Windows XP should be the most common operating system used in India…  right ? .. but we never pay  for it ..  great !!

When I went to the laptop store of “X” brand, they said they will get pirated XP installed on it if I buy from there.  hmm pretty good offer ..  So that’s how things are. Most of us use pirated operating systems. We laugh at people if they say they paid for the operating system. But, we seldom opt for free softwares or operating systems. Paying for the OS while purchasing a laptop makes us feel bad .. ( I agree, most them offer windows vista with it, and its a pain …. )

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Imagine a vending machine, that gives you all types of free software and operating systems, straight on to a DVD !! The software vending machine ? Yes, a software vending machine, you heard it right. I got to watch this one on TV the other day. It’s pretty cool isn’t it ?

The news was on a Malayalam channel and I am sure we have it somewhere in Kerala. So, it should be in other cities too. Have you ever seen it ?  If you guys know about it, let me know, I need fedora core 8, the latest version. And of course, I would like to check out this cool software vending machine !! Check out their official website here

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I was wondering what will Google‘s response be, when it comes to the Yahoo! Microsoft deal. I came across this post which has some interesting points and it gives a clear idea about what Google’s concerns are, about this deal.

Could Microsoft now attempt to exert the same sort of inappropriate and illegal influence over the Internet that it did with the PC? While the Internet rewards competitive innovation, Microsoft has frequently sought to establish proprietary monopolies — and then leverage its dominance into new, adjacent markets.

Yes, that is a serious concern. Microsoft is always for copyrights, making the PC costly, making the computing itself costly.. and it kept it away from masses for a long time. Now, do you see low cost laptops entering market with Linux OS on it ? don’t you think it could have been much earlier, if Microsoft’s approach was different ?

Another question

Could the acquisition of Yahoo! allow Microsoft — despite its legacy of serious legal and regulatory offenses — to extend unfair practices from browsers and operating systems to the Internet? In addition, Microsoft plus Yahoo! equals an overwhelming share of instant messaging and web email accounts. And between them, the two companies operate the two most heavily trafficked portals on the Internet. Could a combination of the two take advantage of a PC software monopoly to unfairly limit the ability of consumers to freely access competitors’ email, IM, and web-based services? Policymakers around the world need to ask these questions — and consumers deserve satisfying answers. Continue reading →