Comments on: Everyone wants 'free' Windows...

Microsoft is the main target as entertainment media and software piracy tops $90 million worldwide, according to a consultancy.

[William Squire]

Demand for Windows

The Demand for Windows is still high. Even with "free" alternatives available world-wide, consumer demand continues to support a black-market for Microsoft software.

http://www.inaniloquent.com/PermaLink.aspx?guid=a26a584d-14a3-45a8-8d21-c4786adb8332

This is news?

Of course Windows is the most-pirated software.
Heck, even many people with licenses to use
Windows are counted among the pirates.

MS probably would have let Windows be free if
they could develop another money-maker --
something innovative. Right now they loose money
on everything but Office and the OS, so giving
the OS away would really dampen things (too bad
to, the market's shifting to operating systems
as commodity items).

For general use, Windows might not be
appropriate, but it's still the platform of
choice for video gaming, identity theft, and
virus development and distribution. If you're
into any of those, Windows is the only way to go
right now. Considering how popular those
activies are, is it any wonder it's the OS
choice for scofflaws and ne'er-do-wells?

[unknown unknown]

Reason not to buy Vista(Formerly Longhorn)

http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/archives/003806.php#003806

Microsoft, in it's efforts to prevent priacy are slowly taking control of the user's PC away from it's rightful and is instead give that control to it's self and certain copyright interest (RIAA and MPAA).