[Burned Phoenix]

Microsoft's determination to wrest control of netbooks from Linux has seen it drop the bulk price of Windows XP for the systems to under $15 per copy, according to a leak from an unnamed source. Although Microsoft has never publicly disclosed its pricing for netbook licenses, the Wall Street Journal now hears that a copy of XP Home for the budget portables is less than a third the price of a Windows Vista copy for a typical notebook, which costs the PC maker between $50 and $60 per copy in large batches. The price is well below the usual $30 asked for the Starter Edition of Windows, which is meant for PCs in the developing world.

Cutting the price of Windows for PC builders has been virtually necessary for Microsoft to maintain control of the low-cost computer market in the past 1.5 years. For the first few months after the original ASUS Eee PC launched in late 2007, Linux was the dominant operating system on netbooks as the usually free license let companies drop the price significantly lower than usual. Windows appeared quickly, but was often considered a premium option due to a relatively very high license cost.

Source: wsj and electronista

[AMIRZ]

Lovely OS for lovely price...

[Munkypoo7]

Thats all the OS is worth anyways, so wow they put a REALISTIC price on it... woohoo? >.>

[InlineSkate]

Anyone have parents working for a OEM? Id love to get one of these cheap OEM copies =P

Edit: I feel bad for Linux now this kind of kills their penetration dreams.

This post has been edited by InlineSkate: 20 April 2009 - 10:32 PM

[Secured Tim]

It's still $15 more expensive than Linux.

[InlineSkate]

Secured Tim, on Apr 20 2009, 11:20 PM, said:

It's still $15 more expensive than Linux.

Linux actually does the opposite when copies are ordered in bulk they charge like a $9 royalty.

[MistaBishi]

Poor Linux, why are Microsoft stopping Linux's chances of entering the computer market. Its not a very popular OS, but distributing it on Pre-Built PC's will help make it more popular. Come on MS, be fair.

[Lord Devrexster]

Linux users wont be using this. Most distro's these days offer much more than XP. XP is old (almost 9 yrs old - dinosaurs anyone ??). Very stable. But old.

So its not as if this will make linux users want this. New users tho maybe tempted to it (Windows afterall !! )

[Eye Pie Rate]

I would recommend Windows 7 NetBook edition on a high end NetBook.
On a lower end NetBook I would go for Ubuntu

This post has been edited by Eye Pie Rate: 21 April 2009 - 04:14 PM

[Afzal]

still expensive than ubuntu atleast

ubuntu CD comes free of charge

[AMIRZ]

Afzal, on Apr 22 2009, 01:23 AM, said:

still expensive than ubuntu atleast

ubuntu CD comes free of charge

Lol people can always get more free Xp and Vista from...(oops "censored" xD) nowadays hehe you know what i meant Bros Sorry just a joke here (but it's still a fact outthere, seriously hehe)...

Also it's still a very good deal to obtain a genuine/legal OEM copy for only $15 imo, yeah too bad it's only Xp Home Edition not pro nor MCE/Tablet, but yeah still worth anyway. Btw no need to care about MS stop selling Xp officially (except for netbook/dowgrade rights/some remaining stocks etc) bcoz we can and will always be able to get the OS in "other better ways" hehe (yes for free if we really wanted it as above)

[Abhi]

You guys do realize that OEM copies are *really* meant for OEMs, and there is no use installing them on non-OEM machines, since they are licensed only for that machine, right?

Getting it to work on a non-OEM machine would require a lot of *illegal* work, like extracting the CD image, editing settings and burning a new copy....just not worth the hassle IMO.

I don't know if you guys attend Microsoft events in your areas. Here we give away lot of freebies at events...I've given away so many XP SP2 (Student Kits) and Vista copies at student events, so that's the best way to get a genuine one, for free.

We all love free stuff....don't we???

[Syzygy]

You need to come to Australia.



And remember to bring some XP SP2's with you

[Afzal]

AMIRZ, on Apr 22 2009, 07:52 AM, said:

Afzal, on Apr 22 2009, 01:23 AM, said:

still expensive than ubuntu atleast

ubuntu CD comes free of charge

Lol people can always get more free Xp and Vista from...(oops "censored" xD) nowadays hehe you know what i meant Bros Sorry just a joke here (but it's still a fact outthere, seriously hehe)...

Also it's still a very good deal to obtain a genuine/legal OEM copy for only $15 imo, yeah too bad it's only Xp Home Edition not pro nor MCE/Tablet, but yeah still worth anyway. Btw no need to care about MS stop selling Xp officially (except for netbook/dowgrade rights/some remaining stocks etc) bcoz we can and will always be able to get the OS in "other better ways" hehe (yes for free if we really wanted it as above)

ahaha, i have to admit, i forgot that one (im being an ubuntu fanboy these days)

[Abhi]

Syzygy, on Apr 22 2009, 10:07 AM, said:

You need to come to Australia.



And remember to bring some XP SP2's with you

Sure I'd love to...lets see when I get a chance to.
BTW, you'd still want XP, not Windows 7?