[Am-info] 'I've started wondering if Gartner aren't shills for MickySoft!

[Roy Bixler]

On Mon, Sep 08, 2003 at 01:11:03AM -0400, Fred A. Miller wrote:
> "Singapore: Microsoft Windows' market share in Thailand has sunk to an 
> all-time low. Linux, on the other hand, has risen on the crest of a 
> popularity wave. But before you think the underdog is finally having 
> its day, hear what Gartner has to say. 
> 
> A report it released on Aug 18 said that much of Linux's success in 
> Thailand is due to its use as a cover for software piracy. 
>  
> "Gartner believes that most of the Linux shipments will eventually have 
> illegal copies of Windows installed-a fact that makes Linux's seeming 
> dominance of this market somewhat misleading," the report stated."
> 
> http://www.asiacomputerweekly.com/acw_ViewArt.cfm?Magid=1&Artid=21152&Catid=2&subcat=20

That seemed like a pretty fair article although I'm not convinced that
Gartner is impartial or that their 90% piracy rate figure is reliable.
I'm suspicious because they closely mimic Microsoft's rhetoric that
"allowing sales of naked PCs leads to software piracy."  This
conveniently gives Microsoft an excuse to make contractual
requirements that PC vendors must install an operating system, which
is very likely to be a Microsoft operating system, on each PC sold.

Thailand, along with other Asian countries, has historically had a
high rate of piracy because legitimately licenced software is too
expensive relative to the people's incomes.  It gets interesting
because Microsoft has recently lowered Windows and Office prices to
$36 in Thailand.  Does a 90% piracy rate still seem like a credible
number then?

R.