I didn't say I didn't see a security issue (minor though it may be). I said that security is not the reason for this "fix" - the effort required for secure boot is completely out of balance with the potential exposure this plugs.
And if Microsoft is indeed pressuring vendors not to include an option to turn secure boot off, this is an ominous turn of events that would indeed force buyers to chooses carefully.
But as I said, I believe that those people who ask their tech buddies which computer to buy will be steered towards computers that give the option, or have no secure boot at all. This will ultimately force the vendors to discontinue models that lock down secure boot.
MS is pushing this so-called "secure boot" purely to prevent boot loaders from functioning. There is no "security exposure" that this plugs, this is a "piracy exposure" fix.
The only people who install pirated versions of Windows are typically more technically inclined - Joe Plumber isn't installing his own pirated version. Neither is Joe Plumber setting his machine to dual-boot to Linux.
If vendors do not include a way to bypass the "Secure Boot" option, this will NOT affect Joe Plumber, it will only affect his technician buddy. And his technician buddy will have an alternative crack for Windows 8 if the boot loader doesn't work.
But when Joe Plumber asks his technician buddy which computer he should buy, do you think the technician will recommend a computer with a BIOS that doesn't allow you to bypass secure boot? I think not.
So computer vendors have every reason to include secure boot and turn it on by default (so they can get the Windows 8 logo), but they also have every reason to include an option to turn it off (which Microsoft allows).
So I believe this will be a non-issue at Windows 8 launch, or perhaps several months later.
And if Microsoft is indeed pressuring vendors not to include an option to turn secure boot off, this is an ominous turn of events that would indeed force buyers to chooses carefully.
But as I said, I believe that those people who ask their tech buddies which computer to buy will be steered towards computers that give the option, or have no secure boot at all. This will ultimately force the vendors to discontinue models that lock down secure boot.