Microsoft Applies for Pay-per-Use PC Patent

barnackle writes: ZDNet News has the scoop about a new Microsoft patent. On Christmas day US patent application number 20080319910 was published which outlines Microsoft's idea to sell or give away heavily subsidized computers and sell the use of the machines based on time and performance. In the abstract they admit that it would probably cost the user more over time, but it would benefit the user in that the machine could scale its performance based on the user's need, supposedly extending the computer's useful life. The intent seems to be that the computer is initially overpowered for the user's needs so he or she has room to grow, while not having to spend much money at the outset.