Taiwan Forces MS To Cut Prices, Unbundle Software

bev_tech_rob writes "This article from ZDNet reports how Microsoft has agreed to cut prices on their software after a backlash from the country's effort to crack down on piracy. Seems the citizens were forced to obtain pirated copies due to the high cost and having to buy software they did not need to get the parts they DID need."

Re:didnt MS say that

[Tenebrious1]

breaking up windows would destroy the OS when the antitrust suit was on?

Their arguement was about taking IE out of Windows. The article talks about breaking up OfficeXP into individual packages, WordXP and ExcelXP, so you aren't forced to buy the entire Office suite.

Re:Visual Studio .NET

[(1337) God]

They do!

Before you pluck down a few hundred dollars for the latest edition of Visual Studio, please be sure to stop by your computer science faculty office and see if they have discounted Microsoft licensing deals.

My school has so many alumni working at Microsoft that anyone and everyone taking CS classes at the university can obtain Windows 2000 and Visual Studio .NET for free.

Join The (1337) Clan If You Have What It Takes! [slashdot.org]

Re:yeah, right

[Stonehand]

Bullshit. Taiwan's GDP per capita was approximately $17,200 in 2001. This is Taiwan we're talking about, not Mississippi.

Re:What?

[Fez]

I'll probably get modded down too, but Microsoft does provide a free .doc viewer, and viewers for other formats here [microsoft.com]

Of course that only works if the person is already running windows.

Re:What?

[fobbman]

Open Office for Windows reads .doc files just fine.

Re:Visual Studio .NET

[bm_luethke]

I have to disagree, come to Knoxville, Tennessee. We have a shortage of programmers. Go to smaller areas of Tennessee and you will find the same, most likely any of the millions of acres of realativly rural America also has this problem. You will make in the low 30's (average salary is about 16-18 so it's good money for here). Sure your not in the center of tech, you don't have a large city, and you will be surrounded by rednecks. But you will have a house, food, and a few toys (jetskis, cars, computers - you can afford some decent ones). Heck, you may find that you actually like living in slower rural areas.

More properly you can't find a job in the places you want to live - there are plenty if you are willing to go anywhere. Nor will you make "big bucks" - you will make more than a large portion of our population though.