Re: Windows 10 to be free upgrade

Bad Boy Bubby · Post by **Bad Boy Bubby** » Wed Jan 21, 2015 4:14 pm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-30924022

Pressure from Linux and other areas taking market share. This is something MS would have never done 5 years ago ?

Bubby

all41 · Post by **all41** » Wed Jan 21, 2015 4:36 pm

They know what the software is worth--

dXTC · Post by **dXTC** » Wed Jan 21, 2015 6:10 pm

It won't be free for XP or Vista users, though. The minimum OS to get the free upgrade is Windows 7, according to the press releases and preview.

Then again, I'm not sure I'd want to attempt to run 10 on some of the older machines that qualified for XP, so I don't blame Microsoft for limiting the promo offer to Win7.

deleted · Post by **deleted** » Wed Jan 21, 2015 6:40 pm

I can remember what IE did to the market when MS started giving it away...
-Hinto

Post by **Pierre** » Wed Jan 21, 2015 11:17 pm

hinto wrote:I can remember what IE did to the market when MS started giving it away...
-Hinto

yep - sure can

however - will those on win_7, be willing to 'upgrade' even for free ??.
- this one may just be the real 'lock you into the microsoft way'.

- similar to what you have to do with google chromebook.
that is what they have to compete with, - not the macbook pro. ..

people got very used to how win_xp did things, and some don't like to change from that way of doing things.
- there was one heck of of a lot of software available for that, some of which now won't run on later versions of M$.
and - that is quite deliberate.

BTW: do you really need a 3d headset ??.

"My hunch is that they can succeed in getting a new generation of PC and tablet applications.
The challenge is getting people interested in its phones."

dXTC · Post by **dXTC** » Wed Jan 21, 2015 11:42 pm

Pierre wrote: - there was one heck of of a lot of software available for that, some of which now won't run on later versions of M$.
and - that is quite deliberate.

BTW: do you really need a 3d headset ??.

There was indeed an incredible amount of software custom-fit to XP. For example, my main DAW software right now is Cakewalk Sonar 5, which runs on XP very well, but not so on any later MS OS version. I have yet to sit down with Ardour or some other Linux-based music applications and see whether it can do the same level of performance with the audio gear I have (several hardware synths/modules with a combination of USB and old-school MIDI connections). Until then, yeah, I'm deliberately stuck on XP for at least one machine. This unfortunately keeps my main iMac, on which I dual boot XP, stuck on Snow Leopard-- which has forced its iTunes installation, and my main media library, out of date (12 requires Lion). If I get any newer iOS device, I am screwed.

No, we really do not need a 3D headset for 10. That's just a shiny new gadget to keep tech journalists distracted. I won't call anything a hologram unless and until it can appear in 3D without any sort of specialized eyewear.

jimallyn · Post by **jimallyn** » Wed Jan 21, 2015 11:50 pm

Not interested in a Windows 10 "upgrade." I have already upgraded to Linux Mint.

ClutchDisc · Post by **ClutchDisc** » Thu Jan 22, 2015 12:08 am

jimallyn wrote:Not interested in a Windows 10 "upgrade." I have already upgraded to Linux Mint.

+1, I wouldn't take Windows 10 for free!

mintybits · Post by **mintybits** » Thu Jan 22, 2015 5:50 am

It is also the case that only a tiny % of computer users have taken up Linux even though it is already free!

I will upgrade from W7 to W10 for sure, now that I will be able to do so without funding Microsoft. It's a no-brainer.
This is a very good strategy to encourage existing users to "move on" and try out new features.
Nadella's vision to make Windows an OS that people love rather than only need may be a bit of a stretch, tho. But the idea of a new beginning with generosity is on the right path.

It would be great if the MS Office suite ran on Linux but if I can run W10 on Vbox then I don't really care. The padded cell that is Vbox has made Windows a perfectly tolerable add-on tool for me.

Pilosopong Tasyo · Post by **Pilosopong Tasyo** » Thu Jan 22, 2015 6:34 am

Topic theme has nothing to do with main edition support. Moved to Open Chat.

rbeltz48 · Post by **rbeltz48** » Thu Jan 22, 2015 9:45 am

It REALLY doesn't matter one way or another. WIN and Redmond have seen their "day in the sun" and it's over!

"Microsoft Windows: A collection of 32bit extensions and a graphical shell for a 16bit patch to an 8bit O.S. originally coded for a 4bit microprocessor written by a 2bit company who cant stand 1 bit of competition."

deleted · Post by **deleted** » Thu Jan 22, 2015 10:18 am

Pierre wrote: [snip]
BTW: do you really need a 3d headset ??.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCxFGxqLsHE
^ Apparently

-Hinto

/dev/urandom · Post by **/dev/urandom** » Thu Jan 22, 2015 10:35 am

all41 wrote:They know what the software is worth--

Good job bashing free operating systems. Continue!

(Yes, most people I know own a recent Windows license - it came with their computer.)

deleted · Post by **deleted** » Thu Jan 22, 2015 10:42 am

It's really, (to quote a truly great man), "Trust, but verify".

When MS released IE (1.5) for free it did 2 things.
1) It pushed the envelop on much of the web browser experience. Browsing was faster, Java Applets ran faster, and the internet became an everyday word
2) It fractured the HTML Standard. That is, IE tried it's best to make since of any poorly coded HTML so it could render something to the user. Often it was non-standard HTML that made Netscape (remember that name?) go nuts.
The result tho, until Firefox and Chrome, was that IE "appeared" superior since it could render, which was what was important to the user anyway. At the end of the day, the end-user doesn't care about HTML spec. They care about browsing.

-Hinto

/dev/urandom · Post by **/dev/urandom** » Thu Jan 22, 2015 10:48 am

hinto wrote:Often it was non-standard HTML that made Netscape (remember that name?) go nuts.

Netscape introduced the non-standard elements TABLE and BLINK - among others.

deleted · Post by **deleted** » Thu Jan 22, 2015 10:52 am

^That really irrelevant now, since there _is_ a standard.
When the standard was made in 1997, the fragmentation had already occurred.
In 1997, Netscape changed to adhere to the standard. IE was a late adopter.
Quirks Mode and Standards Mode
-H

excollier · Post by **excollier** » Thu Jan 22, 2015 11:30 am

rbeltz48 wrote:It REALLY doesn't matter one way or another. WIN and Redmond have seen their "day in the sun" and it's over!

"Microsoft Windows: A collection of 32bit extensions and a graphical shell for a 16bit patch to an 8bit O.S. originally coded for a 4bit microprocessor written by a 2bit company who cant stand 1 bit of competition."

Post by **Pierre** » Fri Jan 23, 2015 3:18 am

It's clear that during the first year, upgrade to Windows 10 will be free, and once the upgrade has been done,
all future upgrades, patches, service packs, etc will be free, without any charge.

We announced that a free upgrade for Windows 10 will be made available to customers running Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows Phone 8.1 who upgrade in the first year after launch.*

This is more than a one-time upgrade: once a Windows device is upgraded to Windows 10, we will continue to keep it current for the supported lifetime of the device – at no cost. With Windows 10, the experience will evolve and get even better over time.

*Hardware and software requirements apply. No additional charge. Feature availability may vary by device. Some editions excluded.

and

It is our intent that most of these devices will qualify, but some hardware/software requirements apply and feature availability may vary by device. Devices must be connected to the internet and have Windows Update enabled. ISP fees may apply. Windows 7 SP1 and Windows 8.1 Update required. Some editions are excluded: Windows 7 Enterprise, Windows 8/8.1 Enterprise, and Windows RT/RT 8.1. Active Software Assurance customers in volume licensing have the benefit to upgrade to Windows 10 Enterprise outside of this offer. We will be sharing more information and additional offer terms in coming months.

so - there are a few limitations.
- but: to get the offer, some may have to "upgrade" several times.
and that could be a risky process. .. ..

doob9911 · Post by **doob9911** » Fri Jan 23, 2015 8:20 am

PC has life time.

Derek_S · Post by **Derek_S** » Sun Jan 25, 2015 12:34 am

In my opinion, making Windows 10 a freebie for current Windows users is just Microsoft's way of making amends for Windows 8/8.1, which was the worst received Windows OS in recent history and claimed by some to be the major cause of the precipitous drop in PC sales in the first quarter of 2013***. It's their way of saying "We're really sorry for putting everybody through that mess, please give us another chance to make it right."

*** http://www.extremetech.com/computing/15 ... in-history
http://gadgets.ndtv.com/laptops/news/wi ... ord-352785
http://www.cnet.com/news/pcs-hit-by-an- ... s-8-flops/
http://<blocked blogspam>/2013/04/10/fu-windo ... orst-ever/

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