Credit crisis to hit Microsoft: Ballmer

[OhioChick]

Source: REUTERS

30 Sep, 2008, 2156 hrs IST, REUTERS

OSLO: Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer said on Tuesday the global financial crisis will sap consumer and business spending, affecting all companies, including his own.

"Financial issues are going to affect both business spending and consumer spending, and particularly ... spending by the financial services industry," Ballmer told reporters on the sidelines of a news conference in the Norwegian capital.

"We have a lot of business with the corporate sector as well as with the consumer sector and whatever happens economically will certainly effect itself on Microsoft," he told reporters.

"I think one has to anticipate that no company is immune to these issues," he said, but declined to be more specific.

Wall Street analysts, on average, expect the Redmond, Washington-based company to generate an 8 percent rise in revenue to just under $15 billion in its first-quarter ending in September.


Read more: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Credit_crisis_to_hit_Microsoft_Ballmer/articleshow/3546034.cms

---

Not to worry, Micro$oft will make up the lost revenue by hiring more H-1B workers, like Gates is always in front of Congress begging for. :eyes:

[juno jones]

1. Ahhh the richest man in the world

might have to bankroll his own damn millstone of a company. Maybe something like this will break MS's hegemony and promote REAL competition. Invisible hand of the markets and all.

[Greyhound]

12. 2nd richest, now. Mexican telecom parasite supplanted him last year. n/t

[juno jones]

16. Love your sig line pic.

Dennis is a good guy.

[Greyhound]

23. Thanks, I wish we'd listen to him and the others that are trying to tell us how bad this plan is.n/t

[Spouting Horn]

17. From: Minister of the Treasury Paulson

Subject: REQUEST FOR URGENT CONFIDENTIAL BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP

Dear American:

I need to ask you to support an urgent secret business relationship
with a transfer of funds of great magnitude.

I am Ministry of the Treasury of the Republic of America. My country
has had crisis that has caused the need for large transfer of funds of
800 billion dollars US. If you would assist me in this transfer, it
would be most profitable to you.

I am working with Mr. Phil Gram, lobbyist for UBS, who will be my
replacement as Ministry of the Treasury in January. As a Senator, you
may know him as the leader of the American banking deregulation
movement in the 1990s. This transactin is 100% safe.

This is a matter of great urgency. We need a blank check. We need
the funds as quickly as possible. We cannot directly transfer these
funds in the names of our close friends because we are constantly
under surveillance. My family lawyer advised me that I should look for
a reliable and trustworthy person who will act as a next of kin so the
funds can be transferred.

Please reply with all of your bank account, IRA and college fund
account numbers and those of your children and grandchildren to
[e-mail] so that we may transfer your commission
for this transaction. After I receive that information, I will
respond with detailed information about safeguards that will be used
to protect the funds.

Yours Faithfully,
Minister of Treasury Paulson

[paparush]

2. I'm crying like really, really, massive tears over here...

[Politicalboi]

3. The Levees are breaking!

YAWN!
This man in this video had it right 2 years ago. Obama needs him on his team.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfascZSTU4o

[fartiste]

4. Peter Schiff? He was a prominent Ron Paul supporter.

[Amonester]

5. Well, maybe if Microsoft COULD make an OS that is secure and

less than 60,000,000 lines of code (59,000,000 of which is not even needed...), AND SELL IT AT A REASONABLE PRICE...

Never mind (bloated) office xxxx... I got OpenOffice.org for free (and it's okay for moi).

[Occulus]

6. I have linux

and it runs Windows apps :D

(via Wine, but still- Command & Conquer 3 should not be able to run in linux. It does. Imagine my surprise.)

[customerserviceguy]

7. They're planning a buyback of their shares

They're just trying to drive the price down for that.

[2Design]

8. They just bought back some 40 million in stocks - no longer homes as ATMs

is what is hurting their customer

[pnwmom]

9. Some people are stupid and/or heartless enough to applaud while millions of workers

at large companies across the country lose their jobs.

[Psephos]

11. Yes, delicious schadenfreude for the top of the pyramid, callous indifference for the bottom n/t

[aquart]

18. Yes, you are the only one who cares for the little person.

How nice of you to postpone our destruction long enough for BushCo to finish looting the nation.

I think we're all appreciative of your deep allegiance to giving us those few weeks or months to get our affairs in order.

[Psephos]

27. You're above that comment, aquart n/t

[ozu]

10. uhh

Didn't sound like he was whining to me. Just stating what everyone already knows, that all companies will be affected by this.

[OhioChick]

21. Where did you get "whining" from? n/t

[On the Road]

13. I Wondering About That Statement

since Microsoft has zero debt.

[SahaleArm]

20. Microsoft has $36B in cash and is doing a $40B buyback

He's looking for buyers, MSFT is floating $2B in short term debt.

[MilesColtrane]

33. That's 3 percent of Gates' net worth.

Maybe that's the reason we saw Bill's ugly mug in a MS national ad campaign for the first time.

Ballmer was trying to butter him up for a loan.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

14. Ya, can't have those furriner h-1b folks comin' in her an TEKKIN ARE JOBS. n/t

[OhioChick]

19. Guess you never had to train your H-1B replacement. n/t

[ChromeFoundry]

22. Another reason for condoms... n/t

[ihavenobias]

24. I'm curious

do you think that Thom Hartmann is a xenophobe/racist hick that talks like that? Because he regularly discusses the negative impact of insourcing and outsourcing on American wages, benefits and working conditions.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

30. That depends.

Does he oppose all immigration or just immigration by educated people?

[ihavenobias]

31. He doesn't "oppose immigration"

He opposes importing/exporting labor in situations where the goal is to suppress wages, benefits and good working conditions.

Considering the current unemployment rate (which is higher than the 6.1% active unemployment rate), I'd say that makes perfect sense.

And he's about as progressive (and informed) as it gets:

http://www.thomhartmann.com/

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

39. The goal of h-1b is not, and has never been to suppress wages.

It can be abused in order to suppress wages, but by and large that is not what it is used for.

[OhioChick]

40. Maybe the original goal of the H-1B wasn't to suppress wages...

but it most definitely is now.

Within the past year or so, my company had to advertise for a position that was currently being held by an H-1B. (The good old "good faith measure" to say that you've "tried" to hire a U.S. worker first) and we got thousands of resumes, which were all thrown in the trash. Why? Just so we could keep the lower-paid H-1B.

I also noticed a poster up-thread that has trained 4 H-1B's in the past to take over their position. I have many friends/colleagues out of jobs due to this common practice.

Are you in the IT field?

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

41. Yes I am.

I'm in the UK on an HSMP visa.

[OhioChick]

45. Oh, that explains everything.

Gotcha.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

49. I hope it explains something.

I'm all for the free flow of ideas, education, and people between countries to the maximum extent possible. Having worked with godawful outsourced Indian programming houses, and Indian programmers of comparable education/experience level in the US on H-1Bs, I've got to say that the guys and girls I've met on H-1Bs have been far superior, primarily due to the on-the-job training they've received in the states. It is my hope that, if they so desire, they'll return to their home countries and use this newly acquired knowledge to improve the state of education, productivity, and quality of work in their own countries so that they can become more competitive in the global marketplace.

[Azlady]

60. Yep, TRYING to be in the IT field might be a better way of saying it....

You're right. I have been ousted by H-1B's on 4
different occasions now. (What a waste of money on that degree that
took me forever to pay off) I was always told by management that it
was due to having to pay H-1B's much, much less. So, whomever says
that H-1B's do NOT drive down wages should get their head out of their
ass. It's happening everywhere in the U.S.

[OhioChick]

61. I'm sorry to hear of your situation

However, I hear/see it quite often. It's difficult for those not in the field, or seeing this practice happening firsthand to believe it does in fact exist.

Truly pathetic and sad.

[Azlady]

62. Thank you, I have many IT friends in the same boat...n/t

[ihavenobias]

43. So

we have a shortage of qualified US workers? And hiring people from the outside who are willing to work for much less pay/benefits doesn't generically suppress wages/benefits?

Of course it is. I disagree that "abuse" is rare. In fact, I'm not sure we can even call it abuse. Technically speaking it's quite legal, and corporations HAVE to put profits as their #1 priority by law. Therefore why wouldn't they continue to import and export labor when it saves them money?

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

44. OK, so basically you're against immigration.

Gotcha.

[ihavenobias]

46. Ok, so basically you like making overly simplistic and laughable accusations

Gotcha.

I'm for *controlled* immigration, based on how it impacts our existing population (economically, etc.). This country was founded by immigrants and the diversity of backgrounds and ideas are part of what makes it so great! But there is a middle ground between "let everyone in" and "let no one in" where reasonable people can be.

PS---My grandparents AND mom and dad were immigrants.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

48. I'm sorry, but the 100k or so H-1Bs issued every year...

...do not "impact our population" in a hugely significant way. AFAIK, there isn't a single study that hasn't been funded by H-1B opponents that shows any significant impact on the economy. Furthermore, H-1B is in no way a "let everyone in" policy. In fact, it is far more of a "keep people out" policy than similar policies enacted by other Western industrial democracies. And outside of very specific parts of the IT sector, the problem of mass H-1B abuse is quite rare, and confined to a small handful of outsourcing firms and their clients (who overall only receive around 20% - 30% of the H-1B allocation, which I agree is far too high.) I am all for closing the loopholes that allow this to happen. But increasing the number of H-1Bs is, in my opinion, not a bad thing. As long as the problems with abuse are remedied.

[ihavenobias]

50. Stop

You're flipping from the general to the specific. You broadly attacked me and said I was "against immigration", so I explained my overall position as it relates to insourcing and outsourcing in all forms.

Now you're trying to use the "impact our population" line (which applies to the comprehensive big picture) and dismiss it as it relates to H-1B's.

Again, answer the question: Is there a shortage of qualified American workers that can do these jobs?And if the answer is yes, shouldn't part of our economic recovery address that with free/cheap job/skills training and education?

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

51. The answer is no, but I also think the question is completely irrelevant.

My basic position is this: I think we have created an imbalance since the second world war by facilitating the free flow of goods between countries on the one hand, but restricting the free flow of experience, ideas, and (for lack of a better term) "human capital" on the other. To me, these things should go hand in hand. If we are to allow unfettered commerce in goods between countries, we should also allow unfettered traffic in human resources, education, and ideas. To do otherwise is to forever consign countries like China and India to be exporters and implementers to our importers and innovators. This hardly seems fair or reasonable. My personal opinion is that there is a potentially large market for American goods that remains untapped simply because we refuse to allow anyone to compete with us. A prosperous China, or a prosperous India is not necessarily a bad thing for the United States. And I believe that we should embrace and encourage this new idiom, because the alternative is to be forever caught in an ultimately fruitless protectionist struggle against less scrupulous adversaries who have no investment in the common fate of all people.

[ihavenobias]

52. In other words

Let 300 million Americans compete with over 6 billion people, half of which will work for less than $2 a day.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

53. Uh, why shouldn't they?

We're all buying the products made by those people who make $2 a day. And if we start feeding education and talent back into the pool, they'll be able to raise their own standards of living, education, and knowledge, rather than relying on big Western countries to support their economies via exports of crap. We should be enabling them to become self-sufficient. Such massive import/export disparity can only lead to catastrophe. Allowing people to manufacture our products for $2 a day but refusing to allow them access to the experience and education necessary to raise their own standard of living strikes me as a morally untenable position. Either you allow free flow of goods, ideas and human capital all at the same time, or you allow none of it.

[ihavenobias]

54. When Nike moved it's manufacturing to China the cost of Nike shoes didn't go down

There are an insane number of goods that are manufactured through what is essentially slave labor and yet the corporate profit margins are through the roof. The benefit to us in terms of cost savings is very much overblown, as the cost of goods is determined by demand and what we're willing to pay far more (generally speaking) than the manufacturing cost.

And there are other ways to help developing countries without screwing over American workers. This free trade BS has been used pushed HARD by the right and DLC Dems with the express purpose of driving down wages and benefits and increasing corporate profits.

All the grand ideological talk that suggests otherwise is just that, grand ideological talk that sounds nice on paper but is horrible in practical terms for this country.

If we have a shortage of qualified workers, let's increase their qualifications. If we can't do that and or we can't do it fast enough, fine, let's get some help, there's no problem with that. That's a *reasonable*, moderate view of the situation. That's not isolationist and it's not free trade, global economy mania either.

Finally, it's dishonest to ignore the negative environmental (in terms of regular pollution and CO2 production) implications of rapid development, particularly in the case of China.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

57. I agree with some of what you say.

And I understand where you're coming from, but to my mind protectionism is akin to using a bandage on a blood infection. Regardless of what we do, several decades from now the Chinese middle class will be bigger, more affluent, more powerful, and more centrally controlled than the American middle class. (And this is by design.) Maybe ditto for India and other developing countries. This change is coming whether we want it or not, and there is not a goddamn thing we can do to prevent it. The only thing we *can* do is prepare for it.

There are an insane number of goods that are manufactured through what is essentially slave labor

I would not exactly call what goes on in most Chinese factories, "slave labor." The conditions are poor compared to what one would expect in the United States, and the working hours are long, but compared to the conditions in many developing countries, the Chinese are actually not that bad. There is a reason for this. As I have said, the Chinese are, by design, engineering a middle class to compete with the American middle class. And they will succeed, because they have almost unlimited resources with which to do so.

the cost of goods is determined by demand and what we're willing to pay far more (generally speaking) than the manufacturing cost.

The cost of goods is determined by what people are willing to pay - all people, not just Americans. The emergence of large middle classes in developing countries will increase the price of goods for everyone, including Americans. Much like global warming, the warning signs emerge around the periphery, in places like the price of oil and food. These are not going to ever go back to what has been considered "normal" in America since the second world war.


And there are other ways to help developing countries without screwing over American workers.

The emergence of new middle classes in developing countries "screws over" American workers by definition due to the finite resources of the planet on which we live, and the law of supply and demand. And again, this is something that is going to happen regardless of what we do - protectionism or no, free trade agreements or no. I do not expect my children to have as high a standard of living as I do. Nor should you. Human beings have an almost limitless capacity for consumption, but we live in a world of limited resources. We can invent products and technologies out of electrons and thin air, but a car is a car is a car, and when it comes right down to it, you need steel and plastic to build that car, and there will forever be more people competing for the same limited pool of steel and plastic. Again, there is nothing we can do to change this.

This free trade BS has been used pushed HARD by the right and DLC Dems with the express purpose of driving down wages and benefits and increasing corporate profits.

"Free trade" as it now exists was invented by the Western powers to ensure that developing countries would, at least temporarily, be dominated and economically subjugated by the Western powers. And it's not as if the developing countries were in a position to object! Again, there is a *reason* why there is promotion of "free trade" of goods without identical free trade in ideas and human capital. Export economies (developing countries) are incredibly dependent upon import economies (the West, Japan, etc) for their survival. Were we to cut off trade with China tomorrow there would almost certainly be a severe recession in the United States, but the consequences for China could be devastating. Free trade, like all political arrangements, is about control. The right-wing in America is in favor of free trade on ideological principle. The DLC and their ilk are in favor of it because they understand what I've described above. It is a highly cynical, short-sighted worldview, but then nobody ever accused the DLC of being visionaries.


Finally, it's dishonest to ignore the negative environmental (in terms of regular pollution and CO2 production) implications of rapid development, particularly in the case of China.


If we have a shortage of qualified workers, let's increase their qualifications. If we can't do that and or we can't do it fast enough, fine, let's get some help, there's no problem with that. That's a *reasonable*, moderate view of the situation. That's not isolationist and it's not free trade, global economy mania either.

The simple fact of the matter is that you could shut down the WTO and every other international trade organization tomorrow and you'd still be left with exactly the same problem, which is that the West is simply no longer able to dictate its terms to the rest of the world.


Finally, it's dishonest to ignore the negative environmental (in terms of regular pollution and CO2 production) implications of rapid development, particularly in the case of China.

I assure you that China has the world's smallest fiddle playing just for the world's most profligate polutters' concern over the environmental impact of its economic ascendence.

Anyway, this is a very long-winded way of getting around to my main point, which is that in the face of all of the above, America has very few options for how it might retain global importance once developing countries figure out how to build their own computer operating systems and jumbo jets, and when gas costs $10 a gallon. I'm convinced that the way we do that is by doing what we, as a people, do best: Utilize our unique ability to transcend cultural boundaries and become a marketplace and exporter of ideas, education, and innovation. We do this better than anyone in the world (there's a reason Coca Cola sells in every country in the world even though the Chinese can produce cheaper, better soft drinks.) The way we continue doing it is by encouraging cultural intermixing, and the intermixing of ideas to the extent that we possibly can. No other country in the world is in a position to do this. We should take advantage of this, because once China and India figure out how to make their own computer OSes, jet planes, medical equipment, and chili sauce, there's not gonna be a hell of a lot left for us as an industrial society.

[ChromeFoundry]

55. Wow, you really are clueless...

How about having the US raise the standards of the citizens that fund the government? You don't even reside in the US, you are in the UK. Your opinion is from a vantage point that is not even close to "local". You have the luxury of not seeing your neighbors losing their engineering, manufacturing, call center, farm workers, IT jobs, etc... and finally losing their homes to live in a shelter. These are the same people that are forced to bailout Wall Street, for the good of the world. The top 5% of wage earners will not be paying for this bailout bill, but will plan to gain an additional 15% (if this bailout does succeed, which is doubtful) thanks to the working middle class.

This country is currently borrowing money from countries like China for giveaways to other countries. And you believe that it's a good idea for the US to send jobs off to China, so that they can raise their standards of living??? If we need to borrow money from them, then they are better off and should be responsive to their own citizen's needs. Or are you one of those that believe that the US has some responsibility greater than the other nations in this world?

Your logic is self-serving because of your current status, plain and simple.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

58. Umm...

How about having the US raise the standards of the citizens that fund the government?

What do you mean by "raise the standards of the citizens." That doesn't make any sense.

You don't even reside in the US, you are in the UK.

So what? I'm an American citizen, I've lived most of my life in the US, and I'm here for a job. I didn't realize that made me a traitor.

Your opinion is from a vantage point that is not even close to "local".

My vantage point is informed by having lived all but the last two or three years of my life in various locations within the United States, in both economically successful and economically deprived areas. And quite frankly, America could use a non-local vantage point once in a while.

You have the luxury of not seeing your neighbors losing their engineering, manufacturing, call center, farm workers, IT jobs, etc...

Bullshit. My family is in the sticks in Pennsylvania, I grew up poor, and I am keenly aware of the hardship that they have endured, because I had to endure it too. My mother gets paid minimum wage, when she can get it. My father died in an industrial accident working a shit job with poor safety conditions an OSHA can't even be bothered to investigate it. So don't you dare presume to know what I know or don't know in my "luxury" life, mkay? I don't presume to know shit about you or your situation.

I'm going to ignore your rantings about the bailout because nothing I've said in this thread is in any way related to or informed by the stupid bailout.

This country is currently borrowing money from countries like China for giveaways to other countries. And you believe that it's a good idea for the US to send jobs off to China, so that they can raise their standards of living?

No, I just find it morally untenable to complain about the hardship suffered by Americans in one sentence, and then to complain about rising standards of living in the third world (where they suffer much greater hardships) in the next. I quite frankly refuse to impart more intrinsic value Americans, myself included, than to the people in the developing world. Apologies if that perspective isn't "local" enough for you.

Or are you one of those that believe that the US has some responsibility greater than the other nations in this world?


Yes, I kinda do believe that when four percent of the world's population consumes twenty five percent of the world's resources, they might just have a responsibility to try to make things easy for the people who live in abject poverty so that they can live in a relative state of affluence.

[ChromeFoundry]

59. RE: Umm...

My mother gets paid minimum wage, when she can get it. My father died in an industrial accident working a shit job with poor safety conditions an OSHA can't even be bothered to investigate it.

In all seriousness, I am saddened to hear about your father.

Unfortunately, I see the argument that you have shown in up-posts that is the cause of problems like your mother is currently facing. Hopefully she still isn't paying off 8-years of student loans, only to be passed over for a job because the CFO and CEO decided that paying foreign workers less, and threatening the H-1B workers to work 12-hour days or they will not renew their sponsorship...is a better plan for short term profit. I have worked with a hell of a lot of companies during my years in this career and I have yet to see anyone but the C-Level execs receive benefit from the H-1B program. Nobody wants to believe that this type of behavior is happening right here in their own backyard, but I have seen it time and time again. The H-1B program is nothing more than a legal avenue for greedy corporations to increase profits by paying lesser wages.

If it is your choice to move abroad to find work in the IT field, fine, more power to you. My choice is to stay in the area with my family and still be able to have a decent job, and I don't see anything wrong with that.

[Hannah Bell]

65. un, because you can't pay first world prices for goods, services & property

on third world wages.

which means all but the privileged lose what they have in the transition to the "global economy", while international elites consolidate power.

duh.

[OhioChick]

47. Don't buy into the "shortage of qualified workers in the U.S." BS...

Study: There Is No Shortage of U.S. Engineers

http://www.eweek.com/c/a/IT-Management/Study-There-Is-No-Shortage-of-US-Engineers/

There are many other studies out there to support this.

[apnu]

15. Wow, thanks for that insite Steve, now tell me, is water is wet?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tX4N2oUa2Q

And after that, watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GRebbw0uH4

[Azlady]

25. I've trained 4 H1Bs

that took over my jobs.. On unemployment yet again, getting ready to run out with NO job yet.

[OhioChick]

38. 4 H-1B's????

Wow...I wish you luck in finding something soon.

[Occulus]

42. Hope you trained 'em wrong in at least one critical area

There can be no lower thing to do to a worker you are firing- who knows they are being let go- than to tell them to train their replacement. A place like that doesn't deserve well-trained scabs.

[progressivebydesign]

26. Whatever. I just got a Mac for my birthday yesterday!!! :) n/t

[depakid]

28. In finding yet another villain to blame

You completely miss the point of the article.

Which is that every company- no matter how profitable they are are going to be adversely impacted- including ethical companies that are foundations of communities all across the country- and indeed the world.

Being from Ohio, you probably have some idea of what that looks like.

I'm sure there are some who don't think persistent double digit unemployment will be a problem- that their own jobs are safe, but I bet a lot of Ohians could tell them a little something about how that works.

[girl gone mad]

63. Your attempts to panic people are falling short.

Everybody understands we are in a recession. Most workers have been hurting for years now, with no job security, declining wages and massive inflation.

We also know that Wall Street gambled big and now they want us to pay. Main Street can't afford to pay off Wall Street's bad debts.

[silverojo]

29. Pure horseshit.

They're in financial trouble because Windows Vista is about as popular as eye snot.

[CRF450]

34. Um its being sold in most computers now, and their doing away with the sales of XP

Frankly, I have two computers with Vista and I have nothing but good experience with it.

[ChromeFoundry]

56. Try running it in a business environment.

85% of US businesses are planning to skip Vista and go directly to Windows 7, assuming they do a better job of testing this version than they had Vista. Newly purchased machines are being formatted and XP is being installed on them in most corporate environments. Windows 7's release has been moved up due to the threat of the public having time to get comfortable with the latest Linux distros, and M$ greatly fears the open source arena.

[indio55555]

32. You're not the only one Mr Balmer.

If the 700 billion deal goes through my family will pay approx. $8,000.00 (family of 4).

[Neshanic]

35. Ya know...If any example that would have me give less of a rat's ass, it would be difficult.

Microsoft. Having credit problems. Cry me a fucking river.

Proud Vista Ultimate user here...

[GetTheRightVote]

36. He may not get his bonus this year, oh no what is to be done ?

I have grown very tired of the lies these corporations are feeding us.
I only hope the American public will stop believing them.

:grr::grr:

[OhioChick]

37. "I only hope the American public will stop believing them."

Try getting the sheep not to believe....not an easy feat.

[Crowman1979]

64. That reminds me, how satisfied are you people with LINUX?

Cause I wanna put less money in Bill's wallet! :D

[ChromeFoundry]

66. It really depends on...

what you are planning to do with it. If you are a regular home owner that mainly browses the Internet, reads email and uses a word processor and spreadsheets... A Linux solution would suite you very, very well and you would hardly notice a difference from Windows. The first thing you would notice is that your workstation will actually run faster on equal hardware.

If you want to give it a try and are not ready to cut your umbilical cord to Windows...try running it inside of Windows with a package like Wubi (http://wubi-installer.org/). This way you can install/uninstall and get a feel for it to see if it is right for you. Best of all, it's free!