Microsoft should sponsor PC clunkers for cash program

Just sitting here thinking about how successful this auto clunkers for cash program has been. In just four days 250,000 old auto clunkers were traded in for new higher mileage cars. This new government program which originally had 1 billion dollars allocated for traded in clunkers had to be suspended temporarily due to unexpected demand. They have since voted to add 2 billion dollars more to handle demand. I guess people will buy if given the right incentives. What if Microsoft sponsored a similar program. Give maybe two or three hundred dollars for your PC clunker to be use toward the purchase of a brand new computer with Windows Seven pre-installed. The computer would have to be at least 5 years old. I'm sure Microsoft will benefit in the long term. It would definitely boost PC sales just car sale have improved recently.

Just thinking...

This would be too easily abused, and the overhead to process each one would be so high that it won't make much economic sense (you can reduce that overhead, but that'll make it even easier to abuse).

I guess they could only do this with pre-built systems, though.

DataMan47 said:

This would be too easily abused, and the overhead to process each one would be so high that it won't make much economic sense (you can reduce that overhead, but that'll make it even easier to abuse).

You're probably right in terms of abuse but there is definitely a lot of pent up sales demand that can be tapped into with the right strategy and incentives.

The whole idea of the cash for clunkers program is a huge mistake.

First let me get this out of the way, I am not only a huge computer geek but also a "worldwide" car fanatic and I'm member of world's largest automobile forums VWVortex.com/TheCarLounge.net (Same Group).

People are throwing away PERFECTLY GOOD CARS like 1999 Jeep Cherokees etc. THAT ARE ALREADY PAID OFF and RUNNING. The Government is either crushing them or shipping them off to eastern Europe and China OR the people who manage the crushed vehicles are taking them and flipping a coin selling them back on their property.

WHY trade in GOOD RUNNING cars for NEW CARS that they CAN'T afford?! Their credit is going to get worse now, cars cost $22K or more now just for basic transportation, the majority of people aren't even buying Deisels or Hybrids anyway, they're buying Camaros and Mustangs for the likes (and even then, those 2 cars can get better mileage than many Hybrids and Gas cars on the road today).

All this is doing is just trying to score a sale TODAY in a bad economic time and NOT a FUTURE sale in GOOD economic times.

This is in reality, HURTING the America economy, and removing cars that COULD be affordable for "auto startups" like kids graduating or worked hard enough to find a good reliable ALREADY RUNNING VEHICLE! why not offer something for people who already have cars but are NOT RUNNING AT ALL?!

AlexT2889 said:

The whole idea of the cash for clunkers program is a huge mistake.


People are throwing away PERFECTLY GOOD CARS like 1999 Jeep Cherokees etc. THAT ARE ALREADY PAID OFF and RUNNING. The Government is either crushing them or shipping them off to eastern Europe and China OR the people who manage the crushed vehicles are taking them and flipping a coin selling them back on their property.

WHY trade in GOOD RUNNING cars for NEW CARS that they CAN'T afford?! Their credit is going to get worse now, cars cost $22K or more now just for basic transportation, the majority of people aren't even buying Deisels or Hybrids anyway, they're buying Camaros and Mustangs for the likes (and even then, those 2 cars can get better mileage than many Hybrids and Gas cars on the road today).

Wow! You are quick to assume the financial status and credit worthiness of 250,000 people who decided to trade in the older cars for more fuel efficient vehicles. In my view, which is not THE view, maybe you just haven't thought it through:

The average rebate is $4K, while the average new vehicle is around $20K. That basically means that half of the rebate covers the sales, excise and other taxes, which all go into state and local coffers.

If you use the program to buy a US built car, it gets even better.

Consider as well that the sales staff earn commissions, the dealer makes money, the service department remains staffed, etc. That all translates into tax revenues, money spent in the local economy, fewer people on the public dole, etc.

Finally, people that buy new cars drive them. They travel, go out and recreate. Those things also spur local economies.

Multiply that by 250K new cars, and at the end of the day, that $1B winds up coming back to us, and then some.

It's a win-win.

Robearl2x said:

Wow! You are quick to assume the financial status and credit worthiness of 250,000 people who decided to trade in the older cars for more fuel efficient vehicles. In my view, which is not THE view, maybe you just haven't thought it through:

The average rebate is $4K, while the average new vehicle is around $20K. That basically means that half of the rebate covers the sales, excise and other taxes, which all go into state and local coffers.

If you use the program to buy a US built car, it gets even better.

Consider as well that the sales staff earn commissions, the dealer makes money, the service department remains staffed, etc. That all translates into tax revenues, money spent in the local economy, fewer people on the public dole, etc.

Finally, people that buy new cars drive them. They travel, go out and recreate. Those things also spur local economies.

Multiply that by 250K new cars, and at the end of the day, that $1B winds up coming back to us, and then some.

It's a win-win.

Yes, but THE CARS ARE PAID OFF, that is what matters, the cars are RUNNING, why throw away a paid off running vehicle for a new car that you're now in debt AGAIN, paying off the car every month with low resale value once the car leaves the lot.

If the Guvmint had a BRAIN, they would've stated AMERICAN CARS ONLY! How does buying a foreign car help the US Economy? except the dealers?

People have more important things than satisfying their "status" of driving a leased new vehicle in debt all over again for couple of years, when they could use that money they earned to pay for rent, house, food, you know...more important stuff in life.

AlexT2889 said:

Yes, but THE CARS ARE PAID OFF, that is what matters, the cars are RUNNING, why throw away a paid off running vehicle for a new car that you're now in debt AGAIN, paying off the car every month with low resale value once the car leaves the lot.

If the Guvmint had a BRAIN, they would've stated AMERICAN CARS ONLY! How does buying a foreign car help the US Economy? except the dealers?

People have more important things than satisfying their "status" of driving a leased new vehicle in debt all over again for couple of years, when they could use that money they earned to pay for rent, house, food, you know...more important stuff in life.

With all due respect big fella, I think you are missing the point. with your logic, if everybody chose not to shop/spend because whatever they had at home was paid off, very few people would buy anything. What makes you think everybody that bought a car had to go in debt. People still do pay cash for items. Most people handle debt pretty well. What it sounds like is your view may be a little clouded by your own personal financial situation.

In addition, there are now American workers producing foreign brand vehicles in the US. You'd be surprised at how many people have to travel by car over 50 miles to work, each way, and need dependable fuel efficient vehicles to get hem there.