On 2009-08-21, Moshe Goldfarb <moshegoldfarb@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
>
> On Fri, 21 Aug 2009 16:27:03 +0100, bbgruff wrote:
>
>> Moshe Goldfarb wrote:
>>
>>> On Fri, 21 Aug 2009 10:16:51 +0100, bbgruff wrote:
>>>
>>>> Homer wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Verily I say unto thee, that bbgruff spake thusly:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Actually, I welcome the installation of this Starter Edition. I'd
>>>>>> vote to make it mandatory on all new computers :-)
>>>>>
>>>>> It'd certainly have the desired repellent effect.
>>>>>
>>>>> Overall though, I'd rather it was mandatory for OEMs to offer the choice
>>>>> of an /alternative/ to Microsoft's Slopware, rather than continue to
>>>>> support its monopoly.
>>>>>
>>>>> http://slated.org/unbundling_microsoft_windows
>>>>
>>>> Oh, I quite agree, but I don't think that's going to happen any time
>>>> soon.
>>>>
>>>> Look what the installation of Windows Starter Edition on all machines
>>>> achieves though....
>>>>
>>>> 1. The OEM is supplying something that shows the machine works.
>>>>
>>>> 2. A single disk image for the OEM, and only one item support-wise.
>>>>
>>>> 3. Minimal added cost for anyone *not* wanting a Windows machine - they
>>>> can almost think of this as the Test Suite from the OEM!
>>>>
>>>> 4. Clearer separation of the cost of the OS from the H/W - people see
>>>> from the upgrade prices what they are being charged.
>>>>
>>>> 5. OEMs actually much more likely to offer non-Windows machines, because
>>>> the profit on the original installation is very small.
>>>>
>>>> - and when it comes to netbooks, in my view it is *much* better that
>>>> they
>>>> come with Starter than the almost-gratis XP :-)
>>>
>>> So the OEM should install Linux and be done with it.
>>>
>>> But there is one problem.
>>>
>>> They won't have any customers.
>>
>> Not at all. If Linux were installed by default, most customers who wanted
>> Windows would probably have difficulty installing it. By contrast, most
>> Linux (BSD etc.) users would have little trouble in over-writing Windows
>> (or dual-booting) with Linux (or BSD etc).
>
> Why would a customer buy a Linux machine just to install
> Windows?
They already have all of the software they need and it's
licensed in a sensible transferrable way so that they can keep
their old software as they move to new hardware.
Of course Windows generally isn't licensed in that way or
packaged in a way that makes it easy to transfer to another
machines. Sometimes it's not even easy to install on the
machine it was bought for (sad really).
>
> I'm saying, forget about Windows and install Linux on these pre
> loaded machines.
>
>> Also, Windows users considerably outnumber Linux users at the moment.
>>
>> Therefore, imo, the OEMs' best bet is to install Windows 7 Starter Edition.
>> The Starter Edition will probably be quite cheap. Perhaps not so cheap as
>> the current XP-for-netbooks at what - $15? - but still very cheap.
>>
>> By installing that, the OEM keeps the price down, doesn't deprive anybody of
>> anything, and the customer could simply upgrade at any time, paying the
>> additional cost to MS.
>>
>> I think it would be a really good and fair scheme, and I really can't see
>> any logical objections to it.
>
> My point is, if Windows 7 is such a PITA, the vendors could save
> money, install Linux and keep more of the profits.
> With today's slim margins on PC hardware and software, every
> dime counts.
...assuming the user has something to install on that box.
OTOH, we are long past the time when the copy of Windows should
be a single visible line item cost that can easily be separated out
of the rest of the bundle. Windows is licensed in a manner that
allows for "refunds", so the FTC should be beating hardware vendors
over the head to bring them into compliance with their legal
obligations.
It should be a trivial matter to tell Dell or HP that you don't
want their copy of Windows.
There should also only be one price for any version of Windows.
If Dell can get a copy of Windows for $5 then so should anyone else.
--
Nothing today, likely nothing since we tamed fire,
is genuinely new: culture, like science and |||
technology grows by accretion, each new creator / | \
building on the works of those that came before.
Judge Alex Kozinski
US Court of Appeals
9th Circuit
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