Subject: Re: Another: can't *not* buy Win95 on Dell or Gateway
Ted Kircher (kircher@realtime.com)
Date: Mon, 04 May 1998 07:13:18
Message-Id: <3.0.5.16.19980503141414.1b07104c@realtime.com> Date: Mon, 04 May 1998 07:13:18 To: roundtable@cni.org From: Ted Kircher <kircher@realtime.com> Subject: Re: Another: can't *not* buy Win95 on Dell or Gateway In-Reply-To: <354C9223.F0FB9C0B@cptech.org>
On 5/3/98, James Love <love@cptech.org> wrote:
>
> This is another "can't not buy Win 95" when buy a computer from Dell or
> Gateway.
>
> ---------------
>
> Subject: Microsoft Windows Puzzler
> Date: Sun, 3 May 1998 08:51:18 -0400
> From: "Sharp, Larry D." <ldsharp@mwbb.com>
> To: "'at-members@abanet.org'" <at-members@abanet.org>
>
> I'd like some insights on how market forces produce the following
> situation.
>
> I am in the market for a computer. I upgraded my old 486 to run Windows
> 95, and bought Windows 95 for it, but the old machine is dying. I need a
> replacement. The old machine will be taken out of service.
>
> I have decided I would like a Dell or a Gateway. When I price them
> online, I find I can upgrade, downgrade, or eliminate various components
> to match my needs. I can even decide to take no monitor at all, and try
> to stretch a little more life out of the one I have now.
>
> One thing I know I don't need is another CD with Windows 95 on it. But
> when I try to eliminate that, I find that I can't. To buy one of those
> computers, I must buy a copy of Windows 95 that I do not need.
>
> Why are these manufacturers willing to let me customize or even
> eliminate other parts of the packages they sell, but not willing to let
> me take a pass on the Windows 95? If they are paying $40 for each copy
> they throw into a box with a computer (am I wrong when I recall that
> Microsoft has given up per-processor fees?), why do they not let me
> save a bit, and them make a bit, by offering me a less-than-$40
> deduction for excluding Windows 95 from my purchase package?
The reason for this is probably not because of a Microsoft 'monopoly',
but because a system manufacturer doesn't want to warrent their product
w/o some operating system running on it which they use to test the
system prior to shipment. The fact that Dell or Gateway probably only
support Windows 95 (OS/2?) is a secondary factor.
I recently brought a system from a 'hole in the wall' store - in which
there are many in Austin (and I am sure elsewhere), and they asked for
my Windows' registration number which they used to load and test Windows
95 on this new system. I doubt if large telemarketing companies like
Dell and Gateway would offer this personalized service.
With all due respect to Larry Sharp, he does not appear to be a leading
edge type (just/finally upgrading from a 486), hence I recommend he find
a 'hole in the wall' store and ask them to do what I did.
Btw, my new system included a AMD 233MHz, 32 MB, 2.1GB, 56Mb modem, 32X
CD-ROM, keyboard, mouse, video and 16b sound (on mother board),
mini-tower for $450. Dell/Gateway/... don't get close to this price as
they are optimized for businesses (multiple systems and a wide range of
configurations, ..). A local 'hole in the wall' store (that has been in
business for over a year) will result in the best buy (even better than
Best Buy, Circuit City, ...) especially for someone who knows how to do
most upgrades (which are fairly simple).
PS: I am not for giving Microsoft free-rein, and I have recommended
positive (hopefully constructive) steps in the past on this listserv
rather than simply criticize them - which I believe will either lead
to nothing being done or worst yet something bad for the computer
industry/U.S. economy.
Ted Kircher
Information Age Consulting ("Exploiting Technology for Society")
6618 Lost Horizon Drive, Austin, TX 78759-6117, USA, 512-335-1149
<kircher@realtime.com>
This archive was generated by hypermail 2a16 : Tue Mar 23 1999 - 03:33:24 EST