> > I guess their giveaway program is now officially over  ;-)

Interesting observation.  Can you imagine?  At the *EXACT* moment
in time when M$ feels they have a lock, and become cocky enough
to start demanding license documentation from, let's say, oh, I
dunno, the DOJ, is the SAME moment that Free software becomes
grandma-ready.

I'm not sure about M$' marketing tactics, but with computer
manufacturers, M$' tactic of "you have to pay for a Windows license
for each computer you sell even if you install OS/2, Linux, or
nothing at all" sure seems to have worked extremely well!


D

-- 
Prop-o-si-tion:  pro      - gimme your
                 position - power, money, rights, property, ...


* On Mon, Nov 06, 2000 at 09:04:31PM -0700, Jim wrote:
> One thing no one can deny is the success MS has been in marketing both a
> concept (computers that are easy for anyone to use) and the products (Win,
> Ofdfice, etc.) to addict the consumers.  IMHO, they could have been a highly
> successful and well-respected company if they hadnt let greed get in their way.
> 
> I admire people who convince others that they are selling something that you
> cant do without.  But, by comparison, when the crack dealer wants to make more
> money from me and from more and more of my friends, they let their own greed
> take control of their marketing.  When MS crossed that line, they became a
> dealer.  They became addicted to my wallet after they addicted me to their
> software.  Fortunately I found a recovery program - Linux and Open Source
> software.  I cant say that my addiction is totally cured (I still dual-boot to
> W98), but I am well on the way to a complete and total recovery.
> 
> On Mon, 06 Nov 2000, you wrote:
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: plug-discuss-admin@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us
> > > [mailto:plug-discuss-admin@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us]On Behalf Of Jim
> > > Sent: Monday, November 06, 2000 7:55 PM
> > > To: plug-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us
> > > Subject: Re: BSA ads
> > >
> > >
> > > I stand corected - no one ever 'owns' a MS product that they
> > > purchased here in
> > > the US.  MS 'licenses' the priveledge to use the software that it markets
> > > (note: markets - MS is a vendor of computer software and that has no
> > > implication of how they came to acquire the priviledge of being
> > > in a position
> > > to market it).  However, MS believes it is well within their
> > > endless corporate
> > > power to force customers to prove that the customer has obtained
> > > the proper
> > > licenses to use the products that it markets to them.
> > >
> > > Personally, I am happy to see MS trying to enforce its marketing
> > > license.  Can
> > > anyone think of a better way to stir the braindead governmental
> > > and corporate
> > > licensees?  The more MS exhibits its power, the more people will think.
> > > When people think, they realize that being held hostage by a software
> > > marketer is not in their own best interest.
> > >
> > > --
> > sounds kind of like the candyman now wants you to pay him for the candy that
> > you are now addicted to because heretofore, you have been getting it bundled
> > in the computers for next to nothing. Not ready for Office 2000 yet? No
> > problem because Microsoft.Net is on the way! Gee...let's go with ASP. But
> > hey, Internet Explorer is free.
> > 
> > ;-)
> > 
> > America, ya gotta love it. If your commodity is heroin, you can do serious
> > jail time but if your commodity is a license to use (but never own) a word
> > processing program, a spreadsheet program, an OS, etc... you get big
> > dividends.
> > 
> > I guess their giveaway program is now officially over  ;-)
> > 
> > Craig
> > 
> > 
> > ________________________________________________
> > See http://PLUG.phoenix.az.us/navigator-mail.shtml if your mail doesn't post to the list quickly and you use Netscape to write mail.
> > 
> > Plug-discuss mailing list  -  Plug-discuss@lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us
> > http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss
> -- 
> 
> Jim
> 
> Always practice safe HEX