Windows 10 Is A Free Upgrade For All 7 And 8.1 Users

If it's a subscription version, I'll pass. I'm running 8.1 with Classic Shell, so I get the benefits of the newer OS without having to deal with the world's worst designed UI.
 
I would say after Windows 8....they OWE everyone a free upgrade.

However, I still think there is a catch somewhere.....:confused:
 
besides the free upgrade there were some other things which really stood out to me...

-integration of Xbox and Windows...Fable Legends players on Windows 10 and Xbox One will be able to play with each other, and you’ll be able to stream your Xbox One games directly to any Windows 10 device...wow, I want more games to support this

-Windows 10 will condense the Control Panel and the modern UI PC Settings into a single interface, eliminating Windows 8’s maddening insistence on dumping crucial system tools into two separate locations

-The Start menu will be able to expand to fill the full screen if you desire
 
they really need to add windows xp to the upgrade list, that would really help get people off xp.

If you're still using XP at this point, it's either because your corporation is failing so hard that they can't be bothered to replace their 15-year-old hardware, or you're a grandparent who doesn't want to change how you read your AOL. Offering free OS upgrades on Windows 10 won't budge those demographics; they already had their chances with multiple $40 OS offers. Write 'em off.
 
How so? Windows is still a monopoly. Microsoft isn't worried.
Have you seen the sales figures for Windows 8? I'd say Microsoft is very worried.

Better hope your motherboard doesn't die.

Why should I worry about that? I have had a motherboard die on me, replaced it with a different one, called Microsoft, and got a new key. I should worry about having to make a phone call?

I'll stick with Windows 8.0.

Just out of curiosity, why haven't you upgraded to Windows 8.1?
 
My real concern with the year long free upgrade window, is what happens when we want to reinstall after the year is up? Do they give a new serial when you upgrade, or do they allow the old serial to work with 10? Too many unanswered questions for me. If it's a case that a reinstall after the year is up means buying a licence, that will outright suck.

good point...I reformat quite frequently (every 4-6 months) so would I be able to do it once the 1 year period is over?
 
good point...I reformat quite frequently (every 4-6 months) so would I be able to do it once the 1 year period is over?

You must still be on Vista or XP, so this doesn't apply.
WTF are you reformatting that often!?
 
Hmm for the first year only? This makes it almost irrelevant for many businesses. I support alot of setups where the entities that provide propriety software are just barely starting to support win7.
 
good point...I reformat quite frequently (every 4-6 months) so would I be able to do it once the 1 year period is over?

You must still be on Vista or XP, so this doesn't apply.
WTF are you reformatting that often!?

Ya, wtf. I haven't formatted or re-installed windows in over 5.5 years.

hal-9000-win-install-date-2015.jpg
hal-x100-win-install-2015.jpg
 
Why should I worry about that? I have had a motherboard die on me, replaced it with a different one, called Microsoft, and got a new key. I should worry about having to make a phone call?

I was referring to Windows 10, not Windows 8. And you should be worried because their new language today suggests a change in that policy, that it may no longer be a simple matter of a phonecall to transfer a windows license between PC's. Otherwise, again, why did they bother to make a point about the license being tied to the device?

I'm certainly not jumping in blindly until I know for sure, because I change hardware multiple times per year.
 
My real concern with the year long free upgrade window, is what happens when we want to reinstall after the year is up? Do they give a new serial when you upgrade, or do they allow the old serial to work with 10? Too many unanswered questions for me. If it's a case that a reinstall after the year is up means buying a licence, that will outright suck.

Nothing. I've reinstalled my $25 and $40 dollar copies of windows 8 a couple of times, just use the key they gave you. The only stipulation they gave was that if you wanted a free copy of media center you needed to activate that key before a specific date at least once. That key still works too.
 
I was referring to Windows 10, not Windows 8. And you should be worried because their new language today suggests a change in that policy, that it may no longer be a simple matter of a phonecall to transfer a windows license between PC's. Otherwise, again, why did they bother to make a point about the license being tied to the device?

I'm certainly not jumping in blindly until I know for sure, because I change hardware multiple times per year.

They've always have said that OEM copies are tied to a single device and you are supposed to buy a new copy if that machine dies. They rarely enforce it though unless you've done it a couple of times. The rule of thumb for years, if you want a copy you can move from machine to machine (within reason) without hassle, you buy retail. This and support is why it costs more.
 
Most likely they will do nothing but continue doing what they do now and allow people to call in to get activated if their are some hardware changes.

It better be like this. The whole "for the life of the device" thing is a concern. I own 3 legit copies of Windows 7, but my systems go through various hardware upgrades over time, I doubt any of them currently have a single bit of the original hardware they had when I first installed Windows 7 on them. Thankfully I've never had a major issue getting the licenses reauthorized, I think at most I've had to talk to a human being on the phone once to convince them I'm not trying to install the same copy on multiple machines. If Windows 10's licensing verification isn't any more restrictive, I'm fine. But if I make enough hardware upgrades that MS decides it's a whole new computer and I have to buy a new copy of Windows, eff that. If I've got a retail license, I want to be sure that I'll always be able to have it installed on a computer, as long as I don't try using it on 2 computers at once.

On the issue of allowing clean installs onto blank hard drives, with something like the old "insert your previous version install media so I know this is actually an upgrade", I wonder how they're going to work that. My Windows 7 discs are upgrade discs, and I've been using the "double install" trick to avoid having to put the prior OS on before upgrading(yeah, I'm still doing two installs, but the 2nd one goes REAL fast when using the trick). Will Windows 10 allow for something similar?
 
I was referring to Windows 10, not Windows 8. And you should be worried because their new language today suggests a change in that policy, that it may no longer be a simple matter of a phonecall to transfer a windows license between PC's. Otherwise, again, why did they bother to make a point about the license being tied to the device?

I'm certainly not jumping in blindly until I know for sure, because I change hardware multiple times per year.
it's the same as it's always been...you get a key for windows 10 if you have a key from 7, 8, or 8.1. after the first year the offer isn't available anymore. why is this so difficult for people to understand :rolleyes:
 
I'm curious to know what kind of fucking brain damage someone must have to be confused or offended by this announcement.
 
Jut a case of 'If it seems to good to be true...'

I just explained why its not even remotely too good to be true quite the opposite this is a sure sign of the desperation on the part of MS to get into the mobile space.
 
I just explained why its not even remotely too good to be true quite the opposite this is a sure sign of the desperation on the part of MS to get into the mobile space.

It's more than just this. Selling copies of Windows probably isn't a sustainable business model, not in the consumer space at least. Lowering to cost of the latest OS on all devices and getting those users to buy apps and other services is probably a more sustainable consumer model.
 
I'm curious to know what kind of fucking brain damage someone must have to be confused or offended by this announcement.

Although I may not have put it in quite those words, that pretty much sums it up. :D Free Windows 10 upgrades, what is not to like. I am really looking forward to what continuum will be like since the desktop alone for me is not enough.
 
The downside is the loss of your previous OS key.
My current OS can be installed on any hardware I like, I can change hardware as often as I want and it will always be valid.
The upgrade is to a lesser version that MS have stated is tied to a particular device.

If they let us keep the old OS key as well, then yes, no harm.
If I dont like Windows 10 or some of my hardware is problematic with it, I would like to be able to run my old OS version.
Cant see that happening though.
 
I'm certainly not jumping in blindly until I know for sure, because I change hardware multiple times per year.
How many mobos do you go through in a year? And why?
I reformat quite frequently (every 4-6 months) so would I be able to do it once the 1 year period is over?
I thought this was [H]? Do you not create incremental system images? I assumed everyone here does this.
Zarathustra[H];1041375882 said:
Image drive after fresh install :p
This.
 
I'm curious to know what kind of fucking brain damage someone must have to be confused or offended by this announcement.

If you were watching the stream and looking at the slides, it was pretty poorly worded. It could have gone either way, and after they did Office 365, why wouldn't they try Windows 365?
 
I'm curious to know what kind of fucking brain damage someone must have to be confused or offended by this announcement.

If this best that anti-Windows folks can do, Windows 10 is going to be a smash hit. Unless 10 is beset with technical issues like Vista at release, it's all but assured to gain quick consumer adoption.
 
If you were watching the stream and looking at the slides, it was pretty poorly worded. It could have gone either way, and after they did Office 365, why wouldn't they try Windows 365?

It wasn't poorly worded. It's just that some people had the rumor of the subscription model in their head and just made up stuff that wasn't said. Really, so Windows 10 will be free for the first year and THEN Microsoft is going to start charging otherwise you can't use your computer? I mean, it's just not even remotely plausible that that wouldn't be a disaster that makes Windows 8 look like, well something a hell of a lot better.
 
they really need to add windows xp to the upgrade list, that would really help get people off xp.

If you're still running XP, buy a new machine. If your issue is paying for an OS, get over it. It's really not their problem. XP is almost 14 years old and hasn't been supported for years (and was supposed to be cut off years before it was).
 
If you're still running XP, buy a new machine. If your issue is paying for an OS, get over it. It's really not their problem. XP is almost 14 years old and hasn't been supported for years (and was supposed to be cut off years before it was).

Yeah, XP machines on average are getting up there. Don't think business, think consumer with XP machines that have 2 GB of dust.
 
Have you seen the sales figures for Windows 8? I'd say Microsoft is very worried.

Do you realize that had MS released SP2 as a new OS (which was a serious consideration), the adoption of XP never would have taken off. Businesses didn't really get on board with XP until support for 2000 was almost over.


Most sales go to businesses, and businesses don't like to change the OS.
 
I'm on Windows 7 SP1...I just like reformatting to clear all the junk out and get back to a 'new' install

Then you should just image the system after installing the OS.
Then install your apps and take another image.

When it's time to reinstall, restore your preferred image, patch and take another image.
If you restored the OS only version, you'll have to install programs again, patch and take an image.
I would think you'd generally restore from the image with apps.
Reinstalling from scratch seems like more trouble than it's worth.
 
I actually watched the entire two-hour presentation and am in full support of Microsoft, as they have demonstrated services and software that will finally allow us to reach that ideal where the full desktop experience can seamlessly be had anywhere and on any device.

Android, iOS, and all that other crap that has come out in the last couple of years have been nothing but temporaries. I look forward to the day when I can have my Windows triumvirate of PC, tablet, and phone.
 
Then you should just image the system after installing the OS.
Then install your apps and take another image.

When it's time to reinstall, restore your preferred image, patch and take another image.
If you restored the OS only version, you'll have to install programs again, patch and take an image.
I would think you'd generally restore from the image with apps.
Reinstalling from scratch seems like more trouble than it's worth.

the reason I don't like imaging is because MS frequently removes certain Windows Updates or replaces it with an 'improved' version or combines patches...I have a fast download so I don't mind reinstalling everything from scratch...just feels 'better' to me
 
I have some questions/concerns:
  • What happens to my "old" license? Do I get to keep it? Perhaps I won't like W10 and want to go back. If I'm stuck, then no thanks.
  • Cloud and search services - I don't want them. There's only one person I trust with my data - me. Can you disable cloud/search services entirely... like they never existed?
  • What is considered "life of device"? If my motherboard dies are you going to try to bone me because it's a "new PC"?
  • The big one: How much Data-Mining does this new OS do? I'd be surprised if they didn't beef it up.
    David Pann, Microsoft's general manager for the Search Network, wrote: "Bing Ads will be an integral part of this new Windows 8.1 Smart Search experience. Now, with a single campaign setup, advertisers can connect with consumers across Bing, Yahoo! and the new Windows Search with highly relevant ads for their search queries. In addition, Bing Ads will include Web previews of websites and the latest features like site links, location and call extensions, making it easier for consumers to complete tasks and for advertisers to drive qualified leads." He continued, "Our goal is to make search advertising easier for our customers, while providing the best consumer experience with the most relevant results for the tasks they are looking to accomplish."
    It all sounds wonderful -- if you're an advertiser. I don't think it's what users expect from a "local" search, though. This is built into PC search, not a Google query.​

    Bottom Line: If you are getting a product for "free", then you ARE the product. Take note to whom he references as their customers... not the person using the OS, but the company paying them to push advertisements.
 
I have some questions/concerns:
  • What happens to my "old" license? Do I get to keep it? Perhaps I won't like W10 and want to go back. If I'm stuck, then no thanks.


  • Simple. Backup the system before the upgrade.

    [*]Cloud and search services - I don't want them. There's only one person I trust with my data - me. Can you disable cloud/search services entirely... like they never existed?

    This can be disabled in Windows 8.1 today so I don't know why Windows 10 would be different.

    [*]What is considered "life of device"? If my motherboard dies are you going to try to bone me because it's a "new PC"?

    I'll skip this one, it's been asked answered a zillion times. Bottom line, nothing in this regard is changing in Windows 10.

    [*]The big one: How much Data-Mining does this new OS do? I'd be surprised if they didn't beef it up.

    Data mining? Probably none. Telemetry about certain things, smart filters, those have always had disable switches.


    Bottom Line: If you are getting a product for "free", then you ARE the product. Take note to whom he references as their customers... not the person using the OS, but the company paying them to push advertisements.

Well there's open source products where you're really neither a product nor customer.
 
My server is running an unactivated 8.1 after the key I bought off ebay unactivated itself after about 4 months. I wonder if MS will upgrade in these circumstances
 
I think I'll keep my Win 7 and upgrade my Win 8.1.

I'm surprised by this announcement though. Wouldn't this be a loss of revenue.
 
Wouldn't this be a loss of revenue.

Not as much as many might think. As I've pointed out many times, overwhelmingly the average consumer gets their copy of Windows preinstalled on a device and the bulk of those devices NEVER get an OS upgrade.

The point is simple. Make the upgrade free, hope that the bulk of people DO upgrade this time in that year timespan and then get the money back in services and apps. Potentially this could work to Microsoft's economic advantage while having to rely less and less on OS sales which long term has been seen by many as an unstainable business model.
 
I read the first 7 pages of this =) I know Linux is free maybe Microshaft thinks they can make money if they give the OS away for free like Linux. Then again if they don't have a Sub model how are is Microsoft making the money? I really can't see people paying for a upgrade on their smart phones and tablets which they probably don't even use all the time if you own multiple devices that would be twice as bad as the missing Start Button on windows 8.
 
Maybe windows 10 didn't require a lot of work due to modernization and programing of the O.S.
Just a couple of tweeks over programming windows 8.1
 
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