Re: How to generate a Windows style license key

tomstdenis_at_gmail.com
Date: 10/01/05 

Date: 1 Oct 2005 11:01:14 -0700

Luc The Perverse wrote:
> All big businesses are going to do whatever they can to promote their
> product and corner the market.
>
> They only get in trouble if they succeed.
>
> Microsoft is a huge cash cow and employs many people. People all over the
> world pay a US company for an OS. You are saying that should end . . .
> because they charge the same price to sell to billions of people?

The problem with people like MSFT is they drive up the demand [and
hype] for a product and assume that like other world products like
coal, lumber, water, food, etc that demand raises price.

But what really does it cost to make 10 million CDs instead of 1
million? Is it really 10x? The answer is no.

So now you have an OS that [sadly] many people want to get their hands
on, but costs over $400 [for a full XP pro install in Canada].
Obviously it's not worth that much. Hell you can get a fairly sweet
CPU+Mobo combo for that price.

Who pirates the OS though? Is it professionals who use the OS as part
of their work? Rarely if ever. They'll pick up a PC and it'll have a
windows bundle installed. Is it students and other minors who can't
afford $280 [home edition] for an OS? But why do they need it?

Odd. What do most students do with their pirated windows install?
Play games.

And why do games only come for Windows? Because everyone has windows.
It comes with your laptop and desktop. You didn't actually need
Windows, you wanted a computer, but you got it anyways, might as well
use it right? So now MSFT has flooded the world with windows,
everything is made to run in windows.

Oddly enough if MSFT wants to lower piracy they have to drop the
artificial demand for their product. Stop bundling with providers like
Dell, Gateway, Circuit City, etc. Give people a choice. Those [left]
who are likely to use Windows are also likely to pay for it.

They could stand to lower the price, stop bundling extra tools with it,
etc... that might help too..

Tom

Relevant Pages

  • Re: installer cannot update 1 or more protected windows files
    ... Windows Defender ... For $59.95 you get what you paid for. ... ultimate 2007 & is downloaded from a mssite; price is $59.95. ... Anyone able to install the ms office ultimate 2007? ...
    (microsoft.public.office.setup)
  • Re: Believe me, you WANT to read this!
    ... What is required is standards that may be used by ... But MS have _not_ brought down the price of Windows or Office to '5 ... A recent claim by MS was that there was no innovation in browsers. ...
    (comp.lang.cobol)
  • Re: Low income users (pensioners) - how do you cope with cost of XP?
    ... ferrymanr wrote: ... Windows XP professional. ... Public, and particularly low income earners, should have to pay full price ... To install it, just slip the CD in the CDROM and click on install. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)
  • Re: Giantantispywareupdater
    ... $299.99 for Windows XP Professional - Full Install ... Damn - they raised the price 4 cents since it came out. ... >> Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)
  • Re: My G5 & Leopard
    ... My computer would have cost me nearly the same had I bought a windows ... Windows Vista Home Premium, etc. ... That is a great price for ram if it is from Gateway. ... Office does by buying MS Office Home and Student for a measly ...
    (comp.sys.mac.advocacy)