"Why not OEMs just ship without any OS installed? It's cheaper for the OEMs too. Let the user decide what OS to install into his newly-purchased PC (and let him do the installation). There will be those who still insist on MS, they can go to MS's website and purchase for themselves a license (without involving OEMs). I specifically told my PC vendor to ship without any OS."
Two reasons. First, because the cost of buying Windows after the event is significantly higher than buying it with a machine, so if a user is offered a Windows-less machine for £400 or one with Windows 7 for £420, and they could possibly need Windows in the future, then it makes much more sense to buy the second machine than to pay £150 for Retail windows.
Secondly and relatedly, the price of Windows on new computers is subsidized by the crapware on there - as well as paying a heavily discounted unit rate for the OS, companies like Dell and HP are paid to include various demo apps - such as 3-month demos of antivirus apps - by the app vendors. Why throw away that money?
Power management, mobile and firmware developer on Linux. Security developer at Aurora. Ex-biologist. mjg59 on Twitter. Content here should not be interpreted as the opinion of my employer. Also on Mastodon.
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Re: Appealing to the wrong authority
Date: 2011-09-26 01:10 am (UTC)Two reasons. First, because the cost of buying Windows after the event is significantly higher than buying it with a machine, so if a user is offered a Windows-less machine for £400 or one with Windows 7 for £420, and they could possibly need Windows in the future, then it makes much more sense to buy the second machine than to pay £150 for Retail windows.
Secondly and relatedly, the price of Windows on new computers is subsidized by the crapware on there - as well as paying a heavily discounted unit rate for the OS, companies like Dell and HP are paid to include various demo apps - such as 3-month demos of antivirus apps - by the app vendors. Why throw away that money?