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MS To Launch Internet Versions of Office And Windows

daria42 writes "In a press conference this morning, Bill Gates said Microsoft plans to launch Internet-based complements to its core products, dubbed 'Windows Live' and 'Office Live'. Windows Live is a set of Internet-based personal services, such as e-mail, blogging and instant messaging. It will be primarily supported by advertising and be separate from the operating system itself. Office Live will come in both ad-based and subscription versions that augment MS' Office suite. The programs won't replace the paid software but instead seem aimed at diminishing Google's ad revenue. Windows Live already appears to have 'gone live' in a preview format on the web."

8 of 530 comments (clear)

  1. Re:That can't be Microsoft by Juanvaldes · · Score: 4, Insightful

    As long as they hurt google they will do almost anything. Besides, they can break compatibility later.

  2. Go for it, Microsoft... by Saeed+al-Sahaf · · Score: 4, Insightful
    Why would anyone PAY for something they can't have? And what happens to those Word docs when your subscription runs out? Read only and no copy/paste?

    All I can say is "Microsoft, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE 'bet the farm' on this".

    --
    "Who are in control, they are not in control of anything - they don't even control themselves!" - Glen Beck
    1. Re:Go for it, Microsoft... by jm92956n · · Score: 4, Insightful
      Sun called: they want their dumb terminals idea back.

      The market has repeatedly shown that there is no interest in the concept of remote software or slimmed down computers. People really do like their personal computers. I had thought Microsoft understood this well, though it looks as if I've now been proven wrong. Are customers asking for this?

      --
      An effective signature identifies a particular user amongst a base of thousands.
  3. Re:I was more impressed... by badriram · · Score: 4, Insightful

    You mean like Google Personalized Homepage was like start.com

  4. Re:Desperate times... by NitsujTPU · · Score: 5, Insightful

    How exactly is Google a tyrant?

    All that this says is, "All of these years, the reason that I've hated MS is because they were successful. All of that bitching and moaning was because MS made money. I have never had anything objective to say about Microsoft. It's all been lies."

    Seriosuly. What did Google do? All that anyone has accused them of is 1) Stealing all of the talent in software (damn, people want to work there, sounds evil) and 2) Raising the prices of software engineers (shit, and now I make more money).

    News flash, the only people who complain about Google are the evil corporate masters that you're also supposedly railing against. Really. If their company was all that good, people would want to work their anyway. Amazon.com is not having any problems hiring talented people. Trust me. I've met some of their people.

    What you're saying is that nobody can succeed and not be evil. I disbelieve that. I believe that honest people can make an honest living and still, at the end of the day, be honest. Call me old fashioned like that, but believe it or not, one day I'd like to be successful too. Also, I'd appreciate it if you don't call me a tyrant when I am.

  5. Re:That can't be Microsoft by ToasterofDOOM · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Despite what you and almost every other /.er would love to think, MS isn't inherenty bad. They have just made more mistakes than others, but that can change. Did you ever stop to think that they might just want to do something right? That they might want to experiment with new technologies? That this is actually pretty cool? No? Didn't think so.

    --
    I am Spartacus
  6. Re:That can't be Microsoft by Baricom · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Microsoft has made so many mistakes at the past, that they've lost the trust of customers. To regain that trust, they need to make a number of correct decisions in a row. Keep in mind that even more people distrust Microsoft than complain about the quality of their software, so even if they stop making "mistakes," they still need to work to re-gain customer goodwill.

  7. Re:No, they are not by guet · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I already said in another post that I want coexistence, not a monopoly on any side.

    Unfortunately what you want doesn't matter at all.

    What Microsoft wants is to kill all competitors by 'cutting off their oxygen supply'. BTW, every other IT company is seen as a competitor. This is ingrained in the corporate culture, and starts at the very top with Gates/Balmer. That is why no one trusts them, not because they love Linux and hate MS (or whatever), but because they hate the things Microsoft has done and wants to do.