Microsoft gives away 'free time' to promote Windows Phone

Microsoft really wants consumers to get the concept that its Windows Phones are much more efficient to use than the competition.

The software titan, in a bid to drum up attention for the recently launched Nokia Lumia 900 andHTC Titan II, have set up "free time machines" in New York, San Francisco, and Chicago that are essentially giveaways, including free meals, access to personal shoppers, grocery deliveries, cleaning, and dog-walking services. The FTMs will also include on-site personal concierges that will handle tasks like waiting in line for a burger.

The promotion is all part of the core Microsoft strategy centered on the Windows Phone as an easy-to-use and efficient device for personal tasks. It was a part of Microsoft's original campaign, which touted the idea that people could spend less time on their phones and more time with their real lives, although that it was not well received.

Microsoft, AT&T, and Nokia in particular are pushing hard to get Windows Phone into the mindset of the consumer. AT&T promised thebiggest launch for the Lumia 900, although many stores were actually closed for Easter when it launched yesterday, the New York Times noted. Nokia blanketed Times Square on Friday with huge ads and a Nicki Minaj concert to promote its latest flagship phone.

Now Microsoft is getting in on the mix. The software badly needs the Lumia 900 to succeed, with its other phones having made little dent in the U.S., a crucial market for smartphone customers.

For consumers not in those three cities, Microsoft has set up a website offering similar promotions.