Interesting responses. First, no I do not have any "smoking gun" evidence since I have neither worked for a software company who paid to have its programs included with new computers, nor have I worked for a computer manufacturer who took a payment to included another company's programs on its new computers. However, logically, my statement makes sense. Why else would HP want to pay for back-up software when Windows has had its own back-up procedures built-in. Also, why would HP want to have people trained to support this "add-on" software. Aside from the logic of this statement, all you really need to do is a little googling and you will find dozens of freeware programs on the net which will help you get rid of all the unnecessary software, and most of them explain that companies pay to have their software included. Even Wikipedia says "Often new computers come with pre-installed software which the manufacturer was paid to include but is of dubious value to the purchaser." See:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pre-installed_software So it would appear that all the circumstantial evidence is in my favor. What evidence do you have that a computer manufacture would pay for add-on software? Oh, BTW, as far as being in a "third world country" (as stated by the gentleman from Houston), Indianapolis is a fine city, as is Houston. I know because I have visited Houston many times, since it is the home of the NASA's Johnson Space Center. Indiana also has many qualities. I recall one of my professors at Purdue University overheard me telling another student that more astronauts came from Purdue than any other school. The professor interrupted, "Every man that ever walked on the moon, went to Purdue! Beat that!". -Phil K.
Your logic is very sound, however, according to the latest Form 10K for Sonic (SNIC), filed in June, 2009, it states:
"The Company’s OEM customers include Roxio software as a value-added offering for
their customers and often pay the Company a royalty on each copy of the software
shipped with their products. Typically the royalty paid is only a
small fraction of the retail price for the Company’s software. The
Company enters into bundling arrangements because they generate revenue for the
Company as well as create a large installed base of customers to whom it can
sell upgraded, enhanced or different versions of its products"
It would appear that in Sonic's (Roxio's parent company) case it is "often" paid a small fee by the computer manufacturer for the OEM software.
Edit:
I read more of Form 10 K and found the following in a table in the "Significant Customer Information" section. For the Fiscal Year 2009 ended March 31, 2009, HP represented 11% in "Percentage of Total Net Revenue" (2% in "Pecentage of Total Accounts Receivable"). So it does appear HP pays Sonic for the OEM software.
Edited by who are you, 14 October 2009 - 05:24 AM.
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