The Windows Rebate: Fantasy or Reality?

I've received a lot of email about a movement on the Internet for users ofalternative operating systems (Linux, for the most part) to receive a refund for Windows if they purchased a machine (that invariably comes withWindows) but never used the OS, and instead installed the OS of theirchoice. This movement came about when an intrepid Linux user named GeoffreyBennett successfully lobbied Toshiba to refund him the cost of Windowswhen he bought a laptop and installed Linux instead. Bennett says that it'snearly impossible to buy a PC without Windows these days (and who canargue with that?) but that, more importantly, there is a clause in the Microsoft End User License Agreement (EULA) that allows users to returnWindows for a refund as long as it is never used.

Well, it's real. And it's completely uninteresting to most readers of thislist, so I'll just summarize it this way: We're living in a day and agewhen attacking Microsoft is not only easy, it's in vogue. With the rise inpopularity of alternative OSes--especially Linux--this sort of thing isbecoming more and more common, but I suspect the number of people whoactually qualify for a refund is extremely small. However, if you'd like toexplore this seedy underbelly of the Linux movement, here are a few pointers:

Windows Refund Center
"Geoffrey Bennett's Toshiba/Microsoft Saga"