Exchange Rates Spell High Prices for Windows 7 In the EU

CWmike writes "European customers will pay up to twice as much for Windows 7 compared with US users, even though the new operating system will ship without a browser in Europe. Some of the money Microsoft stands to make on the European editions of Windows 7 comes from the weak dollar. Last week, for instance, the dollar fell against the euro the most in a month, hitting $1.41 per euro. For example, Windows 7 Professional, the key retail edition for businesses, will sport a price tag of 285 euros, or $400.60, and £189.99, or $313.84, at Saturday's exchange rate. In other words, EU customers will pay twice the $199.99 U.S. price; U.K. buyers will pay 57% more. And depending on your view on bundling IE, Europe's customers will be paying more for less, with Microsoft's decision to yank IE8 from Windows 7 in an effort to head off EU antitrust regulators, who may still force the company to take more drastic measures."

Comments

Re:The same for Linux

[vodevil]

It costs twice as much in Europe as in the USA.

Some versions cost upwards of 1000x as much as in the U.S.

Re:It's not only Europe

[ScentCone]

Oh well, we'll just leech it from thepiratebay.org

And if you don't like the price of some other import, do you just get some guys together, do down to the port and steal the stuff off the boat? If you don't like the price, consider not buying it and not ripping it off. Consider inspiring a company that is based in your own economy to produce an operating system you want, at a lower price. But mostly, just have the intellectual honest to not rip off something just because you don't like the price. Or do you do the same in restaurants? Do you hop the fence into concerts that you think aren't fair because they have a price? Or do you have the integrity to just not go? Or, is it OK for someone to set a price on what they make and sell, but you, in particular, get to take that away from them when it suits you, personally? Should your employer get to decide, at the end of your pay period, that he thinks you're a little over priced that week? Yeah, I thought so.