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

[ronw]

From the link Qqmike posted:

“We are upgrading all qualified PCs, genuine and non-genuine, to Windows 10,” says Terry Myerson, Microsoft’s Windows chief, in an interview with Reuters.

Someone must be spiking the water in Redmond.

[GreyGeek]

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.

[Qqmike]

For myself, I'm 100% Kubuntu/Linux. The best way for the spousal unit to run, at this time, is on a dedicated laptop with a Windows that runs itself, which 8.1 pretty much has, and 10 is purported to be even better, safer, easier. Basically, no hassles for me except reviewing the updates to see that the laptop is up to date. And, the 10 upgrade is free, so that makes it easy. Dedicated, stand alone, isolated, simple, one HDD/UEFI, basic 8.1-10 laptop for Skype, photos, email, news & sports. I probably spend a total of only 15 minutes a month checking on that laptop.

[GreyGeek]

I avoided the rush to MS10 by deleting the MS7 partition on my HD and reformatting my HD to give 100% of it to a fresh install of Kubuntu 14.04.2 running the Btrfs OS. Now I don't have to concern myself with my semi-annual update of tens of thousands of libraries and apps I never run, or updating the AV dat files. Life is so much easier and safer with Linux running KDE4.

[Qqmike]

Windows 10 Tutorial

Windows 10 Tutorial
I haven't been through the whole thing yet, but it looks ok-to-good, and will probably be updated along the way of the 10 intro, and they have other news and articles pertaining to 10:

http://www.windows10update.com/windows-10-tutorials/

(having to do this for the spousal unit--her ASUS laptop, 8.1 will take the upgrade to 10, and yours truly is the maintenance/tutor guy on it)

[woodsmoke]

speaking from a regular user of ms7........

the IT people will "roll out" an "update"............while I am giving a lecture.....

the stupid thing won't even retain a password

that is , why in my o[pinion they are giving ms365 free to get people to {AY MONEE TO THE CLUD

[kernelbasher]

Hi Kernelbasher

I quite realize that you and I are not on the same page but.........

I am an EQUAL OPPORTUNITY philosophical and software BASHER......

*******************************************

JUST AS WHEN APPLE.......GAVE AWAY FOR FREE..........

TO EVERY SCHOOL IN THE UNITED STATES............

TO ALL PRINCIPALS.........

AND SUPERINTENDANTS........

AND MORE IMPORTANTLY.........

THE SECRETARIES...........................

TO GET CONTROL OF THE MARKET........

ACTUAL PHYSICAL COMPUTER HARDWARE....................

ALL TO CONTROL THE MARKET........

all the people who hate Microshaft........should EQUALLY hate "Mac".......a "euphemism" for ...........APPLE............

BOTH OF THEM WANT(ED) to control the education market.........

GEEZE LOUISE >>>>>>>>>>>>GET A GRIP.....

Neither Apple or Microshaft are: "for the folks"............

sorry, my apoligies

woodapologietcismoke

Different planets more like.
Though in many respects, I hold Apple in far less regard

[kernelbasher]

Anyone notice if the live stream threw the obligatory Blue Screen of Death? (Sorry, Steve, I couldn't resist! )

For an OS which once held over 95% of the market share, to state that 1.7M "insiders" is a remarkable number just shows how far they have fallen, IMO.
While I only run my Win7 side three or four times a year to download updates, I won't be replacing it with Win10.

I did notice, however, that Win10 is using the Linux style package manager, and that it has copied many more features from the KDE desktop.

For those who want to triple boot (your existing Windows partition, your Kubuntu partition and Win10): when you boot from the external drive, don't choose the update option, choose the other and you can then "dual-"boot.

Isn't the purpose of Win10 to 1) move Win users to a single platform independent version of Windows, 2) make apps available only through an app store where Microsoft can get a percentage, just like Apple does, and 3) charge developers a cyclic fee to use Win`10 dev tools compatible with the app store, just like Apple does.

I bet the updates take just as long as they ever did and come with the incessant restarts...

[GreyGeek]

Anyone notice if the live stream threw the obligatory Blue Screen of Death? (Sorry, Steve, I couldn't resist! )

For an OS which once held over 95% of the market share, to state that 1.7M "insiders" is a remarkable number just shows how far they have fallen, IMO.
While I only run my Win7 side three or four times a year to download updates, I won't be replacing it with Win10.

I did notice, however, that Win10 is using the Linux style package manager, and that it has copied many more features from the KDE desktop.

For those who want to triple boot (your existing Windows partition, your Kubuntu partition and Win10): when you boot from the external drive, don't choose the update option, choose the other and you can then "dual-"boot.

Isn't the purpose of Win10 to 1) move Win users to a single platform independent version of Windows, 2) make apps available only through an app store where Microsoft can get a percentage, just like Apple does, and 3) charge developers a cyclic fee to use Win`10 dev tools compatible with the app store, just like Apple does.

[woodsmoke]

Hi Kernelbasher

I quite realize that you and I are not on the same page but.........

I am an EQUAL OPPORTUNITY philosophical and software BASHER......

*******************************************

JUST AS WHEN APPLE.......GAVE AWAY FOR FREE..........

TO EVERY SCHOOL IN THE UNITED STATES............

TO ALL PRINCIPALS.........

AND SUPERINTENDANTS........

AND MORE IMPORTANTLY.........

THE SECRETARIES...........................

TO GET CONTROL OF THE MARKET........

ACTUAL PHYSICAL COMPUTER HARDWARE....................

ALL TO CONTROL THE MARKET........

all the people who hate Microshaft........should EQUALLY hate "Mac".......a "euphemism" for ...........APPLE............

BOTH OF THEM WANT(ED) to control the education market.........

GEEZE LOUISE >>>>>>>>>>>>GET A GRIP.....

Neither Apple or Microshaft are: "for the folks"............

sorry, my apoligies

woodapologietcismoke

[kernelbasher]

If you didn't notice already. MS are using vendors to get their OS out there - particularly in the mobile/tablet market.
Full blown windows 8 for less than many Android devices of similar spec...
Just as has been pointed out here: MS want to
1. Get their finger in where they are loosing out to the Likes of Apple and Android
2. Bring in revenues covertly - you buy in to a pay for this and pay for that down the line, annual subs... etc

Every now and then I have to revisit my windows install. I'm sorry. But it's just horrid.
I don't know how people put up with it.

[vsreeser]

Can someone explain to this idiot (me) what benefits there are in tagging the "metro" interface to the start menu? Does this metro interface still scroll left/right?

Many people don't like the metro interface. I am one of them. There is an option to still start with it for those who like it. I'll probably put it on the windows 8 laptop I never use. I'm not sure anyone in the house uses it.

Can someone explain to this idiot (me) what benefits there are in tagging the "metro" interface to the start menu? Does this metro interface still scroll left/right?

[Qqmike]

http://www.techradar.com/us/news/sof...atures-1029245
http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/new-produ...s-insider-tcs/

Lots of this gonna be popping up in the reviews.

I think the purpose of the article is to tell people how Microsoft will still make money by giving away the Windows 10 update for free.

Microsoft is planning on making it's money from their software centre by selling software from their software centre and getting a percentage of the sale, just Apple do with their software centre and iTunes system.

The article also highlights Microsoft's plan on wanting everyone to use the same version of Windows to make it more appealing for software developers to make and sell their software through the software centre and thereby increasing sales for Microsoft.