Wednesday, January 21st 2015
Windows 10 to be Free Upgrade for Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 Users
In what could be a fundamental shift in how Microsoft monetizes its flagship product, the Windows operating system, the company decided to offer its upcoming Windows 10 as a free upgrade for existing users of Windows 8.1 and Windows 7. This offer will be applicable only for the first year following Windows 10 launch (after which, Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 users will have to pay to upgrade to Windows 10). Windows 10 will see the return of the Start Menu, a productive Desktop environment, and cutting-edge new API features such as DirectX 12.
Source:
The Verge
116 Comments on Windows 10 to be Free Upgrade for Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 Users
I think this is great news :toast:
But I will wait for more credible info seeing its Microsoft
Thanks :)
It is going to work.
Kind of a catch-22 fo me. I waited till December last year to ditch W7 on my main rig and go 8.1. I've got it like I want it, and spent a great deal of time reinstalling games. My other concern, which only user reports of the RTM version can allude to, is support for older games. I've got games all the way back to 2001 on my PC that all play on 8.1 (I've found 8.1 to be the most retro-friendly game-player OS Microsoft has ever released), and would hate to lose that.
I may wait till day 364 to get W10. Sure, I would love Direct X 12, but let's be honest, how many years before we have even a handful of DirectX 12 games?
Apple gives away each OS upgrade.
Why can't Microsoft? well they do now.
Not very many people "buy" Windows... they get it with a machine or OEM
Also a HUGE factor to this is SUPPORT, they keep saying that they don't want to support legacy software (ie Windows XP, Vista and soon 7). So by them giving away Windows 10 they are getting you on the latest and greatest and you can spend money in the store or many of the other ways you can give them money... buying the OS is chump change from a end consumer.
Microsoft would love if everyone went to Windows 10... you know how many millions they could save on support alone? start counting now, you will not get there by release date.
Source: wccftech.com/intel-skylake-remove-support-usb-based-windows-7-installation-platform-specs/
If you are building a Skylake machine with DDR4 and the latest hardware and NOT running Windows 10 you are a FOOL! Windows 7 is not meant to run DDR4.
Also, that title is incendiary, Intel isn't removing support for "USB based Windows 7 installation", it's removing the EHCI stack from its processors starting with Skylake. This has the collateral of making XP/Vista/7 USB 2.0 bootable drives useless if you choose to use a Skylake or later processor.
Heck, Intel might not even provide a working WDM 1.1 driver for Skylake's chipset, they didn't provide Vista/7 drivers for 865/875 chipsets, MS had to step in and provide a working driver for those. Maybe MS could provide one but since it would be pretty hard to install W7 on a >Skylake system in the first place they might choose not to.
Back on topic, I can't understand why is anyone upset over MS giving away W10 for a year. What's not to like? o_O
Should have wrote "...USB <2.0 based Windows 7 Installation" but I quoted article name which is a little misleding.
I do not know how will you be able to convert your Windows 7 license to Windows 10 without first installing W7 and then upgrading to windows 10.
"Windows 7 is now six years old with its end-of-support date penciled in for 2020. If Windows 10 also doesn't hit, and assuming Microsoft takes another two years to release the next version of Windows -- its typical roadmap -- then it'll be 2017 before the world's largest software company gets another crack at trying to persuade potential customers it's in their interests to upgrade."
I know it isn't Apples to Apple <(see what I did there) but it is a easy comparison that makes sense.