AppleInsider Staff
Microsoft on Wednesday announced that Windows 10, its next-generation desktop and mobile operating system, would be offered as a free upgrade for users running Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows Phone 8.1.
The change in pricing strategy comes amid a broader shift within Microsoft to view Windows as a service, rather than a product. Another anchor of that new policy is the expansion of Windows 10 itself into smaller devices, including smartphones, supplanting Windows Phone.
Apple began offering OS X upgrades at no charge with the release of Mavericks in 2013, while iOS upgrades have been free since the mobile operating system's introduction.
Alongside the updated pricing, Microsoft also announced a slew of new features for Windows 10. Among them are an Action Center view that closely mirrors the functionality of OS X's Notification Center, a desktop version of Microsoft's Siri-like Cortana virtual assistant, and integration with the Xbox gaming ecosystem.
A new, universal messaging app will also allow users to maintain a single conversation with a person through multiple mediums, such as Skype and SMS.
New Windows 10 preview builds will be available for desktop users next week. The company promises phone-compatible builds in February.
Oliver Haslam
Christine McKee
Malcolm Owen
William Gallagher
Amber Neely
Andrew O'Hara
122 Comments
That's actually quite clever: if WX turns out to be just another annoyance people can't be complaining about it because it was free. http://news.microsoft.com/windows10story/?OCID=EVENT_SOC_TW_ORGANIC_LIVESTREAM30M&linkId=11851974 (doesn't work on my Mac, but it's a page at ms.com so...)
Win10 looks like a VAST improvement over the garbage that was Win8.
That's great news. One Windows version for all devices. It's about time. So will it be the Windows 10 Starter Edition, Home Basic Edition, Home Premium Edition, Professional Edition, Enterprise Edition, or maybe even the Windows 10 Ultimate Edition to compete with OS X uhm... "only" Edition?
Awesome. I held off on 8 because 7 was working fine for me. To get 10 for free is fantastic.
And most Windoze users (corporate world) will still be using Window$ 7.