Much has been said about the harm caused when user applications are bundled with the operating system but does this concept also apply to subsystems such as networking technology?

Sure does.

Let take a true die-hard Microsoft supporter like Bill Gates as an example.

Bill Gates has a rather large home in which he can pretty much hide from just about anyone if he wants to.  After all, even Bill does need a moment of privacy once in a while.  You never know.  He might want to surf the web he has heard so much about. Or, he might want to attend to personal matters.

The other thing he might want to do privately is check out Linux.  After all, he has heard a lot about Linux and all his paid informants are not always trustworthy or completely honest.  So.  A personal investigation is called for.  This time Bill looks around the house for a room without a PC.  This is getting harder and harder to do.  Just about everywhere he looks, a PC is already set up and running Windows.  Well.  Windows and Linux are like acid and water.  You have to be real careful how you deal with them and putting them in close proximity could be disastrous.

Well.  As luck would have it.  When you have a large house, there is always one more room that nobody seems to have put to good use.  If it has a lock on the door, so much the better.

So.  Off to the local computer store goes Bill.  Now, Gates is not dumb.  (The last time he went shopping for a computer he was overcharged for buying a second copy of software he already had.  But, this time will be different.  Even an old dog can learn a new trick when it counts. This time, instead of downloading a copy of IE 5, Bill downloads a copy of Linux.  Not just one copy of Linux, but three different copies of Linux.  Those high speed lines really do come in handy around Christmas time when shopping time is hard to squeeze in.  So. Bill is ready. He has three copies of Linux on private labeled CDs.  Bill labeled them Curly, Moe and Jackson. He wanted to name them after the three stooges but could not remember the third guy's name and "Jackson" just came up for no good reason.) [I think Larry was the name Bill wanted to come up with.]

This time Bill Gates is shopping for an Intel/AMD machine without Windows on it at all.  After all, should anyone find his Linux box in the house, he will need a clean story to disavow any connection with the rogue device.  So, the box must not come with Windows. Besides he already owns a copy of that stuff and does not need another one for a machine running Linux anyway.

Well.  Shopping for a PC without Windows on it already is not an easy task.  All the display models clearly indicate that you pay for Windows whether you want it or not.  And, besides it comes pre-installed.  But, Bill is a tight wad.  At work, he never cuts anyone any slack whether they are a new employee just learning the ropes or a customer with a special need.

So.  He asks the salesman how he can buy an Intel/AMD machine without Windows already running on the damn thing.  The salesman (recognizing Bill is back for the second time this week but not really knowing who he is but remembering that this fellow rejected Apple before) simply says if you do not want to pay for Windows and IE, you will have to buy your computer in parts and assemble it yourself.  Bill is thinking life should not be so difficult.  First he had to slip out of the house in a trench coat and now this.

But, the game is in play.  So.  Bill asks for help gathering the necessary parts from all over the store.  After all, when you buy parts, you have to pick and choose the parts you want.  You have to decide on a monitor, keyboard, case style, motherboard, chip and memory.  And, then there are about 30 different disc drives to pick from.  CD rom drives need to be selected.  Speakers have to be picked out.  This could take a while.  But, Bill has luck.  The salesman is willing to walk Bill around the store helping him make good selections.  Besides, the guy is really curious about Bill.  Bill seems to be an intelligent guy but does not seem to know much about the realities of the computer industry for some reason.

Regardless, the salesman helps Bill pick out good parts.

Then, the salesman hoping to pad his commission, asks Bill about software.  "What software will you need?", asked the salesman (whose name is Marc, but that is another story).  Bill says, "I have 3 copies of Linux already, so all I will need is a nice selection of applications".  The salesman blurts out, "We have WordPerfect for Linux", as he tosses the box into Bill's cart.  But, Bill immediately grabs it and complains, "the box says Linux is included, I already have 3 copies of Linux and I am not buying another one".  So WordPerfect stays on the shelf.  Besides Bill does not plan on writing any documents with the Linux machine but only wants to check it out, right?

"Okay", Bill says.  "What about networking software?".  I need to network this system with another system I have.  "What OS does that system run?", asked the salesman.  Bill, hoping not to be too obvious, says "I think it runs Windows now".  The salesman, being a fairly knowledgeable guy says, "Well. Microsoft networking is not available for Linux or any other system for that matter.  And, I think Linux bundles networking with their OS, but we can not sell you that technology for Windows".   "You might be able to get them to network, but we can not sell you anything that makes it easy."  Bill asks, "Then how in the hell am I supposed to get my new computer to network with the one I already have?".  The salesman says, "I have no idea.  Some guy came in here about a month ago and said he was able to do it.  But, I have no idea what he did.  And, as luck would have it, he was run over by a Cable TV Service vehicle about a week ago down at the corner of Main and Fifth". "I think he died."

Well.  Gates is fit to be tied.  Here, he is hoping to pick up a new computer, install Linux, find out what all the hoopla is about and now it appears he will have to hire a staff of engineers in order to figure out how to test Linux.

"This is absurd", blurts Bill Gates as he steams out the front door leaving his shopping cart with all those great selections (including the very fast 15 gig hard disc) parked in isle 3B.

The salesman has no idea what he did wrong.  But, the stuff has to go back on the shelves.