Microsoft specs out 'Pay-as-you-go' PC scheme
InfoWorld | at | by Mike
Microsoft applied last week for a patent that spells out a "pay-as-you-go" concept where users would be charged for both the software they run and the computing horsepower they use.
Fees would be lower for low-performance chores, such as writing e-mail or surfing the Internet, and higher for high-performance tasks.
For consumers, Microsoft said, the advantage of such a model would be a lower price at the outset for a powerful PC. Computer makers would gain the ability to standardize on higher-end systems, it added. But the company admitted that the overall cost to the user might be higher.
"Although the cost of ownership over the life of the computer may be higher than that of a one-time purchase, the payments can be deferred and the user can extend the useful life of the computer beyond that of the one-time purchase machine," Microsoft contended.