Posted on 08/06/2007 9:54:03 AM PDT by PajamaTruthMafia
So apparently Microsoft's just dropped the price of Windows Vista to just $66 in China. This compared to the $199 we American saps pay for Vista Home Basic. One key reason for the lower cost: Rampant software piracy. Who's going to pay $200 for an OS, when they can grab a copy on the street for $1?
Now I don't know about you guys, but I'm thinking we need to seriously ramp up our software piracy problem in this country. And I'm not just talking about burning warez discs downloaded over your new FiOS connection. We need to take this to the streets!
I want to see $5 copies of Vista, Photoshop, and 3DS Max available from dodgy vendors on every street corner. I want back-room software sales at every CompUSA and Best Buy in the land. Need a copy of Windows for a friend's new PC, but he can't scrape together the $200? It's OK, you'll say, "I know a guy." Then and only then will we get the software prices that are clearly our birthright as Americans.
And hey, while we're at it, is anyone from the RIAA listening in out there? Here's an idea for you guys: You say the music industry is losing tons of money to rampant piracy? How about taking a page from the tech industry and lowering your prices, instead of finding new and exciting ways to bump them up. I'm just saying...
(Yes, before you ask, I really am aware that software prices are well out of line with local incomes in developing countries, and that the lower-cost OS editions made available there play a crucial role in bringing PC technology to those parts of the world. It's just... I want my $66 Vista, too!)
I wouldn’t pay $5 for a copy of Vista.
Maybe eventually they’ll work their bugs out and others will get drivers and software working correctly on it.
But for now I’ll sit it out.
There are absolutely no consequences for China breaking the law time and again and again and again
Pathetic.
Pathetic.
Giving them cheaper copies of Vista to copy and spread around their country is a just punishment for the poison cat food.
Let them eat the poisoned cats and run this RIAA/DMCA- Poisoned piece of crap, too. They'll be back to DOS3.0 in a year, heaving a sigh of relief, never to rise again.
Even then, its 99 cents too high! Vista is XP-ME.
Nothing is real in China. I just got back. Saw counterfit DVDs and software at everycorner ($.85 a DVD), counterfit backpacks, counterfit watchs, counterfit clothes, counterfit iPods, and even fake moonpies. Its much easier to find a fake good than a real good.
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