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Microsoft Demos Free Windows 10 Update, Debuts New 'Project Spartan' Web Browser

maflynn said:
Giving it away for free is mind blowing and will really impact their bottom line. Unlike Apple, they rely on the sales of Windows. Apple gets their money by selling you the hardware. MS doesn't really do hardware (other then the xbox/mice/surface tablet)
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I don't think it is mind blowing nor do I think it will impact their bottom line.

The damage has already been done by Windows 8. There is a pent-up demand for Windows systems that has been waiting for whatever-is-beyond-Windows-8.

Giving Windows 10 away for free will help move the existing Windows 8 devices up to 10. All new systems will ship with Win10 so the MS tax will be collected on those.
 
maflynn said:
Giving it away for free is mind blowing and will really impact their bottom line. Unlike Apple, they rely on the sales of Windows. Apple gets their money by selling you the hardware. MS doesn't really do hardware (other then the xbox/mice/surface tablet)
Click to expand...

Well the stock was down about 1% before their event started and it's down about 1.3% right now. On a day when the Nasdaq is up overall.
 
The big news to me is MS HoloLens, details here: http://www.wired.com/2015/01/microsoft-hands-on/

b-660x495.jpg


This is big if implemented in a nice way and with developers jumping on the train (and I really don't like Microsoft products historically except for maybe the XBox in a lukewarm way).

A few more pictures here:

http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/...ws-holographic-augmented-reality-project.aspx

Oculus and Glass just were left in the dust today in my opinion.

Maybe Apple is working on something similar?

https://www.macrumors.com/2013/12/1...-goggles-highlighted-in-newly-granted-patent/

But this is a rather old patent. We will see...
 
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seems promising, but I have a feeling they are trying to pack in too much into one product. but then again, the iPad isn't selling too well either...
 
Microsoft had a very impressive showing, but I will just read the bashing that's going to happen right now
 
maflynn said:
Giving it away for free is mind blowing and will really impact their bottom line. Unlike Apple, they rely on the sales of Windows. Apple gets their money by selling you the hardware. MS doesn't really do hardware (other then the xbox/mice/surface tablet)
Click to expand...

You forgot Microsoft Office.
 
Wait, what? Free for the first year. How does that work? If a user decides in a year they don't want to pay for 10 does it automatically roll them back to 7.1 or 8? Not likely. Make it free...or charge up front. Just sneaky.
 
Ok, so all I want to know is;
How have they managed the upgrade process, (I want to upgrade, not clean install)?
Does the xBox app mean an end to xBox exclusives?
Where is the link for the freebie?
 
I attended the Windows XP Launch Event in person years ago. They made a lot of promises that sound very similar to what was spoken about today. I would love to see their projects to become widespread, but only time will tell.
 
macsrcool1234 said:
Free for one year? Is MS really stupid enough to sell an OS that works on a subscription model? Who would buy a computer that has a monthly fee to use?

After the epic failure that was 8, I really thought it was impossible for an MS to do anything even dumber....
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I don't believe it is a subscription model. They are literally giving away the OS for the first year. After that you have to buy each new copy you need, not retroactively pay for the one you got for free.
 
I wouldn't be surprised if it's free after the first year too... at least the consumer versions. But not a bad idea to say it's a one year promotion to encourage rapid adoption.
 
They said Windows will be a service. Service = Subscription just like Adobe did with their software.

HVDynamo said:
I don't believe it is a subscription model. They are literally giving away the OS for the first year. After that you have to buy each new copy you need, not retroactively pay for the one you got for free.
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Rogifan said:
Well the stock was down about 1% before their event started and it's down about 1.3% right now. On a day when the Nasdaq is up overall.
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I really don't follow that aspect, it's what MS reports what counts not what some people feel after the media event
 
Will give this a try as i didn't mind working with 8.1. Hopefully the improvements will not come with some new unpleasant issues.
 
Looks like subscription to me:

"Free for the first year"

"Current OS for the lifetime of the device"

"Windows is turning into a service"

They're just putting off the bombshell drop for a little while.
 
maflynn said:
Giving it away for free is mind blowing and will really impact their bottom line. Unlike Apple, they rely on the sales of Windows. Apple gets their money by selling you the hardware. MS doesn't really do hardware (other then the xbox/mice/surface tablet)
Click to expand...

Windows 8 was a disaster in sales and no one updated


Giving away windows 10 is brilliant in that a huge percentage will update and everyone will be up to date
 
Windows 10 is correcting a lot of the mistakes Microsoft made with Windows 8 and will definitely be a better OS, but there are some things that still concern me. Here are my comments:
  • Microosft still thinks that one OS to rule them all is the way to go. I disagree. Tablets need a different UI. PCs also. Continuitiy is a compromise.
  • There is nothing in Windows 10 in how the user experience as offered by OEM partners will get better. There are no new rules in what comes with a new device. That means that OEMs will continue SPAMing people with their crap.
  • Windows 10 contains nothing to support better quality hardware. Microsoft didn't announce anything in that respect. The Apple experience is much much much better.
  • Microsoft showed us Spartan and its reading list which we have in Safari for years. Or the ability of syncing music playlists on OneDrive. iTunes Match anyone?
  • The tablet compromise is present just because Microsoft had to satisfy internal politics and balance between various teams inside Microsoft. A product should be developed with other goals in mind. Making everybody happy is not one of them..(politics destroy user experience).
  • The best product Microsoft introduced today is the Surface Hub! It will be a great tool for enterprises
  • The Xbox/Windows 10 integration looks cool and will be of value for people with a PC and an XBOX.
  • The Microsoft Hololens seems impressive and it is certainly interesting, but it feels unnatural. A true hologram should be projected in free space and be visible by everybody, without any glass..I guess we are years away from that..#fail
  • Windows Phone looks like an afterthought. There was nothing impressive there.
  • Microsoft showed us nothing in how people will create more quality apps, like the ones seen on OS X. It is interesting to see the difference in quality of OS X applications..

Overall, Microsoft will have a good year with Windows 10, but didn't do anything to up the game...
 
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Been running the Windows 10 TP on my iMac w/retina for months now as my gaming platform. It works quite well and is not bad to look at. I am happy that they will be offering it as free upgrade. I have a number of licenses for 7 that will be all over it if there's no charge.
 
maflynn said:
Giving it away for free is mind blowing and will really impact their bottom line. Unlike Apple, they rely on the sales of Windows. Apple gets their money by selling you the hardware. MS doesn't really do hardware (other then the xbox/mice/surface tablet)
Click to expand...

And Apple's 30% cut of iTunes sales... You more than "pay" for your Apple OS. It just doesn't feel like it.
 
mw360 said:
Looks like subscription to me:

"Free for the first year"

"Current OS for the lifetime of the device"

"Windows is a service"

They're just putting off the bombshell drop for a little while.
Click to expand...

I understand the confusion, but nowhere do they say 'free for the first year,' they do say that you will qualify for an update for one year. I know the verbiage is lousy, but do you really believe they are that crazy?

Hopefully, I won't be proven wrong, but I run a MBP at home, so it won't bother me either way.
 
bdkennedy1 said:
They said Windows will be a service. Service = Subscription just like Adobe did with their software.
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I doubt it in this case. I think it would be shooting themselves in the foot. If that is the case, then I will be switching to Linux on my windows Box once windows 7 is no longer supported, or making it a hackintosh. I think what they mean though is that you only need to pay for the OS once on your machine. When you build a new box, or buy a new laptop a windows license will be paid for at that point. Beyond that, they keep it up to date for free until the machine is to old and slow. This is how apple does it now. You pay for the OS with the hardware, then free updates from there on out.
 
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