On Thu, 13 Nov 2003, Thomas H. George wrote:
> I plan to send copies of the body of this message to the presidents of > Systemax and Tiger Direct, my senators, my congressmen and any one else > who might have influence. I am postint it here for suggestions for > addresses. The body is as follows: > > I am enraged by the manipulations of Microsoft Corp which may force me > to pay for something I already own. > > Several years ago I puchased a Systemax computer from Tiger Direct which > came with Microsoft Windows ME pre-loaded and accompanied by a Systemax > Recovery CD (not a set of installation CD's for Windows ME). My > understanding was that I had purchased a single computer license for > Windows ME which the recovery disk would allow me to reinstall after the > ubiquitous Windows crashes. Use of the recovery disk is awkward but > this was not of great concern as I make only limited use of Windows. > This is your first wrong asumption, from what I know. You do not get a 'full licenced version' of Windows with 99% of PC's. I have also heard that you actually purchase a 'hw/sw bundle' where the SW/HW are under one license from the OEM. And thus, it is not a transferable OS license. > Wishing to be able to backup data to DVD+RW disks, I recently removed > the originial motherboard and cpu and installed a new motherboard and > cpu which support USB 2. The Systemax Recovery Disk was keyed to the > mother board and/or cpu and will no longer work. See above. It is within their rights to make bad/stupid agreements. *This is clearly a > devising of Microsoft Corp to insure that I do not violate the license > agreement by installing the Windows ME operating system on more than one > computer. I HAVE NOT VIOLATED THE CONTRACT! I stilll have the > original motherboard and cpu which were operable when I removed them and > presumably are still operable if they were reinstalled but they sit > unused in a box in my closet. > > *The solution would seem to be straightforward: Contact Systemax and > obtain a new recovery disk agreeing to destroy the old motherboard/cpu. > An email to Systemax tech support elicited the response that, as the > computer was more than 90 days out of warranty, I would have to use > Systemax's telephone support at $40 per 30 minutes. So pay Systemax and > maybe get a new recovery disk or pay Microsoft for a new operating > system - either way I pay extra for something I already have the right > to use. > > This is particularly aggrevating as I don't need or use most of the > Windows ME features much less any newer Microsoft operating system. I > use the Windows ME operating system for only three tasks: To run a > Windows only scanner, Hmm, there are many scanner supported under the SANE project. Have you checked that out? to run the excellent Sound Forge music editing > software, There are sound apps but I dont know if they are similar to SF. checkout gramaphone (sp?), ardour... and to play E-Bridge with an old partner living in Cleveland. This one might work under 'Wine'. Have you tried or checked into this? > When the scanner fails, comparable alternate music edit software is > available and my 84 year old partner can no longer play E-Bridge I wont > need a Windows operating system at all. > Can you taste the freedom! > For most of my computing activities - email, wordprocessing, > spreadsheets, programming in C, C++ and Python, graphics, downloading > and editing pictures from my digital camera, burning CD's (I have an > extensive set of LP's which I am gradually converting to CD's for my own > use with the Sound Forge software) and any other odd tasks I use Debian > Linux. I do this not just because its free - though, as I am 74 years > old and retired on a fixed income, cost is a factor - but primarily > because Debian Linux operating systems and program packages are stable > and customizable to an extent unknown in the Microsoft world. > > The bottom line: I feel cheated by Microsoft's manipulations to enforce > provisions that I never intended to violate and by Systemax's complicity > in this scheme. > > Thomas H. George > 114 Twin Creek Lane > Kennett Square, PA 19348 -Kev -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
