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Chinese no OS ban may open way for Linux |
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by Stan Beer
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Monday, 17 April 2006 |
The Chinese Government ban on the sale of naked computers (computers without pre-installed software) may open the way for Linux distributions loaded with open source applications to increase its penetration of the massive Chinese market.
China is a country where software piracy is rife and the Government,
wishing to enhance its standing as a responsible trading nation, wants
to be seen to be proactive in helping to stamp it out. However, the
cost of pre-loaded Windows and Microsoft Office applications could more
than double the cost of low-end computer systems. On the other hand,
suppliers could download Linux distros for free or buy cheap supported
versions loaded with free open source applications, such as Open
Office.org.
The Chinese, which says that it will not buy naked computers, appears
to be a prime candidate for Linux suppliers and service providers like
Novell, Red Hat, IBM and HP to start the ball rolling from the top. For
Microsoft, the choice would seem to be to cut its prices to the bone or
risk being cut out of potentially the biggest market in the
world.{moscomment}
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