Microsoft has announced the pricing for its new Windows Vista operating system.
- Vista Home Basic – $199
- Vista Business – $299
- and the most expensive will be Vista Ultimate – $399.
If you are reading this in any developing country like India, China… the first thing that is obvious from the pricing is that apart from corporates, nobody in these countries will pay that kind of money.In an age when software users expect services to be free and yet good quality, it’s difficult to understand why Microsoft keeps Windows an expensive product. Gmail, OpenOffice, Gimp, Firefox, Linux, Solaris, Eclipse… the list of free yet high quality software is endless.
A pricey Windows however is great news for Linux. The only thing that can stop the Linux penguin is a cheap and powerful Windows. Fortunately for Linux, Microsoft has other ideas.
If Linux enthusiasts stop being fanatical and work at easing migration to Linux, I am sure Linux can take over desktops in the developing world. Getting Linux to work painlessly as a dual boot machine with Windows, is I think the first step towards triggering a mass migration. Linux should especially stop scaring migrants with disk partition talk and the possibility of loss of data.
PS- I use Ubuntu, arguably the best flavor of Linux for desktop machines.