On Saturday 24 January 2004 16:09, Ian Trimble wrote:
> My daughter has managed to lose half of the XP Home
> Product Key that was attached to a recently acquired
> computer.
I'd worry more (if I was going to worry at all over such things) about having
lost part of the _licence sticker_ than about having lost part of the number.
The reason for sticking the licence onto the computer (and naturally not in a
convenient place on a laptop) is to reduce the risk of being unable to defend
yourself from the BSA if they do an audit.
As Microsoft's profits continue their downward inflection and decline still
further they will become progressively more keen to harrass their users, and
individuals will be exposed as Ste depts of Education, manufacturers of
guitar strings, and national health services have already, or have been
convinced they might be, to risks arising from being unable toshow a pysical
licence in juxtaposition to each computer running a MS product.
The solution is of course exceedingly simple and economic, and removes the
trivial difficulty of identifying the correct key sequence at the same time.
--
Adrian Midgley (Linux desktop)
GP, Exeter
http://www.defoam.net/
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