Microsoft Makes Way to Pay for PC Hourly - Truckers' Trucking Forum

Cybergal · **^ Top** #1 05.22.2006

Quote:

SEATTLE - Microsoft Corp. has developed technology for people to pay by the hour to use a computer in their own homes, similar to the way many people use pre-paid cards for cell phones.

The technology, called FlexGo, will be used as part of efforts to sell computers to lower-income consumers in developing countries, where Microsoft is eager to find new money-making opportunities but is battling software piracy and other barriers.

Redmond-based Microsoft, working with computer maker Lenovo Group Ltd. and others, plans to launch a second trial of the FlexGo plan in Brazil beginning Monday. In the next 90 days, it will launch in Mexico, China, Russia and India.

The program will generally work like this: a user will pay for about half the cost of the computer upfront, and then will purchase pre-paid cards to get hourly access to the computer at home. If the pre-paid card runs out and the user doesn't buy more hours, the computer stops working until the user buys another card.

More on the Story Here

pro1driver · **^ Top** #2 05.28.2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cybergal

Quote:

SEATTLE - Microsoft Corp. has developed technology for people to pay by the hour to use a computer in their own homes, similar to the way many people use pre-paid cards for cell phones.

The technology, called FlexGo, will be used as part of efforts to sell computers to lower-income consumers in developing countries, where Microsoft is eager to find new money-making opportunities but is battling software piracy and other barriers.

Redmond-based Microsoft, working with computer maker Lenovo Group Ltd. and others, plans to launch a second trial of the FlexGo plan in Brazil beginning Monday. In the next 90 days, it will launch in Mexico, China, Russia and India.

The program will generally work like this: a user will pay for about half the cost of the computer upfront, and then will purchase pre-paid cards to get hourly access to the computer at home. If the pre-paid card runs out and the user doesn't buy more hours, the computer stops working until the user buys another card.

[LINK POSTED BY MEMBER] Only Members Can View This Truck Forum Link.

although in theory it may sound like a good idea to the poorer countries, if those people can only afford "half the cost" for a pc up front, what makes M$ think that they can afford to keep the beast running after time has expired..? those people and presumably the children have other pressing issues to cope with, none of which is to "buy time" for a pc and to continually "pay as they go". M$ and all its billions , if they really wanted to help out the pooere countries, should just donate the pc's to the schools, libraries, and maybe churches.............

rangerman1 · **^ Top** #3 04.01.2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by pro1driver

although in theory it may sound like a good idea to the poorer countries, if those people can only afford "half the cost" for a pc up front, what makes M$ think that they can afford to keep the beast running after time has expired..? those people and presumably the children have other pressing issues to cope with, none of which is to "buy time" for a pc and to continually "pay as they go". M$ and all its billions , if they really wanted to help out the pooere countries, should just donate the pc's to the schools, libraries, and maybe churches.............

M$ does'nt give a rip about the poor. This is simply a gimmick to hook em into becoming a money siphon. Apart from donation of computer, they COULD sell them at cost. This setup will sucker the poor into paying over and over for the same computer. :scowling: Mycro$haft's got some dirty business practices, that's for sure!

firstcav · **^ Top** #4 04.02.2007

lol, wow I like this idea. Charging for the license by the hour, that's genius.

beezle · **^ Top** #5 04.26.2007

ehh its typical micro$oft BS if its a standard PC im sure its fixable if anything just replace the motherboard with somethin cheap same formfactor and install linux then you have a 1/2 price pc but i like what OLPC (one laptop per child) is doing instead making laptops for schools and kids in 3rd world countries and distributing them freely they have a wifi network peer to peer so every laptop can interface with each other and if one is connected to the internet they all are it has a 1gig flash drive as a hard drive no optical media (cd/dvd) made to seal up well so that if a rainstorm or sand/dust hits it wont get inside pretty rugged lil machines heres a link if you wanna check it out [LINK POSTED BY MEMBER] Only Members Can View This Truck Forum Link.

dstockwell · **^ Top** #6 04.26.2007

Would not take hackers long to figure out how to get around M$...

ahh · **^ Top** #7 04.26.2007

bill gates the richest man on the planet what a scumbag....

Truckerjo · **^ Top** #8 05.03.2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by ahh

bill gates the richest man on the planet what a scumbag....

Nope he is not, Some chinese guy is or Japanese. one of those

BigD · **^ Top** #9 07.01.2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by rangerman1

M$ does'nt give a rip about the poor. This is simply a gimmick to hook em into becoming a money siphon. Apart from donation of computer, they COULD sell them at cost. This setup will sucker the poor into paying over and over for the same computer. :scowling: Mycro$haft's got some dirty business practices, that's for sure!

Exactly. MS isn't doing this out of kindness. Don't be fooled. It is actually much like the Bluehippo (DOT COM -- I can't add links until I get 20 posts) model. This is where they take a $400 PC and charge $1500 total for it. The consumer musgt pay $350 or so upfront before the PC is shipped, then must pay something like $80 a week for two years.

The bottomline is that if these people can afford 1/2 the cost of a new PC, they can easily afford a used PC. And they wouldn't have to pay out for the next year for it either.

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes	Rate This Thread
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode	Rate This Thread:

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Trucker Forum	Replies	Last Post
Hourly or mileage	bduke	Experienced Truckers' Advice	23	04.21.2008 09.12 PM
How to calculate your equivalent hourly pay as an OTR driver	passingtrucker	Experienced Truckers' Advice	25	12.13.2007 10.14 AM
Hourly Jobs And Overtime	popeyepalmer	Trucking Industry Regulations	34	09.27.2007 03.37 AM
Hourly pay? what to look for?	ziggystyles	Questions From New Drivers	4	07.31.2007 10.55 PM

Truckers' Trucking Forum/Message Board - The Premiere Truck Driver Forum

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)