I don't know if this question already is up or not but is there any chance that you might cooperate with Microsoft, so when people buy their Operative Systems, FAH already is installed? That would help FAH to grow anymore. Or Nvidias and Radeons products to, on the CD you also get a FAH installation if you want to.
I really want FAH to grow and this is the best ways I guess If they have it on their CDs, people will then trust them.
The folks at FAH have talked to Microsoft in the past and probably will again. My hunch is that MS isn't interested.
When your installation CD or new computer comes with preinstalled prepackage software (antivirus, taxes, multimedia, whatever) the companies that make those successful agreements are selling something and they can afford to pay Microsoft to put the software there. Research grants support essentially all of FAH, and they don't allow that money to be used for anything resembling advertising. I doubt MS will be including it as a part of their altruistic support for science. Similarly, I don't expect a FAH client for X-Box (even if it had enough processing power to be useful, which has been seriously questioned).
In the F@h EULA is written "You may use this software on a computer system only if you own the system or have the written permission of the owner.". You can't force anyone to participate in F@H. AMD have integrated F@H in the installer of the Catalyst, but it's up to the user if he'll use it or not. Your suggestion is to include it in Windows, but since Microsoft no longer gives the user right to choose Windows components on installer level, this is mission impossible. It will break the EULA, because it will install F@H without the user permission and knowledge.
It would be not impossible, because windows could e.g. ask after installing and first successful boot, whether you want to save the world by installing F@H.
However, Microsoft might not do that for one reason: Another source of troubles. bugs and problems. The normal windows client is a nice piece of software, but it is not 100% cooperative with other applications. Most of the time (99.9%) it works really well, but I had already one game that suffered from a significant frame drop (it was a bad coded one either way, with memory leak problems) and 2 or so which would constantly switch to the windows desktop. (I believe it was Rainbow Six 3 and Lock On)
Maybe these problems don't occur anymore with the newer 6.xx clients, but there will always be the danger of f@h hindering the work of other applications and an OS should not tend to do that at all costs. It is completely fine if you voluntarily install f@h and know what it is, because you then just switch off f@h, if encountering any problems, but if it is already preinstalled, people who have no idea what f@h is and just install everything the installer is offering you, might be pissed of by reduced performance and/or bugs.
Furthermore, many people don't like noisy computers and f@h can let certain computers, especially notebooks, scream, which would be frustrating for people who also would have no idea why that is, even if they voluntarily installed f@h at start-up
A possible solution would be to inform the user intensively what they are installing, however, who reads the installation instructions, anyways?
This suggestions appeared when a lot of people I talk to just say that they don't want shit or virus on their computers. But if real comapnies would have this, then computer users probably would be interested.
FAH shouldn't be installed at Microsoft, maybe just a document with a small guide. A download link, photos and some text. Maybe just to make people knowing what it is, if they want it or not. If 10 million peopled read that document that appears when Microsoft starts for the first time then over a million probably would join.
I think it's a great idea if there is a "Install FAH and save the world" icon on the desktop. The real question is how to convince Microsoft that they should do it. I suspect that bruce is right about one thing: The only way to convince Microsoft is with money.
Hardware configuration: First is my iMac, Second is the one I've loaned my brother, third is..awaiting parts so is running out of a cardboard box 2.33, 2.5, 2.8ghz Core 2 Duo 2GB, 4GB, 1GB DDR2 RAM ATI X1600, Nvidia IGP, SiS IGP Mac, Windows, NotFred's LiveCD(for now)
the part of the F@H EULA saying "only install on computers you have permission to run it on" is null with a MS Windows install, if MS included it, due to the fact that it would certainly be a part of their EULA, and accepting their EULA would be giving permission to run F@H. Thing is, though, that MS -won't- do this. It kills battery life on laptops, and uses more electricity because the CPU is actually in use most of the time, it is a bad thing for too many users of windows for it to be included. However, if MS would put an advert on their website, with a few bits of information and recommendations of what are good scenarios for people to run it(such as on a laptop that won't be disconnected from AC for more than a minute or 2, desktops that aren't going to be shut off, ever, etc.) It might be possible, but money would still need to be involved, finding a way for it to reduce their taxes in some way would be the best bet.
Team EXEON ALIANCE, 116480. We will conquer Canada just to rename it Canadia. Till then, sticking to the warm weather of Florida.
This is way I don't like Microsoft, but also because Vista sucks.
Help science, regular people like us helps. But they, with billions of dollars can't help science. That shows the world how rich people react. I think of testing Linux. Its more heart and soul in it. We should suggest them to have this icon or document on their system?
Its bad that Gates not are involved in Microsoft anymore
If they have it on their CDs, people will then trust them.