Note: This column represents the opinions
of the writer and as such, is not purported as fact
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Despite the brave front being put on by Microsoft, they're sweating bricks
right now.
The cornerstone of their massive corporate revenue structure, Windows, is
coming under increasing threat from Linux and there doesn't seem to be
a lot the software giant can do to stem the tide of defection.
Or is there?
Check Out The Aardvark PC-Based Digital
Entertainment Centre Project
Updated 2-Dec-2002
Just what can Microsoft do in order to keep sales of Windows, Office and
its other flagship products rolling along despite the growing acceptance
of "free" options such as Linux and OpenOffice?
Well perhaps an advertisement I saw this week holds a clue.
An ad for an incredibly low-cost PC system caught my eye and I thought to
myself "How can they sell a system that cheap and make a profit?".
Well the answer was in the fine print.
Initially I thought that perhaps they were not including any operating
system -- but no, there it was "Windows XP" in the list of features.
But wait... what are those letters in tiny print alongside?
"Trial Version"
What a cunning ploy: shipping new systems with a time-limited version of
Windows, and perhaps other software products.
By the time the trial period expires, chances are that the user has already
committed a significant amount of data to the system or has become quite
comfortable using the product concerned. Suddenly they're left with the
option of reformatting the hard drive and installing a competing product or
forking out extra money to license their trial versions.
Was this approach just one vendor's sneaky trick to move boxes out the door
at a lower than average price or is it part of a new marketing strategy
being covertly slipped out the door by Microsoft themselves?
Are customers being properly advised that the box they're buying will only
work for 90 days (or whatever) before they're forced to hand over more money
for a "full" version of the software that's onboard?
One thing's for sure -- faced with a threat as large and real as Linux,
Microsoft are certainly going to have to get innovative with their marketing.
Perhaps this is just a hint of things to come.
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Although the very kind folks at iHug continue to generously sponsor the
publication of Aardvark, the bills still exceed the income by a fairly
significant amount. It is with this in mind therefore that I'm once
again soliciting donations from anyone who feels they're getting some
value from this daily column and news index. I've gone the PayPal
way of accepting donations because the time involved in processing a bunch
of little credit-card billings sometimes exceeds the monetary value they
represent. Just click on the button to donate whatever you can afford.
NOTE: PayPal bills in US dollars so don't accidentally donate twice
what you were intending :-)
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