blogs.computerworld.com — Steve Ballmer recently caught flack for essentially saying that Apple users pay an Apple tax of $500 for buying Macs compared to PCs. Does that mean that Linux users are forced to pay a Microsoft tax every time they buy a PC with Microsoft software on it?As I wrote in my blog yesterday, Steve Ballmer claims that when people buy a Mac rather..
Mar 24, 2009 View in Crawl 4
dacheetahMar 25, 2009
Linux, as a kernel, is based almost exclusively on unix, which predates windows, so linux would exist without windows. Sure modern linux has a lot that was inspired by things that windows stole from apple (who in turn stole it from xerox), but it certainly would exist.(Oh, and good trolling)
silfirielMar 25, 2009
hardly available??? OMG you're living in hell. extra charge for a PC without OS, that costs 300-500$, that's called monopoly, and I live in an ex-communist country.I can go in a PC store and say build me a PC with this, this and that and get a discount because the seller doesn't have to install an OS.
average650Mar 25, 2009
which I would say is a great business plan, one that almost every major company uses. Every notice how McDonalds only sells coke? Or any other restaurant only sells pepsi or coke never both? Same thing buddy.
nathanbrMar 25, 2009
My acer was bought with linux, at a very good price.
kiradnoteMar 25, 2009
Ballmer is retarded.
secrityMar 25, 2009
Linux is not necessarily free (as in beer), my employer pays quite a bit to Red Hat for support contracts.
Closed AccountMar 25, 2009
Unfortunately, if you want to buy a Dell computer pre loaded with Ubuntu, you have to purchase a monitor as well. Since I had a monitor, I had to buy a case with Pre loaded vista in it. I didn't really want to pay anything to Microsoft, but getting a Vista computer without a monitor was cheaper for me.
Closed AccountMar 26, 2009
You guys do realize that PCs are cheaper BECAUSE they come pre-loaded with microsoft stuff, right?
fairdinkummateApr 10, 2009
I like Evolution but html signatures & calendar integration across platforms is much simpler with Thunderbird so that's what we use in our office.
fairdinkummateApr 10, 2009
@mediafighterX - Your assumption that without Microsoft none of the things that you refer to would exist today is ludicrous(to say the least!). So if Microsoft didn't exist, nobody would be able to make the newest & hottest toy &/or Gizmo? The most popular buildings would never have been designed? People would have stopped making music by now?MORON
splintersagAug 3, 2009
RIP ohplease
johnnysoftwareNov 10, 2009
Yeah, they do if their motherboard or PC system vendor offers or includes an OEM version of MS-Windows.Microsoft's OEM license requires paying Microsoft an OEM license fee for EVERY x86 system sold - even if it is a dedicated, consumer electronics device instead of a general purpose computer. A PC with no OS or a competing OS definitely fits that bill.Remember, Microsoft did lose that antitrust trial and at the end of the 1990's and simply had any penalties put aside by that next guy who took office, whoever it was. Stuff like that OEM license is why they lost the trial.
rockleemanMar 19, 2010
yea... <a class="user" href="http://www.myideason.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.myideason.com</a>