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Microsoft Giving Away 5,000 Gallons of Gas

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It's hard not to feel violated at the gas pump every time you fill you up your tank, and relief doesn't appear to be in sight. That is, unless you're a small business owner. As part of Microsoft's Bump the Slump sweepstakes, the multi-billion dollar corporation plans to give away 5,000 gallons of gas in order to promote its various software applications. Huh?

According to Eric Ligman, Microsoft US Senior Manager of Small Business Community Engagement (don't waste any space on that business card), the sweepstakes is about "saving money," and while that's hard, nay, impossible to do at the pump, Microsoft's Bump the Slump website claims that its bevy of software can add up to big savings. For example, "Windows Vista can save you as much as $70.77 in energy costs per PC per year compared to a typical PC not running Vista. It saves you money and lets you give Earth a little hug."

The promotion will cost Microsoft about $20,000, with the winner expected to be drawn on July 21, 2008. To be eligible, entrants must be 18+ years old and a legal resident of the 50 United States, own a small business in the U.S., and have between two and 100 employees. And when it's over, you can add Microsoft to a list which includes Mexican food, Celine Dion, baked beans, and other things known to give gas.

Image Credit: Microsoft

COMMENTS
avatarHow the hell does Vista save

How the hell does Vista save me MORE money than FreeBSD/PC-BSD? PC-BSD is free, (less ppl needed to distribute the software since no one needs to SELL PC-BSD), little to no marketing, no packaging and the power saving algorithms in Linux and *BSD are quite good for open source OSes. Oh and no licencing stickers to waste environmental energy on stickers that are "required".

Sorry Microsoft, but you failed again.

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avatarnice

 Anyone else think it would be awesome if computers ran on gas instead of elecricity?  You could hear your 12 piston graphics card start up spewing different colours of oil into a glass monitor, your hard drive opening and closing valves instead of reading 1s and 0s, and soundcards with horns that cover over 20 different frequencies.

 It would be the manly mans computer.  All geeks would wear leather and ride down to Port Dover every Friday the 13th on their decked out rigs. 

 Seriously you have to make one for the next issue of MPC.

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avatarSooooo many cons of a

Sooooo many cons of a gas-powered computer... but i mean... it would sound cool?

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