Windows 10 upgrade is free for Windows 8.1, 8, and 7 users!

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http://www.theverge.com/2015/1/21/78666 ... -8-1-users

All Windows 7, 8 and 8.1 users will be given a free upgrade to Windows 10 in its first year.

Microsoft will announce the release date later.

I predict it will be a huge flop.

If the developer has to give it away, you know it's not going to be good enough to pull people away from a reliable OS already holding the market (Win7). They might get the Win8 people who are already unhappy with their OS.

It'll likely be the whole "we can't get people to give up XP for Vista" nonsense all over again.

My question is how many people have abandoned Microsoft since Windows 8 came out? I abandoned them after getting a computer that had Vista on it, and I've seen more people running Linux.

While Win7 was an improvement over Vista, it still followed the same design paradigm, and Win8 was a kludge with the UI standardised for everything from phones to desktops.

I think what's prompting them to do this is to keep people using their product.

Most OS makers give their OSs away for free to users now:
*Google gives all Android updates away for free (though it is up to your phone maker to push them to you)
*Apple has been giving all OS X upgrades away for free since Mountain Lion
*Apple also gives iOS upgrades away for free (Since 5 for all iPad and iPod Touch users)
*Oracle gives Solaris away for free
*Linux is given away for free for the most part (some distributions charge for it)
*Steam OS is free including the final product

Actually Microsoft is the only major player who still charges for OS upgrades (for the most part).
Though Windows ME users were given a free upgrade to XP.
Many Vista users were given a free upgrade to 7.

Just because it's free, doesn't make it bad, even if it is from Microsoft.

@Fogman

If you count OS market share by internet traffic (one of the main ways) then Windows wins out with 90%+ market share.
This also states that Windows 7 has ~53% finally, with XP and 8/8.1 tied for second place, and Vista 3rd, with the pre XP Windows trailing behind.
It also states Linux has sub 1% market share.

If you count by new PC sales then it is different story:
Windows has ~85%+ market share with Windows 7 barely beating out XP in market share in 2014(yes you can still buy new PCs with XP installed).
Each have roughly ~40% market share, with 8/8.1 ~15% while the rest take up ~5%.
OS X takes up ~7%+
Linux ~1%
Everyone else (including IBM and Solaris) make up the rest.

If you go buy OS licenses sales (includes new PCs) then it is slightly different from new PCs alone.
Windows has ~85% market share (7 has ~45%, XP has ~35%, 8/8.1 ~15%, All other Windows ~5%)
OS X is ~9%
Linux ~1%
Everyone else makes up the rest

I've used both 7 and 8.1 extensively and I can safely say after running both on iCore 7 processors via Bootcamp, 8.1 wins out in performance!
Obviously I upgraded for free when 8.1 came out thanks to school at the time.

8.1:
Boots up faster than 7
Is snappier than 7
Less resource intensive than 7
Gets rid of the shiny UI
Takes up less hard drive space than 7
More stable than 7


The only issue with Window 8/8.1 was the lack of traditional start menu which caused the negative backlash.
Windows users, especially businesses are "dependent" on the traditional start menu
People refused to change to the new tiles and new start menu (only in 8.1).

Personally I love the tiles and don't miss the traditional start menu (I use OS X as my primary OS)!
Yes I had a long hatred for the traditional start menu.

Windows 8/8.1 didn't really cost them any significant amount of consumers.
Why?

People and businesses generally don't upgrade their OSs unless it's free or they have to in order to run new programs.
They normally upgrade their PCs and what not every ~5 years to run the newest Windows.

Windows 10 on the other hand is trying to end fragmentation, while getting as many people as possible on Windows 10.
Having the market fragmented between XP, 7 and 8/8.1 is causing Microsoft lots of trouble.
This is why they are giving out a free upgrade for the first year (yes it is really free).
(OS X users have rapidly upgraded to Yosemite, already passing the 60% mark).


Windows 10 features new start menu 2.0, which is balanced between the tiles and the 8.1 start menu.
The tiles are supposedly optional feature for those who prefer them, like me.

Windows 10 new start menu on a PC:


It does switch to tile mode when on a sub 8" screen.

Windows 8.1 start menu:



I can't wait to get my hands on 10!

Wow, that's pretty cool!

Right now, my main piece of tech is my new GalTab S running Kitkat with the MS Office preview apps. With it I can do 90% of everything I usually do on a computer (work and play related).

However, this free upgrade will definitely get me to boot up my Asus T100 (great netbook, poor tablet) and see how Win10 plays on it.

If I like it, I'll go ahead a put it on my ancient gaming rig (Gateway FX6800-first gen i7) and my slightly less ancient Toshiba A505 (first gen i3)...

Personally, I like Win 8.1 just fine. The only issue that made me buy a new android table is the availability of MS Office on android and the LACK of availability to any good tablet apps for Win 8.1...

On a side note, as touch screens become ubiquitous I hope developers will put more effort into tablet apps for windows. That's the future. People still stubbornly clinging to old, XP style OS's are sure to have lots of heartache and disappointment in their future.

PS

As for business adoption of new OS's I can confirm that they DON'T.... I used to contract for a fortune 500 company any they still use XP to this day because it works with all their stuff and there's simply no compelling need to change.

Heck, their IT guys have enough problems just trying to accommodate [l]users who insist on using their OSX/Android devices at work (a practice they STRONGLY discourage)...

If you take into consideration that the Microsoft stocks are much higher than they ever were during the XP era, that more and more are phasing out Java in favour of .NET, and that Linux for home usage has been in decline since the fall of the netbooks, I strongly doubt that they're desperate in any way. Feature complete versions of Linux (eg. Ubuntu) are only "free" if your time is worthless, and if you can stand a system that frequently crashes and performs very slowly.

Bare bones versions of Linux (eg. Slackware and Arch) are the best operating systems one can possibly imagine for programming, statistical tools, servers, and so on, but they're borderline useless for gaming (Valve has bitten of more than they can chew by basing Steam OS on Debian), and you won't get 3DS Max or Adobe Photoshop to run on them either.

I'm no expert, but here's why I think there is a difference....

Microsoft has such a market share that a lot of hardware and software is designed around their OS. As "backwards compatible" as their OS is supposed to be, it's not at all uncommon to find a new OS will not work with prior software versions and hardware.

I have a document scanner. It's predecessor worked on Win98/98SE. When I upgraded to XP, it wouldn't work, and the manufacturer didn't bother making new drivers for XP. I was forced to trade it in towards a new one that would work with XP. Now that I have Win7, same issue. Fortunately, I bought some extra XP copies and set up a dual-boot system. I've still not figured out how to make the scanner work reliably in a XP VM environment under Win7.

Now, multiply that across the millions of PCs/laptops out there in business use. Many places are still on XP 32-bit and have no budget to upgrade hardware and software to work with a new OS...so they aren't keen on upgrading unless they are assured their old stuff will be compatible...something Microsoft doesn't always make a priority.

IN CONTRAST....I find that other OS makers DO make upgrades "reverse compatible," and if they can't it won't install. My iPhone4 will not upgrade its OS anymore because the newer OS does play well with the hardware of the iPhone 4...so Apple designs the update process to NOT install an incompatible upgrade. If I want the functionality/features of the latest iOS, I can upgrade my phone, and even apps are flagged if they would be incompatible with my current OS...just as many app makers work to upgrade their app to work properly with the new iOS. This isn't something most software makers will do for Microsoft or its customers.

Most hardware and software companies would rather you buy a new product from them, then waste resources on updating drivers which will not bring them revenue.

This is why your accessories will not work with the newest OS regardless of company.

Many accessories from the pre USB 2.0 era are not compatible with USB 2.0 and up, thus cannot recognize a USB 2.0 port.

You can still buy PCs new running XP 32bit from many OEMs and Walmart.

Microsoft has now learned how many resources and costs are tied up in supporting a fragmented market.
It will save a lot of money and time when the market moves forward together for Windows 10.
Most programs from Vista (Kernel 6.0) on up will work on Windows 10, since Windows 10 uses Kernel 6.4 (fourth major update to 6.0).
This fragmentation also significantly hurts developers as well.

With that said companies and users hold Microsoft accountable when something bad happens while using a no longer supported version of Windows.
This in turn causes more negative publicity for Microsoft, which causes users to be reluctant to use new Microsoft products.

The reason why the competition gives away free OS upgrades is to prevent fragmentation.

This is why Android is highly fragmented while iOS isn't.
Same reason why Windows is currently highly fragmented.

With that said, Microsoft makes very little money off of people who purchase Windows upgrades.

Can't be worse than 8 but it will be a tough sell to upgrade from 7.

I'm am still content with my Arch Linux Netbook. At home, I'm running a Sabayon Desktop.

Also, I still consider my Android phone to be a Linux device.

8 isn't worse, it's just different from 7.

I'm guessing this won't be open for people who... erm... acquired Windows through "unofficial means".