[kwlug-disc] free MS software for 3 years

[Paul Nijjar]

On Thu, Sep 24, 2009 at 07:45:00AM -0700, Raul Suarez wrote:
> Savvy business decision.

> I've always been of the idea that all the Word sharing (some may
> call it pirating) of the 90's helped solidify Microsoft's dominance
> in this area.

Giving away software ridiculously cheap is nothing new for Microsoft. 
As a nonprofit we get pricing on Office, Windows Server, etc. that
are ridiculously low. Similarly Charles is able to sell $100 computers
cheaply with legal versions of Office and Windows. Technologically,
these products are exactly the same as retail versions, but they are
branded differently so that Microsoft can drop the prices
dramatically.

This effectively prices Linux out of the market, which is pretty savvy
marketing. 

Check out the prices on http://www.techsoupcanada.ca to be shocked and
amazed. (Ironically, that site runs Drupal...) 

> 
> Now, instead of leaving it to chance they do the same as the drug
> dealers. Give it for free to hook up the client.
> 

Another lesson from the drug dealers is "Hook 'em young". Kids these
days are perfectly capable of downloading Linux and installing a LAMP
stack. If those kids get too familiar with open source, they'll resist
becoming responsible citizens who administer Sharepoint when they
grow up. This is the reasoning behind "DreamSpark". 


- Paul