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+--- Thread: Win10 ISN'T free (/showthread.php?tid=181834)
Win10 ISN'T free - hal - 08-06-2015
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2957365/windows/why-windows-10-isnt-really-free-the-subtle-new-world-of-built-in-costs.html
Sure, you can go snag a free Windows 10 upgrade right now if you’re running Windows 7 or Windows 8—but that doesn’t mean Windows 10 is free. Buying a fresh Windows 10 license still costs $100-plus, and PC makers still pay Microsoft a fee for each and every computer that ships with Windows installed. Linux is free. The Windows 10 upgrade is only “free” for people who have already purchased a Windows license, be it via a standalone license or bundled with a premade PC. You can’t just go download Windows 10 and install it on a new PC without spending some cash.
So why is Microsoft tossing Windows 7 and 8 users this yummy no-cost bone?
Optimists may say it’s a result of new CEO Satya Nadella’s reimagined, more open Microsoft. Cynics may say there was no way Microsoft could realistically charge for upgrades now that Apple and Google have conditioned users to expect free operating system updates. There may be truth in both of those, but a large part of Microsoft’s sudden generosity no doubt lies in the desire for cold, hard cash.
Re: Win10 ISN'T free - OWC Jamie - 08-06-2015
They could also bundle it free on a Zune.
just trying to help
Re: Win10 ISN'T free - Forrest - 08-06-2015
If you want to play Solitaire or play a DVD under Windows 10, you'll need to purchase these seperately Forbes
Re: Win10 ISN'T free - Speedy - 08-06-2015
Forrest wrote:
If you want to play Solitaire
Kind of defeats the free part of the deal for about half the Windows users out there.
Re: Win10 ISN'T free - Filliam H. Muffman - 08-06-2015
M$ harvests your data under W10, like Google on Android (and the other dozens of deep tracking websites). That's why it's free.
Windows 10 is spying on you — at least that’s what this developer thinks
Re: Win10 ISN'T free - silvarios - 08-06-2015
Windows is likely spying on you, probably to an even greater degree than recent versions of Android, iOS, or OS X. Lot of these systems, by default, are sending back crazy amounts of information to the mothership. It stinks really.
Re: Win10 ISN'T free - silvarios - 08-06-2015
Why is this an article? No slam against hal, I appreciate the link, but Windows 10 was always pitched as free to existing 7/8/8.1 users, not free to everyone, anywhere, forever.
Edit: To be fair, the actual article is pretty interesting, but the headline is a little silly. Seems like every OS has upgrade costs built in at some point.
Re: Win10 ISN'T free - N-OS X-tasy! - 08-06-2015
silvarios wrote:
Windows is likely spying on you, probably to an even greater degree than recent versions of Android, iOS, or OS X. Lot of these systems, by default, are sending back crazy amounts of information to the mothership. It stinks really.
This is disappointing. Not surprising, but disappointing nonetheless.
Re: Win10 ISN'T free - rz - 08-06-2015
It's free... until the subscription model gets sprung on you. I'm pretty sure that within a year or two, if you want to keep using your computer, you'll be forced to pay an annual subscription just to keep your windows license activated.
Re: Win10 ISN'T free - rjmacs - 08-06-2015
rz wrote:
It's free... until the subscription model gets sprung on you. I'm pretty sure that within a year or two, if you want to keep using your computer, you'll be forced to pay an annual subscription just to keep your windows license activated.
Actually, they won't do that, but once they release Windoze 11, they'll force user to upgrade or pay a fee for "continuing maintenance and security updates." They've already announced it.