Microsoft now giving away Surface RT tablets to boost Bing use in schools

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  • Reply 41 of 94

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by djames4242 View Post


     


    Until now, the only reason to bring up the Bing homepage was the generally gorgeous photos. Now you can earn a Surface too! (Which you might be able to sell and use the pennies toward a usable tablet that has apps)



     


    If Microsoft can't sell 'em new, what makes you think you can sell them used?

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  • Reply 42 of 94
    Can anyone say tax right off on a complete loss it sucks but free or at a loss like kindle
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  • Reply 43 of 94

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Ochyming View Post



    Ship them to poor countries, like mine, Guinea-Bissau in West Africa. It will give them Good Publicity. The Guardian ( the new Samsung Rumor site ) and The BBC will use it to bash Apple.


     


    That's pretty freaked up, dude.


     


    Apple should be praised for not sending junk electronic waste to poor countries, like Guinea-Bissau in West Africa.

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  • Reply 44 of 94
    jeejucm wrote: »
    Today it is very much evident that this Microsoft thing can never bring in innovatation that capture people mind. They are a bunch of hypocrites see for instance what all lies they said about surface tab trying to project it as a superior gadgets inspite of being a third rate below standard products with lot of hidden cost where the consumer must pay an additional 100 dollars to get the keyboard cover and now the surface tab is given for free

    This action has great consequence the world is populated with e-waste accounting for 900 million unwanted gadget that is absolute in term of technology, recycling would be a better option but alas Microsoft doesn't have any brain for re-engineering. Most student will throw surface tab within weeks as it doesn't have what they want today. What a pity to say Microsoft is lagging behind students and consumers 1995 is no longer going to work in favour of the greatest underdog of current century

    But but but Microsoft Office! Vapor Mg! Keyboard cover! ;)

    I wouldn't throw a pity party for Microsoft just yet. I for one am glad the days of "embrace extend extinguish" have passed, and that Microsoft is advocating or at least paying lip service to: standards, fair competition, and (oh irony) innovation.
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  • Reply 45 of 94

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by mytdave View Post


    It's like the neighborhood dealer - "I'll be your friend".  "The first hit's free".



     


    Except that all evidence suggests that nothing Microsoft makes is addictive.

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  • Reply 46 of 94

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by TeaEarleGreyHot View Post


     


    I don't recall Apple EVER giving away computers to schools or anyone.



     


    There was a large computer lab in Mendocino at the ROP that had a plethora of Macintosh computers (these weren't cheap ones - they had a few IIfx computers that were used by students learning animation and graphics (and these were $10,000 machines) alongside a whole much of IIsi and IIci machines. I'm quite certain the lab did not have $100k+ to spend on these machines so they clearly were donated by somebody. I guess I just assumed that Apple donated a certain amount of equipment to education to encourage downstream purchases after school, but I could be wrong. In addition to about twenty Macs, they also had a couple of SGI servers and two PC clone machines, so maybe they were purchased with grant funding.


     


    Quote:

    Originally Posted by TeaEarleGreyHot View Post


     


    If Microsoft can't sell 'em new, what makes you think you can sell them used?



     


    Hence the comment about selling them for pennies. Hell, I'd even buy an RT for $20 just to play with it :)

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  • Reply 47 of 94
    droidftwdroidftw Posts: 1,009member


    Something tells me that when iDevices have their default search engine switched to Bing there will be a bigger traffic increase then with this program.

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  • Reply 48 of 94


    The Zune RT: A ripoff at any cost!

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  • Reply 49 of 94

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by djames4242 View Post


     


    Hence the comment about selling them for pennies. Hell, I'd even buy an RT for $20 just to play with it :)



     


    Oh, gotcha.  Yes, I myself considered buying one of those cheap Kindles or Nooks, to install Linux on it to play with. But then I saw a butterfly--pretty butterfly!  :)

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  • Reply 50 of 94
    Such a deal! We'll give you a tablet (that nobody wants) for FREE!! All you gotta do is use our search engine! Badda BING!! huh? huh? Helluva bargain? Can't beat it? *wink wink nudge nudge*

    I think in a month or two, we'll have another article following up with the headline, "Surface RT: Microsoft can't even give them away."

    Seriously, what is an 'educator' going to do with a slab that has no future, no software to speak of, and no real support%u2026?
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  • Reply 51 of 94
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member

    Originally Posted by GadgetCanadaV2 View Post


    I can just see the presentations to the school districts.


     


    Tech: "We can either go with free Microsoft Surface's or pay $329 for an iPad mini."


     


    School District: "I think the solution is rather obvious isn't it?"


     


    Tech: "Yeah, I'll put the order in for the iPads. We could however use the MS surface for some of our portable classrooms. Some of the foundations are sagging and we could stack a few surfaces underneath the portables to level them off"



     


    "The music department needs some new percussion instruments. Why not grab a few Surfaces and keyboards to work as clackers for them?"

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  • Reply 52 of 94
    jragostajragosta Posts: 10,473member
    What happened to Microsoft's consent decree with the DOJ forbidding this type of stuff?
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  • Reply 53 of 94
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member

    Originally Posted by jragosta View Post


    What happened to Microsoft's consent decree with the DOJ forbidding this type of stuff?


     


    What happens to every situation in which collusion or anti-trust behavior is overlooked? Money.

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  • Reply 54 of 94

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by PhilBoogie View Post



    "What are we gonna do will all these surfaces that no-one wants?"

    "Give them away."

    "But how?"


     


    Ballmer: "Try to use them as leverage… what have we got… OOH! I know! Let's make them PROMISE to use our search engine in exchange for free RTs!!"


     


    "And that will benefit us… how?"


     


    ...

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  • Reply 55 of 94


    This is just cruel to children, they're already at a disadvantage with foreign language problems, administrators that are too liberal and now this! A crippled learning tool that runs out of power, too slow and doesn't have enough storage.


     


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  • Reply 56 of 94

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by TeaEarleGreyHot View Post


     


    Except that all evidence suggests that nothing Microsoft makes is addictive.





    Ever hear of the X-Box? Not to sound snarky but that's actually the best product Microsoft makes these days and from personal experience it's HIGHLY addictive.

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  • Reply 57 of 94

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Lord Amhran View Post




    Ever hear of the X-Box? Not to sound snarky but that's actually the best product Microsoft makes these days and from personal experience it's HIGHLY addictive.



     


    Yes, their OTHER 'successful' product leveraged by copying two successful models (Nintendo and Sony) first, and then for awhile practically giving them away for free.


     


    They finally got it (mostly) right. But they had to copy (or buy) all their ideas, like they did with Windows (copying Mac UX), Zune, etc….


     


    And lest we forget, Xbox was a lost leader for years, they sank BILLIONS into it. And the sad part was, it was a relatively easy market to break into, if you just 'did it right'… it took MS a long time to get that.

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  • Reply 58 of 94

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by tribalogical View Post


     


    And lest we forget, Xbox was a lost leader for years, they sank BILLIONS into it. And the sad part was, it was a relatively easy market to break into, if you just 'did it right'… it took MS a long time to get that.



    To be fair to Microsoft, Sony sold both the PS2 and PS3 at a loss for years when they first were released as well.

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  • Reply 59 of 94

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by tribalogical View Post


     


    Yes, their OTHER 'successful' product leveraged by copying two successful models (Nintendo and Sony) first, and then for awhile practically giving them away for free.


     


    They finally got it (mostly) right. But they had to copy (or buy) all their ideas, like they did with Windows (copying Mac UX), Zune, etc….


     


    And lest we forget, Xbox was a lost leader for years, they sank BILLIONS into it. And the sad part was, it was a relatively easy market to break into, if you just 'did it right'… it took MS a long time to get that.





    Correct but that's the way most console manufacturers operate - on a loss leader. They typically (for a few years anyhow) take losses on the consoles themselves and make it up in the software. As for copying, I guess you could say that about pretty much any video game OEM over the years.


     


    BTW, you just HAD to mention the Zune POS didn't youimage

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  • Reply 60 of 94
    Why would they "target" LAUSD if LAUSD already inked a deal for iPads with Apple. Didn't Microsoft get the memo? What am I missing on this plan?
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