12.05.08
Video and Reader’s Take: OEMs + Microsoft Against the Consumer
MARCEL has unleashed another good show and this time around he mentions this post of ours. One needs to remember that our news is the evidence, not the claim.
On this issue of false recommendations, a lot more has been said in other Web sites and forums now that evidence exists. A complaint to the ASA might be filed.
“With money tight this year it would be an enormously popular way of promoting FOSS.”OEMs’ reluctance to offer real choice also made the headlines recently due to a notable refund. A reader of ours wrote about this subject last night: “A few days ago, as seen by the subject line, I sent a question to Slashdot about how to get a Windows-refund under the new circumstances. Earlier it was about documenting refusal to accept the OEM license while never even once booting the machine into the pre-installed OS (there are probably many more that did not publish and others that are quiet because they knuckled under and signed an NDA about it).
“However, nowadays OEMs seem to have taken to firing up the machine in advance and booting the system to eliminate that possibility. They accept the licensing on your behalf and have the system running.
“Skipping the problem of Microsoft influence over Slashdot, how can one go about getting a refund? With money tight this year it would be an enormously popular way of promoting FOSS.
“Slashdot did have an article yesterday on the topic, but it is basically devoid of details regarding the method.” █
Highlight: Novell was the first to acknowledge that Microsoft FUD tactics had substance. Novell then used anti-Linux FUD to market itself. 
Highlight: Xandros let Microsoft make patent claims and brag about (paid-for) OOXML support. 
Highlight: Linspire's CEO not only fell into Microsoft arms, but he also assisted the company's attack on GNU/Linux. 
Highlight: Microsoft craves pseudo (proprietary) standards and gets its way using proxies and influence which it buys. 
Highlight: The invasion into the open source world is intended to leave Linux companies neglected, due to financial incentives from Microsoft. 
Analysis: Xen, an open source hypervisor, possibly fell victim to Microsoft's aggressive (and stealthy) acquisition-by-proxy strategy.
Hampton said,
December 5, 2008 at 12:28 pm
Nice use of the video tag
Roy Schestowitz said,
December 5, 2008 at 12:42 pm
Thanks. One reader suggested that we do it to have Ogg actualise on the Web.