Today I read an article on Computerworld about a woman who filed a lawsuit against Microsoft after she was charged $59.95 to downgrade her brand new laptop from Windows Vista to Windows XP. She alleges that by billing her for exercising her downgrade rights, Microsoft is engaging in monopolistic and anti-competitive practices.
Many readers sided with the user. A few sided with Microsoft. Both sides had interesting arguments but there was one response that got my dander up. One anonymous user said this:
“Microsoft charging to downgrade? A sensible solution considering Microsoft probably should have stopped selling XP entirely a year or two ago. They’re giving people the option to downgrade.”
“Giving” them an option to upgrade? They were at one time. Microsoft isn’t “giving” an option now. They are selling it to them.
The anonymous user continued. “What if this same lady went to ‘downgrade’ and instead of being told ‘Give me 60 bucks’ she was told ‘No.’ ? What then?”
What then? Good question. The answer – then she is stuck. She would either be forced to use Vista – or nothing – if she wanted to use Windows. That’s how you treat a customer? Force them into an upgrade they don’t want or go elsewhere? If so, that’s a company that would never keep my business.
Forced upgrades from a vendor is an unfair and potentially monopolistic practice. How would you take it if the only telephone company was Bell and every time they upgraded their service you had to purchase a new $200 phone from Bell Telephone or you couldn’t use the service? You have a phone that you are perfectly happy with but you can no longer use it. You couldn’t use any other phone service. It was Bell Telephone or nothing.
What, you say? who is Bell Telephone? Why, that was the monopoly that was broken up a few decades ago for just that sort of thing.
Windows may belong to Microsoft, but your computer belongs to you. So does your data. If you must use Microsoft products to access your data, then you should have unfettered access to it. To force a user to upgrade in order to access what is rightfully theirs or they are locked out of it is nothing short of ransomware.
Windows and Office may not be ransomware per se, but what Microsoft is doing is questionable. Forced upgrades may or may not be unethical, but charging users for downgrades is sleazy.