Member Avatar for happygeek

How much money does Microsoft need? As much as possible would appear to be the answer, considering that it has announced a $1.50 fee to download the Office 2007 Beta as from August 2nd. Claiming a requirement to cover server costs as a result of the 3 million people that have already participated in the trial in just a couple of months.

This is, according to Microsoft, 500 percent more than was expected and hence the need for “a cost recovery measure” for future downloads although the online test drive version will remain free. Well whoopee doo on the generosity front there.

If I understand the situation correctly, Microsoft would appear to wants to have its cake and eat it. There is no denying that, Windows OS apart, Office is the big Microsoft money spinner. Equally there is no denying that by letting users download, install and use the Beta version of the suite free of charge for a few months it can get its hooks into a lucrative upgrade revenue stream. Three million downloads would suggest quite an interest, and certainly provide generous return on the server bandwidth investment if even just 25% took the paid upgrade path.

Which leaves me thinking that either Microsoft is feeling the financial pinch (unlikely) or are acting like mercenary, money grabbing buffoons (more likely.) It is never morally right that the consumer should be expected to pay for Beta software, nor even the online mechanism to deliver it. This is all part and parcel of the development and marketing budget, surely? Unless someone has got their sums drastically wrong, in which case take it out on them and not us. The whole thing is, frankly, a farce. Why not just come clean Microsoft, and admit that far too many Beta copies are in use and you goofed? Why not admit that the download charge is to limit further Beta distribution without losing face and pulling it altogether? Why not admit that the online test drive amounts to exactly the same thing?

In Australia this is exactly what seems to be happening as there Microsoft is withdrawing the Beta download service and claiming the program is “full.”

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Three clear instincts show up in the thread: objects on principle to paying for pre-release software, suspects opportunism, and points out that companies can set their own distribution choices. The original posts cover the immediate outrage; the useful follow-up is practical context and what to watch for when a vendor starts charging (even a small amount) for a beta.

For context, the vendor framed the move as a temporary "cost‑recovery" step after demand went far beyond expectations, kept a browser-based demo available, and made the forthcoming technical refresh available to existing beta participants while limiting new full downloads to the paid channel or physical media alternatives. (arstechnica.com)

Practical takeaways for anyone comparing the ethics and the economics: (1) check the beta license and whether paying grants upgrade rights or a credit toward the final product; (2) prefer official trial/test‑drive options or corporate channels (MSDN/TechNet/volume licensing) if the project is for work; (3) weigh whether the tiny fee is cheaper than the time lost chasing unofficial copies; and (4) confirm whether refreshes and support will be provided to early testers. Those steps turn the debate from "principle" to "risk management" when fitting a pre‑release build into a real testing or deployment plan.

Historical note: Office 2007 proceeded from public beta into volume licensing and general release the following months, and the suite followed a normal product lifecycle thereafter. (en.wikipedia.org)

Summary: the reaction in the thread is understandable, but a short nominal fee often serves distribution-control and logistics goals more than pure profit; the practical response is to verify license/upgrade terms and choose the trial path that matches testing needs rather than arguing only about principle.

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Member Avatar for Toulinwoek

Yeah, I have to agree. I mean, consider if the same number of people download now as already have (3 million). At $1.50 a pop, that's $4.5 million! There isn't a mathematician or self-proclaimed IT guru in the galaxy that's going to convince me that it costs nearly that much for the bandwidth (or anything else) it takes to make that beta available.
Sorry Mr. Ballmer, my head doesn't screw on and off!

Member Avatar for markdean

The big question is: what's wrong with them charging for it? I mean I'm not an MS fan at all but thoise in charge of running the company answer to the owners-which are the stockholders-not the consumers. And what is wrong with any company making as much money as possible? I know I always negotiate the maximum amount for my time on each contract-and it always goes up. That's the beauty of the free enterprise market we live in and what makes America truly great. No one is forcing anyone to buy anything. I love it when poeple complain about individuals or companies that are very successful as it is very perplexing. They always think they make too much money, have too large of a house, too many cars, or in the case of a large company like MS, they are too large, have too much market share, etc and the government should break them up. I think that some folks are simply envious of large companies and MS is a favorite target.

"It is never morally right that the consumer should be expected to pay for Beta software, nor even the online mechanism to deliver it."

Really? Says who? Isn't it their software to do what they want?

If you don't want to pay for your software, beta or otherwise, do what I do: use Linux or another open source OS and application.

Member Avatar for happygeek

Says who? Says me :cheesy:

Beta software is just that, unfinished, in testing, not ready for sale. If it ain't ready to be sold don't sell it, not even for a buck fifty. If it is ready for sale, take it out of Beta.

This is not a difficult equation to master...

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