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Microsoft "Albany" Offers Office and Security as Subscription
News.com is reporting that Microsoft has confirmed a subscription service is in the works for the next consumer version of their Office Suite. "Code-named Albany, the product has a single installer that puts Office Home and Student, OneCare, as well as a host of Windows Live services, onto a user's PC. As long as users keep paying for the subscription, they are entitled to the latest versions of the products. Once they stop paying, they lose the right to use any version."
We'll charge nothing at all for linux and open office, and you're entitled to all upgrades for free.
But as long as you save in OOXML you can always read your data ... it's an ISO standard!
the state capital of NY, it'll cost a lot of money, spend years trying to accomplish anything, and work only part of the year.
...the balkanization of software.
Fleur de Sel
Given the wildly unsuccessful way that people took to subscription music services, I can see this being as successful as, say, the Zune.
Where the frack do you rent a dictionary? Wouldn't borrowing one at the library be easier?
i thought once I was found, but it was only a dream.
I stopped reading at the part where you talked about their suppository continuing to inch upwards. I don't care how great a piece of software is, but that is a definite no-go. Ouch.
This bears repeating.
Thats an annoying bear.
If you don't know what AltaVista is (was), get off my lawn.
(Apparently; currently the survey on the page says 41% prefer the traditional way of buying Office, 38.5% would rather not buy it at all, and 20.5% think it sounds better).
Well, it looks like Slashdotters have been voting--now it's 42.2% would rather use a free alternative, 39% want Office traditional and 18.9% cough*idiots*cough think it sounds appealing.
Oh, and then there's this:
Those who subscribe to Albany will also get several free Microsoft products pushed onto their desktop--including online document-sharing product Office Live Workspace, Windows Live Messenger, Windows Live Photo Gallery, and Windows Live Mail.
Great...program spam! I can see Clippy now, "I can see you need to use one of our other products. Here, I'll just fill up your hard drive with it!" Plonk!
If you've never been modded as "flamebait" or "troll," you've never tried to argue a minority viewpoint here!
If this software is pirated only pirates will have software! Yarrr!
Oh that's BS. That's like saying I am culpable for giving a convicted armed robber a gun and he went and robbed someon...
Wait. Fuck.
No sig for you!!
Once Albany populates the search engine indexes, it is going to be really fun looking for things locally!
"Albany window repair"
"Microsoft Albany repair corrupt files <technet.microsoft.com>"
"Hot dogs in Albany"
"Albany is about as useful as a hot dog dropped on the floor <technet.microsoft.com>"
"Used Cars in Albany"
"Microsoft Chairman Gates is now selling used cars after the failure of Microsoft Albany <slashdot.org>"