Dear Microsoft

[Draggonfodder]

I think you have overthought all your problems and have come to the
assuption that your customers are bad people. So you have all these
security measures implemented that do nothing but screw up your operating
system and alienate your customers. People aren't stealling your operating
system, they are trying to get the cost down to a level so they can afford
it. Most buy the software then try to put it on more than one machine to
justify the cost. You have so many security measures in place that if you
just replace your video card or upgrade your memory, you have to ask
permission from microsoft or they shut down your computer. Thanks big
brother. My solution is simple. Reduce the price of the operating system.
You might think you would lose money but even you know that isn't true.
Say, 29.95 for home edition, 39.95 for home priemium, 59.95 for ultimate
etc. I believe you would be surprised at how this will help your image and
reduce your activation costs. You may want to keep your activation system
in place for places like China but your average American doesn't want to do
anything illegal. I have some machines that still run your older systems
(win98, ME) and would probably upgrade to XP or vista if the cost wasn't
outrageous. Just something to think about.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

I think you have overthought all your problems and have come to the
assuption that your customers are bad people.

Wrong forum. This is a discussion group in which few if any
readers or respondents are Microsoft employees. Microsoft
makes this "notice board" available, that's about all. You might
feel better after getting this issue off your chest but you might
as well tell your dog.

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

If Microsoft could hire developers with advanced
college degrees who will work for minimum wage,
then they could lower the cost of their products.

 

[HeyBub]

I think you have overthought all your problems and have come to the
assuption that your customers are bad people. So you have all these
security measures implemented that do nothing but screw up your
operating system and alienate your customers. People aren't
stealling your operating system, they are trying to get the cost down
to a level so they can afford it. Most buy the software then try to
put it on more than one machine to justify the cost. You have so
many security measures in place that if you just replace your video
card or upgrade your memory, you have to ask permission from
microsoft or they shut down your computer. Thanks big brother. My
solution is simple. Reduce the price of the operating system. You
might think you would lose money but even you know that isn't true.
Say, 29.95 for home edition, 39.95 for home priemium, 59.95 for
ultimate etc. I believe you would be surprised at how this will help
your image and reduce your activation costs. You may want to keep
your activation system in place for places like China but your
average American doesn't want to do anything illegal. I have some
machines that still run your older systems (win98, ME) and would
probably upgrade to XP or vista if the cost wasn't outrageous. Just
something to think about.

Your supposition is based, probably, on your own experience and
inclinations. Microsoft's pricing strategy is based on literally billions of
experiences, bolstered by a stable of economists, capitalists, professors,
consultants, focus groups, customer feedback, sales levels, historical
averages, legal opinions, regulatory practices, memos, case studies, Monte
Carlo simulations, analysis of competitors, and God knows what else.

 

[Alias]

If Microsoft could hire developers with advanced
college degrees who will work for minimum wage,
then they could lower the cost of their products.

Yeah, heaven forbid they should lower the cost of people like Ballmer
who make more than they could ever spend. The fact that MS made BILLIONS
during the pre activation days only destroys your stupid argument even more.

Alias

 

[RJK]

Your suggested prices are too high !

I would suggest 9.95 | 10.95 | 12.95 for Home, Premium and Ultimate,
respectively !

....as for MS's security measures, I have to disagree, there would no
"Windows" without them, - it would all have been completely destroyed by
theft, and we'd all have LINUX ....bwaaahahahaha <ROFL> !

....and hoping I'm not speaking too soon, I've never had any problems in
almost three decades - with OEM EULA's, and never had to go pleading to my
regional MS office here in the UK, over activation.
For example, during the past couple couple of days, I had to "pretty up"
an old SktA system box, to replace a "bodged-up" "heap of urbbish system
box - that had been sold for FAR too much money to a quite decent chap, (who
would simply not do something like that himself - to anyone else, like what
was done to him - over that sale!), ...and his XP Home SP1 went in, and
activated, and fully updated OK

(...there are so many RIP-OFF artists out there, flogging ancient PC system
boxes to the "unaware," I'm pretty sure we need a law against it).

regards, Richard

 

[Alias]

Your supposition is based, probably, on your own experience and
inclinations. Microsoft's pricing strategy is based on literally billions of
experiences, bolstered by a stable of economists, capitalists, professors,
consultants, focus groups, customer feedback, sales levels, historical
averages, legal opinions, regulatory practices, memos, case studies, Monte
Carlo simulations, analysis of competitors, and God knows what else.

You forgot to tell us how they figure in the multi million dollar
salaries and bonuses for Ballmer, Gates and the boys. You also forgot to
address the fact that MS made billions with the operating systems and
Office suites that didn't require activation. How long have you been an
MS ass kisser, bub?

Alias

 

[JS]

Actually Windows cost less than what it probably cost you to fill up your
SUV with two tanks of gas and two or three tanks of gas can't get you very
far.

JS

 

[RJK]

As per the UK t.v. documentary aired a few years ago,

I wonder if MS still hires the "BEST" assembler programmers, so that no
other software companies get their hands on them, and then just leaves them
twiddling their thumbs - day in day out ?

regards, Richard

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I think you have overthought all your problems and have come to the
assuption that your customers are bad people. So you have all these
security measures implemented that do nothing but screw up your operating
system and alienate your customers.

You apparently think you are addressing Microsoft here, but you're
not.

This is a peer support newsgroup. We are all just Windows XP users
here, helping each other if and when we can. We are not Microsoft
employees (not even those of us with "Microsoft MVP" behind our names;
that's an honorary title for having provided consistently helpful
advice) except for an occasional employee who posts here unofficially
on his own time.

If you want to address Microsoft, you'll need to contact them
directly. Your rant above is just a waste of your (figurative) breath.

 

[Draggonfodder]

Excuse me for top posting .. I appreciate all the thoughts concerning my
post. I didn't say they should not protect their intellectual property,
just find a more graceful way of doing things. 29.95 is a price that most
people would spend without a second thought. Gamers would spend 59.95 in
the same manner. I upgraded my hard drive a while back on my XP box. When
I reinstalled (what a mess) I installed XP pro, then SP1, then several
updates, then SP2 then several updates then SP3. It was not a smooth process
and 6 hours. later, I could use my machine. For 39.95, I would have bought
the latest and installed it, instead of doing the update dance. I have put
linux on a few machines but they have their unique issues also. It really
scares me every time there is a power outage. I am afraid that MS may
decide that my software is too old and they won't activate it. Sounds
silly, but my MS office crashed and when I reinstalled it, they really gave
me a hard time before they would activate. I really hate asking permission
to do things.

Regards

--
John Nagle

Your suggested prices are too high !

I would suggest 9.95 | 10.95 | 12.95 for Home, Premium and Ultimate,
respectively !

...as for MS's security measures, I have to disagree, there would no
"Windows" without them, - it would all have been completely destroyed by
theft, and we'd all have LINUX ....bwaaahahahaha <ROFL> !

...and hoping I'm not speaking too soon, I've never had any problems in
almost three decades - with OEM EULA's, and never had to go pleading to
my regional MS office here in the UK, over activation.
For example, during the past couple couple of days, I had to "pretty up"
an old SktA system box, to replace a "bodged-up" "heap of urbbish system
box - that had been sold for FAR too much money to a quite decent chap,
(who would simply not do something like that himself - to anyone else,
like what was done to him - over that sale!), ...and his XP Home SP1 went
in, and activated, and fully updated OK

(...there are so many RIP-OFF artists out there, flogging ancient PC
system boxes to the "unaware," I'm pretty sure we need a law against it).

regards, Richard

 

[Phisherman]

I think you have overthought all your problems and have come to the
assuption that your customers are bad people. So you have all these
security measures implemented that do nothing but screw up your operating
system and alienate your customers. People aren't stealling your operating
system, they are trying to get the cost down to a level so they can afford
it. Most buy the software then try to put it on more than one machine to
justify the cost. You have so many security measures in place that if you
just replace your video card or upgrade your memory, you have to ask
permission from microsoft or they shut down your computer. Thanks big
brother. My solution is simple. Reduce the price of the operating system.
You might think you would lose money but even you know that isn't true.
Say, 29.95 for home edition, 39.95 for home priemium, 59.95 for ultimate
etc. I believe you would be surprised at how this will help your image and
reduce your activation costs. You may want to keep your activation system
in place for places like China but your average American doesn't want to do
anything illegal. I have some machines that still run your older systems
(win98, ME) and would probably upgrade to XP or vista if the cost wasn't
outrageous. Just something to think about.

I agree with the cost of the O/S. I can't believe someone would pay
$200 for an operating system for home use (and risk applications and
older expensive hardware inoperable or drivers not available) when XP
works fine for everything. Vista would get more acceptance and usage
if there were a stripped-down $50 Vista Lite version for older
machines.

 

[Phisherman]

Actually Windows cost less than what it probably cost you to fill up your
SUV with two tanks of gas and two or three tanks of gas can't get you very
far.

JS

I can't buy Windows, after filling up my 26-gallon gas tank to get
to/from work there's no money left.

 

[Phisherman]

If Microsoft could hire developers with advanced
college degrees who will work for minimum wage,
then they could lower the cost of their products.

Have you heard about India and China developers yet? They are paid a
fraction of the cost of a USA developer. The USA used to have the
best computer programmers in the world, but not anymore.

 

[JS]

You have a good point, those big Oil companies are raking it in.

JS

 

[Unknown]

What sheer fodder.

 

[Unknown]

What large company doesn't pay their execs well? What company doesn't try to
make a lot of money for their shareholders?
You have very warped thinking.

 

[Unknown]

I suppose you would like to buy a Cadillac for $1,000 also. What if
development costs of exceeded $29.95?

Excuse me for top posting .. I appreciate all the thoughts concerning my
post. I didn't say they should not protect their intellectual property,
just find a more graceful way of doing things. 29.95 is a price that most
people would spend without a second thought. Gamers would spend 59.95 in
the same manner. I upgraded my hard drive a while back on my XP box.
When I reinstalled (what a mess) I installed XP pro, then SP1, then
several updates, then SP2 then several updates then SP3. It was not a
smooth process and 6 hours. later, I could use my machine. For 39.95, I
would have bought the latest and installed it, instead of doing the update
dance. I have put linux on a few machines but they have their unique
issues also. It really scares me every time there is a power outage. I
am afraid that MS may decide that my software is too old and they won't
activate it. Sounds silly, but my MS office crashed and when I
reinstalled it, they really gave me a hard time before they would
activate. I really hate asking permission to do things.

Regards

 

[Gord Dibben]

Why would you suggest keeping the activation system in place for China but
not the US?

Are you suggesting that the Chinese would be more likely to "do something
illegal" than your average American?


Gord

 

[Alias]

What large company doesn't pay their execs well? What company doesn't try to
make a lot of money for their shareholders?
You have very warped thinking.
Sigh.

Alias