Yeah...the only thing I like about my Linux machine is it's not windows...Ugh...
I suspect it's all just a driver/firmware thing. Windows won't supply that, which is by no means an industry first. If the company who makes the drive supplies the driver (most do), it's no big deal. I have a few drivers in my Windows machine not signed by microsoft, they work fine.

If the article does in fact mean a 32-bit OS is incapable of supporting HD-DVD (can't imagine how a workaround wouldn't be possible) then the anti-piracy nazis have pulled another fast one on us.
Oh well, at least Intel would start pushing 64-bit if HD-DVD took off