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Re: [News] Microsoft 'Pulls a Netscape' on Virtualisation Market?

Roy Schestowitz wrote:

> Virtual PC and the Value of Free
> 
> ,----[ Quote ]
> | Yesterday's release of Virtual PC 2007 continues a longstanding
> | Microsoft trend: Give away free something valuable to gain market
> | share against a dominant competitor.
> | 
> | [...]
> | 
> | Lower cost is a good tactic, but Microsoft has done much better with
> | free--and really valuable technology. Probably the best-known example
> | is Internet Explorer, which Microsoft integrated into Windows
> | during the browser wars with Netscape. While Netscape had to
> | separately sell its product, Microsoft could give away its
> | competing software for free. Microsoft regarded its Web browser
> | as adding value to Windows, so it gave away the technology as
> | a way of enhancing the appeal of the operating system and
> | subsequently sales. On the server, Microsoft took on Netscape
> | software by giving away for free FrontPage (for creating Web
> | sites) and Internet Information Server (for hosting Websites).
> | 
> | Windows Media Player is another example. Microsoft invested
> | $500 million developing Windows Media Player 9 Series, which
> | the company gave away for free with Windows XP. Other
> | companies, such as RealNetworks, charged for their digital
> | media products. Microsoft's bundled the software, for free,
> | as way of enhancing Windows' appeal. Like Netscape and other
> | developers, Real had to give away--and open-source--its core
> | digital media technology in response to Microsoft's free software.
> `----
> 
>
http://www.microsoft-watch.com/content/operating_systems/virtual_pc_and_the_value_of_free.html?kc=MWRSS02129TX1K0000535
> http://tinyurl.com/3826f6
> 
> Microsoft could use this to fend off Linux, as well as companies like
> VMWare.
> 
> 
> Also see:
> 
> Microsoft slashes Windows XP price to fend off Linux
> 
> ,----[ Quote ]
> | Microsoft has slashed prices on Windows XP and Office to join the
> | Thai government's "people's PC" project, a move which could help
> | curb the spread of the rival Linux operating system in the country.
> `----
> 
> http://news.zdnet.co.uk/software/0,1000000121,2136259,00.htm
> 
> 
> Related:
> 
> Gates Deposition Audio and Video
> 
> ,----[ Quote ]
> | Here is our local copy of the depositions of Bill Gates in the
> | Microsoft anti-trust suit. We did our best to convert the
> | original Windows Media files into an Open format, ogg. Your
> | webmaster is responsible for the video transcoding, the
> | audio-only files are contributed by a Groklaw member that
> | requested to stay anonymous.
> `----
> 
> http://www.groklaw.net/staticpages/index.php?page=GatesDepo

Sorry, Roy. Microsoft ($x x>0) cannot fight and win a price war with Linux
($0). The only way that they could win a price war (if pre-installs were
done fairly, unlike the current situation) is if they paid people to use
Windows in emerging markets.

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