PC Industry Adopts Pay-As-You-Go

GHoosdumGHoosdum Icrontian
edited May 2006 in Science & Tech
In an effort to mimic the success of prepaid phone plans in the developing world, Microsoft is leading a group of PC technology companies to implement the pay-as-you-go paradigm in the computing arena.
Using Microsoft's FlexGo software technology, a customer can buy a computer loaded with the Windows operating system then purchase prepaid cards or pay a monthly subscription fee at a cost similar to using a computer at a local Internet cafe, Microsoft said.

When the usage time ticks down, a customer can go online or to a local retailer to buy more minutes.
...
The pay-as-you-go model lowers the initial costs of buying a PC by 50 percent or more and the consumer owns the PC after a set amount of minutes are purchased, the companies said.
Source: Reuters

Comments

  • madmatmadmat
    edited May 2006
    That has to be the stupidest thing I've ever heard.
  • jradminjradmin North Kackalaki
    edited May 2006
    Next thing you know, Bill Gates is gonna try to collect a penny every time you go take a crap. And hell...he didn't even invent that!
  • TheSmJTheSmJ
    edited May 2006
    I guess it would be ok if once you use it enough to pay off the cost of the OS, you're done, but otherwise it's stupid.
  • drasnordrasnor Starship Operator Hawthorne, CA Icrontian
    edited May 2006
    It wouldn't be the first time they've tried this. Remember MS Office subscriptions?

    -drasnor :fold:
  • airbornflghtairbornflght Houston, TX Icrontian
    edited May 2006
    This has got to be the dumbest idea in a long time from microsoft, what are they thinking.
  • QCHQCH Ancient Guru Chicago Area - USA Icrontian
    edited May 2006
    Not a horable idea... how to manage it and implement it... that's the tough part. Many grandparents and non-PC users would really benifit from a cheaper PC. I know several people that use their PC 3 times a week for about an hour total... for them, it would be worth it...
  • airbornflghtairbornflght Houston, TX Icrontian
    edited May 2006
    meh...I dont really like it, but I was also one that said screw napster I'm keeping kazaa lite (the real one with no spyware). But here I am now paying $10 a month...(using tunebite though, so atleast they are "mine")
  • Mt_GoatMt_Goat Head Cheezy Knob Pflugerville (north of Austin) Icrontian
    edited May 2006
    I wonder how Al Gore gets his cut whenever you connect to the internet.
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