Tuesday, May 2, 2000

More M$ Insanity -- 2:16 pm CST, Update by A.T. Hun

According to this InfoWorld column, as of April 1, OEMs will no longer be able to give full copies of Microsoft OSs (except Windows 2000 Server) with the systems they sell. OEMs can either give "recovery CDs" or have a mirror on the hard drive. All of that is fine and good until you decide to a) upgrade your PC or b) your PC's hard drive crashes. M$ claims it is to reduce piracy. In reality it gives M$ the opportunity to charge full price for the OS without having to package anything, under the assumption that everyone who buys their software is a pirate. If this doesn't prove Microsoft's arrogance and contempt for their customers, I don't know what will. Thanks Ars Technica.

J.t.Qbe comments: Micro$oft's arrogance and contempt for its customers shows in many things it does: its old per-CPU licensing fees; Bill Gates' insistence that Windows has no bugs but that users are stupid; Windows itself. Really, have you ever tried to install Windows from an OEM package? Most home users simply wouldn't be able to do it. M$ doesn't care; it already has the money. Want to quit being a MicroSerf, paying what and when Bill tells you to pay? One word: Linux. One more word: FreeBSD.

Micro$oft is a master of dirty tricks. M$ won't ever get another penny from me. Too bad; Starlancer looks like a cool game.

News for 05/02/2000

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