Windows 8 Tablets Now With Added Bootloader Locks!
Unlike the desktop and laptop markets it seems tablets are being increasingly treated like smartphones when it comes to locking down the system. Of course many smarphones and tablets that have locked bootloaders have been successfully busted open by community developers and hackers but when it comes to Windows 8 things are looking concerning.
Windows 8 is intended to run on both tablets and full desktop systems which could be a fantastic boon when it comes to application design and making working on both a tablet and a PC simple and useful. However Gizmodo are reporting that Windows 8 tablets running ARM processors (commonly used in many Android devices) are going to have solidly locked bootloaders with no option for manufacturers or end users to legitimately disable the ‘SecureBoot’ process.
Firstly this kills the idea of easily dual-booting a Windows 8 tablet with Android but it also hampers the sort of innovation and advancements that come from a vast community of interested, and capable, people being able to really tinker with a system. It will also no doubt be poorly received by the more technical folk of the world who revel in tweaking and highly customising their kit to their needs.
Then again the market Microsoft will likely be aiming Windows 8 tablets at is probably not that technical end which is foolish as such folk often help push popular use of technical kit (except Apple kit, of course, which is pushed by shiny shiny marketing 
)
Ven and 
Tim 1:22 pm on January 16, 2012 Permalink |
What are ‘bootloaders’ ?
Ven 1:25 pm on January 16, 2012 Permalink |
The process on a PC / tablet / phone that starts the device up and initiates the operating system. Often the bootloader can be modified or replaced to allow loading of alternative software – most commonly on Android phones and tablets to scrub off the default flavor of Android and replace it with something like Cyanogenmod of MIUI.