>What about when I change my hard drive and video card and then have to call MS just to re-register a license I already purchased? Even if it takes only five minutes, who is paying for that time?

You don't.

>You think after implementing these more stringent registration checks that they will lower the price of WIndows XP by a buck or two by saying, "Ah, there we go! We have now saved X dollars due to reduced piracy, and so we will pass that savings on to YOU!"

I hear this all the time too, sorry, but its dumb. They haven't saved any money yet! The anit-piracy thing hasn't worked yet... why? Because the software's not due out until October! You can't lower the price of software based on something that hasn't happened, or isn't guaranteed to happen.

Hopefully, the next version of Windows will be cheaper, that is, as long as people pay for it and use it legally this time around.