Reveal Truth About Microsoft License / Promotion Deals
190
points posted to Advertising and Marketing, Dell by gear
Apr 27
It is now an open secret that Dell PCs sold with Ubuntu and "No OS" except for servers are more expensive than PCs with a Windows license.
It is also an open secret that Dell is not featuring Ubuntu and Windows XP prominently in accordance with customer demands.
It is also assumed that Dell is under a non-disclosure agreement that prohibits the disclosure of terms Microsoft imposes on the OEM licenses, and also the terms for participating in their promotional programs and other inducements to be an exclusive Microsoft shop.
However, in less than a year, the Administration will change in Washington, and with it, the potential for renewed interest in the anti-competitive behavior of Microsoft and their illegal efforts to extend their monopoly to other markets.
i.e. hardwiring in Microsoft search in Vista and making it very inconvenient for a user to use an alternative search engine, or imposing their Internet Explorer Browser by making Microsoft / Windows update incompatible with all other browsers and not offering customers a choice of alternatives like Firefox when you buy their operating system.
Here are my speculations:
Dell is incentivized by Microsoft to participate in these anti-competitive schemes by the following methods:
- Install Microsoft Vista in lieu of any other operating system
- pays a license fee to Microsoft for every PC sold regardless of whether it ships with a MIcrosoft OS installed.
- rewarded for not pre-installing Firefox
- prevented from not offering "Media Direct" or a equivalent system or making this DRM scheme optional.
- incentivized to offer no viable option to Office except for Microsoft Office Live even when viable options like Googledocs, Open Office, etc. exist and are 'out there'.
- incentivized to bundle Microsoft Works with every PC sold
- prevented from disclosing that Dell is a willing party to these efforts to illegally extend Microsoft's monopoly and participating in anti-competitive measures
Under such circumstances, Dell may have considerable legal liability and exposure to anti-trust laws by colluding with Microsoft.
While it may be a year before these issues come up in the USA, the issue may come up in Europe, where the EU has an active ongoing investigation of Microsoft going on.
I would hate to see Dell fined by the EU like Microsoft.
Please start revealing the truth --- because if the terms are as I speculated above, it likely will be the same terms Microsoft give to every other major manufacturer of PCs.
jackie_c
kara_k
dawn_l