Dell’s Ubuntu Boxes Shed Light On The Windows Tax

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Not only has Vista not fueled a boom in PC sales, but as computer prices have come down, there's been a lot of talk about the "Windows tax", the growing share of a computer's cost that just goes to Microsoft. As the Windows tax has grown, there's been a rise in crapware (to help offset the tax) and interest in Windows alternatives, like desktop Linux. This week Dell announced details of its desktop Linux plan, including the price at which it would sell computers with a preinstalled version of Ubuntu Linux. As it turns out, computers loaded with Ubuntu will be about $50 cheaper than a Windows computer with the same hardware configuration, which is probably in the ballpark of what Dell pays Microsoft for a copy of Windows. As for whether a $50 Windows tax will push consumers to seek alternatives, it probably depends on other factors. On higher-end machines, it's unlikely that this would affect which operating system a consumer wants. But at the low end, it could be enough to get people interested in other options.

(Via Techdirt.)

Senator Decides Maybe The FCC Should Be Required To More Accurately Count Broadband Users

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For years and years, plenty of people (including the Government Accountability Office) have been pointing out why the FCC's numbers on broadband penetration are wildly misleading. Remember, they simply count by zip code. That is, if a single house has connectivity from a single provider in that zip code, the FCC says that provider can reach every house in that zip code. That's obviously not true at all. Yet the FCC keeps using that data, no matter how many times they're told its wrong. Now, Senator Daniel Inouye is proposing new rules that would require the FCC count things a bit more accurately. First, it would ask the GAO to come up with its own metrics that don't just look at "broadband" but also consider cost and capability in determining what's really available. Then, it would look to redefine broadband based on different speed levels, rather than just consider anything over 200k as broadband. Finally, it would push for classifications based not on the 5 digit zip code, but the 9 digit zip codes which further segment regions. It would certainly be a step in the right direction, though still not perfect. Meanwhile, the group The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation has put out its own recommendations that sound quite similar to the Senator's, with one addition: setting up a user-generated mapping tool. The idea would be to set up a broadband speed test offer (similar to what Broadband Reports offers today), and then use location information to get a pretty detailed picture of what kinds of broadband speeds are available where. This seems like such a sensible approach to the issue that we're almost positive it'll never be implemented.

(Via Techdirt.)

Specter: Gonzales Will Likely Resign Before No Confidence Vote

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Last week, Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Charles Schumer (D-NY) called on the Senate to hold a no-confidence vote on Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.


The White House and its conservative allies quickly derided the vote, calling it “nothing more than a meaningless political act.” This morning on Fox News Sunday, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) called it a “gotcha game.”


But on CBS’s Face the Nation, Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) underlined the importance and seriousness of the vote, calling it a “rare” and “very forceful, historical statement.” He predicted that “before the vote is taken that Attorney General Gonzales may step down.” Watch it:



Screenshot


At least six Senate Republicans have now called on Gonzales to resign. Specter said he believes support for the no confidence vote is “very substantial,” and that if Gonzales “sees that coming, that he would prefer to avoid that kind of an historical black mark.”


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Transcript: (more…)

(Via Think Progress.)