When Is Three Bucks Too Much?

Iria · Apr 22, 2007, 01:55 PM

Source: Microsoft Watch
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It's dress down Friday here at Microsoft Watch, so we would like to dress down Microsoft's $3 student software suite strategy a bit. Microsoft Watch commenters have reacted strongly, and we want to add our own opinion, too.

To recap: Later this year, Microsoft will offer the Student Innovation Suite—Learning Essentials 2.0 for Microsoft Office, Microsoft Math 3.0, Office Home and Student 2007, Windows Live Mail Desktop and Windows XP Starter Edition—to governments for $3 per student. The suite will be licensed for use on government-subsidized PCs provided directly to students, which would pay nothing for the software.

Out of the gate, the student suite has a big handicap: No takers. There are no government programs in place to use it. So Microsoft's first challenge will be generating interest—and maybe even establishing infrastructure—for the creation of PC-for-student programs. Even then, the process is probably going to be tough going.

Apr 22, 2007, 01:55 PM	#1
Iria DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 7,275 Rep Power: 89	When Is Three Bucks Too Much? Source: Microsoft Watch ________ It's dress down Friday here at Microsoft Watch, so we would like to dress down Microsoft's $3 student software suite strategy a bit. Microsoft Watch commenters have reacted strongly, and we want to add our own opinion, too. To recap: Later this year, Microsoft will offer the Student Innovation Suite—Learning Essentials 2.0 for Microsoft Office, Microsoft Math 3.0, Office Home and Student 2007, Windows Live Mail Desktop and Windows XP Starter Edition—to governments for $3 per student. The suite will be licensed for use on government-subsidized PCs provided directly to students, which would pay nothing for the software. Out of the gate, the student suite has a big handicap: No takers. There are no government programs in place to use it. So Microsoft's first challenge will be generating interest—and maybe even establishing infrastructure—for the creation of PC-for-student programs. Even then, the process is probably going to be tough going.