rayatwork05

December 30, 2008 at 4:46am

interesting, most people commenting dont understandthis is an option for businesses primarily though, and not mandated.

though it doesnt make sense, cause i'd use up 300 hours in 1 month, and why would i pay 12 times that annually? lol.  in a work environment, figure it would only be 40 hours a month so in some cases it may actually be beneficial depending on how computer intensive a job it is. im assuming there metering actual use, and not just the PC being on.

 how can patent a business model? is b2c and b2b patented? im confuzzled.

Keith E. Whisman

December 29, 2008 at 7:15pm

I'm sure it would be easy to format the harddrive and replace the motherboard if it has a bios level software program that controls pay as you go. This way you pay the one time fee I'm sure wont be very much and for a couple hundred dollars you get a cheap motherboard and OS or for even less just use a Linux Disto.

swampdaddy

December 29, 2008 at 7:11pm

Well, if you like the idea of making Billy-Bob Gates the first TRILLIONAIRE on the planet then this is for you.  

 Remember has last big idea:  To put a tax on spam (like a postage stamp); you still get the spam, he gets the dough.  LOL.   He's full of ideas and pomme de terre.  

 And, for those of you who haven't figured it out yet: TANSTAAFL (There ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch).   next would be the "low-use" surcharge for those that don't spend $100 a month.     And any thing else this bum can think of.

 others have said it all, I join in, it's a very, very crappy idea.

Swamp Daddy

WindowsXP

December 29, 2008 at 6:35pm

If they do this for home computers, and im switching to Ubuntu. No restrictions, no pay-per-use. This is just plain discusting. Dont try it Microsoft, you have already angered your followers.

Shalbatana

December 29, 2008 at 5:48pm

 not in my house

 leasing didn't look good for cars, it doesn't look good for computers.

_______________________________

"There's no time like the future."

windbane

December 29, 2008 at 1:58pm

This could be a great way for internet cafes and the like to get hardware and services, especially non-profit organizations. You could get a PC from a Non-Profit like the Salvation Army say, they provide the PC and a portion of what you pay per hour goes towards the services they provide to the community. But realistically, I don't think this kind of service would get much use, the price of computers are relatively inexpensive these days, with Netbooks at $300 or less for the web surfer types (ie. mom and dad), and the fact that most computer retailers offer financing anyway, seems pointless. But again it would be a great money making opportunity for non-profits or even schools, to make some extra cash.

Oh and to those that say they'll switch to open source or Linux, it won't matter as this type of service could be used by any OS. You could be getting a Google PC, that uses a Google OS with Google Chrome, and Google Apps and that would be all you could get installed on it. Microsoft is patenting a bussines model method, not hardware or software that does this type of thing (though they may). This doesn't mean that you have to buy into this concept, and it won't matter if you already own your own computer, so saying you will switch to another OS if they do this is pointless as it won't affect you anyway. Its just another way of buying a computer, just like all versions of Vista are pretty much the same, but you can pay MS to unlock and "upgrade" to a "better" version of Vista from inside the OS itself.

habuza

December 29, 2008 at 1:08pm

Microsoft can kiss my ass. They want to do it? Go right ahead, like mentioned below, piracy will still run rampant, and users like myself will just switch to linux if they try this crap. I don't need any help from microshaft to use my computer.

ghot

December 29, 2008 at 12:46pm

I want so bad to expound a string of expletives about 5 pages long, right now!  MS, lately is becoming a cheap wh*re.  I don't care how they make it SOUND...its just another BS scheme to rip the consumer off.

Like mentioned below:

1. Who wants MS making decisions for us...not me  lol

2. What wil the next OS model be?  Monthly charge for use of an MS OS?

Microsoft.....get your act together and just harden XP's kernel and then leave us alone.  Noone likes you anymore.  You've destroyed consumer faith in your company and are about to do much worse.  It's NOT the consumers fault that you can no longer seem to write a decent OS....its YOUR fault.  

 

Phated1

December 29, 2008 at 12:19pm

Obviously, for people that use their computers as a big part of their life (such as readers of the magazine) this would be a horrible idea.  However, for people like my grandmother (for example) that only ever use their computer to order christmas presents or the odd letter like once a month, this would be PERFECT.  Instead of paying 500$ for a computer that she will use like once every 3 weeks for an hour, she can pay 150 and then just pay for whatever service she needed from then on out.

ben628

December 29, 2008 at 11:57am

And MS is still amazed that people pirate stuff...huh...crap software packages and amazingly flawed pricing ideas....piracy continues...no connection there for sure XD

Cache

December 29, 2008 at 11:47am

I don't know that I'd be comfortable with someone else telling me how much of my computer I can use.  I personally think this is a go-nowhere concept, and it opens up some rather interesting problems:

 If a person doesn't pay, does MS take back the computer?  What happens to the data on said computer?  What about upgrades?  Even worse--what happens to a user's data if the machine breaks and MS decides outright to replace it--who pays for the migration of that data?

Most worrisome for me, however, is the idea that MS is not acknowledging a basic, unmovable fact:  The PC-- that bright shiny new thing sitting on your desk--is a disposable commodity.  This isn't an investment like a house, this is something that you (or that friend you give your old system to) will eventually throw away.Does MSeven have a plan for recycling old computers that no longer meet the needs of its customers?  What about simple maintenance like keeping the inside free of dust?

 

This idea may work for low-end systems, but no gamer is going to pay MS to decide what is good enough to run their systems.  And who really wants to go through MS to RMA dead(that will inevitably be charged back to you) computers?  This idea only defers full payment on the system for a later time, provided that MS even bothers with maintaining the computers in the first place.

Pyrophorics

December 29, 2008 at 11:46am

So M$ is going to be the new Rent-A-Center? Been there done that, this is nothing new ... just the fact that M$ is doing it and the method of control they are going to employ to get it to work.

r3dd4wg

December 29, 2008 at 11:31am

As long as open source and linux are around, no one is going to buy into that business model.

MarioJP

December 29, 2008 at 11:30am

Don't think this will ever take off. But then again you do have those people that will actually rent stuff like this for those that can't even afford a pc. I would have to agree this is not the way to go to owning a computer. Now since we don't know exactly how this is going to work. Will it eventually become yours as you pay or will it be like you just renting it only. If its just renting only then no. But if its something going towards like a paying it off then maybe.

 

Otherwise forget it. Pc's are cheap and you can always get a oem pc.

MarioJP

December 29, 2008 at 11:26am

Don't think this will ever take off. But then again you do have those people that will actually rent stuff like this.

SEALBoy

December 29, 2008 at 11:22am

HELL. NO.

Who's with me?