I hate Microsoft

So, a friend's computer needs to be reformatted. Turns out the copy of Windows that comes with the computer isn't legit, and Microsoft wants us to verify our licence.

I want to be a good citizen. I want to buy legit software. But while a retail copy of Windows costs almost $300, it is very difficult to make an argument for going down the legal route. I understand programmers need to be able to eat, but how am I supposed to justify spending $300 on what most people procure for free?

I wish Linux was a more mainstream system. I know it, I like it, but the reality is that not many people are willing to put up with it. The way it is now, Microsoft charges $300 for people to do such basic things as checking their email and nobody would bat an eyelid.

Microsoft is creating a society of pirates, so that they can justify charging business users more. They hardly care about money made home users; they don't have deep enough pockets. As long as people actually use Windows, pirated or not, they will stick with it, and suffocate the market for alternative operating systems.

It probably makes more money for them, but it creates ethical dilemmas for people who want to do the right thing. If I want to be ethical, I'll say spend the money, and my friend will just go to someone else who can download a pirated copy for free.