Microsoft seeks more money with a pay-as-you-go PC

[Karroon]

Just pray to god that doesnt go though

[Jlyons]

Just when you think Microsoft hired the worst and dumbest minds in America, they lower the bar yet again. Amazing.

[Xiaotsu]

It's about the stupidest thing i've ever heard. Pay-as-you-go PC's? What next? Why not just make our Games Consoles pay monthly aswell, im sure that'll bring you OODLES of money.

If Microsoft want the future invisionment of "A PC in every home" then they can't expect for us to pay this way. How rich do they need to be? Seriously?

I laugh at you, Microsoft, and all your bigshots. I laugh at you, sirs, and I hope I never cross your paths.

[Hari]

Microsoft poses (and U.S. patent office rejects) a plan for pay-as-you-go PCs

Larry Greenmeier, at Scientific American, writes:

Could your computer be turned into a utility that you pay for based on how powerful it is and how often you use it? The world's largest software company thinks so.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office last week published a Microsoft patent application that signaled the software giant's interest in developing a metered pay-as-you-go computing system in which consumers would pay a monthly fee to use their PCs but little or nothing up front to buy them.

Though it'd be easier to buy it up front. That doesn't count in the total of the shipping fee, and damages pay incase you get a virus.

Although the patent office rejected Microsoft's application, reports tech news Web site Ars Technica, the company laid out a plan for the future of computing, where bits and bytes are delivered to one's home similar to the way utility companies deliver electricity. Based upon documents available on the patent office's Web site, Microsoft's application lacked sufficient detail in several areas, including descriptions of the service and how it is different from other ideas already issued patents, according to patent examiner Murali Dega. Microsoft has the ability to tweak its application and resubmit. When contacted, the company would not disclose its plans regarding the patent application or the proposed metering service.

Figures Microsoft would rely on laziness and other methods.

Here's how it might have worked, according to the patent application:

Microsoft would bundle the PC hardware and software into three services—"Office," "Gaming," and "Browsing." The Office bundle would include word processing and spreadsheet applications along with a PC containing a standard graphics card and processor (price tag: $1 per hour). The Gaming bundle, however, might include no productivity applications but deliver a PC with 3D graphics support and a lightning-fast processor (price tag: $1.25 per hour). The Browsing bundle might include no productivity applications, medium graphics performance and high speed network interface (price tag: 80 cents per hour). The patent application does not make clear whether the individual PCs used would have differing hardware components (processors and graphics cards, for example) or have identical components that are switched on or off as needed. One hopes that these prices are simply examples. Given how many hours PCs are typically used in a home or office setting, the pay-as-you-go model would quickly add up to much more than the cost of buying a PC and its software.

This only proves how money hungry Microsoft is. They don't care about fucking over the people, aslong as it builds a profit in the end. Also, I guess that means most people will be stuck with using Failnet Explorer.

It's the classic case of buying v. leasing. The upside: a consumer would be able to choose the computer's performance level (and change it as desired) while keeping up with the latest software (including operating systems, databases and Web browsers) without having to buy the actual box (computers, like cars, are notorious for losing their re-sale value the minute they are switched on the first time). The downside: users might end up paying more for, in essence, renting equipment than they would if they bought and owned everything, although Microsoft poses its projected costs simply as estimates. There might have even been a one-time charge for equipment leasing.

Yeah but it also means people could lose their computer usage if they forget to pay. This means if you're a business worker, and you're doing a spread sheet, and you forgot to pay your bill, or your check bounced. BAM! You lost all that work because you couldn't save due to not paying for Computer Usage. This only proves how stupid Microsoft really is.

This wouldn't be a return to the day of so-called "dumb terminals" with no local memory connecting into mainframes, nor would this follow the "network PC" model (an unsuccessful concept Microsoft got behind in 2001). The metered PCs that Microsoft pitched to the patent office would have had encrypted local memory that stored the performance specifications for each component. Network PCs, as proposed, would have had very little local memory and been tightly controlled, for example, by your company's IT department (read: no playing solitaire on company time)

No local conecction, or being forced to use a main shared one? Hmmm, intriguing as it sounds, I'd rather have to use a local connection then a a main one that controls everything I do. I said it before as a joke, and I'll jokingly say it again; "Microsoft is trying to take over the world!!" Seriously though, Microsoft have stooped to the lowest level of stupidity. Just below hell, it's there, trust me. Anyway, wtf is the deal with no games on company time!? I know people tend to get lazy, but sometimes people might multitask playing Solitair while doing work. I can't say I haven't done that before.

Regardless of whether Microsoft re-files the patent, for such a plan to work more detail needs to be provided regarding how the metering technology would function. Microsoft proposed possibly measuring elapsed time that the computer is on, active time during which the computer is used or the amount of time a given software application is used. "In one embodiment, the billed value is accumulated according to both usage time and a composite of performance characteristics for scalable components," according to the patent application. The company proposes that billing be done through a pre-paid account or at regular intervals (such as monthly).

Lets hope Microsoft doesn't re-file the patent. If they do and succeed (which is VERY highly unlikely) my next computer will be a Mac. If their dumb plans go through, then they will lose every customer they have. Good going Microsoft, enjoy shutting down forever!

[Echo]

This is almost worse than Vista.

[Thessera]

Lol.
That's why a lot of people in the world choose Linux.

[Jlyons]

This is almost worse than Vista.

Worse, actually. Just watch Microsoft use PCs like that to banish all other OS's from the market, forcing Vista (or Windows 7) upon the masses.

(*in my head* Mohaaaaaaaveeeeeeee! Brilliant! /sarcasm)

Remember, that's the first draft to a patent, which Microsoft tried to push as the real deal. Don't be surprised if they actually hammer a similar proposal through later and get it passed. See: How cable providers charge customers (which in itself, is somewhat of a ripoff, but that's another topic for another day).