As businesses and consumers grapple with Microsoft's new operating system, Windows Vista, one question is increasingly being asked. Why is it so much more expensive to buy Vista in the UK than the US?
Anger over the issue has prompted an e-petition on a government website that acts as a forum for public petitions. In less than a day it had collected over 1,000 signatures with a regular stream of people signing up throughout Friday morning.
The petition is posted on the 10 Downing Street section of the government site and will be sent to the prime minister's office after it closes on 20 April. It calls on Tony Blair to put pressure on Microsoft, "to stop them overcharging the UK for its Vista operating system".
It points out the "huge difference in the price that people in the US and the UK are paying for Windows Vista", claiming that Vista Ultimate (the premium version) costs £350 in the UK but can be bought for £150 ($298) in the US.
It's not clear where these figures come from, as retail prices vary. For example, according to the recommended retail prices on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk, Vista Ultimate is pegged at $399.99 (£203) in America, and £369.99 in the UK.
For the purposes of the petition, the organisers have picked on the most extreme difference in price between Vista in the UK and in the US. Generally, many versions of Vista, which comes in multiple flavours, are nearly twice as expensive in the UK as they are in the US. But Vista Home Basic, the version for people who qualify for an upgrade to Vista, costs £99 in the UK and $159 (£81) in the US — a UK premium of almost 20 percent.
Talkback
I welcome the pricing structure as it will ensure that only the illegally forced tie in with oems are the sole sales of windows vista in the uk and will further the eu's investigation into the monopolistic practises of microsoft. This essentially means price fixing for EVERYONE.
I would like the petition to be a little more realistic and ask that the american govnt tells microsoft to charge americans the equivelent price in dollars that we are being asked to pay. That - and only that - will have any effect for the better in this instance.
Gelde.
Maybe they are trying to recoup their losses for anti-competetive,
and monopolistic behavior in the EU. Everyone knows they are not greedy.
The UK decided to levy hefty fines against Microsoft, Microsoft is simply trying to recoup their losses from unfair 1million dollar a day fines.
Stop being selfish; they can't have it both ways. They want low prices, AND to levy ridiculously unfair fines against Microsoft for everything they do.
Grow up, be glad Microsoft released ANYTHING to you whiners.
I don't know who 1000023152 is, but I'm guessing he's an American, so he's probably unaware that other countries can make laws that are different to those of the US. Therefore, if say, a UK court imposes a fine because a US company was abusing the rights of UK customers, that company can't go back and recoup money from those customers. If it does, we'll fine them again, and again, and again, if necessary, until they *do* comply. Geddit M$?
A company can charge whatever they like for any product they like. If you don't like the price on Vista, if you don't like the company that produces it, don't purchase the product.
Oh no, wait, you have to build your own machine to do that. And remind me, how do you build your own laptop again?
It's that sort of thinking that makes people throw planes at you. We don't have a choice, do we?
But you can't buy a PC from suppliers such as Dell/HP without Windoze due to, suprise suprise, the contract MS has with these suppliers. I would gladly not purchase Windoze, but unfortunately have to due to MS monopolising tactics. In fact, I've just thrown away 6 OEM licenses because we need Linux on these particular machines.
"A company can charge whatever they like for any product they like."
That is where you are completely wrong. There are laws about this, in particular where monopolies are concerned. Do a search for MS and EU and you'll see that MS has fallen foul before and is probably going to again.
UK prices are a joke - and not just with regards to this article on Windows Vista but with literally every other product and service. It's time people (in the UK) stand up!