Microsoft targets piracy, or shoots own foot?

[Sirin]

M$$$$ is now extending their WGA program to Microsoft Office:

http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=31245

M$$$$ Office is probably the most copied app on the planet. Well they can go ahead and push consumers straight to OpenOffice:

Late night session finishing a term paper?

M$ Office Pro - $500.00 USD
OpenOffice 2.0 - $0.00 USD

Giving Bill Gates the middle finger, or two fingers, PRICELESS.

 

[SamIchi]

Giving Bill Gates the middle finger, or two fingers, PRICELESS.

Hah, clever one.

 

[Chundles]

Yaaaaarrrrggh!!!

 

[Abstract]

M$$$$ Office is probably the most copied app on the planet. Well they can go ahead and push consumers straight to OpenOffice:

.....Giving Bill Gates the middle finger, or two fingers, PRICELESS.

How are you giving Gates the finger if you never paid for Office to begin with? Since most people steal it, MS isn't making money off lots of people. They're only making money off of people honest enough to pay, so whatever MS implements won't be an issue for paying owners of MS Office. It might just decrease the number of people pirating their software, so they won't lose customers, just pirates.

I don't like Microsoft, but I do recognize the fact that they're in a tough situation when the majority of people are stealing his software. They're a business.

 

[evoluzione]

How are you giving Gates the finger if you never paid for Office to begin with? Since most people steal it, MS isn't making money off lots of people. They're only making money off of people honest enough to pay, so whatever MS implements won't be an issue for paying owners of MS Office. It might just decrease the number of people pirating their software, so they won't lose customers, just pirates.

I don't like Microsoft, but I do recognize the fact that they're in a tough situation when the majority of people are stealing his software. They're a business.

i think you'd be surprised at how many people actually do buy it. i've actually installed real versions on many machines (with many purchased discs).

besides, the student version is not $500

 

[Abstract]

Lots of people buy it, but since sirin just said it was the most pirated piece of software on the planet (and excluding WinXP, it's probably true), I guess there are even more people that don't pay, like people who live in places like China. But regardless, the point is that even when MS starts up with this new system, the people who are honest enough to pay will pay, and the people who want to pirate it will continue to try and pirate it, or turn to something like OpenOffice, which is free. Microsoft doesn't lose any more paying customers because of this decision. Non-paying users are never considered customers anyway.

Great move by Microsoft. It only inconveniences pirates, and from a business point of view, I don't see much negative in all of this, although someone might like to tell me otherwise if there's something I don't know about.

 

[blueflame]

maybe but

this also seems liek another way to be inplementing ads. its only a matter of time before they find security hole and stats pop-uping you from within office, or simply anywhere in the OS. i dont like almost anyting i cant turn off. it is my computer, i should have control over it
andreas