is told, people won't be as worried, for the truth does not always sway toward the cynic.

Robot Janus, the facts never hurt...
not if your on the up and up that is...

Here is another look at Palladium.
excerpt:

" In a June 2002 submission to BSDVault, one user noted that the user agreement in Microsoft's Windows Media Player allows the company to: "provide security related updates to the OS Components that will be automatically downloaded onto your computer. These security related updates may disable your ability to copy and/or play Secure Content and use other software on your computer." This allows Microsoft to control components of the users' operating systems without notice or consent. "
http://www.epic.org/privacy/consumer/microsoft/palladium.html

As far as controlling pirating goes, this is great and a positive step toward it, but the adverse effects could well out-weigh any positives it might gain in that area.
Considering Microsoft has a nasty habit of providing Security Patches and or Updates which punch holes in System Security just as often as they slap duct-tape on them. I do not care for this part of the evolution...

Seriously, I mean you can not even claim their track record of updates are buggy, they are pretty much roach motels...

Which is why just about every Lan/Wan Administrator's I deal with pic's and chooses the parts of service packs they will install and also security patches...

Palladium is key to it and is the driving force behind it...

anyway...

I certainly do not think that the coming of Palladium will effect the net community much. Day by day, people are getting more and more acquainted with their pcs. They will eventually be able to make the decisions for themselves, for their good and theeir bad. And what the heck are we worried about? Even today, when so many swear by XP, I doubt that more than 10% of the total pc users have switched to it. Here in India, we still have people swearing by good ol' 98. Damn '98, our schools still teach DOS!!! (the forgotten language of our ancestors)