“Microsoft Corp., the world’s largest software maker, unveiled on Thursday plans to launch a computer subscription service that would include anti-virus and security updates for personal computers,” Reuters reports.
“The Redmond, Washington-based software giant said it would initially distribute the service, called ‘Windows OneCare,’ among its employees this week and would offer a trial, or beta, service for PCs running Windows later this year. Users would pay a yearly subscription fee,” Reuters reports.
The Reuters report also contains this gem, “Apple Computer Ltd., which recently launched a major update to its Macintosh computer operating system, has long offered an anti-virus subscription service for its users.”
MacDailyNews Note: First of all, it’s really Apple Computer Incorporated, not Limited. Second of all, Apple used to offer their .Mac subscribers a free Anti-Virus application called Virex 7.5 from a third party, McAfee Security, much like Apple also once offered a free download of the game Marble Blast. One major difference between the two freebees was that Marble Blast actually did something, however trivial, for the user. There is no such offer for Apple current operating system, Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger. So, obviously, any actual research by Reuters would have revealed that Apple Computer Inc. has never offered an anti-virus subscription service for its users. Mac OS X has never had a virus, by the way.
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: There’s a tried and true name for people that will pay Microsoft for Windows and then pay them extra for some promise of protection: “suckers.” Hate to break it to you this way, but if you’re that stupid, you deserve to use Windows, and only Windows, for the rest of your life.
“A protection racket is an extortion scheme whereby a powerful organization coerces individuals or businesses to pay ‘protection money’ which allegedly serves to purchase the powerful organization’s protection services against various external threats, whereas the actual threat comes from the powerful organization itself. Those who do not buy into the protection plan are targeted by the powerful organization and are harassed to try to force payment of the protection money.” – Wikipedia
[UPDATE: 1:21pm ET: Added “Mafiasoft” to headline. Thanks, “FromSicily.” Added “MDN Note.” Edited “Related articles” below.]
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and the suckers on the windows platform will line up to once again line the pockets of Microsoft…… or WILL THEY?
After 4 years and many promises Microsoft are done with making OS’s…
..so of course they have to find another route to skin their customers!
“Sure Virex isn.t NEEDED AT ALL, and .Mac offers many other features, but it still always seemed a little shady to me especially because my mom got suckered into buying it for that protection alone (windows switcher)…”
One of the features of that virus protection is that it also finds Windows viruses and eliminates them. No big deal for the Mac user but a big deal for all the PC users that would receive a frowarded email with that virus attached.
I remember when news like this would affect me, but since i work for Apple now and not Dell, replaced my Dual proc Precision workstation with badass Dual proc powermac G5….use post production software made by apple….with an awesome OS, things like this just make me laugh…..i do turn my dell on sometimes to get online just for kicks, but turn it off quickly after i get bombarded with spyware……..took me a while to let go of the pc, i defended it like a battered wife…….no longer..
I remember when news like this would affect me, but since i work for Apple now and not Dell, replaced my Dual proc Precision workstation with badass Dual proc powermac G5….use post production software made by apple….with an awesome OS, things like this just make me laugh…..i do turn my dell on sometimes to get online just for kicks, but turn it off quickly after i get bombarded with spyware……..took me a while to let go of the pc, i defended it like a battered wife…….no longer..
I remember when news like this would affect me, but since i work for Apple now and not Dell, replaced my Dual proc Precision workstation with badass Dual proc powermac G5….use post production software made by apple….with an awesome OS, things like this just make me laugh…..i do turn my dell on sometimes to get online just for kicks, but turn it off quickly after i get bombarded with spyware……..took me a while to let go of the pc, i defended it like a battered wife…….no longer..
Everyone has a certain amount of ‘want’ in their ‘heart’. But, Microsoft’s level of greed is sad.
When will Microsoft have enough money? It would be great to know.
Maybe we all could have a whip-round to help ‘poor’ Bill and Ballmer out!
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> MacDailyNews Note: First of all, it’s really Apple Computer Incorporated, not Limited.
Well, if MacDailyNews’ world view was larger than, um, the country in which you live, you would see that the Reuters article is from the UK (.uk domain and UK logo on the page), in which there are no “Inc.s” but rather “Limiteds”.
Yes, I agree that Microsoft is doing some ridiculous things here, but your tone is so 12-year-old-ish it’s embarrassing.
The Mafiaoft Migration kit:
http://www.geekculture.com/joyoftech/joyarchives/450.html
s
Like a car company not putting locks on its doors.
Then to stop people from breaking on your car, the car company will sell add-o, after market locks (at an outrageous price,)plus theft insurance….
———
Or stove maker that makes stoves that catch on fire, then goes into the fire extinguishing business…
———–
Or food maker sells food that makes people sick, then starts selling medicine for those that get sick….
———
Or every time you go to the doctor he injects you with a new sickness so you can come back he will fix you right up for that sickness, while giving you a new one….
———-
more examples anyone…..?
Here’s the thing that really pisses me off:
In the one-on-one meetings with the Reuters article, some flunky from MS dropped in that line.
MDN is correct that they are clueless, so clueless they would of never known to put that line in unless some shill from Microsoft fed it to them.
I expect it from Microsoft. They are shit.
But the media is just a bunch of stenographers.
Maybe you should consider this “consider this”….
maybe it wasn’t Apple the influenced your mother into buying .Mac for the virus protection… maybe it was her extensive and painful experience with using Windows that made her believe that all OSs were as vulnerable.
If you slowly raise the temperature in a room, you never realize how hot it’s become until you step outside into a normal environment. I think Microsoft way have raised the temperature a little too quick on this new plan.
I am a .Mac subscriber and never have once felt the need or the benefit from using the anti-virus software that comes with it. It’s just not necessary for me or the majority of Mac users.
For Gackle the Great,
very politically incorrect statement to follow:
Or a crack whore starting to sell her Johns the cure for AIDS..
so MicroSnot iis now going to sell you vaseline with sand included. What a royal scr3wing – anyone who goes for this is either a charter member of the masochist’ society or just flat out deserves what they get.
mw – income as in- just think of the income MS is going to get from all the idiots
MDN, your headline says “subscrption” not “subscription”
Only Microsoft could turn a feature in Windows 95 into a series of massive vulnerabilities in Windows 98, 2000 and XP and then into a revenue stream in Windows XP and Longhorn. They will kill off all of their Anti virus rivals then let the product die like IE did.
Anybody who goes for this deserves what they get!
I deleted Virex from my Mac a long time ago. It seemed cool to get a free virus checker when I first got .mac. But then I came to my senses. Why should I tax my processor even a little to protect dimwit Windows users from themselves?
I have a builtin anti-virus in Mail. It is called BOUNCE.
“PC sucker: Hey, I sent you an email and it came back with a virus. My PC is all bonkers now”
“Sorry sucker, I have a Mac. Dontcha know viruses bounce off Macs? You sent it, you got it back. It is all yours. Enjoy your Wintel PC.”
Gackle the Great wrote:
“Like a car company not putting locks on its doors.”
There’s a major car company that makes vehicles with mediocre-to-putrid crash-test ratings, and offers these vehicles with a subscription-satellite service that summons help when you’ve been in a crash. Um, if the vehicles were built better I might not NEED help automatically dispatched….
smegdude wrote:
“do you think microsoft might start writing viruses that only affect non-subscribers?”
They might try, but it takes years to get any code out the door so PC users have a while yet.
The biggest danger is subscription-only licensing for future Windows versions (again, assuming any see daylight). You check in with the mother ship and pay up, or your PC quits working. Wouldn’t that be sweet….
What is really sad about all this is that all the other security/anti-virus companies out ther trying to make an honest buck are now competing with Microsoft.
The VERY bad news for all these companies (including Mcafee, Symantec, Sophos etc) is that in a couple of years time they are gonna out of business!
This is bad for everyone – but as usual it’s Microsoft using it’s monopoly to get in a market and totally destroy it.
“one care” “one care” “one care”…. say it enough times and you’ll go blind.
This should really bring about an avalanche of viruses now.
These guys really have no shame. None whatsoever.
It’s actually quite remarkable.
My daily visit to MacUpdate found this iTunes plug-in…
RhapsOGL 2.5
http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/18077
–
But for more fun check out the bottom of their page.
http://www.rhapsoft.com/
Note to MDN,
As a PC user who finally made the switch (converson?) to Apple this week let me offer a piece of advice:
Don’t insult PC users (eg. by calling them suckers); all you’ll do is alienate them and make them dig their heels in even more. They are not the problem – Microsoft is.
However, insult Microsoft all you want.
Mac Mini rocks by the way. iPod Halo Effect? It exists all right – I’m living proof.