Advice Request Windows 10 free for all Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 users for first year

[Petrovic]

Microsoft has just announced the first pricing information for Windows 10 at its preview event today. The biggest news is that the new OS will be completely free for current Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 users for its first year of availability—after that time period has expired, OS upgrades will need to be paid for as they are currently. The Windows 10 upgrade for Windows Phone 8.1 users will also be free.

"Once a device is upgraded to WIndows 10, we'll be keeping it current for the supported lifetime of the device," said Terry Myserson, executive vice president of the Operating Systems Group. "With Windows 10, we think of Windows as a service... The question 'what version are you running' will cease to make sense."

Users of the Windows 10 Technical Preview have already gotten a taste of this continuous stream of updates, and the release version of Windows 10 will be no different. As we've covered previously, Microsoft will offer different "channels" for different users—one that gets new features as soon as they're available, one that never gets new features, and one that allows administrators to roll out new features at their own pace. Security updates will be published at the same rate they are today. This new update scheme is an effort to balance delivering new features to consumers while not upsetting businesses that prefer to roll updates out more slowly.

Apple has offered the last two versions of its OS X desktop operating systems for free, but this is a first for Microsoft—it has offered discounts for new Windows upgrades in the past, but it has never made them available for free.

The event is still in progress and we'll update this post accordingly as more information becomes available. For now, follow the news in our liveblog.
Source

 

[viktik]

Congrats
Windows 10 may be free for all

 

[BoraMurdar]

the new OS will be completely free for current Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 users for its first year of availability—after that time period has expired, OS upgrades will need to be paid for as they are currently

I knew it! Divide et impera

 

[Ink]

Yearly OS subscriptions? They better include basic MS Office and MS Paint as standard.

 

[BoraMurdar]

Yearly OS subscriptions? They better include basic MS Office and MS Paint as standard.

No, I think it's only if you upgrade from Windows 7 and Windows 8,but if you actually buy a license for Windows 10 it will last until the end of the support

 

[scot]

At last something is free.

 

[SherKaan]

I don't quite get it.

I have a licensed Windows 7 Home Premium. If I upgrade to Windows 10 within the given time period of one year, will I have a lifetime license, or is it only free for 365 days? It's confusing.

 

[Adhit Prakosho]

Mr. @BoraMurdar Giveaway for Windows 10

 

[BoraMurdar]

I don't get it ether.
Will it be free for Win7 and Win8 users within a period of 365days after it's release, or it will be free when you upgrade to Windows 10 and 365days after that only?

 

[kev777]

hi, can someone please answer, the question asked by Sher, I to are not sure, I have windows 8.1 will it be a lifetime license to windows 10? or is it free for 365 days? thank you

 

[Petrovic]

Windows 10 upgrade to be 'free' for one year
Microsoft has announced that its next operating system will be offered as a free upgrade to owners of devices running Windows 8, Windows 7 and Windows Phone.

The announcement marks a change in strategy to its previous policy of charging for major updates.

The offer, which is limited to the OS's first year of release, may aid its adoption.

That could help avoid a repeat of the relatively slow uptake of Windows 8.

The event is taking place at the firm's Redmond headquarters.

One analyst suggested the firm needed to change its policy to encourage interest in its ecosystem.

"Overall we know that about only about 10% of computers are running Windows 8 and the adoption rate among companies is similar or lower," said Frank Gillett, an analyst at the Forrester consultancy.

"Developers are not paying much attention to Windows for mass market consumer apps, and you could even argue that for enterprise software most of the energy is going into mobile apps for iPad and Android tablets.

"Windows 10 is in effect a huge invitation to software developers to write exciting, powerful applications that will draw consumers.

"My hunch is that they can succeed in getting a new generation of PC and tablet applications, the challenge is getting people interested in its phones."

Cortana on PCs
Windows 10 brings the same operating system to devices of all sizes, rather than having different ones for PCs/tablets, mobile phones and the firm's Xbox games console.

One of the features highlighted at the presentation was how Cortana - the voice-controlled digital assistant previously limited to Windows Phone handsets - would now work on PCs.

Joe Belfiore demonstrated Cortana, which Microsoft announced it has added to the PC
Microsoft executive Joe Belfiore demonstrated how the software could be told to:

• bring up Powerpoint presentation documents
• locate photos taken during a specific month
• dictate and send emails
• tell the user whether or not the weather forecast indicated they should wear a coat later
• show where their car was parked

In addition, Mr Belfiore showed how the software could also be used to respond to requests that had been typed rather than spoken into a PC.

Windows 8 had been criticised by some for placing so much focus on touch-centric commands rather than the mouse and keyboard.

Cortana will be able to make suggestions based on a user's past behaviour
But Mr Gillett said he thought the addition of Cortana's voice controls could prove more popular.

"Voice is a going to complement other ways of interacting with the computer not be a substitute," he said.

"If you had to say every command instead of touching or clicking, then that would be annoying.

"But if you can quickly say to Cortana, for example, schedule lunch with my mum next Tuesday, then that is powerful."

Browsing with Spartan
Mr Belfiore also highlighted one of the core benefits of Windows 10: a single app will run on multiple types of device, with the user interface reformatting itself to suit the machine it is running on, rather than having a different program for phones, tablets and PCs.

He showed how this meant more advanced versions of the firm's popular Office programs Excel, Powerpoint and Word could be brought to handsets running Windows 10 than were possible under Windows Phone 8. He also demonstrated a new "universal" Photos app that collates and sorts pictures taken with different devices.

The firm announced the launch of its new web browser
Mr Belfiore also confirmed reports that the firm's web browser, Internet Explorer, was being replaced by a new program codenamed Project Spartan.

This will have Cortana built-in to allow voice commands and provide extra personalised information - such as directions to a restaurant whose website is being looked at.

The software also includes a new "noting mode", which will let users scribble or type over a page and then share it with others.
Source

 

[Nedim]

I don't quite get it.

I have a licensed Windows 7 Home Premium. If I upgrade to Windows 10 within the given time period of one year, will I have a lifetime license, or is it only free for 365 days? It's confusing.

It will be a lifetime. Who would upgrade anyway if it's free only for one year? There's no logic in that.
What they mean by "free for a year" is that if you don't upgrade within a year, then you have to pay.
But once you're in, you're in.

 

[SherKaan]

It will be a lifetime. Who would upgrade anyway if it's free only for one year? There's no logic in that.
What they mean by "free for a year" is that if you don't upgrade within a year, then you have to pay.
But once you're in, you're in.

So, I guessed it right in the first part of my question. That's a great move by Microsoft.

 

[Petrovic]

Microsoft has announced that its new Windows 10 operating system will be made available as a free upgrade during its first year of availability.

All devices running Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1, and all Windows Phone 8 and 8.1 handsets, will be able to upgrade to the new OS without charge. Microsoft's Terry Myerson said today that "once a device is upgraded to Windows 10, we'll be keeping it current for the supported lifetime of the device."

The company had previously committed to updating all of its Lumia Windows Phone 8 handsets to Windows 10, but it wasn't clear what its plans were for offering the update to its desktop OS, until today.
http://www.neowin.net/news/windows-...phone-81-windows-7-and-81-users-in-first-year

 

[hamo]

I think Microsoft want to kill Windows 7 & 8.1 , So upgrade to 10 will be free for lifetime .

So give only one year as chance to upgrade , to make us upgrade .

 

[Adhit Prakosho]

Windows 10 upgrade to be 'free' for one year

it's just marketing tactics so that users leave windows 7 and windows 8 to immediately switch to Windows 10.
1 year = so that we can save $ 30 / month to buy windows 10 in 1 year

 

[jamescv7]

Seems everything clears out the problem, it cause misconception due the fact, the details contain for having Windows 10 for one year is by upgrading for anyone who can do it which differs having to use for 1 year.