OSNews

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/microsoft-windows-netbook-hardware...

http://apcmag.com/microsoft-revises-netbook-hardware-spec-for-windo...

How does Microsoft get to specify a hardware limit?

Hmmmmm?

They do it by saying ... "beyond that limit, you cannot have Windos cheap".

Therefore, Microsoft sets the price of Windows to OEMs depending on what machines the OEMs want Windows for. It doesn't actually matter to Microsoft's costs one whit if an OEM wants to put Windows on small machine with one, two or three GB of RAM ... but Microsoft varies the price to the OEM tremendously based on exactly that.

Therefore, there is no OEM price for Windows based on what it cost Microsoft to produce. It is based only on how Microsoft wants to manipulate the market. Microsoft manipulates the OEMs using its price to OEMs. That much is easily shown.

This is not illegal AFAIK, but it does tell you what goes on, and based on the market reality (where no vendor displays Windows machines and Ubuntu machines on the same hardware side-by-side in the same store) ... draw your own conclusions.

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/microsoft-windows-netbook-hardware... http://apcmag.com/microsoft-revises-netbook-hardware-spec-for-windo... How does Microsoft get to specify a hardware limit? Hmmmmm? They do it by saying ... "beyond that limit, you cannot have Windos cheap". Therefore, Microsoft sets the price of Windows to OEMs depending on what machines the OEMs want Windows for. It doesn't actually matter to Microsoft's costs one whit if an OEM wants to put Windows on small machine with one, two or three GB of RAM ... but Microsoft varies the price to the OEM tremendously based on exactly that. Therefore, there is no OEM price for Windows based on what it cost Microsoft to produce. It is based only on how Microsoft wants to manipulate the market. Microsoft manipulates the OEMs using its price to OEMs. That much is easily shown. This is not illegal AFAIK, but it does tell you what goes on, and based on the market reality (where no vendor displays Windows machines and Ubuntu machines on the same hardware side-by-side in the same store) ... draw your own conclusions. "

You're talking out of both sides of your mouth. On the one side, you say that Linux is the best thing since sliced bread, much better than Windows, runs on all hardware, lower price, etc, etc. And, on the other, you claim that Microsoft's hardware spec for netbooks precludes OEMs from offering a version of Linux that could possibly run on that hardware. I'm sorry, but I call BS.

The problem isn't that no version of Linux exists that could run on MS-spec'd hardware. The problem is that nobody wants Linux. OEMs tried selling Linux, and the return rate was ungodly high. People wanted Windows and, when they discovered that their netbooks were preloaded with Linux, they were, like, "WTF?!? Where's my Windows?"

I think the worst thing about your stream of illogic is that you ascribe motives to Microsoft (eg. controlling the hardware spec, manipulating OEMs) which (a) are patently false and contrary to the objective reality of the consent decree, and (b) couldn't possibly hinder Linux, EVEN IF IT WERE TRUE. This is why people have trouble taking you seriously.