The free Windows 10 upgrade means users won't be buying New PCs

The free Windows 10 upgrade means some users won't be buying New PCs just to get Windows 10. Some PC sales will be lost as a result of the free upgrade that's all. Don't read to much into the title.

Even though I will be upgrading for free to Windows 10 on this machine, I'll still be buying a new PC probably about 6-12 months after Windows 10 is released (after any early teething problems would have been sorted).

My reason for buying a new PC is because my PC's getting on a bit and is a bit of a power hog and noisy by todays standards. However, the reason people aren't buying as many new PC's is because the new hardware just isn't much of a step up to what they're already using.

Here's an example. Middle of the road Dell laptop, at a middle of the road price point most people go for (£429), taken from the Dell website today.

"NEW! Inspiron 15 5000-Series"
Intel i5 (up to 2.70 GHz)
8GB RAM
1366 x 768 screen
Built-in graphics
2.5" Harddrive
1 USB 3.0 port
2 USB 2 ports

That isn't much of a step up from my 8 year old machine let alone for those with newer machines. You'd think 1080P screens and all USB 3.0 would be kinda standard by now too. As I'm using a desktop, even my 8 year old machine has that.

So, what about desktops rather than laptops. Well, if you look inside a desktop, there's a huge amount of wasted space, most of it's air. Why haven't we seem more effort there in the form of intelligent design to make them smaller, whilst retaining the same specs/expandability? Sure, there are some innovative Desktops like the Intel Small Form Factor NUC NUC5i7RYH starting to get peoples attention, but by the time you add Windows Pro, storage and RAM to it, they're too expensive for what they are. They end up the same price or more as a laptop of the same spec (but yet the laptop comes with keyboard, trackpad, speakers, battery, screen, webcam, mic, etc.)

NUC NUC5i7RYH
Intel i7 (3.1 up to 3.4 GHz)
Built-in Iris graphics
4 USB 3.0 ports
Up to 16GB RAM
Room for both M.2 SSD and a 2.5" Harddrive



So, it seems to me hardware manufacturers are the reason why people aren't buying new machines. But I also think that it's a deliberate move and the reason they're doing it is because they're pacing themselves/drip feeding consumers in order to make sure they still have a steady income in the future. They're thinking of the long term IMO.

Wynona said:

Microsoft will be the winner any way you look at it. The OEMs will be the losers through lost sales for the first year of Windows 10.

If they were smart they would put Windows 7 Pro on the new units. If I had a choice of Windows 8 or Windows 7 when I got my Laptop, with cost being the same and it preloaded, not having to put 7 on myself, I would have taken W7. W8 has some interesting features like Fast Booting. But it turns out I disabled it anyway to stabilize things. I can barely get this machine to swallow a Restore Point never mind updates. W7 may have behaved better.

In my own experience, as a Computer Tech, most people will buy a new computer as a replacement for their old one that died, or as a gift for a family member. One out of ten might actually know what OS is on the PC when they buy it. But overall they really don't care.

Recently, I had a customer who had an old Compaq desktop PC (Windows XP Home) that really Died. She bought a new HP laptop (very nice unit) that came with Windows 8.1 on it. She agreed with me that she did not want the 8.1 (Metro) look, so she was very happy that I could install the Classic Shell and set up her desktop like her old PC.

Most people just want a PC that WORKS and they don't care what version of OS is on it.

Cheers Mates!

TechnoMage said:

In my own experience, as a Computer Tech, most people will buy a new computer as a replacement for their old one that died, or as a gift for a family member. One out of ten might actually know what OS is on the PC when they buy it. But overall they really don't care.

Recently, I had a customer who had an old Compaq desktop PC (Windows XP Home) that really Died. She bought a new HP laptop (very nice unit) that came with Windows 8.1 on it. She agreed with me that she did not want the 8.1 (Metro) look, so she was very happy that I could install the Classic Shell and set up her desktop like her old PC.

Most people just want a PC that WORKS and they don't care what version of OS is on it.

Cheers Mates!

Most of the crowd I see daily are your average computer user. They only buy a new PC because the old one they have now can't be resurrected one last time. When asked what operating system is installed they say Windows. Ask them what version and their eyes glaze over as they say I don't know its just Windows. They'll take what ever version happens to be installed on the new one. They'll likely struggle a bit at first but they'll eventually figure it out. Or just ask me how do you do this etc.

Yeah, seems to me that the number of people that buy a new PC just to get the (or just because a) new OS release is very low. I don't have the disposable income to do that, I'd just buy the new OS and install it on what I already have. A much cheaper option. Even cheaper if its free, but still wouldn't change the way I do things. Free or not I still wouldn't by a new PC just to get it.

alphanumeric said:

Yeah, seems to me that the number of people that buy a new PC just to get the (or just because a) new OS release is very low. I don't have the disposable income to do that, I'd just buy the new OS and install it on what I already have. A much cheaper option. Even cheaper if its free, but still wouldn't change the way I do things. Free or not I still wouldn't by a new PC just to get it.

I am in the same position on this as you. And I believe it is the same with a lot of people. Also, I know lots of people still running Windows XP, despite not being able to get security updates. They won't upgrade until their present system breaks. I think most people are more likely to spend money upgrading their smart phones, than their PCs. Just look at the revenue Apple generates worldwide with every new release.