Slashdot Mirror
Time For Anti-Trust 2.0?
An anonymous reader writes, "PC manufacturer Acer is complaining that Microsoft has jacked up the price of Vista, and that the basic versions are so basic no one will ship them. Since the collapse of the Microsoft anti-trust case under the Bush administration in 2001, manufacturers have no choice but to accede, adding hundreds of dollars to the cost of each PC. With Gates now proclaiming victory over European regulators, Microsoft once again seems unstoppable. But Microsoft had drawn itself
close to the Republican Party.
With the Republicans now evicted from the House and Senate, is it time to
look at the Microsoft anti-trust suit?
Could Microsoft be compelled to lower its inflating Vista prices,
or to open their tech or even supply funding
to Linux-flavored Windows such as Wine? What do Slashdot readers think about the likelihood of another go at breaking up the Windows monopoly?"
I for one, welcome our new basic-empowered overlords.
The great majority of people who acquire Vista will not do so by buying Vista on an entirely new machine. Therefore, what the full retail price of Vista is does not have a lot of impact here. Anyone who thinks Gateway, Dell, or HP pays full retail for Vista (or XP) needs to take off their rose-colored glasses and look again. Acer probably doesn't pay retail either, although they also probably do pay more than "the big three".
I want a new quote. One that won't spill. One that don't cost too much. Or come in a pill.