Wow... check out the prices the Vista beta's getting on eBay...

Un-effin'-believable!

Some dude paid $124.50 for the Vista Beta on DVD. A couple of others paid
$99. Plenty of sales in the $50 range.

I wish there was a flag that could be set in this NG that indicated some
idiot, er, excuse me, some guy with money to burn, paid $100 for the Vista
beta...

Understand that just cause the sale completed at that price doesn't mean the
seller got paid, but, whoa, too many bids at those, what I consider to be
stratospheric prices, for every sale to be bogus. Unless there's a Mac Nut
conspiracy happening... ;-D

<shaking head>

Woe is the world when folks are willing to pay in the $100 range for beta
software. MS could make a killing by selling the beta to the unwashed and
unread (is that a word?) at $29.99 per pop. Whatever...

Crazy...

Lang

That goes to show that at both ends of the spectrum there are incredibly
brilliant and consumately stupid people. I'd like to fix whatever has moved
them to pay $125 for a Vista Beta DVD but I think it would be a compelling
psychiatric component that would be overriding anything to do with software
or hdw.

This adds fuel to my pipe dream of requiring a license before a computer
could be turned on.

CH

"Lang Murphy" <langmurf@bellsouth.net> wrote in message
news:90EB9946-5E54-4A2C-8FC8-5847B49BB279@microsoft.com...

> Un-effin'-believable!
>
> Some dude paid $124.50 for the Vista Beta on DVD. A couple of others paid
> $99. Plenty of sales in the $50 range.
>
> I wish there was a flag that could be set in this NG that indicated some
> idiot, er, excuse me, some guy with money to burn, paid $100 for the Vista
> beta...
>
> Understand that just cause the sale completed at that price doesn't mean
> the seller got paid, but, whoa, too many bids at those, what I consider to
> be stratospheric prices, for every sale to be bogus. Unless there's a Mac
> Nut conspiracy happening... ;-D
>
> <shaking head>
>
> Woe is the world when folks are willing to pay in the $100 range for beta
> software. MS could make a killing by selling the beta to the unwashed and
> unread (is that a word?) at $29.99 per pop. Whatever...
>
> Crazy...
>
> Lang

In europe there is ECDL, European Computer Driving Liscence.

This works a bit.... but computers will become such a part of our lives that
you will have to learn how to use them... all schoolwork will be done via
computers,
the kids will learn and the older will have to re-educate themselves if they
want to keep up.

Now if only we had a good OS... like Vista was supposed to be!

"Chad Harris" <HQ@MSFTtindenialovervistamess.com> wrote in message
news:eWnktV4uGHA.4460@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

> That goes to show that at both ends of the spectrum there are incredibly
> brilliant and consumately stupid people. I'd like to fix whatever has
> moved them to pay $125 for a Vista Beta DVD but I think it would be a
> compelling psychiatric component that would be overriding anything to do
> with software or hdw.
>
> This adds fuel to my pipe dream of requiring a license before a computer
> could be turned on.
>
> CH
>
> "Lang Murphy" <langmurf@bellsouth.net> wrote in message
> news:90EB9946-5E54-4A2C-8FC8-5847B49BB279@microsoft.com...

>
>

John Jay Smith wrote:

> In europe there is ECDL, European Computer Driving Liscence.
>
> This works a bit.... but computers will become such a part of our lives that
> you will have to learn how to use them... all schoolwork will be done via
> computers,
> the kids will learn and the older will have to re-educate themselves if they
> want to keep up.
>
> Now if only we had a good OS... like Vista was supposed to be!

A major problem is the high price of Windows + Office especially for the
public sector which is close to being bankrupt, all funds going to
social security, health, and Israel and Iraq and Afghanistan...

rOy

Its is left for the individual to peruse his own prosperity...
and perhaps he can bring more people with him to the same result.



"rOy cOOrne" <roy.spam.coorne@gmx.net> wrote in message
news:uF4J8Q7uGHA.1956@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

> John Jay Smith wrote:

>
> A major problem is the high price of Windows + Office especially for the
> public sector which is close to being bankrupt, all funds going to social
> security, health, and Israel and Iraq and Afghanistan...
>
> rOy

Back before 5384, I had fun. Anytime a idiot would put vista up on ebay, I'd
report them to MS and eBay.... How can people (buyers) not know, that that is
illegal?

"Lang Murphy" wrote:

> Un-effin'-believable!
>
> Some dude paid $124.50 for the Vista Beta on DVD. A couple of others paid
> $99. Plenty of sales in the $50 range.
>
> I wish there was a flag that could be set in this NG that indicated some
> idiot, er, excuse me, some guy with money to burn, paid $100 for the Vista
> beta...
>
> Understand that just cause the sale completed at that price doesn't mean the
> seller got paid, but, whoa, too many bids at those, what I consider to be
> stratospheric prices, for every sale to be bogus. Unless there's a Mac Nut
> conspiracy happening... ;-D
>
> <shaking head>
>
> Woe is the world when folks are willing to pay in the $100 range for beta
> software. MS could make a killing by selling the beta to the unwashed and
> unread (is that a word?) at $29.99 per pop. Whatever...
>
> Crazy...
>
> Lang
> D

They know. They don't care.

"M@dhat3rr" <Mdhat3rr@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:CEBB9FB3-5A44-438D-A43B-D1F15EAD83CF@microsoft.com...

> Back before 5384, I had fun. Anytime a idiot would put vista up on ebay,
> I'd
> report them to MS and eBay.... How can people (buyers) not know, that that
> is
> illegal?
>
> "Lang Murphy" wrote:
>

Nancy Anderson, Deputy General Counsel at MSFT who has piracy as one of her
duties, is probably not using her legal staff and tools to go after Joe
Blow 6 pack on Ebay, but rather to people who pirate in considerable volume.
They've been known to have private eyes in European countries wait in cars
trying to catch larger pirates, but that's a finger in a very very large
space in the dike that an 18 wheeler and one of Paul Allan's 3 yachts or
multiple Gulf Streams could sail or fly through.

CH

"M@dhat3rr" <Mdhat3rr@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:CEBB9FB3-5A44-438D-A43B-D1F15EAD83CF@microsoft.com...

> Back before 5384, I had fun. Anytime a idiot would put vista up on ebay,
> I'd
> report them to MS and eBay.... How can people (buyers) not know, that that
> is
> illegal?
>
> "Lang Murphy" wrote:
>

A lot of funds are going to the pimps on K street, the whores in Congress
and the Johns who are major corporations outsourcing to other countries.
That's why you're subsidizing major airlines like Delta who went broke--so
you're paying premium prices fo their seats in the next couple months and
you're paying the pension programs they went bust on courtesy of your
congress people.

Part of why they went broke was oil and oil dependancey and gee I wonder how
SUVs in the garage of every federal building and every driveway could
possibly relate to oil dependance--hmmm--hand on chin slapping forehead
would there, could there be a relationship--what in the world could Tom
Friedman from the NY Times possibly be thinking about oil dependance?

Watch the current series of indictments of Congress that will unfold as
Vista marches toward RTM. It's the reason Bob Ney dropped out of the
Congressional race in Ohio before the 21st so they could still have another
candidate and not get into the situation that Texas got it with the clown
Delay. Abramoff and Randy Cunningham, their snitching and Randy's tapes
will leave a wide trail of political corpses.

Those SUV trucks are a marvelous help to America. They kill 1000 people per
year because of the height of the front end. They have a 16% higher
fatality and C-Spine fracture rate in single SUV accidents than any other
vehicle. They do an unparalleled job of funding terrorists at both ends,
and they are the major reason the US is in an unprecedented death producing
fiasco in Iraq where inevitable withdrawal is going to be unbelievably
deadly and messy.

Stay the course there is like saying "my accelerator got stuck, I ran down
my garage, I can't wait to try it again tomorrow."

CH

GM keeps the gas flowing and U.S. soldiers in danger
By Thomas L. Friedman

Friday June 2, 2006 (The Same day MSFT met with the DOJ in Washington about
turning over their customer information secretly to DOJ along with any MSN
searches for years) Gotta love that WGA phoning home but you can remove
the component that phones home or anything they ever spyware in like it.

Is there a company more dangerous to America's future than General Motors?
Surely, the sooner this company gets taken over by Toyota, the better off
our country will be.
Why? Like a crack dealer looking to keep his addicts on a tight leash,
GM announced its "fuel price protection program" on May 23. If you live in
Florida or California and buy certain GM vehicles by July 5, the company
will guarantee you gasoline at a cap price of $1.99 a gallon for one year -
with no limit on mileage. Guzzle away.
As the Associated Press explained the program, each month for one
year, GM will give customers who buy these cars "a credit on a prepaid card
based on their estimated fuel usage. Fuel usage will be calculated by the
miles they drive, as recorded by OnStar, and the vehicle's fuel economy
rating. GM will credit drivers the difference between the average price per
gallon in their state and the $1.99 cap." Consumers won't get any credits if
gas prices fall below $1.99.
"This program gives consumers an opportunity to experience the highly
fuel-efficient vehicles GM has to offer in the midsize segment," Dave
Borchelt, GM's southeast general manager, said in the company's official
statement. Oh, really?
Eligible vehicles in California include the 2006 and 2007 Chevrolet
Tahoe and Suburban (half-ton models only), Impala and Monte Carlo sedans,
GMC Yukon and Yukon XL SUVs (half-ton models only), Hummer H2 and H3 SUVs,
the Cadillac SRX SUV, and the Pontiac Grand Prix and Buick Lucerne sedans.
Eligible vehicles in Florida include the 2006 and 2007 Chevrolet Impala and
Monte Carlo, Pontiac Grand Prix and Buick LaCrosse.
Let's see, the 6,400-pound Hummer H2 averages around nine miles per
gallon. It really is great that GM is giving more Americans the opportunity
to experience nine-miles-per-gallon driving. And the hulking Chevy Suburban
gets around 15 miles per gallon. It will be wonderful if more Americans can
experience that, too - with GM-subsidized gas.
Our military is in a war on terrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan with an
enemy who is fueled by our gasoline purchases. So we are financing both
sides in the war on terror. And what are we doing about that? Not only is GM
subsidizing its gas-guzzlers, but not a single member of Congress, liberal
or conservative, will stand up and demand what most of them know: that we
must have some kind of gasoline tax to compel Americans to buy more
fuel-efficient vehicles and to compel Detroit to make them.
Where are the presidential aspirants on this issue? I have yet to hear
John McCain, Mitt Romney, George Allen, Al Gore or Hillary Clinton support
at least a $3.50 floor price for gasoline, so that it will never fall below
that level and the alternatives can really flower and spread.
But if you go to GM's Web site, you will see an ad with a young
African-American boy saluting an American flag, above the following offer
for U.S. military personnel: "In appreciation of your commitment to our
country, GM extends a $500 exclusive offer to active duty military and
reserves when you purchase or lease select 2005, 2006 or 2007 GM cars,
trucks and SUVs - just show your military ID!"
That's really touching. First GM offers a gasoline subsidy so more
Americans can get hooked on nine-mile-per-gallon Hummers, and then it offers
a discount to the soldiers who have to protect the oil lines to keep GM's
gas guzzlers guzzling. Here's a rule of thumb: The more Hummers we have on
the road in America, the more military Humvees we will need in the Middle
East.
You want to do something patriotic, GM, Ford and Daimler-Chrysler? Why
don't you stop using your diminishing pools of cash to buy votes so Congress
will never impose improved mileage standards? That kind of strategy is why
Toyota today is worth $198.9 billion and GM $15.8 billion. GM is worth just
slightly more than Harley-Davidson, the motorcycle company ($13.6 billion).
President Bush remarked the other day how agonizingly tough it is for
a president to send young Americans to war. Yet, he's ready to do that, but
he's not ready to look Detroit or Congress in the eye and demand that we put
in place the fuel-efficiency legislation that will weaken the forces of
theocracy and autocracy that are killing our soldiers in Iraq and
Afghanistan - because it might cost Republicans votes or campaign
contributions.
This whole thing is a travesty. We can't keep asking young Americans
to make the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq and Afghanistan if we as a society
are not ready to make even the most minimal sacrifice to help them.



"rOy cOOrne" <roy.spam.coorne@gmx.net> wrote in message
news:uF4J8Q7uGHA.1956@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

> John Jay Smith wrote:

>
> A major problem is the high price of Windows + Office especially for the
> public sector which is close to being bankrupt, all funds going to social
> security, health, and Israel and Iraq and Afghanistan...
>
> rOy

Whoops it's Paul Allen.

CH

"Chad Harris" <HQ@MSFTtindenialovervistamess.com> wrote in message
news:OvxZWg8uGHA.4384@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

> Nancy Anderson, Deputy General Counsel at MSFT who has piracy as one of
> her duties, is probably not using her legal staff and tools to go after
> Joe Blow 6 pack on Ebay, but rather to people who pirate in considerable
> volume. They've been known to have private eyes in European countries wait
> in cars trying to catch larger pirates, but that's a finger in a very
> very large space in the dike that an 18 wheeler and one of Paul Allan's 3
> yachts or multiple Gulf Streams could sail or fly through.
>
> CH
>
> "M@dhat3rr" <Mdhat3rr@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:CEBB9FB3-5A44-438D-A43B-D1F15EAD83CF@microsoft.com...

>
>