Hi Kathy. The license relates to the Windows CE operating system which is part of the upgrade to KeySoft 6.1. Because we upgraded the operating system, we are required to include the sticker. there is no large certificate of the type you mention for Windows CE. Furthermore, your suggested price for the license is far from accurate.
I would also point out that one or two customers possibly losing the license sticker out of the many thousands who now have KeySoft 6.11 is a pretty good track record. I realise that this fact doesn't stop people from doing the storm in a teacup thing on an e-mail list like this, but there you are. Neither Dean nor I, can advocate the use of illegal software, since anything we say on this list is said in a HumanWare capacity. The Windows CE operating system in the BrailleNote if you upgraded to 6.1 is not technically legal unless you affix the sticker to the machine as required by Microsoft. Yes we're following orders of course! It's their software and they set the rules. Now if I as a blind person were to lose the sticker accidentally before I had a chance to affix it, I would probably form my own personal view on just how important it was, and how likely it is that Microsoft are going to come knocking on my door looking for the sticker and hauling me off to jail if they don't find it on my BrailleNote. I hope you get my drift. Dean is simply doing what a tech support person should do and giving you the official line. I've been about as forthcoming as I can be on this. Jonathan Mosen BrailleNote Product Marketing Manager HumanWare DDI: +1-925-566-9265 http://www.humanware.com Kathy Williams <[EMAIL PROTECTED] .com> To Sent by: Braillenote List braillenote-bounc <[email protected]> [EMAIL PROTECTED] cc .com Subject Re: lost sticker Re: [Braillenote] 08/08/2005 09:36 update a.m. Please respond to Braillenote List <[EMAIL PROTECTED] .humanware.com> Is that anything like just following orders? It certainly didn't answer any of my questions. What is Microsoft having you do that is creating this difficulty of your sending a tiny piece of paper to your blind customers which they need to stick on the back of their units? And what kind of license is this? As I read the instructions for licensing, there is the license for the pre-installed software which this must not be because then it would be up to you folks to paste the sticker on the unit when you do the installing. Then there is the license for packaged software purchased separately in which case there is also a certificate of authenticity (about 5 by 7 inch paper) on which the little label is affixed. This makes it hard to lose. Now clearly you're not doing either of these things. But whatever licensing system you're involved in with Microsoft it is creating difficulties for your customers that you folks seem to want to turn into the sale of another operating system rather than help solve for your valued customers. How come? Are we talking about a $3 license fee for WINDOWS CE? if this is the case, and Humanware isn't keeping track of the license connected with the serial number of the unit, seems kind of small to not just eat the $3 for PR that has been lost in this issue already. Perhaps this isn't software that qualifies for the $3 license. For PR I'd still try to work it out to just replace the license code to the customer rather than threatening with action by microsoft and other qualified third party investigators auditing licenses etc. etc.. Why would Microsoft even question the source of software on a system that only works with the software from you folks. Clearly it came from you folks. And they do have a process for the seller to replace license stickers at no charge to the customer in some situations. I find it difficult to believe they wouldn't make this one of them. Microsoft isn't the Gestapo. They're just folks. ___ To leave the BrailleNote list, send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To view the list archives or change your preferences, visit http://list.humanware.com/mailman/listinfo/braillenote
