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Because you agree to help.
Software costs aside, you raise an important issue when you say:
If Windows was so easy, why do all my Windows- using non-technical friends call me to do everything for them from installation to virus updates, adaware updates etc?

I have similar friends.
You left out the
- my machine is slow
- I get 15 popups a minute
- when I go to one web site it takes me to another
- why does it keep asking me...
- should I push the "Yes" button?
- it won't let me...
discussions.

Let me explain.
People do not trust their computers.
If they could do all their transactions without making a single decision they would. Computer and software maintenance are the computer's business, not theirs.

They may have a computer, but that doesn't mean it's better than an interloper.

If they have a friend who is willing to protect them from contact with the strange, powerful, dangerous machine, they will take full advantage.
They will want you to be their shield forever.
Including when they do something impatient and stupid because they've become aggravated because the device has not done what they want...

Yes, I have similar friends.
These are the people for whom Windows is designed, because there are so many of them, and each will pay money.
Sometimes I think open source is sensible to ignore them.
Ignoring them is also the only way to regain a fair amount of time from them for your own purposes.


On a less involving topic, you wrote:
Your case for $50 OEM version of windows, in the UK you cannot buy that OEM version unless you buy hardware e.g. a HDU.

That is the way most individual obtain new versions of Windows, with new hardware.
Upgrade prices for older pc's also tend to be cheaper than full retail.
I'm not sure what point you're making.
Posted by: Anton Philidor   Posted on: 05/19/04 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use
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Economics of OSS shift costs to the integration side (increased investment)  oldskool | 05/19/04
repost (dang zd forum SW sux).  oldskool | 05/19/04
But can you eat your cake and have it too?  Patrick Jones | 05/19/04
Wasn't that the Unabomber construction?  John Carroll ZDNet Moderator | 05/19/04
Cake (way off topic)  Patrick Jones | 05/19/04
Flawed Analogies and assumptions  Tim Patterson | 05/19/04
Some clarification  John Carroll ZDNet Moderator | 05/19/04
Gatekeepers and admission costs  Robert Crocker | 05/19/04
Costs  John Carroll ZDNet Moderator | 05/19/04
Huh?  Robert Crocker | 05/20/04
OSS allows more innovation...here's how.  techboy_z | 05/19/04
Did you notice you called OpenOffice more innovative?  Anton Philidor | 05/19/04
You might look at OO's drawing capabilities  j.m.galvin | 05/19/04
When They Have A Package Like Office Pro  JimSatterfieldW | 05/21/04
Problems  John Carroll ZDNet Moderator | 05/19/04
Telling the true  theo_durcan | 05/19/04
Competition  John Carroll ZDNet Moderator | 05/19/04
You Are Mistaken  P. Douglas | 05/19/04
A matter of degree  Tim Patterson | 05/19/04
Re: A matter of degree  John Carroll ZDNet Moderator | 05/19/04
Need is the incentive  voska | 05/19/04
You agree, no price advantage for open source.  Anton Philidor | 05/19/04
Absolutely is a price advantage  Tim Patterson | 05/19/04
But there is a price advantage.  el1jones | 05/19/04
Costs add up.  Anton Philidor | 05/19/04
re: Costs add up  Iain_Peters | 05/19/04
Because you agree to help.  Anton Philidor | 05/19/04
Keeping programmers as pets  Anton Philidor | 05/19/04
why innovate?  ryusen | 05/19/04
Need, not money  Anton Philidor | 05/19/04
actually  ryusen | 05/19/04
Apples and Oranges  Chad_z | 05/19/04
Valuation  John Carroll ZDNet Moderator | 05/19/04
Why don't the usual rules for salaries apply?  Anton Philidor | 05/19/04
Regarding Salaries  John Carroll ZDNet Moderator | 05/19/04
What makes perception special here?  Anton Philidor | 05/19/04
Wrong quote; let's try the one about salaries.  Anton Philidor | 05/19/04
You can't compare physical objects to software...  Robert Crocker | 05/19/04
You have a flawed understanding of the software  StorageGuru | 05/19/04
That was amusing  Robert Crocker | 05/19/04
Are you nuts ?  JJ_z | 05/19/04
Not nuts, just looking elsewhere  Robert Crocker | 05/19/04
You have a gap in your education, Crocker!  Bill Weisgerber | 05/19/04
You are missing the point, Weisgerber!  Taz_z | 05/19/04
Another one who only reads the linus line!  Bill Weisgerber | 05/19/04
Thanks for your "learned" input  Robert Crocker | 05/19/04
You still have to download it  voska | 05/19/04
Do you really understands the different types of software products ?  JJ_z | 05/19/04
To a certain extent, you're right  John Carroll ZDNet Moderator | 05/19/04
But where is the incentive?  Robert Crocker | 05/19/04
I can ignore software lies, but not the cheese market, too!  techboy_z | 05/19/04
Demand for programming  Anton Philidor | 05/19/04
Exactly, almost  StorageGuru | 05/19/04
Agreed, but you're talking products OSS won't match  Anton Philidor | 05/19/04
Almost..  Patrick Jones | 05/19/04
Good point !  mbraincell@... | 05/19/04
Not exactly...  Patrick Jones | 05/19/04
This is funny.  mbraincell@... | 05/19/04
Partially..  Patrick Jones | 05/19/04
Maxed out market  John Carroll ZDNet Moderator | 05/19/04
Hey, ya wanna buy some software?  Anton Philidor | 05/19/04
And...  John Carroll ZDNet Moderator | 05/19/04
Let's turn that on it's head.  Robert Crocker | 05/20/04
I've said it before, John  bidemytime | 05/19/04
If Ifs and ands were pots and pans....  StorageGuru | 05/19/04
Indeed  bidemytime | 05/19/04
Patronage  techboy_z | 05/19/04
Working as a programmer  John Carroll ZDNet Moderator | 05/19/04
Re: Patronage  John L. Ries | 05/20/04
John, the slow-changing core is valuable.  Anton Philidor | 05/19/04
Core  Patrick Jones | 05/19/04
Models for software and selling  Anton Philidor | 05/19/04
Shoes, ships and sealing wax...  Patrick Jones | 05/19/04
MS "gives away" the Mac version of IE & Outlook Express  j.m.galvin | 05/19/04
Seems unlikely Microsoft is giving gifts...  Anton Philidor | 05/19/04
Nope  j.m.galvin | 05/19/04
You know there was a reason for that, right?  voska | 05/20/04
Regarding Apple and Linux  Robert Crocker | 05/20/04
Regarding open sourcing the core  John Carroll ZDNet Moderator | 05/19/04
Looking at all those limits...  Anton Philidor | 05/19/04
Hmmm, what happens when computers are "self programming"?  No_Ax_to_Grind | 05/19/04
Systems Analysts will rule again. :-D  Robert Crocker | 05/19/04
Agreed  Patrick Jones | 05/19/04
They walk the halls.  Anton Philidor | 05/19/04
Funny.  Patrick Jones | 05/19/04
Life with Fodder  Anton Philidor | 05/19/04
never worked in power plant have you?  voska | 05/19/04
Depends on the color of their shirt.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 05/19/04
Quite some distance away  voska | 05/19/04
I think the real key is a BIO chip.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 05/19/04
Is this the same BIO chip  voska | 05/20/04
Good point  John Carroll ZDNet Moderator | 05/19/04
Big business in damaged hard drives actually  voska | 05/20/04
AI Programming is...  John Le'Brecage | 05/19/04
AI Programming is...  seosamh_z | 05/20/04
They tried that - it was the failure of shrinkwrap SW - led to outsourcing  oldskool | 05/19/04
They tried that - it was the failure of shrinkwrap SW - led to outsourcing  seosamh_z | 05/20/04
Socialized Software  P. Douglas | 05/19/04
I don't htink that's true  NemesisNL | 05/20/04
soem comments  ryusen | 05/19/04
How about the samples?  StorageGuru | 05/19/04
About the $2,000 coat...  Robert Crocker | 05/19/04
Re: About...  John Carroll ZDNet Moderator | 05/19/04
The coat is raw material to feed the tailor and shoemaker  oldskool | 05/19/04
A question of generation, perhaps?  John Le'Brecage | 05/19/04
Formatting for Talkback  Robert Crocker | 05/20/04
Thanks! Was stymied by that  maxo_z | 05/21/04
truth is MS can drop prices and still compete with OSS  oldskool | 05/19/04
truth is MS can drop prices and still compete with OSS  seosamh_z | 05/20/04
False assumtion I: "FREE" software  theo_durcan | 05/19/04
Free Software  azurensis | 05/20/04
The cost of DB sure does matter  voska | 05/20/04
MS access?  NemesisNL | 05/24/04
ehm  NemesisNL | 05/20/04
Not much to argue about  John L. Ries | 05/20/04
I've long advocated a hybrid model for open source software companies  scroisier | 05/21/04
Pricing pressure due to free software  mr.pragmatic | 05/21/04

What do you think?

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