[ale] [Fwd: Cost of Windows and Office in US vs Thailand]

[Bob Toxen]

On Fri, Oct 03, 2003 at 09:09:33AM -0400, Jeff Hubbs wrote:
> One of the things that has always bothered me is that when vendors sell
> products to the Government on a General Services Administration contract
> (a pre-negotiated contract that any Government agency can buy off of
> without having to compete the requirement), the price is supposed to be
> no higher than that which they offer their best commercial customers.
Yup.

> When MS pulls stuff like this or when they try to equal or beat a
> Linux-based offering by basically nulling out the per-seat line item, it
> just makes the pricing arbitrary, i.e., it's Tuesday and the moon is
> full, so we'll charge $xxx.  It should make anyone who pays a
> significant amount for licenses feel like they're getting screwed over.
The way they legally do this is that it's not *exactly* the same as the
shrinkwrap you buy or what you were forced to buy with your hardware.
They'll take one or two things out and call it a different "economy gov't
version".

Since they're ice skating in Hell, I'll defend Microsoft here.  Since
the cost of software is in the development, there's no per-price cost
plus a small profit as there is in, say, an automobile.  Thus, software
is priced what the market will bear.  In many third world countries, if
you charge too much it will just be pirated.  This may limit the pricing
in Thailand.  They're not competing against Linux there, but pirated M$.

I do agree that the Federal gov't should have the guts to negotiate a
far better price or just write their own software from scratch.  If you
care, write to your U.S. Senator or Congressman and ask him to introduce
a bill requiring Open Source software unless a strong reason not to is
provided.

> - Jeff

Bob Toxen
bob at verysecurelinux.com               [Please use for email to me]
http://www.verysecurelinux.com        [Network&Linux/Unix security consulting]
http://www.realworldlinuxsecurity.com [My book:"Real World Linux Security 2/e"]
Quality Linux & UNIX security and SysAdmin & software consulting since 1990.

"Microsoft: Unsafe at any clock speed!"
   -- Bob Toxen 10/03/2002

> On Fri, 2003-10-03 at 08:03, Matthew Brown wrote:
> > Enjoy!
> > -- 
> > Best regards,

> > Matthew Brown
> > CorData, Inc.
> > Office:	770-795-0089
> > Fax:	404-806-4855

> > ______________________________________________________________________
> > From: michael_v_brown at us.ibm.com
> > To: matthew.brown at cordata.net
> > Subject: Cost of Windows and Office in US vs Thailand
> > Date: 02 Oct 2003 22:26:26 -0400


> > Microsoft's Worm Fund
> > In recent financials, Microsoft
> > showed an 85 percent profit margin
> > on Windows. In countries where
> > Linux is a stiff competitor,
> > though, the margin drops. In
> > Thailand, Microsoft sells Windows
> > and Office together for the
> > equivalent of $36, according to an
> > Aug. 14 Wall Street Journal
> > article. The difference between $36
> > and the combined $300 or so street
> > price that's paid in the United
> > States is a kind of "stupid
> > Americans" tax.

> > Read the full story on the web at:
> > http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,3959,1230141,00.asp

> > Michael V. Brown
> > Lotus Service Manager
> > Lotus Customer Advocacy Organization
> > IBM Software Group
> > Phone: 404-487-2845
> > Internet Mail: Michael_V_Brown at US.IBM.COM
> -- 
> Jeff Hubbs <hbbs at comcast.net>