Ken - If we didn't have to prove over and over again that we have the right to use our version of Windows (or whatever) I would have such a beef. Plus, it is difficult to respect Microsoft's intellectual property when MS itself runs roughshod over other entities property and does it's best to stifle competition while treating honest consumers like crooks.
It isn't that we have to prove things - that's fine - but we have to do it over and over and over. I should not have to call MS every time I need to reinstall XP (or whatever) on my machine. Also, I think that their dishonesty about how they are beta testing WGA is more than an image issue. It goes to the heart of how they do business. They get away with whatever they can, ethics or fair play be damned, and that isn't kosher if they expect the computing public to respect their intellectual property and play fair. That said, IMO, their model is so bad, the marketplace will take care of them eventually. My guess is that the moment someone comes up with a desktop version of Linux that really has the same flexibility and ease of use as Windows, Windows will be toast. Looking at the minimum specs for Vista, I wonder how well it will do. We'll see. I understand intellectual property laws, but there are limits, especially when we are not talking about commercial reproduction. Squeezing every last penny out of something isn't always good business beyond the PR aspects of the matter. I'm just tired of being treated like a crook when in fact I'm as honest about buying licensed software as you are. There really has to be a better way. Jesse Sinaiko Chicago, IL _______________________________________________ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message.
