The hardware is fully operational and the means to use it fully documented. You could install another operating system than Windows free of charge if you wish.
False in many cases: see UEFI.
well this is new? i'll sure avoid those kind of hardware that wont let me install any OS version that i like. unless i can quite happily live with the bundled OS.
anybody agree to this can buy the hardware and agree to the limitation outlined, even though the hardware is capable of running more than that (other OSes). this is just a matter of agreeing to the term or not, simple. you agree, you buy, dont mourn. you dont agree, you dont buy. you agree, you buy, and then you hack. you are violating the term thats it, the seller has the right to sue you, and they can take any necessary action to avoid further hack. if they lose sale because of that, its their problem. our problem is violating the term. most problem when people buy and mourn, is when the buyer failed to read the T&C, or the seller tend to keep the T&C hidden or didnt warn the buyer, in this later case i prefer to call them cheating.
Selling someone a piece of hardware but only allowing them to use half of the memory/bandwidth is stealing.
no. the manufacturer/seller specifically told you, you only can use some of it with the price you pay. if you want all of it, you have to pay for the "license key". so "in agreeing" with that "agreement", you give your money to the seller. there is no who stealing who, both party agreed to the terms. and then the hacking, the "copyright violation", this is a clear, "who's right who's wrong".
this is not 18th century anymore where we can only think about "hardware" to be judged as stealing. "software" can be duplicated, the original is kept with the MAKER, correct, but... any duplicate you possess without permission or in violation with the T&C, is just as equally wrong as "stealing a tangible matter", imho. but depending on how the manufacturer sees this as risking their business or well-beingness. if someone steal your old shoe that you dont use anymore, you see this as not so serious stealing and we tend to apologize the theft, but not so if the stolen item is priced so much that really meant something to us. so the seriousness is also depending how it will affect the manufacturer/seller side. ymmv.