[CentOS] administering an MS Windows partition under Linux

Sat Nov 7 00:43:15 UTC 2009
John R Pierce <pierce at hogranch.com>

Robert Heller wrote:
>> Unfortunately, this is no longer an option as these days when you buy
>> a Windows PC you do not get any installation media, merely a recovery
>> CD/DVD. Yes, you are reading this right - you are paying money for the
>> OS but you ain't getting no disks with it!
>>     
>
> NO, you were *never* paying for the OS!  When you 'pay' for MS-Windows
> you are paying for the right to USE a COPY of it.  You do not *OWN*
> anything.  Microsoft *does not sell* the O/S, only licenses to use it.
> MS is just getting 'smart' -- by not shipping a installation disk with
> OEM copies they are just preventing pirating.  Read the EULA.
>   

furthermore, its not even necessarily true.  you can order media with 
the system from many vendors, most others will supply the DVD for a 
nominal S&H fee.    Anyways, its not Microsoft who's not shipping the 
OEM DVD, its the OEM vendor.     You're less likely to get a disk with 
an elcheapo bigbox store retail system, where the $1 or $2 saved by not 
packaging the media is a significant chunk of the narrow profit.