Experts

The hall was half empty. The lack of windows and dim light brought a sense of discomfort. I wanted to open all the doors wide open in order to even hear the edge of the ear what is happening outside. The heavy burgundy curtain on the stage was pulled down. On it, a double-headed eagle was painted in gold and a subtle text framing the emblem around it.

Experts , huddling together in small groups, were quietly discussing something. The largest group gathered in the far corner. The president of Microsoft Rus LLC, standing in the midst of this crowd, told another story about the pressure of the European Commission on the corporation with the requirement to remove from the standard delivery paint, notebook and calculator. The crowd displeased gaggled.
The music started quietly. People reluctantly began to sit down in their places. The light finally went out. In the corner someone clapped his hands. People turned their heads puzzled, trying to peer into this eccentric. Loud, like a bolt from the blue, the voice from the speakers asked to put on the devices for translation and stereoscopic glasses, and also demanded to turn off the phones and players.
The curtain slowly began to open. In the corner again, someone clapped, but this time they grabbed him and simply clapping their hands very soon turned into a standing ovation with whistling and trampling with their feet. Behind the curtain opened a large stage, on which stood a stylized system unit, a tribune, with the inscription IBM. In the background was a wall that showed the logos of the sponsors of the event. The huge four-color logo of the Corporation occupied the middle of the wall, and all the other council members settled around it like satellites.
- Good day! Good day! - the Chairman of the Expert Council repeated his greeting, trying to calm the raging crowd. - As you know, today we are starting the work of the competition development committee in the field of information technologies.
- Hooray! Russian court is the most humane court in the world! - shouted someone from the crowd.
“Do not interfere,” the Chairman shouted to the crowd. - So, for a start, we will invite a representative of the monopoly corporation.
Everyone was silent and began to turn heads. No one came out and apparently did not intend to leave.
- Nikolai Nikolayevich, please. - asked the Chairman.
- What about me? I'm nothing, I'm not to blame for the fact that they do nothing! - rang from the spot.
“Nikolai, do not worry,” the Chairman calmly reassured him, “everything is fine, come out.”
The representative of the corporation went to the podium. There were short applause, but they quickly disappeared.
- Nikolay, we all know that your company is the largest in the Russian market. The prices of your goods and services are not regulated and cannot be regulated by market relations, because there is no competition among suppliers of systems of your level. The situation is aggravated by the fact that hardware manufacturers sell their computers with a pre-installed operating system manufactured by your corporation. That's about the last we want to talk to you.
- We never forced anyone to install Windows on new computers. We just offer vendors a flexible pricing policy, and they decide to install the OS in the bundle or not. In addition, the buyer can always refuse a pre-installed copy of the software when contacting the manufacturer, this is written in the EULA. So we are pristine in front of you, Mr. Chairman.
- Well, then let's hear what our manufacturers say about this. Gleb Borisovich, we would like to hear your opinion. Is it possible to opt out of Windows, supplied with new computers?
- Yes, definitely. We, as a self-respecting company, give the buyer of our computer to abandon the pre-installed system. To do this, it is enough for him to send an application to our head office in Taiwan. After consideration of the application money, in the amount of 30 cu will be listed on the buyer's account.
- Very good, Gleb Borisovich. Has anyone ever turned to you with a similar request?
- No, unfortunately, there are no precedents.
- Gleb Borisovich, and whether you sell "clean" computers, without any OS.
- Yes, each model of our computers comes in two versions - with software from Microsoft and a similar “clean” one.
- Thank you very much, Gleb. - thanked the Chairman of the representative of the company "Acer". - There are no more questions for you.
- What about Linux! - the indignant voice of the director “Mandriva.Ru” rang out from the place - because you have never installed it on new laptops!
Absolute silence was established in the hall. Then the quiet, at first, whispering turned into a discontented hum. “The user does not need a server distributive!”, “And how we will sell it!” Came from all over the hall. Director "Mandriva.Ru" wilted and sat down hard on the spot.
- So, - the Chairman continued, - if there are no more questions, then I ask you to consider the meeting closed.
In the far corner again someone clapped his hands. Everyone turned around, trying to see this strange man.
- Give light! - asked the Chairman.
The light came on. The CEO of Google LLC was sitting in the corner and, clapping his hands, smiled mysteriously.