> > >Microsoft is also giving away copies of windows NT with many of it's
> > >development packages such as Visual C++ Pro, Visual Basic Pro, J++ Pro,
> > >Interdev, and a couple of others. This might be part of the reason why
> > >MS is claiming that NT is selling so well.
> > Really? Some of my students have bought VB 5 Pro and don't say
> > anything about getting NT for free.
> > David.
> There was a sign up in the North Carolina State University
> Bookstore a few weeks ago.
> "Students get Windows NT Free!"
> Since I'm not a student I didn't check into the details.
> I do know that I purchased a high end PC this past year
> with a server type configuration and specified that I did not
> want any operating system installed on it. When it arrived and
> I turned it on it booted up WinNT. Of course I promptly reformatted
> the hard drive but I have to wonder if the manufacturer paid for
> a copy which is counted in those NT sales figures (and if I also
> paid for it even if it wasn't on the invoice)
> Emil
I doubt you paid for the copy if you specified that you did not want an
OS, but the manufacturer undoubtedly paid for this copy. Regardless,
this copy is of course included in NT sales figures (Either you or the
manufacturer paid for this copy of NT).
Counting sales is a business very often dependent on smoke and mirrors.
Magazine publications will often send free issues to non-subscribers in
order that their readership numbers look higher than they would
otherwise (to garner interest from advertisers interested in reaching as
many people as possible with their products).
The specifics of MS and their methods of inflating NT sales are
undoubtedly different, but of course such methods exist. To deny this is
to deny the greatest marketing machine of all time the attention and
accolades it deserves -- if nothing else, MS can peddle its products.
And sometimes this peddling requires a little a bit of creativity in
order that the numbers look higher than they would otherwise.
Other companies may try to attain MS's level of marketing expertise (IBM
included), but the master of the trade is without a doubt Microsoft.
We could for the sake of argument deny that MS would try to hype-up and
inflate its NT sales through such creative means, but we would find no
supporters of our argument in MS marketing circles, and would moreover
suffer from a mild case of naivete.
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