[dm319]

You have absolutely hit the nail on the head, and the way you describe the WGA update is exactly as I remember. I didn't want it installed. Back then resources were a bit more scarce and both startup programs as well as regular ones seemed to significantly slow the boot times. I also didn't want a piece of software that would use both CPU and network resources that was of absolutely no use to me.

The feeling of being given the option to choose, then being coerced strongly (with my resistance) and then being forced upon my laptop gave a strange sense of having been violated.

In a way I'm glad it happened. I was so annoyed / possibly angry? that it prompted me to find a different OS, and my only regret was not finding it earlier.