Mobility Site Minute

Mobilitysite Contests

Mobility Site Videos

Mobilitysite Polls

Mobilitysite Reviews

Home » General

Is Microsoft Software Expensive?

Mar 9th

Posted by ctitanic

Share
Tagged: , in General
closeThis post was published 8 months 20 days ago which may make its actuality or expire date not be valid anymore. This site is not responsible for any misunderstanding.

This weekend I was reading a few comments at todoUMPC forum where somebody was criticizing Microsoft software pricing. The argument was something like “You can buy a laptop for 300 dollars but Microsoft OS will cost you around 200 dollars  and if you buy Office you will end paying around 400 dollars more, for a total of 600 dollars, twice what you have paid for your hardware”. Coincidentally, Paul Thurrott has posted a very good article about this same topic where he says that this argument is completely false because in reality the cost of such setup could cost you as little as 150 dollars and for sure never near 600 dollars.

You can read the whole article here. 

Post to Twitter Post to Yahoo Buzz Post to Delicious Post to Digg Post to Facebook

ctitanic (739 Posts) - Website | Twitter | Facebook

Working as IT Professional since 1994. IT Manager since 1999. Microsoft Most Valuable Professional in Tablet PC/UMPC since 2007. Owner/writer of www.ultramobilepc-tips.com . Published many articles in todoUMPC Magazine, www.todoUMPCmagazine.com, the first online magazine all about UMPCs. Maker of Tweaks2K2, a registry hacking tool for Pocket PC devices (www.tweaks2k2.com).

Related Posts

« A Few Diamond 2 cabs for your HTC Touch Diamond
Eye-Fi – Video and 4GB Bump Up… »

You can also participate in other conversation in our active forums with 200,000 other Members. It only takes 2 minutes to sign up one time for free in the forums.


  • CodeBubba
    Julie,

    I think people just associate the software costs with the hardware because they go together. (Guilt by association?).

    I have never seen anything that people regard as needing to be "free" more than I have software. "WHAT? I have to PAY for that application? I thought software was supposed to be FREE".

    Yeah, Buckwheat, and what would you say if I asked YOU to work for FREE? Guess it would be a different story then, eh?

    -CB ;-)
  • I don't understand why people think software costs have anything to with hardware costs. Microsoft software isn't cheap, but it is no more expensive than software created by other companies. You can also find promotions and stuff like that to bring the cost down. (When I purchased Office 2007, I did not pay the retail price for it).

    As far as windows mobile software goes, I'm very interested to see how the software is priced in Microsoft's Windows marketplace for mobile software...

    http://client.marketplace.windowsmobile.com/

    The Windows Mobile Marketplace might drive the cost down.
  • LOL Bubba. I love that.

    Another thing people forget is that hardware is a commodity by now. I can buy a DSL or cable modem for under $100, but can I get a year of service for less than $100? I wish. I can get my smart phone (unsubsidized) for $400, but I wish my calling plan with data cost less than that.

    I think people figure that it's so easy to copy software (like music) that it can't be worth much.

    My more immediate concern is why iPhone software (even the good stuff) rarely costs more than $10, while lots of Windows Mobile software costs well over $10.

    Part of it is probably because Apple only takes 30% commission, while places like Handango and PocketGear take 50-60%, but that doesn't explain it all.

    Steve
  • CodeBubba
    I sure do get tired of hearing all the whining. Software costs money to develop - LOTS of money. The same idiots that complain about spending a couple hundred for Windows (actually, I got Vista Home Premium for about $125 at OFFICE DEPOT last month) wouldn't blink an eye at spending a couple grand on "spinners" for their "pimped-out" Ford.

    Give me a break.

    -CB
blog comments powered by Disqus