Cost. Not value. That’s the advantage MS has.

Microsoft achieves success by using an ad that totally avoids discussing any Microsoft products.

And HP’s earnings are down

How are they going to keep the Microsoft campaign going when the cost of Windows 7 is HIGHER than Vista? I didn’t think that was possible, but apparently, even Dell’s not happy with the licensing costs of Windows 7.

If Apple were to ever cannibalize their hardware sales and go full on OS licensing, NOW would be the time to do it. PC makers seem ready to bolt and dump M$ for something else!

How are they going to keep the Microsoft campaign going when the cost of Windows 7 is HIGHER than Vista? I didn’t think that was possible, but apparently, even Dell’s not happy with the licensing costs of Windows 7.

Do Dell and the other PC manufactures pay retail for Windows? I am thinking they get some sort of discount.

I work for a small Apple Specialist store and have found sales to be increasing over the past several months. People are always asking why they should consider switching and once the machine is shown and explained and they compare like hardware cost, plus costs of anti-virus, spyware, support costs, etc., and the lack of software integration the PC offers, they buy Mac.

Discount or not, apparently Dell is quite concerned about the pricing of Windows 7.

http://www.geek.com/articles/news/dell-windows-7-will-cost-more-than-vista-20090519/

Discount or not, apparently Dell is quite concerned about the pricing of Windows 7.

Thanks for the link to geek.com. If Dell is concerned about the price of Windows 7 then other PC makers must be in a similar situation. This could be the end of cheap PCs, at the current prices, unless they start using even chintzier components.

PC Makers can’t dump MicroSoft, their business customers will continue to require M$ for all of the software that is Windows Only.  NO open standards there, it will take a decade assuming there is some compelling economic reason to make such a change.  The large part of the market isn’t yet accessible to Apple or OS X

The MS ads are about hardware prices and not about the OS running the hardware.  Since MS doesn’t sell a computer they can be as misleading as they want to.

To me it is all about productivity.  My HP laptop w/XP Pro has NOD32, Trojan Remover, Ccleaner, Spyware Blaster, MalwareBytes, Spybot Search & Destroy and Perfect Disk 10 on it.  With the exception of Spybot and Spyware Blaster, all of the other apps are the premium versions.  My 24” iMac doesn’t run any 3rd party utilities.

Now lets get down to business.  None of the above mentioned utilities are used to support the HP laptop’s hardware.  They are there in an attempt to keep XP functioning and bug free.  My iMac just works with no need for crutches.

Each of the above mentioned utilities also requires dedicated time to do its job.  Oh I could let them all run in the background and live with the performance hits/freeze ups.  I prefer to give up production time on my HP laptop and move to my always ready iMac.  This is the side of running Windows that gets ignored in the hoopla of which is cheaper.

What really gets me is that the companies who build windows based computers are engaging in their own downfall.  According to MS no one ever has a need to spend over a few hundred for a Windows computer.  Dell should cease making the XPS line.  Sony should just shut its doors.  Its like being a circular firing squad!

The bottom-line is that MS doesn’t build computers.  It just wrecks them.  And stop calling the “new” windows Windows 7.  It is Vista RC II.  It will fail just like Vista did because the low priced computers can’t run it.  MS has told the masses that Vista RCII can run on any junk and has set them up to accept mediocrity.  In the end nothing has changed.