Re: ZDNet: Story: Subscribe to Office? What would you pay? Let's tell MS!
On Monday 29 January 2001 13:19, Fred A. Miller wrote:
http://www.zdnet.com/anchordesk/stories/story/0,10738,2679248,00.ht ml
I read it. Dave Coursey, the Exec Editor, is actually floating a subscription trial baloon for Microsoft, and in doing so is being nothing more than a psychophant, helping M$ in their quest to determine the maximum amount of squeeze they can apply to a devoted Office user. I read most of the responses. Some were obvious Penquinistas, but most appeared to be Office users and without exception all were negative to the idea. Most said they would choose another product. Some offered their ideas as to how M$ would do it - Sell the base product (with built in time bomb) and rent the 'upgrades', which would deactive the time bomb for another year. None mentioned the possibility that M$ would be charging rent for all of the components of Office, not the whole package. Also, no one seemed to consider that their "rental fees' for several M$ products could become very substantial. A couple encouraged M$ to go to subscriptions, suggesting it would begin the mass migration to LInux. I think M$ sees a window of opportunity to hook folks into the subscription model, by way of data trapping (I can't switch because all my data is in formats that can't be switched to other products), before KOffice and StarOffice become equal to or better than Office on most fronts. That point is probably with a year. I think many will be surprised to know how useful SO5.2 *already* is on the Linux OS, and KOffice is not far behind. JLK -- Scientific theories, according to Sir Karl Popper, can be "falsified," or proven wrong, by experiment. Unscientific theories -Marxist dialectical history and Freudian psychology were Popper's favorites- are formed in such a way that they cannot be falsified by data.
I think many will be surprised to know how useful SO5.2 *already*
Although, in comparison to MS Office, StarOffice has a looooong way to go still. It's actually slower and more of a resource hog (in my experience than Office 2000), and it isn't as polished. Although if KOffice would just get MS filters that worked well for both import and export, I think there would be some real competition... -Tim ----------------------------------------------------------------- Timothy R. Butler Universal Networks Information Tech. Consultant Christian Web Services Since 1996 ICQ #12495932 AIM: Uninettm An Authorized IPSwitch Reseller tbutler@uninetsolutions.com http://www.uninetsolutions.com ============== "Information Powered by Innovation" ==============
(See my mail earlier on the list as well) On Tuesday 30 January 2001 00:31, you wrote:
I think many will be surprised to know how useful SO5.2 *already*
Although, in comparison to MS Office, StarOffice has a looooong way to go still. It's actually slower and more of a resource hog (in my experience than Office 2000), and it isn't as polished. Although if KOffice would just get MS filters that worked well for both import and export, I think there would be some real competition...
-Tim
The koffice applications would like to get assistance from people developing filters from MS to the koffice XML format. Any one on the list that can provide a hand (see http://www.koffice.org/filters)? -- Richard Bos For those who have no (/)home the journey is endless
**strings of ones and zeros arranged themselves into a message from Jerry Kreps <jerrykreps@jlkreps.net> on Mon, 29 Jan 2001 17:11:27 -0600 which said... **I think M$ sees a window of opportunity to hook folks into the subscription model, **by way of data trapping This is not a new idea for the M$ clan. BillG, and otehrs floated this more than 10 years ago at a conference. it went over w/ a thud! My objections to the entire project are, I buy my software in a box w/ the allged "materials" adn I should be entitled to use that product for as long as it will run on the operating system! ALso, as mentioned previously, often the new versions wont let you use your old files. I strongly suspect M$ will expand this , to be certain you "upgrade" . ANd BTW you will probably , in future be required to store your work product on M$'s .net , where you will lose control over it . Out of town on the day your subscriptions dies? Too bad, wire us the ransom imediately. You need those pleedings for deathpenalty case? Too bad, no money today, no files tomorrow! I'm sure there will be a lot of interesting variations on that theme. OTH, it might bring about the largest class action suit in history!! Blondely j afterthought: i souport publik edekashun.
On Monday 29 January 2001 18:36, jfweber@eternal.net wrote:
<snip> ANd BTW you will probably , in future be required to store your work product on M$'s .net , where you will lose control over it . Out of town on the day your subscriptions dies? Too bad, wire us the ransom imediately. You need those pleedings for deathpenalty case? Too bad, no money today, no files tomorrow! I'm sure there will be a lot of interesting variations on that theme. OTH, it might bring about the largest class action suit in history!! Blondely
And/or the largest mass mirgration in computer history! -- Scientific theories, according to Sir Karl Popper, can be "falsified," or proven wrong, by experiment. Unscientific theories -Marxist dialectical history and Freudian psychology were Popper's favorites- are formed in such a way that they cannot be falsified by data.
I will not "subscribe" to any software, no matter what OS it is. But, surprise, SO5.2 is also available for Windoze, so there is no longer any reason to use Office. At any price. M Wendall ========= Jerry Kreps wrote:
On Monday 29 January 2001 13:19, Fred A. Miller wrote:
http://www.zdnet.com/anchordesk/stories/story/0,10738,2679248,00.ht ml
I read it. Dave Coursey, the Exec Editor, is actually floating a subscription trial baloon for Microsoft, and in doing so is being nothing more than a psychophant, helping M$ in their quest to determine the maximum amount of squeeze they can apply to a devoted Office user.
I read most of the responses. Some were obvious Penquinistas, but most appeared to be Office users and without exception all were negative to the idea. Most said they would choose another product. Some offered their ideas as to how M$ would do it - Sell the base product (with built in time bomb) and rent the 'upgrades', which would deactive the time bomb for another year.
None mentioned the possibility that M$ would be charging rent for all of the components of Office, not the whole package. Also, no one seemed to consider that their "rental fees' for several M$ products could become very substantial.
A couple encouraged M$ to go to subscriptions, suggesting it would begin the mass migration to LInux.
I think M$ sees a window of opportunity to hook folks into the subscription model, by way of data trapping (I can't switch because all my data is in formats that can't be switched to other products), before KOffice and StarOffice become equal to or better than Office on most fronts. That point is probably with a year. I think many will be surprised to know how useful SO5.2 *already* is on the Linux OS, and KOffice is not far behind. JLK
-- Scientific theories, according to Sir Karl Popper, can be "falsified," or proven wrong, by experiment. Unscientific theories -Marxist dialectical history and Freudian psychology were Popper's favorites- are formed in such a way that they cannot be falsified by data.
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participants (5)
-
Jerry Kreps -
jfweber＠eternal.net -
Margaret Wendall -
Richard Bos -
Timothy R. Butler