[ Thanks to David and mike for this link. ]
“Once upon a time Microsoft was in the happy position of being
able to charge PC companies a Windows licence fee for every PC they
shipped, whether or not the PCs actually shipped with Windows
preinstalled. It was nice money while it lasted, but regulatory
concerns have subsequently eroded Microsoft’s ability to collect a
Windows licence fee on, say, a PC that ships with Linux
preinstalled.”
“In a propaganda page aimed squarely at its OEM customers,
Microsoft goes to considerable lengths to blacken the reputation of
what it terms “Naked PCs.” A Naked PC, since you ask, is one of
those boxes that you can (but generally, oh no you can’t) buy
without an operating system. Try it, you’ll find it’s really quite
difficult anyway, and Microsoft wants its OEMs to make it even more
difficult. It wants them to refuse to sell you one.”
“So don’t you go calling your customers pirates, right? They’re
innocent victims who’ve unwittingly exposed themselves, whew,
sorted. But we especially like the way Microsoft is asking its OEMs
to “politely decline” to sell PCs without Windows on them. It’s
only a short hop from there to categorising OEMs who will sell
naked PCs as irresponsible crooks hell-bent on wrecking their
customers’ lives.”