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Microsoft Cuts Vista Price To $66 In China

narramissic writes "Microsoft this week cut the retail price of Windows Vista Home Basic in China by 67% — from 1,521 renminbi to 499 renminbi ($65.80). This is a steep discount compared to what users in the US and elsewhere are charged for the software. The reason for the price reduction? Battling piracy, of course. The new pricing 'narrows the price gap between original versions of Microsoft's software and pirated copies,' making it that much easier for consumers to 'do the right thing.'"

4 of 260 comments (clear)

  1. Yeah, but everyone steals Ultimate.... by tjstork · · Score: 5, Insightful

    IT's silly, why pay $66 bucks for a copy of watered down Dista when you can steal Ultimate? I mean, if you are in a country that has no IP enforcment, why not just steal the best one?

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  2. More Piracy? by stars_are_number_1 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Does this mean we need more piracy in the US to bring the price down?

    1. Re:More Piracy? by QuietLagoon · · Score: 5, Insightful
      Does this mean we need more piracy in the US to bring the price down?

      It does show that a monopoly results in consumers paying a ridicuously high price for the merchandise.

  3. Re:So, logically, we should all pirate software by Walpurgiss · · Score: 5, Insightful

    MS does it in China; yet here in the western world, the software companies use piracy as an excuse to need to raise prices. (To recoup alleged losses from e-shrink)