Windows 10 Will Be a Free Upgrade for People Running Windows 8 + Windows 7

The upgrade is supported for the lifetime of your device. What does it actually mean ?

I have a self built computer. If the hard disk dies, I just replace the hard disk. Similarly for other components. What is the lifetime of my system then ?

If my motherboard/CPU gives up the ghost & I replace them, would that be eol of the system ?

What Windows as a Service and a “free upgrade” mean at home and at work

 

I for one would not want to be paying a "service fee" We have 5 computers in this house. 5 times what ever a month would end up to be a lot of money and for what? I would rather pay the $150 or what ever one time and be done with it.

 

guyincny, MS wants long term money. It doesn't want the Win XP kind of scenario where most people don't upgrade & MS looses out on revenue. If it can offer it as a kind of service, you would have to keep paying to keep on using it. In future, MS may also have some kind of built in provision so that if you don't pay, the software may just refuse to work (like utilities).

Just my thoughts....

 

Excellent point.

They may come up with a family licensing plan for situations like yours, but who knows.

 

rsinfo wrote...
"MS wants long term money. It doesn't want the Win XP kind of scenario where most people don't upgrade & MS looses out on revenue. If it can offer it as a kind of service, you would have to keep paying to keep on using it. In future, MS may also have some kind of built in provision so that if you don't pay, the software may just refuse to work (like utilities). "

Yes, and since this is the OS were talking about, what happens when it refuses to work? Will it turn in to a ransomware, rendering users computer unusable?
This whole idea just sounds very, very bad. And what about when MS decides that "the usage fee will increase X $ ". User will just have to pay whatever MS decides to charge for "their service ".
Several have mentioned how MS wants to have a steady flow of money (usage fee), instead of people buying new pc & OS once in two, three, five (or even more) years. Yes surely, but why do we, consumers have to think about what MS wants? (well money of course, and a lot) Thats not in our interest.

 

Like I stated in an earlier post Cablevision started out cheap. Pretty soon they will be getting close to $300 a month. What's to stop Microsoft from doing the same thing. It's called GREED.

 

Yes, exactly. That service fee might start out relatively cheap, but later...As someone wrote earlier, "consumers will be very foolish, to accept this model ".

And what if the user decides she/he can do without updates(service), and wants to stop paying the service fee, will her/his computer become totally unusable? Or what if the user wants to stop paying the service fee, and install different OS?

 

That's not good! Windows 10 intends to use a lot of cloud services. So it doesn't matter which drive you put your OS, it's the data on the cloud that matters risky. A better way is to create another Microsoft Account for testing Windows 10 TP, so you have a separate Cloud space (e.g. another OneDrive account).

 

I've never used any cloud service. I turned off One Drive. I have win 10 t p on a separate drive with just m s updates. I don't have any use for cloud services. I have nothing to put on there since I retired 22 years ago.

 

Mr. Martin.
can I put a backup copy on a thumb drive? do I have to have an original installation disk?
I don't have an original disk.
thanks, best wishes. cbumpkin. Johny

 

Might be better if you started a new thread, Johny.

 

From the Motley Fool...

Why Microsoft Corporation’s Free Windows 10 Upgrade Scheme is Brilliant
​

As far as being brilliant (for the average home user), that remains to be seen.

 

They're hoping that the end users like you and me will opt for the free upgrade. My question is: What happens if you upgrade you internal hardware components just to keep up with the latest technology? Do you now have to purchase the OS. I'll more than likely wait and purchase new equipment with Window 10 preinstalled. Which will take all the fun out of ripping the old stuff apart.

 

I wonder if Windows 7 OEM users will be able to revert back to 7 if they don't like Windows 10.

 

James you will more than likely have to reinstall Windows 7 like you do now with Tech Preview. Not sure but just a thought.

 

I figured as much, but I was wondering if MS would void my 7 product key if I reverted. Not that I am contemplating a move to 10 anytime soon.

 

I don't see why MS should void your Win 7 product key.

 

lj50, have you ever "Google "d? "Cloud" used to be a casual term meaning that some computer functions and "your" data / metadata are stored beyond your business or home premises. Over the years, "Cloud" has been developed to a maturity level that it overtakes many of the traditional computing power from your in-house mainframe, servers, desktop and mobile computing devices, and added many powerful computing functions to your finger-tip but actually running miles away from where you are. The suppliers of "cloud "s are now demanding money from your pocket, no matter you like it or not. They make the "cloud" service mandatory, essential and indispensable. e.g. A cloud service to authenticate the legitimacy of your Windows copy / OS X copy before you can use it. Some cloud services offer space only to keep your data, other provide programs that run in their servers if you subscribe. I think it's the latter that you've never used.

 

When I was working there were no cloud services. I used the state's computers. You know the ones. They had the old dos black screen with the green lettering.

 

Yeah... the good old days. I miss it.