Microsoft giving employees free Surface, Windows Phone 8, new PC

[Shawn Knight]

Christmas will be coming early this year for more than 94,000 Microsoft employees. The company is reportedly giving full-time staffers a technology package that includes a free Surface tablet, new work computers and Windows Phone 8 devices to use at home and work. The handset upgrade is similar to what Microsoft did when Windows Phone 7 first hit the market, according to GeekWire.

Redmond typically has a three-year refresh cycle on employee work computers but that’s being accelerated this time around in order to get everyone up and running on Windows 8. Employees will be able to choose between a desktop, laptop, Ultrabook or a tablet for pure work purposes.

As with the Windows Phone 8 offer, all full-time employees will be given a Surface tablet for use at work and at home. We are hearing that it’s only the Surface RT model but either way, free is free.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer allegedly announced the package during an internal meeting so it’s not likely that we will see any PR directly from Microsoft. Some employees have, however, taken to Twitter to express their happiness and appreciation for the free gifts. One tweet compared Ballmer to Oprah Winfrey, a television personality known for her generous gifts to audience members and complete strangers.

The gifts are certainly a nice gesture for such a large company. In comparison, Apple reportedly only offers full-time employees discounts on regularly-priced merchandise - no free iPads or iPhones for them.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/50160-microsoft-giving-employees-free-surface-windows-phone-8-new-pc.html

 

[Guest]

I guess this is the only way people will take Windows 8

 

[Littleczr]

Do they hire janitors or do they contract them.? If they hire ill apply right now.

 

[Steve]

I want one now!

 

[Archean]

+1 Steve

Having used W8 CP for many months I no longer feel its UI slowing me down compared to W7. It it is very easy and fluid once you get used to it. So, I may well choose to upgrade at least my PC (notebook came with OEM W7x64) once it is released.

 

[RajeGera]

Bringing new technology is not an easy task and microsoft employees have been doing consistently for so long.Ill shift to windows8 from android, if it suits 2 all my needs..

 

[scorpian007]

So how does one get a job at Microsoft?

 

[Guest]

This is actually a real smart move by MS. Think about it... 9400 employees going out into the world with Windows 8, surface and phone equals instant advertisement. I can't tell you how many times I've pulled my phone out to text or email and someone seeing it and asking what kind of phone I had. The cost of giving that stuff away is probably really high but so is advertisement.

 

[dennis777]

Wow nice move MS!!!!
so apple employees cant afford apple products?

 

[Guest]

I'm pretty sure the Janitorial services are all done by contractors. (n)

 

[Guest]

Yea.. would be a bad image if employes of Microsoft walk around with iPhones ...and iPads ..LOL

 

[captaincranky]

Wow nice move MS!!!!
so apple employees cant afford apple products?

It's a slam dunk that the Foxconn employees that make Apple products can't afford them. ABC's Nightlime" did a story about it.

As it stands now Americans can't afford Apple products either. But we have big, heavy duty printing presses at the the U.S. Mint. So roll the presses, print the "currency", and buy the iPhone, all the while swearing to China on our mother's graves we'll pay them back, (um,someday).

Anyway, back to topic. What if this is a practical joke on the part of M$, and they plan on giving every one of their 94,000 employees one these ugly pink tablets.

This guy did, after all, quit. One might suppose it was from embarrassment, after they made him stand on stage holding it.

Although, that nasty pink color could be intended to draw the eye away from how ugly the Metro interface is.....