If a person buys a computer, I believe that person should have the ability to start that computer in the event of a hard disk failure without resorting to additional expenditures, such as additional hard disks or a reliable broadband Internet connection.
Oh, c'mon. Get real. That's like saying that if a person buys a computer that person should be able to use that computer forever, confident that it will never break down.
It's like saying that a person who buys a car should never have to replace the tires or re-fill the gas tank or change the oil. Extras like parking permits should be thrown in automatically. If the car does break down, they should still be able to drive it while it's in the shop getting repaired. Why should you need to arrange alternate transportation or pay for roadside assistance if you've already bought a car? Isn't that what the car is for?
While amusing, all these comparisons are arguably and increasingly over the top for the situation the OP finds himself in. We are trying to establish the remedies that require a minimum outlay of additional expense compared with other users who can utilize broadband connections in lieu of OS Install discs. Most of what you say (barring the hyperbole) may be true, but it is still not germane to the issue at hand. Only when it has been established that the prevailing limitations set by the OP cannot be circumvented without additional expense do most of the suggestions made come into play.
The question remains: have all minimal options available to the OP been listed?
