Windows 10 Pricing Revealed, and it isn’t Pretty

[Batu69]

I seriously cannot believe some of Microsoft’s recent decisions – removing basic features such as DVD playback from Windows 10, no longer insisting on an option to disable secure boot, compulsory automatic updates – and now the company has revealed its Windows 10 pricing policy we can also add that to the list.

Yes, Windows 10 will be a free upgrade for eligible users during the initial year following its release but after that, any new users will be required to pay $119.00 for Windows 10 Home and a whopping $199.00 for the Pro edition. And, of course, ineligible users, those who are still running XP or Vista, plus anyone else who wants a copy of Windows 10, will have to pay through the nose. To continue retail sales at such unrealistically high prices appears to be totally at odds with the company’s vision of a service-centric, cloud-connected future for Windows.

This does not make sense on so many levels. I’ve been saying for some time now that Microsoft is keen on getting as many users as possible on the same platform, this is just fiscal logic, but this decision flies in the face of that premise and is simply not a financially sound one. Revenue derived from retail sales of Windows pales into insignificance when compared to flow-on opportunities, and the market share metric plays a crucial role in how and where developers, advertisers, and consumers invest their resources.

I honestly cannot see a downside to Microsoft making Windows 10 free for any and all consumers who want it, plus there are huge upsides to getting as many people using Windows 10 as possible. In an era where most all major operating systems are free – including OS X, iOS, Android, plus untold numbers of Linux distributions – why on earth Microsoft would place a monetary disincentive in the way of people who want Windows 10 is beyond me.

The fact of the matter is that, following the Windows 8 debacle, many traditional Windows users have become disenchanted with Microsoft’s approach – as is clearly suggested by Windows 8/8.1 poor adoption rates:

With substantial numbers of disenchanted users already looking at viable (and free) alternatives, I would have thought it would be in Microsoft’s best interests to try and reverse the trend rather than providing further incentive for even more to possibly join the exodus. Consumers flock to free and increased market share exponentially expands revenue opportunities, these are proven concepts, yet ones which Microsoft apparently fails to grasp.

Message to Microsoft: Forget about expensive retail sales and make Windows 10 free for everyone. Setup a webpage where people can sign up using a Microsoft account (which would entice more people into your ecosystem) to get a free license key and download an ISO. Then sit back and watch in wonder as your new operating system’s market share booms.

It ain’t rocket science folks.

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[oliverjia]

Microsoft is getting more and more stupid and hideous. I just got my first MBP Pro mid 2015 and yeah, it appears really nice. No stupid monthly Microsoft updates that eat up at least 1GB of your disk space (Windows + Office); no stupid "please wait, updating"; and no stupid "bork Tuesday" that can break your computer.

The management and leadership at Microsoft is a bunch of short-sighted morons.

[Kalju]

One an old Russian proverb says so - "The fish starts to rot always from the head."

[coromonadalix]

Does not rot fast enough loll

Very deceived of m$oft they will lose at the end.

[davmil]

Doesn't seem all that dis-similar to previous pricing to me. Don't understand everyone's surprise.

[Sylence]

There might be 3 more things about the prices fuss. first Microsoft may need more money from Windows 10 and if they release it as a free OS then they may get into financial problems in the future, second is they might be thinking that if people pay 200$ for a pro edition then they will get life time updates and features from Microsoft forever and that might justify the high prices. third, anyone participating in Windows insider program or even download and install Windows 10 preview and boot it up virtually in a free VM program just to sign up for the insider program, then they can get a free Windows 10 license.

Still the prices are high and they could have made Windows 10 as a service so people could pay a monthly fee to use Windows ( which is totally weird, it's not a software but an OS). they had thought they could put an end to Windows pirating and they failed. one way or another people continue using Windows because of its compatibility with hardware, software, games etc.

[banned]

anyone participating in Windows insider program or even download and install Windows 10 preview and boot it up virtually in a free VM program just to sign up for the insider program, then they can get a free Windows 10 license.

I challenge you to find a legitimate Microsoft source stating that.

[GRiM]

1. Install Windows 7

2. Install Windows Loader by Daz

3. Get free Win10 upgrade.

Simples!

[steven36]

How do you know it will say registered after upgrade ? You got a Crystal Ball ? :lol:

Fiction: Participants in the Windows Insider beta test will get a free copy of Windows 10
It isn’t yet known if pirate Windows Insiders (Microsoft’s registered Windows 10 beta testers) will be able to continue in the Windows Insider program and get the latest Fast and Slow ring builds direct from Microsoft. However, if the machine they’re using does not have a “genuine” Windows 7 or 8.1 license, they’ll still be running pirate software. Microsoft says it will keep track of your license and store information about it in the Windows Store.

[smallhagrid]

I know I am an old bore who repeats himself too much, but just the same:
No surprises here - SSDD.

[steven36]

Doesn't seem all that dis-similar to previous pricing to me. Don't understand everyone's surprise.

This is true, home edition its only like 20 more dollars than I paid for it in the early 2000s for XP .Inflation caused to go up a little. If they weren't giving it free they may had cut some slack to legit users of new O/S ? But its free so who cares My pc came with windows 8 on it. B)

[CODYQX4]

Nobody, for better worse, really wants to pay for an OS, and probably won't. Most people don't even understand that Windows is not their PC and IE is not the internet, sadly.

There's really only 2 paths you can take on the consumer side.

1. Google. Everything is free but we'll spy on you so hardcore that we'll have the hairs on your head counted.

2. Apple. The software is free, we make a big enough killing on hardware to give it to you.

Microsoft should make more PCs than just the Surface, and if you buy a Microsoft device, you get all Windows free until the device melts. Basically what they propose for those who upgrade in the first year. Sell your devices with enough profit margin to not lose money on OS development, without having to crapware it up. This probably implies premium or at least decent devices, not cut-rate POS laptops for under $350 that fail in a year and only are profitable due to outright malware being on them, because McAfee bundles just weren't selling enough.

You'd then have all the tech people recommending the MS PCs to the tech illiterate because they'd be free of crapware, never have to pay a subscription, and MS surely can make the OS run better on their own hardware than Acer/HP can, right?

It seems MS isn't really bound to monopoly issues, at least not in US, so it seems fair game. If Apple and Google can do it uncontested, why not them?

[davmil]

Doesn't seem all that dis-similar to previous pricing to me. Don't understand everyone's surprise.

This is true, home edition its only like 20 more dollars than I paid for it in the early 2000s for XP .Inflation caused to go up a little. If they weren't giving it free they may had cut some slack to legit users of new O/S ? But its free so who cares My pc came with windows 8 on it. B)

They'll be periodic sales and promotionals that match those old prices too. I need something widely supported and supportable, so I don't mind paying to get out of the Linux brain damage despite its price appeal.