Linked by Thom Holwerda on Wed 7th May 2008 18:11 UTC, submitted by Dan Warne
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I think that Xandros is a small company which must make profit from this. Microsoft is rich, they can accept temporary loss in order to gain in the future. They could afford themselves to give away XP for free, they are going to discontinue it anyway.
I don't think there was a conspiracy behind it.
DG
I don't think there was a conspiracy behind it.
DG
Regardless of any thought of "a conspiracy behind it" ... it still remains illegal in Australia to engage in what amounts to "predatory pricing" ... which the giving away of Windows XP in order to forestall people from using the Xandros alternative ... would certainly amount to.
http://www.accc.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/816375
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predatory_pricing
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trade_Practices_Act_1974
People seem to forget the ACCC is utterly useless. You hear about them once in a blue moon, and they rarely ever win. If they couldn't beat Telstra, they aren't likely to beat Microsoft. They're not even likely to challenge Microsoft, even if they have a mile of paperwork thrown at them TELLING them to do it.
I guess that it is illegal elsewhere, but Microsoft was able to do it anyway. Maybe is hard to prove. Besides, XP is an "old" operating system, it should become cheap.
But, as someone mentioned here, Microsoft is willing to sell their product at discount price, or give it away, more often than in the past. I think that Microsoft has reached its upper limits.







Member since:
2006-12-07
I think that Xandros is a small company which must make profit from this. Microsoft is rich, they can accept temporary loss in order to gain in the future. They could afford themselves to give away XP for free, they are going to discontinue it anyway.
I don't think there was a conspiracy behind it.
DG