John Paczkowski

Recent Posts by John Paczkowski

C'mon Down to Crazy Stevie's! Prices So High They're INSAAAAAAAAANE!


Amid the fast-deteriorating economy, Microsoft (MSFT) opened its first online shop in the U.S.–a digital storefront through which customers can purchase first-party software, hardware, and videogames directly from the company.

Although, I’m not quite certain why anyone would, given the prices.

The Microsoft Store charges $319.95 for Windows Vista Ultimate, an OS you can purchase from Amazon (AMZN) for $249.99. It charges $149.95 for Microsoft Office. You can find that at Amazon for substantially less, as well–$92.50. On Amazon, a full version of Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition with SP2 will set you back $179.99. At the Microsoft Store it will…well, actually, it seems you can’t buy it at the Microsoft Store. Go figure.

But if you could, you’d almost certainly pay a premium for it. So, really, why bother?

And beyond that, why bother to launch an overpriced online software store in the middle of a nasty recession?

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December 30, 2013 at 6:49 am PT

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December 29, 2013 at 2:12 pm PT

BlackBerry Pulls Latest Twitter for BB10 Update

December 29, 2013 at 5:58 am PT

Apple CEO Tim Cook Made $4.25 Million This Year

December 28, 2013 at 12:05 pm PT

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Just as the atom bomb was the weapon that was supposed to render war obsolete, the Internet seems like capitalism’s ultimate feat of self-destructive genius, an economic doomsday device rendering it impossible for anyone to ever make a profit off anything again. It’s especially hopeless for those whose work is easily digitized and accessed free of charge.

— Author Tim Kreider on not getting paid for one’s work