On Thu, 2007-03-15 at 10:17 +0000, Dave Ewart wrote: <snip> > One of the points made is that, under a Windows pre-install, various > companies pay to have other software included (trial versions of Norton > AV and so on) that have a net effect of subsidising the cost of the PC. > One claim is that this is enough to counter-act the cost of the Windows > OEM licence and, as a result, a Linux PC (or a "no OS at all" PC) will > as a result be more expensive than a Windows PC. > > So, in hardware cost terms, it may still really be cheaper for customers > who ultimately want Linux to just buy the Windows PC and then wipe off > Windows, together with all the other trial software that includes. </snip>
You have to ask "why" do these software companies want to do this. If machines were shipped with linux as an option their prospective target audience would dwindle. How long would it be before these companies got wise an started releasing their software for linux too. Just to claw back their target audience. This has the benefit of 1) forcing software vendors to look at support linux and 2) bringing down the cost of hardware just as it does with pre-installed windows. Did I hear someone say "chicken or the egg?" which came first? -- Kind regards Alistair Crust Systems Administrator Skegness Grammar School Vernon Road Skegness PE25 2QS TEL: 01754 610000 (ext'852) FAX: 01754 896875 -- ubuntu-uk@lists.ubuntu.com https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-uk https://wiki.kubuntu.org/UKTeam/
