Microsoft Pricing

I don’t know when I first began using computer word processing. I know it was on an IBM personal computer at the office. Most likely the year was 1983 or so. Word Perfect was one software package used then; another one, too, but I don’t remember its name. 

Slowly the personal computing environment advanced, and word processing became evermore present. With each advance in word processing came new commands to learn and master. Soon the system was instinctive and automatic. Then, bam! It changed again and new routines were forced upon us. Competition drove many new products, command systems and loads of confusion.


Finally, Microsoft introduced its entire suite of office programs and one by one I adopted them. They didn’t cost me anything at the time because they were included in the price of the computer. Remember those days?


Machine after machine, I used up computer after computer. Each came with a more sophisticated preloaded suite of software. Almost all were Microsoft. And the computer’s price included this group of software.


In time all I knew in office programs was Microsoft. It was OK because the programs seemed intuitive and progressive. New editions of their old software were seamless in use. More streamlined and faster. More intuitive, too. It seemed the computer knew what I was trying to do and anticipated my keystrokes.


Well, this weekend the whole mess came crashing down around me. For some reason my Microsoft software deactivated and I was left with thousands of document files that I can access to read, but not to send, edit or begin a new document.


I’ll remind you that all my SCORE.org clients are on my laptop. That includes at least 300 clients, probably more like 400. Each has a family of documents and records that need to be retrieved from time to time. Also, my blog is in its 11th year and includes about 3 million words. None of this is accessible to me now as I understand it.


So, over the weekend I began the process of working around this snag. I learned I could write my blog directly to my google.blogspot account, but this seemed to hold me back from writing longer postings. Short and zippy posts were emerging. I am not certain I like these aphoristic items. It seems a lot is missing, logic and polish for two!


Then I discovered Google.docs and I am using this methodology to write today's posting. 


I also learned my SCORE work can be written directly to the archival system. I don’t like the formatting of those reports. Before today, my reports were always word.docs which were then edited and copied to the archive system. I must admit I have eliminated some interim steps and can now create reports more quickly with fewer copy and paste commands. 


When I think of all the money that Microsoft has earned off of my past computing relationships because their pricing was built into the price of the computers, and then when I consider all the work completed for SCORE clients over the past 8 years, work and clients who will magnify the demand for more Microsoft services and products, I wonder why Microsoft simply doesn’t provide SCORE Mentors with their services for free? Doesn’t this business relationship make enormous sense for Microsoft?


I earn no income from SCORE. All the work is voluntary. So is the work of over 12,000 other SCORE mentors. It just seems logical that our work should not cost volunteers money that others benefit from.


OK. That is my rant for the day. Just know that I am not going to be defeated by this. Microsoft, I’ll use your products if they are provided to me for free so that others can avail your products for a subscription fee. On the other hand, I will transfer my allegiance to Google or other software packages that are in the public domain if I have to. After all, I am a senior citizen living on a very limited and fixed income. 


Come to think of it, why should senior citizens have to pay for cable TV and WiFi access? Shouldn’t this at least be heavily discounted for seniors?


February 2, 2022

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