[ubuntu-in] Microsoft Monopoly

[Nitesh Mistry]

I see this problem in the following manner:

You go to a local Udipi restaurant and ask for an exotic Thai dish. What do you think
you will be the answer? And what are you options? Either order whatever he has
on the menu or walk out, and find that rare Thai restaurant in your city. Either
that or find the ingredients and cook yourself your favourite Thai dish. The
restaurant manager wouldn't care since you would be that one-in-a-thousand
customer asking for that dish. He is not going to hire a Thai cook or ask his
cook to learn Thai cuisine just for that one customer. Would you go to the
courts citing MRTPC in this case?

The same would have happened if you asked for a Chinese dish 10-15 years ago
when Chinese cuisine was also not very popular. But now Chinese cuisine has
become popular, and if the restaurant (even an Udipi one at that) does not serve
the Chinese dishes, there would be a considerable fraction of its customer base
that would stop coming/walking out. So now the manager either hires a Chinese
cook as makes his cook learn Chinese cuisine.

So where was the problem in the first case. It was the demand side that was not
creating enough pressure to make manager hire a Thai cook. Drawing a parallel,
when (not if) there will be enough number of people refusing to buy the computer
unless given their choice of software, the OEMs would start selling alternative
software. Until then find that rare model that comes with linux (or without
proprietary software installed) or find the components yourself and build your
own *free* computer.

If you want to find Thai dishes in every restaurant just like Chinese dishes are
available today, help popularising Thai cuisine so that more and more people go
ask for it and make the restaurant manager take notice.

:)

On Sat, Jan 22, 2011 at 07:15:40PM +0530, Abhijit Navale wrote:
> This is an email I am circulatting from lugc mailist list:
> 
> Hello all,
> 
> When I looked to buy a branded laptop, I felt much bad that I can customize
> a laptop *BUT* I MUST select a M$ operating system. And this really is like
> forcing us to pay money even if we do not want to buy it. Is there any talks
> before this post or is there a way to buy a branded laptop (like HP, DELL or
> a sony vaio).
> 
> If there is no way, why are we not even trying to make a way?
> 
> and also see http://www.mca.gov.in/Ministry/mrtpc.html
> 
> 
> In a depressed mood
> 
> -- 
> Mohi
> ========================================================
> Thats just two lines are not enough. i think we should have a strong
> oposition. what i am suggesting is. Lets form a open source forum for
> business. If there is already then get their help, or create new. and have a
> strong platrform which will look for health of open source business and
> which will be face of 'busienss' of foss in India.
> When i go to our nearest mall and i asked sales person that i wll pay half
> price in advance but get me without os laptop they just simply declined. They
> want me to buy ms only laptop.
> 
> Please have a look at
> *Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices*
> (MRTPC)
> http://www.mca.gov.in/Ministry/mrtpc.html
> 
> *Competition Commission of India*
> http://www.cci.gov.in/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=18
> 
> 
> We should demand healthy competition in computer industry in india through
> our forum. Let me know if we can seriosly do something about this.
> Your suggestions are welcome.
> -- 
> Abhijit Navale.
> Mighty Monkey <http://abhijitnavale.blogspot.com/>  |
> Ubuntu<http://www.ubuntu.com/> |  Free
> Softwares <http://www.fsf.org/>
> 
> Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication - Leonardo Da Vinci.

> -- 
> ubuntu-in mailing list
> ubuntu-in at lists.ubuntu.com
> https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-in


-- 
Regards,
Nitesh Mistry | www.mistrynitesh.com
PGP key id: A6FEF696 | 'geekosopher' on freenode irc
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