Microsoft has decided to put the "Y2K Squeeze" on Japanese Windows 95 and Windows 98 users. Microsoft offers no y2k patches for Japanese Windows 95 and the only alternative is to buy Windows 98 - for 14,000 yen ($128). Let's see... that's about 40,000,000 users times $130 = $5,200,000,000. A quick $5 billion.

But wait, there's more... You also get the ginsu knives! Ooop's, wrong commercial. The people and companies who bought Windows 98 up through today (September 15, 1999) are also in for a surprise. Japanese Windows 98 and Service Pack 1 still have a few y2k problems (Ooop's "issues")... and they must fork over (or chopstick over) another 1,000 yen ($9 plus tax) for a CD to fix the software they bought yesterday.

Japanese Windows 98 (Second Edition) is supposed to be available today. But who knows if this one is really y2k compliant? If it isn't, Microsoft will charge another $9 for another CD patch (Ooop's "Service Pack).

But corporate IT people still have plenty of time to buy and install Japanese Windows 98 (First Edition), and Service Pack 1, and the $9 Windows 98 "maybe compliant (with issues) y2k upgrade." They still have a few months left and there are only a few 10's of millions of PC's running Windows 95.

Or they could go directly to Windows 98 (Second Edition - "but anticipating more service packs after you test it for us so we can charge you again to fix the bugs you found for us...").

If I were the marketing manager for Microsoft in Japan, I'd go one step further. Why not charge the customer for submitting "issues?" It's a great idea.

"Please submit a detailed description of the "issue" you discovered with our product. All descriptions must include a proposed fix to the issue. Please enclose $9 with your submission. (Each "issue" must be submitted separately. Ask about our volume submission plan - submit 10 issues for $99 and 11th is free!)

Thank You,

Your friends at Microsoft.

No free upgrades in Japan for Microsoft users. (You just landed on Boardwalk and Bill has 3 hotels...)

-- PNG (png@gol.com), September 14, 1999

Answers

Thanks PNG!

How ARE you?

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), September 14, 1999.

No wonder the .gov .mil is so worried about terrorism.
The US 'empire' has been practicing an unethical niggly biz torment drip by expensive drip, and WILL be blamed when all this shiny new technology, which has usurped the old ways of life, goes Kapoof.

The whole world will rise up in anger, derision, and revenge against the Computer Satan.

Too bad the weeples couldn't see out of the box years & years ago and go with the Mac. History would have been different!

-- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), September 14, 1999.

Thanks PNG

It may be interesting to note that Microsoft hasn't submitted a 10 - Q filing for the second quarter, of course the end of the third quarter is just 3 weeks away. Of course that means no Y2K disclosure either.

Buy a mac folks.

-- Brian (imager@home.com), September 14, 1999.

Folks:

I'm typing this on a Mac, but I think that you have gotten too old. I've been installing this stuff on my Window's machines. Of course it is tedious. But the excitement that comes with finding out what it does besides fixing the glitch just can't be described. I'm looking forward to more patches [before Dec] with glee. What fun!

Best wishes,

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), September 14, 1999.

We all use Microsoft. We all hate MIcrosoft. Explain that one.

Tell me that Word Perfect is not a better word processor than Word. As for Works!! (Impolite noises.)

-- Mara Wayne (MaraWayne@aol.com), September 14, 1999.

Mara:

I should point out that I am working with, mostly, custom software. The patches seem to work with the regular stuff.

Best wishes,

Z

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), September 14, 1999.

Z1X4Y7-- You're installing Japanese patches?

-- PNG (png@gol.com), September 14, 1999.

PNG:

I wish it were that simple. No this is US software. I am dealing with interactions between the patches and custom software. My experience [so far] is that MS patches work with public software. No promises, but I would expect that they will work with MS software in other languages [MS is not that much different than other companies]. Totally unconfirmed word is that there will be another patch in late Oct. Have fun!

Best wishes

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), September 14, 1999.

By-they-way PNG:

One major piece of custom software I am dealing with is being used by a number of people in Japan [that I know]. They run it with the US Windows 98. They will have the same challenges that I have.

Best wishes,

Z

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), September 14, 1999.

Microsucks has gotten like our governments. Big, fat, and happy -- and screw the customers (peons.)

MS never gets a version of something working properly, before they come out with a new version -- and screw all those with the old version. Then with the new version, you got the same battle all over again -- either live with the bugs or go through their labyrinth to get patches/fixes (which themselves are buggy). If you can figure out exactly which patches/fixes you need.

MS Access 97 for example, is still buggy, and they've come out with Access 2000, which has, for example, a bug limiting SQL statements to 511 characters. Sure, there are workarounds, but why should they be necessary?

I sure am glad to see Linux coming on strong. And there are coming alternatives to Microsucks Orifice (Office) -- i.e., Sun is coming out with a suite that will read and write Microsucks files.

If I weren't getting big bucks for programming with Microsucks, I would have looked at Linux sooner. As it is, I'll see if there is still a computing industry post 2000-01-01. If so, and if I'm still in it, I'm seriously thinking of a crash course (I'm a quick study) and switching away from Microsucks as much as possible. F* 'em.

-- vbProg (vbProg@MicrosoftAndIntelSuck.com), September 15, 1999.