ZDNet has an interesting article about Microsoft asking UK resellers to always sell Windows, clainming that these 5% or PC sold without Microsoft "tax" are missed business opportunities. I think that Microsoft is starting to get worried. When the FUD starts, that means the current direction is good.

On the side, I just got an e-mail from a fellow Linuxer in Québec. He tried in January to buy a laptop PC advertised without OS by a local reseller/OEM accross the river. The advertising said "no OS installed" and he called to get confirmation from a sales person that the price was really without Operating System. When the buyer told it was ok because he wanted to run Linux, the seller refused, because he was actually require to sell him a Microsoft operating, for a mere.... CAD$250 !!!!

In 2004, the AFUL (Association Francaise des Utilisateur de Logiciels-libres) has requested through a communiqué de presse that the governement support the BSA in reinforcing the fight against counterfeit software, including rogue copy (aka software piracy), and requesting the governement to require the true display of the price of software when sold with hardware. Take it like a joke, but I take it humoristically like a way to express his discontent with the current situation.