Re: [Linux-aus] [link] Open source helps education effort in ThirdWorld

[Con Zymaris <conz@cyber.com.au>]

On Tue, Sep 16, 2003 at 10:18:06AM +0800, Leon Brooks wrote:
> On Tue, 16 Sep 2003 08:30, Con Zymaris wrote:
> > They couldn't take the risk
> > that 150 other countries would start demanding a 90% decrease in
> > licence costs too.
> 
> > No, this is not a serious option. They risk opening their own revenue
> > veins if the adopt this strategy, and fiscally bleeding to death.
> 
> We can only hope. (-:

hmm, I've read conflicting reports that Gartner's take on Microsoft
Thailand rolling out cheap XP/Office licences was incorrect.  Microsoft
seemed to start the process, then seemed to take a step back. Anyone have
a current status?

This would also make an excellent whitepaper, targeting politicians in 
numerous countries, with a way to reduce software licence costs for their 
citizens. 

Country: <Insert name here>

Step 1: Partner with a cheap PC maker and subsidize 1 million PCs
Step 2: Install Linux and OpenOffice.org on these PCs
Step 3: Deploy PCs under the guise of 'bridging the digital divide"
Step 4: Wait...
Step 5: Microsoft drops its prices by 90%
Step 6: Your country saves (tens, hundreds of) millions in import costs

-- 
_____________________________________________________________________________
Con Zymaris <conz@cyber.com.au> Level 4, 10 Queen St, Melbourne 03 9621 2377 
Cybersource: Unix/Linux, TCP/IP and Web App. Development  www.cyber.com.au