[plug] [link] a lawyer Switches

[Peter J. Nicol]

>  By that understanding, all my linux samba only clients should get their
>  mail servers, ftp servers, x-server, nis, and iptables setup, even
>  though they paid for a machine running samba only... "The
>  functionality's there but you disabled it - therefore I want it set up
>  now... And add a PPP connection while you're there!"

Are you selling computers or a service here?  I don't quite understand.

>  Hey, we can ask Intel to re-enable our Caches properly on our celeron
>  CPUs - they're really just P3's that are hobbled... Or my P3 600B that
>  should be a P3 800EB even...

Yeah.  I think that would be a great idea.  A classic case of artificial market
segmentation in order to increase profits.  They don't disable them to make the
celerons cheaper, they do it to distort the market so they can charge more for the
Pentiums.

It's like the region coding on DVD's.  It aint done for the consumers.  A good
thing it's probably illegal in Australia.

>  It's common business sense to manufacture as few disparate products as
>  required - and repurpose them to suit customers needs. It cuts down on
>  stocks (esp. at end of financial year) and makes sales so much easier.

Sure, and there is no argument.  Argument is about artificial restrictions that
you have to pay to remove, in order to get an 'upgrade'.  I don't think you
examples quite apply.  Is there anything stopping people upgrading the machines
you are talking about?