Cost of Windows 10 to Computer Manufacturers

I have been reading about the fact that Windows 10 is free with conditions.

To me this means that the cost of a new computer will probably go up as
Microsoft will probably be charging the computer manufacturer more for
the license to install the MS OS.

This thought is based on the life of the average computer, which in my
experience and from what I have read, is 3 to 5 years.

By saying that Windows 10 is the last version of Windows, They are
saying that as long as your computer works, they will up grade the
computer. This is on the assumption that MS will gain the cost of a new
OS installation every 3 to 5 years. Statistically all the computers
that are sold today will have disappeared and been replaced in 10 years.
This roughly corresponded to what is happening with the current
version cycle of Windows. In production for 3 to 5 years, with an
extended 3 to 5 years of support.

This is some what on the model of McAfee and Norton. If you are a
subscriber, you received all new improvements to their software as long
as you own the computer. However unlike McAfee and Norton, MS will get
the sale of a new installation of their OS, every 3 to 5 years.

With McAfee and Norton, when you buy a new computer you uninstall it on
one computer and install it on the new computer. Since like McAfee and
Norton there will be no major version changes, there will be no need for
those who want the latest of everything to upgrade their system because
there is a new version

However it will be with out the flack that occurs every time a new
version is release. Also there will be no huge change like when MS
tried to get every one to accept the changes from Window 7 to Windows 8.
In the future the changes will be evolutionary, and the changes that
were attempted to be made in Windows 8 will occur slowly over several years.

Keith Nuttle wrote:
I have been reading about the fact that Windows 10 is free with conditions.

To me this means that the cost of a new computer will probably go up as
Microsoft will probably be charging the computer manufacturer more for
the license to install the MS OS.

This thought is based on the life of the average computer, which in my
experience and from what I have read, is 3 to 5 years.

By saying that Windows 10 is the last version of Windows, They are
saying that as long as your computer works, they will up grade the
computer. This is on the assumption that MS will gain the cost of a new
OS installation every 3 to 5 years. Statistically all the computers
that are sold today will have disappeared and been replaced in 10 years.
This roughly corresponded to what is happening with the current version
cycle of Windows. In production for 3 to 5 years, with an extended 3 to
5 years of support.

This is some what on the model of McAfee and Norton. If you are a
subscriber, you received all new improvements to their software as long
as you own the computer. However unlike McAfee and Norton, MS will get
the sale of a new installation of their OS, every 3 to 5 years.

With McAfee and Norton, when you buy a new computer you uninstall it on
one computer and install it on the new computer. Since like McAfee and
Norton there will be no major version changes, there will be no need for
those who want the latest of everything to upgrade their system because
there is a new version

However it will be with out the flack that occurs every time a new
version is release. Also there will be no huge change like when MS
tried to get every one to accept the changes from Window 7 to Windows 8.
In the future the changes will be evolutionary, and the changes that
were attempted to be made in Windows 8 will occur slowly over several
years.

On $100 tablets, the OEM gets the OS for free.

I haven't heard what the OEM policy is on desktops or
mobile devices with big screens.

The idea of making the OS free on tablets with small
screens, is Microsoft collects a licensing fee from Android
OEMs, and by offering the OS for free to Windows OEMs, the
idea is to give the Windows device a pricing advantage.

*******

The idea of "rolling releases" is fine, in the right hands.

But Microsoft has demonstrated that it likes to bust stuff,
when issuing new software that it thinks is important. So your
OS might have been delivered with a working Windows Backup,
and several years later, that backup doesn't work right. They
don't feel they "have a contract" with customers. There are
a number of retail items we buy, where the manufacturer feels
it is important to continue to offer the same functionality as
time passes. And they put the extra effort into *not* busting
stuff. It's obvious Microsoft isn't worried about this.

What you're getting is:

a "rolling release"
with a "variable feature set"
which can be broken at any time via automated updates.

Gentoo (Linux) is an example of a rolling release OS,
which has been in business for a long time. When I first
tried it, the installation steps were "perfect". Everything
worked. Any subsequent clean installation attempts (a couple years
later), the "churn level" meant they couldn't seem to make their
basic install sequence work properly any more. Their equivalent
of Windows Update, became "more intelligent" and "slower".
It was supposed to tell people how to fix stuff. The last time
I tried Gentoo, the LAN wouldn't work. And I hate trying to fix
LAN problems, when the LAN interface is broken. So that's
a "sample of one", as to what to expect from a rolling release.
For one thing, I suspect rolling releases grind up the staff
into "pulp", from facing constant "release pressure". You can't
keep up the quality level, while delivering the "whip and chair"
all the time.

HTH,
Paul

In article , says...

Keith Nuttle wrote:
I have been reading about the fact that Windows 10 is free with conditions.

To me this means that the cost of a new computer will probably go up as
Microsoft will probably be charging the computer manufacturer more for
the license to install the MS OS.

This thought is based on the life of the average computer, which in my
experience and from what I have read, is 3 to 5 years.

By saying that Windows 10 is the last version of Windows, They are
saying that as long as your computer works, they will up grade the
computer. This is on the assumption that MS will gain the cost of a new
OS installation every 3 to 5 years. Statistically all the computers
that are sold today will have disappeared and been replaced in 10 years.
This roughly corresponded to what is happening with the current version
cycle of Windows. In production for 3 to 5 years, with an extended 3 to
5 years of support.

This is some what on the model of McAfee and Norton. If you are a
subscriber, you received all new improvements to their software as long
as you own the computer. However unlike McAfee and Norton, MS will get
the sale of a new installation of their OS, every 3 to 5 years.

With McAfee and Norton, when you buy a new computer you uninstall it on
one computer and install it on the new computer. Since like McAfee and
Norton there will be no major version changes, there will be no need for
those who want the latest of everything to upgrade their system because
there is a new version

However it will be with out the flack that occurs every time a new
version is release. Also there will be no huge change like when MS
tried to get every one to accept the changes from Window 7 to Windows 8.
In the future the changes will be evolutionary, and the changes that
were attempted to be made in Windows 8 will occur slowly over several
years.

On $100 tablets, the OEM gets the OS for free.

I haven't heard what the OEM policy is on desktops or
mobile devices with big screens.

The idea of making the OS free on tablets with small
screens, is Microsoft collects a licensing fee from Android
OEMs, and by offering the OS for free to Windows OEMs, the
idea is to give the Windows device a pricing advantage.

*******


I think your point about Windows backup hit the mark. Who's to say MS
won't change that in some forced update such that the "new" version
can't make heads or tails of the old versions backups.

If it's forced updates I likely won't bite.

pjp wrote:

I think your point about Windows backup hit the mark. Who's to say MS
won't change that in some forced update such that the "new" version
can't make heads or tails of the old versions backups.

If it's forced updates I likely won't bite.

I might be able to keep my "Insider" copy running,
but it won't be an everyday OS.

Paul

Paul wrote:
pjp wrote:

I think your point about Windows backup hit the mark. Who's to say MS
won't change that in some forced update such that the "new" version
can't make heads or tails of the old versions backups.

If it's forced updates I likely won't bite.

I might be able to keep my "Insider" copy running,
but it won't be an everyday OS.

Paul

Just preview bits if remaining in the Insider Program (until MSFT ends
the Insider Program).

--
...winston
msft mvp windows experience