WGA

Windows Genuine Advantage. It is a system from Microsoft that detects whether or not you have a genuine copy of Windows, and if not, displays annoying messages and denies access to many Windows downloads. WGA is prone to failure.

Oh crap... WGA keeps popping up a box telling me my Windows isn't genuine. Now I cant download Media Player 11. What the fuck, I've got the COA right here!

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software piracy

The act of illegally copying and distributing commercial software. Software piracy can range from simply letting a friend "borrow" a CD-ROM to actually selling pirated software and passing it off as genuine.

Software companies employ various methods to fight piracy, including product activation and CD keys.

My friend let me borrow his Office CD; I accepted, even though this was software piracy.

Those guys selling copies of Windows Vista Ultimate for $15 a copy are guilty of software piracy.

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key generator

A program that uses brute force to obtain a valid product key for a software product. This is often used to bypass Microsoft's product activation without installing a crack.

My friend used a key generator to get a product key for her copy of Microsoft Office, since she didn't have the COA.

COA

Certificate of Authenticity. It is a holographic sticker that comes with Microsoft software (including Windows and Office) and is usually attached to the side or bottom of a computer to indicate that the software installed on the computer is genuine (not pirated).

My copy of Windows XP is genuine; I have the COA stuck to the side panel of my computer.

I bought a copy of Windows for $10 from some guy in an alley, and it didn't come with a COA. No wonder Microsoft refuses to activate it for me!

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geek

Somebody who is very good with computers and does not have a normal social life.

Sometimes the term "geek" can be used to describe someone with a strong interest for something other than computers.

I'm a computer geek. I can set up Active Directory, write an executable program, and run Windows in a virtual machine, but there's no way I can ask a girl out on a date.

She's a history geek.

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product activation

An anti-piracy scheme created by Microsoft which requires users to "activate" their copy of Windows or Office. Activation sends your product key and a unique hardware identifier to Microsoft, so they know that a given copy of Windows is installed on a given PC. If a user tries to install that same copy of Windows on another computer, they are blocked. Activation is usually done automatically over the internet, but can also be done by calling Microsoft and talking to a rep.

Product activation was designed to stop piracy. But the only thing it's succeeded in stopping is the installation of legitimate copies of Windows by users who rightfully own it. Activation often fails when someone upgrades the hardware in their computer (since the hardware identifier is different). People who pirate software can easily get around product activation by use of cracks and key generators.

When I reinstalled Windows on my computer, it failed product activation, because I had replaced my processor and video card.

I downloaded a cracked copy of Windows off of Warez and it doesn't even try to activate itself!

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aero

The new interface in Windows Vista. Aero uses hardware rendering, and thus is smoother than previous Windows interfaces. It allows application windows to have translucent borders, and allows you to flip through your windows in 3D.

Aero was originally an acronym for "Authentic, Energetic, Reflective, Open". However this acronym has been dropped.

Aero requires a premium edition of Vista (Home Premium, Business, Ultimate), at least 1GB of RAM, and a 128MB 3D-enabled video card.

My new Vista computer's running Aero. I love the transparent borders and all the eye candy.

What the fuck? My Vista Basic laptop with 512MB of RAM doesn't have Aero!

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