The corruption in this industry is rampant and it’s time for intervention.

BTW, a spokesperson for Asus Germany told a reader of an EEE PC blog via email that Asus Germany is forbidden by a marketing agreement to sell Linux machines cheaper than Windows equipped machines so you can not get the same model with Windows or Linux – because then, the kick back trick would be transparent to the competition authorities ….

With Acer, there seems no such deal in place, so you can choose the same model with Win XP or Linux, and getting the Linux version for the well known 30 Euros less…. which is the current Windows tax here in Euroland.

In the US, MS obviously does not dare to do this – otherwise they would also bribe Dell the same way, which they are not doing, me thinks, when I see the last Dell Linux offers.

Regarding Microsoft’s bottom line, they are close to debt (maybe they are already in it).

I dont know why you did not moderate my last comment, but again in brief:

MS is paying per-license marketing subventions that make manufacturers use Windows – as they essentialy get payed from MS for every Windows license they sell.

MS charges them lets say 19 USD per Windows XP Home license and pays them about 30 bucks per sold machine with Windows via a marketing contract. In essence, they they to crush competition via kick-backs.

Bad thing for MS and shareholders: Even MS will run out of money one. day….

Microsoft is throwing away a lot of revenue just to choke GNU/Linux and pressure OEMs not to offer a foothold to better operating systems.

“They [Microsoft] have the deepest of pockets, unlimited ambition, and they are willing to lose money for years and years just to make sure that you don’t make any money, either.”

–Robert X. Cringely