Foreign Policy’s Passport blog examines Microsoft in China for this week’s “Numbers.” Here is the argument boiled down, and see their post for sources and more good numbers:
| $295 | Price for a basic, legal copy of Microsoft Vista in China |
| $1.30 to $4.00 | Price of a pirated copy of Microsoft Vista on the street in China |
| 70 | Percentage of software on Chinese government computers that is pirated |
I don’t know how I would calculate this, but it looks to me that with a price difference from roughly $2 to $300, illegal would be more strongly incentivized that 70 percent! Apparently there is some factor of rule of law or fear of enforcement. What I’d like to see: percentage of computers owned by corporations.
UPDATE: Meanwhile: “In an effort to expand its global reach in computing, Microsoft plans to offer a stripped-down version of Windows, Office and other software for $3 to people in developing countries.”
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