sarbin wrote:'cuz then you'd only need 1 os license for "x" # of machines.

gotta sell licenses to keep the lights burning in Redmond.
but seriously, maybe the os license *should* be tied to a hdd.
I and many others would be investing in new hardware yearly if that were the case ...... The only reason we don't is that it is a PITA to migrate to a new machine.
Thus one more needed stimulus package for the economy and hardware mfgs (which would cost the tax payers and U.S. Treasury nothing) is lost to greedy and evil software companies with their army of lawyers and lobbyists.
I don't believe for one second that many (if any) of the "intellectual rights" companies that develop the major software we use and which they so vigorously protect with armies of legal teams pay that much in taxes to Uncle Sam ..... they just move operations and assets overseas and use tax loop holes in order to pay next to nothing in taxes so their chieftain's salaries, stock options and bonuses can keep them on the Forbes 400 List year after year.
I'd have a pair of new fully optioned W520's on order right now if I could just swap in the hard drives, along with many other people I know. Instead, I stay with my 3 to 4 year old T61 series units that are still nicely running WinXP pro and are setup just the way I like them after a couple of years of tinkering. I'd rather invest and enjoy spending my time and hard earned money on classic cars, fine wines, and fast women than waste time migrating to new hardware (because of the tons of new software and time such a process seems to always require ..... and automantic System Migration software stinks, IMHO).
Way too much of my valuable time has been wasted to manually migrate and get my setup just the way I want it (and I really don't want some polite geek-squad guy doing it for me either ..... unless maybe it was a hot babe). Just look back at the all the wasted human toll and suffering brought on to consumers who tried and failed to make V**ta ever work properly.
It's time for a new way of thinking .... one that "shames" planned obsolesence and all those stinking high-tech, hype-spewing, spit-talking greedy hotshot blabbermouth.com entrepreneural A-Holes types seen jaw-boning non-stop on TV business channels or other social and non-social media outlets.
In the meantime ..... I'll vote with my wallet when it comes to new hardware.
As software chieftains stay on the Forbes 400 List, gaining all the while, traditional hardware mfgs lose pricing power, mfg'ing jobs, and repeat customers these days ... what a shame.
Where are all the action heros like Superman, Green Hornet, Batman now when we really need them to put the system right again. Probably strung out and addicted to the latest 3D action games like so many of our youth today, or maybe Contracted-Out by our armed forces to fight in hot dusty places populated by local tribal hot-heads so that Forbes 400 members can get wealthier testing and then selling lots of new High Tech SW and gadgets to our military forces al la our tax dollars.
All in the name of homeland security? Really now? How stupid do they think we the masses are?
"No worries ..... Be happy" say our local and national political/business leaders to these ongoing concerns ...... while they themselves laugh all the way to the bank, just the same as 100 years ago.
