<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> <html> <head> <meta content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1" http-equiv="Content-Type"> <title></title> </head> <body text="#000000" bgcolor="#ffffff"> On 01/03/2011 05:53 PM, Nathan Bahn wrote: <blockquote cite="mid:AANLkTimvxb56GcRZ7iKe2MEVT=CGS_mjL6gY_sqUi1jq@mail.gmail.com" type="cite"> <div class="gmail_quote">On Mon, Jan 3, 2011 at 4:29 PM, Doug Pollard <<a moz-do-not-send="true" href="mailto:dougpol1@verizon.net">dougpol1@verizon.net</a>> wrote: <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;"> <div class="im">On 01/03/2011 02:38 PM, Avi Greenbury wrote: <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;"> Nathan Bahn wrote: <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;"> 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..... </blockquote> 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. </blockquote> </div> 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</blockquote> </div> D.P.-- Please tell me that you're joking; irony doesn't translate very well to the written word. --N.B. -- Please avoid sending me Word or PowerPoint attachments. See <a moz-do-not-send="true" href="http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/no-word-attachments.html" target="_blank">http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/no-word-attachments.html</a> </blockquote> I am absolutely serious. It may be ironic but it is what fascism is about. They might be able to get millions from MS but they can get billions from the lower and middle class by appearing to champion them. The middle class is where all the money is. You only have to leave him enough to eat, 25% of his income. Take more and he leaves for another country. You can only take a business mans profit and that is only 15 to 30% of his income. Take more and he also leaves. Why would any liberal politician get close to big buisness it's the kiss of death in a socialist/fascist country like France, and it's where the least money is. With millions working in governemnt do you think a deal with MS could be kept quiet?? It would be out on wiki leaks in a heart beat. Doug </body> </html>