Microsoft is threatened by LindowsOS and has quietly instituted an initiative to attempt to undercut Lindows.com in key accounts in order to block our growth. Here's how it works. Microsoft sales representatives have been instructed to be on the lookout for businesses or OEMs (computer manufacturers) who are migrating some of their machines to LindowsOS. If they believe there's a credible threat for a substantial installation of LindowsOS computers, they can request authorization to offer radically lower prices in an attempt to stem the adoption of LindowsOS. The discounts are not a measly 2% or 5% but substantially greater -- potentially more than 50% off previous pricing levels. These are massive price cuts rarely, if ever, seen before for Microsoft products.

The program goes under such cleverly disguised names as "competitive pricing" and "marketing development funds". To qualify, businesses have to have an installation of LindowsOS machines and/or sign-up for the LindowsOS builder program (www.lindows.com/builders) and convince the Microsoft sales representative that your business is placing an even larger order of LindowsOS products. Armed with this information, it's possible to negotiate radical discounts on Microsoft products.

Some may wonder how Microsoft can offer competitive pricing given the Judge's anti-trust ruling restricting them from offering preferential pricing terms to OEMs due to illegal pricing policies of the past. The ruling only pertained to the top 20 OEMs, not to other manufacturers. This means that the thousands of small to medium size OEMs can obtain sweetheart pricing while Microsoft's larger customers, theoretically, cannot receive these major discounts since the ruling requires Microsoft to give the same terms to their top 20 customers. (But those top 20 accounts can easily circumvent this barrier by using a subsidiary to demand the competitive pricing terms.)

Aggressive pricing competition is normally a good sign that capitalism and the free market are working. Unfortunately, Microsoft has the ability to use the billions of dollars they've taken from consumers and businesses with their illegal monopoly to fend off new competitors, like Lindows.com, making it tough for new companies to gain momentum. For computer manufacturers, we're confident that our no-hassle, automated, online licensing program to ship an unlimited number of computers for just $500 a month (with no additional fees) will be enticing. And, hopefully, the newly-released LindowsOS 3.0 with its one-click software installation Click-N-Run (www.lindows.com/warehouse) service will attract customers who want an affordable product that for $99 fulfills all their basic software needs - including working with Microsoft formatted documents.

LindowsOS 3.0 Membership Edition Now Available

Our goal at Lindows.com is to bring "choice" back to the desktop computer. Our belief is that if given a choice many of you will choose the affordable LindowsOS product line-up which costs a fraction of Microsoft products. If your choice is to continue to use Microsoft products, we hope you are able to negotiate a better price than in the past and for goodness' sake, make sure you keep your virus software up to date! :^)