Californians get US$ 1,000,000,000 from Microsoft settlement

[VideoMann]

It seems that Microsoft settles on payout to Californian consumers for 1billion dollars in vouchers for those that bought Microsoft products. The lawsuit was for about 34billion so the settlement by Microsoft is a cost saving when risk analysis are made. If you are a California resident you can file to get your voucher. I don't know what the value is (depends on the number of claims) or what is the website to go to. This is news from Friday late Jan 17,2003 so keep your eyes open and post where we are supposed to go to recuperate some of the money that we were overcharged.

Note you get a voucher :
allows individuals and businesses in California who bought Microsoft products during a five-year period to apply for vouchers with values of $5 to $29. The vouchers can be used to buy most hardware or software products from any manufacturer.

I know it's $5-29 that Microsoft is counting you won't bother or follow up. Think of it this way. If $5-29 fell from your wallet would you bother to bendown and pick it up?


Here is the link:

http://www.townsend.com/media/releases/index.html

[BJ_M]

this was already reported here http://www.vcdhelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=136778

and here http://www.vcdhelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=136718 was another class action lawsuit ..


i am with MS on this one .. its a pretty lame lawsuit and shows how some countries are lawsuit happy over a non issue ..
the recording industry suit has some merit though ..

[MOVIEGEEK]

america - home of the litigation .....


i am with MS on this one .. its a pretty lame lawsuit and shows how some countries are lawsuit happy over a non issue ..
the recording industry suit has some merit though ..

BJ_M,you are quick to criticize the American legal system but just remember that most have merit and victims of corporate greed and the
inferior products they sell,get compensated for their loss.Are lawsuits
against doctors who kill or maim patients frivolous?Or car and truck manufactuers who design vehicles with exploding fuel tanks,should they get away "scotfree"?
I agree some lawsuits are frivolous and they are brought to trial by greedy lawyers but that's for judges and juries to decide.

[BJ_M]

yes some have merit -- i wasnt bashing all suits .. but everyone knows some suits are just plan nuts along w/ the amounts awarded (10million for a cup of spilled coffee - shouldn't be drinking in the car anyway) and lots are due to people's own carelessness ...

stuff like faulty tires are a problem for sure ..

problem is that most often its the insurance companies who pay , then raise rates to maintain their float and costs are passed to consumeers ... who still often still buy crappy products anyway or don't care..

malpractice is a touchy issue -- many times its justified and many times not (ask any doctor who deliveries babies - massive premium rates) ..

my point was more about the MS case(s) ... now of course MS is not a perfect company w/ perfect products w/ a perfect past ---- BUT , they are really getting bashed around for the fact that they sell a product that everyone uses ... but like EVERY good corporation they try to make money on and try to stay above the competition .. this is what ford, GM , toyota , honda etc also do but they have the advantage of acually having some worthwhile competition while MS doesnt have much for the bulk of its product line ..

what MS needs is compitition --- well maybe yes , maybe no ... they should in terms fo producing a better product at a lower cost .. but it could be a bit of a bug to have more than 2 major operating systems ..

Linux is a great OS but suffers from many problems in several areas (one of which is in-fighting between diffferent versions available but redhat is rather winning in that war (along w/ mandrake riding on their coat)) and marketing it and making it more idiot proof .. you have to remember for the vast majority of people - they are unsure how to even turn the damm thing on or scared silly of a computer..

BeOS i wished had been better accepted.

Sys admins (those who buy lic in the 10's of thousands) dont want more than 1 OS to admin .. and that market is far bigger than the home or upgrade market ..

{disclaimer - I own MS stock , they are going to even now pay a 8cents share for the first time - well with 45billion in cash in the bank why not}

[kwag]

(along w/ mandrake riding on their coat))

Not anymore. They just filed for Chapter 11 http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/01/16/1042520708045.html

BeOS i wished had been better accepted.

It will : http://open-beos.sourceforge.net/status.php

[BJ_M]

to bad about mandrake but like kmart and others can on almost forever in chapter 11

thats good news about BeOS

[WeedVender]

isnt Kmart going bankrupt?
by laying off all those workers