As I said, in order to play football, you need some sort of protection. If you don't wear any protection, you are going to get hurt (unless you play like a girl;). You can play rugby instead of football. It doesn't require protection and uses the same ball (sort of). Don't get me wrong. I didn't say that consumerism was a bad thing. For years my country's economy was based solely on that. If a sport needs some equipment (clothes, accesories, balls, whatever), it opens the possibility for you to make and sell a product, jobs, whatever.
As a side note, I guess all that equipment changes the sport. I don't think football players would be so aggressive if they didn't use helmets, and soccer players won't need shin guards (and special socks to accommodate them) if they didn't use soccer shoes.
Not much, I guess, since it's like, in the middle of nowhere. But if you wanna get picky, I'd guess that's a 30dB antenna, and they must be using a 100mW rig. So it turns out to about 100W output on the antenna. 400km away that is a 152dB attenuation.
A microwave oven puts 900 to 1100W at about 1 foot of the food, and you need several seconds to warm something up. So, unless a stupid bird happens to sit right at the antenna beam for a few hours, I don't think it will affect living things more than some 10kW AM station in the middle of the city (you can go to the roof of a 10kW station with a fluorescent tube at night and watch it light up in your hands like magic. Yet people inside the building, or around it, don't die of freaky diseases).
I meant that for playing soccer you don't *need* those things, but for baseball, football, and basketball, you can't play without at least *some* of the special equipment.
And the funny thing about those soccer fields, is that they mean nothing. Soccer is not popular in the US. The US soccer team? Nobody cares about. Maybe not yet, but I don't see the point even in spending any money in soccer fields in the US.
And I don't know about "spending money on a soccer field" either. You see, I live in Argentina. We and Brazil have the world's finest soccer teams, and our children don't play in million-dollar fields. They play wherever there's some open land. A goal can be two bricks, and that's it. Sure, my school had a paved playground-soccer fields and two goals (no net). It was paved only because they used it as parking space on the night shift "tertiary" school.
That's one thing I have noticed about American style "games". You can't just "play" a game. For baseball, you need a special ball, a bat, and the bases, and clothes to spare. For american football, you need helmets, protectors, a special ball, and even a special goal. For basketball, you need a special court!, and ball, etc.
Soccer is nothing like that. You need the ball, but if you don't have one, that's no problem, you can make one out of some old rags. You can play anywhere that's big enough. It can be pavement, grass, or even dirt. I mean, you can't really play baseball with a broomstick, or basketball with a rag ball. You can try to play football, but you will be better off playing Rugby.
I guess that's one of the things that give the US their economic power (consumerism, or the need to buy something before doing anything). But I'm not sure what's best.
Why are they shit? They do work, and that's what I expect them to do. I don't care if the drivers are complete crap. As long as they work! I mean, that's what really matters right? When things "just work". I could say the same about Linux and OS X. I mean, those OS suck. If I have a windows computer, I just plug whatever I bought, and have it working (I rarely need to use the drivers). IF Linux OR OS X don't support them, that means they're just pieces of crap. The world would be a better place if they just went away.
(It is a joke. Laugh).
Seriously, why do people complain and blame Windows when those things don't work, but they blame the device/manufacturer/whatever when it doesn't work on OS X or Linux? I'd say it's not fair.
Dude, it's not just the terabytes your users download. It's also the terabytes generated by USENET itself. You need a huge-ass storage farm to keep good retention and completion. And power. And cooling. And people. Hell, half a datacenter.
A lot of money for a service that few people use (few people compared to Web and chat, but it generates more traffic). I wonder if it follows a 80/20 20/80 rule? (80% of users use 20% of bandwith and 20% of users use USENET/P2P and generate 80% of bandwidth)?
If they're a major ISP, I'm pretty sure they could run some fiber to the outsourced USENET servers (after all, they do have a network of their own, don't they?), and get free traffic, they would just pay for the service.
As in movies, the cost of support is lower in other countries (that's why companies outsource support to India).
Also, the number of people attending to any given movie... well, going to the cinema on a premiere is almost the same as going on the last day. I have never been in a crowded cinema.
You have been severely brainwashed, man. I'm so offended by your post you fucking imperialistic american motherfucking pig. Sorry, it's not personal. Comments like yours just show how ignorant and short-minded you americans are.
You are not the only ones who research, develop, create or whatever. We, in the "third world" also work, you make it look like we live off your charity. You fuck the world with your wars, steal resources from other countries, and don't give a shit if you have to kill the locals to get more oil so you can keep your ass warm in winter and watch movies at home in your 100" TV. You also keep polluting the world to avoid "hurting your economy", while Europe (which has surpassed you in terms of IGP) has managed to stay competitive without screwing the environment.
Talking about complex R&D, you should also know that many of your "inventions" were actually designed by foreigners. The Space Race was led by Von Braun, whom you stole from Germany. And bypass surgery was first done by Rene Favaloro, a doctor graduated from the Universidad Nacional de La Plata, a university in my own country (Argentina). We also developed and built a nuclear reactor that was sold to Australia last year.
Also, I can buy food (even on McDonald's or Coca-Cola) for a fraction of the US price. Not because you're subsidizing it, but because it costs less to produce here. Life would be cheaper for you too, if you didn't live in suburbs 50 miles from work, and if you didn't spend billions of dollars in useless things.
IF Microsoft and other "Corporations" sold their products at a reduced price, we would be able to "buy" them. That way, we would be (theoretically) on even grounds (in terms of education). Ah, but that is a problem, isn't it? India has proved that. Your infinitely loving, motherly, patriotic corporations, who help cure diseases in the world, are fucking you, the ones that built and made them grow, only to give away your jobs in other countries, for lower prices.
So, first get your facts straight, and then shut the fuck up. Remember, next time you think about how nice you are to the rest of the world, compare it to how many millions you have killed in the name of "Freedom", only to steal oil from smaller countries.
Again, it's not personal. The world hates americans because of your foreign policies. I don't hate americans (people are not to blame for being stupid -- OK, uninformed, if you want to be PC). But because you're so uninformed (or misinformed), you let your government do the same thing over and over. I really, really hope people from your country will some day realize that they're not being nice to the rest of the world, and only then we'll see a change. But in the mean time, the world will continue to hate you.
I didn't say the people at my country were the victims. I said Microsoft comes down an whines about how much money they lose to piracy.
And Apple products are too expensive anyway (the cheapest Mac mini is USD 1031, and the cheapest iMac is USD 1773, www.macstation.com.ar)
I'm not going into the open-source-can-do-it debate, because we miss the point. So let me illustrate with another situation, parallel to the Windows situation.
WHAT ABOUT GAMES? Sure, I work, I study, whatever. But what if I want to play a video game? I myself have an XBOX, but most people can't afford one, so they play on their PC. Most people are too dumb even to install the game, I don't imagine a 12 year old kid trying to install some GTA on half-translated Cedega.
The PS2 is far more popular (although PC games retail for USD 20 to USD 40, PS2/XBOX titles retail for USD 100 or more -- bootlegged originals). That popularity is not due to Sony's aggressive marketing campaigns here in my country (hint: none), or due to their excellent pricing (USD 400 for a PS2 without games, memory card, and only one controller. That's today's price). It's because of the piracy. I don't know what Sony execs think, but they don't seem interested in selling their product here. So, all machines were bootlegs until last year when Sony "introduced" them as the latest technology. Bootleg machines still outsell "official" sales by probably an order of magnitude.
So, they don't care about the market when they see it as too small, but when they realize they underestimated people, they come and whine about being the sole victims of piracy.
Anyway, I don't care. I use PIRATED XBOX games. They don't sell them in my country anyway, so they're not really losing any money. (I'll start worrying about Gates' fortune the day he starts to be less greedy and really work for his dream of "a computer in every desktop".)
My point was exactly that. You can have most things if you pay in cash and refuse to give your ID, but you can have more if you show your ID. The GP was afraid of some private party asking for an ID, which I think is stupid. I know it's inconvenient to be asked for an ID when you pay with your card, but I know that way is a little safer than anyone going just anywhere with my card and blowing my account or credit away. And they just ask a photo ID (your DNI, or your cedula), and they want you to sign a little piece of paper. There's no violation of privacy there. It's just an extra security layer.
Also, in your country, you can have utilities without an SSN because you're not required to have one. In my country, you have to have a DNI, or you don't exist (if you have a kid, and don't "register" him, you can have trouble. Yes, you have the birth certificate, but if you don't do the DNI, well... ).
Also, I find this kind of convenience kind of weird. You know, things are a little harder here. In the US, you almost need to have a credit card. In my country, you can live all your life without one. Not because we're so cool, but because, well it's a long story starting back in the 70s and that ended on december 2001 when banks took over their own customers money. Most banks stayed in the game after that, with their reputations hurt, but strong anyway. But some banks (Scotiabank) flee the country with their former customers savings. So, in this country is kind of hard having a good credit history (especially when a bank decides that they now own your life savings). Back to the topic, I was talking about convenience. I have an account in the HSBC USA Bank, Buffalo, NY branch. I filled some forms and sent them via express mail. A month later, I got my debit card and a checkbook. That is just impossible to do in my country. You need to go in person to the bank.
Globalization works both ways: it allows you to sell your products in places you didn't even know existed, but there needs to be some reality check at some point: you can't just sell your product at the same price everywhere (McDonald's, Pepsi, Coca Cola, they all figured that out many years ago, but Microsoft still refuses to believe they should do the same thing). I'm not saying people should pirate Microsoft. Instead, I'm saying that Microsoft shouldn't go and play the victim (as they did in my country), whining that there's too much piracy of their software, when they have reached a position where they are, in practice, a monopoly, and yet they expect people to pay whatever they want "or face the consequences". Oh no, they are not the victims in this game. I don't think scaring your potential customers is a good way to make money (especially when your potential customers don't have the money you want them to pay).
However don't be surprised when the companies in question decide to do whatever it is in their power to prevent and or stop such things from happening.
Like, say, lowering their prices in "developing markets"? God forbid! Let's just sue their asses and scare them to death. I suppose you also support the RIAA and MPAA too?
If this advantage will allow me to make as much money as people in the US, then no. If this advantage will be "just enough" to get a job and still get paid 1/5 what I'd be paid for in the US, then yes. It's not the company's fault that my country is poor, and it's certainly not their job to help our economy to get better. So, they don't do anything to help people who can't pay for its softare (contrary to the video game industry, video games here DO sell at a reduced price), why should people do anything to make them richer?
And to top it off, Microsoft doesn't give a shit about our countries. They don't sell the XBOX, the XBOX 360, any of its games, the Zune, whatever. That means they don't care about us. Why would I care about them?
Sell a French-language version cheaply in West Africa, the Caribbean, South Pacific, or Guiana and it will end up on computers in Canada, the US (Louisiana has a significant French-speaking population), and France. Why couldn't a French company with offices in Ivory Coast simply buy all of their M$ software through that office?
Duh, because Microsoft would notice!
Spanish-language versions from Central and South America would certainly work well for the people of Spain, as well as the extensive US Spanish-speaking population.
Europe has enough protectionist laws that will prevent a copy of "Latin Windows" to enter Spain, at least without paying a substantial sum (that's what customs are for, anyway). The same could happen in the US. I mean, USA has software export laws that prevents exporting of cryptographic software. I doubt they can't add some "import" law too.
So wait. You bring out the "but, but I need to know it to get a job!" argument, but then go on to cry that Windows starter edition isn't good enough. And I seem to notice that Windows comes bundled with PC's and that those PC's don't cost any more than it would to build your own PC without Windows. So...what's your point again other than wanting something and not being willing to pay the price the seller has for it?
Down here in South America we don't use "branded" computers. Most of our computers are white boxes. The last computer I bought was an athlon 64 X2 3800, Asus M2NPV-VM motherboard, 1GB DDDR2 800Mhz and a 320GB drive. This computer costed about USD 450-500. Add to that USD 200 extra for a copy of Vista (non-OEM). That's 30% of the cost of the computer. So, it does add to the price. Also, with this computer I work at 1280x1024 resolution, and right now I have several apps open (at least 7 windows). If I was using vista starter, I couldn't have used more than 512MB of ram and 800x600 resolution.
If I want to get a job as a lawyer, I have to spend $50-100k to go to school, you don't hear people whining about that.
I don't. I go to public college.
Get a different job if you can't learn from the OS that came installed on your PC or you can't deal with starter edition, or get a job in Linux even though you conveniently asked us not to mention it because it blows your "argument" (arguwhined) out of the water.
First, I answered below why I didn't want to discuss about linux. Second, install Linux on your mother's computer and see how it works. I can deal with linux (I have been doing it for the last 9 years, mind you), Average Joe can't. Third, in a country where 14% of people don't have jobs, it's pretty hard to "just get a different job".
Because I know all of that. I do use Linux from time to time. I use it in all my servers (I manage a few WISPs running where the local monopoly doesn't sell broadband). The reason I didn't want to discuss linux, is that I didn't want to fall in the advocacy argument. I do advocate for Linux too. Recently I was talking to a friend of mine, she told me she liked programming (omg!) but that she didn't like Linux. Turns out she had never used it. Next time I see her I'll give her a copy of Ubuntu or something live, so she can play with it a bit.
What I was talking about the flat pricing. If you can afford it or not, that is your problem. What I meant is that Microsoft should be more realistic: you can't go suing everyone, because you will lose your almost-customers. But if you give them the opportunity to buy your software, many of them will. The local Microsoft office would also provide jobs to the locals too. It's a situation where all parts win.
The golden rule is, if you can't afford it then don't buy it. I would be going after them too if I was Microsoft. These are companies pretty much promoting piracy
Let's see, I assume you are an american. You see, not everyone in the world makes the same as you americans do. Not all of us (myself included, I live in Argentina) can afford to spend 2 to 3 months salary on Windows. And microsoft doesn't help either. They have this flat-price policy, all over the world. You *may* begin to understand us, blatant pirates, the day Microsoft charged USD 6000 for a copy of Windows. But that isn't going to happen, as Microsoft even offers discounts to students, of course those discounts are available for USA only (and a few selected european countries).
The problem is their monopoly. Someone who tries to find any job nowadays is required to know Windows (let's not enter the Linux argument, please). Just take my word for it.
Microsoft tried to "help" the situation a little by releasing the "starter" editions: crippled versions of their software for less money. Personally, I see that as an insult. You see, I go to the movies every now and then. Last year I went to see "The Da Vinci Code", the same day it was released in my country (may 18). I paid $5 (that's 5 pesos, or USD 1,80) to watch the movie. It wasn't a pirated divx, it wasn't a crippled down, shorter, lower-quality version of the movie. It wasn't even a cheaper remake. It was the same movie that was released in the US one day later (movies are released on Thursdays in my country). It wasn't a crappy cinema either. It had air conditioning, a big screen, surround sound, nice seats, popcorn, coca cola, and everything else. So, how can the movie industry charge 1/5 to 1/10 what they charge in the US, and still profit, while Microsoft refuses to do so?
One time someone answered "because people would buy an imported copy of Windows and pay less for it". Yeah, right. I'd love to see an american with their brand-new cheap copy of Windows, in Spanish. Or some indic language even.
I don't know what's the point of your post. I mean, you certainly seem like one of those paranoid americans. You're worried about your ID? Then I guess you don't have a bank account, credit card, social security number. You don't have a physical address (trailer? a boat maybe?), and get your mail on a P.O. Box. You get paid in cash, or a check that you cash at some liquor store. You have a pre-paid cell phone without your name on it. You find it un-american to have anyone ask you for your ID, or weapons license, so you got your gun (because every american should have at least one) on the black market.
That's the price of not *existing*. To stay under the government radar, or beyond reach of greedy corporations. You have to essentially give up most of your so-called "freedoms" to be "free". I mean, to think that you're free. You see, I disagree with you about the ID thing, mostly because we, and many other countries, use a standarized, government-issued document, which uniquely identifies you with a single number. You stop being a person, and start being a number. Isn't that better? More anonymous? Being just a number? And if someone knows your DNI number, nothing happens. The DNI database just matches names and numbers. The phone database will give you my address and phone number. I think someone having my address and phone number (anyone in the world, because you can look it up in many places: www.paginasamarillas.com.ar www.paginasdoradas.com.ar www.telexplorer.com.ar).
But you know what else you get when you get your DNI (which parents should apply for as soon as the baby leaves the hospital)? You get an IDENTITY (that's why it's called an Identity Document). From that point you can access all of the government services. Health, education, a job. Books in a library. Bank accounts, loans. Even free houses for the poor. All of that you can have easily if you agree to only two things: Telling the government who you are, and promise that, when you're 18, you will vote.
All of that is on a single booklet with all your information, which you're free to keep safely at home if you decide. If you choose to do so, then you can go to the Federal Police (where they issue your Passport), and ask for a "Cédula de Identidad", with your photo, your name, your DNI number, your signature, and your data in ICAO 9303 format. All of that in a nice, not-so-easy to fake credit-card sized piece of plastic.
You're only required to carry your DNI when you vote (they stamp your DNI every time you vote), and to open a bank account. The police CAN'T ask for your DNI, or any kind of ID, unless they have a judge's order (say, to check specific areas of the city --nightclub exit doors-- for minors drinking alcohol).
The only ones that can routinely ask you for a DNI are the "Gendarmeria Nacional" guys, the police that patrols the borders, customs, roads, etc.
Interesting. In my country (Argentina) Visa explicitly requires merchants to request an ID (specifically, the DNI - Documento Nacional de Identidad), and have the customer sign, and write their name and DNI number on the credit/debit card receipt.
When Bush visited Argentina last year, I saw this black truck with huge black antennas. When the Air Force One was landing, some channels had only a video feed, and the journalists on site were speaking through cell phones. When bush was about to get off the plane, all cell phones were disconnected at once, on all channels. Live TV is so cool:)
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As I said, in order to play football, you need some sort of protection. If you don't wear any protection, you are going to get hurt (unless you play like a girl ;). You can play rugby instead of football. It doesn't require protection and uses the same ball (sort of). Don't get me wrong. I didn't say that consumerism was a bad thing. For years my country's economy was based solely on that. If a sport needs some equipment (clothes, accesories, balls, whatever), it opens the possibility for you to make and sell a product, jobs, whatever.
As a side note, I guess all that equipment changes the sport. I don't think football players would be so aggressive if they didn't use helmets, and soccer players won't need shin guards (and special socks to accommodate them) if they didn't use soccer shoes.
Not much, I guess, since it's like, in the middle of nowhere. But if you wanna get picky, I'd guess that's a 30dB antenna, and they must be using a 100mW rig. So it turns out to about 100W output on the antenna. 400km away that is a 152dB attenuation.
A microwave oven puts 900 to 1100W at about 1 foot of the food, and you need several seconds to warm something up. So, unless a stupid bird happens to sit right at the antenna beam for a few hours, I don't think it will affect living things more than some 10kW AM station in the middle of the city (you can go to the roof of a 10kW station with a fluorescent tube at night and watch it light up in your hands like magic. Yet people inside the building, or around it, don't die of freaky diseases).
I meant that for playing soccer you don't *need* those things, but for baseball, football, and basketball, you can't play without at least *some* of the special equipment.
And the funny thing about those soccer fields, is that they mean nothing. Soccer is not popular in the US. The US soccer team? Nobody cares about. Maybe not yet, but I don't see the point even in spending any money in soccer fields in the US.
And I don't know about "spending money on a soccer field" either. You see, I live in Argentina. We and Brazil have the world's finest soccer teams, and our children don't play in million-dollar fields. They play wherever there's some open land. A goal can be two bricks, and that's it. Sure, my school had a paved playground-soccer fields and two goals (no net). It was paved only because they used it as parking space on the night shift "tertiary" school.
That's one thing I have noticed about American style "games". You can't just "play" a game. For baseball, you need a special ball, a bat, and the bases, and clothes to spare. For american football, you need helmets, protectors, a special ball, and even a special goal. For basketball, you need a special court!, and ball, etc.
Soccer is nothing like that. You need the ball, but if you don't have one, that's no problem, you can make one out of some old rags. You can play anywhere that's big enough. It can be pavement, grass, or even dirt. I mean, you can't really play baseball with a broomstick, or basketball with a rag ball. You can try to play football, but you will be better off playing Rugby.
I guess that's one of the things that give the US their economic power (consumerism, or the need to buy something before doing anything). But I'm not sure what's best.
Ha! You find ISP contracts outrageous? Don't even think of reading your insurance policy then. I find those things amusing.
Why are they shit? They do work, and that's what I expect them to do. I don't care if the drivers are complete crap. As long as they work! I mean, that's what really matters right? When things "just work". I could say the same about Linux and OS X. I mean, those OS suck. If I have a windows computer, I just plug whatever I bought, and have it working (I rarely need to use the drivers). IF Linux OR OS X don't support them, that means they're just pieces of crap. The world would be a better place if they just went away.
(It is a joke. Laugh).
Seriously, why do people complain and blame Windows when those things don't work, but they blame the device/manufacturer/whatever when it doesn't work on OS X or Linux? I'd say it's not fair.
An air conditioner *IS* a heat exchanger!
Dude, it's not just the terabytes your users download. It's also the terabytes generated by USENET itself. You need a huge-ass storage farm to keep good retention and completion. And power. And cooling. And people. Hell, half a datacenter.
A lot of money for a service that few people use (few people compared to Web and chat, but it generates more traffic). I wonder if it follows a 80/20 20/80 rule? (80% of users use 20% of bandwith and 20% of users use USENET/P2P and generate 80% of bandwidth)?
If they're a major ISP, I'm pretty sure they could run some fiber to the outsourced USENET servers (after all, they do have a network of their own, don't they?), and get free traffic, they would just pay for the service.
As in movies, the cost of support is lower in other countries (that's why companies outsource support to India).
Also, the number of people attending to any given movie... well, going to the cinema on a premiere is almost the same as going on the last day. I have never been in a crowded cinema.
You have been severely brainwashed, man. I'm so offended by your post you fucking imperialistic american motherfucking pig. Sorry, it's not personal. Comments like yours just show how ignorant and short-minded you americans are.
You are not the only ones who research, develop, create or whatever. We, in the "third world" also work, you make it look like we live off your charity. You fuck the world with your wars, steal resources from other countries, and don't give a shit if you have to kill the locals to get more oil so you can keep your ass warm in winter and watch movies at home in your 100" TV. You also keep polluting the world to avoid "hurting your economy", while Europe (which has surpassed you in terms of IGP) has managed to stay competitive without screwing the environment.
Talking about complex R&D, you should also know that many of your "inventions" were actually designed by foreigners. The Space Race was led by Von Braun, whom you stole from Germany. And bypass surgery was first done by Rene Favaloro, a doctor graduated from the Universidad Nacional de La Plata, a university in my own country (Argentina). We also developed and built a nuclear reactor that was sold to Australia last year.
Also, I can buy food (even on McDonald's or Coca-Cola) for a fraction of the US price. Not because you're subsidizing it, but because it costs less to produce here. Life would be cheaper for you too, if you didn't live in suburbs 50 miles from work, and if you didn't spend billions of dollars in useless things.
IF Microsoft and other "Corporations" sold their products at a reduced price, we would be able to "buy" them. That way, we would be (theoretically) on even grounds (in terms of education). Ah, but that is a problem, isn't it? India has proved that. Your infinitely loving, motherly, patriotic corporations, who help cure diseases in the world, are fucking you, the ones that built and made them grow, only to give away your jobs in other countries, for lower prices.
So, first get your facts straight, and then shut the fuck up. Remember, next time you think about how nice you are to the rest of the world, compare it to how many millions you have killed in the name of "Freedom", only to steal oil from smaller countries.
Again, it's not personal. The world hates americans because of your foreign policies. I don't hate americans (people are not to blame for being stupid -- OK, uninformed, if you want to be PC). But because you're so uninformed (or misinformed), you let your government do the same thing over and over. I really, really hope people from your country will some day realize that they're not being nice to the rest of the world, and only then we'll see a change. But in the mean time, the world will continue to hate you.
I didn't say the people at my country were the victims. I said Microsoft comes down an whines about how much money they lose to piracy.
And Apple products are too expensive anyway (the cheapest Mac mini is USD 1031, and the cheapest iMac is USD 1773, www.macstation.com.ar)
I'm not going into the open-source-can-do-it debate, because we miss the point. So let me illustrate with another situation, parallel to the Windows situation.
WHAT ABOUT GAMES? Sure, I work, I study, whatever. But what if I want to play a video game? I myself have an XBOX, but most people can't afford one, so they play on their PC. Most people are too dumb even to install the game, I don't imagine a 12 year old kid trying to install some GTA on half-translated Cedega.
The PS2 is far more popular (although PC games retail for USD 20 to USD 40, PS2/XBOX titles retail for USD 100 or more -- bootlegged originals). That popularity is not due to Sony's aggressive marketing campaigns here in my country (hint: none), or due to their excellent pricing (USD 400 for a PS2 without games, memory card, and only one controller. That's today's price). It's because of the piracy. I don't know what Sony execs think, but they don't seem interested in selling their product here. So, all machines were bootlegs until last year when Sony "introduced" them as the latest technology. Bootleg machines still outsell "official" sales by probably an order of magnitude.
So, they don't care about the market when they see it as too small, but when they realize they underestimated people, they come and whine about being the sole victims of piracy.
Anyway, I don't care. I use PIRATED XBOX games. They don't sell them in my country anyway, so they're not really losing any money. (I'll start worrying about Gates' fortune the day he starts to be less greedy and really work for his dream of "a computer in every desktop".)
My point was exactly that. You can have most things if you pay in cash and refuse to give your ID, but you can have more if you show your ID. The GP was afraid of some private party asking for an ID, which I think is stupid. I know it's inconvenient to be asked for an ID when you pay with your card, but I know that way is a little safer than anyone going just anywhere with my card and blowing my account or credit away. And they just ask a photo ID (your DNI, or your cedula), and they want you to sign a little piece of paper. There's no violation of privacy there. It's just an extra security layer.
Also, in your country, you can have utilities without an SSN because you're not required to have one. In my country, you have to have a DNI, or you don't exist (if you have a kid, and don't "register" him, you can have trouble. Yes, you have the birth certificate, but if you don't do the DNI, well... ).
Also, I find this kind of convenience kind of weird. You know, things are a little harder here. In the US, you almost need to have a credit card. In my country, you can live all your life without one. Not because we're so cool, but because, well it's a long story starting back in the 70s and that ended on december 2001 when banks took over their own customers money. Most banks stayed in the game after that, with their reputations hurt, but strong anyway. But some banks (Scotiabank) flee the country with their former customers savings. So, in this country is kind of hard having a good credit history (especially when a bank decides that they now own your life savings). Back to the topic, I was talking about convenience. I have an account in the HSBC USA Bank, Buffalo, NY branch. I filled some forms and sent them via express mail. A month later, I got my debit card and a checkbook. That is just impossible to do in my country. You need to go in person to the bank.
It was a rhetorical question. Anyway.
Globalization works both ways: it allows you to sell your products in places you didn't even know existed, but there needs to be some reality check at some point: you can't just sell your product at the same price everywhere (McDonald's, Pepsi, Coca Cola, they all figured that out many years ago, but Microsoft still refuses to believe they should do the same thing). I'm not saying people should pirate Microsoft. Instead, I'm saying that Microsoft shouldn't go and play the victim (as they did in my country), whining that there's too much piracy of their software, when they have reached a position where they are, in practice, a monopoly, and yet they expect people to pay whatever they want "or face the consequences". Oh no, they are not the victims in this game. I don't think scaring your potential customers is a good way to make money (especially when your potential customers don't have the money you want them to pay).
If this advantage will allow me to make as much money as people in the US, then no. If this advantage will be "just enough" to get a job and still get paid 1/5 what I'd be paid for in the US, then yes. It's not the company's fault that my country is poor, and it's certainly not their job to help our economy to get better. So, they don't do anything to help people who can't pay for its softare (contrary to the video game industry, video games here DO sell at a reduced price), why should people do anything to make them richer?
And to top it off, Microsoft doesn't give a shit about our countries. They don't sell the XBOX, the XBOX 360, any of its games, the Zune, whatever. That means they don't care about us. Why would I care about them?
Down here in South America we don't use "branded" computers. Most of our computers are white boxes. The last computer I bought was an athlon 64 X2 3800, Asus M2NPV-VM motherboard, 1GB DDDR2 800Mhz and a 320GB drive. This computer costed about USD 450-500. Add to that USD 200 extra for a copy of Vista (non-OEM). That's 30% of the cost of the computer. So, it does add to the price. Also, with this computer I work at 1280x1024 resolution, and right now I have several apps open (at least 7 windows). If I was using vista starter, I couldn't have used more than 512MB of ram and 800x600 resolution.
I don't. I go to public college.
First, I answered below why I didn't want to discuss about linux. Second, install Linux on your mother's computer and see how it works. I can deal with linux (I have been doing it for the last 9 years, mind you), Average Joe can't. Third, in a country where 14% of people don't have jobs, it's pretty hard to "just get a different job".
Because I know all of that. I do use Linux from time to time. I use it in all my servers (I manage a few WISPs running where the local monopoly doesn't sell broadband). The reason I didn't want to discuss linux, is that I didn't want to fall in the advocacy argument. I do advocate for Linux too. Recently I was talking to a friend of mine, she told me she liked programming (omg!) but that she didn't like Linux. Turns out she had never used it. Next time I see her I'll give her a copy of Ubuntu or something live, so she can play with it a bit.
What I was talking about the flat pricing. If you can afford it or not, that is your problem. What I meant is that Microsoft should be more realistic: you can't go suing everyone, because you will lose your almost-customers. But if you give them the opportunity to buy your software, many of them will. The local Microsoft office would also provide jobs to the locals too. It's a situation where all parts win.
Thank you very much! That was exactly my point.
There's no way to turn Spanish windows XP into English windows XP (you can change you regional settings, but the start button will still say "Inicio")
Ah, fuck. And I lost 5 minutes of my time answering to the GP.
Let's see, I assume you are an american. You see, not everyone in the world makes the same as you americans do. Not all of us (myself included, I live in Argentina) can afford to spend 2 to 3 months salary on Windows. And microsoft doesn't help either. They have this flat-price policy, all over the world. You *may* begin to understand us, blatant pirates, the day Microsoft charged USD 6000 for a copy of Windows. But that isn't going to happen, as Microsoft even offers discounts to students, of course those discounts are available for USA only (and a few selected european countries).
The problem is their monopoly. Someone who tries to find any job nowadays is required to know Windows (let's not enter the Linux argument, please). Just take my word for it.
Microsoft tried to "help" the situation a little by releasing the "starter" editions: crippled versions of their software for less money. Personally, I see that as an insult. You see, I go to the movies every now and then. Last year I went to see "The Da Vinci Code", the same day it was released in my country (may 18). I paid $5 (that's 5 pesos, or USD 1,80) to watch the movie. It wasn't a pirated divx, it wasn't a crippled down, shorter, lower-quality version of the movie. It wasn't even a cheaper remake. It was the same movie that was released in the US one day later (movies are released on Thursdays in my country). It wasn't a crappy cinema either. It had air conditioning, a big screen, surround sound, nice seats, popcorn, coca cola, and everything else. So, how can the movie industry charge 1/5 to 1/10 what they charge in the US, and still profit, while Microsoft refuses to do so?
One time someone answered "because people would buy an imported copy of Windows and pay less for it". Yeah, right. I'd love to see an american with their brand-new cheap copy of Windows, in Spanish. Or some indic language even.
I don't know what's the point of your post. I mean, you certainly seem like one of those paranoid americans. You're worried about your ID? Then I guess you don't have a bank account, credit card, social security number. You don't have a physical address (trailer? a boat maybe?), and get your mail on a P.O. Box. You get paid in cash, or a check that you cash at some liquor store. You have a pre-paid cell phone without your name on it. You find it un-american to have anyone ask you for your ID, or weapons license, so you got your gun (because every american should have at least one) on the black market.
That's the price of not *existing*. To stay under the government radar, or beyond reach of greedy corporations. You have to essentially give up most of your so-called "freedoms" to be "free". I mean, to think that you're free. You see, I disagree with you about the ID thing, mostly because we, and many other countries, use a standarized, government-issued document, which uniquely identifies you with a single number. You stop being a person, and start being a number. Isn't that better? More anonymous? Being just a number? And if someone knows your DNI number, nothing happens. The DNI database just matches names and numbers. The phone database will give you my address and phone number. I think someone having my address and phone number (anyone in the world, because you can look it up in many places: www.paginasamarillas.com.ar www.paginasdoradas.com.ar www.telexplorer.com.ar).
But you know what else you get when you get your DNI (which parents should apply for as soon as the baby leaves the hospital)? You get an IDENTITY (that's why it's called an Identity Document). From that point you can access all of the government services. Health, education, a job. Books in a library. Bank accounts, loans. Even free houses for the poor. All of that you can have easily if you agree to only two things: Telling the government who you are, and promise that, when you're 18, you will vote.
All of that is on a single booklet with all your information, which you're free to keep safely at home if you decide. If you choose to do so, then you can go to the Federal Police (where they issue your Passport), and ask for a "Cédula de Identidad", with your photo, your name, your DNI number, your signature, and your data in ICAO 9303 format. All of that in a nice, not-so-easy to fake credit-card sized piece of plastic.
You're only required to carry your DNI when you vote (they stamp your DNI every time you vote), and to open a bank account. The police CAN'T ask for your DNI, or any kind of ID, unless they have a judge's order (say, to check specific areas of the city --nightclub exit doors-- for minors drinking alcohol).
The only ones that can routinely ask you for a DNI are the "Gendarmeria Nacional" guys, the police that patrols the borders, customs, roads, etc.
Interesting. In my country (Argentina) Visa explicitly requires merchants to request an ID (specifically, the DNI - Documento Nacional de Identidad), and have the customer sign, and write their name and DNI number on the credit/debit card receipt.
When Bush visited Argentina last year, I saw this black truck with huge black antennas. When the Air Force One was landing, some channels had only a video feed, and the journalists on site were speaking through cell phones. When bush was about to get off the plane, all cell phones were disconnected at once, on all channels. Live TV is so cool :)