No more Windows versions.

[Chicog]

Windows 10 is going to be the last major revision of the operating system.

Jerry Nixon, a Microsoft development executive, said in a conference speech this week that Windows 10 would be the "last version" of the dominant desktop software.

His comments were echoed by Microsoft which said it would update Windows in future in an "ongoing manner".

Instead of new stand-alone versions, Windows 10 would be improved in regular instalments, the firm said.

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-32658340

[Pib]

Maybe they will eventually move to a subscription-based Windows operating system....i.e., you pay for a yearly subscription like their Office 365 product and updates to the latest-and-greatest version automatically occurs. Kinda like with the release of the standalone Office 2016 come later this year a person's Office 365 subscription will automatically upgrade to Office 2016 (the current Office 365 is really just Office 2013). Below link just talks the nearing release of Office 2016 and how it expected to play a lessor role compared to Office 365.

http://www.techradar.com/news/software/business-software/microsoft-office-2016-release-date-price-news-and-features-1287858

[rijb]

We are windows the cube. We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Your culture will adapt to service us. Resistance is futile.

[Argus Tuft]

There were reports that even pirated versions of Win 7,8 would be eligible for a free upgrade to Windows 10 on release - is this accurate?

[bendejo]

Yeah, I think it's been pretty obvious it was going this way.

The first taste is free, then will someday expire and be replaced by a live OS that will authenticate whenever you boot up with a net connection. No need to install new versions of the OS, this will be taken care of. Let's see how this plays out in pricing and practicality. Something like US$50/year may sound reasonable in Europe or North America, but not so good for someone making $100 per month -- multi-level pricing, so someone in Bangladesh pays less than in UK? Also, I read something recently that MS activation codes will be in the firmware of new PC hardware.

Let's see what the Linux user base figures become after the fee kicks in.

[Chicog]

Maybe they will eventually move to a subscription-based Windows operating system....i.e., you pay for a yearly subscription like their Office 365 product and updates to the latest-and-greatest version automatically occurs. Kinda like with the release of the standalone Office 2016 come later this year a person's Office 365 subscription will automatically upgrade to Office 2016 (the current Office 365 is really just Office 2013). Below link just talks the nearing release of Office 2016 and how it expected to play a lessor role compared to Office 365.

http://www.techradar.com/news/software/business-software/microsoft-office-2016-release-date-price-news-and-features-1287858

I have a piece of security software that's licensed until 2017 with upgrades and support.

The vendor has just said that they are moving to a subscription model and if you upgrade to the latest version it will now automatically enrol you.

On Monday I intend to suggest that they shove it up their a--- and if they insist then we won't be renewing when it expires.

[WhizBang]

Windows 10 is going to be the last major revision of the operating system.

Jerry Nixon, a Microsoft development executive, said in a conference speech this week that Windows 10 would be the "last version" of the dominant desktop software.

His comments were echoed by Microsoft which said it would update Windows in future in an "ongoing manner".

Instead of new stand-alone versions, Windows 10 would be improved in regular instalments, the firm said.

This is called the Subscription Model. You pay a monthly/yearly fee to be constantly updated and current. It is also known (to Adobe, Micro$oft, et al.) as Constant Cash Flow.

Sorry, not for me. Not now, not EVER.

[Pib]

There were reports that even pirated versions of Win 7,8 would be eligible for a free upgrade to Windows 10 on release - is this accurate?

My guess will it will be like previous Windows upgrades like where you bought a Windows Upgrade version, it will basically replace/use your current genuine license but non-genuine installs will end up with the same activation problems. I just can't see Windows deciding to make legit all the pirated Win 7/8 versions in the world by simply upgrading to Win 10.

https://www.thurrott.com/windows/windows-10/2190/sorry-microsoft-is-not-giving-free-windows-10-to-pirates

http://www.cnet.com/news/windows-10-pirated-upgrades-will-still-be-considered-pirated/

Edited May 10, 2015 by Pib

[bobbin]

^^

Uh no. That's not my understanding.

At first MS said that all registered owners of 7,8, and 8.1 would receive free upgrade to 10. Update to be done within 1 year of release of 10. That will pretty much ensure a good uptake of the new OS, unlike 8 and 8.1. Shortly after, MS stated that additionally they would be offering the free upgrade to all users of Windows, legitimate and copies....in China. Apparently the vast majority of installs there are pirate versions of XP, many of them in government offices. That is a vast pool of trouble, as XP is no longer updated with security patches.

Well, what do you think will occur worldwide with all those free versions of legitimate Windows 10 floating around....

It's a bold strategy but with over 50% of internet users accessing the net on mobile devices (no Windows), MS risked becoming a niche player.

[Chicog]

^^

Uh no. That's not my understanding.

At first MS said that all registered owners of 7,8, and 8.1 would receive free upgrade to 10. Update to be done within 1 year of release of 10. That will pretty much ensure a good uptake of the new OS, unlike 8 and 8.1. Shortly after, MS stated that additionally they would be offering the free upgrade to all users of Windows, legitimate and copies....in China. Apparently the vast majority of installs there are pirate versions of XP, many of them in government offices. That is a vast pool of trouble, as XP is no longer updated with security patches.

Well, what do you think will occur worldwide with all those free versions of legitimate Windows 10 floating around....

It's a bold strategy but with over 50% of internet users accessing the net on mobile devices (no Windows), MS risked becoming a niche player.

I think they said the free upgrade would be valid for one year.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

People who want to take advantage of the free upgrade to Windows 10 have to DO the upgrade within one year of the product being released.

But once you do the free upgrade to Windows 10, right now, it should not have any expiration or license end date. It should work ongoing with no expiration.

It's not like Office 365 where you are paying for yearly renewals, even if you get suckered into taking the first year as a freebie or with the purchase of a new PC.

[Chicog]

People who want to take advantage of the free upgrade to Windows 10 have to DO the upgrade within one year of the product being released.

But once you do the free upgrade to Windows 10, right now, it should not have any expiration or license end date. It should work ongoing with no expiration.

It's not like Office 365 where you are paying for yearly renewals, even if you get suckered into taking the first year as a freebie or with the purchase of a new PC.

Well given the OP.....

Microsoft has just announced the first pricing information for Windows 10 at its preview event today. The biggest news is that the new OS will be completely free for current Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 users for its first year of availability—after that time period has expired, OS upgrades will presumably need to be paid for as they are currently (though Microsoft was less than clear on this point, it made no mention of a paid, Office 365-style subscription for Windows upgrades). The Windows 10 upgrade for Windows Phone 8.1 users will also be free.

"Once a device is upgraded to Windows 10, we'll be keeping it current for the supported lifetime of the device," said Terry Myerson, executive vice president of the Operating Systems Group. "With Windows 10, we think of Windows as a service... The question 'what version are you running' will cease to make sense."

And from another Blog:

Microsoft’s wording suggests that in being “the last version of Windows” Windows 10 must transform into the all encompassing ‘Windows’ during its life cycle. If not it wouldn’t be the last major version of Windows, the subsequent everlasting ‘Windows’ would be.

So how will Microsoft decide where to draw the line with ‘free’? It is highly unlikely that those who move to Windows 10 within the first year will not be charged for a Windows update, upgrade or major new feature ever again.

Personally I think Microsoft will have a fixed point in mind, perhaps much like Apple does when it draws the line on which devices will get the next major version of iOS. In other words: the software is free until it’s not… so cross your fingers!

Edited May 10, 2015 by Chicog

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

It's two different things...

Yes, if Windows 7/8 users WAIT beyond the first year after Windows 10 is released, under the current plan, then they would potentially have to PAY for the upgrade to Windows 10.

But that's a different thing from Windows 7/8 users who take advantage of the free upgrade to Windows 10 within the first year of its release. For those who upgrade for free during that initial year, the license should be ongoing with no expiration, at least for the life of the device.

I'm not saying that MS will never move Windows to an annual licensing scheme. I'm just saying, they're not doing that now. And, the initial Windows 10 upgrade that's already been announced is a free upgrade, not a one year license.

Edited May 10, 2015 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[Chicog]

Knowing Microsoft though, I'd say they are luring people in

[IMHO]

Wow, after just 13 years MS finally takes the OS X approach ... and they even did it a version 10, LOL, can they be more obvious?

Why don't they just call it WindowsX and finish the job?

Edited May 10, 2015 by IMHO

[Chicog]

Wow, after just 13 years MS finally takes the OS X approach ... and they even did it a version 10, LOL, can they be more obvious?

Why don't they just call it WindowsX and finish the job?

Technically they have.

Roman numerals and all that.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

FWIW, from the various Windows news sources and pundits I follow, lately...

There's been a fair amount of talk that MS MIGHT (repeat.... MIGHT) move to the Apple model of OS distribution... as in...

You get the OS as part of any device purchase (the OEM pays MS direct). And from then on, as long as you keep the device and the device is still supported, all OS updates are free.

After MS made the initial "free for the first year" upgrade announcement for Windows 10, there was a lot of confusion about that -- people confusing the notion of a free 1-year upgrade eligibility period (correct) vs. the upgrade would only last for one year (not correct). And that led to some folks and media outlets speculating about MS moving Windows to a annual licensing scheme similar to Office 365.

At this point, there's speculation the future of MS Windows OS could be either one -- an Apple style get it "free" with your hardware purchase and free upgrades thereafter, or, moving Windows to the Office 365 style annual licensing with upgrades included for the term of the license. If I were a betting man, from the talk I hear, I'd bet they end up moving the OS to the Apple style approach in an attempt to preserve their market dominance in desktop operating systems.

If MS were to move Windows to an annual licensing scheme, a lot of old-timers, including myself, would be pretty hacked off. And these days, it's not too hard for any tech savvy person to go looking for OS alternatives to Windows, whether it be Apple, Chrome, Linux or others... I don't think MS wants to risk losing its OS market share with that kind of a move.

[IMHO]

FWIW, from the various Windows news sources and pundits I follow, lately...

There's been a fair amount of talk that MS MIGHT (repeat.... MIGHT) move to the Apple model of OS distribution... as in...

You get the OS as part of any device purchase (the OEM pays MS direct). And from then on, as long as you keep the device and the device is still supported, all OS updates are free.

After MS made the initial "free for the first year" upgrade announcement for Windows 10, there was a lot of confusion about that -- people confusing the notion of a free 1-year upgrade eligibility period (correct) vs. the upgrade would only last for one year (not correct). And that led to some folks and media outlets speculating about MS moving Windows to a annual licensing scheme similar to Office 365.

At this point, there's speculation the future of MS Windows OS could be either one -- an Apple style get it "free" with your hardware purchase and free upgrades thereafter, or, moving Windows to the Office 365 style annual licensing with upgrades included for the term of the license. If I were a betting man, from the talk I hear, I'd bet they end up moving the OS to the Apple style approach in an attempt to preserve their market dominance in desktop operating systems.

If MS were to move Windows to an annual licensing scheme, a lot of old-timers, including myself, would be pretty hacked off. And these days, it's not too hard for any tech savvy person to go looking for OS alternatives to Windows, whether it be Apple, Chrome, Linux or others... I don't think MS wants to risk losing its OS market share with that kind of a move.

Not all OS X major releases are free, but when they aren't, they're still cheap ($20). As for the OEM paying MS for Windows, that's been going on since forever, so no changes there. An annual subscription model would pretty much guarantee them failure IMHO.

What MS needs to do is make innovative, stylish, high quality hardware that people want to buy - i.e. make Windows machines actually desirable, then slowly weed out all the OEM's who constantly produce cheap, crap hardware that makes the OS look and work bad. At the same time, they should create their own app store, with detailed security reviews and quality assurance on all apps sold via it - i.e. a trustworthy marketplace for software, so Windows users have a way to insure that their computers stay clean and healthy, with apps that work as advertised, and don't contain hidden nasties. Windows itself also needs a major enema - remove all the legacy support code that's full of vulnerabilities and/or hurts performance through bloat, get rid of the whole registry concept, and engineer a new OS from the ground up with modern standards of security, stability and performance baked in.

Sound like Apple much?

[IMA_FARANG]

As a Zen Buddhist I understand that all things in this shadow form world are impermanent and essentially empty of reality and therefore essentially void of essential inherent nature.

Therefore it does not surprise me that Microsoft 8.1 or 8.2 is also that.

As long as they keep "free" updates coming to me regularly, that is all I can expect.

Impermanence is the nature of all things.

Did that response blow your mind?

Edited May 11, 2015 by IMA_FARANG

[Pib]

As a Zen Buddhist I understand that all things in this shadow form world are impermanent and essentially empty of reality and therefore essentially void of essential inherent nature.

Therefore it does not surprise me that Microsoft 8.1 or 8.2 is also that.

As long as they keep "free" updates coming to me regularly, that is all I can expect.

Impermanence is the nature of all things.

Did that response blow your mind?

No, it didn't because I'm drunk right now too.

[JetsetBkk]

Wow, after just 13 years MS finally takes the OS X approach ... and they even did it a version 10, LOL, can they be more obvious?

Why don't they just call it WindowsX and finish the job?

That's what I've got - WindowsX P.

[bendejo]

Knowing Microsoft though, I'd say they are luring people in

I haven't seen a press conference with Mr Gates in a while, but at every one of them someone will ask about piracy of MS products, and you could see that Alfred E. Newman smile fade quickly.

So, here's how I see it playing out: hey everybody, Windows is now free! Get on board, no muss no fuss and the price is right! The biggest marketing campaign the world has every see for something that is free. KK grasps an installation DVD with her butt. The guy from Marooned 5 gets a tattoo of the logo. Maybe even mass-mailing of installation disks like AOL used to do. Also, the end of all previous Windows versions -- no updates no more.

And after a year of fun times with Win10 it turns into a pumpkin, then it's either pay up or go away.

I also think XP will live on in some way, with no further involvement from MS.

[IMHO]

Knowing Microsoft though, I'd say they are luring people in

I haven't seen a press conference with Mr Gates in a while, but at every one of them someone will ask about piracy of MS products, and you could see that Alfred E. Newman smile fade quickly.

Gates hasn't been the CEO since 2000, and Ballmer hasn't been CEO since Feb 2014. So I guess you must mean Nadella's smile?

[bobbin]

Knowing Microsoft though, I'd say they are luring people in

I haven't seen a press conference with Mr Gates in a while, but at every one of them someone will ask about piracy of MS products, and you could see that Alfred E. Newman smile fade quickly.

So, here's how I see it playing out: hey everybody, Windows is now free! Get on board, no muss no fuss and the price is right! The biggest marketing campaign the world has every see for something that is free. KK grasps an installation DVD with her butt. The guy from Marooned 5 gets a tattoo of the logo. Maybe even mass-mailing of installation disks like AOL used to do. Also, the end of all previous Windows versions -- no updates no more.

And after a year of fun times with Win10 it turns into a pumpkin, then it's either pay up or go away.

I also think XP will live on in some way, with no further involvement from MS.

That's just an anti-MS rant....

As for the Alfred E. Newman remark, do you have any idea how much money Bill Gates has donated, and will continue to donate, to really worthy and important causes?

Finally, MS is arguably the 2nd largest company in the world and is highly unlikely to follow the strategy you envision.....

Buy some Windex for that crystal ball.

Edited May 13, 2015 by bobbin