Ballmer: Don't Expect Simpler Licensing Soon

nk497 writes "Steve Ballmer has admitted Microsoft's licensing is too complicated and contains too much fine print, but has no plans to change it at the risk of angering shareholders — and even customers who benefit from the confusion. "I'm sure we have fine print we don't need. We're not saints," he said, adding that customers have a way of figuring out how to pay the least amount of cash possible to use Microsoft's software. "Customers always find an approach which pays us less money.""

Comments

Re:Ballmer: "We're not saints"

[CodingHero]

When was the last time you felt like you actually own a Microsoft software product . .

No end user OWNS any software he/she buys anymore. Everything is licensed. This software ownership you speak of is so 1980s.

Wow, Microsoft is trying a new approach

[kimvette]

I, for one, am impressed with this new approach Microsoft is taking. Maybe with Apple's engaging in deceptive and anticompetitive marketing methods, Microsoft saw Apple taking tricks from their play book, so it was time for a new plan.

As you're probably aware, Microsoft has long since peaked. The only place they could go was down - and they have been, what with Vista being an epic fail, Office 2007's ribbon with no menu alternative alienating users, and the "vista compatible" debacle. Microsoft is desperate. Maybe they finally realized this: when all else fails, they could try the honest approach. That's right: honesty is Microsoft's new policy, to distinguish themselves from Apple.