I’m revisiting Microsoft’s Genuine Advantage program this week, in light of the introduction of a new WGA Notifications tool for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. (Microsoft’s official description is here; the download page is here.) As background, I thought it might be interesting to post a brief history of how Microsoft’s anti-piracy programs have evolved through the generations. This post is mainly just a factual recitation. Ill refer back to it in the follow-up posts where I analyze the effects of these and other, related changes in Microsoft software over the years. Note: I believe that all of the details in this post are accurate, but Im continuing to research the topic and plan to post additions, updates, and...