[Am-info] An excerpt from an email sent by Dell to all of its customers:

[Erick Andrews]

On Tue, 13 Aug 2002 14:54:41 -0400, John J. Urbaniak wrote:

>
>
>Erick Andrews wrote:
>
>> On Tue, 13 Aug 2002 07:58:08 -0700, Mitch Stone wrote:
>>
>> >Wal-Mart doesn't make these computers, they just sell them on their web
>> >site. The OEM is Microtel.
>> >
>> [...]
>>
>>
>>
>> So, what might be an interesting thought experiment,
>> if a similar situation exists between Wal-Mart and
>> Microtel (that Microtel sells an exclusive line of PCs
>> to Wal-Mart), Wal-Mart could be (legally?) immune
>> from Microsoft pressure.   Of course, I doubt that
>> Wal-Mart ships the volumes that Dell, Gateway, Compaq,
>> or IBM do, either, which would further distance them
>> from discount licensing pressure.
>>
>
>Simple, Microsoft forbids Microtel from shipping non-OS boxes to Wal-Mart.
>
>John
>

But...

Do we know that they really have?  I mean, has MS actually put
Microtel on notice, like Dell, not to ship Wal-Mart non-OS boxes?

I just checked Wal-Mart's site again, and you can buy a non-OS box from them:

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product_listing.gsp?path=0%3A3944%3A3951%3A41937%3A86796%3A86798&dept=3944&cat=86798&sb=61&bti=0

-- 
Erick Andrews