X64 versions (non_OEM_SLP) must be able to boot from BIOS as well. Otherwise all x64 CPUs which are on a motherboard with BIOS cannot run W8. This means most of the Nehalem I7 CPUs... and many others. If you are right then it would mean secure boot is no condition / specification of OA3.0. I rather think there will be no x32 OEM_SLP license at all, since all modern CPUs are ARM or X64.... I also think secure boot is essential for OA3.0 only. For anything else it is optional.
CPU's like Intel ATOM stay on x86 What we should see: x86/x64/ARM forced UEFI for OEM, maybe a "upgrade" solution for OEMs so they can distribute a new BIOS for older models and sell a W8 upgrade disc, but all NEW OEM should require UEFI, but there also might be some small OEM's who get allowed to use BIOS cause of their limited resources to go with UEFI as standard, but if MS is strict only "upgrade" solutions could be allowed (im kinda sure there will be BIOS with new OEM Activation cause of that, dropping support for "upgrades" results in a huge revenue loss and upgrading from BIOS to UEFI won't happen) non OEM Win8 won't require UEFI, secure boot or anything else.
The crux of how easy it can be mimicked is: Will secure boot be a part of OA3.0 specifications....M$ better does if they want to prevent loaders and mods..and I guess they will..
So some parts of this product key is part of the well leaked key for WDP. Never heard of this before, so I am a bit lost on that.
Thanks for this info. I know that secure boot is no feature of w8. It cannot be one since there are a lot of BIOSes that need to start W8. My thoughts pointed to another direction. OA2.0 and 2.1 use ACPI related specifications. ACPI is found at BIOS and at (U)EFI. The OEM_SLP activation specifications contain also ACPI specifications. (SLIC is basically an ACPITable and follows the ACPI specifications). Secure boot specifications will be realized at (U)EFI only. So the question is: Will OA3.0 'use' secure boot specifications? OA3.0 specifications are made by M$ AND the OEMs....so it's easy to say for M$ that they don't 'restrict' anything, but the OEMs can use 'secure' features. Fact is that windows needs to control the boot process to prevent another loader for W8.... But you are right, let's see what will happen...
Now I wonder. Microsoft refuses to implement 32-bit UEFI support (or atleast has refused to implement it so far), while they will apparently require UEFI for OEM preinstalled machines. The Intel Atom only supports 32-bit mode. Does that mean, no Atom machines with preinstalled Windows 8? (BTW, I really hope they do implement 32-bit UEFI boot. My Aspire 5720G has a 32-bit UEFI, and due to MS's stubbornness, I'm forced to use it in BIOS emulation mode.)
Its so funny MS going around saying secure boot will protect users, all it'll protect is MS from us. Not for too long hopefully. But even if loaders are fubar'd kms and rearm reset still stays? unless they finger that also.
I watched one of these BUILD Videos about UEFI, someone asked about Secure Boot and 32bit, i don't remember what exactly he said, but it was something like this: there is no Secure boot for 32bit right now but they are looking for a solution to allow Secure boot on such machines. Also they showed a Atom Tablet on the 1st Keynote, but it run really sluggish.
How should 64-bit EFI code work on a 32 bit CPU? The only thing is emulation...and that's no real implementation.