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RE: FreeBSD & GNU (fwd)



Auch ganz nett:

---------- Forwarded message ----------
One of the biggest problems we have today in the market is with hardware
suppliers like Dell that force the user to purchase Microsoft Windows with
purchase of a new system.  The reason this happens is because Microsoft has
signed a deal with Dell to where they will sell OEM Windows to Dell at $20 a
copy - Dell is then permitted to sell the copies for $100.  There is nothing
wrong with this except the catch is that the contract requires Dell to sell
_a windows copy of some sort_ with ALL of their hardware systems.  It is
this kind of contract language that the Justice Department lawsuit is aimed
at stopping.

Do you realize that once the Supreme Court has upheld the judgement against
Microsoft
(which is what eventually is going to happen) even if the company is not
broken up, that once they are defined as a monopoly, that contracts like
this between Dell and Microsoft will be illegal.  It will then be possible
for a Class Action lawsuit to be filed against Dell by all Dell purchasers
that will force Dell to make millions of dollars in payments to people that
return their Windows licenses and sign a statement guarenteeing that they
don't use Windows (and use Linux or something like that)  Once that happens
it is going to guarentee that all major name-brand suppliers of PC hardware
will stop requiring users to purchase Windows with purchase of a new system.

This is the scenario that Microsoft fears far more than simply splitting up
the company.  Once they can no longer force Windows down the market's
throat, you will
start seeing Windows penetration figures drop from the mid 90% down to 60%
within
a year.

This is also why suppliers like Compaq are now offering Linux as an OS
choice.  For example, I own a copy of Windows 98 on a system that I bought a
year ago.  Next year I buy a new Compaq intended to replace my current
system - and since I want to still run Windows 98 on it, I simply specify
Linux as the OS and thus I don't have to pay twice for the Windows 98
license.  Now, granted, the user that I sell my old system to will not have
a Windows license for it, but that's his problem.