This registration is relatively innocent and not that much of problem in and of itself. It is, however, just part of an overall trend toward which all computing is being steered. Before long, with the system that is the (already publicly admitted) GOAL of M$, you will HAVE to pay EVERY single month in order to use your operating system from M$ (probably around XP v3 or so). If you don't pay them EVERY month, you will be cut off, and totally unable to access any and all of your own files. If you have to pay somebody else to access your own work, who does it really belong to? A lot of the reaction to this protection "scheme" is really a reaction to the overall, rather scary trend toward propritary software manufacturers having complete control over YOU and me and everyone else. Lordy, when the HELL is the Linux community going to get it together so that some version of Linux will run ALL windows programs and people will actually have some choice again?? There are zillions of people who would drop Microslop like a red-hot turd if Linux systems that actually can run everything were available.