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Re: [News] Compaq: Got Virus, Buy More Software

Sinister Midget wrote:
On 2006-11-25, Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> posted something concerning:
Compaq: Buy ANOTHER os because of virus

,----[ Quote ]
| well appreantly this is a known fraud. the quickrestore cd is a freesbie.
| it contains NOTHING exept a bat file that intitiate an install from the
| hard drive!!!, they advertise you get a windows xp home with your pc but
| they dont actually give you the cd. they only preinstall it and you pay
| for a serial. this isnt the meaning of OEM.
`----

http://sickofmusic.com/2006/11/24/compaq-buy-another-os-because-of-virus/

When I bought a Compaq in 1999 I actually received the Quickrestore CD's _as
well as_ the original Windows 98 CD. This may have changed since...

Most have. A couple have ways to let you create your own CDs from the hidden partition on the drive. But few provide any media any more. And some, like Compaq, make things worse by leading you to believe you're getting the media when you're getting little more than a blank CD.

The MS line has progressed over time, and has evolved this way (Erik
may need to clarify or correct to uphold his record for apologizing):

1. Early on:

   You have a machine full of pirated materials unless you were given
   the media along with the machine you purchased. The missing media is
   a sure sign that someone is mass producing PCs from very few copies
   of the original discs. Please inform us where you are received these
   pirate machines so we can work to put a stop to it and keep the
   software costs low.

2. A bit later:

   To OEMs, don't provide media to the end user. They're using those
   discs to split hard drives up and install illegal linux on their
   machines. So don't provide the media to users. Unless you'd like to
   pay us extra on your licensing for that privilege.

   To end users: Take it up with the OEMs. We have no control over
   these things. Our 86% margin and increasing prices are necessary to
   defend ourselves against those who would take advantage of our good
   reputation for quality products (hee hee). But we have no official
   policy regarding the supplying of the media. You can head down to
   the local store and buy yourself a nice new copy at full retail. So
   it's not like you can't get the media if you really want it. This
   shows that it's blatantly obvious that we have nothing to do with
   the situation. Don't bother us.

3. Compaq plagued with a broken 40GB hard drive, comes from my neighbor, and the 'support' person offers him the 'restore' disk set, for 'only' $35 plus shipping.

I purchase a new 80Gb drive, he buys the disk set. I install drive, 'restore' the Compaq to full functionality, all within 7 days.

Neighbor is so disgusted with computers, that he goes back to roofing construction, asking the boss for more overtime on hot roofs, during the summer, in Florida.

He offers me the computer in lieu of paying for any repairs.

I accept in a tone of friendship and understanding, and immediately wipe the new 80 Gb drive completely, including the Compaq 'restore' partition, and make it run 50X faster, having installed a FREE GNU/Linux distro, http://pclinuxos.com

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