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Small Town Data Business


All softwares are available here..
If you are living in a town, then chances are that you would have seen it quite often at several internet shops. Not just this.

Mobile ringtones, songs are downloaded here..
And by the above sentence, they are trying to tell you that, downloads, are something different from regular browsing and that you might have to pay for them, if you want any. And what about the charges ? Almost as much as Apple Inc. is charging for (in many places). And what about the Quality and Genuineness? Not a bit. What's more? The people who work there will try to convince you that, the content that they are trying to sell you, is 100% Original, and only they are doing it for the lowest prices in the town, and might even add an extra clause saying, 'This content is very rare'.

To conversation between such an Internet Shop owner and a customer (who apparently do not know much about internet) goes somewhat like this.

Customer : I have a mobile phone. I want to copy some songs to it. Will that be done here?
Shop : Of course, Sir. Please sit down. (A small pause). Tell me! What is the make of your phone?
Customer : What do you mean?
Shop : Is it Nokia or Samsung or Sony or LG?
Customer : Oh! Its Celkon, actually.
Shop : Oh. Ok. What songs do you want, Sir?
Customer : Old movie songs from telugu.
Shop : Here are all the songs we have. (He tilts the monitor to show all the songs)
Customer : This one, that one.... that one too.. (Selects a shy less of 2 GB)
Shop : Sir, the total cost of the songs you selected is 120 rupees.
Customer : 120? Cant it be little less?
Shop : Sir, these days, a music CD costs 60 rupees, and you get hardly 12 songs in it. I am giving you 300 songs for just twice the price. Trust me, no one in the town can offer you the same.
Customer : (Thinking to be true).. Please take 100 rupees. I come here regularly. So!! 
Shop : I cannot do that, Sir. If you want, I will install some software for free, on your phone. 
Customer : (After a small pause).. (Gets up), and asks him to do so.
Shop : (Installs google search engine app, and gmail app on that phone) Here sir, done.
Customer : (Pays the money silently).. (After walking a while).. (Turns back).. Please get some new songs next time. I will come in 2-3 days. 
Shop : Very well, sir.

This is not completely fictional. This is in practice in nearly every internet shop, in my town. 
Not just these, even learned people (Not knowing contemporary technology) falls into the trap of pirated software. In one of these shops, the cost of softwares are like this.

Windows 7 Ultimate 300 rupees
Windows Vista 250 rupees
Windows XP Home Premium 200 rupees
Adobe Photoshop CS2/CS3/7/8 200 rupees
Total Video convertor 50 rupees
Microsoft Office 2003/2007 200 rupees

And its on and on and on.. I just saw a few of them, and they are as posted. Hilarious! And he is making some serious money on these cracked softwares. *He even comes to your home and install himself, at no extra cost. How generous of him! 

This is what I intend to call - SMALL TOWN DATA BUSINESS. 

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