Could someone please explain why Vista ultimate is apparently worth more
than 40% more in Australia than in the USA.

Example
Vista Ultimate Amazon.com $US 379 ($AU 478.54)
City Software citysoftware.com.au ($AU 688.01)

Come on Microsoft. You claim that the WOW starts now. Perhaps you
could explain the WOW in that price variance. 40% variation between
countries that both speak English is not reasonable. But please for use
ignorant Aussies please say something other than blame exchange rates
and try and blame us because you run a huge office in Sydney that really
has very little to do with the price of manufacturing a product which
always comes in a box from Singapore.

Matt

"Unicorn" <someone@somewhere.net> wrote in message
news:%23zDm$7aWHHA.4720@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
> Could someone please explain why Vista ultimate is apparently worth more
> than 40% more in Australia than in the USA.
>
> Example
> Vista Ultimate Amazon.com $US 379 ($AU 478.54)
> City Software citysoftware.com.au ($AU 688.01)
>
> Come on Microsoft. You claim that the WOW starts now. Perhaps you could
> explain the WOW in that price variance. 40% variation between countries
> that both speak English is not reasonable. But please for use ignorant
> Aussies please say something other than blame exchange rates and try and
> blame us because you run a huge office in Sydney that really has very
> little to do with the price of manufacturing a product which always comes
> in a box from Singapore.
>
> Matt

It's nothing personal mate, it's just how Microsoft pays for all their
anti-trust legal entanglements

"Unicorn" <someone@somewhere.net> wrote in message
news:%23zDm$7aWHHA.4720@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
> Could someone please explain why Vista ultimate is apparently worth more
> than 40% more in Australia than in the USA.
>
> Example
> Vista Ultimate Amazon.com $US 379 ($AU 478.54)
> City Software citysoftware.com.au ($AU 688.01)
>
> Come on Microsoft. You claim that the WOW starts now. Perhaps you could
> explain the WOW in that price variance. 40% variation between countries
> that both speak English is not reasonable. But please for use ignorant
> Aussies please say something other than blame exchange rates and try and
> blame us because you run a huge office in Sydney that really has very
> little to do with the price of manufacturing a product which always comes
> in a box from Singapore.
>
> Matt

The economics are more complex then just looking at the US price and doing a
conversion at the current exchange rate into your currency. (for example
look at your job and then find the identical one in the US - that person
doing it is probably paid less then you.)
If you want to go down this route then pretty much any consumer good from
jeans to Pepsi is cheaper in the US then in Europe, UK, Australia etc.
This discussion has been done to death in this group - please just read all
the other responses.
If you do not like your local store pricing buy elsewhere - the internet
gives you the power to buy where ever you want.

--
Mike Brannigan

The US price does NOT include Federal or State taxes.. is that true of the
Australian price?


"Unicorn" <someone@somewhere.net> wrote in message
news:%23zDm$7aWHHA.4720@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
> Could someone please explain why Vista ultimate is apparently worth more
> than 40% more in Australia than in the USA.
>
> Example
> Vista Ultimate Amazon.com $US 379 ($AU 478.54)
> City Software citysoftware.com.au ($AU 688.01)
>
> Come on Microsoft. You claim that the WOW starts now. Perhaps you could
> explain the WOW in that price variance. 40% variation between countries
> that both speak English is not reasonable. But please for use ignorant
> Aussies please say something other than blame exchange rates and try and
> blame us because you run a huge office in Sydney that really has very
> little to do with the price of manufacturing a product which always comes
> in a box from Singapore.
>
> Matt

--


Mike Hall
MS MVP Windows Shell/User
http://msmvps.com/blogs/mikehall/

Mike Hall - MS MVP Windows Shell/User wrote:
> The US price does NOT include Federal or State taxes.. is that true of
> the Australian price?
>
Now there is a possibility.... a big one. What are the US taxes like?
Whilst I am whining, I really do want to understand.

US taxes vary from around 4% up to maybe 9%, and some states also administer
a 'state' tax too.. here in Canada, taking into account the exchange rate
and Provincial taxes of anything between 8 and 17% makes Vista an expensive
proposition much as in other countries..


"Unicorn" <someone@somewhere.net> wrote in message
news:eo2NUqbWHHA.192@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
> Mike Hall - MS MVP Windows Shell/User wrote:
>> The US price does NOT include Federal or State taxes.. is that true of
>> the Australian price?
>>
> Now there is a possibility.... a big one. What are the US taxes like?
> Whilst I am whining, I really do want to understand.

--


Mike Hall
MS MVP Windows Shell/User
http://msmvps.com/blogs/mikehall/

Mike Hall - MS MVP Windows Shell/User wrote:
> US taxes vary from around 4% up to maybe 9%, and some states also
> administer a 'state' tax too.. here in Canada, taking into account the
> exchange rate and Provincial taxes of anything between 8 and 17% makes
> Vista an expensive proposition much as in other countries..
>

Thanks for that Mike.... It partially explains the difference.

Now if I could only order my copy from Amazon. But it would appear that
it is only available for US delivery

Perhaps Mr Brannigan would like to explain that his assumption "the
internet gives you the power to buy where ever you want" as this is
clearly NOT the case.

Matt

Mike Hall - MS MVP Windows Shell/User wrote:
> US taxes vary from around 4% up to maybe 9%, and some states also
> administer a 'state' tax too.. here in Canada, taking into account the
> exchange rate and Provincial taxes of anything between 8 and 17% makes
> Vista an expensive proposition much as in other countries..

Um, the USA has no federal sales tax or VAT and state retail taxes vary
from zero in Texas to 7% in California, none of which explain why Vista
is SO much more expensive in Europe than in the USA. The explanation is
greed and the assumption that the paying customer is stupid. And it
isn't just MS that does it. Check the prices of a Mini Mac in the USA
and then check it in Europe.

Alias
>
>
> "Unicorn" <someone@somewhere.net> wrote in message
> news:eo2NUqbWHHA.192@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>> Mike Hall - MS MVP Windows Shell/User wrote:
>>> The US price does NOT include Federal or State taxes.. is that true
>>> of the Australian price?
>>>
>> Now there is a possibility.... a big one. What are the US taxes like?
>> Whilst I am whining, I really do want to understand.
>

Unicorn wrote:
> Mike Hall - MS MVP Windows Shell/User wrote:
>> US taxes vary from around 4% up to maybe 9%, and some states also
>> administer a 'state' tax too.. here in Canada, taking into account the
>> exchange rate and Provincial taxes of anything between 8 and 17% makes
>> Vista an expensive proposition much as in other countries..
>>
>
> Thanks for that Mike.... It partially explains the difference.
>
> Now if I could only order my copy from Amazon. But it would appear that
> it is only available for US delivery
>
> Perhaps Mr Brannigan would like to explain that his assumption "the
> internet gives you the power to buy where ever you want" as this is
> clearly NOT the case.
>
> Matt

I had a friend in the USA buy me a copy of XP Pro from NewEgg. Including
the shipping, it came out cheaper for me that way.

Alias

"Unicorn" <someone@somewhere.net> wrote in message
news:uPTOWKcWHHA.1200@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
> Mike Hall - MS MVP Windows Shell/User wrote:
>> US taxes vary from around 4% up to maybe 9%, and some states also
>> administer a 'state' tax too.. here in Canada, taking into account the
>> exchange rate and Provincial taxes of anything between 8 and 17% makes
>> Vista an expensive proposition much as in other countries..
>>
>
> Thanks for that Mike.... It partially explains the difference.
>
> Now if I could only order my copy from Amazon. But it would appear that
> it is only available for US delivery
>
> Perhaps Mr Brannigan would like to explain that his assumption "the
> internet gives you the power to buy where ever you want" as this is
> clearly NOT the case.
>
> Matt

There are more places to buy online then Amazon.
After about 10 mins I located a number of US and other companies in other
locations that would sell Vista AND ship internationally.


One of the best prices was Vista Ultimate OEM at $195 USD with shipping to
UK for example (since there is a lot of heat about UK pricing in here) of
$11 USD
So total price including insurance to UK was $207 USD = £105 UK

Same site shipping to Australia again approx $11 USD for the slowest method
and upwards for more
total again $207 USD which I believe is about 260 AUS

Other sites in the US -- Ultimate OEM for $206 USD intl shipping on request
and so on.
Just shop around
--
Mike Brannigan