Microsoft Withdraws Free Software Deal, Overwhelmed by Privacy-Hating Cheapskates

NotebookReview writes:

"We have recently discovered that yesterday afternoon (12/11/07) Microsoft took away the freebie part of this offer (the software). However, Microsoft is still running the survey and 3-month feedback program. This means anyone who signed up after the cutoff is still going to be monitored, but receive nothing in return for the forfeit of privacy. Microsoft apparently thinks your privacy isn't worth anything now."

[MK_Red]

"but recieve nothing in return for the forfeit of privacy. Microsoft apparently thinks your privacy isn't worth anything now."
lol, hilariousl :)

[JsonHenry]

If this is true it is a law suit waiting to happen.

[Bladestar]

Damn if they do and if if they don't.

[games4fun]

act like they are the victims seriously all they had to do was honor their prior agreements to those who signed on, and remove the offer to future people

But no they didnt and they screwed some people over, they shouldnt have put up the offer in the first place if they werent going to honor it if i had signed up i would contact my BBB (better business bureau) and contacted msft and b$tched at them to remove my personal information this is just a big middle finger to the people they surveyed

only a very (and i stress the word very) delusional biased person would defend microsoft in this situation

[Lionsguard]

Bladestar you are a prime example of "Battered Wife Syndrome" Microsoft rapes you over and over and over and over and over yet you still run to it and defend it's actions.

[Bladestar]

fine... lol.. but yesterday.. when you all didn't know microsoft was going to pull the free OS.. you were all flaming microsoft for doing it anyways... saying that the OS is not worth it... now you are flaming because they are not? make up your mind.

[gamesR4fun]

thought it was 2 good to be true...
I mean lots of honest folks out there woulda jumped on it...

[mighty_douche]

Bill Gates is Satan in a V neck.

[Azures]

Look at me, I'm getting free software AND keeping my privacy. Amazing.

[raub]

+1

[Ashta]

And what giant corporation was it that had a history of lying to its consumers? What?! You mean this wasn't Sony?! Good lord!!

If you can't catch the sarcasm in that reply then may God have mercy on your soul....yes....your very soul.

[Mikelarry]

if ur talking about sonys drm spyware low blow but funny. all this big companies and thier skeletons

[Ashta]

The DRM thing is kinda....eh...iffy....

However, I was just pointing out that Microsoft ALSO has it's issues with consumer trust and how they treat their clients.

One of the main reasons I hear (at least on this site) why a lot of Xbox fans and fanboys hate Sony is because "they lie and treat their customers like crap". However, they cannot ever provide any proof of this except for the few target render videos that Kutaragi was touting as in-game footage and talking crazy stuff about 4D and 120fps. Surely, as I hope most people did not as well, I did not believe such piles of crap, but because I had faith in the brand name (and not Kutaragi or any other PR suit) I chose the PS3. Never felt lied or cheated by the company....might have had to hear a lot of nonsense, but never mistreated or wronged.

However, as the story above proves, Microsoft once again shafts its customers thought the use of anti-privacy scams, promises then lies of software specials, constant issues with stories of user information being phished or stolen from Xbox live, not to mention the HUGE debacle that has been Vista and the Genuine Windows System. Which, by the way, is the most unprofessional pieces of anti-piracy software I have ever seen.

Ever.

Sure, Sony has its skeletons as well. The DRM pissed off a lot of people but it still isn't as intrusive as Genuine, SecuROM, or anything else Microsoft shelves out to try and control its userbase. Which, by the way, is what they are doing. They sell you a product, but they feel (even though you have paid for it) that you don't really have the right to say you "own" it. In other words....you've paid Microsoft to let you "borrow" a piece of software instead of actually owning it. Sure, you the consumer might say "wait just a damn minute here! I own this! I bought it!" however, to Microsoft you didn't. You just took a piece of it on loan....and they can shut it off any time they want.

Sorry to rant, but next time someone says something like "Sony is the worst. They treat their customers like crap and lie lie lie." Ask yourself....are they really? and who is actually treating people worse?

[WilliamRLBaker]

except you downplay sony, Microsoft has its share and so does Sony, xbox fanboys only reply to sonyfanboys taking consistant shortcomings of the OS sector of Microsoft and applying that to the console.

Where as sony HAS VASTLY more sekeltons surrounding their console sector then microsoft does, Sony is consistantly caught lieing, bait and switching..ect and thats a FACT, Microsoft has told only a few lies compared when it comes to their console and usually admit it soon after, Sony continued to carry on the KZ2 real time footage for months after it was revealed they had lied.

You downplay sony and make out sony is the worse company, when all companies EVEN nintendo has its skeletons.

[chrno6]

MS said the failure rate is a moving target and it's only 5% when in reality it's somewhere arond 20 to 33%. That's a big fat lie.

[Lumbo]

Ashta, i hope you DO realize that SecuROM is a Sony product not a Microsoft one ;) http://www.securom.com/

Though unlike Sony MS is known and sentenced several times for unfair business practices , anti-market behavior, monopolizing markets, sabotaging competitors etc epp. Look up the DR-DOS case if you like some insight in just HOW evil MS was, and is.

[Muppetmeat]

"Microsoft apparently thinks your privacy isn't worth anything now."

What do they mean 'now'??? M$ is forever trying to track every last thing that windows users do under the guide of 'market research'... They're the Fourth Reich for chrissake!!

[PS3n360]

unfortunately if you knew your history you would see sony is more closely related to the nazi's than ms. Let me explain. The Cell was produced by Sony/IBM. During the second world war the computers used to catalogue the Jews in Nazi death camps were designed built and maintained by IBM. IBM Technicians were flown to Germany to install, service and maintain the machines thus any claim of ignorance on the part of IBM is invalid. There is speculation that the US held off participating in WWII because of this and the lobbying power of IBM at the time. You could say that our PS3's are in some way paid for by the Nazi's.

http://www.ibmandtheholocau...

[CRIMS0N_W0LF]

Vista is not even worth free !

[WilliamRLBaker]

hmmmm i think ill sign up any way, ill do it on my vista laptop so they get usage stuff for that OS and make it better.

[skagrerrrr]

I hope they get their arses sued to h*ck!

[socsca]

That's funny, they are gonna get sued by a lot of people.