Buy PC Without an OS... Get a Visit From MSFT?

sebFlyte writes "'Don't sell PCs without operating systems or we'll send the boys round.' That seems to be the general message coming out of microsoft's antipiracy unit, according to ZDNet. While MS seems to accept that people might want to get hold of PCs without Windows so they can put Linux on them, they don't think that's a good enough excuse. "We want to urge all system builders -- indeed, all Partners -- not to supply naked PCs. It is a risk to your customers and a risk to your business," says Microsoft. The FSF has given this policy short shrift, saying: "It looks like a private sniffing service which is supposed to spy on these who do not want to pay the Microsoft tax anymore. It is an incredible piece of impudence.""

Comments

it sounds like this..

[ehrichweiss]

Nice computer you got there....it'd be a shame if something....'appened to it..

Re:Build your own

[DerGeist]

Or just blame piracy. See, it's win-win. Blaming piracy can never lose because it's unfalsifiable.

Blame pirates, being suing people randomly/needlessly. There are three possibilities:

1) Sales go up (The pirates were the problem! Let's kill the bastards!
2) Sales go down. (We aren't being harsh enough on the pirates! They're still stealing from us, we need to crack down harder!)
3) Sales stay the same. (The pirates are still pirating as much as they always have, we need to send a firmer message! KILL THE PIRATES!)

By blaming all their problems on the invisible spectre of "pirates" companies can justify virtually any legal action and come out looking fine since, after all, they were just protecting themselves against those damned pirates.

I also nominate myself for the Award for Post with the Most Uses of the word "Pirate."