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Microsoft Introduces Pay-as-You-Go Computing

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the crash-as-you-go dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Geekzone is reporting that Microsoft is introducing a new business model for 'pay-as-you-go computing.' From the article: 'The pay-as-you-go computing model enabled by Microsoft's FlexGo technology allows customers to have a fully featured PC at home by paying only for the time as they use it through the purchase of prepaid activation cards or tokens. Microsoft has been running trials of the program in Brazil for more than a year and will soon be expanding to select markets in India, Russia, China and Mexico.'" This makes me giggle, because it's basically the return of time-sharing; in the past it was for for mainframe systems, but I suppose the same concept behind the mainframe idea would be true in developing countries today with PC systems.

16 of 328 comments (clear)

  1. Why? by Kranfer · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Why does it seem Microsoft is running out of good ideas? Pay as you go computing? How long would it be before you actually pay the amount that a new PC/Windows would cost for this? Is Microsoft going to be the next Rent-a-Center, where you pay $5000 for a PC that costs $500? Or pay $1000 for windows when it is in reality $200? heh, bad idea I say.

    --
    -- Josh
    "Whoopie! Man, that may have been a small one for Neil, but that's a long one for me!" - Pete Conrad
    1. Re:Why? by tomhudson · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Considering that they want 1/3 up front, and that the software is now the greatest part of the expense of owning a box, it would be cheaper to take that 1/3 and buy a lower-spec white box and throw linux or bsd on it, and pocket the difference.

      After all, if they can't afford the box, they won't be able to afford the games and shite that require Windows either ...

      With the mney they save, they can buy a Wii for their gaming fix.

    2. Re:Why? by PFI_Optix · · Score: 3, Insightful

      1. boot off install dvd ...if you have a DVD-ROM. Of course, where do you get the install DVD? One doesn't exactly find Linux on store shelves most places.

            2. answer a few questions ...and pray your devices are all set up properly. Because if your 3Com 802.11b NIC doesn't install when you set up Breezy Badger, you're going to jump through some hoops to make it work. Trust me on this.

            3. when dvd tray opens, remove dvd and reboot
            4. set all apps and os to auto-update

      "How do I do that?" "I can't find the app I want." "What about my games/apps from Windows?" "Hey I downloaded this program, what do I have to do to make it work?" "Why can't I just buy a CD and stick it in the drive to install a program like I do with Windows?" "Why won't (insert website or online media) load right?"

      Linux is not an OS for the meek. If a user isn't willing to spend some time getting to know it and learn how to use it properly, it's a lot less tolerant of mistakes than Windows. It's not ready for prime time, and won't be until someone makes it idiot-friendly (which may not be a good thing).

      --
      120 characters for a sig? That's bloody useless.
  2. Giggle giggle by suv4x4 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    This makes me giggle, because it's basically the return of time-sharing; in the past it was for for mainframe systems

    When you stop giggling you may as well notice both have nothing in common.

    One is a payment model for using licensed software (but time is not limited by demand, just by your money), and the other is an early form of multitasking, allowing more efficient use of the mainframe resources.

    1. Re:Giggle giggle by realnowhereman · · Score: 5, Insightful

      It sounds like you aren't aware that time on mainframes was often leased in the past? Making the comparison reasonably valid.

      --
      Carpe Daemon
  3. This is just sub-prime financing by tomhudson · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It's the same tactic used to lease-to-own cars to people who can't really afford them

    FTFA:

    1. An individual purchases a PC by making an initial payment equivalent to one-third of the total cost. A third party financial institution pays the retailer the remaining cost of the PC on the buyer's behalf.
    2. The buyer agrees to purchase 800 hours of time on their PC at a low hourly rate - they can add time as frequently or as infrequently as they choose and take as long as they need to purchase the hours. The cost of the 800 hours covers the re-payment to the financial institution (including interest).
    3. Hours of PC usage can be conveniently purchased over time through a variety of distribution channels, including convenience stores (scratch cards), ATMs, Point of Sale networks and the internet.
    4. Once 800 hours of usage time is purchased, no additional payments are required to use the PC.

    In other words, if you don't qualify for the loan as per item 1, you don't get to "long-ter lease" the box. So why not just borrow it outright and not be stuck paying per hour? Or take that 1/3 cash down and buy a used PC.

    1. Re:This is just sub-prime financing by tomhudson · · Score: 4, Insightful

      FTFA: "Genuine Microsoft"

      So you're going to have to pay for the time you use to download and install all those patches, updating antiviruses, as well as the time your box is being p0wned and sending out spam, etc.

      Of course, if you can't afford to own your box, you can't afford a fast connection, so you're going to spend more overall just maintaining your box.

      For the 1/3 they want up front, buy a plain beige box outright and run a free os. After all, its not like these people are going to be able to afford to blow big bux on games or other software that runs only on windows.

  4. Won't work by stm2 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    From the Microsoft page: "makes it easier for people with modest incomes in emerging markets to buy a full-featured PC for their families"

    The true is that "people with modest incomes in emerging markets" don't buy software. Even when buying a new computer, big retails shops bundle Linux, that is removed as soon as people see they can't play games or use Encarta or Word or any other well known software. On the newspapers in Argentina, you see there is a standard fee for "linux removing" (and Windows installing, not advertised). In small computers shops, they preinstall WindowsXP without even asking (without licence). Most software is available for u$2 on CD-R (is advertised on any newspaper and even phone booth).
    Only big companies (mostly from overseas) can afford to buy software.

    --
    DNA in your Linux: DNALinux
  5. All of a sudden... by Noryungi · · Score: 3, Insightful

    ... As soon as they read this, thousands of CIOs, PHBs, and Microsoftie system administrators realize Linux IS ready for the desktop, and introduce large-scale plans to switch all their users to ______________ [insert favourite distribution here], stat.

    Panic seizes Wall Street, Microsoft stock dives, NASDAQ tanks, Bill Gates become the 100th richest man in the world, and Congress introduces law designed to protect "American innovation and competitiveness against the evil, communist, terrorist-sponsored opensource software".

    Hey, one can dream, right? :-)

    --
    The right to offend is far more important than the right not to be offended. (Rowan Atkinson)
  6. Filthy by linvir · · Score: 4, Insightful
    This makes me sick to my stomach. The real geniuses of Microsoft, the ones working in the money dept, have come up with a way to drip feed the poor with an operating system they couldn't afford before (instead of choosing one they can afford), reinforce the idea that you're only renting access to software, and come up with a way to get more data on peoples' computer usage, all in one fell swoop.

    And cue the anti-Slashdot trolls bitching about how we see everything MS does as evil...

    1. Re:Filthy by icepick72 · · Score: 3, Insightful
      a way to drip feed the poor with an operating system they couldn't afford before

      This is about much more than an operating system -- it encompasses the entire hardware. The Windows OS is just a fraction of the cost, however maybe only Windows OS supports the pay-as-you-go integration with the hardware right now. The same model could be used to buy a machine that runs Mac OSX or Linux. It's a novel idea and an alternative to the $100 PC.

  7. And of course, youll want a broadband connection.. by Peter+Simpson · · Score: 3, Insightful

    ...which will be another $30/month

  8. So now you know... by geoff+lane · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ...why Microsoft is so dismissive of the $100 PC.

    1. Re:So now you know... by babbling · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Two projects: The Microsoft rent-a-computer project, and the $100 laptop project.

      One of these projects is attempting to empower the 3rd world, and the other project is attempting to enslave the 3rd world.

      Can you guess which is which?

  9. Re:The Palladium Killer App by indaba · · Score: 3, Insightful
    I can't for the life of me imagine how they are going to enforce this

    obviously you have either never signed a contact before in your life, or you don't have much of an imagination.

  10. Re:First Post by tomhudson · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I see from all the -1 Flamebait mods that Team99 is out in force this morning ...

    The simple fact of the matter is that this whole plan shouldn't be called "Pay as you go" but "Pain as you go."

    Its targeted to people who can't afford it and would be better off using a free OS on hardware they can buy outright for the 1/3 down that this thing goes for ... or they can buy a used box if the really really really want Windows.