I find this move by Microsoft very interesting. This is why I don't think Microsoft should be punished for having a monopoly. They are scared to death of losing any more ground to Linux. But, when you overcharge for your product and have lousy customer service, someone will come in and undercut you, which Linux companies are doing. I think it has helped make Microsoft more responsive to customer needs. In the end, consumers get better service and cheaper products – and Microsoft gets lower margins.
In an industry like software that has low barriers to entry and constantly changing products, a monopoly won't be one forever.
