4 ms·

Microsoft appeals to poverty to get people download Internet Explorer 8

15 points by barredo 17y ago

robryan 17y ago
Should be a compulsory upgrade, at least from IE6, not exactly like anyones using FF1 anymore, and the only usage I seen of 2 is from some machines at Uni that have had a serious lack of IT staff attention.
dmaz 17y ago
I donated my $1.15, and if I had something to install IE8 on, I honestly would.
- jsonscripter 17y ago
  If I did, I probably wouldn't...
- thorax 17y ago
  As much as we bash IE, it's my opinion that it's a step in the right direction with IE8. We should have had something like this 4-5 years ago, but I would much rather my customers use IE8 than any browser made 6+ years ago. If it supported any sort of full, light extension model by default, I could see myself even recommending my parents stick with it because I could tweak it to help them.
smokey_the_bear 17y ago
I downloaded a copy to my ubuntu box. Then deleted it. Anything for the hungry.
blackvine 17y ago
Check the fine print at the bottom. Microsoft® is donating $1.15 per download to Feeding America® up to a maximum of $1,000,000. If each download is 1.15 and each download is 8 meals that's 14c a meal. Ignore that ..........let move to the next issue Why the million dollar maximum does Microsoft fear that a download frenzy will put a hole through their pocket jeez!? Anyway just downloaded it and will install it when it rains cats and dogs. lets all download it guys ...four times if you feel like it...we be Robin Hoods stealing from the rich and giving to the poor.
- barredo 17y ago
  What's $1M for Microsoft? This is outrageous on so many levels...
- gambling8nt 17y ago
  I expect they are more afraid of a single individual (or a concerted group of individuals, possibly going by the name "anonymous") downloading N copies for large values of N.
- blackvine 17y ago
  Umm ... guys I take back my statement. Bill is one of the world greatest philanthropists. Despite the shortcomings of this particular campaign lots of MS $ are going to charity through the Bill and Mellinda Foundation. Saying this will cost me some karma but trust me my real world karma will go up having realised how unfair my critique was.
  - antiismist 17y ago
    Selling MSFT stock to fund a charity is not the same thing as MSFT funding that charity.
- absconditus 17y ago
  Someone should start a campaign to push downloading of Firefox and Chrome as well as donating to Feeding America. I'm sure we could donate more than $1 million. I realize this someone should probably be me, but I'm lazy.
quoderat 17y ago
I wrote a script and downloaded it 6.2 billion times! Everyone's getting a free meal, on me!
- ph0rque 17y ago
  While your script was running, more hungry people were born...
- tdavis 17y ago
  In theory, everyone should get 8 free meals.
- lucumo 17y ago
  Should've read the fine print ;-) Maximum of 1 million dollars. $1.15 per download (which is apparently 8 meals...), so you could've stopped at only 869,565.22 downloads ;-)
deleted 17y ago
[deleted]
TrevorJ 17y ago
And for added toolishness, the site breaks your browser's 'back' button.
frazerb 17y ago
Don't download IE8 You can be sure that they will get more than 869566 downloads amongst 'legitimate' (if rather misguided) users. So they will reach the $1M ceiling easily enough. Save your bandwidth. Reduce C02 emissions. Don't download it. Don't give M$ the chance of singing about how quickly they've served so many downloads.... It's a crap browser anyway. And it didn't run on my Mac or my Ubuntu box.
mixmax 17y ago
Steve Jobs was right about Microsoft - "they just have no style" I'm primarily, but not only, referring to the design of the website here.
xpaulbettsx 17y ago
As long as it gets people to not use IE6, it's doing the world a favor
RandomPersona 17y ago
Quick sanity check. Cost to you: 0 If you happen to be one more "extra" click that goes over the $1m cap, fine you aren't out anything. However, the cost to someone else leaving Microsoft's money on the table could actually be their life. Just don't paint it as anything different than what it is. This isn't charity money. This is marketing money. If we don't collectively use all of it up it isn't going to the Gates Foundation, it's going to more "I'm a PC" ads.
mattmaroon 17y ago
Only here could donating a million bucks to charity be further evidence that Microsoft is evil. Truly impressive guys.
- deleted 17y ago
  [deleted]
fsniper 17y ago
Microsoft bribing again, but in a sensitive way.

15 points by barredo 17y ago

Should be a compulsory upgrade, at least from IE6, not exactly like anyones using FF1 anymore, and the only usage I seen of 2 is from some machines at Uni that have had a serious lack of IT staff attention.

dmaz 17y ago

I donated my $1.15, and if I had something to install IE8 on, I honestly would.

jsonscripter 17y ago
If I did, I probably wouldn't...
thorax 17y ago
As much as we bash IE, it's my opinion that it's a step in the right direction with IE8. We should have had something like this 4-5 years ago, but I would much rather my customers use IE8 than any browser made 6+ years ago. If it supported any sort of full, light extension model by default, I could see myself even recommending my parents stick with it because I could tweak it to help them.

smokey_the_bear 17y ago

I downloaded a copy to my ubuntu box. Then deleted it. Anything for the hungry.

blackvine 17y ago

Check the fine print at the bottom. Microsoft® is donating $1.15 per download to Feeding America® up to a maximum of $1,000,000. If each download is 1.15 and each download is 8 meals that's 14c a meal. Ignore that ..........let move to the next issue Why the million dollar maximum does Microsoft fear that a download frenzy will put a hole through their pocket jeez!? Anyway just downloaded it and will install it when it rains cats and dogs. lets all download it guys ...four times if you feel like it...we be Robin Hoods stealing from the rich and giving to the poor.

barredo 17y ago
What's $1M for Microsoft? This is outrageous on so many levels...
gambling8nt 17y ago
I expect they are more afraid of a single individual (or a concerted group of individuals, possibly going by the name "anonymous") downloading N copies for large values of N.
blackvine 17y ago
Umm ... guys I take back my statement. Bill is one of the world greatest philanthropists. Despite the shortcomings of this particular campaign lots of MS $ are going to charity through the Bill and Mellinda Foundation. Saying this will cost me some karma but trust me my real world karma will go up having realised how unfair my critique was.
- antiismist 17y ago
  Selling MSFT stock to fund a charity is not the same thing as MSFT funding that charity.
absconditus 17y ago
Someone should start a campaign to push downloading of Firefox and Chrome as well as donating to Feeding America. I'm sure we could donate more than $1 million. I realize this someone should probably be me, but I'm lazy.

quoderat 17y ago

I wrote a script and downloaded it 6.2 billion times! Everyone's getting a free meal, on me!

ph0rque 17y ago
While your script was running, more hungry people were born...
tdavis 17y ago
In theory, everyone should get 8 free meals.
lucumo 17y ago
Should've read the fine print ;-) Maximum of 1 million dollars. $1.15 per download (which is apparently 8 meals...), so you could've stopped at only 869,565.22 downloads ;-)

deleted 17y ago

[deleted]

TrevorJ 17y ago

And for added toolishness, the site breaks your browser's 'back' button.

frazerb 17y ago

Don't download IE8 You can be sure that they will get more than 869566 downloads amongst 'legitimate' (if rather misguided) users. So they will reach the $1M ceiling easily enough. Save your bandwidth. Reduce C02 emissions. Don't download it. Don't give M$ the chance of singing about how quickly they've served so many downloads.... It's a crap browser anyway. And it didn't run on my Mac or my Ubuntu box.

mixmax 17y ago

Steve Jobs was right about Microsoft - "they just have no style" I'm primarily, but not only, referring to the design of the website here.

xpaulbettsx 17y ago

As long as it gets people to not use IE6, it's doing the world a favor

RandomPersona 17y ago

Quick sanity check. Cost to you: 0 If you happen to be one more "extra" click that goes over the $1m cap, fine you aren't out anything. However, the cost to someone else leaving Microsoft's money on the table could actually be their life. Just don't paint it as anything different than what it is. This isn't charity money. This is marketing money. If we don't collectively use all of it up it isn't going to the Gates Foundation, it's going to more "I'm a PC" ads.

mattmaroon 17y ago

Only here could donating a million bucks to charity be further evidence that Microsoft is evil. Truly impressive guys.

deleted 17y ago
[deleted]

fsniper 17y ago

Microsoft bribing again, but in a sensitive way.