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You are here: MacNN Forums > News > Tech News > Windows 10 a free upgrade, not subscription, for Windows 7, 8.1 users

Windows 10 a free upgrade, not subscription, for Windows 7, 8.1 users
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NewsPoster
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Jan 21, 2015, 01:53 PM
 
The next iteration of Windows will be a free upgrade to a large number of existing Windows users, Microsoft revealed today at its media event. Owners of computers running Windows 7 or later will receive an upgrade to Windows 10 at no charge, in a move that is highly likely to bolster user numbers for the operating system shortly after launch.

Executive vice president of operating systems at Microsoft Terry Myerson confirmed on stage that systems running Windows 7 and Windows 8.1, and therefore Windows 8 as well, will be able to upgrade within the first year of Windows 10's launch. It was not explained exactly how the upgrade would take place, but based on the upgrade from Windows 8 to Windows 8.1, it is likely to involve the Windows Store for the newer Windows versions, with another download option for Windows 7 users. Windows Phone 8.1 users will also receive the upgrade for their devices.

After some confusion, Microsoft has clarified its stance on Windows 10. The free offer for Windows 10 is a perpetual license, not a subscription model. The offer for the free upgrade expires after a year following release, not the upgrade license.



The move echoes one performed by Apple in 2013, when it made OS X Mavericks a free upgrade. While Microsoft is letting user download Windows 10 upgrades at no cost for up to a year, it appears Microsoft will not be mimicking Apple's decision to make major operating system upgrades free on an ongoing basis.
( Last edited by NewsPoster; Jan 21, 2015 at 05:34 PM. )
     
climacs
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Jan 21, 2015, 01:54 PM
 
that's certainly a major announcement, but there is no way I'm upgrading the OS on my Windows box to the 1st release of any new Windows OS! Not even if they paid me to do it!
     
OldMacGeek
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Jan 21, 2015, 02:38 PM
 
Glad to see they're finally getting around to copying Apple's business model for software releases. But free only for the first year? . . .
     
msuper69
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Jan 21, 2015, 03:23 PM
 
They aren't copying Apple's business model.
Apple system software updates are now free.
     
KMT
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Jan 21, 2015, 03:38 PM
 
The image above indicates the upgrade is free for the first year, not that users can upgrade for free within a year of release - meaning after the first year of usage, WinOS X will become subscription-based. That's how I read it.
     
Mike Wuerthele
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Jan 21, 2015, 03:45 PM
 
At this time, we don't see any evidence of subscription-based. We'll let you know if we hear any different.
     
prl99
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Jan 21, 2015, 04:34 PM
 
From Microsoft website: Some editions are excluded: Windows 7 Enterprise, Windows 8/8.1 Enterprise, and Windows RT/RT 8.1. Active Software Assurance customers in volume licensing have the benefit to upgrade to Windows 10 Enterprise outside of this offer. We will be sharing more information and additional offer terms in coming months.

Watched some of webcast, kept dropping out and messing up, and only heard it was free for first year with a one-timeupgrade offer. I couldn't keep watching to see if anything about their regular updates would cost anything or whether you'd end up paying for the Update Service. Of course Windows will now be this magical service where "developers don't have to worry about what version you're running."

Watched video, had to trust Microsoft and Adobe Flash plugin, but I was surprised at the almost total lack of clapping when it started, like there were only a dozen or so people in attendance. When the speaker (poor technique) announced the free upgrade, there wasn't any applause and only minor applause when he said for the first year upgrading to W10 from W7 would be free.
     
Mike Wuerthele
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Jan 21, 2015, 04:45 PM
 
The official word from Microsoft is this:

"A free upgrade for Windows 10 will be made available to customers running Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone 8.1, who upgrade in the first year."
     
prl99
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Jan 21, 2015, 05:30 PM
 
Sorry, Mike, but you must not have seen the asterisk under the Free Upgrade Offer section. I got my information from http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-10/about?ocid=WIN10_0_WOL_Hero_Home_Windows-10_Null_01 at the bottom of the page. They exclude the enterprise versions. Aren't these the only ones with the real security built in? Windows Home doesn't have the additional security capabilities of Windows Enterprise versions.
     
Mike Wuerthele
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Jan 21, 2015, 06:04 PM
 
I did see the asterix -- enterprise licensing has always been different.
     
Mr. Strat
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Jan 21, 2015, 06:09 PM
 
So a user upgrades to Windows 10. A year later, his hard drive dies. How does he get Windows 10 back?

Although piling one version of OS X on top of another seems to work OK, putting a new version of Windows on top of an older one has always been a disaster.
     
Charles Martin
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Jan 22, 2015, 12:04 AM
 
Mr. Strat: I feel sure that once you have obtained Windows 10, you will have to register it to use it, thus ensuring that if it should ever go south, you would be entitled to re-download it.
Charles Martin
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