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Microsoft patent Pay-Per-Use computer model
SlashGear — Microsoft have patented a pay-per-use computer model, wherein users would receive a free (or heavily subsidized) PC and be charged ongoing fees depending on tasks it was used to complete.  The patent, titled “Metered Pay-As-You-Go Computing Experience”, was filed on June 21st 2007 and published on December 25th; it describes a machine with “scalable performance level components and selectable software and service options” including throttled processor, memory and graphics controller, the speed of which could be balanced against the cost per use.  “Software and services may include word processing, email, browsing, database access, etc. To support a pay-per-use business model, each selectable item may have a ...

Microsoft Working on Pay-As-You-Go PC Patent
AppScout — ... A pay-as-you-go computer developed by Microsoft might be an economical choice down the line. The software giant has applied for a patent that effectively bring the Internet cafe to your home via low-priced computers that provide usage-based access to software, according to documents released on Christmas Day. ...

Pay-Per-Use Computing Coming To Microsoft? Probably Not (MSFT)
Silicon Alley Insider — ... Ever thought that instead of buying a computer, maybe people should be able to use PCs on a pay-as-you-go model? If you did, it might sadden you to know that Microsoft (MSFT) has beaten you to the patent punch -- a team of eleven Microsoft researchers collectively applied for a "Metered Pay-As-You-Go Computing Experience" patent with the USPTO. ...

Microsoft patent application hints at pay-as-you-go PCs
Engadget — Heavily subsidized computers are hardly a new idea, as evidenced by the number of carriers now offering "free" netbooks, but a recently revealed patent application indicates that Microsoft might be thinking about taking the idea a few steps further. Apparently, the company is at least toying around with the idea of offering a computer with "scalable performance level components" and selectable software, which sounds somewhat similar to the ...

Microsoft Seeks Pay-As-You-Go Computing Patent
InformationWeek - All Stories And Blogs — Microsoft has applied for a patent on a pay-as-you-go computing model that would charge people only for the hardware, software, and services used. The patent application, filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in June 2007, was released Christmas Day. While such patent applications do not always lead to products, they do give some inkling as to what the applicant is considering. The application is for a method of operating a computer that present to the user a catalog of options with a price associated with each. The total cost would depend on the number and kind ...

Microsoft's Obvious-Patent Insanity
InformationWeek - All Stories And Blogs — ... for yet another one of those crazy patents that seems so obvious you have to wonder why they bother to apply. Aren't patents supposed to be for non-obvious inventions ? As far as I can tell, this patent defines a model for charging customers for their usage of computer software and hardware based on what they actually use. Hasn't every angle of this scheme already been covered in one form or another? Selling computers based on resource usage is hardly a new idea; the massive timeshare systems of the 1960s and 1970s did this before small computers even existed. Amazon ...

Microsoft files new patent, reaches deeper into your wallet
CrunchGear — Microsoft thinks they may have come up with a new way to print money. In a patent filed on Christmas day, Microsoft outlined a new model for pay-as-you-go computing. The PC would essentially be free, and then whenever you used it you would be charged based on the type of application you were using. The interesting thing about it is, this could be something that would actually work. Seems to me like a good way to get low cost systems to people who only occasionally need access. Until the product is actually launched however, I’ll remain skeptical.

Does Microsoft Want to Take Your Whole PC to the Cloud?
WebProNews Feed — [image] Patent Filing Suggests Just That Microsoft has filed a patent for a " Metered Pay-As-You-Go Computing Experience ." The exact words of the filing's abstract are as follows: A computer with scalable performance level components and selectable software and service options has a user interface that allows individual performance levels to be selected. The scalable performance level components may include a processor, memory, graphics controller, etc. Software and services may include word processing, email, browsing, database access, etc. To support a pay-per-use business model, each selectable item may have a cost associated with it, allowing a user to pay for the services actually selected and that presumably correspond to the task or tasks being performed. ...

Microsoft pay-as-you-go computer patent rents your system to you, throttles performance
Obsessable News Feed — Microsoft outlined a potential future PC platform strategy in a patent application posted last week, envisioning a model in which software is subscription-based, rather than the one-time purchases we now enjoy. At the core of this model, Microsoft suggests taking away ownership of PCs. Hardware would be sold at low cost or even totally subsidized, with lockout chips that would only allow vendor-approved software to run. You could then gain access to different software bundles on a per-hour basis, paying as you go. The company also sees software-scalable hardware: computers with fast processors and lots of memory, but Microsoft's software slows down the system and cuts off access to memory unless you keep paying for an extra subscription. Even Microsoft ...