The amount of crap Windows users have to put up with is incredible

[menotu]

Mind you. there are few Linux distro's that install more than is required but I see the main difference is that Linux OS's do it to benefit the end user whereas Windows OEM's do it for the bottom line regardless of whether it provides any benefit to the user and often its the reverse of being useful as it just slows the system down.

[T6]

you are telling me that the 25 uses demo of office or the 30 day trieal of symantec is not installed to benefit the end user?!?!?!?

how dare you menotu!

[ppiklapp]

Now, now T6, let's not get nasty.  The facts are that the 'hole in the wall' os gets a kickback for putting certain programs on their install disks.  That is why I continue to use Linux OSes, and being BiPolar, I approve and disappove of this message.

[agmg]

Now, now T6, let's not get nasty.  The facts are that the 'hole in the wall' os gets a kickback for putting certain programs on their install disks.  That is why I continue to use Linux OSes, and being BiPolar, I approve and disappove of this message.

They don't put programs. They put demos of programs asking for more money

[Tony]

Well you see Windows is a large Business, whereas Linux is more an Academic platform, as I see it.

[Vorteggs]

Well you see Windows is a large Business, whereas Linux is more an Academic platform, as I see it.

+ 1
As I see it

[ppiklapp]

Now, now T6, let's not get nasty.  The facts are that the 'hole in the wall' os gets a kickback for putting certain programs on their install disks.  That is why I continue to use Linux OSes, and being BiPolar, I approve and disappove of this message.

They don't put programs. They put demos of programs asking for more money

So are you saying that those other companies are not paying the 'hole in the wall' for allowing their demo on the install disks?  I think they are and will stand by that position until proven wrong.

[T6]

the microsoft demo is put thanks to microsoft

the symantec demo is put there thanks to hp, lenovo, sony, acer or whatever company assembled the machine you buy

remember that the microsoft tax is just their license, they sell those at 20 or 30 dollars, the price is translated in part to the end user, the manufacturer also pays something for it, but they charge other companies for letting their demos be installed on the images they install on their machines

they don't give demo disks to anyone, the pc assembler just put the same demo on every machine thanks to the microsoft volume licenses used on most machines, preactivated but not being the one in the label pasted on your machine you have to wipe the hard disk to regain the entire space and wipe the restoration image and then you can use a normal installation disc and then you can use the key on that label to activate your brand new license, something i had to do many many times in the past

[Tony]

"...they don't give demo disks to anyone, the pc assembler just put the same demo on every machine thanks to the microsoft volume licenses used on most machines, preactivated but not being the one in the label pasted on your machine you have to wipe the hard disk to regain the entire space and wipe the restoration image and then you can use a normal installation disc and then you can use the key on that label to activate your brand new license, something i had to do many many times in the past."

Thanks for clarifying that T6, so the "sticker on the Box" can be used only after the 'OEM' version has been wiped off the HDD, and any "Recovery Partition", which generally has a activation CD to wipe and re-install it from that partition ?

I do it occassionally, and do get in a mess from time to time.

Recently I rang Microsoft as I had a XP Home edition Disc, they kindly did a "One time only", generated 25 digit product code, for that CD only; as the original package had long ago gotten lost.

[T6]

i don't know if it can be used after or while both are in use, never tried that honestly

what i know is that i always have to make the phone call to activate the oem sticker license the first time if it can't be activated online, something that happened to me alot in 2009 and 2010

"Recently I rang Microsoft as I had a XP Home edition Disc, they kindly did a "One time only", generated 25 digit product code, for that CD only; as the original package had long ago gotten lost."

the one time only replaces the old key you had, that one if could be linked to the disc, will be invalidated of you try to activate it again, try to print that new one and keep using it on that machine, you got a free xp license 

they are this gentle when it is a on the box license, if it is a oem, they won't help you much unless you insist alot, a friend had to do that and finally they gave him a new key but he said that he won't try that again, just make the owner buy another new

[ppiklapp]

I learned the hard way about OEM Windows discs, as I had to argue for over an hour with one of their techs over activating a disc I had bought over the net.  It became another reason I only deal locally for computer parts and programs.  Easier to deal with people in person than over the net or on the phone.

[JALU]

The amount of crap Windows users have to put up with is incredible and expensive. 
The amount of crap Linux users have to put up with is free of charge. 
Windows XP/7 still remains the most comprehensive platforms for the broader range of application.  Sadly Linux is always a work in progress with limited polish and less legacy support.  I suspect Linux re-installs happen on a more regular basic all be it for differing reasons.
Linux suits my needs and gives me far less grief than the alternatives.  I also philosophically support the open source concept so I tolerate the occasional quirks and nuances that Linux throws at us.  Thankyou PCLinuxOS!
Cages. (Nobody's fan boy) 

[T6]

"I suspect Linux re-installs happen on a more regular basic all be it for differing reasons."

in other distros this is true but in pclinux my current install 2+ years old and i don't have a reason o reinstall yet

"Sadly Linux is always a work in progress with limited polish and less legacy support."

in some things yes, the work in progress is a problem