Microsoft learns a lesson from the mob
May 31, 2006 by Mike Wendland
It reminds me of a mob shakedown… the protection racket.
Microsoft, whose leaky, insecure, patched-together mess of an operating system has allowed spyware, malware, junkware and untold viruses, worms and trojans to ruin the computing lives of millions, now wants you to pay them $49 a year to provide security for your PC.
It’s a service called Windows Live OneCare that officially goes on sale this week, offering anti-virus and automatic security updates. The company also says it will automatically do special PC “tune-ups,” whatever that means.
Bottom line is they’re asking you to pay to shore up the vulnerabilities of their products. It just doesn’t seem right, does it? For the more vulnerable their software, the more they can make selling you protection for it.
OK Everyone breathe deeply. Be ready so that we can laugh hard without passing out when the first virus attacks sucessfully, microsoft’s safety software. It’s only a matter of minutes.