Free Windows 10 Now Looks A Terrible Deal

bromanbro · 11 Jul 2015

Gary said:

My understanding is that Windows 7 has 5 more years of support, or more.

Windows lifecycle fact sheet - Windows Help

Oh yeah I got confused lol - it's Vista support that ends in 2017 :P.

DavidY · 11 Jul 2015

FuturDreamz said:

I fail to see how there's any confusion.

1. Any valid Windows 10 license will be a permanent license, and will NOT expire after a set period of time.

2. If you currently do not have a valid Windows 7 or 8 license you will have to pay for a Windows 10 license

3. If you have a valid Windows 7 or 8 license that is NOT a volume license, you have until July 29th, 2016 to upgrade to a (permanent) license of Windows 10. After July 29th, 2016 you will have to pay for a Windows 10 license

Many people had permanent licences for Windows XP, but they are no longer supported.

The question which (as far as I know) Microsoft haven't answered is how long Windows 10 will be supported with (at a minimum) security updates and patches.

For instance I am typing this on an old laptop which came with XP and I've upgraded through to 8.1. The OEM already don't support it (there were no Windows 7 drivers published for instance, let alone Windows 8.x). So you could argue it is already past the 'supported life' of the device.

However it runs 8.1 fine and I know that if the hardware keeps working, I should have security updates to 8.1 until 2023.

I suspect Forbes are being pessimistic (and their figures are about accountancy rather than technical support) but still, Microsoft haven't actually answered the question which I and many others will have:

If I upgraded to Windows 10, how long will I be eligible for updates on this laptop?

BunnyJ · 11 Jul 2015

Honestly at this stage I don't think that the "how long will the support will last" should be an issue since Windows 10 is the last OS that MS will come out with the support will never end,, well as long as there is both a MS company and they have windows.

And Forbes is business publication and not a tech journal. Getting tech information from them is just silly.. IMO.

DavidY · 11 Jul 2015

BunnyJ said:

Windows 10 is the last OS that MS will come out with the support will never end, well as long as there is both a MS company and they have windows.

Microsoft haven't said that support 'will never end' on any particular computer though.

They have said

Microsoft said:

Once a customer upgrades, they will continue to receive ongoing Windows innovation and security updates for free, for the supported lifetime of that device.

But without telling anyone knowing what the 'supported lifetime' of a device means, they leave it open to speculation and articles like the one in the OP. And it could be that for my old laptop (no longer 'supported' by the OEM), I'd get support for longer under Windows 8.1 than Windows 10.

BunnyJ · 11 Jul 2015

DavidY said:

Microsoft haven't said that support 'will never end' on any particular computer though.

They have said

But without telling anyone knowing what the 'supported lifetime' of a device means, they leave it open to speculation and articles like the one in the OP. And it could be that for my old laptop (no longer 'supported' by the OEM), I'd get support for longer under Windows 8.1 than Windows 10.

What you're saying is correct but I think MS is assuming that the lifetime of any device is between 2-4 years. So after that time a number of users will be getting new devices and thus will have to get a new copy of Win10. What my point is that if a user keeps their device past that time they will still receive support for Win10 for free.

What the author of the article is blurring is the cost for users who opt for a device upgrade after the 2-4 year time period. Yes,, they will have an additional cost but the vast majority of that will be for the hardware and not Win10, IMO. And he just neglects the fact that not everyone will opt to do that.. upgrade their hardware within 4 years. In that situation they will not incur any additional cost for using WIn10.

DavidY · 11 Jul 2015

BunnyJ said:

What you're saying is correct but I think MS is assuming that the lifetime of any device is between 2-4 years. So after that time a number of users will be getting new devices and thus will have to get a new copy of Win10. What my point is that if a user keeps their device past that time they will still receive support for Win10 for free.

You're probably right (I hope you are) - but by not confirming anything, MS leave the issue open for speculation as per this thread.

BunnyJ · 11 Jul 2015

DavidY said:

You're probably right (I hope you are) - but by not confirming anything, MS leave the issue open for speculation as per this thread.

Yes.. but no matter what MS says/posts they will always be people who will try to re-read and think the worst of them.. like in the article in the OP. You/we have to consider the source of the information and what agenda they have. Not all bloggers are either good or reputable,, IMO.

alphanumeric · 11 Jul 2015

Oh God, not that article again. IMHO it's bunk. The 2 to 4 year period is what Microsoft considers to be the life of the device. And is the time frame its using to calculate future revenue. That's all, it has nothing to do with how long the Windows 10 free upgrade will be free. They are projecting future revenue for when all these free upgraded devices die and or are replaced. When they are, Microsoft will then earn income from new Windows sales on the new devices bought as replacements. That's how I read it. The author read something into it that just isn't there.

EDIT: They obviously don't know my buying habits? My devices have all been around a lot longer than 4 years. I don't have the disposable income to replace them that fast.

BunnyJ · 11 Jul 2015

alphanumeric said:

Oh God, not that article again. IMHO it's bunk. The 2 to 4 year period is what Microsoft considers to be the life of the device. And is the time frame its using to calculate future revenue. That's all, it has nothing to do with how long the Windows 10 free upgrade will be free. They are projecting future revenue for when all these free upgraded devices die and or are replaced. When they are, Microsoft will then earn income from new Windows sales on the new devices bought as replacements. That's how I read it. The author read something into it that just isn't there.

EDIT: They obviously don't know my buying habits? My devices have all been around a lot longer than 4 years. I don't have the disposable income to replace them that fast.

Well put.. I plan on keeping my PC for more than 4 years.. it's all new now and I don't need anything faster for quite a while.

Seems some just like to bite on anything posted on the internet and panic.

alphanumeric · 11 Jul 2015

BunnyJ said:

Well put.. I plan on keeping my PC for more than 4 years.. it's all new now and I don't need anything faster for quite a while.

Seems some just like to bite on anything posted on the internet and panic.

Some do seem to jump on anything negative no matter what the source is and run with it. If it's on the Internet it must be true right?