I just received a nice new Dell PC that my boss is having me set up as a web application server. I was very surprised to see a Microsoft Windows 98, Second Edition sticker firmly affixed to the side of the PC. We had always intended to fully dump the OS and install Linux, but this made me curious enough to boot into Windows in order to read the EULA. It seems that Microsoft now considers the software (Windows 98) and the hardware a "single, integrated unit." You are expressly prohibited from selling or giving away your copy of the operation system without selling or giving the hardware to the same person! Of course, it didn't matter because all we got was a recovery CD.

This was a rude surprise for my boss. Since he knew we weren't going to use Windows 98 on this machine, he intended to take the CD and install it on another PC. He reasoned that since he paid for a copy of Windows 98, he ought to be able to use it. He didn't count on Microsoft declaring this notion entirely unreasonable.