It's not the company's main focus these days, but Microsoft does still offer a paid service called MSN Premium, which offering services like a phishing filter and parental controls.
The thing is, most of the product's "premium" features are available for free in some form via Windows, Windows Live, or both.
Enthusiast site Windows Secrets thought it was time to point this fact out to the people who are paying Microsoft as much as $10 a month for MSN Premium. Of the 21 features Microsoft touts, Windows Secrets figures only one or two aren't available for free in the same or similar form.
It's unclear how many people are actually paying Microsoft these days for MSN Premium. Many of those who subscribe to MSN Premium get it not by paying Microsoft directly, but rather because the software maker has a deal with their Internet service provider. So they may not be getting much, but they probably aren't paying anything extra either.
For me, this all points to the fact that Microsoft has some legacy issues it needs to deal with and highlights the benefit that the Microsoft vs. Google war is having for consumers.- prev
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