Windows 10 - Will it Be Free? - Comments Page 1

What does "Free for 1 year" mean?
Does that mean I have one year to upgrade for free?
Or that 1 year after I upgrade I must start paying a subscription fee to keep it?

EDITOR'S NOTE: No, it means if you upgrade from W7 or W8 within a year of W10 availability (probably Fall 2015), it will be free. Subsequent updates will also be free.

With Spartan being a new browser it may be more secure. It'll take a while for malware to be developed hopefully.

This is great news that can't from fast enough from implementation. A few months ago I bought my sister a new laptop with Windows 8...and she still hasn't used it. She hates Windows 8. I too bought a new touchscreen laptop with Windows 8.1 and I really don't like W8 at all...and I have tried! I'll be in a desktop setting and make use of my touchpad and suddenly I'm thrown back into the W8 environment...with no idea of what the hell I did to make that happen! It really blows!

Free? BUT WILL IT WORK?? Just bought a Win 7 computer because I can't stand the Win 8.1 I had so many problems with! One of the problems with Win 8 was the inclusion of so much stuff. Sounds like they are packing even more into Win 10. Why not a basic program and let people add what they want?

I am led to believe that win10 contains a key stroke logger and some other intrusive software that sends everything to MS.Could this be true for the beta version only or in the final product?

EDITOR'S NOTE: See Windows 10's "Keylogger" Fiasco Has Been Blown Out of Proportion (http://lifehacker.com/windows-10s-keylogger-fiasco-has-been-blown-out-of-pr-1642931793)

Bottom line: This is not a feature of Windows 10—this exists only for the Technical Preview and will be removed from the final version of Windows 10.

So...we will get the upgrade to Windows 10 free.

When will the subscription fees start?

Good synopsis of an important event coming up for we anti-Apple folks. Thanks for the information Bob.

I am still hanging on with Vista NOT because I like it but because I couldn't be convinced that 7 was worth it and, more importantly because 8/8.1 is, in my view, not worth either the price or the effort. I don't use computers to do what Microsoft wants to make me do but rather to do what I want to do.

Now they will make me buy 7 just so I can get 10 or at least wait for whatever price 10 might be? I really wish I was convinced that the keylogger is, in fact, going to be removed and not just buried in the code somewhere.

Seems like there are a few folk who are sceptical like myself."Microsoft gives away Operating System" What is the catch? I'm on Win 7 at the moment and I will go to Win 10, but if I'm expected to pay for it I'll swing back to 7 again as I've shelled out a decent wad of cash for it. There is still 5 years of life in it yet! Will we be able to use Win 10 as we wish, or will we be tied to Microsoft for apps etc as Apple and Google have done to smart phone OS's? Perhaps I'm being too cynical. Lets look forward to Win 10 and enjoy it.

I join others in thanking you for this important info, Bob. I, too, am skeptical that MS won't find a way to charge for Windows "updates" once most users are running Windows 10. Moreover, the idea that MS can push new versions to one's devices and change the look and feel of the interface is not good news for a geezer like me who already struggles when Firefox and other browsers and applications change their interfaces and menus around update to update (seemingly for the worse in many instances). Linux, anyone?

I'm an avid user of Windows 7.
To me, and many others as well, I suspect, Windows 8 has a "childish" look to it.
An endless sea of colored squares seemingly engineered for semi-illiterates?
Judging from your screenshot above, 10 is just more of the same.

Man some people just can't be satisfied. A free upgrade and they still want to cry!

Do you know if they will be bringing back "Media Center" as a part Windows 10? It has been a key to my DVR for several years and I'd hate to loose it.

Bob, it's a great pleasure to be an avid reader. I'll say it again and again... A computer with any OS is only as good as the operator... just like a car...

1: It will not be free because this is MICROSOFT.
2: Spartan will be 100% like IE and Bing.
3: If you want Xbox games on the pc, then swap the CPU for an Xbox 360.
4: Also for the Xbox stream, the 2-player mode will only work if the game supports it (Skyrim DOESN'T)
Thank you and goodbye.

Thanks Bob, I too am an avid reader of your articles! I do believe that both KennyD and George's comments are right on time. I would like to add that I feel reasonably sure some people still use computers for activities other than games.

I use W8.1 on an old Dell desktop but I never see those childish, endless colored squares unless I want to go to that screen; not even when it loads up after being off. Using the old desktop with W8.1 works really well for all basic computing needs; didn't have to spend big bucks for a new computer with features I would never use. Of course it wouldn't work for gamers.

I also took an old Dell laptop running XP and installed the Linux OS, (by Zorin) on it and it too works great for basic computing needs; word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, etc. The OS comes with a free office suite.

I've really become an Apple guy at heart though; still I think Microsoft needs to be given a chance; they do seem to be headed in a different direction than in the past.

I'm waiting for Microsoft putting all this stuff in the EULA without the "subject to change" clause.
Too much chance of Microsoft deciding to change to a subscription service after one year.
I have been taught that the most expensive things are listed as "FREE".
7 still has about 5 years of updates left. 8/8.1 has about 7 or 8 years left of updates. One year may be all you get with 10. As you can see, I expect the worst-case scenario.

I have kept an old XP computer, so I could continue using certain softer. There are number of things that Window 7 & 8 doesn't offer. It doesn't look like there is much improvement with Windows 10. I would dump most of the apps on it. It is just a lot of garbage that is added to the boot-up screen. People should be able to select what apps they would use. I would love to see the way Windows Explorer is set-up.

Thank you for your article but I have been left a little confused after reading various articles on Windows 10 being FREE so I have two questions:

1. If somebody downloads Win10 how do we know that Microsoft won't start charging after several months or a year of downloading to continue using it?

2. Does anybody know if people, who bought computers with Win7/8 pre-installed (OEM), can still get it free or will we have to pay to obtain it?

EDITOR'S NOTE: Why the confusion? The article states: "Windows 10 will be a free upgrade for end users who have Windows 7 or 8." And, "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 cost."

Hi Bob,
To be honest, I understand Andy68 as there has been a little confusion in some forums and websites with different interpretations of what MS meant by "Free for a year".
However, I have read somewhere (I don't remember where) that MS will exclude the computers that come from manufactures with Windows 7 and 8 already installed from the free offer but the owners will pay a small fee.
Do you know anything about this?