Author: JT Smith
Kelly McNeill of OSOpinion writes “It goes without saying that many of us would be thrilled to receive a little break on our income taxes, as the newly elected U.S. president promised. However, President Bush never seems to talk about the other kind of taxation, specifically the so-called “Microsoft tax.” While it has been officially outlawed by the infamous consent decree of 1995, it is still next to impossible to buy an x86-based personal computer without some variety of Windows.
Obviously, with Linux gaining momentum in recent years, it has become a lot easier to get a Windows alternative preinstalled on systems supplied by major manufacturers. However, out of the top five PC makers in the U.S., which together control about two thirds of all the domestic shipments, only two offer such an option for non-server configurations.”
