CNN.com and CNET.com are jointly reporting that Microsoft has applied for a patent on metered, pay-as-you-go computing.
I understand that Microsoft (MSFT), after failing to conquer the Internet and to acquire Yahoo (YHOO), that it is now trying to discover new ways, even the most ridiculous ones that are surely doomed to fail, again, in order to maximize their online revenue. And this one in particular, for consumers to pay per each computer use, is the worst and probably the dumbest, because users will be subjected to paying more unnecessary fees and the majority won’t buy into the plan.
There’s already that 24-hour running, the most annoying TV ad from “Blue Hippo – get a brand new laptop or desktop”. And I am not sure how successful that one has been either.
Update: So, with this new, ill-conceived idea, you as a user, would pick up a computer from wherever, bring it to your home or work and only pay each time you use it. Then will Microsoft become like FedEx Kinko’s, where some users used to go and rent computers billed per each minute of use? This is real dumb! Microsoft just needs to quit trying to exploit revenue online and focus on what they do best or worse, innovative software, and some unique computing peripherals.
CNN.com states that; “Under a Microsoft proposal, consumers would receive heavily discounted PCs, then pay fees for usage. U.S. patent application number 20080319910, published on Christmas Day, details Microsoft’s vision of a situation where a ’standard model’ of PC is given away or heavily subsidized by someone in the supply chain. The end user then pays to use the computer, with charges based on both the length of usage time and the performance levels utilized, along with a “one-time charge.”
Read more about this at CNN.com.
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