How come beta testers do not get to keep Office 2007 when the beta period is over?

[robin]

We test it, we help fix the problems, it sits on our computers and come the
end of Feb 2007 it expires (dies). I feel this is not fair. If we are going
to help Microsoft make a program that they are going to sell for big bucks
to the public we should at least get something for it. I have beta tested
lots of software for companies and when the final version comes out for
their appreciation for all our help, they give you the software free until
they do a major version update, then if you want to buy this update- you
will get a discount for all your help.

Why doesn't Microsoft do this? After Feb 2007 I will have to uninstall the
software. Sure Microsoft will say- "We are letting you use it and learn it"
but to tell you the truth that is really not enough.

robin

 

[Patrick Schmid]

As you are posting here, you are not actually beta testing the software.
You just happen to be one of 3.5 million beta users. The actual beta
testers are around 10,000 people worldwide that have been testing Office
2007 since November in a private technical beta.
Do those 10,000 get a free copy? No one knows. There is certainly no
expectation among the 10,000 that they will receive a free copy. I am
e.g. assuming that I will be buying a copy of Office 2007 early next
year, or see if I can't get one from my university outside their normal
distribution schedule for Office software to students.

I would say you get compensated by being able to use an MS Office suite
for free for at least 8 months.

BTW, once you install Beta 2 Technical Refresh, the expiration date is
pushed back to March 31, 2007.

Patrick Schmid

 

[robin]

those 10,000 should at least get a discount from microsoft to purchase the
program, and yes we have it for 8mths but we are also helping MS get the
kinks out of it.

Microsoft benifits from all those 10,000 by producing a more stable product
and we benifit only the knowledge of helping them do it and also learning
the program too but we are still going through the baby steps of helping a
large successful company that gains more than we do. We will have to go
through the headache of uninstalling it.
robin

 

[Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]]

And you knew that up front and chose to install it anyway. Microsoft is in no way obligated to do anything for its beta testers (10,000 of us) and certainly not obligated to do anything for the rest of the world who tried the beta.

--
Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]

Post all replies to the group to keep the discussion intact. All
unsolicited mail sent to my personal account will be deleted without
reading.

After furious head scratching, robin asked:

| those 10,000 should at least get a discount from microsoft to
| purchase the program, and yes we have it for 8mths but we are also
| helping MS get the kinks out of it.
|
| Microsoft benifits from all those 10,000 by producing a more stable
| product and we benifit only the knowledge of helping them do it and
| also learning the program too but we are still going through the baby
| steps of helping a large successful company that gains more than we
| do. We will have to go through the headache of uninstalling it.
| robin
| || As you are posting here, you are not actually beta testing the
|| software. You just happen to be one of 3.5 million beta users. The
|| actual beta testers are around 10,000 people worldwide that have
|| been testing Office 2007 since November in a private technical beta.
|| Do those 10,000 get a free copy? No one knows. There is certainly no
|| expectation among the 10,000 that they will receive a free copy. I
|| am e.g. assuming that I will be buying a copy of Office 2007 early
|| next year, or see if I can't get one from my university outside
|| their normal distribution schedule for Office software to students.
||
|| I would say you get compensated by being able to use an MS Office
|| suite for free for at least 8 months.
||
|| BTW, once you install Beta 2 Technical Refresh, the expiration date
|| is pushed back to March 31, 2007.
||
|| Patrick Schmid
|| --------------
|| http://pschmid.net
||
|| ||
||| We test it, we help fix the problems, it sits on our computers and
||| come the
||| end of Feb 2007 it expires (dies). I feel this is not fair. If we
||| are going
||| to help Microsoft make a program that they are going to sell for big
||| bucks
||| to the public we should at least get something for it. I have beta
||| tested
||| lots of software for companies and when the final version comes out
||| for their appreciation for all our help, they give you the software
||| free until
||| they do a major version update, then if you want to buy this
||| update- you will get a discount for all your help.
|||
||| Why doesn't Microsoft do this? After Feb 2007 I will have to
||| uninstall the
||| software. Sure Microsoft will say- "We are letting you use it and
||| learn it"
||| but to tell you the truth that is really not enough.
|||
||| robin