French politicians want to tax tablets for not running Windows

[Doug Pollard]

On 01/03/2011 02:38 PM, Avi Greenbury wrote:
> Nathan Bahn wrote:
>
>> Attention all--
>>
>> I can't help but get the impression that French legislators and M$
>> lobbyists are joined at the hip.  I could be wrong, of course.....
>>
> I'm reminded of the advice to not ascribe to malice that which may
> explained by incompetence.
>
> It's worth noting, too, that the distinction is between mobile
> operating system and 'PC' operating system. That is, Windows 7 is as
> taxable as OSX or, say, Ubuntu. It's Windows Mobile 7 that's not deemed
> taxable (being a mobile system) and I'd imagine iOS is similarly
> excluded.
>
> The distinction is, obviously, harder to draw with Linux which is so
> portable by design, and has no need for a distinction between 'mobile'
> and 'PC' editions.
>
> I've not yet seen anything that refrains from sensationalism by enough
> to really understand what's going on here, though. Just a lot of
> exclamation that the French government is out to destroy Linux or
> something.
>
>
  I am skeptical of the whole thing.  Most of the time Governments pick 
out the underdog and take from the wealthy for the poor to garner 
votes.  Why would they side with big bad Microsoft,  there is no glory 
in that.  Sounds like one more Internet cry of wolf at the door.         
           Doug