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Bring it on! Oh, please, Brer Trey, don't throw me in the discount patch!

Story: Linux desktop under attack, on the marchTotal Replies: 1
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AnonymousCoward

Feb 09, 2005
2:52 PM EST 		I'd really like to see Microsoft:

  • starve itself of cash; and
  • signal to all of their customers that haggling over price is now worthwhile; and
  • incite many more people to seek and "try out" Linux and other alternatives as bargaining chips, which in some cases will mutate into a serious tryout when they realise just how good FOSS is, which again will sometimes translate into wins for Linux/*BSD and sometimes mean that they use OpenOffice, Firefox and Evolution instead of the corresponding closed apps - or maybe Lotus Office, Opera and Eudora, who knows?; and
  • annoy lots of customers by not giving them what they see as a steep enough discount, thus teeing them up to try FOSS out before the next round of haggling
    • So, yes! By all means bring it on! Jump in with both feet! Discount yourself silly! Be my beau gueste! Let the festivities begin! (-:
    peragrin

    Feb 09, 2005
    3:28 PM EST     		Actually giving steep discounts to alternatives has a second problem. If another group of similar size sees one price, and they don't get that low price or lower, you get problems.

    Discounts only work when used in small amounts. when people know you give them out regularly they come to expect the lower price.

    After that somebody is going to want to feel special and demand an even lower price.

    now your stuck, sales will fall because you need to make payroll. (this may take a while with MSFT)

    Which comes first MSFT refusing to lower prices, or more defections.

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