macnn/electronista
01/02/2009, 11:25am, EST
Friday, January 2ndMS pay-per-use PC patent already rejected
Microsoft's patent application for a usage-based PC model has already been rebuffed by the US Patent Office, according to a letter disclosed today. Given to Microsoft a few days before the requested patent became public, the notice rejects Microsoft's submission for being at once too broad and too familiar. The tendency to use vague terms and the existence of already patented, relevant technology are cited as the core reasons behind the rejection.
The abrupt rejection puts a damper on any potential plans by Microsoft to switch to such a model, which has been touted as superior for reducing the cost of high-end PCs attached to a pay-per-use model and for saving money with users who only need a computer for short periods. Critics have countered that the approach would artificially raise the price of using PCs and limit the apps people are likely to use.
Microsoft is already using subscription services in the form of software-as-a-service (SaaS) offerings to business customers.
Filed under: computers, industry, software
Other story tags: Microsoft
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what?
The patent office denied something that was to broad? well, i guess there's a first for everything.
/sarcasm
um, no...
The abrupt rejection puts a damper on any potential plans by Microsoft to switch to such a model
What? Why would not getting a patent prevent them from creating the business model? The only thing a patent would do is keep others from jumping on the bandwagon.
Critics have countered that the approach would artificially raise the price of using PCs and limit the apps people are likely to use.
Gee, and I thought the reason most people didn't use apps like Adobe CS 3/4 was the ridiculously high price.
But if the idea, as the article states, is for "saving money with users who only need a computer for short periods.", then those people are not as likely to buy/use more software anyway, so they'd already be limited.
And the biggest obstacle to this whole thing is the internet, where people are bound to find some on-line or free apps that can do what anyone wants them to pay for (whether that be subscription or just pay the whole thing).