It should not be beyond the capabilities of the computer industry to devise schemes to prevent software copying without restricting consumer rights. In the early days of the PC industry, computers and software were sold separately. Now most PCs come with "bundled" software. You might get a few games, a word processor and perhaps some personal finance software with a home PC. And, of course, nearly all PCs come with Microsoft Windows pre-installed.
For many PC users, pre-installed software is a benefit. It is convenient to have the software up and running on the new machine and it seems to be a bargain.
This software is not really free, however, and perhaps some PC buyers would prefer to save money by purchasing a "naked" PC and transferring software from an older machine. I am not advocating software piracy. If you have previously paid for a software licence, you usually have the right to transfer the program to a new computer, so long as you remove it from the old machine. If you are happy with the software you are currently using, this may be a good way to minimise the costs of replacing a computer.
But there is a catch. The PC industry's big guns are not keen on software recycling. They seem to be intent on making the process as difficult as possible. Most large manufacturers will not sell you a PC without any software installed. At a minimum, they require you to purchase Microsoft Windows - even if you already own a licence to the software.
For its part, Microsoft recommends that users do not attempt to transfer the operating system to a new machine. It can be fiddly and may involve installing new software "drivers" for the disk drives, modem, printer and so on, the company advises. As further discouragement, Microsoft fails to include with the "pre-installed" version of Windows, a set-up disk needed to locate the CD-Rom drive on a naked PC and start the installation process.
In practice, therefore, the vast majority of consumers who replace PCs end up purchasing an additional licence to use Windows. This is great for Microsoft, which collects licence fees with the sale of almost every PC. In effect, the company imposes a Windows "tax" on PCs.
Buyers who got Windows with their PCs but have never used it may well be entitled to a refund under Microsoft's licence. A "World Windows Refund Day" is planned for a mass refund application on February 15th. Details at: www.linuxmall.com/refund/