Microsoft may charge extra for security software

AP, via CNN.com ^ | Thursday, December 16, 2004 Posted: 7:57 PM EST (0057 GMT)

[Redcloak]

Microsoft may charge extra for security software

Thursday, December 16, 2004 Posted: 7:57 PM EST (0057 GMT)

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Microsoft Corp. disclosed plans Thursday to offer frustrated users of its Windows software new tools within 30 days to remove spyware programs secretly running on computers. But it might cost extra in coming months.

In a shift from past practice, the world's largest software manufacturer said it may charge consumers for future versions of the new protective technology, which Microsoft acquired by buying a small New York software firm. Terms of the sale of Giant Company Software Inc. weren't disclosed.

[Redcloak]

I could be wrong, but isn't this kinda like selling a car with bad brakes and then offering to fix them at a "discount"?

[7.62 x 51mm]

"But it might cost extra in coming months."

Of course it will.

[BipolarBob]

New Company Slogan

"We don't care - we don't have to care. We're Microsoft!"

[Glenn]

Anyone who gripes about MicroSoft charging for this is an anti-capitalist commie.

[TomGuy]

Many are paying extra already for virus and spyware software....just not to Microsoft.

Several companies, not Microsoft, provide free versions of their virus and spyware for home use.

Choice: Pay Microsoft for software to protect from viruses and spyware hitting Microsoft software, or purchase or use free home software from competitors. Choices, choices.

[ClockworkNinja]

Giant got bought? Crap, Big Blue knows a good investment when it sees one. The Giant Anti-Spyware software is quality stuff. My last place of work ran it on a trial basis, but was not willing to throw down the cash to register it 8[. Bill Gates is probably the closest thing in the modern world to a pirate king. He stole MS-DOS from a small firm in Florida, Windows from Zerox, and now this...

[Paleo Conservative]

Why would anyone in his right mind want to buy security software from Microsoft?

[zzen01]

Mozilla Firefox!!!!!

[Redcloak]

In fairness to Locutus of Redmond, MS-DOS was purchased, not stolen. (Or would that be "assimilated"?) Also, the GUI wasn't so much stolen from Xerox as merely walked away with. Xerox wasn't interested in it as anything more than a research project.

There was a day when MSFT products were worth the money. IE was a much better browser than Netscape, Office was the best productivity suite in its price range, etc.. But now they're just turning out schlock. They're not worth the money anymore.

[Cicero]

It's a free market. If they can do better than AdAware, Spybot, and the other programs already on the market, good luck to them.

My guess is that they will probably take the AdAware route--give the basic stuff out free, but offer a pro version for a small charge.

If it's really better, then people will buy it. But I have my doubts. It will be really hard for them to do better than what's already out there, and much of what's out there is free.

[Mr Rogers]

Depends. If MS software is particularly succeptible to spyware, then it is arguably their responsibility to fix it. And if they don't, then they can expect their market share to drop.

Personally, I use Yahoo for all my email & Firefox for my browser (used Mozilla before Firefox). When I ran spyware detection programs on my computer after 6 months, the only thing it could find was a program installed at the factory to make recommendations on software updates from Sony.

It isn't a problem for me, but I avoid MS products when possible. Still use their OS because of the number of programs that work with it.

[houeto]

I, literally, almost spewed my coffee when I saw your tag line. LMAO!!!

[ClockworkNinja]

-In fairness to Locutus of Redmond, MS-DOS was purchased, not stolen. (Or would that be "assimilated"?) Also, the GUI wasn't so much stolen from Xerox as merely walked away with. Xerox wasn't interested in it as anything more than a research project.-

I know, but my way sounds more menacing 8)

[Redcloak]

MSFT must have realized that there's money to be made in the cottage industry that's sprung up around fixing their buggy software.

[Redcloak]

One could say "stolen" in the same since that Superman was stolen from his creators. They sold the character for $100.

[longtermmemmory]

The problem is that, in business, it is either microsoft or forget it. There are no niche versions of some business software in other systems.

Using an emulator in Linux or Apple is just too downward compatable risky.

AND you can not beat the upgradability prices of hardware with Apple.

The real issue I would object to is the fact that MS goes out of their way to engineer incompatability with competitor software.

[Dat Mon]

"Locutus of Redmond"

LOL

All patches and viruses WILL be assimilated.

[Redcloak]

OpenOffice does a good job of opening from or saving to Office file formats. I've noticed trouble, however, when going back and forth from Office to OpenOffice. Odd little things happen on the Office side such as language support morphing. It's fixable, if you know where to look. A way around that I've used is to save OpenOffice documents as .pdf files for distribution. On my Linux box at home, I can print docs from other programs to .ps files and then run 'em through ps2pdf. If all I care about is readable output, .pdf files are the way to go. Collaboration is another matter, however. MSFT fiddles with their implementation of their file formats to screw with other products. OpenOffice might be compliant with Word's standard today, but there's no guarantee that Word will comply tomorrow!

[SpeakerMan]

Of course, if they include it for free they'll get sued for monopolistic practices by those companies that sell such services and tools. If they charge for it they're pilloried for not caring about the customer.

Sometimes being the 800 lb. gorilla is a b*tch...

[KoRn]

ROFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!