New Microsoft patent!It appears that Microsoft is looking for a continuing revenue stream similar to what cellphone companies get.
From Computerworld:
Microsoft specs out 'pay as you go' PC scheme
Files patent for metering hardware capabilities but admits overall cost 'may be higher'
Microsoft's plan would ... monitor the machine to track things such as disk storage space, processor cores and memory used, then bill the user for what was consumed during a set period.
Overall costs 'may be higher'. Hmm.
From
Channelweb:
1. The Road Has Run Out On Microsoft's Traditional Software Licensing Business Model.
For years, big businesses have bought costly Microsoft software licenses that provided them a pathway to free upgrades. The problem is Microsoft either never delivered a viable upgrade or businesses underestimated the heavy cost of upgrading beyond the software license.
Not delivering a viable upgrade
can be a problem.
Also, these bullet points from the ChannelWeb article:
2. The Pay As You Go Model Makes Microsoft The Sole Toll Taker.
3. Microsoft Wants Your Credit Card.
4. Google Is Eating Microsoft's Breakfast, Lunch And Dinner.
5. Microsoft Wants To Control The Horizontal And Vertical Of Your Internet Experience.
Lots of amusing comments at the
Computerworld comment thread for this story.
posted by Quiddity at 12/30/2008 08:30:00 AM
So I'm supposed to pay to allow Microsoft to charge me for using my own computer?
For an extra fee, can I be their bitch too?
Hopefully Microsoft is exploring offering online services like Gmail, Apple's dotMac, and even blogger.com where customers could use resources which would not make sense for most individuals to own or maintain.
Personally, I would like to be able to periodically use high-end audio editing software, but I don't need it enough to purchase a copy of such software for myself.
Trouble is finding the killer app that will make this business successful.
If Microsoft is looking to implement a business model in the manner which is being mocked, I suspect little would make Steve Jobs happier.
Steve Jobs is quitting anyway.
I remember this from the 1970s, it was called timesharing. Makes perfect sense to extend that model to an online only model where local systems are little more than smart terminals.
Will it happen? No, of course not.
