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Microsoft to Offer Free Version of Works

By Ed Oswald, BetaNews

August 2, 2007, 12:59 PM

Microsoft said Wednesday that it will test out a version of its Microsoft Works productivity suite with computer manufacturers that would be free and ad-supported.

Works' place in Microsoft's portfolio has been in question as the company focuses more on its Office suite. Additionally, the company is facing increasing pressure from competitors such as Google, who are offering similar Web-based products at no cost.

“Microsoft is initiating a pilot program featuring an ad-funded version of Microsoft Works – Microsoft Works SE 9," the company said in a statement. However, Microsoft has declined to elaborate much further beyond that other than saying that it would still offer the for-pay version.

The Works suite will remain as a desktop application, but ads will be served from within the program. The company has already dabbled in in-application advertising: its Windows Live Desktop Mail client includes banners within the client.

Like Desktop Mail, Works' ads would also be served through its adCenter platform.

Previous versions of Works retailed for $39.95 USD, and in lieu of installing the considerably more expensive Office, many low-budget computer manufacturers opted for Works to keep costs down. Its use has decreased considerably since the early 90s, when Office overtook it as the flagship productivity software out of Microsoft.

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By ZenWarrior

posted Aug 4, 2007 - 7:29 AM

BFD

Score: 0

By DonGato

posted Aug 3, 2007 - 5:22 AM

Why we need such crappy soft if we can have Open Office pre-installed and it's a much better solution? As ingram091 said, to have more Adware?

Score: 0

By ingram091

posted Aug 3, 2007 - 2:29 AM

Great now every new machine will come preloaded with Adware courtesy of Microsoft. Just what the world needs more adware. God I hope the OEM vendors will allow options to NOT have this piece of tripe. its bad enough the garbage some of them preload on OEM machines. Compaq HP being the worst of the bunch for this... But now this... Works comes on virtually every machine if you want it or not. unless you build your own, which I highly recommend for people that know what they are doing. If its a typical MS installation it will leave behind the most egregious of adware streamers on the machine after you long uninstall MS Works from the computer. betcha bottom dollar it will never make the maleware or Windows Defender lists for removal either.. Expect more of the same from MS as it pushes its Software as a service concept in the coming years. Basically extorting people to pay subscriptions to use their OS, Office, and small business software packages.

Score: 0

By cranbers

edited Aug 2, 2007 - 10:01 PM

Works is just a group of select software microsoft threw together because they couldn't sell it individually. It still probably doesn't sell and the majority of it is on oem computers, I uninstalled that crap in the first 5 mins I received my new laptop. Absolute junk. Did anyone know that works has/had its own spreadsheet/word processor with its OWN format that barely even works with office. OR wait did they now replace it with word or something?

Owell see that is how far I am behind, microsoft has to do something to keep people from finding out about OO and google spreadsheet/word processor offerings.

Gotta love competition, finally SOMETHING to make microsoft blink and do something crazy, like give away their software.

Score: 0

By DavisFreeberg

posted Aug 2, 2007 - 4:37 PM

Even when Works wasn't free, the software still sucked. I understand that they can't just give away Word, Outlook and Excel because of the number of businesses who are willing to pay for it, but I'd rather Thunderbird or Google's online spreadsheet program, than to deal with the Works software package. Sorry Microsoft, you lost me when you made Works so crappy to begin with. If I was forced to choose, I'd sooner use Lotus.

Score: 0

By bobthegoat2001

posted Aug 2, 2007 - 3:51 PM

They're still making Works?

Score: 0

By drumcat

edited Aug 2, 2007 - 2:47 PM

This will only work if it is:

a) Better than OO
b) Saves in .docx/.xlsx/.doc/.xls
c) Doesn't use content of docs for ad selection
d) Doesn't require validation

Any of these conditions not being met will result in failure.

I'm really, really surprised that they aren't making this a free download...

Score: 0

By billweh

posted Aug 2, 2007 - 2:07 PM

The smart thing they did was to put the ads into their application directly. This way you can't a) block them with something like Zone-Alarm and b) users can't complain their bandwidth is being eaten up by having to constantly download ads.

I wonder how they'll handle getting new ads in there. If they always have the same ones, people will eventually ignore them as being background noise. You really couldn't call it an "update" as it's not adding any new features to the app, so I would think most people would just not apply the changes. That won't make advertisers who are paying for these spots happy.

I guess they could do it as a "time control" sort of thing. If you don't update the ads at least once per month or once per quarter - then the software reverts to maybe a "read only" version?

They have to make money off of it somehow.

I've used Works 8.5 and it's come a long way. It might not be perfect - but it gives you almost everything you'd get in Office Pro.

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

edited Aug 2, 2007 - 2:17 PM

Score: 0

By Scary Guy

posted Aug 2, 2007 - 1:46 PM

They couldn't pay me to use that crap. With actual free office alternatives I can't see why anyone would want to use MS works. Even wordpad or hell notepad is better.

Ok I lied, vi is worse than MS works. But it's not like many people use that anymore either.

Score: 0

By horsecharles

edited Aug 2, 2007 - 1:44 PM

"Microsoft Works SE 9"...
Sounds like Works for Windows 98 SE... LOL

Score: 0

By ModderXManiac

edited Aug 2, 2007 - 1:38 PM

Mhmm, will it require Genuine with DRM on top?

If it's better than Abiword, or my Open-Office mods, I'll use it. Most likely, it won't be. I've used Works in the past, and I can never see myself coming back.

Then again, ad-funded, would it be like earlier Opera versions? Nah, those people actually know how to code.

Score: 0

By pickchevy

posted Aug 2, 2007 - 1:22 PM

Wow, what the heck are they smokin' at Microsoft?

Score: 0

By ogman

posted Aug 2, 2007 - 2:42 PM

Cash?

Score: 0

By sdmunoz

edited Aug 2, 2007 - 1:34 PM

Weed :-P

Score: 0

By ModderXManiac

posted Aug 2, 2007 - 1:37 PM

Rather snorting.

Think of Scarface, rich as hell but still miserable.

Score: 0

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