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Microsoft To Try Works As Adware
Several readers noted that Microsoft has announced plans to pre-install an ad-laden version of Works on some manufacturers' PCs in coming months. Works is Microsoft's lightweight docs-and-spreadsheets software. The manufacturers involved were not disclosed. The adware Works will come with a pre-installed cache of ads that will be refreshed when the machine is online. Microsoft will decide by mid-2008 whether it can afford to forgo the $40 normally charged for Works.
[...]Microsoft has announced plans to pre-install an ad-laden version of Works on some manufacturers' PCs in coming months. [...]
Can't think of a better reason to try Linux or Mac.
Thanks, Microsoft!
given that it's not a particularly functional package, and Open office is mature enough to offer most of what you need anyway. I think the adware-laden 'free' trials are one of the most irritating things about buying a new PC!
Even more people using a program that saves to proprietary formats that can't be used by other programs.
Sigh.
...Rob
The American Dream isn't an SUV and a house in the suburbs; it's Don't Tread On Me.
Not that it isn't a decent package in its own right ... it's that it doesn't automatically save things in Microsoft Office formats.
.rtf! Come on!
I constantly have people asking me to "translate" stuff they get from people at home.
At least use
I'm pretty sure *I* have a free CD somewhere here, and I have never bought a computer with Windows on it. Maybe it came free with my digital watch.
With some irony it isn't even a useful office suite for homework as it can't (or couldn't when I was 17) handle 'industry standard office files' - as required by UK schools.
Think of the Children; Sleep with your Sister
Has any one actually shelled out money to buy works? It is installed as crapware by the vendors. How out of touch with reality is MSFT really?
sed -e 's/Chuck Norris/Rajnikant/g' joke > fact
Well, Chairman Bill was right--Microsoft is all about innovation. They're constantly looking for new, innovative ways for their products to suck. They're practically making an art form out of bloatware.
Once this bad buy makes it into their final product, the guys over at OpenOffice should have a banner year.
Gifts for Geeks - Stuff that really matters!
...so why on earth is MS pulling this stunt!
Works is crapware even WITHOUT the ads! Works should be given a quick, painless death and MS should move on.
This only makes the Apple ad more true.
I always get a copy on the Windows machines that I buy and I then delete it because it's a WORTHLESS piece of shit.
I prefer Flambe as apposed flamebait.
Haha, things sure are going downhill. Maybe with the control they'll be able to wield over Vista owners, they can just stream PBS style telethons to raise money for Works installations.
One last thing: Sometimes I wonder; "Is that someone's signature? Or do they type that at the end of each post?"
I just bought an HP laptop. It came with a trialware version of MS Office and a (non-adware) copy of MS Works.
...
Guess which I uninstalled? Office, or Works?
You guessed it, I zapped BOTH! Then installed OO.o.
"Just Smile and Nod." --Huck
Microsoft has announced plans to pre-install an ad-laden version of Works on some manufacturers' PCs
Lemme guess... Perhaps that offer will be done to the manufacturers that were "thinking about/already intalling" Open Office for free in their naked PCs ?
Rome taught me patience and assiduous application to detail. Virtues which temper the boldness of great, general views.
they should do that with the entire MS office. then we can find an ad blocker, just like we did for AIM .
Those of us who think they know everything annoy those of us who do.
This is no different than Google Documents & Spreadsheets. It's just ad-supported office applications. However, the fact that it's locally installed is nice, because it allows for more advanced functionality than AJAX. I think Microsoft has a winner with this one. Not just because of the ad revenue, but because of the user lock-in. Users of works would be more likely to upgrade to MS office. smart move.
As in a .Net embeddable widget for crapware.
Besides, even as a product, it was nagware/adware for office bundled by PC OEMs.
Honestly, I thought they only kept it around to keep people's expectations low and make them willing to shell out more for Office.
"If still these truths be held to be
Self evident."
-Edna St. Vincent Millay
I don't think works even lets you write .doc files-- Openoffice supports most MS formats fairly well. Seems like the market just isn't there for Works, even if it was free and ad free.
Isn't the market already full of these 'pre-install'-infested computers with crippled votim-ware by an abusive monopoly. I mean, now that even Dell offers linux as an alternative OS with their machines, who could possibly find any positive aspects in a pre-installed Microsoft Works, free or otherwise, not even considering the fact that this 'free' version is full of ads?
And why should I allow software whose functionality has nothing to do with the internet to access it for ads, registrations, autoupates, feedback, whatever?
must.. resist.. urge.. to kill..
www.tribalnetworks.org - helping tribal people around the world to own their own means of high-tech communications
M$: Looks like the Our M$ flagship is being flanked by free software torpedoes! Start pumping to keep her afloat! Free Software: Add more features! haha... I haven't bought Office ever. At most i've pirated it for my father or grandfather since they are very resistant to change.
Excellent. Now how do we purchase adspace for Open Office and KOffice in this wonderful program?
Maybe OpenOffice should try and arrange to have their products put on Windows computers. It won't cost manufacturers anything, and it won't have annoying ads.
will not Works
not to use Microsoft products. I run Open Office on all my personal machines.
Isn't he the number three Al Queda guy these days?
If brevity is the soul of wit, then how does one explain Twitter?
Why would Microsoft do *anything* with works? This can't be a big money-maker for them, unless they are charging OEMs behind the scenes to have it installed (in which case the OEMs are stupid for installing it).
I think Microsoft is just practicing the ad-supported software model with an application they don't really care about, just to see how well it works. They can iron out the wrinkles (or maybe drop the idea all together) without damaging the reputation of one of their core products.
Life is like a web application. Sometime you need cookies just to get by.
but only so long as they use Clippy to present the ads. It would be like life in hell in a great cuddly way.
Quack, quack.
This should come in handy ... Advertising that is relevant to a person
From The Patent application..
a profile of the person, which may include, for example, the person's interests and hobbies, the person's sex, age, locale, profession, subscriptions and memberships, ethnicity, marital status, personal characteristics such as parent, pet owner, very tall or short, and the like; b) a personal information management system 334 for the person, which may include, for example, the person's address book (list of contacts), calendar, mail and/or message store, a task list, notes and the like; c) a purchasing history of the person; d) the person's advertising preferences , which may include, for example, a record of which advertisements the person has interacted with in the past, and/or a record of which advertisements the person has immediately dismissed, if such a capability to dismiss exists, search terms the person has used, media consumption (viewing and listening) history, a preferred look and feel for advertisements, and the like; and e) general system filters configured by or on behalf of the person.
This identification may be done in any number of ways. For example, a biometric sensor in device or a remote control or other accessory of device may identify the person. In another example, the person may log onto device and/or device , thus providing identification. In yet another example, cameras or other sensors may detect and identify the person. In yet another example, the device having the display may be used solely by the person, so any use of the device may imply that the person is viewing the display.
Microsoft Works
Agent K: A *person* is smart. People are dumb, stupid, panicky animals, and you know it.
the Vasoline.
That's still the consumer's responsibility.
What amazes me is that so many are still willing to bend over for this abuse... AND PAY FOR IT!
Running with Linux for over 20 years!
Can't think of a better reason to try Linux or Mac.
Thanks, Microsoft!
Seriously... Isn't Works already bundled with new PCs for free (to the end user) anyway? So isn't this just extra revenue for MS and/or the vendors, while reducing the value of the product?
Jerks. Not that I've ever used anything in Works for more than 45 seconds, but still, it's the principle of the thing.
From bbspot's geek limerick contest a few years ago (back before bbspot started to completely suck):
I demand that Microsoft recant
The names of all their products extant.
"Intellimouse"? It wasn't.
"Microsoft Works"? It doesn't.
And with "Microsoft Access", I can't.
Finally! That should put to rest those arguments on /. about whether Microsoft is a classy company or not.
So I am surprised to see such a blatant abuse now. I think it indicates how desperate MS is to find a new profitable product. While losses for xBox and Zune for year might exceed 2 billion, Google has shown that is it possible to make money pushing ads if you provide a service that people want. However, even with leveraging the desktop monopoly, MS has not been able to compete with google, at least not in the developed world.
So, they are back to thier old tricks. Exploiting the desktop monopoly in new way. Take a product that should be given away, implement some ads, and bribe people to use the MSN add network instead of googles. I am not saying that Google is any better than MSN, simply that instead of creating a better search product, something we desperately need, MS is taking a shortcut.
"She's a scientist and a lesbian. She's not going to let it slide." Orphan Black
Ironically, I think that the OpenOffice team loves this idea about as much as the Works team does. I'm curious what the tagline will be. "Works w/ Ads: it's just like the old version, but Worse!"
The only thing worse than people passing around Word documents (especially for static forms and such) is passing aroudn Works documents. I guess it is possible to get converters from Works to Word (though Word doesn't open them natively AFAIK), but it is a pain the the ass for Mac users. Even if you have Office 2004, you can't open Works documents. You have to find a Windows machine with the converter. It is like Microsoft is competing with themselves.
The other part of the "oh god, please, no" is more ads. Your average Windows box ALREADY looks like a 150 person marketing department exploded inside it.
-matthew
"THERE IS NO JUSTICE, THERE IS ONLY ME." -Death
Microsoft still makes Works? And they charge money for it? Is it still one of the best document-encryption tools around?
I haven't even seen a Microsoft Works installation since the days when I'd carry around a floppy with Norton Utilities on it - and use it often.
Reality has a conservative bias: it conserves mass, energy, momentum...
Are any of the ads for Open Office, or is this "strategy" just one large advertising campaign?
I'll throw out Open Office Base just for all of those who feel compelled to point out that Excel-is-not-a-database-application. :)
Ben Hocking
Need a professional organizer?
#974: Airline Food
#632: Civil War
#232: Microsoft Works
Living With a Nerd
Microsoft will decide by mid-2008 whether it can afford to forgo the $40 normally charged for Works.
Sounds like a win-win for Microsoft. They get whatever revenue they're currently getting for Works plus the ad revenue for the next year, then they'll decide whether or not to forget about the non-ad revenue.
127.0.0.1 ads.microsoft.com
Thanks for the free s/w, chimps!
I want to delete my account but Slashdot doesn't allow it.
but the deal-breaker would be the fact that the ads are probably driven by the collection of personal information as alluded to in the Vista EULA.
I agree with everything you said with one exception where Microsoft is better than Google's idea: with the Microsoft package you get to keep local control of your files and data, whereas with Google you upload them to a central repository.
However, the Microsoft package will still probably want to read the content of files, send something (???) back to Microsoft and then serve ads appropriately. (Snooping content for ad tie-ins is key to Google's success; just today in the Wall Street Journal that talked about how Google is trying to do this with other content so, for example, they can serve ads to your cell phone.)
Of course, OO is better than Works, and free to boot. How about a download link to that?
Of course, this better not be on Dell, since Dell has promised us no crapware any longer.
"It's the height of ridiculousness to say for those 9 lines you get hundreds of millions."
No, not saying to open it, but if they make it free it might increase their overall desktop market share. Even if its free, more desktops with their software on it can only help them in the long run.
There will also be a percentage of people that will 'upgrade' to office when they need extra features/support.
---- Booth was a patriot ----
I can just see it now. The little help icon looks like a sleazy car salesman. "I see you are typing a letter, Would you like to buy some Cialis?"
This is so certain to fail that I really have to wonder what Microsoft's motivation could possibly be for trying it.
All the "mom-n-pop" nontechnical users I know hate Clippy, and Clippy is at least genuinely trying to help you.
They hate pop-ups and pop-unders on the Internet. They'd never buy or install a pop-up-blocker as such, but they really do discover and use whatever pop-up-blocker tools come free or preinstalled with whatever they're using.
Listening to the radio or watching television is a passive experience, and people are willing to let the ads roll into their benumbed brains. Using a computer is a participatory/em> experience and folks' reaction to be interrupted when they're in the middle of trying to get something done is completely different from their reaction to advertising in a passive medium.
If Microsoft thinks that deliberately irritating their customers will win them over and encourage them to buy less irritating software, they're nuts. This is a situation where they should be using focus groups, which would set them straight in a hurry.
Unless, as I said at the beginning, this initiative is intended to fail.
"How to Do Nothing," kids activities, back in print!
This really has nothing to do with the article.
http://www.google.com/search?q=office+for+free&ie= utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official &client=firefox-a
:)
The OpenOffice.org suite, first hit
The Christian Right is Neither (Christian nor right). See: Matthew 23, Matthew 25, Ezekiel 16:48-50
Why was this modded up? I understand that many of us here (myself included) prefer Linux to Windows and use it, but is it really necessary to display fanboyism moderation in response to any post that mentions personal positive Linux experiences or possible motivations for people to switch platforms?
What, pray tell, is interesting about the parent post? Someone explain it to me, please.
I can't wait until they start putting VibrantMedia ads into your text... spell-as-you-go, grammer-as-you-go, ads-as-you-go!! Those hover over word ads must be the worst thing on the web. Proof that companies have no clue what pisses off customers/visitors.
the newest, cheapest desktop HP's, that start at $299, are giving away Works. Does that mean they are the new AdWorks?
You're just certified and educated beyond your intelligence
"[Allow] [Cancel] [Buy 20" Dildo!]"
Microsoft must realise that Works has a very limited life expectancy. Whatever you think of the various alternatives to Microsoft Office, it's difficult to argue that almost all of them aren't superior to it. The fact that it's so crippled and limited that free alternatives are better makes it essentially impossible to sell, and it's probably going to be difficult to give it away for much longer... the OEM prices have always been very low, so $40 is a gross overestimate for what's really being paid for bundled copies, I suspect. What, then, is the real point of this move? It seems as though it could be a convenient environment in which to test a business model which provides a whole new revenue stream. If there isn't any sort of backlash here, then will we be seeing that the next version of Office, and maybe Windows, also come with Adware installed? Perhaps with the exception of the over-priced "business" editions? If so, I very much doubt it will make things cheaper for the consumer... It's all about pushing the envelope: how hard can you squeeze your customers and expect them to keep coming back?
By bundeling ad-ware with Works, it gives Ad-Ware a bad name ...
They should just change the name to MS dontWork...
Actually that should be the name of all there software...
Believe it or not, I have version 1.05 of MS Works. It runs on PC-DOS on my 286, and it's actually great, as it included a terminal emulator, which lets you use a modem to dial into another machine (or use a null-modem cable straight to another computer) and exchange data. If you set up another machine to be an internet gateway, Works becomes a useful, if rudimentary, way of accessing files on the internet on a computer from 1983.
Let's see Works 9 do that.
Take off every sig. For great justice.
You're right - there's no good reason - except the very small percentage of home users who actually KNOW OF Open Office let alone have the balls to download and install it.
:(
I imagine a national television ad here in the U.S would really change things. Imagine well-done commercial that touts, "The compatibility and familiarity of MS Office - but for free!"... I do believe things would shift; however, this is where being free shows its disadvantage because such commercials are very expensive. I think it would be interesting if OO or a representative for OO started a fund based on donations to put towards advertising.
Firefox makes a good example of what an incredible difference being in the spotlight makes. Do a search on Google and 'firefox' brings up 180,000,000 results - do a search on "Open Office" and you get a 'paltry' 2,360,000 results. Granted, Firefox hasn't had a television ad that I know of, but the program has generated a whole of lot buzz. I don't see OO generating that kind of buzz, unfortunately.
You might think adware laden office products are a good reason for huge OEMs like Dell to switch to OO by default, but then that of course cuts into their MS Office earnings and virtually no company with 'slim margins' wants to sacrifice that kind of mulah for the 'good of open-source software'.
Just thinkin' out loud...
Fact: Everything I say is fiction.
Last time I tried was about ten years ago. As I remember, I could not read works files with ms-office either.
I still look back on the day when I realized that MS Office had no support to read files from MSWorks 95. Nothing like lock-in for your lowest-end office application... *goes to check his install of Excel 2003* ...Yep, still limited as MS Works 2.0. A new record for shooting yourself in the foot. Can anyone tell me if there's support for that disaster of an application in OOo? My parents (and, therefore, I) would greatly appreciate knowing. Something that can convert files from that abomination into something read by a real office package in an automated fashion would be a godsend.
Sure I'm paranoid, but am I paranoid enough?
Carbon based humanoid in training.
Share & edit Works Word Processor and Spreadsheet files with Microsoft® Office Word and Microsoft® Office Excel and vice versa. *MS Office versions 97-2007 Microsoft Works 9
There is absolutely no good reason to continue using this crap, even if it's free.
There can be a reason if you are unfamiliar with - or uncomfortable with - what passes for home user support in open source.
When you are Microsoft you can afford to put up a bright, colorful, Works home page, post a quarterly newsletter, create unique, customized, tutorials, templates, clip art, fonts, etc.
There will no geek-speak, not the faintest whiff of the patronizing attitude that pisses off the "luser."
In open source, the public face of your project tends to look more like this or this.
once works no longer has cost, will dell lower the prices of the machines? I'm guessing they had to pay some sort of fee for works, even if only a few bucks.
And i will works had it's uses. More people have it then most think, since it's loaded crapware and they don't have anything better. I'm willing to be more junior high reports get in on works than anything else, shame the schools don't hand out open office cd's... now there's a thought, start a foundation to provide open office cd's to schools for free, they hand them out the students = market proliferation. OO may not be 100%, but to push FOSS, i'd donate to a charity or foundation. Would be pretty easy to setup a foundation now that I think about it, only cost would be a website , cd manufacturing and shipping, could use paypal and once you hit X amount of cash, place an order to have the CD's made, ship to school districts.
An I.T. motto in the hands of an idiot is a dangerous thing...
I think google uses standard file formats. Formats like .doc and .xls. Formats that be read by other applications.
This means that everyone using it will instantly be compatible with the majority of business users out there. As much as I am not a fan of the Office software, that's still important for a lot of people.
Will you not join me in linux now sabayon is my current fav. toay i reinstalled my xp that came with my computer then i pluged in my usb drive all my mp3 files were gone not untill i agreed to let ms use my data for there own means that the files magically reappered. fdisk c: echo y
This looks like a long-awaited feature to add to the portfolio of Microsoft Works, the oxymoron which many believe to be an office suite when it is in fact a piss you off enough to buy microsoft office suite. It probably only exists to make sure there is a clear "upgrade" path ("If Works doesn't then why not try Office?", rather than letting customers loose into the wild where they might happen upon a competing free product), and to cater to those who think (rightfully so) that word processing is a basic task for a computer to do these days and should come by default for free but without pissing off the OEMs and DoJ with forced Office preinstallation or reducing the cost of Office (which, along with Windows, keeps Microsoft afloat). (Seriously, I went to buy a mouse from a local computer shop recently and the guy running it took an age to explain to the woman in front of me why the computer she just bought can't do word processing, and that if she wanted it to she'd have to fork out a few hundred quid. I would've intervened with OpenOffice but I was with my girlfriend at the time and I try not to be too zealoty around her)
Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 for XP and Vista. #1 in software sales at Amazon.com.
Microsoft Works 8. #122.
The Print Shop 22 Deluxe for Windows. #240
Sun Star Office 8. #655
[Ratings August 2nd 4 PM ET]
After discounts, Star Office at $55 costs $15 more than Works 8.
Ill leave you to contemplate the realities of a home market that barely acknowledges Star Office's existence.
Holy Cow, was I the only one surprised to learn that MS even still made Works? I thought they had phased that suite out years ago. The last time I got a copy was literally in 1994 with my brand-new, kick-ass Packard Bell 486-SX25 (upgraded to a WHOPPING 8Mb of memory!).
SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
seriously, it isn't that bad of a package. It has really nice templates and works out well for someone that is new to computing and guides a person to create their first set of documents, banners, calendars, etc...
the only SERIOUS flaw that prevents a person from actually continuing to use it is when they need to share that information. SURE, that person could install a free PDF creator and email the PDF to their friends BUT that isn't exactly the crowd that Works is intended for.
If a person needs a computer and never needs to share a file then Works is quite a nice package.
As soon as that person needs to share that information they are pushed to MS Office... by design...
That being said, not everyone needs/cares to share their documents as their documents are for personal/home use...
Unlike the mess with OEM XP disks any version of Vista can be reinstalled with a generic "Windows Anytime Upgrade" disk. You might have to call MS for a key to activate (I had to) but it's a fairly painless under five minute call. It's a good way to clean out all the crapware that comes with prebuilt boxes these days since the WAU disk gives a very clean install.
What if MS put its money where its mouth is, cut off all the old shitty "Works formats", and let it export to ODF? Or would that be too drastic? I mean, OEMs don't really care about selling copies of Office (IIRC, doesn't get them any money unless it's a trial) but giving customers something to STFU would be beneficial...
I'm glad they're giving it away for free. Ads, not so much, but it kicks IE-preinstallation-methods's ass.
at a system level and therefore the ad deluge will be propagated to other applications. Then MS will claim that it can not be removed becuase this feature is part of the basic (Home) version of Windows ( ie business Windows is differnt and will not have this feature because business computers always have Office, of course).
I myself am not sure if this should be funny, scary, insightful or troll.
Something... from norton... used to fit on a floppy?
A single floppy?
Shirley you jest.
Works is crapware even WITHOUT the ads! Works should be given a quick, painless death and MS should move on.
When posting M$ bashing on /. you need to either post anonymously or say something real funny.
Otherwise the M$ fan boys will use their mod points to cut you down. If I had any at the moment I would have marked the parent post insightful. I wonder if M$ fanboys get paid to moderate on /.?
Works is a POS ware and M$ would be best just to drop it.
The beast shall slay itself.
Clearly, there is still a market for Works, even if it is mainly bundled with OEM installs. It's not a too much of a leap to suggest that future versions of Works resemble more like a service rather than a local application and it will then compete well with Google Docs and others. However, I don't see why people are complaining about software that they admit having *never used*, now becoming free with advertising. How is it hurting exactly and why would that force you to move to *nix? As an aside, I'm tired of the Borg-style Gates icon used whenever an MS item appears on /. It was funny for about 5 minutes but that was several years ago. Nobody would dare put an icon with an angel&halo + devil&fork with Job's face on both but we accept that the Ipod is now a ubiquitous dominating product and the Iphone will doubtless do the same on the crest of nothing put hype and very good marketing alone. It's time to move on...
So I am surprised to see such a blatant abuse now. I think it indicates how desperate MS is to find a new profitable product. While losses for xBox and Zune for year might exceed 2 billion, Google has shown that is it possible to make money pushing ads if you provide a service that people want. However, even with leveraging the desktop monopoly, MS has not been able to compete with google, at least not in the developed world.
I am waiting for Google to give up that silly office thing, get serious and push a whole OS and OpenOffice out to end users. They have the technical savvy, they could wipe Microsoft down to size in no time....imaginge all that Linux getting pushed to all those PCs that can't get XP any more. As no on wants Virus Infected Spyware Trojans and Ad-ware for such a limited product as works.... And if they manage it well, you don't have to worry about WinRot.
might be a bit of a clue, no?
MS Works came on most of the laptops I've bought and I can say with confidence that the uninstall function works just fine.
I have nothing against filling the harddrive with a bunch of shovelware as long as it uninstalls cleanly.
You are in a maze of twisty little passages, all alike.
Its a good thing that more honest, respectable companies like Google don't sink to Microsoft's level and develop ad supported applications that you can choose to use. It seems like that when Google comes out with something ad supported, its a "revolutionary web application", but when MS does, its adware.
THEIR their their their THEIR you ignorant git!
You can't take the sky from me.
Maybe MS should go the whole hog and rent space on the desktop too?
"Everything is adjustable, provided you have the right tools"
Microsoft To Try Works As Spyware
There, corrected that for you..
What's confounding to me is that, by default, Word cannot open a Works word processing document unless the Works Converter is also installed (according to the KB article above). The Works Converter is installed when Works is installed (Who installs Works and Office on the same PC?) or must be downloaded seperately. I'd expect an advanced word processor like Word to include "open/read" support of simple Works documents by default, but for some reason Word requires an additional add-on or download.
TO START
PRESS ANY KEY
Where's the 'ANY' key? I see Esk, Kitarl, and Pig-Up...
I always loved the product name "Microsoft Works".
It reminds me of those signs we see at the side of the road: "Road Works Ahead".
Which typically indicates that, in fact, the road ahead is not exactly in working order at all.
BEWARE ALL YE WHO ENTER HERE: MICROSOFT WORKS !
Hey MojoStan, hope you see this - I tried the AutoGK you suggested and my audio is terribly out of sync with my video - same problem I've been having with other re-encoders. I can play the .vob files just fine, but when converted into a .avi the audio and video are way out of sync. I did a single-pass encoding. Any suggestions?
Steve
A work that expires before its copyright never enters the public domain and thus enjoys eternal copyright protection.