Tracy,
In the U.S. we have various government consumer protection organizations. I'm astounded Microsoft has been allowed to pull the conspicuous swindle you so eloquently describe.

PC purchasers should get a bootable CD or DVD of their MS OS any time they purchase a new "Windows" machine. So if the HDD crashes, or any other legitimate reason, they (we) don't have to pay for the crappy os TWICE!

JS,
When I read your headline for this thread:
How Linux Rescued Windows

I thought to myself:
- oh! What a shame! -

Too late to strangle the baby in its crib. But I'm not likely to shed a tear when MS is gone.

"when the bigots of this world have been privileged for as long as they have, to them equality feels like discrimination." shiftless2