Microsoft is also an efficient company in terms of product and product support. I attempted to order Star last night, it wouldn't accept my password after two attempts at registration. If you use an existing login name, they will not tell you that, they will tell you that your password is incorrect. This morning, I used a different login name and was able to register. When attempting to order the free CD what I discovered was that it costs $10. Not for shipping, they charge another $6 for shipping. So it's not free and downloading 80 megabytes is not an reasonable option. Still the $16 is peanut shell dust, so do I order it? No, not a chance.
I ordered a developer's kit from Microsoft that I received two days later. It cost me $10 for shipping and handling, not the phoney $10 plus shipping that Sun is charging for their non-free product. The point there is that I'm not being deceived by Microsoft. Now here's the kicker: Hello! I'm not waiting two weeks for the order to process, and then another two days for my two-day delivery. No, I'm not about to upgrade to Microsoft Office or sell my SUNW, but would somebody please tell those bozos that they cannot operate this way and compete with Microsoft? I'm doing my part right here.
Just think how much money Sun could have added to their coffers with an efficient CD purchase that delivered in two or three days. They really blew this, a lot of people will simply pass on the opportunity to pay $16 and wait over two weeks. If they want to give this thing away, then do it and stop demonstrating why Microsoft is on top and Sun isn't. |
