Metered computing: another bright idea from Microsoft
ZDNet's new Community, Incorporated blog (written by recently minted OpenSuse community manager Joe "Zonker" Brockmeier) links to a CNet post about Microsoft applying for a patent on something called metered computing.
The idea is that Microsoft will sell you a really cheap, subsidized PC and then charge you continually for its use. And yes, MS points out in the application that a user could very well pay more in fees than the PC is worth.
Microsoft's patent application does acknowledge that a per-use model of computing would probably increase the cost of ownership over the PC's lifetime. The company argues in its application, however, that "the payments can be deferred and the user can extend the useful life of the computer beyond that of the one-time purchase machine."
The document suggests that "both users and suppliers benefit from this new business model" because "the user is able to migrate the performance level of the computer as needs change over time, while the supplier can develop a revenue stream business that may actually have higher value than the one-time purchase model currently practiced."
"Rather than suffering through less-than-adequate performance for a significant portion of the life of a computer, a user can increase performance level over time, at a slight premium of payments," the application reads. "When the performance level finally reaches its maximum and still better performance is required, then the user may upgrade to a new computer, running at a relatively low performance level, probably with little or no change in the cost of use."
And what if you don't pay up? According to the patent application, there would be a mechanism to turn off your computing faucet.
Remember, this is all speculation; it's just a patent application. But if MS is trying to patent this idea, chances are they're seriously considering implementing it.
Gives new meaning to the term "Microsoft tax," does it not?
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So essentially, when every other software firm in existence is extolling the virtues of cloud computing, Microsoft innovates with what is essentially the anti-cloud: tying you to a specific hardware/software platform to help further push product. Of course can we blame Microsoft for this, after all Apple is doing virtually the same thing with the iPhone, I believe the total cost of ownership for a two-year contract is above $2000. But then again you get cellular and data service... The only way I could see this making sense is if MS offered the equivalent of software repositories under this model. Similar to the way that subscription music services work, you would have access to MS software in addition to Windows as long as you are a subscribing customer. At least that's the only way I could see it.
I was just reading a book by Tony Bove, "Just Say No To Microsoft", which is rather unusual as it is an old school polemic, setting aside acknowledging bias in exchange for an unapologetic pummeling of the folks at Redmond, as well as evangelizing Apple. Its really a nice time capsule piece as its both pre-Vista and Ubuntu, both of which are monumental events with opposite results. This patent further emphasizes his point that MS is a crumbling target ever since it has moved from the hunter to the hunted (in the late 90's), not to say that MS is in any threat of going away, just that there certainly is more awareness of competition and evident flaws in the former monolith.