AS MICROSOFT kicked off the global launch of its long-awaited Windows Vista, the software giant"s new operating system also hit the streets of China - in pirated form. In an electronic market in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, scores of sellers were offering the brand new software for as little as 10 yuan ($1.66), along with Microsoft Office, anti-virus software and others.
The sellers said Vista was available several weeks before its launch, although they would not say how they got hold of the version. Described as the "official version of the new generation operating system" on its cover, the pirated copy offered an identification code at the back of the disk for downloading the software. Microsoft could not be immediately reached for comment.