Asus set to debut cheap laptops, targeting children and women
,----[ Quote ]
| A new line of low-cost mini laptop is set to hit the Indonesian market with
| Asus Technology Indonesia planning to introduce the Eee PC 701 next January
| at the latest.
`----
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailbusiness.asp?fileid=20071117.L05&irec=4
Microsoft exploits corruption in Indonesia. Examples below.
Related:
[Indonesia:] Government to Review Cooperation with Microsoft
,----[ Quote ]
| The government will review the possibility of cooperating with PT
| Microsoft Indonesia in terms of software legalization process in
| all governmental institutions.
|
| This is because Microsoft is currently marketing cheap software,
| priced at US$3 or around Rp27,000 each.
|
| Cahyana Ahmadjayadi, Director General of Telematics Applications at
| the Information and Communication Department, said the review would
| not reduce the government's concern regarding open source software.
`----
http://indosnesos.blogspot.com/2007/06/government-to-review-cooperation-with.html
[Indonesia:] Govt pledges to pursue open-source software
,----[ Quote ]
| In spite of a deal with the U.S.-based software giant Microsoft,
| the government pledged Wednesday that it would continue promoting
| the use of open-source software.
|
| [...]
|
| Kusmayanto said -- without mentioning Microsoft by name -- that
| dependence on one operating system would curtail the country's
| freedom to choose software most consistent with its own needs.
|
|
| [...]
|
| The deal has, however, come under fire, including from the House
| of Representatives, with critics arguing that it will create a
| monopoly for Microsoft, and undermine the government's own IGOS
| program, which encourages the use of free open-source software
| for the public sector.
`----
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailnational.asp?fileid=20070315.H05&irec=4
Open-source firms need 'equal treatment'
,----[ Quote ]
| To help boost the application of open source technology, which could in turn
| benefit local industry, the government needs to help out with better
| regulations, an IT firm says.
|
| Harry Kaligis, business and marketing general manager of Sun Microsystems
| Indonesia (SMI), said that although open-source firms had been given the
| freedom to grow, they were still often subject to "unequal treatment" by the
| government.
`----
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailbusiness.asp?fileid=20070713.L03&irec=2
IGOS, MS, or both: let's debate it
,----[ Quote ]
| The government is at best merely being pragmatic with the deal --
| realizing the widespread use of pirated software products in
| government institutions -- and is therefore trying to correct this.
|
| It is a decision that has, however, weathered criticism for
| likely giving Microsoft's proprietary software products an unfair
| advantage for use in publicly funded government services, and
| sidelining the use of free/libre and open-source software (FLOSS),
| which the government has actually been encouraging through its
| Indonesia Goes Open Source (IGOS) program.
|
| [...]
|
| The Business Software Alliance (BSA), an industry lobby group of
| proprietary software vendors with Microsoft as its main backer,
| ranks Indonesia's piracy rate at 87 percent and the world's third
| highest after Vietnam and Zimbabwe.
|
| [...]
|
| But the validity and accuracy of BSA's piracy ratings and studies
| have also come under criticism recently, from the respected
| business weekly The Economist, among others.
|
| It is these concerns that has made I Made Wiryana, one of Indonesia's
| noted FLOSS advocates, advise the government not to take for granted
| that the deal with Microsoft will benefit development of the
| country's IT sector.
|
| [...]
|
| "We also have to consider the actual benefits from the deal's
| implementation compared to the costs we will be making, when the
| use of open source software can also reduce piracy and save costs."
`----
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailfeatures.asp?fileid=20070212.Q01&irec=0
Open source, closed mind
,----[ Quote ]
| It recently launched the Indonesia Goes Open-Source Nusantara 2006
| package, which provides desktop software based on Linux Fedora Core 5
| and with the ability to operate applications such as Open Office for
| text documents, Firefox for Internet browsing, Thunderbird for email
| and Gaim for chatting.
|
| The ministry's website also lists a range of open-source software
| material, domestic and foreign, from which material can be downloaded
| for free.
|
| Furthermore, the use of open-source software cuts down on piracy,
| which is as prevalent in this country as the use of computers.
`----
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detaileditorial.asp?fileid=20070126.E01&irec=0
http://tinyurl.com/yqjk59
Sofyan: Open Source Hampers Government's Activity
,----[ Quote ]
| The Department of Research and Technology will involve eight
| universities as developing agents of Indonesia GO Open Source
| (IGOS) program. They include Bandung Institute of Technology,
| Sepuluh November Institute of Technology, Gadjah Mada University,
| University of Indonesia, Udayana University, Deli Polytechnics,
| Batam Polytechnics and President University.
`----
http://www.tempointeractive.com/hg/ekbis/2007/01/16/brk,20070116-91365,uk.html
http://tinyurl.com/tgedc
Open-source system sought for SMEs, ministries
,----[ Quote ]
| To help protect intellectual property rights and reduce costs, the
| State Ministry for Research and Technology is urging state
| institutions, and small and medium enterprises to adopt open-source
| software for their computers. The Information and Communications
| Ministry had already saved on its IT budget after deciding
| to migrate.
`----
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailbusiness.asp?fileid=20061205.L01&irec=0
Computing systems for business: Linux or Mac?
,----[ Quote ]
| "It was annoying, the spams and the virus. It slows down my work,
| which relies heavily on e-mails. I can get and send 50 e-mails a day,
| but because of spams my inbox is sometimes crowded with hundreds of
| e-mails, some carrying virus," Ruthie said.
`----
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailfeatures.asp?fileid=20060911.Q02&irec=1
Commentary: Will the real Microsoft please stand up?
,----[ Quote ]
| Mention Microsoft, and some would think of Bill Gates, the Windows
| computer platform and the world's largest (and richest) software company.
| For a certain group of people, however, Microsoft is the embodiment of
| an evil empire lead by a Dark Prince, conducting questionable business
| practices toward maintaining its (monopolistic?) market leadership.
|
| [...]
|
| Perhaps what Microsoft should do as a whole is to play better with others
| and listen to its user base. The world and markets have changed, yet a
| number of companies and organizations continue to struggle to maintain
| their old business models. Using legal tactics instead of true
| technology innovation will not endear nor create loyal customers.
`----
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailfeatures.asp?fileid=20070709.Q02&irec=1
Recent examples of Microsoft fraud/bribery:
,----[ Quote ]
| So, even as Microsoft claims superior quality over Linux, they act as if they
| don't even buy their own FUD. If they really believed that Windows was
| superior to Linux, they wouldn't have to bribe people with “marketing help”
| to get them to choose Windows.
`----
http://www.linuxtoday.com/news_story.php3?ltsn=2007-11-09-030-26-OP-MD-MS
Ecuador Tax Agency Closes Microsoft Branch Offices For 7 Days
,----[ Quote ]
| "We have twice requested balances, payment reports and complete tax
| information, but the company hasn't given it to us, so in accordance with our
| laws we have proceeded with the closure," the SRI official in charge of the
| proceeding said.
`----
http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/djf500/200710041610DOWJONESDJONLINE000810_FORTUNE5.htm
Microsoft Office raid in Hungary
,----[ Quote ]
| "Such behavior could lead to the exclusion of competitive products from
| the market and violate European Union rules, according to the authority
| known as the GVH."
`----
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/07/26/ap3957835.html
Evidence of Microsoft Influencing OOXML Votes in Nordic States
,----[ Quote ]
| "This is how a standard is bought," Bosson wrote later. "I left the meeting
| in protest - pissed off."
`----
http://www.betanews.com/article/Evidence_of_Microsoft_Influencing_OOXML_Votes_in_Nordic_States/1188335569
Insider Trading Hasn't Affect Microsoft Stock - Yet
,----[ Quote ]
| MarketWatch.com reports that Robbie Bach, president of Microsoft's
| Entertainment and Devices division, sold $6.2 million of Microsoft
| stock just prior to announcing that Microsoft was going to have to
| extend XBox 360 warranties to three years because of extensive
| failures. The filings note that this was not part of any
| scheduled diversification or selling program; this was a
| conscious, unscheduled sale by the guy in charge of releasing
| news that could affect the value of Microsoft stock.
|
| [...]
|
| Insider trading is a very serious violation of the law; just
| ask Martha Stewart, who served five months in prison for
| avoiding losses of $43,000 through trades that just had suspicious
| timing (no insider trading was actually proven). This is $6.3
| million that went straight into Robbie Bach's pocket.
`----
http://biz.yahoo.com/seekingalpha/070713/40947_id.html?.v=1
|
|