Windows 10 free: Why is Microsoft giving away its new operating system?

[dibl]

What did the license cost you?

$140 for Win 10 Pro at Newegg.

[Qqmike]

btw,
What’s the Difference Between Windows 10’s Express or Custom Setup?

http://www.howtogeek.com/224352/what...Speed=noscript

[Qqmike]

dibl: I would say it is fairly straightforward to install it without all the "phoning home" options turned on.

Absolutely. I think the issue has been awareness: become aware, get over the shock and feeling of being assaulted, taken advantage of, and not fully informed (short of reading MS lawyer's 45-page privacy statement, written in plain English) ... then do these 30 things:
30 Ways Your Windows 10 Computer Phones Home to Microsoft
http://www.howtogeek.com/224616/30-w...Speed=noscript
http://bgr.com/2015/07/31/windows-10...ow-to-opt-out/

Actually, it is easy to do: Settings > Privacy, and check ALL categories. Bing: you can turn it off with Cortana. You can use a local account versus your MS account to log in.
Or,
during installation, select the Custom installation mode (not the Express mode). After installation, go through the checklists in those articles to make sure everything is the way you choose it to be.

This may not be a big deal (I do wish someone who CAN would do an objective assessment of the risks), except that--again--MS is not being fully forthcoming with the average user, and the tech press is beating the hll out of MS for it. Enterprise users will probably hold off until the dust settles.

Who knows, maybe some users really want the full capability of their MS OS, Cortana (is that her name?), Bing, the cloud, the spying email-reader, and all. We don't need any of it here on the wife's laptop for email, Skype, photos, and news and sports articles. And, as you guys know very well, at the drop of a pin, I can wipe Windows off that dedicated laptop and put 14.04 on, in a heartbeat. I'm just kinda having fun with this, learning, experimenting, observing the trend w/MS.

[GreyGeek]

What did the license cost you?

[dibl]

It is easy to turn off privacy settings you don't want ....

how many users will notice the settings? how many will know how to turn them off?

Upon seeing the strings that come with the "free" upgrade, I opted to buy a Win 10 license and install on a new VM. (There were other reasons to make a new VM). For the person who (a) considers him/herself competent to install and configure the OS and (b) shells out the price to buy it, I would say it is fairly straightforward to install it without all the "phoning home" options turned on. $0.02 worth.

[Qqmike]

Yeah. Thus, my challenge-question: "... what I'd be interested in is a professional privacy/security assessment about this thing w/Win 10." https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showth...l=1#post377408

[ronw]

The irony of press websites that run multiple trackers complaining about lack of transparency and sneaky data gathering.

[Qqmike]

Some things are crystal clear. E.g., issues reviewers have w/MS:
Transparency. Should be opt-in, not opt-out. MS position: The user is not the customer, the user is the product. Respect for users.

My suggestion to MS:
(1) Present an annotated summary list showing ALL privacy selections the user made.
and
(2) Tell people what will NOT happen. Besides being insulted and feeling violated, people want to know what does this mean--worst case? will this or that or such-and-such happen (e.g., with WiFi sensing, ad sharing, email-reading). People want to know specifically, what is the LIMIT of real possibilities if I enable xyz?

This, typical (I added the emphasis, bold, italics):

The average consumer might not pick up on this stuff, but tech forums across the Internet are destroying Microsoft for these privacy-blind maneuvers. That’s an audience Microsoft could have won over with Windows 10, if more thought had been given to collaborating on proper design. Yes, I expect the consumer market to largely move ahead with their upgrades, but the tech forums/press critiques are going to impact corporate Windows 10 adoption – until they are properly addressed.

http://diginomica.com/2015....-issues

=> Install in Custom mode, not Express mode.

A statement from FSF in regards to Windows 10

http://www.fsf.org/news/the-fsfs-sta...-on-windows-10

[Qqmike]

More Windows 10 tutorials, how-to's, articles. These seem to be pretty good, after reading several of them so far:

http://www.howtogeek.com/t/windows10...Speed=noscript

[Qqmike]

Or install VLC.

[mbohets]

Win10 is free to current users of 7 and 8 but I'd wager it won't remain free. I suspect that to do anything useful on Win10 you'll have to buy apps from the MS Store. I also suspect that MS is trying to create a developer model for Win10 that emulates Apple's. I think they'll fail.

You won your wager.
I just read that they removed the possibility to play dvd when you buy a new pc with W10 pre installed, and that you can buy a dvd player software from them for 15 EUR

[DarkCerberus]

I don't know the exact answer but my main wifi concern is the sharing network access codes to those within email contacts and to those who have a external windows 10 mobile - If the rumours about it are true....

[Qqmike]

Yes, agree.

I'm curious to know, though, from an objective, professional, privacy-security perspective, to what extent are these many privacy settings a true invasion of one's privacy? what are any risks? like the WiFi sensing, for example.

[DarkCerberus]

It is easy to turn off privacy settings you don't want, which is something I mentioned above in another post. But what I'd be interested in is a professional privacy/security assessment about this thing w/Win 10. It seems it is intrusive (to what extent? ), and it seems MS should be more transparent about it: how many users will notice the settings? how many will know how to turn them off? Do you know this guy:
https://www.petri.com/windows-10-pri...eption-matters

More:
http://www.howtogeek.com/224616/30-w...Speed=noscript

You'd be surprised on how many people don't know how to turn off the privacy settings, or at least look for them - some people who I know just use windows for basic office or for gaming on and don't bother looking on how their operating system works.