castanyes blaves

The first time I buy a complete desktop computer that is cheaper than MS Windows + Office XP

I recently been ditched by a close family member who took an old desktop computer my parents used for the domestic accountability. That meant I had to find a cheap desktop computer that my mother could use for simple spreadsheet+internet use.

I looked for it at the usual places in Barcelona, and bought the cheapest brand-new desktop computer available: 390 euros (100 screen + 290 CPU+kb+mouse)

So my mother, knowing my phylosophical reasons to use only Open Source, took good care to told me:

Don't erase "ecsel" on the new computer: that is the only thing I need it for

Bear in mind that she doesn't know the difference between "ecsel" and "spreadsheet application".

I told here that a computer with MS Excel would be much expensive, and here I explain the reason.

Here, in Spain, is not unusual for the computer shops to stash the hardware they sell with all sort of pirated comercial apps. Usually MS Windows + MS Office is supposed to be included, but obviously, is usually either included in the price or a pirate version.

But in Barcelona, the shops now have a different market strategy:

Let's the neighbour's son* do the pirating, so we don't waste our time and concentrate in assembling more computers in less time

*the neighbour's son is a Spanish colloquial expressions for those who help you occasionally with their expertise, for free.

So the thing is that the shops may sell cheaper hardware and the neighbour's son does the pirating.

But also means that a 390 euros computer is just that, _the_ computer.

And also means that one _should_ go to the shop to buy WinXP and OfficeXP, which are charged slightly more than 390 euros. That, or infringe the law, bearing a patched eye, a hawk and a parrot in your shoulder...

But in 2004, the Open Source is really an option. So, after *clicky-click*-installing the whole Fedora Core 2 DVD, I actually have a desktop computer whose hardware is cheaper than the software I should have had to buy.

If only in Igualada you could have the option of buying the computer without pirate software... but that's a different story.

posted by avilella  # 4:01 PM