Re: xxd -i vs DIY Was: C23 thoughts and opinions

On 30/05/2024 09:33, Michael S wrote:

On Thu, 30 May 2024 10:01:42 +0200
David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> wrote:
 

>
And no, companies like Intel or ASUS don't pay anything close to 75%
of the retail price for the Windows license they install.

 I don't know how much Intel or ASUS pays. I don't care about it.
What I do know and care about that for me, as a buyer, Intel or ASUS (I
actually like Gigabyte Brix better, but recently they become too
expensive) mini-PC with Win11 Home will cost $140 more than exactly the
same box without Windows.
That's if bought it in big or medium store.
In little 1-2-men shop I can get legal Windows license on similar box
for, may be, $50. But I don't know if it will be a round 11 months
later if something breaks.
Pay attention that even in little shop mini-PC with Windows on it will
cost me more than the same box without OS. I didn't try it, but would
guess that [in a little shop] box with Linux preinstalled would cost me
~$25 above box without OS, i.e. still cheaper than with Windows.

40 years ago, my company made 8-bit business computers (my job was designing the boards that went into them).
Adjusted for inflation, a floppy-based machine cost £4000, and one with a 10MB HDD cost £9400.
They came with our own clone of CP/M, to avoid paying licence fees for it.
Compared to that, the cost of hardware now with a 4-6 magnitude higher spec is peanuts, even with a premium for a pre-installed OS.
But suppose a high-spec machine now cost £1000; for someone using it daily in their job, who might be paid a salary of £50-£100K or more, it is again peanuts by comparison. Just their car to drive to work could cost 20 times as much.
One tankful of fuel might cost the same as one Windows licence!
I'm astonished that professionals here are quibbling over the minor extra margins needed to cover the cost of an important piece of software.
I guess the demand for a machine+Windows is high enough to get lower volume pricing, while machine-only or machine+Linux is more niche?