Well, Duh...

I generally used a disc from another install, but the windows key that came with the machine... Legal copy of windows, just installed from a clean install disc. I suppose if you or your friends do not have these discs laying around it may be a bit harder ;)

I think Mycroft, the computer from "The Moon's a Harsh Mistress," might categorize the joke as "funny never."

A third breast would be what I call a value added touch point...

That custom software from Asus is most likely available as a free download. Obviously, tech savvy us the limiting factor, as it is with so many things. Knowledge is power. 99 dollars seems high, given the cost of computers these days. Perhaps this is could be a selling point for the oems to offer clean machines. I, for one, will not tolerate crapware and anti virus bs. A fresh install fixes that, but I have clean windows overall disks laying around from my own builds...

First off, I build my own machines. So they are crap free. But all you gotta do is get a real windows install disc, not the one from the OEM which usually just reinstalls all the crapware, and reinstall windows from scratch. Sure you may need a few drivers, but Windows 7 usually handles that mainly automatically. It should take our windows key from the bottom of the machine... That and never runs 32 bit OS...

This study brought to you by the DeBeers cartel... Where we artificially inflate the value of a diamond to $5000, when based on supply and demand, it would be worth about $85... Monopolies, or oligopolies in the form of cartels are not so good for consumers... I want to form a toilet paper cartel...

In the interest of the greater good...

Omnibenevolent ??? Have you actually READ any of the "prevalent" religious texts? The Quran, the Bible, etc?? The gods in those texts kill without remorse. They encourage their members to kill nonbelievers as well. This is not benevolent... It is counterproductive to our human race (though I guess it would make fewer people to use the limtied resources we have...)

Have these people never read any science fiction? Never does putting a computer in charge of a bunch of systems go well for humans..

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Resedients can look forward to having a maniacal computer trigger some PLCs to mix waste products with their cereal...

I never said the money was the sole motivator. Those are your words. Simply that the money is indeed a motivator. Honestly, I think that NOT believing the money to be a big factor says a lot about your character as well. Nothing good, though, as you might say...

You seriously think scientists are NOT under TREMENDOUS pressure to get grants? That is not some made up thing. My friends in research spend much of their time trying to get grants vs. actually doing the research. This is especially true of the older scientists. My friends are close to my age (40), and most of the research work is handled by grad students, while the experienced scientists are busy writing grants.

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The point is that the entire world is motivated by the flow of money, whether it is oil companies seeking profits for their shareholders (is YOUR retirement fund invested in them??), or research organizations trying to get money wherever they can. To think that climate research is NOT influenced by the flow of money is just plain naive.

It's not the scientists themselves... they just get to keep their jobs... It is the research organizations (often universities) reaping in the money. Sad they won't even give more of it to the scientists. And, yes, we all know that the oil companies are bringing in more money (each anyway). There are a LOT of organizations making money from GW research funding... of course this produces jobs, which is also a good thing. Many of these scientists actually do make a lot of money. Their choice of vehicle may be for fuel efficiency and overall global impact (i.e., why some do NOT drive a hybrid... the batteries and their production are terrible for the planet) rather than as a status symbol. Of course most make little, but a lot of them are probably grad students anyway, just another source of cheap labor... (In its heyday the Prelude was a pretty cool, and not too cheap, car.)

Sorry to spoil your little profanity-laden diatribe, but with regard to GW research not bringing in money you are just plain wrong. Feel free to use "the google" for ten seconds to learn the error of your ways (and, yes, I mean there are even articles in real newspapers and magazines showing all the spending, not just in anti-global warming blogs...)

Yes, oil companies make money, likely more than the research organizations, but all the ranting in the world will not change the fact that GW research DOES bring in billions of dollars. The post I replied to said AGW was an inconvenience to people financially... My point (which you summarily, and ignorantly dismissed) was that money flows both ways, as does the inconvenience.

Speaking of ad hominem, your rant attacks me, and I did not even state an opinion. I am sure climate change is happening; I even think we are causing some of it. Has it really gotten to be such a religion that we cannot even have a professional discussion on the subject?

A true scientists spends his efforts trying to disprove his theories.

Conversely: Anthropogenic global warming would very convenient for all the scientists researching it, as it brings in tons of research money, therefore it must exist, and be ridiculously powerful. (The thing is that GW as a whole is being exaggerated by both sides one way or the other, and I fear not enough unbiased info is being collected either way.)