This week's tirade:

Microsoft Magazine


Ok, so Microsoft isn't really starting up a new magazine -- but it's wanting to start selling subcriptions. Aparently the computer using public has finally caught on to the Microsoft business model that involves releasing a big product change, then selling bug fixes for the next few years and calling them upgrades. There are people out there who are still using Windows 95, for crying out loud! And some people, claiming that they can't even use all the features of Office 97, have refused to upgrade to Office 2000!! Scandalous if you ask me. Mind you, it's not the big companies causing Microsoft all this grief, it's the small office/home office users, as well as the home 'recreational' user that won't spend thier meager funds on all these upgrades. So Microsoft has to find a way to get those folks to send more money to them, and they're going back to the old mainframe software leasing programs for inspiration. For instance, instead of paying $400 for the Office 2??? CD's and manuals, you'll pay $20 a month for 2 years, and Microsoft will provide you with the program, all upgrades, and technical support during that time period (over the internet of course, even if you're still using a 56k dialup line) -- after that you'll just re-subcribe to the newest version. Sounds good, doesn't it? Well go back and take a very close look at that deal again, this time using a calculator. That's $80 more than the old way, plus you have to upgrade when the subscription runs out. I've been using Office 97 for 3 years now, and have never had to call Microsoft for technical support -- and I'll probably be using Office 97 until Microsoft releases a version of Windows that refuses to run it. Subscription programs like this work very well for large corporations, because it transfers the burden of upgrades and support to the software producer, and leaves less in-house support for the company to do themselves. But for the SO/HO and home sectors it's just a way for Microsoft to bleed you dry a little faster. Remember that next time someone says there's nothing wrong with the way Microsoft makes money....


Rich Smokers

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