opinions // 16 theotherpress.ca

Sweetening the deal with a ‘honey’

» Microsoft offers PC users $100 to upgrade

Elliot Chan
Opinions Editor
S opinions
@theotherpress.ca

Moers ploys by big name

companies are nothing
uncommon. We get coupons, discounts,

 

incentive for consumers is nothing to go
crazy about, right? Right. In fact, their
$100 store credit seems more like bait
than a real great deal.

Until June 15, Microsoft will be
offering current Windows XP users a
$100 discount to upgrade to the new
Windows 8.1 computer. In other words,
Microsoft wants users to continue
spending money on their new products
instead of riding out their old ones.

This marketing strategy is similar
to their console-war strategy earlier this

it out with the Xbox One for gaming

supremacy. PlayStation owners can go

toa Microsoft dealership and exchange

their PS4 fora Xbox One and receive

a $100 off. For financially strapped

individuals, this may sound like a great

deal, but ona closer look, you'll realize

that you would just be paying roughly

the same amount for the Xbox One as

you had for a PS4 (approximately $500).
We often shun and make fun of

those who have inferior technology,

as if high-end and new electronics

are a status symbol worthy of pride.

Computers are built to break,

like cellphones, automobiles, and

microwaves. Yet, computers are one of

: say, “If it ain’t broke... yadda yadda!”

: me to update my software, while my

: MacBook Pro is informing me that

: there is a new OS X update available

: (whatever that means). I don’t want to

: update. I updated last week, last month,
: last year—just let me use my computer

: without forcing me to restart it. It’s not

and bargains all the time—if we look for :
: broken; you don’t need to fix it!

them. So it seems that Microsoft’s recent :
: pace with such minor advancements

: when we live in a world where

: today’s state-of-the-art technology is

: tomorrow’s laughable artifact. There will
: always be a newer version of whatever.

: to upgrade, unless it’s something you

: actually want, it’s at your convenience,

: or it’s absolutely necessary. We all want
: the newest version of whatever, and we
: all want the top-of-the-line products in
: our house, but purchasing blindly, just
: because it’s financially appealing, is not

year, when the PlayStation 4 was duking :
: the right move.

: old computer is out of fashion. Well,

: Microsoft doesn’t understand that we

: aren't all crazy about the latest updates
: and computers—we just need them to

: be working properly. Sure, the $100 is a
: nice thank you for your loyalty and that
: should be commended. But why not

: just offer that $100 into improving what
: is already working instead of forcing

: the user to buy a new $599 to $2,299

: computer?

: newer and shinier, but after 13 years of
: using the same operating system, you
: can't just lure consumers out with a little

: bribe.

those things where we, as a society, don't :

Right now, my iPhone is telling

Know this: it’s not worth keeping

Don't be swayed to pay extra fees

Microsoft wants to tell you that your

The new Windows 8.1 might be

 

By www. hdw.com

Sacrificing professionalism for
exposure and experience

» Unpaid work degrades the employees

: than ever these days. There’s
: the catch-22 of not having

: experience and needing

: experience in order to get

: experience. Unfortunately,

: Many companies will hire

: interns for below-minimum

: wage or no pay at all. Instead,
: these internships are a way to
: develop experience, network,
: and get a feel for the industry.
: Some of them can even lead

: toa paid position after a

: satisfactory trial period—in

: other words, doing the exact

 
  

| Cazzy Lewchuk
Staff Writer

Wr it’s working
in retail, writing for
a publication, or creating
projects in an office, a job isa
job. That means getting paid
for it. After all, we all have to
pay for rent and food. Sadly,
it’s becoming more and more
common to hire people—
especially students—for
unpaid jobs. Welcome to the
wonderful world of unpaid
internships.

Finding a job, especially
one in the industry you
want to work in, is tougher

: whole time, but now getting
: paid as you legally should

: be. While such practices

: are technically illegal in BC,

: they’re difficult to define and

: and those who partake are

: often oblivious to the law.

: either. The idea of unpaid

: work is very common in

: the art industry, a field

: notoriously difficult to make
: any money in. Almost every
: musician, actor, painter, etc. :
: can tell a story of the time they :
: were asked to do their jobs for :
: free. Examples include playing :
: a free concert because the :
: venue “can’t afford” (doesn’t
: want) to pay you; acting ina
: low-budget film in exchange
: same job you've been doing the :
: and doing things that take

: years of development to do,

: that other more successful

: people in the field get paid to
: do.
: are accompanied by loopholes, :

: is degrading. It implies that

It’s not just internships

for food and “full reel credit”;

Offering unpaid work

: the work and the person

: doing it are not worthy of

: reimbursement. It suggests
: that trying to make a career
: out of what you enjoy doing is :
: pointless and even laughable. :
: Working for free is slave

: labour, yet the mentality in

the unpaid work world is

: that this should be accepted

without question. It suggests

: that those who work in an :
: industry must gain “exposure” !
: through doing unpaid work

: just to prove their worth,

: instead of being paid at once.
: While this is most common

: with arts-based gigs and jobs, :
: it can be found in almost
: every industry.

As long as unpaid jobs

keep being applied for,
: they will be encouraged in

: the workforce. More and
: more employees will offer
: them, and it will become
: even more difficult to find

meaningful paid work. Do
yourself a favour and don’t

: accept unpaid jobs. Demand
: to be paid at least minimum

: wage for the work you're

: doing, just like any other

: professional in the field. If no
: one was willing to sacrifice

their professionalism, all

: unpaid gigs and jobs would
: disappear. Employers would
: realize all work should be
: compensated for and jobs

would become easier to find.

: In addition, there would bea
: much greater demand for the
: work. Everyone wins when

: wages are offered.