[OFFICIAL] Windows 10 Insider Program

[Ian S.]

Uh Oh:

http://news.yahoo.com/confirmed-windows-9-free-upgrade-windows-8-users-133033409.html

 

Confirmed?

 

BTW read the comments, every single one is bashing Windows 8. That is horrible because 99% of them don't even make sense.

[Quillz]

Uh Oh:

http://news.yahoo.com/confirmed-windows-9-free-upgrade-windows-8-users-133033409.html

 

Confirmed?

 

BTW read the comments, every single one is bashing Windows 8. That is horrible because 99% of them don't even make sense.

Most comments on the Internet are rants that lack any sense of objectivity and factual information.

 

But I don't doubt Win9 will be a free upgrade. They did that with 8.1 (being free for 8.0) users, and it seems odd to charge for an update when the previous one was free. That's what Apple has been doing... After reducing the price from $129 to $29, they eventually moved to free updates.

[lmaodzedun]

Hey, guys!

 

I found this screenshot at deviantart. What do you think, it's fake or not?

 

[Quillz]

100% fake

[George P Global Moderator]

Most comments on the Internet are rants that lack any sense of objectivity and factual information.

 

But I don't doubt Win9 will be a free upgrade. They did that with 8.1 (being free for 8.0) users, and it seems odd to charge for an update when the previous one was free. That's what Apple has been doing... After reducing the price from $129 to $29, they eventually moved to free updates.

 

You know, Apple giving away OSX for free falls along the same lines as MS giving away Xbox One updates for free.  The Mac is now pretty much their side business, 90% or more, of their money comes from selling iPhones and iPads, the Mac is as minor for them as the Xbox is for MS when talking purely sales relative to the rest of the business each do.   So from that point, it makes sense for them to just give it out, they're not losing anything in the process.

 

MS is still all about selling software and services,  could they make 9 free for everyone?  Sure, but why not do a solid and have it free for just 8.x users as a big thanks?   Then turn around and charge older users a nice low price like they did for 8, $10-$20 to upgrade.   At $20 I'd upgrade my old Vista machine without thinking twice.

[Steven P. Administrators]

What confuses me though is that Windows 9 would be a "major version" much like Bill Gates initially confirmed after Vista (2007) was launched (a major release every two-to-three years, with possibly an interim version in between) So following that: Windows 7 in 2009, Windows 8 in 2012 and Windows 9 in 2015 makes for three major versions of Windows.

 

Really wonder if they will go with another name now if it is going to be free for Windows 8 users.

[Ian S.]

Most comments on the Internet are rants that lack any sense of objectivity and factual information.

 

But I don't doubt Win9 will be a free upgrade. They did that with 8.1 (being free for 8.0) users, and it seems odd to charge for an update when the previous one was free. That's what Apple has been doing... After reducing the price from $129 to $29, they eventually moved to free updates.

The issue being, people will hate Microsoft if they decided to "reverse" their decision to make it free, although it was never officialy said to be free.

[BajiRav]

But is it someone flipping Myerson off for off centering the logo to cause speculation of something else perhaps?  :rolleyes:  ONE can only wonder.

I am not ruling out any possibilities.

 

Uh Oh:

http://news.yahoo.com/confirmed-windows-9-free-upgrade-windows-8-users-133033409.html

Confirmed?

BTW read the comments, every single one is bashing Windows 8. That is horrible because 99% of them don't even make sense.

That articles begins with: Multiple Windows 9 reports have suggested that

[Ian S.]

I am not ruling out any possibilities.

 

That articles begins with: Multiple Windows 9 reports have suggested that

The title says "Confirmed"

[Osiris]

I guess we'll find out soon but im not seeing anything that really makes Win9 look like a major upgrade at this point, much like Windows 7 could almost be considered Vista R2, this is shaping up to be of a similar flavour so in that respect I can understand the free part to an extent but if this really is a major new version (feature wise not just naming wise) then I don't see any commercial reason to give it away.  Enterprise really has no where to go its not going to be feasible to stay on older versions forever and consumers are sheep if they have their start menu back and the touch elements are subdued they'll pay up as historically they have.  MS didn't turn around give win7 away as a thanks for those who stuck it through Vista, they didn't give XP away for those poor saps who purchased WindowsME etc.

[George P Global Moderator]

I guess we'll find out soon but im not seeing anything that really makes Win9 look like a major upgrade at this point, much like Windows 7 could almost be considered Vista R2, this is shaping up to be of a similar flavour so in that respect I can understand the free part to an extent but if this really is a major new version (feature wise not just naming wise) then I don't see any commercial reason to give it away.  Enterprise really has no where to go its not going to be feasible to stay on older versions forever and consumers are sheep if they have their start menu back and the touch elements are subdued they'll pay up as historically they have.  MS didn't turn around give win7 away as a thanks for those who stuck it through Vista, they didn't give XP away for those poor saps who purchased WindowsME etc.

 

Things have changed a bit now,  they're looking at a new model, they already give Windows away for free to OEMs for specific devices, something they've never done until now.   They also have all these services they make money off of that they didn't have in the past, so with things like Azure and other stuff making money the need to rely on selling Windows licenses becomes less and less compared to 10 years ago.

 

And giving the platform away for free, the OS, means you can then turn around and get them into paying for your services.   Onedrive storage, Office 365, Xbox Music/Video,  and any apps/games they'll buy from the Windows Store.     Historically the majority of users got a new version of Windows with a new PC, very few ever upgraded.    So even if 9 is free for 8.x users how many are actually going to still upgrade?  

[Osiris]

I don't deny the landscape has changed but I just don't believe the OS market is that elastic and I don't believe many years of consumer trends have really changed.  Seems like a big assumption and almost a leap that if I don't pay for your OS im going to use your other services, in fact it would be enterprise who would like benefit from such an occurrence because if they aren't shelling out for the OS then they could look at moving to office 365 or other online services but they wont be getting it for free if the premise is its free for windows 8 users because they never upgraded in the first place.  If they've embedded the appstore deeper into the OS and ecosystem that could be a fair reason.

 

That being said I don't agree with a few of MS decisions this year around the OS so they'll probably give it away, ill just be happy if touch or surface pro users don't get slapped in the face.

[HawkMan]

Most comments on the Internet are rants that lack any sense of objectivity and factual information.

 

But I don't doubt Win9 will be a free upgrade. They did that with 8.1 (being free for 8.0) users, and it seems odd to charge for an update when the previous one was free. That's what Apple has been doing... After reducing the price from $129 to $29, they eventually moved to free updates.

 

8.1 was an update 9.0 is techncially a new OS....

 

and Apple is different they charge you a LOT more for the OS in reality. since it's part of the hardware price. 

[Dot Matrix]

Yahoo is hardly in a position to confirm anything. :rolleyes:

[notuptome2004]

8.1 was an update 9.0 is techncially a new OS....

 

and Apple is different they charge you a LOT more for the OS in reality. since it's part of the hardware price. 

 

 

that is True  but if you already have the hardware then the next OS is Free   but you are right  to a point.   i am awaitng OS Yosemite   so i can upgrade my neighbors iMac and macbook pro   it looks to be a steller OS upgrade  for Mac users  

[vcfan]

all im hoping for in the new release is an equivalent to virtualalloc/protect in winrt.

[PGHammer]

Things have changed a bit now,  they're looking at a new model, they already give Windows away for free to OEMs for specific devices, something they've never done until now.   They also have all these services they make money off of that they didn't have in the past, so with things like Azure and other stuff making money the need to rely on selling Windows licenses becomes less and less compared to 10 years ago.

 

And giving the platform away for free, the OS, means you can then turn around and get them into paying for your services.   Onedrive storage, Office 365, Xbox Music/Video,  and any apps/games they'll buy from the Windows Store.     Historically the majority of users got a new version of Windows with a new PC, very few ever upgraded.    So even if 9 is free for 8.x users how many are actually going to still upgrade?  

 

And that is the OTHER issue - there is an insistence on "permanent discounting" for operating systems, leaving OS vendors (not just Apple, but both Google AND Microsoft) little choice but to move to a services model (or a model built around ads in the case of Google).  Android (and ChromeOS/Chromium) are free due to Google packaging their advertising and analytics services along with them.  iOS/OS X?  The AppStores and iTunes.  The $64USD question is will MIcrosoft be *allowed* to compete with Apple and/or Google heads-up (not just on Windows).  Believe it or not, that is only somewhat the case outside of Windows (which is the only area all three compete heads-up) - would Microsoft be allowed to create an App Store for either Android or Chromium/ChromeOS (for example)?  Would Microsoft be allowed to create a native-code add-in for the VS IDE that allows the IDE to target Android?  How fair is the licensing model realistically?

[George P Global Moderator]

If MS does do a service option for Windows and it's along the lines of Office 365 in that you pay a good low price and get more than one install to work with then I'm all for it.    Say $50 or $99 tops, a year but you get 3 to 5 installs to use like how they have it with Office.   If they're going to be updating this every year now then you also get the newest version when the time comes.   If all you have is one PC then the idea of a subscription isn't for you really but if you're like me and have 4, soon 5, then that type of deal becomes interesting.

[PGHammer]

If MS does do a service option for Windows and it's along the lines of Office 365 in that you pay a good low price and get more than one install to work with then I'm all for it.    Say $50 or $99 tops, a year but you get 3 to 5 installs to use like how they have it with Office.   If they're going to be updating this every year now then you also get the newest version when the time comes.   If all you have is one PC then the idea of a subscription isn't for you really but if you're like me and have 4, soon 5, then that type of deal becomes interesting.

Except will it be permissible?

 

It may sound all well and good; however, users seem to be of one mind when it comes to Microsoft, and quite another when it comes to Google or Apple, and the reaction to Windows 8 (and 8.1) is a rather telling illustration of that.  Enterprise users are basically telling Microsoft "Do not advance." when it comes to Windows.  No new hardware support, no new features, and don't even THINK about changing the UI or UX - whether it is needed to support new hardware or features or not.  WaaS (Windows as a Service) would be even bigger changewise than Windows 8 was - and could well see itself squashed.  When it comes to Windows, "meh" is acceptable - however, nothing else is.

[Ian S.]

Snipped

Well the old XP generation are as you describe but those that switch to mac beg to differ.

[PGHammer]

Well the old XP generation are as you describe but those that switch to mac beg to differ.

Instead of paying for the OS, they instead use Apple's services, and pay that way.  (I'm going strictly by Apple's revenue numbers from the AppStores and iTunes - that is not an insignificant sum by any means.  In fact, MOST of Apple's *stranded revenues* comes from non-US sales via the App Stores and iTunes.)  The same applies to Google Play and other services that Google charges for.

 

The issue is not DOES the piper get paid, but how.  My anger is more over the inequality of acceptance of that particular revenue model by Microsoft (more that customers don't want Microsoft adopting the same revenue model that Apple and Google are using today).  The insistence (even by non-enterprise customers) is that Microsoft remain held hostage to the traditional revenue model - despite that very little of their competition retaining it.

[BajiRav]

If MS does do a service option for Windows and it's along the lines of Office 365 in that you pay a good low price and get more than one install to work with then I'm all for it.    Say $50 or $99 tops, a year but you get 3 to 5 installs to use like how they have it with Office.   If they're going to be updating this every year now then you also get the newest version when the time comes.   If all you have is one PC then the idea of a subscription isn't for you really but if you're like me and have 4, soon 5, then that type of deal becomes interesting.

I will be buying a Office 365 subscription sooner than later and mostly for the OneDrive storage. If they start offering say a Microsoft 365 (Windows, Office, OneDrive etc.) with Windows.next at a "reasonable" price, I would happily jump sooner.

[SekaiStory]

Is there going to be a livestream for this press conference or is it something invite-only with liveblogs?

[gohpep]

Is there going to be a livestream for this press conference or is it something invite-only with liveblogs?

No livestream. It starts at 1PM eastern time.

Here is a live blog. http://live.theverge.com/microsoft-windows-9-event-live-blog/

[Quillz]

I really hope Windows 9 is the official name. I don't want Microsoft going back to yearly product names (9x releases) or "cute" names (XP, Vista).

 

Frankly, in a perfect world, we'd be looking at Windows NT 6.4...