Solid State Notebooks, Also Linux

superscaper

asininity wrote: »

They're thinking about doing with home users and commercial users of their office software, you pay for the software (less than what you currently pay for it) then you pay a subscription charge each year as well.

Depending on how they expand it in the future and how often they introduce upgrades, the pricing structure seems quite reasonable to me. It's actually less than many security suite packages (approx. £35/year). So it's kind of like paying for MS's security (OneCare) subscriptions and getting Office Home & Student as a bonus. Plus it's licensed for 3 PCs. In fact it's only a few pounds more than the retail subscription of OneCare on its own, they're just essentially throwing Office H & S in there as well. We're not used to subscription office apps but maybe it's not such a bad idea. In fact I think my web host (Fasthosts) already offers Office on an annual subscription service.

[Deleted User]

superscaper wrote: »

Depending on how they expand it in the future and how often they introduce upgrades, the pricing structure seems quite reasonable to me. It's actually less than many security suite packages (approx. £35/year). So it's kind of like paying for MS's security (OneCare) subscriptions and getting Office Home & Student as a bonus. Plus it's licensed for 3 PCs. In fact it's only a few pounds more than the retail subscription of OneCare on its own, they're just essentially throwing Office H & S in there as well. We're not used to subscription office apps but maybe it's not such a bad idea. In fact I think my web host (Fasthosts) already offers Office on an annual subscription service.

With the Office plans I think it's going to be a great move for Microsoft to retain more home customers using Office. If you look at the normal retail price, assuming you don't fall under the umbrella of any academic/public service entitlements, then it is unfavourably expensive and you're faced with either a) pirating it or b) moving to an open source equivilent.

Making the product affordable, ignoring total cost of ownership, but being able to spread payments out etc makes it easier and more likely that a customer will stick with what they know and use at work etc.

I know there's a lot of uproar over Sass, but I think for the majority of home users it will be a good thing. The only ones who will really not benefit are the people who would obtain software illegally and might have to stump up cash for it now

asininity

@ SS

Hey, not saying its a bad idea at all just saying that making people pay upfront as well is a bit steep. Essentially subscription stuff like this is the way linux works.

Then theres the rumours about everything moving online (google) or even super apps that encompass many things something like firefox with office addons etc that don't need stand alone apps, M$ is playing catchup as it has been for a while now.

@ be_alright

Not to mention that in the long run M$ make a hell of a lot more money through subscription than one off payments and that they then have to persuade to upgrade.

superscaper

asininity wrote: »

@ SS

Hey, not saying its a bad idea at all just saying that making people pay upfront as well is a bit steep. Essentially subscription stuff like this is the way linux works.

But it's only the 1st year's subscription you pay up front. You're not paying £35 and then another £35 for the subscription part. It's just £35 and that covers you for 12 months. Just like any other subscription software.

[Deleted User]

asininity wrote: »

@ SS

Hey, not saying its a bad idea at all just saying that making people pay upfront as well is a bit steep. Essentially subscription stuff like this is the way linux works.

Then theres the rumours about everything moving online (google) or even super apps that encompass many things something like firefox with office addons etc that don't need stand alone apps, M$ is playing catchup as it has been for a while now.

@ be_alright

Not to mention that in the long run M$ make a hell of a lot more money through subscription than one off payments and that they then have to persuade to upgrade.

It's just the way things work, for example I play a lot of World of Warcraft. I had to buy the game £34.99 on release iirc and then pay £8.99 each month to play it. Personally, I don't see much of a problem with this method with Office, especially when you compare it to paying £249 in one lump for the product. By anyone's standards, that is an awful lot of money to lay down on one purchase, especially when Dave down the pub can get you it for free . I don't think Microsoft have released the full details of the subscription, but for example £40 outright and then £5 a month really is quite reasonable and I think a large majority of people would rather keep to something like that than break the law.

Content delivery online really is where everything is heading. It doesn't make sense for a lot of things to actually have a physical product anymore, well in the Western world (ignoring the up and coming third world) where we have decent enough internet connections to support it. I'd rather purchase software online, download it to my machine and if need be to then put it on a disc myself than have a box with a key and a manual that sits on a shelf and never gets looked at again, not to mention a waste of resources in actually manufacturing it anyway. It's how I've been using various subscriptions to MSDN for nearly seven years now.

superscaper

asininity wrote: »

and that they then have to persuade to upgrade.

Not sure what you mean by this. All future upgrades are included in the subscription.

superscaper

be_alright wrote: »

It's just the way things work, for example I play a lot of World of Warcraft. I had to buy the game £34.99 on release iirc and then pay £8.99 each month to play it. Personally, I don't see much of a problem with this method with Office, especially when you compare it to paying £249 in one lump for the product. By anyone's standards, that is an awful lot of money to lay down on one purchase, especially when Dave down the pub can get you it for free . I don't think Microsoft have released the full details of the subscription, but for example £40 outright and then £5 a month really is quite reasonable and I think a large majority of people would rather keep to something like that than break the law.

It's actually $69.99 to buy the software and that INCLUDES the 12 months subscription, so there's no separate product price and subscription price. (http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Microsoft-Equipt-882224711456/sem/rpsm/oid/215372/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do). I presume the subscription renewal price will be the same. It certainly won't be more than that (unless they raise the prices of the package in the first place).

[Deleted User]

superscaper wrote: »

It's actually $69.99 to buy the software and that INCLUDES the 12 months subscription, so there's no separate product price and subscription price. (http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Microsoft-Equipt-882224711456/sem/rpsm/oid/215372/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do). I presume the subscription renewal price will be the same. It certainly won't be more than that (unless they raise the prices of the package in the first place).

I'd read a bulletin about it somewhere, but at that price you can't complain.

asininity

Firstly guys I'm not against what they're doing its they're job thats what they're meant to do, online is the way things are going definitely, if M$ ignored it like they did at the start (from which they're still catching up) they'd go under.

Subscriptions makes a lot of sense for big software companies.

@ SS

I haven't looked at in a while so it seems like they coming to their senses a bit, £35 is ok, (EDIT: even £70 doesn't sound that bad) microsoft always did look to the long term. Maybe they'll treat their customers a bit better with subscription based payment.

The bit you quoted is saying thats they way the do it now, one off payments that when they update things they have to persuade people to buy the updated version (ie office 2003 to 2007, xp to vista, etc) not how they'd do it with subscriptions.

Personally I wouldn't pay it openoffice does me fine.

[Deleted User]

It comes with upgrades at no additional costs on top of the subscription. I'd expect this to come in around £50-60 if/when it hits the UK after taking into account VAT etc.

I have given Open Office a try before, but I can't get used to it. I've been using Office 2007 for a while now and the new interface and general appearence of the program sets it miles apart from OO. Different strokes for different folks though.