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You're being negative.

It's worth paying for. Asking to be paid for using it is somewhat absurd.

Edited 2009-07-09 21:12 UTC

Hmm, well maybe it's worth paying for if you're using Vista at the moment. Can't get much worse than Vista, and I'll give that much to 7 at least, it is better.

Not so sure about that. I recently had the opportunity to re-install Vista from a recovery disk. It took an enormously long time, during which I passed through several black screens devoid of information. The computer sat there, with a black screen, for at least 20-30 seconds, if not 2-3 minutes or longer, giving no hint that it was doing anything.

Never mind a Windows Vista update, which involves the interminable wait for "Installing update xx of yy." I'd have reset the computer during one of those if a Google search hadn't warned me against it. I came across so many web pages asking for help with these interminable udpates, that I realized it's standard procedure for a Windows re-install.

People pay to be treated like this? Don't get me wrong: these things happen in Linux, too--but it isn't standard procedure, and I don't pay for it.

How so?

http://www.linuxtoday.com/infrastructure/2009070900835RVMSAP

http://www.flexense.com/resources/file_systems_performance_comparis...

Save your money and get better performance by paying nothing.

Even after discount, it's too expensive. If Microsoft pays me to use Windows maybe I'd be tempted to click that link, depends how much they are willing to pay. "

I am no Microsoft fan, but $49 is NOT too expensive. I am primarily a Linux user, but I do keep one Windows box around for stuff that I absolutely need Windows for - (gaming, but you knew that!). I purchased the Windows 7 Pro upgrade for $99. I felt it was a reasonable price. I'm afraid there are WAY too many people who feel software should be free (as in beer). I pay for my Free (as in freedom) software. I have probably spent several thousand dollars on Linux software, JUST so I can help the company out (Mandriva, Ubuntu, OpenOffice, etc). People have a right to demand Freedom, but not Freedumb!

I feel better now.

Everything you buy via that link in Amazon gives us that commission. Not just Microsoft. I link to that store in every game review, for instance.

I don't see how. How would wanting to earn some money to support the site make them Microsoft shills? There is no hint of any partiality towards Windows7 in the brief (5 seconds) announcement. It's not saying buy Windows7 cause it kicks linux's ass, or buy it because it's cool, or whatever. It's if buy it through us we'll get some money, that's all.

And to all the people commenting about how they won't pay because of linux - well I understand your point. Yeah, MS would have to pay me to use its products, especially given the fact that I still can use XP for free, thanks to the campus agreement while I was a uni. student. Although I'm not a student anymore and I'm not entitled to use it, I couldn't care less. I have no ethical qualms about pirating a product from a company that over the past decades, displayed a complete lack of ethics whatsoever. So given two free options, I chose the better product (better for me anyway) - I use linux/KDE. But that's beside the point.

The point is that there are people out there who for whatever reason would buy Windows7 anyway. For them this is a great opportunity to both save some money and help a website that they presumably read regularly - a win-win situation for everyone I would say, including those of us who'll never use windows for one reason or another.

We also get 8% of the sales price every time you download Linux. :-)