A small number of IT vendors are at the moment putting customers at risk of unwittingly running illegal software. Microsoft will not tolerate illegal copies of its software being sold.

There will be a concern if we see an increase in businesses selling PCs without Windows and piracy goes into the sky.

I can confirm that the... personnel are not participating in customer visits. This is an error in the copy and will be amended in future material on the subject.

We want to urge all system builders ? indeed, all Partners ? not to supply naked PCs. It is a risk to your customers and a risk to your business ? with specifically 5 percent fewer opportunities to market software and services.

Everybody is very, very surprised -- Microsoft on their doorstep.

At the current level, it just is not an issue.