Microsoft has big plans to rent you a copy of Office. Personally, I think they are missing the real reason people are flocking to other, free alternatives.
With its Office franchise under attack from a host of competitors offering free software, Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) is hoping that a new subscription pricing model for its cornerstone desktop franchise will encourage consumers to continue upgrading to the latest editions of the product.
Microsoft said Wednesday that it will give consumers the option of buying an annual license for Office and its Windows Live OneCare security package for $69.99 per year under a program called Equipt. The license covers use of the software on up to three computers and includes access to all future product upgrades…..
….The emergence of free software could be hurting Microsoft's bottom line. The company said that sales of its Office products among consumers dropped 39% in the most recent quarter. The company blamed most of the decline on the fact that the previous year's third-quarter results were significantly boosted by revenue that had been deferred under an Office 2007 upgrade program.
Still, consumer sales of Office have shown no growth over the past three quarters, Microsoft said. The problem: Microsoft's Office revenue typically jumps when a new version is introduced, then quickly tapers off.
Just yesterday I had an experience with Office that shows why they have a problem, at least in my opinion. I tried to download a template from Office Online and was denied. Why? Because my fully legal copy of Office is the 2002 version. They refused to allow me access even though many of the templates in question are marked clearly are being for earlier versions of Office.
That's what is putting people off.
I have written several posts about the plight of the orangutans. A new study shows just how badly off the great apes are because of the mad rush to produce "biofuels".
New orangutan population estimates revealed in the July issue of Oryx reflect those improvements in assessment methodology – including standardized data collection, island-wide surveys, and better sharing of data among stakeholders – rather than dramatic changes in the number of surviving orangutans.
The experts’ revised estimates put the number of Sumatran orangutans (P. abelii) around 6,600 in 2004. This is lower than previous estimates of 7,501 as a result of new findings that indicate that a large area in Aceh that was previously thought to contain orangutans actually does not. Since forest loss in Aceh has been relatively low from 2004 to 2008, the 2004 estimate is probably not much higher than the actual number in 2008. The 2004 estimate of about 54,000 Bornean orangutans (P. pygmaeus) is probably also higher than the actual number today as there has been a 10 percent orangutan habitat loss in the Indonesian part of Borneo during that period……
…….Although other threats to orangutan survival exist, such as hunting in agricultural areas where human-orangutan conflicts exist, the biggest by far is forest destruction associated with the burgeoning palm oil industry in Indonesia and Malaysia. Together, they are the world’s largest palm oil producers with a combined global market share of 80.5 percent. Rapid expansion of the palm oil industry coupled with poor land-use planning are further pressuring forests and the orangutans who depend on them for survival.
The madness of biofuels. The truth is that biofuels produce more carbon emissions, not less.
A couple of interesting items in Robert Novak's column today. First, Wesley Clark may have ruined his chances of being chosen as Obama's running mate with his attempt at belittling John McCain's military experience.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Retired Gen. Wesley Clark, whose stock as Sen. Barack Obama's possible vice presidential running mate had been rising, may have ruined his chances with his belittling attack on Sen. John McCain's war record.
Clark, along with other Obama surrogates, followed the campaign's line of downgrading McCain's performance as a Vietnam War POW. But Clark was particularly insulting. ("I don't think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to be president.") He also got more attention by appearing on CBS's "Face the Nation," while other surrogates addressed campaign gatherings.
Even more interesting is an item further down the page:
When Chairman David Obey announced before the Fourth of July break that he was shutting down his House Appropriations Committee's consideration of money bills, House Republican leaders felt they had the Democratic majority on the run over soaring gas prices.
The committee was considering the Labor-HHS appropriation when ranking Republican Jerry Lewis offered the Interior money bill as an amendment to force a vote on oil drilling. "As far as I'm concerned," Obey said as he adjourned the committee, charging Republican obstructionism, "they've had their shot."
The Democrats are desperate to avoid voting on expanding oil exploration. This is a surprise hot-button issue for the Republicans to run on, one that resonates with the majority of Americans who are sick of the price of gasoline. The sky high cost of fuel is causing inflation across the board. Even my local garbage collection service has had to raise prices because of the rise in fuel prices. By a substantial amount.
Lewis the cat has been released from his probation. We first wrote about the feline menace way back in March of 2006. Then again in April and June of that year. Now, two years on, Lewis has changed his ways enough for a court to dismiss the charges against him.
A judge dismissed a reckless endangerment charge against Lewis's owner, Ruth Cisero, on Thursday, concluding she had met terms of a special probation for first-time offenders. Lewis is now an indoor pet, allowed outside only in a cat carrier.
"Unlike most of us, Lewis has learned to live with his limitations," said Eugene Riccio, Cisero's attorney.
The scratch-happy black-and-white cat drew widespread attention in 2006 when Cisero opted for a trial on the criminal charge rather than euthanize or declaw him. It became a national claws celeb, and some pet lovers even sported "Save Lewis" shirts.
Even the neighbor Lewis savaged is satisfied with the outcome. We are curious as to whether Lewis had to wear an orange jumpsuit while he was incarcerated. We rather like that mental image.
Geek Stuff | Gaius Saturday, 5 July , 2008 | 
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