Creative Labs, makers of sound cards that still don't work properly with Windows Vista, doesn't want fixed versions of its broken drivers on the net.
In a message to "Daniel_K," who repaired their broken software, Creative Labs' Phil O'Shaughnessy claims that by restoring functionality to Vista drivers that are offered in Windows XP versions, he is a thief.
"By enabling our technology and IP to run on sound cards for which it was not originally offered or intended, you are in effect, stealing our goods," writes O'Shaughnessy at Creative's forums.
Granted, Daniel_K is soliciting donations. Furthermore, the gear's end-user license agreement specifies, as is usual, that you can't tamper with its software. But why would a company set out to prevent people from helping one another fix problems in hardware it's already sold them?
The answer is the sad one you've probably learned to expect: O'Shaughnessy admits that Creative Labs intentionally crippled its Vista drivers as a business strategy.
"If we choose to develop and provide host-based processing features with certain sound cards and not others, that is a business decision that only we have the right to make."
Baffling, yes, but also its prerogative. You can easily find the fixed drivers.
I remember long ago, you could upgrade your Creative sound card simply with software, or a small modification. I haven't bought a Creative product since they destroyed Aureal as a company. I was never happy with their crap anyway.
