You're an idiot. The MS 'TCO' metric includes development and support costs for servers, Not recreational computer use. You actually spend less time supporting an Ubuntu Linux desktop than you do a Windows desktop for several reasons.
1. Little to no viruses on Linux (you can argue about why but it hardly changes that fact that there are very very few)
2. If you have to reinstall for any reason you don't have to get permission or jump through hoops.
3. Your computer will never decide that you are a pirate for updating your hardware causing more hoop jumping.
4. Updating of ALL programs is automatic, with no restart required.
That's hardly 'cheap' My web server cost less than that to make... But I guess People who will pay for Apple hardware are also willing to pay for MS software? Strange how that works.
I don't think the government would start on this if it didn't think it would get any thing out of it. You ever think that by shooting for Pluto we might get to Mars? Nay-sayers never go any where...
Think of this as the Christopher Columbus of physics.
The essential problem is that when you buy a Mac you are buying hardware AND their OS. When you buy a PC you are buying a computing platform from one company and getting your software from another. Why should you have to be subservient to your software when you PC is capable of doing better things?
I haven't used Vista (and I won't) but if the claim is that you can turn off this MS search thing I suppose my above statements don't apply. But I bet you can't uninstall the MS live search thingy, which is just as bad as not being able to uninstall Explorer in Win 95.
"With all the new multitouch capable monitors coming out, which one is the best? With the release of Windows 7 I really want a touchscreen monitor for my desktop. I'm looking to get a Full HD monitor that supports multitouch and can still look great during gaming and movies. Which one has the best specs for the price?"
The most commented posts on Engadget over the past 24 hours.
Now that we've thrown 'em off the trail, use the form below to get in touch with the people at Engadget. Please fill in all of the required fields because they're required.
This holds more appeal for me:
http://www.openmoko.org/