So apparently the housing/mortgage crisis didn't teach Microsoft anything about luring people into long-term financial burden.
Thank GOODNESS this model wasn't used at the beginning of the PC boom - or else the PC market would be identical to our rip-off cellphone market by now.

For business, software distribution is already in place. Why would anyone want to mess with 'rental'?

iPhone: $2,500 for two years.
computer: $650 for two years? 1250 for four years? I think not.

Music copying and software copying have been proven to be a huge success, why would people want to deal with music/software 'rental' when the music-rental model is nothing but a failure?

Music copying and software copying have been proven to be a huge success, why would people want to deal with music/software 'rental' when the music-rental model is nothing but a failure?

Gee,

Paul Huang is kindly suggesting that all of us break the law.

Why? What possible, legitimate reason is there for advocating stealing music and software?

I agree, I would rather own my software and music instead of rent... but there is some expensive 3D ray tracing software or music that I only need for a short period of time that I might consider "leasing."

This model is actually not horrible, and it would certainly not eliminate the choice of buying your PC as you currently do.

I could see the concept in renting software for light duty tasks. I would have use of Photoshop maybe once or twice a month. If I wanted to buy it, it would cost several hundred dollars, so they get none of my money. Instead, I hire out the work to someone that did buy the software. If I could rent the software for a few dollars, that would make it much easier to have the tools necessary when I need them. I could have many more programs installed on my machine. If they aren't used, it costs nothing. When I do use them, I get a bill each month. If I use them a lot, then I buy an unlimited use license. Sounds like a great idea.

Now hardware on the other hand is going to be another story. If it's a little used machine but the rental is more than buying it outright, why would I want that?

I agree, I would rather own my software and music instead of rent...

Sorry, but you don't technically "own" your software. You licensed the software for your use, as allowed via the EULA. This is what prevents you from installing a legitimately purchased version of OS X on a non-Macintosh computer. Or putting that copy on two Macs.

M$ is the company that insists you want to rent all your music. So obviously you would want to rent your software as well.

Where and when has MS ever "insisted" that you want to rent all your music? They have suggested you have the option.

And there isn't anything wrong with the option. There are a lot of people who "own" music but never listen to most of it after a short period of time. Why waste money buying that AND then buying new music, when you can just keep updating your library as you see fit? Oh, right, it doesn't fit into how YOU want to use music, so it must be a bad idea.

There seems to me to be an element of silliness to comments that the iPhone costs $2500 over two years; having switched from Verizon to ATT, our family plane costs $20/mo more for the iPhone than my 4 year old motorola, and I get data. In my mind, I'm paying a $440 premium over two years to have 2 iPhones, plus the initial cost, about what I'd pay for the Touch.

Where does the $2500 come from anyway? An iPhone plan goes for $1700 over two years. Is someone shelling out another $800 for the iPhone itself?

What I have stated is not a recommendation, but it was and is a statement of fact.

I can't see this "rental" system flying for hardware. Oh sure, you'll get a few idiots who don't look past their next paycheck thinking they are somehow getting an ultra cheap PC out of it. If they tally up their monthly expenses on this model at the end of the year, they'd be shocked at what it ends up costing them.
This is just plain stupid, and just reeks of MS trying to create another business model for them to take money from their clueless customers. WHy am I NOT surprised the folks at Redmond could think up of something so inane.

Software on the other hand, I could see being somewhat useful. As others mentioned, leasing an expensive software title for short uses may make more sense than buying it outright. However, it would be better if the purchase price, should one decide to buy it later, would be prorated based on the amount of lease payment you had done up until that point. Of course they won't do that though.

people buy macs double if not triple the price of their original built worth...

so why not rent it? for a decent/reasonable price tag...

I m sure many fanboys would praise such an offer if apple did it...

"Wow great idea, yet again from Apple. I will definetely rent one when it is available. I cant wait to rent one... bla bla bla" not really hard to see...

this apple vs ms debates never finish... people who buy 3 times overly-priced apple PCs, and who keeps changing them every 3-5 years, talk this kind of hate filled posts, and even saying idiots who would do such a thing, do not look at the mirrors too often i think, right?

your points have been disproved over and over and over again. 3 times the price. my gawd, still drinking the koolaid eh?

go away.

you and your kind never look at the mirror i think...

you guys pay 3 times as much money to comparable custom pc, and change them every 3-5 years (which is a similar period for regular pcs) with same 3 times markup ratios, and yet talking about being disapproved...

fanboys should learn to make fair judgement and stop living above the pink clouds, and see the reality surrounding them...

i can run a mac os x on a 300$ pc with little to no trouble at same or faster performance to comparable macs that are nearly 5 times the price... (even real mac users who have similar pc configs confirm this...)

you guys just love your horse glasses, and anything that is coming from non-apple brand esp MS, must be really a bad idea...

3 times price comparison is a fair one when you are considerig CLEVER people, who do read/research, not the type of Apple Fanboy like customers who goes by the name - price tag - outlook, rather than knowing about internals...

go do research you will find handful of notebooks half the price of almost identical or superior specs notebooks... (hint: check acer for example for notebooks, or build it yourself at 3 times or less for desktop... sidenote: building a pc is almost a dumb's job nowadays... search/visit a web site which will tell u step by step visuals to do it...)

dont be a standard robot who only hears rumors and goes by the rumors, do it and learn it yourself...

dude, you're stupid. i'm not often so blunt, but, well, you're just stupid. no way around it.
build it yourself. my gawd, that is just too much. like the man said, you can't fix stupid.