If Australian prices for Microsoft products weren't fair, customers wouldn't buy those products because there is now a wide range of alternatives available in the market, according to Microsoft Australia managing director Pip Marlow.
System Manufacturer/Model Number: HP, Dell, Gateway, Toshiba - 4 laptops and 2 desktops OS: Vista, Windows7, Mint Mate, Zorin, Windows 8 CPU: from 1.6GHz Duo to i7 Monitor(s) Displays: 2x HP w2207 Keyboard: with trackball - no mices Mouse: Trackball mice Hard Drives: 5x HDD, 7x SSD, 12x Externals Internet Speed: DSL 6000
Computer Type: PC/Desktop System Manufacturer/Model Number: Home Built Desktop By DataTech OS: Windows 7 Ultimate X64 SP1 CPU: Intel i5-2550K, Differing ~4.4-4.8GHz No built in GPU Motherboard: ASUS P8Z68-V PRO/GEN3 Memory: 16GB G.Skill Sniper 1866MHz @ 2133MHz 2x8GB Graphics Card: ASUS GTX650TIB-DC2OC-2GD5, (650TI Boost) Sound Card: Onboard Realtek 5-1 Monitor(s) Displays: Samsung P2570HD Screen Resolution: 1920x1080 Keyboard: E-Z Eyes, bright yellow keys with large characters Mouse: steelseries SENSEI Laser Pro Gaming PSU: Corsair HX650W Case: Inwin Dragon Rider Cooling: Hyper 212 EVO w/two Noctua fans, push-pull, @1300 RPM Hard Drives: Samsung 840 Pro 256GB SSD for OS, 500GB Seagate Constellation (Enterprise drive) for Data Internet Speed: 48-51Mbs Mbs down, 11 Mbs up Xfinity Cable Browser: IE 10, Opera, Pale Moon if needed Antivirus: Norton Internet Security 2013 Other Info: 4 case fans, LG BluRay-RE, ASUS DVD-RW, Mr. Fusion power supply, 1.21 gigawatts.
There are few countries where prices are as low as in the US - except for food where Germany is very cheap. That's why I always buy all my tech items in the US and lug them to Germany - until customs catches up with me. But you are allowed to bring 350 Euros ($450) worth of stuff.
System Manufacturer/Model Number: HP, Dell, Gateway, Toshiba - 4 laptops and 2 desktops OS: Vista, Windows7, Mint Mate, Zorin, Windows 8 CPU: from 1.6GHz Duo to i7 Monitor(s) Displays: 2x HP w2207 Keyboard: with trackball - no mices Mouse: Trackball mice Hard Drives: 5x HDD, 7x SSD, 12x Externals Internet Speed: DSL 6000
contrary to popular myth, MS is NOT a monopoly. Try apple or linux. there are tons of free software doing almost everything MS does.
fight the power! use the alternatives
I agree with you - there are alternatives. Still, MS has 90% of the market and that is scary. I run Linux Mint now 50% of the time to get used to it - just in case.
PC sales should get unbundeld from the OS. Then things would change. I am anyhow amazed that the govermment agencies in the US and the EU have not yet imposed the unbundeling.
System Manufacturer/Model Number: HP, Dell, Gateway, Toshiba - 4 laptops and 2 desktops OS: Vista, Windows7, Mint Mate, Zorin, Windows 8 CPU: from 1.6GHz Duo to i7 Monitor(s) Displays: 2x HP w2207 Keyboard: with trackball - no mices Mouse: Trackball mice Hard Drives: 5x HDD, 7x SSD, 12x Externals Internet Speed: DSL 6000
PC sales should get unbundeld from the OS. Then things would change. I am anyhow amazed that the govermment agencies in the US and the EU have not yet imposed the unbundeling.
If Australian prices for Microsoft products weren't fair, customers wouldn't buy those products because there is now a wide range of alternatives available in the market, according to Microsoft Australia managing director Pip Marlow.
Hi there
Most Aussies I know wouldn't even think the pricing was fair even if Ms PAID them to have the products----they are the one set of people on this planet I know who have a very low tolerance to B/S --Good for them.
That article sounds as if the author invented the phrase "Turkeys would vote in favour of Thanksgiving".
Now I don't know how Ms marketing arrives at its pricing strategy but having wildly differing prices in different areas for stuff that can be digitally downloaded -- so no transport / distribution costs involved -- doesn't seem right to me at all. Local taxes are another issue but the price differentials are often much greater than can be explained by local taxes and in any case often colleges / educational establishments can get this sort of software tax free as "educational material".
Having wildly fluctuating price differentials just ENCOURAGES piracy - even the Legal kind where you purchase from one jurisdiction (cheaper) and import into another. If you do this by SNAIL MAIL (OK takes longer) you won't be charged importation tax if you declare it's "Educational Material".
As far as unbundling -- IBM years ago was forced to do that with its Mainframe systems (S/370 series) -- I think IBM MVS3.8J was the last major release of one of their OS'es that was "Bundled" with the hardware. There was a HUGE Court case over this to get IBM to unbundle the OS so probably if there are any clever lawyers on these Forums maybe they could come up with Bundling the OS with the PC is either illegal or should be offered as a choice to the customer.
(Screenshot -- IBM Mainframe MVS3.8J running on Hercules emulator with a TSO session running too on a Laptop !!!! -- this OS used to run on large Mainframes in the 1970-1980's often Water cooled and occupied a large room -- shows how compute power has advanced -- a Tiny laptop can run this stuff better even in emulation mode than the original "Big Iron" did Natively back then).
Computer Type: PC/Desktop System Manufacturer/Model Number: Custom built, several laptops HP/ASUS OS: Linux CENTOS 7 / various Windows OS'es and servers CPU: Intel i7 Intel i5 Memory: 8GB, 16GB Graphics Card: On Motherboard Sound Card: Realtek HD audio Monitor(s) Displays: Apple Cinema display, Samsung LCD Screen Resolution: 1920 X 1080 Mouse: Toshiba wireless laser Hard Drives: 4 X 1TB SATA Internet Speed: > 20MB up
IMO-----
Price gouging is price gouging.
Arbitrage is arbitrage.
If it's legal companies will engage in it.
In most states of the US price gouging is illegal.
In Australia many international companies engage in price gouging.
As far as MS is concerned as an OS and its Office product it has become an industry standard and businesses want IT compatibility.
Microsoft must do better on Windows 7 pricing despite 3 user pack!
iTWire - Microsoft must do better on Windows 7 pricing despite 3 user pack!
They really need to step it up in pricing. People are just not going to tolerate this. Single users (the average guy) might, but not big corps. And...
(Edited slightly ) Source is :Neowin
The Pirate Bay website is still open so what has been achieved apart from giving it massive publicity and handing out ridiculous fines to those involved ?
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