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:Ummm....

[Moby Cock]

It is a monopoly. Nobody ever implied it wasn't. Monolopolies are not illegal. Abuse of a monopoly is illegal.

Scraping away the FUD...

[PFI_Optix]

Here's a scan of the article, as linked by the story linked in this article.

Now for some serious FUD debunking:

This quote seems popular: "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"

Now here's the rest of it: "with specifically 5 percent fewer opportunities to market software and services,"

As for the idea that MS might pay you a visit for not buying Windows...it's pure speculation and is not indicated by MS at all.

The FSF Europe is alarmed by the prospect that customers who request a base systems would risk a visit from Microsoft's investigators.

"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 which any politician, customer and journalist should recognise carefully," said Jakobs.

When contacted by ZDNet UK, Alexander denied that operatives would be dispatched into the premises of customers who attempted to buy a PC without Windows.

"I can confirm that the... personnel are not participating in customer visits. This is an error in the copy and will be amended in future material on the subject," Alexander claimed.

This describes the situation best:

"Microsoft is clearly concerned about the threat of Linux on the desktop and is trying to protect its base. Naked PCs provide customers with choice and lower the price of commodity PCs," said a Novell spokesman.

Microsoft is trying to convince OEMs to sell more of their product? Those fiends!

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."

THis is a bit overstated.

[sbaker]

God knows I hate Microsoft more than most people...but this might be a teensy bit of an overreaction.

The actual source of this information says that:

1) This is a UK-only thing.
2) There are only TWO new MS employees doing this.
3) They discuss this during routine customer meetings.
4) There is no hint of coersion implied here.

So what this actually means is that there are a couple of extra marketeers out there trying to pursuade stores not to sell bare PC's.

Furthermore, the MS article http://www.zdnet.co.uk/i/z/nw/sp/storygraphics/sca n.jpg says that the top four reasons people buy bare PC's is:

* To install their own software.
* To transfer software from an old machine.
* To install Linux
* To take advantage of volume licensing.

The didn't mention "To use a pirated version of windows".

What they ARE saying is that selling a bare system is a missed opportunity for the store. They suggest that if you sell someone a bare machine, you're missing a chance to sell them additional software such as photo processing, music players, etc.

So - yeah Microsoft are most definitely *evil* - but this isn't anything to panic about.

I doubt this will change the minds of many sellers - two guys in one country appealing to store owners who probably made a careful decision to let their customers avoid the MS tax.

You DON'T need to keep re-buying windows over and over again. You DON'T need to buy a copy of Windows only to have it be overwritten with a site-licensed version at work. You DON'T need to buy a copy only to scribble all over it with Linux. You SHOULD be able to save $50 off the cost of your PC if you are in one of those catagories.

Re:Build your own

[Steffan]

"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!)"

Seems like if you substitute 'terrorists' for 'pirates', and 'terrorism' for 'sales', you could have a workable foreign policy / justification for a domestic spying program...