[Am-info] An excerpt from an email sent by Dell to all of its customers:

[Mitch Stone]

Be that as it may, the OEM in this instance is Microtel, not Wal-Mart. We 
can already see that Microsoft's license with Microtel prohibits them from 
offering the same box both with and without Windows. I'm wondering if 
their contract with Dell isn't very similar, and only looks different 
because Dell allows customers to configure their boxes and Microtel does 
not.

I've come to believe that at least one of the bottom lines for Microsoft 
is keeping the actual cost of the OS from the ultimate consumer.

Mitch

On Tuesday, August 13, 2002, at 11:39 AM, Erick Andrews wrote:

> On Tue, 13 Aug 2002 07:58:08 -0700, Mitch Stone wrote:
>
>> Wal-Mart doesn't make these computers, they just sell them on their web
>> site. The OEM is Microtel.
>>
> [...]
>
> Yep, I knew that.  Then again, I'd wager that some
> big companies who sell PCs farm them out, or the
> major assemblies, to someone else through a big
> "purchase spec", although the Wal-Mart/Microtel
> arrangement may be different as OEM/retailer
> compared to, say, Dell.
>
> For instance, if you were to go to Sears and buy
> a Maytag washer, it will be to Sears' specification
> and not exactly the same Maytag you would buy from
> the usual appliance shop.  I know because I went
> through exactly this recently.  Maytag didn't even
> have the model number I wrote down from a visit
> to Sears and I was told via Maytag's toll-free number
> that all support, repair, parts and warranty were
> exclusively through Sears.  (In practice, I don't know
> how much the content may differ -- at least the model
> number tag at the top of the machine does -- but the
> paperwork and contracts certainly do and that's the
> "choke point").
>
> So, what might be an interesting thought experiment,
> if a similar situation exists between Wal-Mart and
> Microtel (that Microtel sells an exclusive line of PCs
> to Wal-Mart), Wal-Mart could be (legally?) immune
> from Microsoft pressure.   Of course, I doubt that
> Wal-Mart ships the volumes that Dell, Gateway, Compaq,
> or IBM do, either, which would further distance them
> from discount licensing pressure.
>
> --
> Erick Andrews
>
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