[wplug] HP to offer Linux desktops....

[Vanco, Donald]

Alexandros Papadopoulos wrote:
> On Thu, 24 Jul 2003, Tim Lesher wrote:
> 
>> On Thu, Jul 24, 2003 at 08:36:50AM -0400, Russ Schneider wrote:
>>> I think if HP was offering laptops with Mandrake on them and that
>>> made them considerably cheaper than another because of the Windows
>>> OS that they HAVE to sell it with, then HP just moved to the front
>>> of my considerations as to whom I'd buy a laptop from.
>> 
>> I don't think it _would_ make them considerably cheaper.  AFAIK, the
>> cost of an OEM license of the latest consumer Windows OS is well
>> under $100.
> 
> Let's hypothesize $50 per licence.
> On the next batch of machines we're ordering (20 of 'em), that's $1K.
> Extrapolate that to the size of the market, and you get the Microsoft
> tax. 
> 
> Sure, if it was a one-off deal it wouldn't matter, but this is
> becoming just one more tax.
	The issue is far deeper than simply the cost of the software itself
- it's more aboot Microsoft's OEM policy which long stated that "thou shalt
load MS on EVERY system you ship" (or else).  If you support "other
operating systems" on PCs Microsoft's policy toward you as a business
partner is VASTLY different, and the cost of the OS to OEMs increases
dramatically.  Pioneer has dealt with this for many years.... fortunately,
we don't do consumer PCs (and actually make quite a bit of revenue via MS
products OTHER than the OS).

Don