Another argument that I’ve heard is that (some) of the preinstalled software is actually useful–like the CD/DVD burning software that came bundled with the PC, but with a suitably knowledgeable tech at hand, it’s possible to recover this software as well. Case in point, I have a Compaq Presario C500 series laptop next to me that has had its recovery partition removed–thus freeing up space–and with a Vista license and the copy of the partition, I’m able to restore what I want, and nothing else.

@Sasha: Following the above, Microsoft’s licensing agreements differ on what you can actually do with the installation CD’s. OEM-branded installation media MUST come with OEM parts; if you remove the part that qualifies you for the OEM media, or you use an OEM key with the wrong media (even if it lets you), your license is invalid. To put this another way, if you use external, standalone media, and the OEM key on the bottom of the laptop instead of the key that came with the media, you’ve got a licensing model problem. Other than OEM and standalone, other license structures include volume and upgrade licenses–yes, it’s annoying, but it’s better than finding that WGA disables your laptop one day because you “got away with it” for a few months. That said, Microsoft’s licensing is clearly available from their main website.

The one thing that irks me about “create your own discs” is that people who think they’re doing a good thing and “clean up” their “installed programs” list, then accidentally or intentionally remove their recovery disc creator are out of luck. No manufacturer I’ve spoken to will tell you have to recover the system without BUYING the discs now–even though you can CLEARLY SEE the recovery partition is still there.

C’est la vie. Cheers folks.