2.2 Microsoft the Monopolist

2.4 Practices II: DOS Shehanigans

Up until about six months ago, Microsoft gave extremely high quantity discounts to computer makers who would put DOS and Windows on every machine they sold, even if (say) OS/2 or Linux was going to be put on it. This made it easy to determine how many DOS licenses would be needed; just count the machines as they went out the door. However, it also gave dealers a hefty incentive not to load any other operating system on their machines.

Microsoft has supposedly discontinued this practice after a consent decree from the Justice Department, but I believe they still give significant quantity discounts. Same practice, different name?