>>... So instead of complaining they'll just pay the bill because they don't have the time or patience to fight for their rights.<<

Or the customer just quietly turns to another source for their phone needs. Customer complaints can be precious, because they can alert you to what you're doing wrong that may cost you business.

I'm really torn between liking Microsoft because on one hand, they put out tools like VFP. But on the other hand, they are like the Borg.

As for their activation, there were the early promises that this would be quick and painless (click, click, click and you're done). Now, a couple years later, if you get a PC from any of 20 leading PC manufacturers, you have to pick up the phone and call. 10 seconds just became 5 minutes. What will it be in another two years? A signed and notarized document with a $5 dollar processing fee?

And who are those 20 leading manufacturers? Dell? HP? Gateway? etc? Or maybe the better question is, who's NOT on that list?

I might vent a little in a forum like this, but that means nothing to MS. I see in another part of this thread that there's debate about blasting back at the person on the other end of the phone when you call Microsoft; except that they're in India and it won't help much.

What MS is paying attention to is the growth in Linux and the open source movement. And come to think of it, that's what I've been paying attention to lately. I noticed I didn't have any annoying hassle with activation for the four Linux installs I've done in the last six weeks.

You know, for file and print services, you can't tell a Linux Server from a Windows Server 2003. Heck, a Linux box can even be your Primary Domain Controller. Once you get a little familiar with some of the differences of administering the box, you can operate Linux pretty easily.

And you get the side benefit that Linux doesn't come with a handful of critical security announcemnts every month.

As for programming languages and development tools, while not quite as richly integrated or mature as some Windows-based IDEs, they're coming along.

So I'm not going to argue with Microsoft. If they make life hard, I'll just look at other possible paths to get to a solution. And non-Microsoft options are looking better and better.

Have you seen the Eclipse IDE? I've been fiddling with it for a month or so. I can describe it in two words: WOW! FREE!

It's people like us who build solutions and help keep up the demand for Microsoft platforms. So go ahead Microsoft. Keep making it harder for us.

Guy