San Jose Mercury News – Microsoft to offer free, ad-supported version of Works

San Jose Mercury News – Microsoft to offer free, ad-supported version of Works

Yup, they just ain’t getting it….I don’t want more bloated software with ads flashing all over the place. That’s one of the reasons I’m moving away from Quicken, and I paid for that. I have no intentions of looking at ads in an app whether it’s free or not. Second, I want less stuff on my machine anyway, so call me when it’s web based.

SEATTLE – Microsoft Corp. will test a free, advertising-supported version of Works, an already inexpensive package of word processing, spreadsheet and other programs, but would not say whether it is exploring a similar Web-based suite.
The company said Wednesday that a limited number of computer makers will pre-install Microsoft Works 9 SE on new PCs in certain markets, and that the test of the business model will last about a year.
Microsoft’s announcement comes a week after its top executives sketched out a strategy for supplementing traditional packaged software revenue with subscriptions and Web-based services, during a day of meetings with financial analysts at its Redmond, Wash., headquarters.
Industry watchers have been parsing those speeches for signs the company will develop an online version of the more expensive Office suite to compete with free offerings from Google Inc., but the company has so far been silent on the issue.