Interesting.

Based solely on the entire article, I tend to lean on the side that it is for Enterprise, as they said. You'll never get a more definitive answer than that because they could reverse course at any time, that goes with the territory.

Let's think about it, those on earlier windows enterprise subscriptions would need to update to 10 and update the subscriptions, those on home units have already been told that after the 29th, it isn't free anymore, and there will be the holdouts that will then have to pony up the $$$. MS will make a bit off of that and the Enterprise upgrades.

Of course, Linux Mint 18 released this week too (I use KDE, have to wait a bit longer), I'll just leave that there for the fear mongers :)

Interesting!!!

I hope that its just my tin foil hat getting the best of me. I have always had the idea that eventually Windows 10 would be free updates and paid upgrades.

it for Enterprise relax people

I don't think Windows as a subscription makes much sense, at least not for the consumer market (business market is a bit different).

Now there's a Store built into Windows, once the store gets up to speed and offers pretty much everything, including proper full-fat software and AAA games, the last thing Microsoft will want to do is have people running for the hills by making them subscribe to use the OS (and they will run, myself included, as I won't use subscription software).

So for me, Windows as a subscription makes little sense in consumer land, if anything I can see Windows being pretty heavily subsidised for consumers due to it having a storefront. The one area that Microsoft is strong is the amount of proper full-fat software and AAA games that run on it and as a storefront both Microsoft and software developers will want as many people/wallets in that store as possible.

I am however still concerned that software developers themselves will try to make their software subscription only (following the likes of Adobe/Autodesk), which could become problematic for those of us who flat out refuse to subscribe to use software. But I'm sure there will always be alternatives as we have already seen with companies such as Serif Affinity using 'No Subscription' as an attractive selling point to gain those unhappy Adobe customers.

ARC1020 said:

I don't think Windows as a subscription makes much sense, at least not for the consumer market (business market is a bit different).

Now there's a Store built into Windows, once the store gets up to speed and offers pretty much everything, including proper full-fat software and AAA games, the last thing Microsoft will want to do is have people running for the hills by making them subscribe to use the OS (and they will run, myself included, as I won't use subscription software).

So for me, Windows as a subscription makes little sense in consumer land, if anything I can see Windows being pretty heavily subsidised for consumers due to it having a storefront. The one area that Microsoft is strong is the amount of proper full-fat software and AAA games that run on it and as a storefront both Microsoft and software developers will want as many people/wallets in that store as possible.

I am however still concerned that software developers themselves will try to make their software subscription only (following the likes of Adobe/Autodesk), which could become problematic for those of us who flat out refuse to subscribe to use software. But I'm sure there will always be alternatives as we have already seen with companies such as Serif Affinity using 'No Subscription' as an attractive selling point to gain those unhappy Adobe customers.

Well said and laid out!

RWOne said:

Well said and laid out!

Well thank you kind Sir *tips fedora*. :)