Windows 10 subscriptions aren't happening. Here's why

So Kari, enlighten me as why you'd opt in for a subscription to Windows 10? Aren't you already running it on your PC's, via the free upgrade? And don't you have TechNet or MSDN keys anyway? What am I missing?

Winuser said:

Admit It, you like Win 10 to much to go back. :) And so do I. On some of my computers I couldn't go back because they came with Win 10 pre-installed. I don't see that much of a difference between buying a new Windows OS when it's released or paying for yearly upgrades. Upgrades, not updates.

If MS were to start charging a subscription fee I would drop it.

alphanumeric said:

So Kari, enlighten me as why you'd opt in for a subscription to Windows 10? Aren't you already running it on your PC's, via the free upgrade? And don't you have TechNet or MSDN keys anyway? What am I missing?

I would like to see for instance this kind of subscription option, keeping on my mind that Windows 10 is meant to be used and gives the most with an MS Account making OneDrive a viable to store my stuff. Based on O365 Home subscription, one subscription = 5 licenses:

Windows 10 & 1 TB OneDrive

• Unlimited re-installs on max 5 registered device
• 24/7 phone support
• No need to subscribe Office 365 if Office Online is enough, yet enough online storage for all user data
• If the user also wants Office 365 and Office desktop apps, this would be with a reduced price with an additional 1 TB OneDrive storage

Ideally this would be used with pre-installed OEM Windows; I buy a new laptop with pre-installed Windows 10, which is free for me to use the full lifetime of that laptop, but at any given time I could upgrade to Windows 10 subscription, kind of "releasing" the OEM license, converting it to a reusable retail subscription license which would allow me to have it installed on 5 devices as I want to. Buy a new PC but all your 5 licenses have been used, no problem: unregister one of old licenses / installs, register the license on new PC and so on.

In my opinion a totally acceptable price for that could be $99 a year (Windows 10 subscription, 5 licenses, 5 devices, 1 TB OneDrive) or $169 a year (Windows 10 subscription with additional O365 subscription, 2 TB OneDrive, 5 licenses, 5 devices).

I would subscribe this in about 15 seconds later I had learned about it being possible.

Kari

lx07 said:

I've got all the licenses I need so $100 p/a for phone support and one TB of OneDrive space?

Considering 1TB of OneDrive (office online only) is currently $60 p/a it would have to be pretty good phone support

I could purchase a 1TB HDD for less than a subscription to OneDrive.
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BunnyJ said:

If MS were to start charging a subscription fee I would drop it.

Same here, not just you if that happens Windows would be a thing of past.Microsoft is successful just because of Windows and probably due to this model.

Kari said:

I would like to see for instance this kind of subscription option, keeping on my mind that Windows 10 is meant to be used and gives the most with an MS Account making OneDrive a viable to store my stuff. Based on O365 Home subscription, one subscription = 5 licenses:

Windows 10 & 1 TB OneDrive

• Unlimited re-installs on max 5 registered device
• 24/7 phone support
• No need to subscribe Office 365 if Office Online is enough, yet enough online storage for all user data
• If the user also wants Office 365 and Office desktop apps, this would be with a reduced price with an additional 1 TB OneDrive storage

Ideally this would be used with pre-installed OEM Windows; I buy a new laptop with pre-installed Windows 10, which is free for me to use the full lifetime of that laptop, but at any given time I could upgrade to Windows 10 subscription, kind of "releasing" the OEM license, converting it to a reusable retail subscription license which would allow me to have it installed on 5 devices as I want to. Buy a new PC but all your 5 licenses have been used, no problem: unregister one of old licenses / installs, register the license on new PC and so on.

In my opinion a totally acceptable price for that could be $99 a year (Windows 10 subscription, 5 licenses, 5 devices, 1 TB OneDrive) or $169 a year (Windows 10 subscription with additional O365 subscription, 2 TB OneDrive, 5 licenses, 5 devices).

I would subscribe this in about 15 seconds later I had learned about it being possible.

Kari

Now, your adding all kinds of extra's to it. I see your point, if its geared like office 365 is. It still doesn't add up for me. I already have Windows 10 free for the life of the device on my 4 devices (PC's). The extra OneDrive storage isn't something I need. I could likely find a use for it if I had it, but I'm not paying for something I don't really need. How many devices are you likely to buy that don't have Windows already pre installed and already licensed? I build a new desktop every now and then, but not near often enough to have to worry about having 5 licenses in a pool to play with. I have a bunch of MSDN keys to play with anyway. Even if I didn't, I'd just do the one time purchase for that one new desktop PC. You have some valid points, but with all the free upgrades out there, I don't see to many takers. And most of those that didn't do the free upgrade, likely never will upgrade to 10.

BunnyJ said:

If MS were to start charging a subscription fee I would drop it.

If it was the only option, and it became retroactive , by by Microsoft for me.

lx07 said:

I've got all the licenses I need so $100 p/a for phone support and one TB of OneDrive space?

Considering 1TB of OneDrive (office online only) is currently $60 p/a it would have to be pretty good phone support

To charge a subscription they'd need a new really essential app or service (like Office is already). Unfortunately I can't imagine what it would be or I'd patent it....

It might of course be English not being my native language and me therefore explaining this badly, but it looks that you totally missed my point.

alphanumeric said:

It still doesn't add up for me. I already have Windows 10 free for the life of the device on my 4 devices (PC's)..

Looks that you, too missed my point.

You have now Windows 10 for life of those devices on four computers. Your free upgrade licenses are not transferable. In the concept I told in my previous post you could convert those licenses to freely transferable, reusable ones, not caring about on which device you use them.

For the lifetime of you, not the lifetime of those devices.

Kari