> Just to spice this up ;-)
>
> Millions of people all around the world, supporting even more millions of
> families make a living developing and or using products that run on
Windows.
>
> I really don't understand why people are so upset paying a few hundred ok
> maybe even thousand dollars for a product that has probably required
> hundreds of thousands of man years to create and forms the basis quite
often
> of their own incomes yet fork out happily tens of thousands for an
> automobile which takes them to and from work. Most of you have probably
> spent more on petrol in a year than the software you use to make a living.
>
> To temper it a little I agree XP is going to stuggle for a while mostly
> because Windows 2000 is really a very good product and people will need a
> genuine reason to move on however I also agree with this AOL comparison,
it
> can work. AOL customers happily use the internet as a service and pay for
it
> as a service, why not software?

I have the latest XP pricelist here.
Prices are in $NZ.
$NZ1 = approx $US0.45
These are the retail prices here

Home edition  full              $531
   upgrade                          $275
Professional version full   $788
   upgrade                          $530

An entry level Windows desktop PC with 20 GB HDD, 128 MB RAM, CD, Modem, 800
MHZ CPU, monitor, WIN98 costs about $NZ1200 here.
This is an operating system!
Any OS that costs 44% of the system hardware cost for a cutdown version and
65% for a non-crippled version had better have some real advantages.

How long until the next upgrade is "needed"?

Petrol in a car is not a very fair comparison as the usage model varies
substantially.
It's hard to think of a really good parallel model.

Points possibly worth noting include -

- a new model will be brought out shortly, subtle changes will be made that
compel you to follow the herd,
because the new models will only be (reasonably) backward compatible but
will be designed to ensure that old models are not forward compatible.
"Perfectly good" software will not STAY "perfectly good" because new
improved features in other software will ensure it. Effectively linking the
way that the internet appears to your system is part of ensuring that this
happens.

- While hardware prices are plummeting the price of this product is
increasing substantially and you are compelled to buy new product regularly
Fair profit is a core tenet of the capitalist system but a product which
produces the "richest man in the world" leads one to examine the fairness of
the profit more closely than otherwise.

- the product contains "features" whose exact intentions are uncertain but
which are designed to interact with your computer and your software to the
advantage of the seller.

- The vendor "accidentally" (until it is pointed out) includes the most
draconian terms imaginable in the software licence which must be signed to
use the product. The remaining terms are liable to make interesting reading
to the majority who never read them.

Now if someone GAVE me a copy I might well be swayed ....

> As for Linux, well I think it was born well of the seed of talented
> individuals formed on the basis of the 80/20 rule. That is for 20% of the
> effort you get an 80% product which is exactly what linux is but it takes
> CASH to invest that extra 80% of effort required to get a 100% product so
> don't be fooled because linux is a LONG way from being that 100% product
> equivalent to that put out by microsoft or sun.

Windows is good but 100% is a pretty bold claim.

> You should always use the best tools for the job

Suitable tools, yes.
Best tools, maybe not.
Possibly not if there is a quantum leap in cost of the tool compared to
alternatives and the alternatives do a very good job.
Possibly not if the tool does strange things whose purpose is unknown to you
or compells you to do certain things for the benefit of the toolmaker.
Possibly not if by buying the tool you see that you are helping destroy
others who have some hope of producing a more cost effective tool in future.
(The friend of my friend is my enemy ? :-) )

> and stop getting carried
> away with distracting ideology.

Maybe you meant " ... and avoid getting carried away ..."

In which case I'd agree.
Im NOT an anti Microsoft idealogue (or haven't been so far) but I am fearful
of where their latest push is trying to take us all.
I am not (easily) going to buy into a system whose price obeys Moore's law
:-)


            RM

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