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Is Windows getting more expensive?
CNet ^ | 27 February 2007 | Ina Fried

Posted on 02/27/2007 11:28:24 AM PST by ShadowAce

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1 posted on 02/27/2007 11:28:26 AM PST by ShadowAce
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To: rdb3; chance33_98; Calvinist_Dark_Lord; PenguinWry; GodGunsandGuts; CyberCowboy777; Salo; Bobsat; ..

2 posted on 02/27/2007 11:28:40 AM PST by ShadowAce (Linux -- The Ultimate Windows Service Pack)
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To: ShadowAce
BUT... What they have become masters at is making you buy the same software multiple times.
Purchase a PC with Windows installed. The licence is only good on that PC. If it dies, you must buy the same software again for the new box.
Kind of like making you buy the engine again every time your car breaks down.
3 posted on 02/27/2007 11:33:56 AM PST by GrandEagle
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To: ShadowAce

Most enthusiasts and IT groups are not touching it. For good reason -- an overpriced, "abusive", warmed-over XP that is slower and a resource hog. And for what??

Billy, you really blew this one. And you had five years to make it.


4 posted on 02/27/2007 11:34:22 AM PST by EagleUSA
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To: ShadowAce

"Microsoft General Manger Brad Brooks argues that Windows is a bargain, noting that it keeps getting more features for the same price."

Correction:

More BS for the same price.


5 posted on 02/27/2007 11:35:39 AM PST by roaddog727 (BullS##t does not get bridges built)
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To: GrandEagle

I have one XP in my house, because I got a $99 deal with $60 rebate. I have 98SE on four other machines, and it has never bit me or betrayed me...I find it easy to troubleshoot, and have so much time in on that rev that I seem a wizard to my friends. Vista? I would have to spend so much money to upgrade my way to the power needed that it has no interest for me at all.


6 posted on 02/27/2007 11:38:44 AM PST by 50sDad (Cultural Diversity means never having to say "I don't fit in.")
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To: ShadowAce

I have to ask some computer people here this question: I use Nero to copy movies I check out of the library and have heard that there is some copy protection software in Vista that would not allow me to do this anymore. Anyone else familiar with this issue? Thanks


7 posted on 02/27/2007 11:40:07 AM PST by Riverine
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To: ShadowAce

Just look at all the HIDDEN costs!

http://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~pgut001/pubs/vista_cost.html


8 posted on 02/27/2007 11:40:35 AM PST by TommyDale (What will Rudy do in the War on Terror? Implement gun control on insurgents and Al Qaeda?)
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To: GrandEagle

That's not entirely true, at least for XP (never looked into Vista). At my previous job I once had to replace a motherboard & CPU, all it took to activate the same copy of XP was a five-minute phone call. Microsoft assumes that a software pirate would not go to the trouble of phoning for an activation and just gives the codes to any registered user who does.


9 posted on 02/27/2007 11:40:40 AM PST by Squawk 8888 (Is human activity causing the warming trend on Mars?)
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To: ShadowAce

Almost the entire article is BS.


10 posted on 02/27/2007 11:41:38 AM PST by Psycho_Bunny (I'm holding out hope that at least the DEMOCRATS might accidentally nominate a conservative.)
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To: ShadowAce

Windows upgrades have pretty much stayed the same (I have 1 XP pro machine and 1 Windows Vista business), but MS Office upgrades (I use Access, so I have to get Office Pro) are getting more expensive.


11 posted on 02/27/2007 11:41:41 AM PST by Alouette (Learned Mother of Zion)
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To: Riverine

I believe the copy protection in Vista applies to Blu-Ray and HD DVDs. Just one more reason to avoid Vista.


12 posted on 02/27/2007 11:41:45 AM PST by TommyDale (What will Rudy do in the War on Terror? Implement gun control on insurgents and Al Qaeda?)
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To: ShadowAce

Author misses two key factors: total cost of ownership (management, care and feeding of windows) and real value (what features would cause me to pay more, how does vista help increase productivity and/or save money).


13 posted on 02/27/2007 11:43:37 AM PST by stainlessbanner
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To: Psycho_Bunny
Almost the entire article is BS.

Care to elaborate? It seems it is tryig to balance inflation with lowering cost of hardware. What is BS about it?

14 posted on 02/27/2007 11:44:01 AM PST by ShadowAce (Linux -- The Ultimate Windows Service Pack)
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To: 50sDad

No offense, but if you have four 98SE machines, then you aren't Microsoft's target audience anyway (because, apparently, you implicitly said the same about ME, 2000, and XP).


15 posted on 02/27/2007 11:44:31 AM PST by SeƱor Zorro ("The ability to speak does not make you intelligent"--Qui-Gon Jinn)
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To: Riverine

DRM is the new wave, so yeah, you're going to have problems copying ANYTHING from Vista to blank media. Lots of stuff on non-DRM-protected hardware that is disabled in Vista. For instance, if you have a disk drive attached to your machine that is not "DRM Approved" or capable of copying over protection schemes, it will be automatically disabled. I read an article on FR about it, I'll have to dig it up.

And oh yeah...

Linux Fedora Core 6 - FREE


16 posted on 02/27/2007 11:44:34 AM PST by rarestia ("One man with a gun can control 100 without one." - Lenin / Molwn Labe!)
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To: Riverine; TommyDale

So you're upset that Vista doesn't let you break the law?


17 posted on 02/27/2007 11:44:43 AM PST by flintsilver7
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To: Squawk 8888
Ditto, used to work in a PC shop and only had one hassle on a reload for a customer PC. Hung up on the guy and called back - bing, got the code.


FWIW, I see now where Dells is selling PCs with Linux as the primary OS. Dell has sold 'blank' units in the past, so it is interesting that they (possibly) see Linux as a market now.
18 posted on 02/27/2007 11:45:06 AM PST by ASOC
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To: Alouette
but MS Office upgrades (I use Access, so I have to get Office Pro) are getting more expensive.

Which is another reason I've stuck with my copy of Office Pro 2000 through three hardware upgrades.

19 posted on 02/27/2007 11:46:06 AM PST by KarlInOhio (Samoans: The (low) wage slaves in the Pelosi-Starkist complex.)
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To: Alouette

I've noticed the same thing- the OS's are getting cheaper but the useful apps cost a small fortune. The only MS app that I consider reasonably priced is Streets and Trips- there's better navigation software out there but Streets is half the cost of the nearest competitor.


20 posted on 02/27/2007 11:46:08 AM PST by Squawk 8888 (Is human activity causing the warming trend on Mars?)
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