3 ms·

Microsoft 365 trial offer blocks access to Windows 10 desktops

48 points by llllllllew 4y ago

ocdtrekkie 4y ago
Someone called me about this recently and when I told them there was almost definitely a skip/no thanks button if they backed out a step, they were able to finish the OOBE without submitting payment info. So I strongly suspect there's a working path out. But I will definitely say this is remarkably awful, because a large portion of nontechnical users will just assume this is the running cost of using Windows now, and will pay it, even though having Office 365 is increasingly unimportant when being a Windows user.
mint2 4y ago
A/B testing must have shown mixing up the buttons sky rocketed their conversion rates… highly statistically significant improvements. MS is just doing data driven decision making, so really what choice did they have?
adrianmsmith 4y ago
> Luckily, the users can cancel after entering the credit card information required to enable the Microsoft 365 Family subscription trial they were forced to pay to access their Windows 10 desktops. What if you don't have a credit card? (e.g. this is quite common in Europe especially if you're younger or not yet employed) Can you just not use Windows in that case?
- msh 4y ago
  At least in Denmark they also accept debit cards, not just credit cards.
- zinekeller 4y ago
  Actually I have the inverse question: does Microsoft (US) don't accept debit cards?
- hgsgm 4y ago
  Click "Next". They mixed up the Next and No buttons.
Kukumber 4y ago
How can this company get away with this for decades and still win government / military contracts that are on the same level of this mediocrity btw This is insane
- Qem 4y ago
  Easy. Kickback schemes to corrupt people in positions of power, and keep competition away: https://www.theverge.com/2022/3/25/22995144/microsoft-foreign-corrupt-practices-bribery-whistleblower-contracting https://www.theverge.com/2022/3/25/22995144/microsoft-foreig...
hgsgm 4y ago
> start the installation process without an Internet connection, which will also allow you to create a local account if you don't want to link the desktop to your Microsoft account. Does this still work? I heard it stopped working. Maybe it stopped working for Win11?
donmcronald 4y ago
How about the ads in Windows 11 that are disguised as security recommendations? “Your files are at risk” or some BS because I’m not subscribing to OneDrive. It’s no better than the fake virus scams.
- tinus_hn 4y ago
  You know there is an obvious solution to this problem!
fuzzfactor 4y ago
The purpose of Microsoft is office machines. At first many desktops were added to an office without replacing any mechanical adding machines, electronic calculators, spreadsheets, typewriters or filing cabinets. A number of businesses were successful enough to afford an occasional new office machine that was not expected to be pushed to very much of its potential yet. It was well accepted that most successful companies had always gotten that way without computers at all, and could certainly go forward just fine, even if it could be forseen where stronger desktop computation ability would surely be an advantage for certain workers. Even though there was some word processing, accounting and stuff available, these were still considered hobbyist type machines, where only the most geeky numerical or electronic person in the office would be expected to get anything out of it. Microsoft builds the whole company as rapidly as possible with a laser-focus on turning this exact hardware into the kind of office machine that belongs on everybody's desk right in front of them all the time. So it's got to out-word-process, out-spreadsheet, out-filing-system the previously established alternatives, up to IBM standards which was about like NASA at the time. IBM needs to be able to sell millions of these to all kinds of offices. The focus on personal productivity is what fundamentally enables this type of equipment to be financially justifiable. It took years. It came out really good. But Microsoft Office was not built for the internet at all up to that point. Once you get to the internet that's been a risk that's grown exponentially since the beginning. This is a curve that's difficult to stay ahead of. Even while Microsoft Office still performs so many of the productivity tasks fully up to expectations, the internet continues to become a more risky place upon which to make your business office rely on if you can possibly have a more firm foundation in any other way. There's probably some promise as a consultant by helping small businesses who don't want anything to do with Office as a service rather than Office of your own. Training how not to get tricked into it.

48 points by llllllllew 4y ago

Someone called me about this recently and when I told them there was almost definitely a skip/no thanks button if they backed out a step, they were able to finish the OOBE without submitting payment info. So I strongly suspect there's a working path out. But I will definitely say this is remarkably awful, because a large portion of nontechnical users will just assume this is the running cost of using Windows now, and will pay it, even though having Office 365 is increasingly unimportant when being a Windows user.

mint2 4y ago

A/B testing must have shown mixing up the buttons sky rocketed their conversion rates… highly statistically significant improvements. MS is just doing data driven decision making, so really what choice did they have?

adrianmsmith 4y ago

> Luckily, the users can cancel after entering the credit card information required to enable the Microsoft 365 Family subscription trial they were forced to pay to access their Windows 10 desktops. What if you don't have a credit card? (e.g. this is quite common in Europe especially if you're younger or not yet employed) Can you just not use Windows in that case?

msh 4y ago
At least in Denmark they also accept debit cards, not just credit cards.
zinekeller 4y ago
Actually I have the inverse question: does Microsoft (US) don't accept debit cards?
hgsgm 4y ago
Click "Next". They mixed up the Next and No buttons.

Kukumber 4y ago

How can this company get away with this for decades and still win government / military contracts that are on the same level of this mediocrity btw This is insane

Qem 4y ago
Easy. Kickback schemes to corrupt people in positions of power, and keep competition away: https://www.theverge.com/2022/3/25/22995144/microsoft-foreign-corrupt-practices-bribery-whistleblower-contracting https://www.theverge.com/2022/3/25/22995144/microsoft-foreig...

hgsgm 4y ago

> start the installation process without an Internet connection, which will also allow you to create a local account if you don't want to link the desktop to your Microsoft account. Does this still work? I heard it stopped working. Maybe it stopped working for Win11?

donmcronald 4y ago

How about the ads in Windows 11 that are disguised as security recommendations? “Your files are at risk” or some BS because I’m not subscribing to OneDrive. It’s no better than the fake virus scams.

tinus_hn 4y ago
You know there is an obvious solution to this problem!

fuzzfactor 4y ago

The purpose of Microsoft is office machines. At first many desktops were added to an office without replacing any mechanical adding machines, electronic calculators, spreadsheets, typewriters or filing cabinets. A number of businesses were successful enough to afford an occasional new office machine that was not expected to be pushed to very much of its potential yet. It was well accepted that most successful companies had always gotten that way without computers at all, and could certainly go forward just fine, even if it could be forseen where stronger desktop computation ability would surely be an advantage for certain workers. Even though there was some word processing, accounting and stuff available, these were still considered hobbyist type machines, where only the most geeky numerical or electronic person in the office would be expected to get anything out of it. Microsoft builds the whole company as rapidly as possible with a laser-focus on turning this exact hardware into the kind of office machine that belongs on everybody's desk right in front of them all the time. So it's got to out-word-process, out-spreadsheet, out-filing-system the previously established alternatives, up to IBM standards which was about like NASA at the time. IBM needs to be able to sell millions of these to all kinds of offices. The focus on personal productivity is what fundamentally enables this type of equipment to be financially justifiable. It took years. It came out really good. But Microsoft Office was not built for the internet at all up to that point. Once you get to the internet that's been a risk that's grown exponentially since the beginning. This is a curve that's difficult to stay ahead of. Even while Microsoft Office still performs so many of the productivity tasks fully up to expectations, the internet continues to become a more risky place upon which to make your business office rely on if you can possibly have a more firm foundation in any other way. There's probably some promise as a consultant by helping small businesses who don't want anything to do with Office as a service rather than Office of your own. Training how not to get tricked into it.