I think we can safely say MS has quit on Africa

[stillblue]

http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/wi...t-angst/7301?tag=nl.e101&s_cid=e101&ttag=e101

In order to have Office 13 I would have to download to a specific computer and hope it never dies or be connected 24/7. Yeah right.

 

[Ijack]

In order to have Office 13 I would have to download to a specific computer and hope it never dies or be connected 24/7. Yeah right.

Not quite true. Microsoft say

…In the event that a customer buys the Office 2013 software and installs it on a PC that fails under warranty, the customer can contact support to receive an exemption to activate the Office 2013 software on the replacement PC…

Microsoft are not alone in trying to move people to cloud computing, and it is certainly not something that affects only Africa. But at least they give you the choice of an online model or an offline one; this is more than many games publishers (just one example) do, where you need to be online to use their programs.

Personally I don't understand why any small user purchases software such as Office. Why are you concerned about Office 13? It makes sense for corporations who purchase in volume, but there are equally good free alternatives that suit home users. To single out Microsoft for this behaviour is disingenuous. The great thing is that people who want 24/7 support can purchase commercial software, those who don't can use free software. Why should I worry that Microsoft want to make money out of their products? I don't have to buy them, and neither do you.

 

[sam_p_lay]

Personally I don't understand why any small user purchases software such as Office. Why are you concerned about Office 13? It makes sense for corporations who purchase in volume, but there are equally good free alternatives that suit home users. To single out Microsoft for this behaviour is disingenuous. The great thing is that people who want 24/7 support can purchase commercial software, those who don't can use free software. Why should I worry that Microsoft want to make money out of their products? I don't have to buy them, and neither do you.

+1 - well said.

Let's be honest stillblue, even with a 90% discount and no connection requirement, you still wouldn't buy Microsoft software You despise Microsoft and wouldn't buy their software on principle! You know I'm not even remotely anti-Microsoft (Windows 7 is still the best OS I've ever used by miles and I hugely appreciate the quality of their software) but even I run LibreOffice, and doubt you'd do otherwise, even with nothing to complain about from Microsoft Office.

 

[stillblue]

+1 - well said.

Let's be honest stillblue, even with a 90% discount and no connection requirement, you still wouldn't buy Microsoft software You despise Microsoft and wouldn't buy their software on principle! You know I'm not even remotely anti-Microsoft (Windows 7 is still the best OS I've ever used by miles and I hugely appreciate the quality of their software) but even I run LibreOffice, and doubt you'd do otherwise, even with nothing to complain about from Microsoft Office.

Exactly where am I being dishonest or disingenuous? No, on principle I would not buy MS products, this is true, that is my choice and I make no secret of it.

It is also true that this new policy of MS will virtually eliminate any chance of the African and third world markets in general having any access to these products, ie MS has written them off. That is a statement of their policy not mine. By requiring a full download of each copy for each computer, even if it were free, eliminates a huge number of people from accessing it. Want to take bets on how long until windows OS adopts the same policy? Win9? Win10? Should I be silent when a policy excludes so many billions? Particularly when the company has a monopoly?

 

[Ijack]

Look guys. This isn't a question about Linux/FreeBSD or any of the other Unix-like variants, is it. Wouldn't it be better posted in the Applications forum, and save this one for relevant subjects?

 

[stillblue]

Look guys. This isn't a question about Linux/FreeBSD or any of the other Unix-like variants, is it. Wouldn't it be better posted in the Applications forum, and save this one for relevant subjects?

The relevancy comes in that should this be a trend by MS then the Linux/FreeBSD/OpenSource community will be prevailed upon to promote their alternatives with the third world in mind as I doubt very much that MS is going to have an ad campaign informing people that if they can't access or afford their product here's the alternative.

 

[Ijack]

It is not a Linux question. It is a question about an application. If the people in Africa don't know about Open Office that is no more Microsoft's responsibility than Ford Motors.

Please take your soapbox to the appropriate forum and stop creating noise in the sysem in this one.