Fee for MS Office 2007 beta
p2pnet.net News:- Bill and the Boyz say so many people have downloaded the Office 2007 beta that starting on August 2, they’re going to start charging to cover server costs – $1.50 per, to be exact.
“The company claims this is the result of the success of the trial – 3m people have downloaded the software,” says The Register, going on:
“A statement sent to the Reg reads: ‘We are thrilled with the incredible excitement around the upcoming 2007 Microsoft Office system as evident by more than 3m people using the beta 2 since its release two months ago. Having exceeded our beta 2 participation goals by 500 per cent, we have had to make the business decision to implement a cost recovery measure for future downloads of beta 2 beginning 2 August, 2006′.”
But anyone in Oz who wants it give it a whirl will shortly be out of luck.
“As Microsoft moves to start charging for Office 2007 beta downloads in the US, its Australian subsidiary has decided to disable the service tomorrow,” says ZDNet Australia.
Microsoft Australia, “will be closing the Australian download site for Office 2007 Beta 2 on 1st August 2006,” the story has the company’s Robin Young saying.
“Australians have been able to participate in the Office 2007 Beta 2 programme for the past three months and during this time, Microsoft Australia has experienced an overwhelming response – to the point where the programme in Australia is now full,” he states.
Also See:
The Register – Microsoft to charge for Office betas, July 31, 2006
ZDNet Australia – Microsoft closes Office beta service for Australians, July 31, 2006
p2pnet newsfeeds for your site.
rss feed: http://p2pnet.net/p2p.rss
Mobile – http://p2pnet.net/index-wml.php
July 31st, 2006 at 12:51 pm
Its bad enough to pay outrageous amounts for bug ridden microsoft products … but to have to pay to download buggy beta software …. microsoft should be paying the downloaders as they will be testing the software… not the other way around.
July 31st, 2006 at 2:23 pm
Once again, M$ has shot themselves in the foot (hopefully with a Remington SP-10, using cylinder-bore).
July 31st, 2006 at 6:02 pm
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 Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary – Beta 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>
Iâm 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, âscrew itâ when thinking about upgrading.
More short term thinking, but then, thatâs all Microsoft has, isnât it?
http://imguessingblog.blogspot.com
imguessingblog@gmail.com