So what happens if you're using the chipset-based encryption to encrypt all files on your hard drive, and then your motherboard craps out? Is there any way to recover the files from your drive, or are you SOL?

Is Intel really building an entire platform for the tin-foil hat crowd? There can't be that many of them.

I can see why you might want to encrypt your entire drive, but if your mobo goes bad....

Marketing / politics work better if you can convince the people that they are getting security, not losing their rights.

"It'll be left to software to provide a front end to all this for the user, Intel said, presumably through utilities and the operating system."

Translation: We have already released the SDK to the studios.

vPRO seems like a whole lot of money and effort to remotely work out if a hard disk has failed (which requires a Techie on-site anyway) ... ho humm.

One wonders what the position would be if one of those software front ends 'accidentally' encrypted all your own personal and legally acquired material.

The MS helpforums are peppered with desparate pleas from users's who've turned-on EFS while not understanding it properly, and lost all their data.

This is potentially much worse, it could for example lead to a situation where a simple mobo replacement (with identical model) means all the data on the HD is lost. Have Intel considered their responsibility to their resellers here? Such a situation is simply not acceptable, repair-facilities HAVE to be able to replace defective parts with identical components, without this resulting in a disaster. If they cannot do this, then effectively the computer's warranty is meaningless.

"It'll be left to software to provide a front end to all this for the user, Intel said, presumably through utilities and the operating system."

Translation: Help, does anyone know how to secure information?

First imitating AMD's 86_64 architecture and alliances with FPGA partners.

Now imitating Via's on-chi[p true RNG, encryption and RSA acceleration.

Innovation the Intel way. What's next? Imitating Cell?

To be honest if your mobo dies and you do not have a backup of your data that is on your laptop then you deserve to lose your data :)

Encryption is just a technology, so much more is needed to 'secure' something. Encryption alone is a combination lock looking for a safe. Admittedly this will be an impressive combination lock but still the rest of the architecture needs to be secured somewhat before it gets into tinfoil hat territory.