Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Microsoft Restores Transfer Rights To Office 2013

Posted by Soulskill on from the putting-right-what-once-went-wrong dept.

New submitter gewalker writes "Bowing to significant unfriendly customer feedback regarding its new 'no transfer' license for Office 2013, Microsoft has reconsidered and will now allow Office 2013 licenses to be transferred between computers. Actual license language will not be reflected for a few months for shipped products, but Microsoft will allow transfer of license effective immediately. Calls to customer support will be necessary, as the activation servers won't be updated for a few months."

10 of 130 comments (clear)

  1. Great by dreamchaser · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This is a step in the right direction. Now if only unfriendly customer feedback would get them to retract Metro we'll really be in business.

    Seriously though, how obvious was it that there would be a huge negative reaction to the change of licensing terms for Office? As usually, the more MBA's you get involved in things the dumber the collective IQ of an organization gets.

    1. Re:Great by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      When you have this kind of marketshare you keep pushing to the edge until consumers make you stop. Its all about trying to get away with as much as possible.

    2. Re:Great by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

      The more I see of metro, the more I like it.

      On touchscreen devices.
      The person that suggested using it on things that do not have a touch screen should still be shot.

    3. Re:Great by Looker_Device · · Score: 5, Funny

      Ah, Clippy--the Jar Jar Binks of software.

      --
      Your political party doesn't care about your rights and only represents corporate interests.
    4. Re:Great by sdnoob · · Score: 5, Funny

      and it will be called..

      wait for it...

      WINDOWS RETRO

    5. Re:Great by symbolset · · Score: 4, Funny

      Oh, I adore Metro. It's just the thing to catapult Microsoft operating systems into the kind of market share they deserve.

      --
      Help stamp out iliturcy.
  2. Fucking sleazebags by NettiWelho · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Trying to chip away customers rights at every chance and backing away only when the blowback gets unbearable, just to wait for another chance.

  3. Hooray! Now, about the Windows 8 problem... by mschaffer · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Maybe more rational thinking is returning to the Big M.
    Now, if only they would rethink the Windows 8 mess on desktops.

  4. Colin Chapman by ThatsNotPudding · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Seriously though, how obvious was it that there would be a huge negative reaction to the change of licensing terms for Office?

    It's like how Colin Chapman designed car frames: keep taking out pieces until it collapses under its own weight. Put the last piece back in. Do something outrageous and walk it back just one step, getting almost all of what you wanted.

    Simple Business Sociopathy 101.

  5. Re:Several months? by BLToday · · Score: 4, Informative

    Or in my case the serial number provided by Asus on the laptop doesn't work, so you end up on the phone with Microsoft for 1/2 hour trying to convince some guy that you're just install a new hard drive. And he says the license is not transferable onto the new hard drive. Then you say it's a laptop, it's the same laptop, the drive failed so I put in a new drive. Finally, after talking to his supervisor he gives you a code. Then you're kinda of done except for the hours of updates to follow a clean install.