QUOTE
1) There will be no subsidies from McAfee, AOL et al.
Which will mean a lower-priced computer when you go through the entire buying process to purchase it.
Why?
On a Linux computer there will also be no need to buy - or maintain - anti-virus or anti-spyware software.
Nor will there be any need to buy firewall software - firewall software is generally included free in any Linux distribution.
Nor will there be any need to buy disk maintenance software. All you need is included - or easily downloadable, free - with most Linux distributions.
Nor will there be any need to buy any CD or DVD-burning software - it is all included free with most Linux distributions.
Nor will there be any need to buy Microsoft Office. OpenOffice.Org and /or AbiWord are generally included free on most Linux distributions.
Need photo-manipulation software? The GIMP is not Photoshop, but it will serve the needs of many - and did I mention that it is free?
It is. :-)
Skype is available on Linux, as well.
And there is lots of other free software available on Linux. Not all are as polished as Windows equivalents/replacements/analogues - but some are as good or even better:
http://www.linuxrsp.ru/win-lin-soft/table-eng.htmlQUOTE
2) There will be no Windows Rebate. If they did people would be able to work out how much MS charges Dell per license and that is part of a Non Disclosure Agreement.
That is one view - one view of many.
But I do not believe that this view is written in stone.
It is interesting to me that the majority of people who think themselves knowledgeable about the Windows/Dell non-disclosure agreements are people who (1) are not, themselves, attorneys, and (2) have never, themselves, ever read the Windows/Dell non-disclosure agreements.
The people who actually have read non-disclosure agreements typically are not allowed to disclose what they have read - such is the nature of non-disclosure agreements.
I.e. - the people who know ain't talkin'.
Which leaves the rest of us.
If Michael Dell charges a different fee for Non-Microsoft machines than he charges for hardware-identical Microsoft machines, he does not have to call the differential "the Windows tax." He can allude to the different support costs - or anything he likes.
Or he doesn't even have to say a word.
Whatever Michael Dell chooses to do - and he will clear it with his attorneys, first - we will know soon. Our speculation at this time may be amusing, but it is not going to affect what actually happens.
Patience.
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Subsidized software on Dell machines.
The typical Dell Microsoft machine comes with many of the following, many of which are trial "teasers":
QuickBooks Trial
NetZero Installers
Earthlink Setup Files
Corel Photo Album 6
Tiscali Internet
Wanadoo Europe Installer
Get High Speed Internet!
Internet Service Offers Launcher
Dell Search Assistant
Norton Ghost 10.0
Symantec Live Update
MS Plus Photo Story 2LE
MS Plus Digital Media Installer
McAffee
Norton Internet Security
Google Desktop
Google Toolbar
AOL US
AOL UK
MusicMatch Jukebox
MusicMatch Music Services
Wild Tangent Games
Norton AntiVirus 2005
Norton Security Center
Norton AntiSpam
PC-cillin Internet Security 12
Corel Snapfire Plus SE
Yahoo! Music Jukebox
Vongo
Office 2003 Trial Assistant
Norton Protection Center
HP Rhapsody
ESPN Motion
Run Registry Entries
Desktop Icons
Startup Menu Items
Reset IE Home and Search Pages
Corel WordPerfect
Roxio RecordNow
Sonic DLA
Sonic Update Manager
Sonic RecordNow Audio
Sonic RecordNow Copy
Roxio MyDVD LE
Microsoft Office Standard Edition 2003
Quicken 2006
Many of the above vie for your attention as you try to do your own computing on your own computer - the one you just bought - calling home for updates and such - reminding you to sign up for the pay version - etc.
I know. I bought Milady a Dell machine.
And I can tell you - it has gotten out of control.
It can take a skilled computer person - not Mr. and Mrs. average computer purchaser - an hour or three to remove these. And even a skilled computer person may not be able to root out all of it.
This subsidized software has inspired the creation of a new term - "crapware" - that pretty accurately, if a bit vulgarly, describes the stuff.
Do a web search of "Dell" and "crapware" and you will get over 300,000 hits.
Now, this stuff may not be all bad: one thought is that we have Dell crapware to thank for dual processor CPUs. I.e., Dell machines need two processors to function - one to do computing, one to handle all the crapware. ;-)
There is now even a (free!) program to deal with the removal of this stuff:
PC DecrapifierQUOTE
The PC Decrapifier is a program designed to remove or uninstall a specific list unwanted software in an unattended fashion. It can be used to clean off most of the annoying software that is typically shipped with newer PCs.
Michael Dell knows that this stuff is getting out of hand and is making his machines something of a laughingstock.
More importantly, he knows that people are not buying his machines.
His stock is down and things are not improving. He needs new business models.
This ain't altruism. It is survival.
He is now trying his hand at a lot of different things, trying to find some that might work.
Linux is one part - of many - in this process.
We'll just have to see how it goes.
Best regards,
Epaminondas
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From PC World, Monday, April 30, 2007:
Zap the Crap on a New Windows PC
