MacDailyNews - Where Mac news comes first

Feb 29, 08 - 10:20 am Comment from: 7over

I discounted it as something worth anything some time ago. Glad to see that M$ is joining the parade!

Feb 29, 08 - 10:22 am Comment from: ron

You can't make a silk purse (Leopard) out of a sow's (Vista) ear.

Feb 29, 08 - 10:24 am Comment from: ron

SB sow's ear (Vista).

if it's free, I still don't want it.

I do use XP in Parallels on my mac, but only when I have no choice.

Thanks for the laugh Redmond.

I like how they use the word "slash" in most articles about this when it's a measly 20% price cut. When Apple cuts prices, the media says they "lowered" the price even though in many cases they practically cut the price in half. When Microsoft gives you what amounts to your sales tax back on an already overpriced product ... it's "slashing."

And in other interesting Redmond news...this found on MacFixit:

"When selected in the font menu Powerpoint 2008 displays them with a substitute/generic font that looks nothing like the selected font. This occurs without any warning or dialog box that a substitution has occurred."

"Upon calling Redmond for help, Microsoft's Mac Tech Support laughably told me after emailing them a bunch of sample files and enduring several long periods on hold that 'the engineers writing the program decided no 3rd-party fonts were being supported in Office 2008 and that I could only use Microsoft fonts.'"

This has to be a joke...I hope

before you know who even posts...

No, again, we get it. not funny.

Feb 29, 08 - 10:43 am Comment from: jjjj

closeout on aisle number crap

Feb 29, 08 - 10:44 am Comment from: Ampar

“I think it’s probably important for me to tell our partners that, rest assured, we will never have a gap between Windows releases as long as the one between XP and Windows Vista,” Ballmer told thousands at the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference in Boston.

"Vista will be out next year. Vista has never been delayed. I mean, we had earlier conceptualizations, but the thing that is Vista is on its track." - Ballmer

Pants on fire.

Obviously selling it off as Windows 7 will be hitting the streets in a month or so.

Feb 29, 08 - 10:48 am Comment from: KingMel

Where is the screaming about this 'massive' price cut from the horde of consumers who purchased a shrink-wrapped copy of Vista since its release...err...the dozens of Vista buyers, that is. I don't see M$ giving out rebates to its early adopters who, by the way, got reamed (unlike the early iPhone buyers, who received the promised quality product).

I spoke with some more colleagues in the aerospace industry yesterday, and it is clear that the word of Mac is spreading. Many people who gradually migrated to Windows in the mid-1990's, most of whom were pressured or forced to switch by IT departments and company with Windows and IE-centric policies, are showing interest once again.

Feb 29, 08 - 10:49 am Comment from: ChrissyOne

Let's not forget - when Steve lowered the price on the iPhone, it was taken by MS centric pundits as a desperate attempt to stimulate poor sales figures.

I'm sure that's not what it means this time, though.

Feb 29, 08 - 10:52 am Comment from: Zune Tang®

As always Microsoft is looking out for the little guy—in this case graciously lowering prices and all you MAC sheep can do is bitch. The price of entry for the world's most advanced, secure and easy-to-use OS is less expensive than before. We should all be grateful. Thank you, Microsoft!

History tells me not to expect Apple to have a good answer to this development as Cupertino has reacted poorly to Microsoft's shrewd, customer-focused marketing decisions and brilliant innovations in the past. Buh-bye Apple.

Your potential. Our passion.™

Feb 29, 08 - 10:55 am Comment from: GmanMac

If you want a real laugher about Vista, browse through the e-mails that were just released on the Vista capable program fiasco.

Dell begging MSFT to not go ahead then detailing the post mortem disaster.

A Microsoft exec getting burned-- complaining he'd bought a $2,100 Sony e-mail machine--cause it wouldn't run Vista!

The upgrade to Leopard, superior to Windoze edition, costs less than $200 (people in the know just call it Leopard). I think M$ is getting the hint that people are not willing to take out a second mortgage just for an OS. They already got the hint when they relabled the Education version of Office to Home and Student version which allows for up to 3 installs.

Just my $0.02

Feb 29, 08 - 10:59 am Comment from: Ampar

" . . . most of whom were pressured or forced to switch by IT departments and company with Windows and IE-centric policies . . ."

The word betrayal comes to mind.

$319 from $399 - Are you sure thats a price slash ?

Feb 29, 08 - 11:00 am Comment from: flappo

so now it's not just crap it's cheap crap

nice one ms

Feb 29, 08 - 11:00 am Comment from: TexasAg03

I won't take a pile of crap for free, even if it's chrome-plated, and I'll be damned if I'll pay for it...

Zune Tang might have a point there about lowering the price. I already got Windows Ultimate for free, because I was a beta tester. If they make it freeware, they might blow Apple out of the water.

Or not.

My Dell XPS is sitting in a corner unused. Every time I turn it on, Vista wants to update, scan for this, defragment that, and so forth. By the time it's ready, I've finished my work on the Mac. It's getting so I'm terrified to turn it on.

Vista made me a Mac user. So lowering the price works right into Apple's hands.

Feb 29, 08 - 11:13 am Comment from: smyhre

Hmmm sweeat i might be able to aford vista now!...Or I could just buy 5 copies of Leopard in the family pack for $200 tough choice.

Feb 29, 08 - 11:15 am Comment from: Ampar

"If they make it freeware, they might blow Apple out of the water."

That would be a serious abuse of MS's monopoly status.
Not that the U.S. D.O.J. would do anything about it. I'm surprised they aren't allowed to just go ahead and print their own currency. Ballmer Bucks. Or would it be a points system?

"As always Microsoft is looking out for the little guy"
So that's how Redmond refers to its brainwashed heathens.

"—in this case graciously lowering prices and all you MAC sheep can do is bitch. The price of entry for the world's most advanced, secure and easy-to-use OS is less expensive than before."
But-but-but you said that money is an outmoded form of applicable payment, and we should be using points instead! So how many points does it cost to purchase Vista Training Bra edition?


"We should all be grateful. Thank you, Microsoft!"
Yes, Gates and Ballmer, thank you for the continous years of laughter and tears (mostly tears).

"History tells me not to expect Apple to have a good answer to this development as Cupertino has reacted poorly to Microsoft's shrewd, customer-focused marketing decisions and brilliant innovations in the past."

Sorry to interrupt your diatribe Zune Tang, but your boss just called, and you need to get to work to start your afternoon shift at Chuck-E-Cheese.
As far as Apple's response to this obviously brilliant, Napoleon-like strategy (with bonus Napoleon Complex), they're a little busy right now called Making Money and Caring About the Consumer.

Think Different.

Feb 29, 08 - 11:25 am Comment from: Demon

Actually MS has lowered the price on an OS versions a few times before. Windows ME come to mind.

MDN needs to remove Gates form their Microsoft pic as it's now the monkey boy only show.

Feb 29, 08 - 11:28 am Comment from: ChrissyOne

We've been hearing a lot about the Economic Slowdown™ and its effect on Apple's consumer-centric business. But this seems to be exactly what's hurting Microsoft. When times are tough, I'll hold off on buying an iPod if I already have one. But it looks like people are still buying iPods in healthy numbers.

But when times are tough, do I choose to spend 400 bucks on a new operating system that doesn't do anything appreciably better than the one I have, will likely require me to upgrade my hardware, as well as many of my apps, all for the prize of having to deal with the new security system and crappy beta hardware drivers?

Oh, and I get Aero.

....

Which aisle are the iPods on, again?

Feb 29, 08 - 11:42 am Comment from: Jubei

Maybe it will help sell Zunes? How many Zunes have been sold the last quarter Zune Tongued?

For anyone who is used to Leopard, MS would have to pay considerably more than 500 a month to achieve a switch to Vista.

Mmm and imagining it for a second.... uurgh, no, even then I wouldn't.

Let's have a poll on how much it would take MDN.

Feb 29, 08 - 11:59 am Comment from: ChrissyOne

@ Macaday

MS would have to pay me at least my salary to switch to Vista, since I'd no longer be able to get any work done.

Feb 29, 08 - 12:05 pm Comment from: Macintosh

What is Vista?

Feb 29, 08 - 12:12 pm Comment from: Ampar

I would need more than Ballmer's hourly snack budget.

Feb 29, 08 - 12:15 pm Comment from: AAPL

translation

we will sell you more crap soon

Feb 29, 08 - 12:21 pm Comment from: ChrissyOne

@ Ampar

Now come on, be realistic. That could feed Darfur.

Feb 29, 08 - 12:27 pm Comment from: Tommyr

You couldn't GIVE me a copy for free.

Feb 29, 08 - 12:29 pm Comment from: iDon't

MS issues a VISA credit card? Wow, did not know that. I'm switching to MasterCard.

Need a good laugh? Microsoft has a contest for its partners. The prize—a mighty incentive—is a Zune! That'll really get them motivated.

Their partner web site has not been functioning correctly for about three months. They are working on it.

I think Microsoft is like a very large mansion with termites. One day soon, there will be this huge noise, and it will all be over.

Feb 29, 08 - 01:30 pm Comment from: ChrissyOne

@ Charlie

Barad Dür.

Gee a frikken Red-Tag special from Redmond. I feel special.

The cutting-edge Vista OS is selling so well, Microsoft decided to employ the little-used but radical marketing strategy of price-slashing in order to boost sales to an even higher level and thus reap greater monetary rewards.

Meanwhile, my breath smells like ass.

Feb 29, 08 - 01:57 pm Comment from: Greg L

What?!? MDN didn’t add his 2¢ and take the opportunity to give Microshaft a wedgie on this one? Is he slipping?

Feb 29, 08 - 02:05 pm Comment from: Olmecmystic

megame, you're doing the same thing I'm doing...Windows XP Pro + Office 03 using Parallels on an aluminum iMac.

I'm starting a business from home and mentally, the rest of the world is still stuck using five-year-old Windows technology, so I have to have it just to interact. I only use it when I need it, I refused to pay much for it, and I'm lovin' Leopard!

In spite of Poon Tang's spin cycle bullshit, I wouldn't touch Vista with yours, if you know what I'm saying, whether it's cheaper, free, whatever.

Peace.
Olmecmystic

When I saw the headline I was expecting Vista Ultimate to appear competitive (in price) with Leopard - but 399 to 319? It would be still too much at half the price! They should just make it freeware, at least it would be closer to it's true value.

Feb 29, 08 - 03:20 pm Comment from: Ampar

Re: "slash the price"

If the price of MS stock goes down a few dollars, Ballmer loses a few billion. It's all about perspective.

Feb 29, 08 - 03:22 pm Comment from: MacRaven

A sign of Micro$oft gasping for air.

still costs more than Mac OS X

This is because it was selling so so well.

Just like their brown mp3 turd players.
When you produces too many... you got to discount them because no one wants to stock them.

Yet another sign of Vista SUCKING real bad.

@ You call that a slash

& others

if they slashed it any more early adopters would cry foul... give it another few months

And so it is - Down they go.

Feb 29, 08 - 05:25 pm Comment from: s

To help pay for the discount and also to improve the bottom line, MS has quietly increased the price of Windows XP...

What, it could happen.