Are they mad? Or is it me?

Using my Mac I can't download from Microsoft, because I'm not running a genuine copy of Microsoft Windows. Well, *_der_*. The Microsoft MSDN subscriber downloads I can understand, they use the completely ridiculous File Transfer Manager - some crappy "download manager" from 1999 given a tart up and stamped with the MS brand - to restrict access. My employer (who pays for the MSDN subscription) uses a Microsoft proxy server which the file manager won't go through [my irony detector is tingling] so I used to download things at home and burn them onto CD for work. This file transfer software won't work on a Mac of course.

Edit: this includes products like Virtual PC for Mac - you need to be using Windows within Virtual PC on a Mac in order to download Virtual PC on a Mac. As my MSDN subscription comes on DVD and my iBook doesn't have a DVD drive it is annoying not to be able to simply download the item, but as we can all observe the sky is still in place.

Well, if protecting Microsoft's market share was the purpose of this restriction, then it has kind of worked - I will have to keep a PC around still. Not that I am angling to get rid of it - I am looking forward to trying Microsoft Vista, and I read today that I will get the full AquaGlass experience as I have a fancy graphics card I bought to play Doom 3 twice, and I am itching to see how much they have ripped off from OSX. Have to solve the no-monitor-attached problem, though, I suppose. Still, Vista's not going to be out for a long time yet.

But then I was interested in the Vista User Experience guidelines - user interface and design recommendations for the new operating system. Not so fast! I am told: "You are not using Windows. Fuck Off" [paraphrased]

Again I have to use Windows before I can read about Windows? How do they ever expect to win any converts to this new recursive operating system of theirs??