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Windows 10 is now free for everyone, including XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, new users and non-Windows users
http://lifehacker.com/microsoft-confirms-windows-10-preview-users-will-get-a-1712774167
This was confirmed on Twitter by Microsoft.
All windows Vista / XP or non-Windows users have to do is install Windows 10 preview. Once it launches, it will become a genuine Windows 10 copy.
You now have no excuse for having to pay for Windows 10.
More importantly! If you are building a PC right now. Install Windows 10 preview, on launch it will be a fully certified OS, and you don't have to pay for an OS.
(For Windows 7, Windows 8 and 8.1 users, nothing changes, you still have a 1 year time windows after launch, to install Windows 10 for free, which will remain free forever)
Comments
You are about a month or two behind the news there and you do not need to install anything, simply click on that small windows icon that MS have placed at the bottom right of your screen, in the notification area of the taskbar.
READ PLEASE.
It was confirmed on twitter YESTERDAY by Microsoft that Vista / XP and news users get to use Windows 10 for free ALSO.
This was NOT the case before. There was no way that a Windows XP / Vista or new computer build could get Windows 10, the full version on release, for free.
They can today.
Clicking on the icon does NOT work for XP or Vista users, they are NOT getting that notification. New builders who want a free OS also do not, get that icon, since...they don't have windows. They need to install the preview.
So no, I am NOT behind the news.
There is no subscription.
None now....lets see in the future.
I gave this a run on my laptop last night. Came off in about 20 minutes. Put Ubuntu on, instead.
Windows wouldn't close by clicking the 'x', it would randomly not read the keyboard, and I'd get a critical error any time I tried to log out.
This is the most recent build.
Yeah, hopefully they have that sorted by the time it goes retail.
Nice looking OS, though. Very clean, and it felt pretty snappy.
For now, I'll stick ot Windows 7 on my main, and Ubuntu on my laptop. Though I'm considering Ubuntu on my main, and I can run Win7 in a virtual box.
I was taught by my parents when growing up that NOTHING is never really free! This has been true for the passed 32 years since the beginning of my teenage days.
I wonder what cards you can find up in Microsoft sleeves?
I find this to be more worrying than anything else. I guess we'll see what will happen.
Actually, you only need to have the preview on your system now.
Reading the news, it looks like a clever way for MS to get people off those older OSs entirely.
Click Here
You should reread the news.
It's free because it gives more users access to the Windows app store. Which coincidentally, makes Microsoft money.
It's the razor / razorblade business model.
Gilette gives you the razor for free, knowing they'll make enough money from the razorblades people buy.
Windows gives you the OS for free, knowing they'll make enough money from the apps people buy.
There's nothing really wrong with this business model. It has more advantages, it will lower their cost of having to support older versions and it will speed up cortana development when they get more user feedback.
It doesn't have any disadvantages for consumers either. It's cheaper for consumers and more users on the same OS will make it much easier if you need help with your OS and bugs will be discovered faster.
Users spread out over multiple OS has always been a mess, now that most users will be using the same OS, it should simplify a lot of things for Microsoft, consumers and hardware manufacturers.
Even for game developers, it will be beneficial, having to develop for multiple OS with multiple drivers is difficult. Having 99% of your playerbase on a single OS, will be immensely advantageous for them, and they will be able to spend more time on the actual game instead of trying to support multiple OS.
want 7 free days of playing? Try this
http://www.swtor.com/r/ZptVnY
My bet is like office they will just starting a subscription in the future to keep your Win10 working.
nothing, it gives more users access to the microsoft app store and it lowers legacy support costs for microsoft when most people are on the same OS
"We all do the best we can based on life experience, point of view, and our ability to believe in ourselves." - Naropa "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." SR Covey
M$ has yet to prove they do not do everything with a dollar amount in mind. Whether that be upfront or in the future.
And on the other hand there is no proof they will ever charge a subscription for the OS, only misconstrued rumours.
I don't avoid crossing the road just because a hot air baloon might drop on my head or avoid listening to the radio in case at some point in the future they charge a subscription.
Mainframes started with annual licenses for operating systems. They made a lot of money that way. As big and as wealthy as Microsoft is, I'm sure they wouldn't mind another pile of money.
Just don't give me a OS cash shop (app store). On sale today, 3 file copy tokens for $5! Start a program tokens -- $1. At that point, I'll just give up on computing -- it's been a nice 45 year run.
Logic, my dear, merely enables one to be wrong with great authority.
I always let someone else cross the mind field when it involves software first.
They really should update the title of this thread. This was posted in comments. So it's still only for Win 7 and up.
<span published="" updated"="">6/20/15 6:18pm
It is interesting, they actually edited the blog since yesterday.
It originally said...
but now it says...
"We all do the best we can based on life experience, point of view, and our ability to believe in ourselves." - Naropa "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." SR Covey
By the way i clicked the link the op posted and it clearly states vista and xp are not eligible but to get around that you need to get the technical preview to become eligible. And yes it will be free and NO there is no Yearly or monthly sub to keep it activated.
Also remember the following :
once the Windows 10 final release is on your machine and linked to your Microsoft account, then your MSA becomes your key to re-installing the OS from the final media at any time. The key here is that you have to take install the RTM build first before cleaning your machine and starting fresh.
This was taken from : http://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-is-making-changes-to-the-way-insider-builds-are-delivered
what is this, the 90s?
They plan on making money by selling you apps via their App store, and - likely - by gatherin and selling data on you, your interests, browsing/shopping habits, etc. to marketers/advertisers. I'm sure it's not just coincidence that Windows 10 seems to have an awful lot built into it based around "knowing everything about you" - including what you look like if you use their facial recognition.
They spin it as "look at this nifty new technology that makes your life more convenient and computer navigation more effortless!" What they're really saying is "Look at all these ways we gather valuable information about you that we can sell and turn into $$$$$ for ourselves!"
They're getting a bit too "clingy" for me. I consider it intrusive, and that's why I won't be using it as my main OS any time soon.
I have nothing to "hide", and it's not paranoia... I just don't want every freaking thing I do, watch, search for or listen to to be thrown back at me in the form of "marketing!" Yes, I know someone's going to say "well you may as well get off the Internet because blah blah blah". Yes... I'm aware of that. You don't need to tell me. I still find it annoying.
It's obnoxious enough that Google has themselves wired into everything, and they do that kind of crap all the time. Everywhere I go, I'm seeing ads that happen to be related to something I'd just recently searched for, read, listened to, watched, etc.. I've read they scan emails through gmail for any "buzz words" they can capture, and turn into targeted marketing. It's fucking obnoxious. It's like the internet has become one giant "Marketing Department".
Bill Hicks (RIP), nailed it in this bit. - WARNING - very strong language. Don't click if you're easily offended by vulgarity, etc.Windows 10 is now free for everyone, INCLUDING vista and xp. All they have to do is get the preview version and on launch it will become the full version.
That is a CHANGE, before ONLY 7 or 8 could get Windows 10 for free.
And yes, that means you have to download the preview if you have vista or XP, no, I'm not going to babysit you and do it for you. Can you click a mouse? Then you can get Windows 10.
Can Windows XP or Vista users "upgrade" to Windows 10 exactly like 7 or 8 users can? No. Does it matter? No, just get the preview right now and it's free.