Chad Smith wrote:
It seems that Microsoft is concerned for computer "white box" makers
income. They are on a campaign to convince the PC makers of the UK that
selling a "naked box" or a computer without an operating system is "not in
their best interest financially." According to Microsoft, the makers would
get more cash if they sold the computers with an operating system....
Gee... I wonder what operating system they want you to sell?
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/0,39020330,39261437,00.htm
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060405-6531.html
What do you all think about this? Mofia like tactics or just a healthy
marketing push for more Windows boxen?
--
- Chad Smith
A little of both I suppose.
What I find interesting is the emphasis on software piracy. It's not
like they don't know that some or most of these boxes are destined to
run Linux, which they despise, but what really bothers them is the idea
of customers transferring a copy of Windows that they already paid for
from one machine, that's at end-of-life-cycle or has just crapped out,
onto a new machine.
Their whole business model is predicated on a Windows license being
non-transferable from one machine to the next, even if the old machine
is being scrapped. That's one reason they have to crank out a new
version of Windows every so often, not to incorporate new features or
technical improvements, but to make this whole scheme more palatable to
customers. So for most customers, when they replace a machine, buying
another copy of Windows seems like less of a rip-off because at least
it's a new version.
There's also a kind of arrogance implicit in the assumption that the
only conceivable purpose for a white box is piracy. I mean, geez, what
other use could there possibly be for that?
--
Rod -- "I don't mind using Windows; I just want it to be *my* choice."
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