Apples EFI
Apple is just as bad as Microsoft. To my surprise, all versions as of Snow Leopard refuse to recognize any WIN XP installation media - you have to have WIN 7. You have to install the older version Leopard if you want the system to accept XP. So the EFI-Chip is obviously rewritable Firmware. When you install Leopard, it tells EFI to accept XP, when you install Snow Leopard it changes EFI and tells it to only accept WIN7. I've tried it out several times just to make sure. So the monopolist Apple is working hand in hand with the other monopolist Microsoft to squeeze the rest of humanity.
Same applies to 6 brand new Lenovo U400. You cannot install Ubuntu on them (installation process stops just shortly before completion). Again tried this out with all sorts of different versions of Ubuntu. Fedora can be installed, but only imperfectly: if you try to play a DVD, it asks for permission to download extra software. Afterwards it says it can't find its own repositories.
A technician from Lenovo I spoke to yesterday recognized my plight. When I further complained about the cutting edges of U400 (the side of my right hand was extremely soar and very red after about 1/2 hour of use, because the aluminium rest is absolutely 90 and not rounded) the technician explained to me this was due to Apple patent on rounded aluminium edges.
Welcome to the new world of llimited freedom.
