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By Dawn Kawamoto, News.com
Posted on ZDNet News: Jul 28, 2006 10:25:00 PM

Microsoft plans next week to charge a nominal fee for Office 2007 Beta 2 downloads, a move that runs counter to the practice held by most software companies.

Consumers who download the 2007 Microsoft Office system Beta 2 will be charged $1.50 per download, beginning next Wednesday at 6 p.m. PDT, a Microsoft representative said.

"Since the end of May, Beta 2 has been downloaded more than 3 million times...That's 500 percent more than what was expected," the representative said. "The fee helps offset the cost of downloading from the servers."

Although Microsoft's Information Worker Product Management Group decided to initiate a fee for new users of Beta 2, the "technical refresh," or update, for current users of the software will remain free, the representative said.

Those who want to test drive Beta 2 to see how it works can access the software for free. But if they want to test it against their internal systems, a download or the CD is required.

The fee marks the first time Microsoft has charged for a download version of an Office beta, the representative said, noting that customers have long had to pay the shipping and handling costs for CD versions of betas.

  • Talkback
  • Most Recent of 114 Talkback(s)
Excellent - scare them off so they won't commend on the FLAWS!!!
Forget the stupid RIBBON and FIX the THINGS THAT DON'T WORK since Office 2003 and even previously.

I would have liked -

1 Outlook to open 2 outlook profiles at the same time. This has b... (Read the rest)
Posted by: boed Posted on: 08/25/06 You are currently: Logged In | Log out
Snork! Cardinal_Bill   | 07/28/06
It'll be interesting to see . . . 999ad@...   | 07/28/06
Calling more BETA TESTERS! Calling more suckers ... michael_t   | 07/28/06
Good idea - keeps the riff raff out ... Prognosticator   | 07/28/06
that's a cool idea! how many times did U download that BETA michael_t   | 07/28/06
This beta seems to be a good deal vs the "regular" betas .. :-) michael_t   | 07/28/06
bunch of sick bastard Quebec-french   | 07/28/06
Is anyone forcing you to download it? georgeou   | 07/28/06
Nope. Cardinal_Bill   | 07/28/06
Nobody would pay me enough to beta test-- Quebec-french   | 07/28/06
I don' tthink anyone would pay you for anything. No_Ax_to_Grind   | 07/29/06
comming from someone like you Quebec-french   | 07/30/06
Someone like me buys guys like No_Ax_to_Grind   | 07/30/06
Someone like you... whisperycat   | 07/31/06
Actually, Patrick Jones   | 07/31/06
O'damn , let's not get so touchy George_Ou . Intellihence   | 07/29/06
nope but it does show you the barsteward   | 07/29/06
Mr OU stop the brown nosing please nt toxicfreak   | 07/28/06
NO ONE asked *you* to test anything. No_Ax_to_Grind   | 07/29/06
Pay to test? rfr88@...   | 07/29/06
Then don't do it... No_Ax_to_Grind   | 07/29/06
I bet this will bug the sh*t out of some people Confused by religion   | 07/28/06
There you go with that common sense thinga again. No_Ax_to_Grind   | 07/29/06
I think it is sad and funny Patrick Jones   | 07/31/06
RE: I bet this will bug the sh*t out of some people richdave   | 07/31/06
M$ greed never ceases to amaze me DarthRidiculous   | 07/28/06
Other thinking A.Sinic   | 07/31/06
torrent anyone? Arm A. Geddon   | 07/28/06
Gimme a break mark16_15@...   | 07/31/06
re: Gimme a break Arm A. Geddon   | 07/31/06
Cut MS some slack.......... dave95.   | 07/28/06
Fiscally responsible PB_z   | 07/28/06
Fiscally Responsible.... crash89   | 07/28/06
Earth to crash89 John Zern   | 07/28/06
Agreed, but.... crash89   | 07/29/06
Printers are $5.00, not $39.99 MGP2   | 07/31/06
Kudos: a well reasoned and articulated post ... michael_t   | 07/28/06
Fascinating mystery pablo@...   | 07/28/06
Users aren't cheapskate's if they refuse to pay for it , Intellihence   | 07/29/06
But technically Fool Hardy. el1jones   | 07/29/06
Where you are completely off base. No_Ax_to_Grind   | 07/29/06
You're actually right. dave.leigh@...   | 07/29/06
Of course it's marketing. No_Ax_to_Grind   | 07/30/06
I guess that Feedback Button isn't there either... el1jones   | 07/31/06
Internet Load A.Sinic   | 07/31/06
Like OOo is free INGOTIAN   | 07/31/06
Would you pay to test drive a car? MGP2   | 07/31/06
Beta testing isn't the same thing critic-at-arms   | 07/31/06
So, you're saying it's OK then? MGP2   | 08/01/06
I agree... DMeeks   | 07/31/06
MS Charges for Beta radar_z   | 08/01/06
Charging For A Beta?? BUWAHAHAHAHH!!! itanalyst   | 07/28/06
HAHAHAHAHAHA John Zern   | 07/28/06
Free Cardinal_Bill   | 07/28/06
In truth John Zern   | 07/28/06
Opps I see that your folks finally revealed the "family secret" ... michael_t   | 07/31/06
Unfortunately its not MS being the idiot barsteward   | 07/29/06
Getting Paid to Sail mighetto   | 07/31/06
What Babies!! DMeeks   | 07/31/06
Yup tech.paul@...   | 07/31/06
Beta=BROKEN and............ raymarc001   | 07/28/06
May I ask what kind of job you have? harrisharris   | 07/31/06
Nobody charges money to download beta's Boot_Agnostic   | 07/29/06
Well there you go, true innovation. No_Ax_to_Grind   | 07/29/06
And the clueless parade continues Confused by religion   | 07/29/06
Note who it is whining Milly...The same No_Ax_to_Grind   | 07/29/06
Yep. Cardinal_Bill   | 07/29/06
Rent??? No_Ax_to_Grind   | 07/30/06
you believe you BAUGHT Word 1.0? B.O.F.H.   | 07/30/06
Without going into... Cardinal_Bill   | 07/31/06
Not entirely true Michael Kelly   | 07/29/06
Yep, I bought Vista beta to test my own software stevey_d   | 07/30/06
Nope, if you are a developer No_Ax_to_Grind   | 07/30/06
depends how you measure quality.. mdsmedia   | 07/30/06
Interesting.. Patrick Jones   | 07/31/06
Here's a better idea elkinm   | 07/29/06
HAHAHAHA PAY to be a BETA TESTER???? swbobcat   | 07/29/06
I don' tthink you could qualify or meet the requirements No_Ax_to_Grind   | 07/30/06
That depends No_AX.... Arnout Groen   | 07/31/06
You've got to be kidding... Russedl   | 08/01/06
Live Phishing databaseben@...   | 07/30/06
CIA wadoz1   | 07/30/06
Recommendations al.case.at.techspend   | 07/30/06
Microsoft plans next week to charge a nominal fee for Office 2007 Beta 2 not of this world   | 07/30/06
Actually... A.Sinic   | 07/31/06
Huh? Which MS product *ISN'T* betaware?? whisperycat   | 07/31/06
actually... nix_hed   | 08/01/06
i am the typo king, bow before me mortals. nix_hed   | 08/01/06
Small Charge georgegreen@...   | 07/31/06
Whatever mlrodman@...   | 07/31/06
This is the software rental fee :) BitTwiddler   | 07/31/06
Push it on you? HOW? Russedl   | 08/01/06
A windows beta tester is born every second! Reverend MacFellow   | 07/31/06
darn Boot_Agnostic   | 07/31/06
nope nix_hed   | 08/01/06
Short Term Thinking imguessing   | 07/31/06
The hidden cost to Beta firstworld   | 07/31/06
Microsoft Charging for everything. res1am1i@...   | 07/31/06
Huh? "I" should get paid for being a tester. aryderb   | 07/31/06
At least this time they admit it . . . critic-at-arms   | 07/31/06
Microsoft saw an opportunity to score some $$$ chas_2   | 07/31/06
Bandwidth... Russedl   | 08/01/06
Are you really suprised? No1Special   | 08/01/06
Monopolies R' Us strikes again! exspook   | 08/01/06
And you care because why??? deepee912   | 08/01/06
Are you seriously complaining about $1.50!?!?? Russedl   | 08/01/06
Fee fir Beta rob_rein@...   | 08/01/06
They've been charging for Betas for years... ericha8   | 08/01/06
paying for beta testing SRGRMB   | 08/01/06
This looks more like a sociological experiment for MS to gauge michael_t   | 08/01/06
MS didn't need to do this with their bank Boot_Agnostic   | 08/02/06
Boycott them format4nz@...   | 08/05/06
Just download a beta of Open Office Boot_Agnostic   | 08/06/06
Excellent - scare them off so they won't commend on the FLAWS!!! boed   | 08/25/06

What do you think?

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