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Software Price Gap Between the US and Europe
Kensai7 writes "A quick comparison between same versions of mainstream software sold in the USA and the EU markets show a big difference in the respective price tags. If you want to buy online, let's say, Adobe's Dreamweaver CS3, you'll have to pay $399 if you live in the States, but a whopping E570 (almost $900 in current exchange rates!) if you happen to buy it in Germany. Same story for Microsoft's newest products: Expression Web 2 in America costs only $299 new, but try that in Italy and they will probably ask you no less than E366 ($576!). How can such an abyssal difference be explained? I understand there are some added costs for the localized translated versions, but I also thought the Euro was supposed to be outbuying the dollar. Where's the catch?"
Sorry.. we here in the US were not given the memo that we had to give you things for cheaper. You see, with stuff getting expensive (remember we're fighting a war against the Islamic Jihad?), we've had to make it up in other ways. I don't know which is better... knowing that there's nothing you little socialist twats can do about it, or the fact that you little artsy-fartsy types are particularly impacted by this. Then, the really funny part came to me - it takes you more MONEY to get our product, and your little socialist experiment over there says that money is bad ergo you don't need it. Quit your bitching and pay the fee, or don't use it. Or, develop the alternative.
This goes to show you are not too retarded to be beneath blatant generalizations. Since when BadAnalogy (and his statement) became the spokeman, mind, heart and soul of the American people?
Seriously dude, get your head off your ass next time you want to generalize about Americans, Europeans, Chinese or Klingons. You are right next to this dude in the stupidity department. Generalizing arrogant punk.
For the most part, European countries are socialist, technologically retarded (look up the term in Wikipedia, if you're offended), and its citizens generally live hand to mouth. So I would definitely say that they would be semi-First World, even according to your definition.
Now, does that mean that the citizens enjoy a worse standard of living? Not necessarily. Though the incomes may just meet the expenditures, Europeans have much more free time because they do not take work as seriously as their American counterparts. It's a different focus of energy, and Europeans come out ahead on overall happiness (just as a fisherman who caught enough to eat his fill every day is typically happier than the workaholic investment banker who owns 3 houses but has no time to sleep).
Marx was right in that capitalism had its limits and would collapse. What he was wrong about was that it wouldn't come in violent uprising, but by the gradual advance of voices of the underclass and the effeminate upper class' unwillingness to say "no" to their demands.
Right, because we all know that Europeans haven't spent centuries ridiculing the US and all that live there. And that to this day the British like to leave out the part of WWI where we were doing them a favor smuggling in weapons on passenger ships. Or the part of WWII where our contribution to ending the blitz gets glossed over for national pride.
Honestly, the Europeans are at least as bad as we are, and probably a lot worst.
But, what do I care, I've got karma to burn.
One could also say Europeans are used to being raped by their governments, so it's no big deal when businesses do it as well.
Okay, 66% was tad off. 42% in France. 27% in Britain. I was using democratic party inspired math to support my views.
Yeesh, post an obviously inflammatory comment and not one troll, flame or off-topic? Karma was meant to be burned, not hoarded.
Bearded Dragon
Why, for the love of christ, does any fucking post on slashdot that mentions some or difference between the USA and Europe descend into a hate filled slagging match by dolts who know almost nothing about the other region and touchy nationalististic dolts who take offense and go into denial on any subject?