Quote:

Microsoft's efforts to woo influential bloggers by sending them free computers loaded with the Vista operating system is generating controversy, with some online writers attacking would-be Vista reviewers for taking what were tantamount to bribes, while recipients defend their editorial independence, arguing that journalism-style rules prohibiting such gifts are outdated.

Bloggers who acknowledged receiving the computers as part of the joint Microsoft and AMD marketing program include Mary Jo Foley, Om Malik, Michael Arrington, Ed Bott and others.

In total, Microsoft and AMD gave away 90 PCs, all loaded with the highest-end version of Windows Vista, the 64-bit Ultimate edition. Most received Acer Ferrari laptops that list for between US$2,000 and $2,400 at retail stores. Others received media center desktops made by Velocity Micro Inc.

Article

They can send me a comp valued at $2000 to $2400 anyday and it would be graciously accepted, but that wouldn't denote that I'd start liking them either.

Funny thing is that a blogger said he would sell it on eBay and donate the money to EFF and Microsoft contacted him and wanted it back.

http://laughingsquid.com/windows-vista-lap...s-going-to-eff/

Hats off to this guy for donating to EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation) is a non-profit organization that fights for our rights and freedoms.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_Frontier_Foundation

The only problem I'd believe is MS gave it away as some sort of gift so if the guy wanted to clean the PC in his bathtub that's his own right. So MS is playing indian giver.

Andavari, you're great! Same here! Shoot, it could be a $500 comp and it would be graciously accepted. ROFLMAO

I'm not a huge MS fan, but you have to give them a break sometimes. I think they tried to do something nice and people are trying to turn it into something it wasn't.(Ed Bott in that article sounded like he got it right to me).

Plus I read in another article that a lot of the people they sent them to were not windows users, or people who weren't going to upgrade to vista. So if someone who is a moderately popular tech journalist and says they aren't going to use vista then maybe their readers wouldn't either.

I guess MS should have just given the PCs out as a loan but honestly if someone has as much money as them, they don't care if they spend 50k on PCs for a reviews.
(plus this article was on Mac World..... I have a feeling if apple sent them a free Mac Book for review they wouldn't complain, I know I sure as hell wouldn't either.)

I'd graciously accept a free Mac Book too!
Actually any laptop with decent specs would be fine.

Im hoping to get wood by lotto 649.

Huh?
This sounded very strange the first time I read it......

lol! it does indeed! i mean "woo'd", and 649 is our major canadian lottery! sorry for any misinterpretations!

Uh huh sure.