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    <title><![CDATA[Discussion on Is Windows getting more expensive? ]]></title>
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        <title><![CDATA[MS Greed]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-212794-3350806]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Every time MS puts out a new OS, they charge more, though they say that they don't.  They don't care about their customers, it takes forever to get any kind of help from them and when you do, it's always your fault or something wrong with your machine.  Not to mention, they want to charge you for tech support..more $$$$$ in their pockets...GREED.      I myself am using Linux, it free, open source and you can usually get help in a reasonable amount of time from the forums on any distro.  Linux doesn't charge for help, no license fees, and you can install it on as many machines as you want or on anyone elses machine for that matter and not worry about getting in trouble for distributing it (piracy).  MS has a vast monopoly on the driver industry for a lot of stuff + games....I think MS needs to go the way of the doedoe....they have enough money, let someone else take over and do a better job for us all.....that's my opinion   :-)-]]></description>
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        <dc:creator><![CDATA[andrew5859]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 30 Aug 2010 13:24:36 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[The buzz gets in our eyes]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-212794-3350372]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Every once in a while...For example I recently downloaded the Windows-live upgrades for my winXP (it's FREE!!!)... but then it struck me; WinXp works fine on my system - unless I let M$ load it up with superfluous apps and hypeware, then it no longer will. And, who would benefit from that, Microsoft of course, and the &quot;progress shouters&quot; that want me to buy a bigger processor too, and the bells and the whistles.I want a smaller processor, not bigger. And I want an OS that works well with that.So WinLive will be going to the bitsbin.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-212794-3350372]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[AnsuGisalas]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 30 Aug 2010 04:58:36 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[What new features?]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-212794-3350334]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[I'll admit lots of nice polish and snazz, but I don't see any truly new features. Win 7 is the first and only version of Windows so far to ship without an e-mail client. No DreamScene, or Windows Calendar and Remote Desktop is missing from Windows 7 Home Premium. It's a good OS, but it is expensive.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-212794-3350334]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[vsandor@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 30 Aug 2010 02:11:54 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[more features for the same price?....Please!!!!!]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-212794-3252524]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[It's more like more featurs for a higher price, and it keeps getting higher every time they produce a newer version...and on another level, they do have a monopoly.  True, there's Linux, Apple (Mac), but the thing is, is that all the PC games out there are geared and programed around Windows mostly....there's little programing or graphics geared toward Linux....and Linux is more secure, less likely to contract any kind of virus, and doesn't have the problem of file fragmentation or developing any kind of glitches...it's more stable..]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-212794-3252524]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[andrew5859]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 01 Mar 2010 18:18:11 -0800</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Yes they get a kick back for every copy of Windows sold and]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-212794-2190036]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[you've already paid for the copy that was on the machine to begin with, it's in the asking price, so you're now paying them to take away something you've already paid for. Ain't that a bummer.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-212794-2190036]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Deadly Ernest]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 12 Mar 2007 17:18:29 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[The base price in the US has stayed the same but...]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-212794-2189929]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[like you say, the value of the dollar has changed. The exchange of the US dollar versus the canadian dollar has become about the same and in that view the amount of profit for canadian sales makes profits higher too. There is one other thing that I forgot to add too. along with sales going up, which should have dropped prices, they have also changed to 1 operating system model sale from multiple ones. back in the 90s they had windows 9x and then windows NT. each had its own programming and its own core which meant that they had to test 2 operating systems for each release, but now there is just one core whihc means one OS to test.. just the version that you buy differs.. there is one thing that i sometimes wonder about though.. Does MS have an agreement with other manufacturers? Every time that there is an upgraded OS from MS lately there is a major problem with compatibility and requirements. I have a PC that is fully installed and only uses about 500 MB of RAM for regular use, but after a basic install of vista premium, with only drivers and avast installed, it requires about 1000 MB of ram to run.. and I have not even installed my printer, winamp, office program, or anything else that starts up with the PC, which is going to bring up the usage.. why such a dramatic increase in requirements? and lets not forget about all the hardware that worked fine on the previous version of windows but will not work on the newer versions. and it all started the dramatic change with XP.. i still think that there is probably some under the table or closed door agreement somewhere to force us to buy all this new stuff with each new version of windows... and in a way.. all these new purchases are all inpacted by the purchase of the new OS.. so in a way, it kinda does impact the price that you pay for the new OS.Just a thought..]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-212794-2189929]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Kaniki]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 12 Mar 2007 12:57:37 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Its THOSE FORCED sales]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-212794-2189617]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[I would like just once to be able to but a computer with NO O/S installed and install what I want for a system . . Instead of having to format the drive and wipe it then Install what I want for a O/S !   Ask Best Buy and Circut City they wanted paid to wipe the drive . . Does that mean they get paid to sell the crappy MS stuff ?]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-212794-2189617]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[jackie40d@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 12 Mar 2007 07:29:20 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[A lot of what you say is true, however, the basic price]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-212794-2189364]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[of windows has gone up. I don't know what the prices are like in the USA, but the relative value of the A$ against the US$ has strengthened since the days of Win 98, meaning we now get more US$ for our A$. Yet the price of Win 98 in A$ was only about 1/6 the price of Win Vista, and the CPI has NOT gone up by 600% in that time. Clearly the baseline price has gone up much more than CPI can account for. Yet I see no extra benefit in Vista over Win 98, a lot of fancy garbage that most people don't won't and will not use has been added to justify the higher prices.I think a telling point is the majority of Vista sales will be forced sales through inclusion with new systems due to kickback agreements with Dell, HP, etc.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-212794-2189364]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Deadly Ernest]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Sun, 11 Mar 2007 21:52:14 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Total profits]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-212794-2189335]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[The overally cost of windows for the basic version has stayed about the same but there are some factors that everyone seems to have forgotten. MS makes about the same off of the current version as they did when 98 came out but sales are very different. back in 98 most people only had 1 computer at most in their house and it was easy to know many people that did not even have a computer. These days it is hard to find households that do not have a computer and most have multiple computers at that. Even though the overall cost of windows has stayed the same, the sales have gone up multiple times which means that profits from each operating system has probably gone up something like 500% or more. and isnt the idea that as sales and profits go up that costs go down? if so then how come  even though sales and profits from windows has gone up, why has the price for windows not gone down? The only thing that I have seen is MS adding more features and raising the costs, which in turn, brings there profits up even more. The numbers speak for themselves.. the sales according to NPD.. &quot;the number of copies of Vista purchased was nearly 59 percent less than the number for its predecessor XP, looking at the first week of sales. Revenue was also down, but less dramatically, with the dollar value of first-week Vista sales off 32 percent from that seen with XP.&quot; That just proves that that their profits have gone up dramatically.. So when you factor in all the stuff like that, has the price of windows got more expensive??? in a word.. YES!!!]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-212794-2189335]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Kaniki]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Sun, 11 Mar 2007 19:10:08 -0700</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Total profits]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-212794-2189336]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[The overally cost of windows for the basic version has stayed about the same but there are some factors that everyone seems to have forgotten. MS makes about the same off of the current version as they did when 98 came out but sales are very different. back in 98 most people only had 1 computer at most in their house and it was easy to know many people that did not even have a computer. These days it is hard to find households that do not have a computer and most have multiple computers at that. Even though the overall cost of windows has stayed the same, the sales have gone up multiple times which means that profits from each operating system has probably gone up something like 500% or more. and isnt the idea that as sales and profits go up that costs go down? if so then how come  even though sales and profits from windows has gone up, why has the price for windows not gone down? The only thing that I have seen is MS adding more features and raising the costs, which in turn, brings there profits up even more. The numbers speak for themselves.. the sales according to NPD.. &quot;the number of copies of Vista purchased was nearly 59 percent less than the number for its predecessor XP, looking at the first week of sales. Revenue was also down, but less dramatically, with the dollar value of first-week Vista sales off 32 percent from that seen with XP.&quot; That just proves that that their profits have gone up dramatically.. So when you factor in all the stuff like that, has the price of windows got more expensive??? in a word.. YES!!!]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-212794-2189336]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Kaniki]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Sun, 11 Mar 2007 19:09:52 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[I never thought of that !]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-212794-2188854]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[ID THEFT thats right since people go on line and have their ID taken from some place . . Maybe could get a group to sue Bill Gates for that !  It was his system added to their computer and he said it was safe right !]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-212794-2188854]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[jackie40d@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Sat, 10 Mar 2007 12:24:24 -0800</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Yeah I keep hammering at people]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-212794-2188853]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Its why I left and went to Linux I can get the most expensive kind for under $100.00 and add Code Weavers to it and still pay less then any windows OS out there and still run windows stuff at Linux speeds ( aw and just have to drop this NO BLUE SCREENS OF DEATH  )]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-212794-2188853]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[jackie40d@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Sat, 10 Mar 2007 12:19:27 -0800</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Costs-Costs-and more Costs]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-212794-2188794]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[People should think of the more dire consequences of running an OS that resembles swiss cheese. Possible criminal charges or possible identity theft ..]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-212794-2188794]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[myg33ks@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Sat, 10 Mar 2007 08:43:33 -0800</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Windows Is A Rip-Off....]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-212794-2188755]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Think about this folks, How would you feel if the new car you just bought had to have the engine upgraded every 6-12 weeks (wether you liked it or not)?  And how would you feel if you found out in 3 or 4 years that the car manufacturer wasn't going to support your model anymore (wasn't gonna make replacement parts for it)? That's the Windows OS!!! That's also what is happening to users of the '98 on down Windows OS's. And that's why Bill Gates is a Multi-Billionair. My next computer is gonna be an Apple. I was gonna check out Vista UNTIL I found out it wouldn't support most of the software I run. So, I say YES...OVERLY expensive!!!]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-212794-2188755]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[timh111]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Sat, 10 Mar 2007 04:43:45 -0800</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Priceless]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-212794-2186180]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[All I can say is this:Microsoft Existing and New OP system$ +++++++++Hiring 4 more additional techs to handle the problems $ ++++++++++++++++++Paying additional money to the spa to work out the stress in your body after a long day of dealing with Microsofts new release - PRICELESSI've found they have come up with new marketing techniques to &quot;add&quot; if you will new things for you to incorporate into your system. However, what they fail to tell you is that the slightest miscalculation in preparing your system can cost you multitudes if you haven't backed up recently. Is it worth it in dollars - I think not.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-212794-2186180]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[mariereno1@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Tue, 06 Mar 2007 22:18:44 -0800</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Usually, I only worry about typos if one seems to change the context]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-212794-2183920]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[of the post or it's so bad that people won't realise the actual word. In effect if people can still get the intent of the post I don't worry.In one post I'd missed the 'im' from impossible and thus changed the entire point of the post, they're the ones I worry about.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-212794-2183920]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Deadly Ernest]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Sat, 03 Mar 2007 12:34:36 -0800</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Don't worry about typo's]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-212794-2183823]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[haha I made a MAJOR Error misspelled someones name ( was the domain name got a &quot;I&quot; and a &quot;E&quot; back wards ) Had to go back to the Server people and do an over lay ! So I got to pay for a second domain name out of my pocket !  . .  Ate up my profit margin . . Thats when you read the print more and double check it three times I think my fingers got to fast . Oh well such is life and you worry about typo's here ?  Why ?  hahaha this is a sorta blog thing of people throwing thing back and forth]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-212794-2183823]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[jackie40d@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Sat, 03 Mar 2007 06:34:42 -0800</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[See you should have been]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-212794-2183821]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[See you should have been one of US OS/2 People and your security issues would have been almost zero zip nada . . But IBM did not keep OS/2 progressing OS/2 had a small footprint and did a lot much better file system think it was called a High Preformance File System HPFS And it could run windows software for a while until M$ would not let IBM upgrade to run their stuff inside OS/2 . . Now I run a form of Lunix with Code Weavers to help those whom still run windows as their O/S . . And they have XP or Win 2 K Pro . . I am gradually moving lots of them to Linux 2007 ( has 6 CD's of stuff to add to the Hard drive ) with Code Weavers so they can run some of the windows stuff they like]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-212794-2183821]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[jackie40d@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Sat, 03 Mar 2007 06:24:41 -0800</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Most of the stuff which M$ is selling]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-212794-2183772]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[I owned OS/2 Warp version 4 LONG TIME Ago all of the stuff that M$ has now is a copy of OLD OS/2 stuff from IBM ! Except the security is a lot worse as OS/2 was used for banks for a long time as it had GOOD security but IBM did not upgrade the OS/2 and dropped support and left it out there to die which it did !  so you can blame IBM for not doing more to support its own system and beating M$ into the ground . . Se I was able to run windows junk inside OS/2 plus the IBM stuff ..Now I am running a form of Linux with Code Weavers So I can run some of the windows junk as the people I deal with want something done in some weird windows program !  Iamke and sell web sites plus take care of them I am at the point of where I am over my head in work and have other people wanting me to take care of there sites too plus the making and selling Custom made computers . . Lately since &quot;Vista&quot; came out I have been selling computers with Linux as the O/S hehehe Much more stable and I do not have to go out and fix the what ever it is they did to their computer in windows . . I also add Code Weavers to the Linux so they can run a lot of their favorite windows junk also . . Still a lot less than any Windows O/S for under $160.00 you can install the super best Linux and gobs of software and still add Code Weavers . . Beat that in a windows machine !]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-212794-2183772]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[jackie40d@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Sat, 03 Mar 2007 06:11:34 -0800</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Actually, MS Word and Excel took off very well before]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-212794-2183652]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[they budnled them together as Office. Because the cost of Word or Excell was about 5% to 15% of the competitors when they were first released, it took several years before the competition dropped down to match prices and, by then, MS had the market well saturated.Also, if memory serves me right (which it does on the odd occassion) the first to sell a bundled package of a word manipulation program with a spreadsheet program was Lotus. I do know that bundled Lotus packages were available for sale here in Aus before MS bundled Office together.MS's great contribution to modern software development, the 'swiss cheese bloatware method' of writing software.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-212794-2183652]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Deadly Ernest]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Fri, 02 Mar 2007 21:01:30 -0800</pubDate>
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