Slashdot Mirror
Microsoft Says No Profit In Vista-XP Downgrades
CWmike writes "Microsoft has denied that it makes money when users 'downgrade' Windows Vista to XP, as a lawsuit filed last week alleges. The lawsuit, submitted last week, stems from the $59.25 fee that a California woman was charged in mid-2008 when she bought a Lenovo laptop and downgraded from Vista to XP. In fact, it's computer makers, not Microsoft per se, that charge users the additional fees for downgrading a new PC from Vista to XP at the factory. For example, Dell Inc. adds an extra $20 to the price to downgrade a PC. However, Microsoft may profit from the way it structures downgrade rights."
If I could go back in time and tell my past self (say, Win95 era) that in 15 years people would be paying Microsoft money to avoid using their products, I would have had a good hard laugh.
There's something odd or wrong about an industry where one company is paid not to deliver its goods. I mean seriously, what the heck? Software is supposed to gradually get more efficient, easier to use, and generally better. Windows just keeps getting bigger and requiring more resources for roughly the same functionality.
I'm trying to imagine a car company that has a line of vehicles where each new version gets worse gas mileage, has extra wheels, gets more confusing to drive, and the hood is welded closed. But damned if it doesn't keep looking fancier. (actually, have I just described a Hummer? lol)
No, I'm not implying that.
I just don't get why you'd pay more for something OLD that is expected to be there when you take it out of the box.
As I said, those discs didn't magically vanish when Microsoft said they were going to stop support. That's where I'm pointing out the confusion. Then again, the model appears to me to be used as a disincentive to get XP over Vista.
If the people want it, they shouldn't be penalized for it, that's all I'm saying. They'd still be able to get residuals because of the "OMG I can still get XP from this PC company!" reaction it'd generate, along with depleting the excess stock of now obsolete OS discs.
I also said that this is MS we're talking about. It's not supposed to make sense.