[J65nko]

From http://h-online.com/-1349170

Microsoft responds to secure boot accusations - Update

Recent suggestions that Microsoft is attempting to lock out Linux through the use of secure boot in Windows 8 have been refuted by Steven Sinofsky, president of the company's Windows and Windows Live division. In a Building Windows 8 blog posting introduced by Sinofsky, he diplomatically refers to "some comments about how Microsoft implemented secure boot" and how "unfortunately these seemed to synthesize scenarios that are not the case".

The posting continues with an explanation, from Microsoft program manager Tony Mangefeste, of the mechanisms used and the purposes of those mechanisms as they are used in Windows 8. "Most customers will have their systems protected against boot loader attacks", says Mangefeste but "For the enthusiast who wants to run older operating systems, the option is there to allow you to make that decision". He points out that the Samsung tablet distributed at the //BUILD/ conference with Windows 8's Developer Preview allows for secure boot to be easily disabled. "At the end of the day, the customer is in control of their PC. Microsoft’s philosophy is to provide customers with the best experience first, and allow them to make decisions themselves".