Pssst ... wanna rent Microsoft Windows and Office? Cheap ...

Microsoft has finally made renting out copies of Windows and Office legal for businesses -- including allowing Internet cafes, airport kiosks and your friendly neighborhood Kinko's to rent the use of Microsoft products as well as the computer itself -- something most were already doing illegally.

You may know that what you are buying when you purchase a copy of Windows is the license to use the software for a particular user and computer. Sometimes that's exactly what happens, but other times it may get a little hazy with an illegal, or pirated, copy put on another machine. The computer could also be leased out, also illegally, to others.

Apparently none of this is a surprise to Microsoft, which rarely enforces its terms. So now, in order to compel businesses to comply with its new rental agreement launched this month, Microsoft is offering a 30% discount until June 30. The discounted, one-time fees range from $23 for Windows to $58 for Office Professional and are good for the life of the PC. The one-time fee would be added to the price.