zlacker

Microsoft (used to?) pick up the phone if you called about an issue with Windows. If you actually called them, then they lost money on your consumer Windows license.

Say what you will about how crappy Win 9x was, but they definitely drove the average tech support load to much less than one call per machine.

>>hedora+(OP)
> If you actually called them, then they lost money on your consumer Windows license

That's why if you have an OEM license for Windows (where the per-unit cost is more like $40/unit rather than the retail $100-$300) your first-line support comes from your OEM, not Microsoft.