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

[LordVic]

How was apple founded on a stolen idea? They created the Apple I in their garage?

"stolen" is a harsh word that gets thrown around way too often.

but Apple wasn't original in their ideas.

The "personal computer" was already a goal. Apple wanted to be the cheapest. they wanted to ensure anyone who wanted one, could afford one, so they "borrowed" parts and designed a cheap computer that they could sell as kits to local tech shops.

and the Apple computer was born.

They were not the first OS to use a GUI either. Steve Jobs had been invited to tour Xerox's and saw Xerox had a computer running a graphical user interface. Xerox really didn't see or push it as a marketable product, and Jobs believed it would change the landscape, so he 'borrowed' (arguable with or without permission originally) the idea of a GUI for the Apple computers.

I don't like "steal" because great innovators take existing ideas and make them better (or at least try to) and Apple is known for taking existing ideas and polishing them up to be things people actually want to use
.

 

[Iconoclysm]

Bingo! Much like Windows 10 is mostly rebranding for Windows 8--which is really windows 8.1.1 plus a couple of bolt on ui features that have been available from third party dev's for 2 years.

What?! Rebranding? Do you even know what you're saying?

 

[69Mustang]

I'm weary of MS claiming to support Win 10 for the life of the device. I still have a 486 computer running MS DOS.

So if a modern computer I have now runs Windows 10, and it lasts 30+ years, MS will support it? Yeah right. I'd like to see the fine print that says 7-10 years tops.

Why stop at 30 years? Let's say 50, 75, heck even a 100 years. Since the example is hyperbolic, why not go full tilt? Go big or go home. It's a totally unrealistic example to push a narrative.

I do understand what you're saying though. I mean they only supported XP for what... 3, maybe 4 years tops.

just yankin' your chain.

 

[luckysob]

I just upgraded from WinXP to Win7 to run in Parallels last year. Will need to follow this to understand how to upgrade from Win7 to Win10 in 6 years.

 

[BillD222]

Nobody said anything about a subscription model.

Or do you just like forcing words into people's mouths to prove a weak point?

Yes, they did in fact! It should be "one" instead of "first" and should have begun the sentence. " For one year, .... For free. After that, there will be an upgrade fee." Would have been better. Journalism 101... Be sure you wore it so it can only be taken the one way you meant it to be taken!

 

[Xiroteus]

Calling it Windows Ten still bugs me, they should have just called it some random name and then had the next one be ten since this is nine.

I do wonder if I am one of the few people that stopped caring about the start button once they saw how everything is there with right clicking along with pinned taskbar programs.

Besides, you don't need Windows to do computing tasks any more.

......................................................not quite yet

 

[Tech198]

I like the fact that Apple must show how its done to give "free" software away.. like the OS.

I'm even more surprised that Microsoft is got Windows 7-y in Windows 10 as well so "hopefully" users will be pleased with the changes and get them to upgrade. Basically the same as Apple and "Back to the Mac" stuff.

however, neither company can just keep the two separate, they must allow their features to pass over to the desktop..

Apple brings features from tablets and iOS devices to the Mac, while Microsoft bring the OS to tablets..

Kinda makes u say "This ride is making me throw up" doesn't it... When can i get off ?

I guess the bigger question Microsoft should be asking themselves, since a full OS is going to be running on mobile devices, unlike Apple....

How much battery life do we get ?

 

[subsonix]

I like the fact that Apple must show how its done to give "free" software away.. like the OS.

Windows 10 is not free, it's basically a one year trial period.

 

[diamond.g]

Windows 10 is not free, it's basically a one year trial period.

Sure it is (if you download it within a year)

 

[Rogifan]

I wonder what Microsoft OEMs think about free Windows. Doesn't really give people an incentive to ugrade PCs.

 

[John.B]

• Xbox and Xbox accessories (Kinet, controllers)
• mice
• keyboards
• web cams
• headsets
• Surface tablet
• Windows phones
• health (wrist) band
• HoloLens
• Surface Hub

I would be interested to see what percentage of total revenues the above products represent towards the MSFT bottom line. (Especially Xbox, which bled red ink for years.)

 

[subsonix]

Sure it is (if you download it within a year)

What's your source for this?

In an effort to get its users to adopt Windows 10, Microsoft is planning to distribute Windows 10 to Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 users at no cost for the first year, which is an unprecedented move for the Washington-based company.

 

[sflomenb]

The big news to me is MS HoloLens, details here: http://www.wired.com/2015/01/microsoft-hands-on/

Image

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...

Yeah, how about people like me who wear glasses? How would we be able to use something like this? Wear this and glasses? Don't think so.

 

[Michael Goff]

I wonder what Microsoft OEMs think about free Windows. Doesn't really give people an incentive to ugrade PCs.

They could always use good designs and faster hardware to sell their computers...

 

[pacalis]

Microsoft was lucky to get Jean-Baptise Emanuel Zorg to do the presentation.

 

[matt9013]

Parents have a W7 PC, so I'll be upgrading there PC once W10 is released.

 

[John.B]

Microsoft gave out free upgrades from Vista to 7 and also from 7 to 8 when customers bought new PC's during a certain period. This free Win 10 offer during the 1st year is not much different.

So if there's anyone who borrowed the idea about giving away for free a new OS, it's

The "free upgrade for every copy sold between the announcement date and ship date" model is almost as old as paid software itself. That's just a way of mitigating the Osborne Effect, with a dash of instant gratification thrown in.

Giving away a free copy of Windows 10 to every Windows 7 and 8.x owner is a completely different ballpark, even if they did boundscheck it to one year.

Windows 7 is 5.5 years old. That's a pretty big revenue stream Microsoft is giving up for older system upgrades. Then they are also committing to maintaining Windows 10 for the long term, if not in perpetuity. So, assuming that turns out to be five years into the future, that's a total of 10 years of Windows licensing revenue they are potentially giving up.

Yes, this is vastly different from the old Microsoft revenue model. Props to Satya Nadella for making such a bold move.

(If you wanted critique Apple for giving away its OS, you'd have been on much more solid footing comparing them to Linux.)

 

[petvas]

Who said that Windows 10 will be free? Microsoft said that it will be free for the first year and also mentioned Windows as a service. Knowing the company I can assure you that Microsoft is planning to integrate Windows as a service in the Office 365 subscription model they currently have.
It's not a bad thing, but it's a major departure for the company. People should also stop comparing it to Apple, because Apple makes money with each Mac sold. Microsoft doesn't sell that much hardware, so they want to charge for their software..

 

[mKTank]

Yes, they did in fact! It should be "one" instead of "first" and should have begun the sentence. " For one year, .... For free. After that, there will be an upgrade fee." Would have been better. Journalism 101... Be sure you wore it so it can only be taken the one way you meant it to be taken!

You're really having a hard time with this simple article aren't you.

 

[Tech198]

Windows 10 is not free, it's basically a one year trial period.

I was pointing out that it takes Apple to show Microsoft how its done via giving away "free" software, where as Windows was paid up front.

 

[Merode]

I'm both Mac and PC user and I must say I'm impressed for two reasons:

1. What MS presented today is really interesting and I can't wait to put my hands on the final version of W10. This contrasts nicely with Yosemite fiasco which scored just 2,5-3 stars on most App Stores. Version 10.10.2 beta stands on build number 106 in contrast to previous X.X.2 releases which usually shipped after 60-70 builds. I guess they have major issues fixing stuff this time around.

2. People really hate MS but the company has changed a lot during last year. It seems to me that a lot of people hate MS just for the sake of it. If Apple doesn't wake up quick, MS might get ahead of them in innovation. However weird that may sounds.

Windows 10 is not free, it's basically a one year trial period.

It is free if you update within one year from release. They never mentioned subscription/trial.

 

[John.B]

Who said that Windows 10 will be free? Microsoft said that it will be free for the first year and also mentioned Windows as a service. Knowing the company I can assure you that Microsoft is planning to integrate Windows as a service in the Office 365 subscription model they currently have.

The MR article could have been wordsmithed better. Here's how it will actually work, straight from the horse's mouth:

The next generation of Windows: Windows 10 | Microsoft.com

Delivering Windows as a Service and a Free Upgrade to Windows 10

Today was a monumental day for us on the Windows team because we shared our desire to redefine the relationship we have with you – our customers. We announced that a free upgrade for Windows 10 will be made available to customers running Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows Phone 8.1 who upgrade in the first year after launch.*

This is more than a one-time upgrade: once a Windows device is upgraded to Windows 10, we will continue to keep it current for the supported lifetime of the device – at no additional charge. With Windows 10, the experience will evolve and get even better over time. We’ll deliver new features when they’re ready, not waiting for the next major release. We think of Windows as a Service – in fact, one could reasonably think of Windows in the next couple of years as one of the largest Internet services on the planet.

And just like any Internet service, the idea of asking “What version are you on?” will cease to make sense – which is great news for our Windows developers. With universal Windows apps that work across the entire device family, developers can build one app that targets the broadest range of devices – including the PC, tablet, phone, Xbox, the Internet of Things, and more.

For our enterprise customers, we’ll continue to support the way many of them work today, with long-term servicing for their mission critical environments. With Windows 10, a best practice we recommend for many enterprise devices is to connect to Windows Update and be kept up-to-date with the latest security and productivity improvements as soon as they are available. You can learn more about our commitment to enterprises here, with much more to come in the following months.

Everything about Windows 10 – the experiences, delivering it as a service and the free upgrade – means ongoing value to all our customers. The new generation of Windows is a commitment—a commitment to liberate people from technology and enable them to do great things.

*Hardware and software requirements apply. No additional charge. Feature availability may vary by device. Some editions excluded. More details at http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/home.

 

[jdawgnoonan]

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....

They said that it is free to upgrade for a year and they will support the devices for the supportable life of the device. I don't interpret that as a subscription. I take that to mean that if you wait longer than a year to upgrade you will then have to pay.

----------

I'm both Mac and PC user and I must say I'm impressed for two reasons:

1. What MS presented today is really interesting and I can't wait to put my hands on the final version of W10. This contrasts nicely with Yosemite fiasco which scored just 2,5-3 stars on most App Stores. Version 10.10.2 beta stands on build number 106 in contrast to previous X.X.2 releases which usually shipped after 60-70 builds. I guess they have major issues fixing stuff this time around.

2. People really hate MS but the company has changed a lot during last year. It seems to me that a lot of people hate MS just for the sake of it. If Apple doesn't wake up quick, MS might get ahead of them in innovation. However weird that may sounds.


It is free if you update within one year from release. They never mentioned subscription/trial.

Microsoft is already well ahead of them in innovation. The iPhone and the iPad were Apple's last major innovations and the Apple Watch is unproven. Let's just say this: Not only is Windows the equal of Mac OS (I use both), Microsoft's developer tools are superior, their cloud is superior, they actually have a major server class OS, and also what does Apple have running on Mars?

 

[subsonix]

I was pointing out that it takes Apple to show Microsoft how its done via giving away "free" software, where as Windows was paid up front.

Alright, perhaps it would be better as a comment on it's own and not as a response to yours. Anyhow, I seem to remember that they also had a one month free upgrade for Windows 8, or was it the beta?

In Apple's case cheap or free software adds value to the platform. In Microsofts case, the software is where they make money so I'm not sure what they are trying to achieve here. Does the deal include volume licenses for organizations and business as well as individual users?

I think the number of individual users who goes out and buys a shrink wrapped Windows upgrade is pretty low compared to OEM and volume licenses. So if this is limited to individual users it might not make much of a difference, I dunno.

I
It is free if you update within one year from release. They never mentioned subscription/trial.

They way it's written it can be read both ways, that there is no cost the first year specifically.

 

[syndalis]

One of the smallest segments of Microsoft's income is from people who upgrade to a new version of windows.

They get $texas from sales of Windows to vendors/OEM, and Office licensing.

This is a major goodwill move on their part and I hope they extend it past the year. If you have a legal copy of windows, you should have a free and legal path to staying up to date.