It makes me laugh...

[Brian W]

...the people on here who expected to get a free copy of Vista by installing
the CPP beta versions (completely voluntarily, and with no offer of reward
being made by MS at any time).
Using my PC is a hobby, and I got the Betas so I could test Vista on my
system, check out the features etc. with a view to buying it once available.
At no time was I expecting to get something for nothing.

People who are moaning cos they think they deserve a free copy for running a
program THEY CHOSE TO INSTALL need to grow up IMO.

And yes, I submitted a bug or two, which took about 3 minutes of my time in
total. I don't think 3 mins work is worth $400!

 

[Peter M]

I have to agree. No where in the CPP program did it say we were "beta
testers". Seems some think because they submit a bug or two, even lots,
makes them hotshot "beta testers' so they deserve a free copy. Gee, I guess
if they test drive a car and find a problem, that means they deserve a free
car? <snicker>

 

[Chad Harris]

Does driving a hot car lol make you a "hot shot" beta tester? What does that
term mean, because some of them were doing good to find the start button and
differentiate it from their belly button.

CH

 

[Lang Murphy]

Brian,

As so often occurs, I find myself playing devil's advocate here... don't
disagree with what you're saying... just have a couple of thoughts on the
matter....

Sure the CPP didn't promise anything... it was just an opportunity for folks
to try out Vista.

And... I'm pretty sure there are CPP'ers out there that probably deserve a
free copy of Vista. Sending in bugs isn't the only time absorbed in the
entire process... download, install, install apps, whatever additional
processes that occur to get to the point to find the bug and bugging it. I
was part of the TBT thang, came in on the back end, so to speak, and I
submitted six bugs. I'm also sure there are CPP'ers who submitted more bugs
than I.

I think MS needs a different set of metrics to distribute free copies of
Vista than those metrics currently in place.

I can tell you this: I think there are some folks who post in here that
don't deserve a free copy of Vista no matter how many bugs they submitted...
think they should be made to pay double, in fact.... ;-D

Lang

 

[Tim Draper]

..the people on here who expected to get a free copy of Vista by
installing the CPP beta versions (completely voluntarily, and with no
offer of reward being made by MS at any time).
Using my PC is a hobby, and I got the Betas so I could test Vista on my
system, check out the features etc. with a view to buying it once
available. At no time was I expecting to get something for nothing.

People who are moaning cos they think they deserve a free copy for
running a program THEY CHOSE TO INSTALL need to grow up IMO.

And yes, I submitted a bug or two, which took about 3 minutes of my time
in total. I don't think 3 mins work is worth $400!

100% agree with that.
to many people wanting something for free because they trialed some
software with 'public beta' in the title.

 

[Chad Harris]

Absolutely. I am so enthralled with MSFT's EULA and it's superb job I want
to pay at least 20X as much for every copy of Office and Vista.

What a great idea.

CH

 

[Buckner]

Its officially in Writing. MS..please make sure that Chad's version
of Office and Vista are priced at 20 times the standard price.

 

[Lang Murphy]

Chad,

Well... I'm just making an observation. You are certainly not the object of
my observation. They should give you a free copy of Vista, without doubt.
I've said it before; your excellent responses to queries about problems put
you at the top of the list of responders in this NG, imho. I hope you didn't
think my comment was targeted at you.

Lang

 

[Chad Harris]

Not at all Lang. I was just having fun with that post.

I couldn't emphasize more that Beta testing to me is a hope that you can
change some things-- I did get some changes made in Vista I feel good
about--and what you can learn from the many people who bring so much
experience into the Beta.

I took a lot of swings at bat for the CPPs and a lot of people misconstrued
and continue to that I'm advancing some of my own cause--I had every interim
build of the beta and drilled it--but I particularly was disappointed that

1) MSFT played a game with them that makes no sense. They held them at arms
length like childeren and did not allow them to have the same access to bugs
as Beta testers--there was no reason whatsoever for them to do that. It
second class citizened CPPs and served no useful purpose. Any argument that
it did goes right along with the idiotic stance that some old white Senator
takes when he says he's going to vet the reasons why I'm wire-tapped and
that should be good enough for me. Fortunately Pat Roberts is out on his
ass as chairman of the Senate Elect Intelligence Committe now and stripped
of his obstructionist power forever.

There was no reason not to post every Beta chat on their main public vista
sites. Jill Zoeller puts a lot of them on her blog, and Josh puts most of
them on Windows Connected. But it was MSFT's responsibility to help educate
the public and they have failed miserably in that respect to date. Vista
MSKB s are anemic.

To the tired old refrain and whine that "they're workin' on the Beta and
they don't have time" that's crap. They pay people to write the articles
they haven't written like Jill Zoeller.

2) MSFT continues to drag their feet by having no quality information on
their sites on many of Vistas major components.

CH

 

[Mr. Vista]

Chad,
you raised some valid points. Well done.

 

[Lang Murphy]

Roger that, Chad.

Sure does seem like a "carrot or the stick" play. Try our OS or don't. We
think you will take a bite at the carrot. Then we own you. If you don't bite
at the carrot, you're hitting yourself with the stick. Certainly a win-win
situation for one of the parties.

There's never enough information, imho. Never. I run into it all the time at
work. Maybe that's because no one person can know it all. Impossible, I
guess. We need a Vista Rain Man on site! "Hey, Vista Rain Man... why do I
need to do this to make that happen?" "4 billion, three hundred seventy
million, one hundred thousand, nine hundred and forty six." "Uh... no?"

Sorry, got off track there for a second... Gawd... gotta get in a car
tomorrow and drive 8 hours to the lower end of the outter banks in NC. Think
my brain has frozen up already. I'll be offline until Sunday. Have a great
Turkey Day!

Lang