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  From: Daniel Mundy <lists.linuxsa@mundy.ml1.net>
  To  : Michal Mienik <Michal.Mienik@stratco.com.au>
  Date: 03 Apr 2003 16:13:16 +0930

Re: [OT] It's all Official !

On Thu, 2003-04-03 at 10:22, Michal Mienik wrote:
> From: "Kim Hawtin" <kim@freesolutions.net>
> > Its funny you should mention that, MS is releasing updayted versions of
> > the xbox to close loopholes that enabled mod'ers to add modified bois's
> 
> Well, why shouldn't they?  Like Sony and Nintendo, MS sell hardware that is
> heavily subsidised by subsequent software sales.  Like Sony and Nintendo, MS
> is hostile to people undermining it's business model.  I don't like it
> either but understand MS's position as well.
> 
> If MS let unlicensed software slide by they are undermining their ability to
> force game makers to pay royalties to have rights to publish for the XBox.
> Nintendo and Sony do the same.
> 
> PCs are a different matter though, and I am wholly opposed to any
> restrictions there.

An XBox is really very similar to a PC. It is a piece of hardware that
runs software. Why do you think there should be any difference ethically
in what you are allowed to run on it?

And on the subsidisation issue, do you think the price of Windows would
be so affordable[1] if they didn't plan on being able to make most of
their money with Office and server products such as Exchange and MS SQL?

Yet we're not forced to use these (although they do try).

I wonder how many anti-trust lawsuits would pop up if Microsoft were to
say "you are only allowed to use Microsoft software in Windows".



[1] I still think it's criminal what they charge.

-- 
Daniel Mundy <mundy@ml1.net>
Linux Terminal Services Australia

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