http://business.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,8209-1009195,00.html

They have missed out Thailand, but I suppose that could at a stretch be 
regarded as only an announced plan - to offer cheap Thai Windows rather than 
an actual _offer_.  

Commentary:  In order to preserve the appearance of a uniform world price for 
Windows plus MS Office, MS must present a special version for each market 
that bargains with them.

This is of course a disaster, but a slower disaster for MS than their 
profitable pair of products declining more rapidly toward the economic price, 
which I think is around Euros 2 but perhaps as much as Euros 15 by the time 
you add shipping.

At a stroke of course some arguments ostensibly in favour of Windows vs Open 
Source OS and office suites (several variants, training in school on same 
software in business) die horribly.  However, I never believed them when they 
were being argued for One OS to rule them all, so not believing them now is 
no great change.

Historical footnote:  One of the ways Microsoft stuffed Word Perfect was by 
producing a single version where WP Corp had to produce multiple ones....

-- 
Adrian Midgley                   (Linux desktop)
GP, Exeter
http://www.defoam.net/

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