http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/25085.html

a summery provided by newsforge is

<quote>
Tuesday April 30, 2002 - [ 11:46 AM GMT ]
Topic - Other OSes
"If a PC shipped with Windows preinstalled, can you remove the OS and install Linux instead? Well, no, according to
Microsoft. A somewhat obscure Microsoft site aimed at helping schools deal with donated computers flatly states: 'It is a
legal requirement that pre-installed operating systems remain with a machine for the life of the machine." Read it and
weep at The Register.
</quote>

This IMHO is going to far .. I find it hard to beleave that anyone within the Microsoft corporation is able to mistakenly beleave that there is some law or clause in the Microsoft license stating that once you have installed windows on your PC it is illegal for you to remove it.. If that person truly posted this by mistake then the person concerned should not be representing Microsoft on a web site ..

It seems much more reasonable that this person was knowingly lying to school administrators to discourage the installation of another OS.

This is not an acceptable practice for any company to partake in .. certainly not one with such a reputation for underhand and illegal business practices..

I ask anyone who reads this site to make these actions known ... Anyone you talk to needs to know how far Microsoft is willing to go ..

there is no way Microsoft can be hurt legally over this those harmed just do not have the economic clout to harm Microsoft legally nowadays ..

But it is time that those potential customers of Microsoft spoke with there wallet.

The less you buy from Microsoft the more your money goes into other companies pockets ... The more likely one of them is to be able to produce an operating system that can compete with them ..

while for most of our less techy friends Microsoft is the only OS available that allows them to run there PC..

There are alternatives to most other software .. Encourage them to prefer this .. Stop buying Microsoft when you have any other option ..

This really cannot carry on when a company partake in a bold face Lie and tells a customer that not keeping there software is illegal ... They do not deserve to survive ..

They deserve bankruptcy

The only way this can be archived is to encourage more and more people to avoid whatever software they are able to ... spread there money into companies that can invest it in competitive operating system development ..

This is the only solution to a over powerful and illegally obtained monopoly .. We cannot rely on the courts anymore ..

Brilliant tactic.

Of course, also dispicable and reprehensible. But brilliant.

The methode is an act of geniuss

If they spent half as much time produceing reliable software we would all be a lot happier ...

But even then ... They do not deserve to be successfull as a buisness if they are willing to use such dispicable and reprehensible techniques.

Let me give you an example from some other field that would relate to this.

Your grandmother (I like grandmothers for examples make people seem so nasty ;-> ) has just purchased a small house ... But the drive is cracked .. I am the company that originally installed the drive ..

Me - "Hey Mrs Oldiebiddy I notice that yuour drive needs repairing. Would you like me to quote you on a repair."

Mrs Oldiebiddy - "Well acctully my grandson offered to sort that for me for free hes off buying the stuff now.."

Me - "Oh im sorry rMrs Oldiebiddy but you cant do that ... When I installed this drive I gained rights to any futher work that is carried out on it .. If you get your son to replace it with a new drive I will have to sue you."

Mrs Oldiebiddy - "Oh ... Oh so what must I do .. ?"

Me - " Well you have three choices you can leave the crack. or you can pay me to repair the crack ... Or I can sell you Me drive 2000 and install the concreate into your current space ... Erm but I think there maybe a space issue on that .. I dont think the materials used on 2000 will fit in your current drive space ... Sorry bout that ... you could buy a new house ? ...?"

While I admit this seems like a stupid conversation ... How many off us out there have anymore knowlege of licencing and IT law then Mrs Oldiebiddy has off real estate law ..

If Me. corp was caught practicing this sort of sales technique on any old grandmother ... It is fairly clear that I would end up in jail eventually ..

And in what way is the above conversation any different to the site claims by microsoft ?

Ok sooooo...what do we really have here? A perfect opportunity to mock MS legally. Just include the software/license/manuals with the computer but just tape it to the side of the computer. Or you could shred it all and make a nice mosaic on the side that says "this computer does not use microsoft"

"So where is the original pre-installed OS?" -Auditor

"It's right there on the side sir. We had the kids design them as a project for art class" -Teacher

"I thought we cut the funding for your art programs years ago......" -Auditor

"Well thankfully we had these supplies donated by Microsoft." -Teacher

~Thom

FREE THE ART PROGRAMS....UP WITH CREATIVITY.....DOWN WITH UHHH....hmm
*steve ballmer whispers in my ear* DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS!
oh wait no....that's not right

DOWN WITH LICENSEZZZZZZZZ!!!! yay yay yay

According to Article 2 of the Sherman Anti-trust Act, 15 U.S.C. :

Monopolizing trade a felony; penalty

Every person who shall monopolize, or attempt to monopolize, or combine or conspire with any other person or persons, to monopolize any part of the trade or commerce among the several States, or with foreign nations, shall be deemed guilty of a felony, and, on conviction thereof, shall be punished by fine not exceeding $10,000,000 if a corporation, or, if any other person, $350,000, or by imprisonment not exceeding three years, or by both said punishments, in the discretion of the court.

Goodnight ladies and gentleman, there will be repeat performances at 2,3,4,5,6, heck... I'm here all week. (I am not quiting my day job.)

*place signature digression here*

quote:

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...and took the quote out of contexted (or it could just depend on the meaning of the word "is").

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Have you visited MS education site? It's full of the BS that the news source is talking about, and then some.