Microsoft to support Linux hosting in Virtual Server

[Peter Garrett]

On Wed, 12 Apr 2006 18:22:38 +1000
Alexander Jacob Tsykin <stsykin at gmail.com> wrote:

> > Do you have any evidence of this claim?  I've seen various people
> > claim that «computers sold with Linux are reinstalled with pirated
> > windows» and your claim above, but I have never seen any statistics
> > which backs it up.
> >
> Seems implausible. To have a pirated version of Windows and install it, and 
> get it working in spite of the protections, a certain knowledge of computers 
> is required. If the person who got the computer had Linux installed, given 
> that the person is unlikely to have a particularly deep knowledge of 
> computers (statistically), he will either install a legal copy of Windows or 
> leave Linux on it. If the person asked the techie he bought the computer from 
> to install an illegal version of Windows to avoid paying for it, he would not 
> have had Linux installed on it originally.

http://www.infoworld.com/article/03/05/23/HNthailinux_1.html

Laptops pre-installed with linux.... Note this quote from the article:

<quote>
Bryan Ma, senior research manager with IDC for the Asia-Pacific region,
said that the PCs could pose a threat to Microsoft for two reasons. HP's
decision to preload Linux, which can be distributed for free, allows
customers to avoid the cost of a license for Microsoft's Windows operating
system. Additionally, with the rampant amount of piracy in Thailand, users
could easily purchase the low-cost PCs and install pirated Windows
software on them. 
</quote>

Apparently this is what has happened on a large scale. Scenario -

1) Non-techie gets cheap Linux laptop
2) Non-techie gets geek friend/ relative to install illegal MS so as to
run, for example, "Office" etc
3) Go to mall and buy illegal Windows compatible software for around $4

see

http://www.tgdaily.com/2006/03/02/piratedsoftware_thailand_bsa/print.html

Still big business in Thailand, apparently...

So, much as we would like to believe that non-techie users will leave
Linux on their machine, it is not necessarily so, sadly.

Peter


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Linux User #343161