Microsoft plans next week to charge a nominal fee for Office 2007 Beta 2 downloads, a move that runs counter to the practice held by most software companies.
Consumers who download the 2007 Microsoft Office system Beta 2 will be charged $1.50 per download, beginning next Wednesday at 6 p.m. PDT, a Microsoft representative said.
"Since the end of May, Beta 2 has been downloaded more than 3 million times...That's 500 percent more than what was expected," the representative said. "The fee helps offset the cost of downloading from the servers."
Although Microsoft's Information Worker Product Management Group decided to initiate a fee for new users of Beta 2, the "technical refresh," or update, for current users of the software will remain free, the representative said.
Those who want to test drive Beta 2 to see how it works can access the software for free. But if they want to test it against their internal systems, a download or the CD is required.
The fee marks the first time Microsoft has charged for a download version of an Office beta, the representative said, noting that customers have long had to pay the shipping and handling costs for CD versions of betas.
One article today quotes Robbie Bach's intention to spend Microsoft's money until the cows come home in order to outspend Apple - all in the name of winning the portable media player crown.
This article quotes a Microsoft representative claiming that the $1.50/download of Office is being done to defray costs.
Even better - neither of your completely non-critical articles says anything about Microsoft's prior predatory business practices or their willingness to use their massive Office and Windows-funded piggy bank as a resource for beating up on the superior competition.
Along with yesterday's press-release rewrite - uh, I mean blog post about how wonderful Intel's core 2 Duo is, is there anything News.com can be critical about except for Apple?
I think the answer has a lot to do with who buys ad space on your web site.
Serious, what are they offsetting costs from? The billions of dollars that the company is worth and that this is just MS's way of sticking it to the guy that just wants to see if they want to fork over $200-300 bucks for the real version?. A $1.50, what the hell does that cover? I guess if you add it together its a couple of cups of Starbucks in the morning for Mr. Gates and his cronies. Or maybe its offset the costs of MSNTV, we all know how well that turned out. Expect more of the same.
MS is currently undergoing that Six Sigma... They are cutting and saving everywhere, including the Janitorial team that clean their toilets and the security guard that guard their buildings. It's very cheap, I feel sorry for the people that work there.
lol
If you are laughing as hard as I am right about now, don't think that I am kidding.
This is unbelievable. Microsoft should be paying beta testers for helping find bugs and providing feedback. This move was no doubt initiated by some MS beancounter who has no concept of customer goodwill/relations. Considering that office can cost £400 a copy this totally sucks. If MS had a patent for fresh air they would charge for breathing.
Anyone that pays money for a Beta is just plain stupid
Typical Microsoft BS, they make people pay for their crappy software. They can't even make their OS secure and virus free. 150,000 viruses and counting. I wonder how many bad lines of code in Vista and Office. I think Microsoft should be broken up. Ballmer is out of his cotten picking mind to charge for beta software, but I guess there are idiots out there that will pay for it.
Microsoft can expect a significant reduction in server requests now, maybe as little as .... 0. I usually do not like to bash Microsoft but c'mon this really is pathetic.
will NEED that money to offset the 100 millions that they intend to lose over the next 5 years on Zune! Why should they pay for their stupidity when consumers and investors can?
Microsoft must be really having to cut back after its profit fell 24% in the second quarter. I was about to criticize the company for making people pay for a buggy product that might crash their computer, but then I realized that's their business model.
I just did a quick msn search of the site microsoft.com and it can't find anything about charging for a beta. Is there any reliable source that can confirm this?
I'd deem the download worth the buck and a half, if in some way it had elements of flip3d in it. I just love that gimmicky Vista eye candy stuff, even down to the name.
Say it with me. Flliiiiippp Thhhreeeeee DEeeeeeee!
Paying for beta download for software that is 'timebombed'?
Is MicroSoft nuts? Or just that greedy?
Office 2007 Beta clearly states that it will no longer or have limited function after February 2007 (or at least that is what it says on the CD of it I got with my PC World magazine).
Jeeze, I would suggest anyone who wants to try the Beta version get the magazine. At least you get a good read along with it.
The ones who have this hate-love affair with Microsoft more than deserve it, you created the mounster. There are other Operating Systems and office products for free that work well (more secure and stable than MS) if you use MS is because you want. You have to enjoy the abuse, the constant problems, the trojan horses, spyware, the miners, worms, viruses.
If on top that, knowing the security issues of MS Office Products you feel is worth it to install it in your machine, the small fee is nothing compared to what the risk of using it can cost you.
>MS is because you want. You have to enjoy the abuse, the constant problems, the trojan horses, spyware, the miners, worms, viruses.<
What a bunch of nonsense. I have been using Intel machines since the pre-windows days of DOS, and have never had any of those. As for WinXT itself, it just works... :-)
People are clueless about how large companys work.
Just because a company is sucessful like microsoft, doesn't mean divisions are free to overspend their budgets.
If the people who are running the office Beta was given 500 million to do this, and it costs 600 million, it wont hurt microsofts bottom line very much, but whoever is in charge might not have a job as long.
Each Division/Project will have a budget, to insure maximum profitablity for the company, overall you wont notice money being drained out of 13 billion dollars in profit, but the way you make it so high is by not letting everyone leak a little bit of money.
Well, I have to say that I don't think Microsoft Office is anywhere near a "bad" product, but it would be nice to see some more competition. As much as I'd >LOVE< to see Open Office there, from what I've seen when using it (got it right here on my Mac), it just doesn't seem to be there yet. Will it be? I certainly hope it will - and soon!
And heck, if Open Office is suited well for your needs, then there's no question it would be ridiculous to pay God knows how much for Microsoft Office.
I will say that this is pretty petty of them, to charge for Office Beta downloads.
Charles R. Whealton Charles Whealton @ pleasedontspam.com
With all the billions of dollars that MS makes in profits, and all the billions that Bill and Melinda give away, they think they have to charge $1.50 to download the Office Beta? They're out of their fricking minds. Can everyone spell G-R-E-E-D?
Bad testers, those who wouldn't be willing to put the time and effort into testing, may not pay the $1.50, so I can see this as an effort for such. But, then again, $1.50 isn't enough to dissuade people from downloading and not testing the product. They should at least offer a 10% discount if you paid + tested, or give you your 1.50 back at the end of the process. Normally they have to pay their own testing team, so I'm not sure how I feel about forcing consumers to pay for downloads.
Every week now it seems, we here another story regarding some sort of public relations miscue by Microsoft. The latest involves Microsoft charging to download their beta version of Office 2007. Not only can you help troubleshoot their buggy software, you can also forfeit some of your hard earned money (not to mention dignity), to do it.
When I first heard of this I had to quick click <a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/beta" target="_newWindow">http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/beta</a> to review the definition, because obviously it changed without me knowing it. Surprise, surprise to find out it reads like this: a nearly complete prototype of a product (as software) <released in beta> <the beta version>
Im all for programmers & software companies making a good, even obscene financial living, if it delivers a quality product which infinitely makes my life better & easier. A product by the way, that is complete, stable and with as few bugs as possible (as there is no such thing as bug-free software). What part of this description fits MS Office 2007 beta?
Every week, the world is moving closer & closer to an Internet-centric planet, and every week, Microsoft tries to convince us to keep using & propagating 20th century technology. Every $1.50 fee they collect for their beta download, will keep at least one other consumer or business customer from trying it.
Every customer that refuses to pay for beta software, not because $1.50 is a lot of money, but because Microsoft is trying to change the rules so they can win (taking their ball & going home), is another customer who might just decide, screw it when thinking about upgrading.
More short term thinking, but then, thats all Microsoft has, isnt it?
Im Guessing <a class="jive-link-external" href="http://imguessingblog.blogspot.com" target="_newWindow">http://imguessingblog.blogspot.com</a> imguessingblog@gmail.com
Web giant is spending $120 million to beef up its Mountain View, Calif., headquarters, according to filings with the city reviewed by the San Jose Mercury News.
Tor's "obfsproxy" technology would make encrypted data look innocuous and let it dodge government censors. That could help citizens in Iran reach blocked sites as antigovernment protests reportedly loom.
MIT creates a simulation to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Spacewar. A relic of the early days of minicomputers, it was one of the first computer video games and set the stage for many others, including Asteroids.
George Lucas has just released his version of "Star Wars" in 3D, but c'mon--the guy believes Greedo shot first. Why not make your own Star Wars world? In the first installment of a Crave series, a crack team of crafters fight the power and turn paper bags into the Rebel Alliance's Admiral Ackbar. It's a sack!
Microsoft's money until the cows come home in order to
outspend Apple - all in the name of winning the portable media
player crown.
This article quotes a Microsoft representative claiming that the
$1.50/download of Office is being done to defray costs.
Even better - neither of your completely non-critical articles
says anything about Microsoft's prior predatory business
practices or their willingness to use their massive Office and
Windows-funded piggy bank as a resource for beating up on the
superior competition.
Along with yesterday's press-release rewrite - uh, I mean blog
post about how wonderful Intel's core 2 Duo is, is there anything
News.com can be critical about except for Apple?
I think the answer has a lot to do with who buys ad space on
your web site.
And they're just SO strapped for cash, aren't they?
that the company is worth and that this is just MS's way of sticking
it to the guy that just wants to see if they want to fork over
$200-300 bucks for the real version?.
A $1.50, what the hell does that cover? I guess if you add it
together its a couple of cups of Starbucks in the morning for Mr.
Gates and his cronies. Or maybe its offset the costs of MSNTV, we
all know how well that turned out. Expect more of the same.
lol
If you are laughing as hard as I am right about now, don't think that I am kidding.
software. They can't even make their OS secure and virus free.
150,000 viruses and counting. I wonder how many bad lines of
code in Vista and Office. I think Microsoft should be broken up.
Ballmer is out of his cotten picking mind to charge for beta
software, but I guess there are idiots out there that will pay for it.
product is buying a beta.
I can't believe a company would charge someone to beta test their software.
Shouldn't that be the other way around? If these people are in effect doing work for MS, then shouldn't MS pay THEM?
Seems to me MS should pay everyone who downloads and tests their beta software $1.50.
Talk about suckers....
Merg
lose over the next 5 years on Zune! Why should they pay for their
stupidity when consumers and investors can?
People who like to beta test and have the know how wont mind as much paying money to see a sneak preview and use and influence its release.
2.83b $ profit just not enough any more?
had elements of flip3d in it. I just love that gimmicky Vista eye
candy stuff, even down to the name.
Say it with me. Flliiiiippp Thhhreeeeee DEeeeeeee!
Now who doesn't thinks thats cool?
Office 2007 Beta clearly states that it will no longer or have limited function after February 2007 (or at least that is what it says on the CD of it I got with my PC World magazine).
Jeeze, I would suggest anyone who wants to try the Beta version get the magazine. At least you get a good read along with it.
If on top that, knowing the security issues of MS Office Products you feel is worth it to install it in your machine, the small fee is nothing compared to what the risk of using it can cost you.
What a bunch of nonsense. I have been using Intel machines since the pre-windows days of DOS, and have never had any of those. As for WinXT itself, it just works... :-)
If the people who are running the office Beta was given 500 million to do this, and it costs 600 million, it wont hurt microsofts bottom line very much, but whoever is in charge might not have a job as long.
Each Division/Project will have a budget, to insure maximum profitablity for the company, overall you wont notice money being drained out of 13 billion dollars in profit, but the way you make it so high is by not letting everyone leak a little bit of money.
near a "bad" product, but it would be nice to see some more
competition. As much as I'd >LOVE< to see Open Office there,
from what I've seen when using it (got it right here on my Mac),
it just doesn't seem to be there yet. Will it be? I certainly hope it
will - and soon!
And heck, if Open Office is suited well for your needs, then
there's no question it would be ridiculous to pay God knows how
much for Microsoft Office.
I will say that this is pretty petty of them, to charge for Office
Beta downloads.
Charles R. Whealton
Charles Whealton @ pleasedontspam.com
How about they pay us $1.50 each time outlook 2007 crashes and Drwatson sends a report back to them.
Why cant they use bit torrent to distribute their flaky software ;) that we are making better for THEM.
Best,
-Auri
Why not charge the download fee, but offer to refund it if the user finds, say 10 confermed bugs, or something else to better the product.
That way you encourage people to annilize the product and work to better it.
If not a refund, how about a credit on other products or something.
When I first heard of this I had to quick click <a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/beta" target="_newWindow">http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/beta</a> to review the definition, because obviously it changed without me knowing it. Surprise, surprise to find out it reads like this: a nearly complete prototype of a product (as software) <released in beta> <the beta version>
Im all for programmers & software companies making a good, even obscene financial living, if it delivers a quality product which infinitely makes my life better & easier. A product by the way, that is complete, stable and with as few bugs as possible (as there is no such thing as bug-free software). What part of this description fits MS Office 2007 beta?
Every week, the world is moving closer & closer to an Internet-centric planet, and every week, Microsoft tries to convince us to keep using & propagating 20th century technology. Every $1.50 fee they collect for their beta download, will keep at least one other consumer or business customer from trying it.
Every customer that refuses to pay for beta software, not because $1.50 is a lot of money, but because Microsoft is trying to change the rules so they can win (taking their ball & going home), is another customer who might just decide, screw it when thinking about upgrading.
More short term thinking, but then, thats all Microsoft has, isnt it?
Im Guessing
<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://imguessingblog.blogspot.com" target="_newWindow">http://imguessingblog.blogspot.com</a>
imguessingblog@gmail.com
Go to demonoid.com, bitme.org, torrentleech.com or other torrent sites.
Also, go to www.phazeddl.com and search for it, you'll get it off warez! OR use limewire, kazza, warez p2p or anything.
**** microsoft