Well, that was quick. Students and parents hoping to cash in on a Microsoft 2-for-1 deal of Live OneCare PC protection and a copy of Office 2007, together called Microsoft Equipt, need to find alternatives. Posted on the home site of Equipt now is a letter from the team filling in customers on what their own severance pay is.
As of April 30 2009, the full package will discontinue services. People who bought the product, but have not installed it can request a refund. Similarly, if you paid for a full year subscription, you will be prorated the unused months and be given a copy of Office Home and Student.
The Microsoft Equipt project was supposed to target the college-student crowd who are strapped for cash, but still needed protection and Office. The project backfired when it was released that Live OneCare would discontinue and in the future, Microsoft would provide a free alternative. Judging by the amount of Equipt boxes still at Circuit City, and the lack of boxes at Best Buy, I wonder if the project really got off the ground to begin with.
Circuit City was the only place in the US to get Equipt. At $70, it was still cheaper than buying a full version of Office and OneCare combined, but with most colleges and universities offering MSDNAA to their computer-track students, we didn't need to spend $70 on a product we could get for free from our college anyway.
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