OFF: Another Microsoft Product
Max Wilcox
s333271 at STUDENT.UQ.EDU.AU
Mon Sep 30 00:29:28 EDT 1996
DFrost8547 at AOL.COM wrote:
>
> "ANOTHER MICROSOFT PRODUCT"
>
> Microsoft Panhandler v1.0 (Beta)
>
> [by Kevin G.]
>
> Redmond, WA -- Microsoft Corporation chair, CEO and all-around babe
> magnet Bill Gates announced yesterday the introduction of a new product
>
> for Windows 95: Microsoft Panhandling.
>
> "The idea came to me the other day when a homeless man asked me for
> money,"recalls Gates. "I suddenly realized that we were missing a
> golden
> opportunity. Here was a chance to make a profit without any initial
> monetary investment. Naturally, this man then became my competition, so
> I
> had my limo driver run over him several times."
>
> Microsoft engineers have been working around the clock to complete
> Gates'
> vision of panhandling for the 21st century.
>
> "We feel that our program designers really understand how the poor and
> needy situation works," says Microsoft Homeless product leader Bernard
> Liu. "Except for the fact that they're stinking rich."
>
> Microsoft Panhandling will be automatically installed with Windows 95.
> At
> random intervals, a dialog box pops up, asking the user if they could
> spare any change so that Microsoft has enough money to get a hot meal.
> ("This is a little lie," admits software engineer Adam Miller, "since
> our
> diet consists of Coke and Twinkies, but what panhandler doesn't
> embellish
> a little?") The user can click Yes, in which case a random amount of
> change between $.05 and $142.50 is transferred from the user's bank
> account to Microsoft's. The user can also respond No, in which case the
>
> program politely tells the user to have a nice day. The "No" button has
>
> not yet been implemented.
>
> "We're experiencing a little trouble programming the No button,"
> Bernard
> Liu says, "but we should definitely have it up and running within the
> next couple of years. Or at least by the time Windows 2014 comes out.
> Maybe."
>
> Gates says this is just the start of an entire line of products.
>
> "Be on the lookout for products like Microsoft Mugging, which either
> takes $50 or erases your hard drive, and Microsoft Squegee Guy, which
> will clean up your Windows for a dollar." (When Microsoft Squegee Guy
> ships, Windows 95 will no longer automatically refresh your windows.)
>
> But there are competitors on the horizon. Sun Microsystems and Oracle
> Corporation are introducing panhandling products of their own.
>
> "Gates is a few tacos short of a combination platter, if you get my
> drift," says Oracle Head Honcho and 3rd degree black belt Larry
> Ellison.
> "I mean, in the future, we won't need laptop computers asking you for
> change. You'll have an entire network of machines asking you for
> money."
>
> Gates responded with, "I know what you are, but what am I?" General
> pandemonium then ensued.
Perfect! Perfect! Perfect!
Gee, these programs aren't out yet? For some reason I thaught they were
already in circulation....
Funny that.
-Max Wilcox
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