Comments on: Microsoft vision of Rent-a-PC http://www.dvorak.org/blog/2008/12/30/microsoft-vision-of-rent-a-pc/ General interest observations and true web-log. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 19:34:29 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Animby http://www.dvorak.org/blog/2008/12/30/microsoft-vision-of-rent-a-pc/comment-page-1/#comment-1462980 Animby Wed, 31 Dec 2008 04:20:07 +0000 http://www.dvorak.org/blog/?p=35044#comment-1462980 Certainly no prior art on this is there? Seems to me, even when desktop units were running upwards of a thousand bucks, companies had a hard time with similar business models. Not only should this not be patented, as it simply retreads previous marketing attempts, but should a gimmick like this really be patentable at all? Certainly no prior art on this is there?

Seems to me, even when desktop units were running upwards of a thousand bucks, companies had a hard time with similar business models.

Not only should this not be patented, as it simply retreads previous marketing attempts, but should a gimmick like this really be patentable at all?

]]> By: jim h http://www.dvorak.org/blog/2008/12/30/microsoft-vision-of-rent-a-pc/comment-page-1/#comment-1462933 jim h Wed, 31 Dec 2008 01:14:36 +0000 http://www.dvorak.org/blog/?p=35044#comment-1462933 Another stunningly bad, outdated concept from Microsoft. Meanwhile Apple keeps on intuiting what consumers would really like to have - and producing it - and selling it. Another stunningly bad, outdated concept from Microsoft. Meanwhile Apple keeps on intuiting what consumers would really like to have – and producing it – and selling it.

]]> By: amodedoma http://www.dvorak.org/blog/2008/12/30/microsoft-vision-of-rent-a-pc/comment-page-1/#comment-1462908 amodedoma Wed, 31 Dec 2008 00:21:21 +0000 http://www.dvorak.org/blog/?p=35044#comment-1462908 There are plenty of sheeple out there to shear, and M$ knows it. What the hell, there's room in this market for lots of alternatives. But if M$ thinks they're going to use monopolistic strong-arm techniques to force the entire market to this model, they are very, very, mistaken. There are plenty of sheeple out there to shear, and M$ knows it. What the hell, there’s room in this market for lots of alternatives. But if M$ thinks they’re going to use monopolistic strong-arm techniques to force the entire market to this model, they are very, very, mistaken.

]]> By: Billy Bob http://www.dvorak.org/blog/2008/12/30/microsoft-vision-of-rent-a-pc/comment-page-1/#comment-1462889 Billy Bob Tue, 30 Dec 2008 23:23:55 +0000 http://www.dvorak.org/blog/?p=35044#comment-1462889 Didn't the "Free PC" segment of the dotcom boom establish prior art? I guess they just charged a monthly fee instead of metering your bandwidth. I still don't see how this patent is defensible. Didn’t the “Free PC” segment of the dotcom boom establish prior art? I guess they just charged a monthly fee instead of metering your bandwidth. I still don’t see how this patent is defensible.

]]> By: Greg Allen http://www.dvorak.org/blog/2008/12/30/microsoft-vision-of-rent-a-pc/comment-page-1/#comment-1462881 Greg Allen Tue, 30 Dec 2008 23:14:23 +0000 http://www.dvorak.org/blog/?p=35044#comment-1462881 This marketing model certainly worked for cell phones but isn't it WAY too late for PCs? When PCs were $1,500 or $2,000 I might have considered such a program -- but when you can pick one up for $400, how steeply can they discount it? More likely to work is if the cable or phone companies, give away a free media PC with a broadband connection and a one-year contract. This marketing model certainly worked for cell phones but isn’t it WAY too late for PCs?

When PCs were $1,500 or $2,000 I might have considered such a program — but when you can pick one up for $400, how steeply can they discount it?

More likely to work is if the cable or phone companies, give away a free media PC with a broadband connection and a one-year contract.

]]> By: QB http://www.dvorak.org/blog/2008/12/30/microsoft-vision-of-rent-a-pc/comment-page-1/#comment-1462864 QB Tue, 30 Dec 2008 22:27:03 +0000 http://www.dvorak.org/blog/?p=35044#comment-1462864 Is it just me, or does Ballmer look like Al Capone in that picture? Is it just me, or does Ballmer look like Al Capone in that picture?

]]> By: Glenn E. http://www.dvorak.org/blog/2008/12/30/microsoft-vision-of-rent-a-pc/comment-page-1/#comment-1462835 Glenn E. Tue, 30 Dec 2008 21:37:42 +0000 http://www.dvorak.org/blog/?p=35044#comment-1462835 Hmmm... So maybe we'll eventually get "free" basic broadband in the US. But we'll end up paying thru the nose, usage fees for anything that connects up to it. Yeah, that's how these things always work out. Hmmm… So maybe we’ll eventually get “free” basic broadband in the US. But we’ll end up paying thru the nose, usage fees for anything that connects up to it. Yeah, that’s how these things always work out.

]]> By: Glenn E. http://www.dvorak.org/blog/2008/12/30/microsoft-vision-of-rent-a-pc/comment-page-1/#comment-1462833 Glenn E. Tue, 30 Dec 2008 21:34:16 +0000 http://www.dvorak.org/blog/?p=35044#comment-1462833 Microsoft has come up with NOTHING new. They saw the "Tivo" and they WANTED IT!!! But in the form of their software, since they aren't in the PC making business. So this approach will be like turn PCes in Tivos. Or rather Peevos. You'll be peeved at them just as much. But you'll have to pay a monthly fee to continue to be peeved at them. And there will be even less financial incentive for Microsoft to update and fix its OS's problems. Since they'll be getting a renewal fee, anyway, regardless of whether they do anything or not! Of course some alternative OS might come to the foreground to fill the gap, if M$ takes this approach. That's why M$ will have to work with the PC and device makers to keep all the driver info proprietary and secret, between them. And don't depend on Congress passing some law to free up driver code. They'll bail out of protecting free computing, at the wave of a lobbyist's dollar bill! Microsoft has come up with NOTHING new. They saw the “Tivo” and they WANTED IT!!! But in the form of their software, since they aren’t in the PC making business. So this approach will be like turn PCes in Tivos. Or rather Peevos. You’ll be peeved at them just as much. But you’ll have to pay a monthly fee to continue to be peeved at them. And there will be even less financial incentive for Microsoft to update and fix its OS’s problems. Since they’ll be getting a renewal fee, anyway, regardless of whether they do anything or not!

Of course some alternative OS might come to the foreground to fill the gap, if M$ takes this approach. That’s why M$ will have to work with the PC and device makers to keep all the driver info proprietary and secret, between them. And don’t depend on Congress passing some law to free up driver code. They’ll bail out of protecting free computing, at the wave of a lobbyist’s dollar bill!

]]> By: Zybch http://www.dvorak.org/blog/2008/12/30/microsoft-vision-of-rent-a-pc/comment-page-1/#comment-1462813 Zybch Tue, 30 Dec 2008 20:56:20 +0000 http://www.dvorak.org/blog/?p=35044#comment-1462813 So tell me, how is this different to signing up with a new cell phone contract where the phone itself is greatly subsidized?? So long as people ultimately have the option to buy a computer and software outright and not have ongoing usage fees whats the problem? So tell me, how is this different to signing up with a new cell phone contract where the phone itself is greatly subsidized??
So long as people ultimately have the option to buy a computer and software outright and not have ongoing usage fees whats the problem?

]]> By: JimD http://www.dvorak.org/blog/2008/12/30/microsoft-vision-of-rent-a-pc/comment-page-1/#comment-1462809 JimD Tue, 30 Dec 2008 20:49:52 +0000 http://www.dvorak.org/blog/?p=35044#comment-1462809 M$ = "Software as a (PAY ME NOW ***AND*** PAY ME LATER) "SERVICE" " !!! KA-CHING, KA-CHING, KA-CHING !!! JUST SAY NO !!! Time for GNU/Linux, OpenOffice, Firefox, etc - FREE, OPEN-SOURCE SOFTWARE - Computing WITHOUT BEGGING !!! M$ = “Software as a (PAY ME NOW ***AND*** PAY ME LATER) “SERVICE” ” !!!

KA-CHING, KA-CHING, KA-CHING !!!

JUST SAY NO !!!

Time for GNU/Linux, OpenOffice, Firefox, etc – FREE, OPEN-SOURCE SOFTWARE – Computing WITHOUT BEGGING !!!

]]> By: GetSmart http://www.dvorak.org/blog/2008/12/30/microsoft-vision-of-rent-a-pc/comment-page-1/#comment-1462763 GetSmart Tue, 30 Dec 2008 18:27:46 +0000 http://www.dvorak.org/blog/?p=35044#comment-1462763 Epic. Fail. Epic. Fail.

]]> By: Breetai http://www.dvorak.org/blog/2008/12/30/microsoft-vision-of-rent-a-pc/comment-page-1/#comment-1462745 Breetai Tue, 30 Dec 2008 18:06:33 +0000 http://www.dvorak.org/blog/?p=35044#comment-1462745 God Please someone break the monopoly these guys are idiots. God Please someone break the monopoly these guys are idiots.

]]> By: deowll http://www.dvorak.org/blog/2008/12/30/microsoft-vision-of-rent-a-pc/comment-page-1/#comment-1462742 deowll Tue, 30 Dec 2008 18:05:30 +0000 http://www.dvorak.org/blog/?p=35044#comment-1462742 They are welcome to take a long walk on a short peer will carrying a large walk hopefully while heading out to sea. The incompatents at the patent office will most likely be brain dead enough to actually give them a patent on this though how renting anything can be a noval idea escapes me. They are welcome to take a long walk on a short peer will carrying a large walk hopefully while heading out to sea.

The incompatents at the patent office will most likely be brain dead enough to actually give them a patent on this though how renting anything can be a noval idea escapes me.

]]> By: Stu Mulne http://www.dvorak.org/blog/2008/12/30/microsoft-vision-of-rent-a-pc/comment-page-1/#comment-1462725 Stu Mulne Tue, 30 Dec 2008 17:42:21 +0000 http://www.dvorak.org/blog/?p=35044#comment-1462725 Sounds to me, too, like the Cellular business model (see the article on text messaging in today's blog).... Or King Gillette, many years ago - give away the razors and rape 'em for the blades.... Or the telco before the breakup.... People WILL go for it.... It removes thinking (and knowledge) from a good part of the procurement process (software and hardware). Think about most notebook deals today - fairly decent hardware bundled with MS Office (some flavor or other) and a copy of AOL, and you're done. You don't need to make decisions about memory, processor, graphics cards, etc. Just take it home an power it up.... (IMHO, a lot of people bought laptops for this reason, rather than any cool factor, back when most PC purchases involved specifying features & such - that they didn't understand anyway.) That people are buying desktops bundled up the same way is nice, too, of course.... I just got a new cellphone for my daughter (my new one's been a horror story of undocumented features that I needed, but that's another story). The new bill has a $30 "data" charge on it. A bunch of ring tones, a game, and $10 for downloading the GPS software.... I called 'em about that one.... Which, btw, is another place where the cellular people rip you off - buy a new phone, and all the expensive toys that you had to buy separately go away until you buy them again.... Regards Sounds to me, too, like the Cellular business model (see the article on text messaging in today’s blog)….

Or King Gillette, many years ago – give away the razors and rape ‘em for the blades….

Or the telco before the breakup….

People WILL go for it…. It removes thinking (and knowledge) from a good part of the procurement process (software and hardware). Think about most notebook deals today – fairly decent hardware bundled with MS Office (some flavor or other) and a copy of AOL, and you’re done. You don’t need to make decisions about memory, processor, graphics cards, etc. Just take it home an power it up….

(IMHO, a lot of people bought laptops for this reason, rather than any cool factor, back when most PC purchases involved specifying features & such – that they didn’t understand anyway.)

That people are buying desktops bundled up the same way is nice, too, of course….

I just got a new cellphone for my daughter (my new one’s been a horror story of undocumented features that I needed, but that’s another story). The new bill has a $30 “data” charge on it. A bunch of ring tones, a game, and $10 for downloading the GPS software…. I called ‘em about that one….

Which, btw, is another place where the cellular people rip you off – buy a new phone, and all the expensive toys that you had to buy separately go away until you buy them again….

Regards

]]> By: Nth of the 49th http://www.dvorak.org/blog/2008/12/30/microsoft-vision-of-rent-a-pc/comment-page-1/#comment-1462706 Nth of the 49th Tue, 30 Dec 2008 16:56:50 +0000 http://www.dvorak.org/blog/?p=35044#comment-1462706 Microsoft trying to get into the hardware side of things .....again. What that definition of insanity again? Microsoft trying to get into the hardware side of things …..again.
What that definition of insanity again?

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