No, you are completely missing the boat.

If your house is wired for cable, you cannot get cable legally unless you enter into a contract with the company to provide service. BECAUSE THEY PROVIDE THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE ADMINISTRATION...not the cable on your private property.

Completely different than what you suggest.

This is more akin to buying a vehicle wherein the ABS hardware, software and Airbag hardware & software are included, but because you didn't also buy the $3950 "upgrade" to floormats, you are unable to use them in the event that they are needed.

AGAIN...hardware...a PHYSICAL entity, versus a service...ether in the air...tangible only when it is provided. Kinda like lungs and air...lungs only matter if they actually allow you to breathe

Quote Originally Posted by Masher Mfg View Post
This isn't the same, if you bought a house and didn't pay extra for cable TV but the wire is there, would you complain you are not getting free TV?

How about if you have a Dish TV type system with paid basic programming, would you complain that the premium channels are not viewable unless you paid extra? After all you are paying for the dish, the signals are being received by your equipment, but you are being cheated out of extra programming by not being able to view them.

Another question, would you feel better if the physical memory and other premium software was not installed on your machine so you don't feel cheated? Answer truthfully. Now, would you be willing to pay extra to have a service tech come to your location to install the premium software that you have purchased? Oh, wait, if the software was preloaded all you would have to do is purchase " THE RIGHTS TO USE THE SOFTWARE " , type in the code and off you go. Remember, a software purchase consists of buying the right to use the SW and not the software itself, this is standard procedure in that part of the world.

Ever download a software package that has a free / low cost entry level then for a fee you can upgrade? Sometimes turning on the extra features consists of purchasing the access code. How do you feel about that?

I'm sure your response will go something like " What, do you work for Haas?" No I don't work for Haas or any other CNC company, I do however understand how such marketing systems work.

Yes, I know it is frustrating to have something "in there" but not being able to use it freely. But being you didn't pay for it, it really isn't in there.