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Try to buy a naked car without a stereo or a transmission. Perhaps you want a specific radio or transmission.

This is unbelievably stupid. I CAN special order a car WITHOUT a radio or transmission from Ford. People who build electric cars CAN go to Ford and say "I want this car, but I don't need these items." Ford WILL sell it to me. I can also go to the dealer and say: "I don't want this radio, take it out." The dealer will comply. Do you understand that part yet? Because its crucial to what comes next.

DELL is manufacturing the computer. DELL is offering NAKED PCs. DELL is making the computer. Dell has many models. One model is WITH software, one model is WITHOUT software. Just like Ford, who offers many models of cars, DELL offers many models of computers.

Are we ok on this fact yet? because its such a biggie that unless you grasp that, nothing else will make any sense.

You really haven't a clue about commercial product development if you cannot understand supplier agreements.

Oh, please I've written and sold more than 20 commercial software products on different platforms including Windows. I support myself through my talents and creativity. I develop, write, productize and sell my software. This is not about hating Microsoft. Its about the truth.

Now, I'll continue once you are able to grasp the fact that DELL is the manufacterer and DELL is providing product to the marketplace. When you've got that fundamental concept we can proceed.

I'm not expecting much.

"I CAN special order a car WITHOUT a radio or transmission from Ford"

Not from the dealer you cannot, and that was a simple example. How about your VCR? Want a different tuner? Maybe your furniture should come with the coil springs from your favorite manufacturer, or perhaps, that rake you just bought didn't come with the wooden handle from your favorite tree.

To use your phrase, "This is unbelievably stupid."

You want Microsoft to die, period. You hate them, you detest them, and you want Bill to be boiled in oil. Am I close enough, yet?

This situation has been explained to you, you just are looking for the thinnest excuse to slam Microsoft.

The one thing that you do not understand is OEM contracting. If the price of Microsoft Windows XP is $350 retail, and Dell wants a cheaper OEM price model, then Microsoft can offer them $25 per license, but with conditions. It is widely known that many people buy one computer and illegally copy Windows to the other or give it to their friends. So, Microsoft says, “Look, Dell, if you are going to sell our software, then every PC leaving your docks must have an OS, any OS; Linux, Solaris, Windows, pick one. If you don’t want to do that, then we will have to adjust our pricing model to adjust for the theft. So, instead of $25 a copy OEM price with the assurance that every PC will have an OS, thereby preventing theft, the price will be $100 for shipping PCs without an OS.” Dell chooses the $25 pricing model.

So, what part of that model is illegal, immoral, or unethical?