The experts

    The hall was half empty. The lack of windows and dim lights made it uncomfortable. I wanted to open all the doors wide open so that at least with my ear to hear what is happening outside. The heavy burgundy curtain on the stage was drawn. A double-headed eagle and a subtle text surrounding the emblem were painted on it with gold stamping.

    The experts , huddled together in small piles, were discussing something quietly. The largest group gathered in the far corner. The president of Microsoft Rus LLC, standing in the middle of this crowd, told another story about the pressure of the European Commission on the corporation with the demand to remove paint, notebook and calculator from the standard delivery. The crowd gagged displeasedly.
    The music played softly. People reluctantly began to take seats in their places. The light has finally gone out. In the corner, someone clapped their hands. People turned their heads in bewilderment, trying to peer at this eccentric. Loud, like a bolt from the blue, a voice from the speakers asked to put on translation devices and stereoscopic glasses, and also demanded to turn off the phones and players.
    The curtain slowly began to open. Someone slammed in the corner again, but this time they picked him up and just clapping his hands very soon turned into an ovation with a whistle and stamping feet. Behind the curtain, a large stage opened, on which stood a stylized system unit, a platform with the inscription IBM. In the background was a wall on which the logos of the sponsors of the event were visible. A huge four-color logo of the Corporation occupied the middle of the wall, and around it, like satellites, all the other members of the council were located.
    - Good afternoon! Good afternoon! - the Chairman of the Expert Council repeated his greeting, trying to calm the raging crowd. - As you know, today we begin the work of the commission for the development of competition in the field of information technology.
    - Hurrah! The Russian court is the most humane court in the world! - Shouted someone from the crowd.
    “Don't interfere,” the Chairman shouted to the crowd. - So, for starters, we will invite a representative of the monopolist corporation.
    Everyone fell silent and began to turn their heads. Nobody came out and, apparently, was not going to leave.
    - Nikolai Nikolaevich, please. - Asked the Chairman.
    - What about me? I’m nothing, it’s not my fault that they do nothing! - rang out of place.
    “Nikolay, don’t worry,” the Chairman reassured him amiably, “everything is fine, come out.”
    The representative of the corporation went to the podium. Short applause was heard, but they quickly disappeared.
    - Nikolai, 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 equipment manufacturers sell their computers with a pre-installed operating system produced by your corporation. That's about the latter, we want to talk with you.
    - We never forced anyone to install Windows on new computers. We just offer vendors a flexible pricing policy, and they decide to put the OS in the kit or not. In addition, the buyer can always refuse a pre-installed copy of the software when contacting the manufacturer, this is written in EULA. So we are pristine before you, Mr. Chairman.
    - Well, then let's listen to what our manufacturers say about this. Gleb Borisovich, we would like to hear your opinion. Is it possible to abandon the Windows OS that comes with new computers?
    - Yes, of course. 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 will be transferred to buyer's account.
    - Very good, Gleb Borisovich. Has anyone asked you that?
    - Unfortunately, there have been no precedents.
    - Gleb Borisovich, do you sell “clean” computers without any OS?
    - Yes, each model of our computers comes in two versions - with Microsoft software and a similar “clean” one.
    - Thank you very much, Gleb. - thanked the Chairman of the representative of Acer. - There are no more questions for you.
    - But what about Linux! - the indignant voice of the director of “Mandriva.Ru” came from a place - after all, you never installed it on new laptops!
    There was absolute silence in the hall. Then a quiet, at first, whispering turned into a discontented hum. “The user does not need a server distribution!”, “And how will we sell it!” Came from different parts of the hall. The director of Mandriva.Ru was wilted and sat down heavily.
    “So,” the Chairman continued, “if there are no more questions, then I ask the meeting to be considered closed.”
    In the far corner, someone clapped his hands again. Everyone turned around, trying to make out this strange man.
    - Give the light! - asked the Chairman.
    The light came on. The CEO of Google LLC was sitting in a corner and, clapping his hands, mysteriously smiled.

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