My faith in Microsoft is quashed, again.

So, I have a new laptop! (the old one decided to become a constipated hairdryer, I've taken it to bits and I now know just how poorly it was manufactured. This means that it is extremely unlikely that I will ever buy or recommend and Acer system, as only positive thing about the quality of the system is that it's still better than the quality of Acer support).
Windows vista home basic came pre-installed, and, out of curiosity I acquired a copy of a vista ultimate update cd bundled with office 2007 via my university. I'm also used to running linux on my machines, and the server I use at the university (which I also maintain) runs unix, so it's always going to be a battle between OSes on my machine. Windows had just scored major points (as it always does) for handling multiple monitors better than the competition, and lenovo (laptop manufacturer) had won points for integrating their (useful!) apps nicely with Vista, indirectly adding point to the windows score. Windows had lost point for not having a customisable install and taking 40Gb of diskspace, whilst linux took less than 6 whilst still having all the functionality that I need.
Then I changed my memory (from 2Gb to 4Gb), which windows 32 bit can't fully recognise, but the tools that really need it are linux-only anyway, so that's why there's double boot). No problems. Two weeks later this script plays out:

[Me]: Takes out the removable optical drive (It's an ultrabay drive, I can change it for a harddisk or extra battery (not that I have them), replugs it, and docks laptop to the docking station.
[Vista]: *DING* Windows has detected a hardware change and needs to be reactivated.
[Me]: WT*? Okay, I'll play along, "Activate Windows!" *clickety*...
[Vista]: ...*DING* This product key is already in use. You need another key to activate windows!
[Me]: WT*^2?
[Vista]: Click here to buy a new one!
[Me]: WT*^3!!!
[Vista]: Call the automated phone system to activate windows...
[Me]: Hmmm, maybe they have a 'press 9' for a real person if registration fails.
[Skype]: This is an invalid number. (The toll free number)
[Me]: WT*?, tries non-toll free number
[Product activation]: (Long story with lots of numbers as input)
[Me]: Plays along, hits next after entering whole lot of numbers.
[Vista]: Registration succesfull, have a nice day!
[Me]: WT*^27.5

So, is this going to happen each time that I take out the cd-rom drive or dock my laptop? You get 3 days to reactivate before windows locks you out, and I have the fealing that this method will only works once. Linux is really scoring points here on the basis that it is far more reliable and less prone to lock me out of my own system, and hasn't been throwing updates at me every day for two weeks now (It does when it needs to and clearly tells me why (unlike microsoft), though). According to microsoft, I only need to reactivate if I change my motherboard (in some cases) or my memory and harddisk at the same time. Neither of these occured, why did I need to reactivate?

MS source: Windows Vista Activation Hardware Change see the bit about "What hardware changes may require re-activation". I don't have time for this stuff, I'm supposed to be working as a PhD student...