I think the EULA clause should get more PRESS/media attention!

I think the EULA clause should get more PRESS/media attention! (somehow.....dunno how) I'm not sure about if there already exist some kind of movement that tries to bring the EULA clause to consumers attention explaining to normal ppl how it can be used to get a proper copy of MS Windows installation CD instead of those troublesome bundled recovery CDs. Or if ppl are certain about their needs and get every $ back and just use Linux.

The first time I got in contact with that clause was in Linux systems class where the teacher played an *.avi on the projector that showed the history of GNU/Linux, Richard Stallman, GPL and stuff. I never paid much attention to the the words GNU, GPL and EULA before taking that class. There was a clip of some american guy who tried to get a refund for his MS Windows by using the EULA clause.

In some cases the user can return Windows for a refund by refusing to agree to the Microsoft End User License Agreement that Microsoft requires its users to accept before allowing the use of several products. The EULA specifically mentions that if you do not agree to the license you can return the product for a full refund. Some vendors, such as Toshiba, have a shrinkwrap sales contract that specifically voids this clause of the EULA. [citation needed]

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_Microsoft#Licensing_agreements

[SIZE="4"]Ubuntu.org leaders should start some kind of campaign[/SIZE] that made everybody on earth aware of that EULA clause and how it can be legally exploited to make their PC maintenance much easier. Getting your money back in order to buy a proper full Win Install CD instead of relying on those fixed bundled recovery CDs would convert ppl from Windows dependence much easier than having them worry about not screwing up their existing Windows partitions when resizing and stuff.

You don't get the full value back. You get the OEM value for Windows, which is like $25.

explain the concept of OEM in human language for me pls? I'm too lazy to google and wiki it :)

You don't get the full value back. You get the OEM value for Windows, which is like $25.

Still getting the money back in order to get some kind of discount for purchasing a Full Windows Install CD would be many ppls prefered option if "they" (I :) ) understood the concept of EULA better. Better yet get that money back if you're certain that all you need is Linux for work. I don't think many old ppl in various industries know of this escape hatch. If they did I'm sure you'd see more workers using Linux than Windows.

My point is Windows isn't a virus like some ppl claim but vendors who bundle their specific hardware drivers together with a pre-partitioned Ghost disc with Windows OS is. Bundled recovery discs is the real plague.

jingo811 said: Getting your money back in order to buy a proper full Win Install CD instead of relying on those fixed bundled recovery CDs would convert ppl from Windows dependence much easier than having them worry about not screwing up their existing Windows partitions when resizing and stuff.

Or you could take your $25 refund, and donate it to your favorite Open Source project, making the world a better place for everyone... :-)

jingo811 said: explain the concept of OEM in human language for me pls? I'm too lazy to google and wiki it :)

Original Electronics Manufacturer. Basically, Gateway only charges you $25 dollars for Windows, because MS gives it to them cheap so they can preinstall it.

Hmm....not much to gain by getting that meager 25$ refund if a full Win XP still costs around 190$ :???: ( Aug 26, 2007 ) That's like getting 13% discount of the full purchase. Not much to campaign for.......forget about me ever mentioning it :-( http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Windows-Home-FULL-VERSION/dp/B00022PTRU/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-5004655-9341503?ie=UTF8&s=software&qid=1188162160&sr=8-1

It could have been the biggest MS exploit of all time but no.........

Actually it has already been done - Windows Refund Day, mind you that was about eight years ago.

Those guys look kinda familiar I think that was the video I saw at school. 1999!! I was still struggling with my outdated Linux for Dummies book written 1994 for Redhat in the year 1999 :)

We should prepare for a 10th Anniversery "Windows Refund Day" at the year 2009.

130 Euro (~200 $) refund now we're talking. All I have to do is wait for someone rich in my country who can hire a lawyer to make that a standard business rule so normal people don't have to hire lawyers every time they want full MS Windows refund. http://news.slashdot.org/news/08/05/19/0154224.shtml

Nekiruhs said: You don't get the full value back. You get the OEM value for Windows, which is like $25.

But the point is the message, saying "I dont want windows at all". And as mentiones before, just donate it to some OSS project, or spend it in blank CDs/DVDs and redistribute Linux for free.

Back 1 year ago when I wrote the long boring text at the top. My intention wasn't to get money back just for the symbolic "I-hate-Windows-and-only-want Linux" reason.

I wrote that to find out if you could get your money back on the useless pre-installed Windows recovery CD in order for people to buy a proper full-install Windows CD. That way administration with a Dualboot doesn't require wiping out your entire hard drive when your Windows partition starts to lag because of too much registry crap.

See where I'm going with this? Bad Dualboot administration makes converting to Linux slow, difficult and painful. Since most Linux users still have to rely on Windows only applications. With a full-install Windows CD instead of the pre-installed recovery CDs there's a big piece of the cake to conquer on the market even if it's indirect. It does pretty big damage to MS :-) If you bought it once then why not get the proper version of it? Instead of buying it twice!