[LINK] vista critique

[Bernard Robertson-Dunn]

Jan Whitaker wrote:
> A case of unexpected consequences?
> http://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~pgut001/pubs/vista_cost.txt

I'm still trying to make sense of Microsoft/IDC's claim that Vista is 
worth $40bn to EC economies.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/09/14/microsoft_eu_idc/
Published Thursday 14th September 2006 18:32 GMT

<quote>
Microsoft is touting the contribution of Windows Vista to EC economics 
in its latest attempt to persuade regulators to go easy on the operating 
system.

A report by tech analyst firm IDC, sponsored by Microsoft, estimates 
that Windows Vista will drive $40bn in economic activity and create 
100,000 new jobs in six European countries next year when it supposedly 
ships. Vista will be installed on 30 million PCs in Denmark, France, 
Germany, Poland, Spain and the UK in its first year.
</quote>

Isn't all this activity just around upgrading an operating system? 
Nothing of any use or value is created - just economic activity.

I suppose it gets back to a discussion we had on link many years ago 
about the way the the UN measures economic benefit as any activity - 
including oil spills, nuclear accidents, earthquakes, tsunamis etc.

-- 

Regards
brd

Bernard Robertson-Dunn
Sydney Australia
brd at iimetro.com.au