Buy Apple and spare the 25% Microsoft tax

chevy

chevy

Marvelous Da Vinci
Staff member
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According to that article http://www.linuxfrench.net/article.php?id_article=1199 (in French, sorry), when you buy a Wintel machine you pay some 25% of its price in Microsoft software.

The law in France is such that it is forbidden to force someone to buy a software when he buys a hardware. So this user asked for the reimbursement of all Microsoft software (that he is not using) from his PC price. And he got a reduction of 25% !!! So you can undersatnd a PC like some piece of hardware with a 25% tax addition for runing Microsoft Windows and Works.

The other way around is to buy a Mac: no Microsoft tax attached !
 
But you do know that part of the price of a Mac is for a Mac OS X license, that part of your price for a Mac flows into iChat/iTunes/iMovie etc. development, right? And we also don't have a chance of buying a Mac without those, although you could perfectly use a Mac with Darwin or PowerPC Linux... I wouldn't push this argument too far...
 
The difference is that iChat, iTunes are not seperate products that can be bought independently, and therefore buying a Mac would be like forcing people to buy iTunes...

And I wouldn't mind if I could buy a Mac without OS-X and use it just for Linux.
 
So how many people in France take advantage of this? Is linux gaining in popularity? I would think that with the anti-war sentiment in Europe that Linux would appeal to Europeans a great deal or is Linux still working to gain acceptance?
 
Hmm... I don't get it anyway. In Switzerland, one can buy quality PCs without Microsoft licenses. So why would I buy, say, from Compaq or Toshiba who won't let me decide whether I need MS' software?

The average PC dealer will have an OEM MS Windows XP Home license for 150 CHF on every PC, and _of course_ you can strike that and get the PC without it...

Just as it should be:

Dealer: "Do you want Windows with that, Sir?"

Buyer: "No, thank you, I'll add an operating system myself."

Dealer: "Okay, then have fun with your new computer!"

Buyer: "Thank you."
 
Originally posted by fryke
But you do know that part of the price of a Mac is for a Mac OS X license, that part of your price for a Mac flows into iChat/iTunes/iMovie etc. development, right? And we also don't have a chance of buying a Mac without those, although you could perfectly use a Mac with Darwin or PowerPC Linux... I wouldn't push this argument too far...
Click to expand...
Would the Apple ROM count as hardware or software? Is there a distinction between the OS and "software", or does the OS count as software?

This seems like a silly and somewhat arbitray distinction... It is like saying that Ford should reimburse me for the price of the blue paint because I don't beleive what is "outside" should be bundled with what is "inside"... (Maybe the software chip in a car is a better analogy?)
 
Originally posted by fryke
Hmm... I don't get it anyway. In Switzerland, one can buy quality PCs without Microsoft licenses. So why would I buy, say, from Compaq or Toshiba who won't let me decide whether I need MS' software?

The average PC dealer will have an OEM MS Windows XP Home license for 150 CHF on every PC, and _of course_ you can strike that and get the PC without it...

Just as it should be:

Dealer: "Do you want Windows with that, Sir?"

Buyer: "No, thank you, I'll add an operating system myself."

Dealer: "Okay, then have fun with your new computer!"

Buyer: "Thank you."
Click to expand...
Ha ha! Sounds like the "Extended Warrenty" the electronic stores try to sell you...

And we all know how valueable those are... (I worked at one of those stores... they were about 98% proffit.)
 
"Extended warranty? How can I lose!" - Homer

Unfortunately evil retailers such as PC World do manage to sell the damn things to their unfortunate customers. You're right Tommy, they make so much money off them, the swines. I worked in PC World for about a month, not a pleasant experience!
 
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