Bloggers flutter because of Microsoft and AMD 'bribery' laptop

The Microsoft software giant in collaboration with renowned chip manufacturer AMD (Advanced Micro Devices) gave away free 90 Acer Ferrari laptops to authors whose blogs were selected according to their own criteria that made public opinion in bloggers are very busy these days.

The most discussed issue is the correctness and rationality of these expensive high-tech gifts.

The case was first published on LongZheng's blog, after which the article was published on the popular technology website Slashdot under the heading: " Microsoft bribed bloggers with Laptops ." Accordingly, the two giants have chosen and donated Acer Ferari laptop for a total of 90 bloggers. The selected audience is diverse, from the authors of information technology blogs to those who are bloggers who are interested in photography or video topics, as long as in those blogs, the features of the system Vista operating is used.

From the point of view of Microsoft, they want to give to bloggers with pre-installed Vista operating system so that they can keep up with the progress of software technology. However, the most concerned and pressing blogging public opinion is the issue of what the donors and true motives of the donors (Microsoft and AMD) are.

Source: Chanel News Asia . On Friday this week, on the open website of Digital Inspiration blog, owned by Amit Argawal, listed a list of 15 people who received laptops and how to deal with this expensive gift. It seems that the 'settlement' of gifts is also very diversified, the people who keep them will use them, then they will bring them to auction online to get money for charity.

Acer Ferrari laptops as gifts have preinstalled Windows Vista, AMD Turion chips, 64-bit processors and a total cost of more than $ 2,200.

Also according to LongZheng's list, the identities of 6 of the 90 authors who receive gifts are: Brandon LeBlanc, Scott Beale, Barb Bowman, Mauricio Freitas, Mitch Denny, and Zen.Heavengames.

Beale, an author of the Laughing Squid blog specializing in photography, said: ' To be honest, I am not the right person to judge anything about Windows Vista and on this point, I still don't know at all. Why am I chosen to give gifts? ' Beale said he auctioned off the Acer Ferrari donated on eBay for the purpose of collecting money for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a legitimate non-governmental fund that works on Internet interests.

Faced with such vibrant public opinion, neither Microsoft nor AMD have had any immediate immediate response. Particularly, Microsoft interviewed AFP only confirmed that the consideration of giving hardware or software products to reviewers is very normal and that is only useful for bloggers. .

Microsoft claims, gift laptops are 'impartial' and are not tied to any mandatory terms. Moreover, bloggers can "arbitrarily" handle their gifts and do not necessarily write reviews or comments about the Vista software. The company also recommends that bloggers be given gifts if possible, publicizing the public opinion in the media to ensure transparency in Microsoft's gift-giving activities.

Kim Thoa