In the wake of Microsoft's illogical and wrong-headed attack on the so-called Windows 7 installation "hack"--really just a workaround designed to let legitimate Windows customers upgrade their activated copies of XP or Vista to Windows 7 in the manner they prefer--I've started wondering why Microsoft reacted so strongly. After all, their central argument is completely bogus: Most people out there already qualify for Upgrade pricing. And those who really do wish to just save money (by not paying for more expensive Full media) will simply buy OEM media, which costs less than Upgrade media. So it's not about money. Why bother? Why even bring attention to this, especially in such an idiotic, anti-customer fashion?
One theory that occurred to me was that perhaps this workaround would enable a user to install multiple copies of Windows 7 using a single product key. But after testing this, I've found that not to the be case: Each product key (with the exception of those supplied by the Windows 7 Family Pack, of course) allows for only one electronic, automatic activation. I'm not sure how I would have handled this had I somehow unearthed a way to activate multiple PCs on the same key (I probably would have simply told Microsoft about it). But that doesn't happen, thankfully.
So the question still remains. Why would Microsoft allege that many of its customers are thieves? And why would they accuse people like me, who were (and still are) very clear about the licensing requirements of being dishonest about that?
It just doesn't make sense.