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The Hidden Cost of Using Microsoft Software

Posted by kdawson on from the badware-tax dept.

Glyn Moody writes "Detractors of free software like to point out it's not really 'free,' and claim that its Total Cost of Ownership is often comparable with closed-source solutions if you take everything into account. And yet, despite their enthusiasm for including all the costs, they never include a very real extra that users of Microsoft's products frequently have to pay: the cost of cleaning up malware infections. For example, the UK city of Manchester has just paid out nearly $2.5 million to clean up the Conficker worm, most of which was 'a £1.2m [$2million] bill in the IT department, including £600,000 [$1 million] getting "consultancy support" to fix the problems, which including drafting in experts from Microsoft.' To make the comparisons fair, isn't it about time these often massive costs were included in TCO calculations?"

10 of 691 comments (clear)

  1. First Thoughts... by geeper · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Oh my god, not this AGAIN!!"

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    Error reading device 'Signature'. (A)bort, (R)etry, (F)ail?
    1. Re:First Thoughts... by Voyager529 · · Score: 5, Funny

      "Oh my god, not this AGAIN!!"

      Since when does a bowl of petunias have a Slashdot account? Did the sperm whale get one before or after you?

  2. fw;dr by iamhigh · · Score: 5, Funny

    Flame War; Didn't Read

    But seriously, 2 MILLION to clean up some viruses? I need to move to Manchester and become a consultant!

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    No comprende? Let me type that a little slower for you...
  3. Re:You cannot use viruses/bugs as an example of co by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Well, so long as netcraft confirms it...

  4. Re:You cannot use viruses/bugs as an example of co by MooUK · · Score: 5, Funny

    No, it submits passively.

  5. Re:You cannot use viruses/bugs as an example of co by Bemopolis · · Score: 5, Funny

    waitasec... #4, www.bing.com, runs on *LINUX*? Man, the kool-aid in Redmond must SUCK.

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    "I guess the moral of the story is, don't paint your airship with rocket fuel." -- Addison Bain
  6. Self-fulfilling prophecy by XanC · · Score: 5, Funny

    You've done your part!

  7. Pedantic by mcrbids · · Score: 4, Funny

    Douglas Adams' bowl of petunias thought "Oh no, not again". "Oh my god" was not part of the petunias' thoughts because it's widely known that petunias are, by and large, atheists.

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    I have no problem with your religion until you decide it's reason to deprive others of the truth.
  8. Re:You cannot use viruses/bugs as an example of co by bertoelcon · · Score: 3, Funny

    waitasec... #4, www.bing.com, runs on *LINUX*? Man, the kool-aid in Redmond must SUCK.

    Microsoft doesn't want bing.com to get attacked by the same malicious entities everything else they run does?

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    Anything can be found funny, from a certain point of view.
  9. Re:You cannot use viruses/bugs as an example of co by geekboy642 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Careful, your Microsft uniform is showing. Ratchet back the shilling for a couple posts, then try it again more carefully. Also, "Windows anti-exploit code is insane" is not an approved meme. We don't want people thinking Windows drools on itself, now do we?

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    Just another "DOJ fascist authoritarian totalitarian bootlicker" -- Zeio