“Microsoft may be experimenting with the idea of selling PCs in the same way as cellphones are currently sold, patent filings suggest,” Electronista reports.
“A recently-published patent application proposes selling “standard model” PCs at a significant discount, with the rest of the price being subsidized by an unspecified part of the supply chain. The real cost would be shifted into a usage contract, determining how long a person would have to use their machine,” Electronista reports.
“Buyers might alternately be asked to pick from general packages, such as office, gaming or browsing bundles, each with a different hourly rate; expanding functionality would require switching to a new package. Controlling a person’s ability to use their computer would be a new security module, locking a PC to a given supplier, while also restricting functionality,” Electronista reports.
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MacDailyNews Take: Don’t the Windows sufferers already pay enough in frustration, stress, and lost productivity?