Re: [NTLK] NID [Was: Help]

From: Paul Guyot (pguyot_at_kallisys.net)
Date: Thu Jun 28 2001 - 13:57:20 PDT


>So the DS2401 is just an ID chip and nothing else?

Yes.

>Is the only point of using a chip like this on the logic board to
>uniquely identify the hardware? Or are there other chunks of the NOS
>that use the ID number (like Tow's NewtonID)?

Any software can access it. But the Newton Operating System doesn't
use it AFAIK.

>I'm probably missing something blatantly obvious, but I find it rather
>interesting that this type of thing would exist in a PDA.

True.

But if you look at the NewtonOS, it's very vulnerable (more than
Outlook Express if this could be possible) to viruses and also to spy
software which is the great argument against this kind of hardware
identification. In spite of this, there is no known virus for the
Newton (except the addiction the OS could cause, maybe) and no
spyware. Probably because it wasn't spread enough, but maybe also
because it's not the kind of thought you can have when working with
this OS, even if you are a naughty script kiddie. Well I think. ;-)

Paul

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