"Alias" wrote in message
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Eric wrote:
"Gordon" wrote in message
...
"Eric" wrote in message
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I hear the price of a German car is higher in the US than in Germany.
What's up with that?
So don't buy a German car. there's plenty of other choices. Microsoft's
actions over the last 15 years have ensured there IS no other choice for
the vast majority of people - it's called "monopoly".....

There are other choices.
You don't have to buy Vista.

Don't worry, I won't until it has at least SP2, if then.

I won't either, unless it comes with a new PC, whenever I can afford one.
I'm still running WinME at home.


You can buy a Mac,

Cost prohibitive, especially when you already have a decent computer.

Not an issue, if you're discussing the price of OEM Vista (only supposed to
be sold with a new PC), and if as they say Macs can now run practically any
software that is written for the PC.


or a PC with an old OS or none at all.

How does one run a PC with "none at all"?

You install your own ie Linux.


You can still run Windows 95/98/ME/2K/XP.

I do run XP.

Is that because you don't see a need to upgrade to Vista right away, or
because you're too busy crying about the cost of it?


You can run Linux.

I run that too.

Then Vista cost is not an issue.


You can write your own OS. (I bet it will take more than 200 pounds worth
of your time)

Now you're being silly.

Hey, that's what Bill Gates did so many years ago. It is possible, but most
people don't want to go to that trouble, so they pay Microsoft whatever they
ask.
It's the same reason most people don't even consider Linux, too much trouble
to learn how to set it up, when the MS OS is all set up for them.


How many more options do you need?

Again,
did you factor in shipping costs?

Negligible as they are pressed in Ireland.

OEM Version? Are they shipping the software with the hardware? Is the
hardware vendor in the UK? It would be even more if they ship the OS from
Ireland to the US and back to the UK.


did you figure in the expense amount of legislation against MS in
Europe?

Not applicable.

I hear MS was having antitrust problems in Europe. I don't know if laws or
lawsuits over there would affect their prices just for over there, didn't
bother to ask MS, just speculating why they might be doubled.


would you complain if they simply didn't bother to convert ($99 vs 99
pounds), if the dollar value was equal to or greater than a pound?

With Bush's fiscal and warring policies, that will never happen.

Who said anything about Bush? The USD used to be worth more than the pound.
Bush will be out of office in 2 years. The UK likes war too. Bush and his
Congress have the budget back on track. They've cut the deficit in half,
and plan to eliminate it by 2010.


would it help if you just go convert some of your pounds into dollars
before trying to buy it?

What and pay the currency conversion on top of the high price for Vista?

No, and pay currency conversion instead of the high price of Vista. Does
that require a trip to the US? I'd bet the $100USD extra you're paying for
Vista is less than a round trip to come to the US and get a copy.


do your internet purchases have to be in pounds?

Yes, they do. The major companies like MS, Adobe, etc., now configure
their web sites to know where you are from and will not let you buy
anything in dollars unless, of course, you're in the USA.

Alias


Can you buy it from the US in USD and ship it to the UK? Can someone in the
UK get a US address (PO Box), or do they check your location by your IP?
Maybe just make a friend in the US and have them buy it for you, or sign up
for an exchange program.

Is this high priced UK version the same as the US version?
Where do you get that pound symbol? Do they have different keyboards, or is
there a special program or key combination/function for that?