Technology
This is the official technology community of Lemmy.ml for all news related to creation and use of technology, and to facilitate civil, meaningful discussion around it.
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lol, I have never once paid for any of the copies of windows I’ve used over the years
Yes, you have. It's just part of the price for the PC you buy.
While you're not wrong, it's also possible that they simply used cracked versions.
Exactly this.
Wrong. It’s a cracked version installed into a mishmash of parts.
So you've never once in your life bought a laptop or prebuilt PC, used or otherwise? Because if you have then you've paid the Windows Tax.
No
No, they come with a version of Windows included, which you paid for with part of the purchase price.
And again, the version of window that comes on prebuilts and laptops isn't free, the cost is rolled into the price of the device.
The user you replied to probably build his pc from parts and thus not paid indirectly to Microsoft.
I can't see the message they replied to because the creator deleted it but I'm not getting what you're saying and people are upvoting you so there must be something I'm missing. Are you guys buying pc parts with pre-installed OS on them? If it's used than you're using the original OS you received the part with?
He said he took pictures of old xp keys in second hand shops and upgraded them.
I've also never bought a windows license, i still use my education licenses after university a decade ago. I have not heard of pc parts with an OEM license attached, thats why I believe you can have used windows all your life without ever paying something to microsoft.
I don’t buy a shitty prebuilt with windows installed. I pirate that shit and install it on janky PC parts smashed together