Re: [tlug] Re: Post my article on tlug.jp?

["Stephen J. Turnbull" <stephen@example.com>]

Scott Robbins writes:

 > etc.   He then wrote, in talking about its strengths, how Microsoft,
 > although now (in 2000) allows you to buy software and keep it forever,
 > could, if they wished, sell you software that only works for a year,

Except that it would get hacked, per Dave's article.

 > then make you buy more.  From what (very little) I understand, it seems
 > as if this is almost what they are now doing with Office--isn't it
 > something like you don't actually buy it, you just buy a license,

This is the way it always works in the U.S., absent a contract to the
contrary: you own the media, just like always, and you get an end-user
license for the software.

 > which has to be renewed in 3 years? 

If true, this would be new.  It seems likely to me that you have
misunderstood something.  Are you sure that's not the period of access
to Windows Update that the license is bundled with?

This policy at the retail level would encourage the wrong people (the
more adventurous ones who might very well make a success of a switch
to Linux, and those who choose Windows rather than Mac because it's
suppose to be cheaper) to switch.  On the other hand, it won't help
them extract more revenue from large companies as they have already
signed up for much more complex (and lucrative to MSFT) site-license-
cum-service-contract packages AIUI.